Please turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 17 as we continue working our way through the psalter. Find ourselves in Psalm 17. I'll read the psalm pray and then we'll look at it in some detail. So Psalm 17 beginning in verse one, a prayer of David.
Hear a just cause, O Lord, attend to my cry. Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips. Let my vindication come from your presence. Let your eyes look on the things that are upright.
You have tested my heart. You have visited me in the night. You have tried me and have found nothing. I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress concerning the works of men.
By the word of your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer. Uphold my steps in your paths that my footsteps may not slip. I have called upon you for you will hear me, oh God. Incline your ear to me and hear my speech.
Show your marvelous loving kindness by your right hand. Oh you who save those who trust in you, from those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of your eye. Hide me under the shadow of your wings, from the wicked who oppress me, from my deadly enemies who surround me.
They have closed up their fat hearts. With their mouths they speak proudly. They have now surrounded us in our steps. They have set their eyes crouching down to the earth as a lion is eager to tear his prey and like a young lion lurking in secret places.
Arise, O Lord, confront him. Cast him down. Deliver my life from the wicked with your sword, with your hand from men, O Lord, from men of the world who have their portion in this life and whose belly you fill with your hidden treasure. They are satisfied with children and leave the rest of their possession for their babes.
As for me, I will see your face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake in your likeness. Amen. Well, let us pray.
Our father, we thank you for the Lord's day. We thank you for the blessed privilege to gather together with the people of God in the house of God to sing the praises of God. We give glory to you for so great a salvation. We pray now that your spirit would guide us and lead us as we consider Christ in this particular psalm.
We thank you for that one who who lived for us, who died for us, and was raised again for us. And we bless you that he ever lives now to make intercession for us. and we look forward to his return again in glory to judge the living and the dead. Even now, Lord, forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness and sin. And again, may your spirit illumine our minds and hearts.
And may your spirit affectionally call out of darkness into marvelous light sinners to be saved. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen.
Introduction: Christ in Psalm 17
Well, in Psalm 17, it continues basically with the earthly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. The approach that we have taken in our study of the psalter up to this point and continuing onward is that they are primarily about our Lord Jesus. He's the subject. He's the object.
He's the compo composer. He's the prayer and he's the singer of the Psalms. And to suggest this would not offend David. I'm going to suggest and I'm going to state David's not much in Psalm 17.
David would not be offended by me saying such a thing because what we have in Psalm 17 is a description of a righteous man, a description of a perfectly righteous man, a description of the man of Psalm 15 who can abide in the holy hill of Zion based on his obedience to God most high. So what we have here, as I said, continues the earthly ministry, the mind of Christ according to his human nature. And its closest parallel in terms of the Psalms that we have looked at thus far is Psalm 7. In Psalm 7, we see a similar emphasis.
The psalmist cries out for vindication from God Almighty. And that is precisely what we have in verses 1 and two in Psalm 17. And so with reference to this particular psalm, I want to look at first the petition of the psalmist in verses 1-9. Secondly, the description of the enemies of the psalmist in verses 10 to 12.
And then thirdly, the expectation of the psalmist in verses 13 to 15. And as we have seen moving through the Psalms, there is this clear dividing line between the righteous and the wicked. And the righteous in this present evil age acknowledges that. The righteous takes notice of that.
And the righteous cries out to God for vindication. In fact, Jesus taught us in what we call the Lord's Prayer to pray that God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In other words, we ought to pray that God would bring down the walls of abortion clinics. We ought to pray that God would exalt righteousness in the land.
Now whether or not that's to be realized in our life, it doesn't mitigate the reality that the righteous hates to see the flourishing and the prosperity of the unrighteous. But we don't take up arms against them. Rather, we pray to God who judges justly. And that is precisely what we see with reference to our Lord Jesus in Psalm 17.
As Augustine said, this prayer must be assigned to the person of the Lord with the addition of the church which is his body. So David is in this psalm and we are in this psalm. But because Christ is first in this psalm, it is the expression of his mind and his earthly ministry. So
The Petition of the Psalmist
note with me in verses 1 to nine, the petition of the psalmist. The petition properly is found in verses one and two. that prayer of David in the superscription. Uh what we find in several well not several yeah I guess it is several there are five psalms that start off with a prayer of either David or Moses or the afflicted. They are Psalms 1786 90 102 142.
