PSALM

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.”

THE KING, THE MESSIAH

PSALM 45:1-17

Key verse: v. 2, “Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.”

Introduction:

“Some here see Solomon and Pharaoh’s daughter only— they are short sighted; others see both Solomon and Christ—they are cross eyed; well focused spiritual eyes see here Jesus only. ‘THE KING,’ the GOD whose throne is forever and ever, IS NO MERE MORTAL and his everlasting dominion is not bounded by Lebanon and Egypt’s river.

This is NO wedding song of earthly nuptials, but an Epithal?mium [a nuptial song or poem in praise of a bride or bridegroom, or of both – Webster.] for the Heavenly Bridegroom and his elect spouse.” —Spurgeon.

I. DAVID’S CHARACTER IS READ BY HIS HEART WRITING v. 1

A. The TRUE LOVER of Christ is SINCERE, Matthew 12:35, “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.”

B. He is a man of EMOTION, Psalm 84:1-2, “How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts! 2- My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.”

C. He is a man of HOLY MEDITATION, Joshua 1:8, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

D. He is a man of EXPERIENCE, Psalm 61:1-4, “Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. 2-From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3- For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. 4- I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings.”

E. He is a man who BEARS WITNESS for his Lord, Acts 23:11, “And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.”

II. THE MATCHLESS BEAUTY OF THE MESSIAH vv. 2-9

A. Solomon saw Jesus as a beautiful flower, Song of Solomon 2:1, “I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.”

1. The Rose is known for its beauty, Isaiah 35:1, “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.”

2. The Lily has far more glory than Solomon, as does our Savior, Luke 12:27, “Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”

B. He is compared to the Apple tree for beauty, Song of Solomon 2:3, “As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.”

1. His shadow [PROTECTION] gives great delight, Isaiah 25:4, “For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.”

2. His fruit is sweet, Ezekiel 47:12, “And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.”

C. The King is a mighty man of valor, Isaiah 63:1, “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”

1. He champions truth, John 14:6, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

2. He champions humility, Philippians 2:8, “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

3. He champions justice, Romans 3:25-26, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”

III. ADMIRING TRIBUTES OF PRAISE ARE SPOKEN TO THE BRIDE vv. 10-15

A. As the lily among thorns, Song of Solomon 2:2, “As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.”

B. The Bride is referred to as the “daughter,” of the King, vv. 10-12;

1. Forget natural relations, Christ is preferred over them, Ephesians 5:22, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.”

2. He is you Lord, 1 Peter 3:5,6 “For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: 6- Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.”

C. The Kings daughter is glorious; this is the Lamb’s wife, Revelation 21:9, “And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”

IV. THE KING ETERNAL vv. 16-17

A. Though rejected by the Jews still he has some among them that are converted In every generation, Psalms 22:30, “A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.”

B. Some chose the KNOWLEDGE of Christ MORE EXCELLENT, Philippians 3:7-8, “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,”

C. All nations shall call him blessed, Psalms 72:17, “His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.”

CONCLUSION

WHERE IS THY GOD?–PSALM 42:1-11

Introduction:

This psalm is “called, Maschil, or an instructive ode; and full as it is of deep experimental expressions, it is eminently calculated to instruct those pilgrims whose road to heaven is of the same trying kind as David’s was.

It is always edifying to listen to the experience of a thoroughly gracious and much afflicted saint.” —C.H. SPURGEON

The psalm is addressed to the sons of Korah, a choice band of singers. “Korah was he who was at the head of a conspiracy against Moses and Aaron, for which sin the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed alive him and his company, and fire devoured two hundred and fifty more; the history of which is recorded in Numbers 16:1-50; yet all his posterity were not cut off, Numbers 26:11, “Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not.” —John Gill’s Expositor.

The subject “is the cry of a man far removed from the outward ordinances and worship of God, sighing for the long loved house of his God; and at the same time it is the voice of a spiritual believer, under depressions, longing for the renewal of the divine presence, struggling with doubts and fears, but yet holding his ground by faith in the living God.” C.H. SPURGEON

I. MY SOUL THIRSTS FOR GOD vv. 1-5

A. Debarred from public worship, David was heartsick, vv. 1-2; Psalms 63:1, “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;”

1. Fellowship in God’s house was abundantly satisfying, Psalms 36:8, “They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.”

2. David thirsted after the Lord, John 7:37, “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.”

B. When shall I appear before God? v. 2; 1 Corinthians 1:9, “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”

1. David was a dedicated Believer, Psalms 27:4, “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.”

2. To forsake the house of God was far from David’s mind, Hebrews 10:25, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

3. David loved the house of God, vv. 2-3; Psalms 84:10, “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.”

a. David’s appetite was gone and he was discouraged, Psalms 3:2, “Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God.”

b. He wept in his loneliness for the fellowship of God’s house, Psalms 80:5, “Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure.”

C. The House of God was the Joy David’s life, vv. 4-5;

1. David was quite overwhelmed with distress and anguish, Job 30:16, “And now my soul is poured out upon me; the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.”

2. Wait a minute, why am I cast down? v. 5; Psalms 61:2, “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

II. HOPE IN GOD vv. 6-11

A. David remembers when he had to flee earlier and God had met with him in the wilderness, v. 6; Psalms 77:7-8, 10-11, “Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? 8- Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? 10- And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. 11- I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.”

B. David’s soul was overwhelmed by the flood of difficulties, vv. 7-8; Psalms 69:2, “I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.”

1. Yet encouragement comes, v. 8; Psalms 133:3, “As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.”

2. In the night His song will be with me, Psalms 32:7, “Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.”

C. I will say unto my Rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? vv. 9-11; Psalms 18:2, “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”

1. Why am I mourning? v. 9; Psalms 62:6,7; “He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. 7- In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.”

2. Apparently his attitude had caused others to reproach him, Proverbs 12:18, “There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.”

D. Hope in God, v. 11;

1. He is the health of my countenance, Jeremiah 30:17, “For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.”

2. The Lord’s cure bring an abundance of peace and truth, Jeremiah 33:6, “Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.”

CONCLUSION

Discouragement is bound to come, but the Lord is the Great Physician who can heal our every woe, Mark 2:17, “When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

HOPE IN GOD

PSALM 42:6-11

Introduction:

In the first part of this psalm David expresses his thirst of the House of God. He had been prevented from fellowship in the House of God because of Saul’s attempts to kill him. David was discouraged and felt forgotten by the Lord.

However, in the last half of the psalm David not only remembers his persecution, but also how God had saved him from other situations in the past and encourages himself in the Lord.

I. DAVID REMEMBERS HIS DIFFICULTIES

A. David remembers when he had to flee earlier and God had met with him in the wilderness, v. 6; Psalms 77:7-8, 10-11, “Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? 8- Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? 10- And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. 11- I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.”

1. It is easy to think that His mercy is gone, Psalms 85:5, “Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?”

2. We need to remember God’s rescues, Deuteronomy 15:15, “And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.”

a. I remember thee from the hill Mizar where he had escaped from Absalom, 2 Samuel 15:14, “And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.”

b. The valley of Trouble, Achor, where Achan cause trouble for Israel, Joshua 7:24, 26, “And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. 26- And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.”

c. This valley because a “door of hope” for Israel later, Hosea 2:15, “And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.”

B. David’s soul was OVERWHELMED by the flood of difficulties, vv. 7-8; Psalms 69:2, “I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.”

II. DAVID FELT AS IF GOD HAD FORGOTTEN HIM

A. I will say unto my ROCK, Why hast thou forgotten me? vv. 9-11; Psalms 18:2, “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”

1. Why am I MOURNING? v. 9; Psalms 62:6, “He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. 7- In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.”