Habach as well chapter 3 uh verse one speaks of a prayer and then what we find is basically a psalm. So psalms are prayers to be offered up to God and praises to be rendered in the public worship of God. But note his prayer in verse one. He says, "Hear a just cause or literally hear, O Lord, righteousness.
Hear a just cause, O Lord, attend to my cry. Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips. Let my vindication come from your presence. Let your eyes look on the things that are upright." Again, notice the emphasis. that is not from deceitful lips.
Chapter or Psalm 15 speaks concerning his non-deceitful lips. Notice in verse two, let my vindication from uh come from your presence. Let your eyes look on the things that are that are upright. Jesus is the upright one.
Verse three, you have tested my heart. You have visited me in the night. You have tried me and found nothing. I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress concerning the works of men by the word of your lips.
I have kept the way uh kept away from the paths of the destroyer. Brethren, David could not pray this apart from the imputed righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ praised this because of his active obedience unto the father in his earthly ministry. He never committed sin.
He was without deceit. He was without lust. He was without covetousness. He was without any transgression of the law of God or any lack of conformity there unto.
The cause of Christ is just. Again, hear a just cry, a just cause, O Lord. Notice the lips of Christ are without deceit. Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips.
Isaiah 53:9. They made his grave with the wicked, but with the rich at his death, because he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Peter of course applies that to our Lord in 1 Peter chapter 2. That cannot be predicated of David unless David is conscious of his of his standing before God having been forgiven and having received a righteousness imputed to him and received by faith alone.
This is Jesus. This is the mind of the savior with reference to his humanity. But as well notice the voice of Christ is earnest three times in verse one. Hear a just c cause, O Lord.
Attend to my cry. Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips. We need to learn from that. We need to be in like earnest with reference to God most high.
Remember that that that parable of the importunate widow that the Lord Jesus told. There was a woman who wanted justice and the judge would not regard her. He didn't fear God. He didn't fear men.
But because of her insistence and because of her constant coming to him, even though he didn't fear God, even though he didn't re uh uh regard men, he nevertheless gave her the verdict that she sought. Why does Jesus teach that? Well, so that men will pray and not lose heart. Listen to Spurgeon with reference to this three-fold uh invocation or in treaty in verse one.
He says, "He that has the worst cause makes the most noise." You've heard that before. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Right? This is the squeaky wheel gets the grease according to Spurgeon in terms of prayer.
Listen to this again, brethren. There are times when we're perplexed. There are times when we are tried. There are times when we are afflicted.
And yet, we pray as if our lives didn't depend upon it. When we're tried, when we're afflicted, when we're perplexed, we ought to pray as if our lives depended upon it. If we were pinned in a burning car, we wouldn't just say, "Somebody out there, please help. We would be screaming.
We would be shouting. We would be invoking. We would be intreating. We would be in earnest." Spurgeon says, "He that has the worst cause makes the most noise." Hence, the oppressed soul is apprehensive that its voice may be drowned and therefore pleads. in this one verse for a hearing no less than three times.
The scriptures according to Hebrews chapter 5 tells us the son of God prayed earnestly and he was heard because of his godly fear. And the specific petition of the psalmist is for vindication. Verse two, let my vindication come from your presence. Let your eyes look on the things that are upright.
The righteous one desires righteousness in the earth which ultimately comes from God Almighty. Again, brethren, that ought to be us. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Take that petition and make it appropriate to the very situation that we face in our modern evil age.
Our brother alluded to the fact that there's encroachments. There are movements to to try and restrain us and to try to keep us from opening our mouths, crying loud, sparing not, and lifting up our voices like a trumpet. The Bible condemns sexual immorality. The church must preach the Bible.
The Bible condemns the murder of the innocent. The church must preach the Bible. The Bible condemns the sorts of ghoulish things that are going on everywhere around us. And so it is legit for us with Jesus to say, "Let my vindication come from your presence.
Let your eyes look on the things that are upright." The desire of the church for vindication is not wrong on principle. Though, like we find in the psalm, there's a real life tension. He cries out, but he looks beyond this present evil age to the ultimate vindication. In verse 15, brethren, we live in the already not yet.
That is a state of tension. There is a lot against us, but there is one for us. And we can cry to him in the midst of it with that overwhelming expectation and rocksolid confidence that we will awake in his presence one day. Notice as well he pleads that that righteousness that he has.