2. Apparently his ATTITUDE had caused others to REPROACH HIM, Proverbs 12:18, “There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.”

III. DAVID PUTS HIS HOPE IN GOD

A. WHY am I cast down? Psalms 43:5, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

1. ENCOURAGEMENT comes, v. 8; Psalms 133:3, “As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.”

2. In the night His SONGS will be with us, Psalms 32:7, “Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.”

a. He is our “HIDING PLACE,” Psalms 119:114, “Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.”

b. He TURNS US about by His MERCY, Psalms 32:10, “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.”

B. Our HOPE is NOT IN our FLESH, Psalms 78:7, “That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:”

1. Our HOPE IS in NOT FORGETTING the WORKS of God, Psalms 77:11-12, “I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. 12- I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.”

2. Our hope IS in NOT FORGETTING His WORD, Deuteronomy 5:29, “O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!”

C. Our HOPE is in GOD,

1. He is the HEALTH of my BEING, Jeremiah 30:17, “For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.”

2. The Lord’s CURE BRINGS an abundance of PEACE and truth, Jeremiah 33:6, “Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.”

CONCLUSION

Discouragement is bound to come, but the Lord is the Great Physician who can heal our every woe, Mark 2:17, “When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

SETTING FORTH A FAR GREATER THAN DAVID
PSALM 41:1-13

Key verse: v. 9, “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”

John 13:18, “I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.”

Introduction:

David was a man with a wide range of experience which he used to set forth One far greater than he, his Messiah.

“Jesus Christ betrayed by Judas Iscariot is evidently the great theme of this Psalm, but we think not exclusively. He [Judas] is the antitype [the opposite type] of David, and all his people are in their measure like him; hence words suitable to the Great Representative are most applicable to those who are in Him.” –Charles H. Spurgeon

I. HE BECAME POOR FOR OUR SAKES v. 1

A. Jesus is said to be “poor and needy” here, Psalms 40:17, “But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.”

1. This is the man of sorrows, Isaiah 53:3, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

2. Jesus was known for His sorrows, Isaiah 53:4, “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”

3. His soul was sorrowful as He contemplated the cross, Matthew 26:37-38, “And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.”

B. He endured the contradiction of sinners against Himself, Hebrews 12:3, “For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”

1. It pleased the Lord to bruise Him for our sins, Isaiah 53:10, “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.”

2. His suffering for our sins brought satisfaction to the Father, 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.”

II. MINE ENEMIES SPEAK EVIL OF ME v. 5

A. The insolent conduct of his enemies, 1 Samuel 2:3, “Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.”

1. They speak wickedly against the Lord Jesus Christ, Psalms 139:20, “For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.”

2. They speak against the Lord’s servants, Numbers 12:8, “With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”

a. These who speak evil against God’s men do not know their INTIMATE relationship with the Lord, Deuteronomy 34:10, “And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,”

b. The Lord still maintains a close relationship as that of a friend with those He has called to preach His Word, Exodus 33:11, “And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.”

B. The enemies of the Lord desire TO RUIN His reputation among the people of the nation, Mark 3:6, “And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might DESTROY HIM.”

1. Recently so-called DIGNITARIES have spoken AGAINST the Lord, Psalms 119:23, “Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.”

2. The Lord WARNED US of this, John 15:18, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me BEFORE it hated you.”

a. The world has hated Jesus WITHOUT A CAUSE, John 15:25, “But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.”

b. However they are under Satan’s power, John 14:30, “Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.”

III. MINE OWN FAMILIAR FRIEND HATH LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME v. 9

A. Those who hurt the Lord and His church appear to be friends, 2 Samuel 15:12, “And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.”

1. It was an “inward” [close] friend who turned against the Lord, Job 19:19, “All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.”

2. Satan had entered Judas, John 13:26-27, “Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27- And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.”

B. God has turned the hurt into a blessing, John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

C. The Lord has helped us, therefore we rejoice, Psalm 28:7, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.”

CONCLUSION