Let your eyes look on the things that are upright. Ash says, "Because I am righteous, I cry. And because I am righteous, you hear. Again, this psalm is ours.
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James isn't kidding. That is for the church. It's for the church because it was first with Christ.
We have his righteousness. We have the ear of the most high. We can call upon God for this sort of vindication. So verses 1 and two, very simple.
Vindicate my cause on the earth, O Lord. In other words, render to the proud their worth. In other words, cut them off, cast them down, destroy them, most high, and exalt righteousness. That's the heartbeat of the prayer.
Now, notice in terms of this petition or prayer, he provides argument in verses 3 to9. Still under the major heading, the petition of the psalmist, verses 1-9. We've got petition verses 1 and two and we've got his argument in verses 3 to9. And I think his argument is three-fold.
First, his righteousness verses 3 to 5. Second, his prayerfulness in verses 6 and 7. And then thirdly, his defenselessness in verses 8 and N. Note
Argument from His Righteousness
his righteousness in verse three. As I said or as I read, you have tested my heart. You have visited me in the night. You have tried me and have found nothing.
Is that true of David, brethren? I'm a a fan of David. If you put me under a spotlight and you started to beat me with a rubber hose and you started to ask me, who are your heroes in in the Bible? David is top five.
Top three. Haven't given it much thought, but at least in terms of prep, I don't have a side note. No, he would have been your 2.5. No, no.
Big fan of David. But if we ask David, is that true of you? Oh no, I'm a prophet according to Acts chapter 2. I spoke concerning the Messiah.
You know what's intriguing as I've, you know, reflecting on the Psalms as kind of a cristocentric approach to it. The New King James translates all the personal pronouns in Psalm 22 or or uh capitalizes all the personal pronouns. In the Lord, they see Psalm 22 specifically applies to the Lord Jesus. Everybody takes that as a given.
But why do we come to a Psalm 17 and struggle here? Because I suggest this concept of vindication. The church has been browbeating into submission to think that you're only ever going to lose. Just be content and deal with it.
Any form of masculine psalm singing Christianity is frowned on. not by the world but by by much of the modern church to sing Psalm 68 marching into the b into battle with the hugeno or singing the the the the metrical psalms of David with the Scottish covenanters. Those days are long gone brethren. This is a militant. This is a masculine.
This is a godly and upright approach to Christianity. The Lord Christ most high according to his human nature, looked at the oppression, looked at the wickedness, looked at the lawlessness, and cried to his father for vindication. Why can't we do that? Why can't we join with the Savior, appropriating the psalm to ourselves?
Because we've appropriated by God's grace, received through faith that imputed righteousness of our blessed savior. Gil says, "This is true of Christ in the fullest sense. No iniquity was ever found in him by God, by men, or devils." It's true, holy, harmless, and undefiled. Notice as well, it's not just that he's been examined by the father, but notice determination in verses 3b and 4.
I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. Please don't raise your hands. But how many of you have purposed that your mouth shall not transgress? Again, don't raise your hand.
If you haven't purposed it, may I suggest that you do so? But if you have, how long did that last? How long was it effective? How long did you carry through?
You hit your toe on the end table and you've no longer purposed with your mouth not to transgress. This is Christ, brethren, not only with reference to his mouth, but with reference to his conduct. Notice in verse four, concerning the works of men, note the instrumentality of his father's word. By the word of your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.
Christ, according to his human nature, read scripture. Christ, according to his human nature, learned of his messiahship. Christ according to his human nature grew in wisdom and stature among men. Christ's humanity was true humanity.
How did he feed himself? How did he booy himself up? How did he uh bring that stabilization when he's surrounded by enemies? It's by the word of your lips.
But concerning the works of men, by the word of your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer. Notice then the petition in verse five. uphold my steps and your paths that my footsteps may not slip. I think this connects Psalm 17 to Psalm 16 and 15. Not just numerically, but thematically.
Look at Psalm 15 at the very end. He who does these things shall never be moved. Notice in 16:8, I have set the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand. I shall not be moved. verse five in ver in Psalm 17, uphold my steps and your paths that that I shall not be moved that my footsteps shall not slip.
Christ, true humanity depended upon the word of God most high to stabilize him, to strengthen him, and to promote faithfulness and diligence with reference to his earthly ministry. Is there a lesson for the church here? Is there something that we can glean and garner if the psalm is ours because it was first Christ? Brethren, how are we going it without scripture?
How are we going to persevere and be steadfast in a world that is growing, at least in the western side of it, in opposition to our Christ and to his people? Are we going to do it based on our charm? Are we going to do it based on our good looks? Are we going to do it based on our gregarious?
No, we're going to do it based on the power of the spirit of truth working by, with, and in, and through the word of truth so that we may bring glory to the incarnate truth by the word of your lips. He says this was the stabilizing principle for Christ according to his humanity. Notice then
Argument from His Prayerfulness
his prayerfulness in verses six and seven. So this is argument for the petition of verses 1 and two. Verse six, I I have called upon you for you will hear me, oh God. Incline your ear to me and hear my speech.
Show your marvelous loving kindness by your right hand. Oh you who save those who trust in you from those who rise up against them. His constancy at the throne of grace. Again the importunate widow.
When Christ tells that in Luke 18 so that men ought not to lose heart but always to pray. He uses that particular principle of a constancy at the throne of grace. Do you brothers and sisters ever struggle with the thought that perhaps God isn't hearing your prayers? Am I the only guy in the room that has ever struggled with the thought that I prayed for this and that for many, many years and it doesn't seem like heaven's open and the answers have come.
I think that's probably a per perplexing thing for everybody who's ever prayed. In fact, a lot of men leave off prayer because I tried it and it didn't work. See, we approach prayer as if it's a vending machine. We approach prayer as if he's a if God's a beverage.
We approach prayer as if immediate satisfaction is going to be our lot. Sometimes you see that in the psychological sort of journals. It talks about you know the benefit and the advantageousness of prayer. There's a soothing calming effect.
I'm not talking about that. Talking about dependence upon the Lord most high talking about worship of the most high. talking about the importunate widow who was not content with the verdict that he had rendered and would not stop until the prophet Isaiah picks up that sort of language in Isaiah 62 Jerusalem or Israel's in a in a decent way God is going to bring judgment upon them and you know what the the the prophet says he says give God no rest until he hears that's the kind of praying you find through scripture. That's the kind of earnestness and consistency and constancy you find in scripture. And this is to be found in the son of man according to his humanity.
I have called upon you for you will hear me, oh God. Incline your ear to me and my and hear my speech. Note the logic of prayer in this this sentence. It's beautiful.
The logic of prayer. I call upon you because I know you will hear me. I call upon you because I know you're going to answer me immediately. No, I call upon you because I know you're going to hear me.
It's up to you whether or not you render this specific verdict. It's up to the the God of most uh the God most high of infinite wisdom and grace and power and majesty. We just call upon him because we know he's going to hear. I have called upon you for you will hear me, oh God.
Incline your ear to me and hear my speech. You get the logic of prayer down. I'm going to call upon you because I know that you'll hear. Then you've got the exercise of prayer down.
Incline your ear to me and hear my speech. Psalm 16:es 1 and two, it says, "I I love the Lord because he has heard my voice and my supplications because he has inclined his ear to me. Therefore, I will call upon him as long as I live." It's beautiful. learn the logic of prayer and it's not you know Aristotle you don't have to go read Plato you don't have to be you know conversant with all of the ancient philicus I I call upon you because I know you'll hear what what you do with that Lord is up to you what you do with that Lord I put in the category of Romans 8:28 I know that you cause all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose. But I'm going to call because I know you're going to hear.
And when I understand that logic, I'm going to exercise it at the throne of grace. I'm going to say, "Incline your ear to me. Please look down in mercy. Please look down in love.
Please look down in kindness. and please grant grace so that I'm able to accept it even if you give me a big fat no that's prayer brethren and I love that Psalm 102 the superscription is beautiful Psalm 102 this is one of the other psalms where the psalmist is identified as a prayer in Psalm 102 verse one. This would be verse one in the Hebrew text. A prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the Lord. Isn't that glorious?
One of the reasons why we should make much of the psalter, not only in our preaching and in our reading, but in our singing, is because it says stuff that I think modern hymnwriters and even the old boys that we like would be a little bit hesitant. Do we really admit that at times we're we're overwhelmed? Do we really admit at times that we're dejected? Do we really admit with David in Psalm 42 and 43, why are you downcast, oh my soul?
Do do we admit that? No. We've got to put on a front. We got to look great.
We got to sing Jesus is my boyfriend did. That's what gets us through the day. No, it's the biblical grit of life in this present messy age. And we have the Lord Christ himself expressing prayer that we co-opt as our own.
Back to Psalm 17. So in terms of his prayerfulness, notice where the petition primarily lies. Verse 7. Show your marvelous loving kindness by your right hand.
Oh you who save those who trust in you from those who rise up against them. The very mercy of God, the steadfast loving kindness, the marvelous loving kindness, Spurgeon says, marvelous in its antiquity, its distinguishing character, its faithfulness, its immutability, and above all, marvelous in the wonders which it works. In other words, God, here's my problem. God, here's my issue.
God, here's my petition. God, here's my specific desire. I'm not trying to coach you, God. I don't want to jump into what is the mind of God as if that could ever happen.
I certainly don't want to tell you how to do your job, God. But man, I have proven in times past that it isn't my steadfastness. It isn't my grit. It isn't my determination, but it's your marvelous loving kindness that has sustained me.
It's your marvelous loving kindness that has got me through. It is your marvelous loving kindness that I that I stand in dependence upon. And that marvelous loving kindness is first seen in the salvation of God from evil. Notice, show your marvelous loving kindness by your right hand.
Oh you who save those who trust in you, from those who rise up against them. the power of God to save and deliver the world, the flesh, and the devil. If I asked you, of those three, which is the most menacing? And again, no show of hands, no group chatter at this point, but which is the most menacing of that unholy trinity, the world, the flesh, or the devil? Guess what I'm going with?
I can hide from the world. I don't, but I could feasibly. The devil is not omnisient. He's not omnipotent.
He roams about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may may devour. But he's not infinite. He doesn't have those perfections predicated of God. He can't multitask everybody at the same time.
Now, I know he's got minions and demons and all that sort of a thing, but there are times perhaps where the devil isn't really messing with you. It's that flesh, that old pesky flesh. See, if I run and hide from the world, guess what I still have? If the devil's messing with you and it's a Thursday and I'm off, guess what I still have?
What do we need to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil? The marvelous loving kindness of God most high. See, when the psalmist comes to pray, the psalmist specifically presents his argument and then his defenselessness. So again, this is the three-fold prong with reference to the argument for the particular petitions.
In verses 1 and two, the third is
Argument from His Defenselessness
his defenselessness in verses 8 and n. He says, "Keep me as the apple of your eye. Hide me under the shadow of your wings from the wicked who oppress me for from my deadly enemies who surround me." So he he prays specifically for the protection from his father. That that's what he says.
Keep me as the apple of your eye. hide me under the shadow of your wings. Some suggest that now we've entered into a bit of a of an Exodus backdrop, an old covenant Israel backdrop. I think there's merit to that. Deuteronomy 32:es 10 and 11, the song of Moses.
He found him in a desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness. He encircled him. He he instructed him. He kept him as the apple of his eye.
As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings. Doesn't our Lord Jesus invoke similar language when he laments over Jerusalem? How many times I would have I would have gathered you like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. The psalmist lives in the midst of depravity.
The righteous one is dwelling with the unrighteous multitude. The righteous one who's holy, harmless, and undefiled is is surrounded by the unholy, the completely harmful, and the thoroughly defiled. And they all seem to have one thing in common, his demise, his end, his destruction, his silence. And so for the son according to his humanity to say to the father, "Keep me as the apple of your eye.
Hide me under the shadow of your wings demonstrates that glorious dependence of the son of man upon his father in his earthly ministry. his word, his presence, his power, his protection, his his shadow of his wings, his keeping him as the apple of his eye. And then he names the problem. Notice in verse 9, from the wicked who oppress me, from my deadly enemies who surround me. I would argue this is the, you know, reason for the petition in verses 1 and two.
There's arguments to be sure, his prayerfulness, his his his righteousness, his defenselessness. But when all is said and done, why is he praying verses 1 and two? Because he's surrounded by deadly enemies that want to destroy him. They want to cut him off.
They want to throw him away. The temporal opposition by the enemies of our Lord. Psalm 22:11, "Be not far from me, for trouble is near, for there is none to help." And then in Psalm 22 12- 21, it describes in detail that trouble facing the son of man. We just sang it in Thomas Kelly's hymn.
We sang, "Tell me ye who hear him groaning. Was there ever grief like his?" Friends through fear, his cause disowning, foes insulting his distress. Many hands were raised to wound him. None would interpose to save.
But the deepest stroke that pierced him was the stroke that justice gave. That's not hyperbolic on the part of Thomas Kelly. This whole idea of friends through fear has caused disowning. What happens in Matthew 26?
The disciples all forsook him. The foes mocking his distress. Matthew chap 27. He saved others.
Let's see if he can save himself. Come down from the cross and prove yourself to be the son of God. But the deepest stroke that pierced him was the stroke that justice gave. Isaiah the prophet says it pleased Yahweh to bruise him, putting him to grief.
Christ, according to his human nature, prays for help in the midst of temporal trial. Again, a positive indication of the true humanity of our Lord Jesus. Christ as mediator knows that he must undergo these things. He must set his fa face like a flint to go to Jerusalem.
He must be tried at the hands of godless men. He must be crucified. The apostle describes him as being obedient to death, even the death of the cross in Philippians chapter 2 and verse 8. Again, what you're getting in the psalter is the mind and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ according to his human nature.
In many ways, I would say in most ways, just what we've seen of Jesus in the first 17 Psalms sort of round out, supplement, supply more data to what Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John give us. They gave us the Messiah. They give us his glorious incarnation. They give us his virgin birth.
They give us his sorrows. They give us his sufferings. They give us his death. But so does David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
And thus, it is good for us to pray these psalms. It's good for us to to read and preach these psalms. It's good for us to to sing these psalms. It's good for us to have the Psalms in us because they were first in our blessed savior.
The Enemies of the Psalmist
Notice then secondly by way of a major heading the description of the enemies of the psalmist in verses 10 to 12. This repeats much of what we've already seen. He speaks of the pride of his enemies and he speaks of the violence of his enemies. Verse 10 is curious.
They have closed up their fat hearts. Kids, what does it mean to close up your fat heart? It's kind of an interesting turn of phrase. Bit of an interesting metaphor.
Ash comments, "They have closed their hearts to pity." Quoting the ESV, he says, "This is a difficult line to translate. The word hearts is literally fat. It may allude to their hardness of heart, as several translations indicate, or possibly to their self-absorbed prosperity and ease." I don't know. If you asked Ash, he'd probably say, "I don't know." But this much we do know.
Whatever the first part of verse 10 means, the second part of verse 10 explains with their mouths they speak proudly. Previous descriptions of these men in Psalms 5, 10, and 12. Again, David met with men like that. We meet with men like that.
Jesus met with men like that. They speak pride, arrogance. He He saved others. let him save himself. You ever think about that scene at the foot of the cross?
You're watching a man that you know was not guilty of the crimes you tried to pin on him. And while he's suffering, you're going to insult him. It's another phrase we use, adding insult to injury. How despicable.
How horrific. How monstrous. That's why I think the psalmist uses the metaphor of lions here. This is why the psalmist uses the metaphor of various beasts in Psalm 22.
He's saying that men at the foot of the cross were were beastly. Men at the foot of the cross were anim animalistic. Men at the foot of the cross were in such vile rebellion against the most high that they had far more in common with soulless animals than they do with men made in God's image. Pride Jesus had to confront.
But not just
The Pride and Violence of the Enemies
their pride, their violence. Notice in verse 11, they have now surrounded us in our steps. They have set their eyes crouching down to the earth as a lion is eager to tear his prey. and like a young lion lurking in secret places. Again, several similar descriptions in the altar prior to Psalm 17.
What's he saying? This isn't just, you know, a battle of wits with morons. This isn't just a theological disagreement. This is life and death.
These men are outraged against the most high and against his Christ. They have an axe to grind. They're proud. They're arrogant.
They're violent. They're like animals when it comes to doing this sort of violence upon their prey. This is a description of our Lord in his earthly ministry.
The Expectation of the Psalmist
Let's go then finally to the expectation of the psalmist in verses 13 to 15. Stuff we've seen prior to this psalm in the psalter thus far. The
Judgment on the Wicked
judgment upon his enemies and the presence with his father. Pretty simple, right? His his prayer list is pretty brief categories. Notice in verses 13 and 14, "Arise, O Lord, confront him.
Cast him down. Deliver my life from the wicked with your sword, with your hand from men, oh Lord, from men of the world who have their portion in this life and whose belly you fill with hidden treasure. They're satisfied with children and leave the rest of their possession for their babes." This is the cry of true humanity. Arise, O Lord, confront him.
Cast him down. You say, "Well, that sounds a bit harsh." Really? From people that are violent, from people that are proud, from people that want to remove you from the face of the earth. Oh yeah, we can pray.
Convert them, God. That'd be great. Save them. But if not, cast them down.
Deal with the threat. Destroy the enemy. Neutralize them, Lord. That's what the psalmist is saying.
Arise, O Lord, confront him. Cast him down. Deliver my life from the wicked with your sword, with your hand from men, oh Lord. This is the expression of a man who is facing evil eyeball to eyeball.
He didn't say, "Well, you know, that's that's their liberty." No. Arise, O Lord, and cast them down. David Dixon says, "When danger is most nigh, God is more nigh and he can shortly interpose himself to the overturning of the design of the enemy and to the ruin of the enemy himself." Again, this is great sort of example because the psalm was first his. The psalm is now ours.
And we can pray thus, we can sing thus. And again, it's not somebody cut me off at the at the light. Arise, Lord, and cast him down right into the pit of Sheil, him and his Toyota Celica. No, no, that that that's not it.
The enemies of the most high, the enemies of Yahweh and his Christ. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. That's a legitimate petition that the church needs to remember at the throne of grace. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Last I checked, my description of New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:22 didn't have abortion clinics, didn't have maid, didn't have same-sex marriage, didn't have the perversity. In fact, the perversity is cast out. So again, whether it's going to be realized on earth or not, that's not the issue. The Lord Jesus taught us to pray that God's name be honored, that God's kingdom come, and that God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
The ver last part of verse 14 is a bit tricky. with your hand for men, O Lord, from men of the world who have their portion in this life and whose belly you fill with your hidden treasure. They are satisfied with children and leave the rest of their possession for their babes. This isn't a condemnation of the wicked because they have children. This isn't a condemnation of the wicked because they have grandchildren.
They got a lot of problems, but being parents or fathers, that ain't it. There's a contrast between verses 14 and 15. And the contrast is simply this. For the wicked, their prosperity is only focused on temporality.
For the wicked, their prosperity is only right now in this life. In fact, when they amass wealth, when they amass riches, what they intend with it is to fund their children, to fund their grandchildren, to fund their great grandchildren. Again, that's not bad. But the contrast between the wicked and the righteous is simply this.
The wicked focuses is focuses on the temporal things. Where does the righteous focus according to verse 15? The eternal thing. See, brethren, we're in this tension.
We're in this veil of tears. We are in this shadow or the uh the valley of the shadow of death. If our first priority is to make everything just so on earth, that's not the priority of the psalmist. The priority of the psalmist is to pray that God vindicates him.
The priority of the psalmist is to pray that God casts them down. The priority of the psalmist is ultimately to be with the Lord, glorification, life everlasting. He's already spoken of resurrection in 169-11. And here it's assumed as the as the great blessing of God most high, for all of his suffering saints, for all of those perplexed, for all of those afflicted, for all of those tried, for all of those persecuted, for all of those oppressed.
Yeah, the wicked prosper. Yeah, they make a lot of money. Yeah, their kids are looked after. But you know what?
That's all they get. They get life in this present evil age that feels a bit nicer because it's padded with dough. But what of the age to come? See, this is where the psalmist ends.
Resurrection Presence with God
Verse 15, presence with his father. As for me, I will see your face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake in your likeness. the hope of the resurrection. Just like 16 9-11, I know you will not allow your holy one to seek corruption.
Brethren, let us make the psalm our psalm at this point. Look beyond this present evil age and the prosperity of the wicked and the persecution and oppression of the godless. Deal with it. Be faithful.
Walk by the word of of God. But no, ultimately our vindication may not come anywhere near this side of heaven ever. And if that's a problem with you, then go join Benny Hinn's church. I say that tongue and cheek.
Benny Hinn and Kenneth Copelan and the health, wealth, prosperity gospel air quotes because it's not works for a consumerristic mentality that wants blessing here and now. The old rough way of the cross, the narrow path that leads to life, not many want to take up that cross daily. and follow Jesus. You know, when Jesus says that in Matthew 16, he's not saying that whatever problem you have in your life is your cross. I got a kid that won't eat his broccoli.
That's my cross to bear. You cheapen the cross. When Jesus says, "Take up your cross daily," he means, "s be willing to die." The disciples wouldn't have interpreted as a kid not eating broccoli or a wife or a husband. That's a bit difficult at times.
Those could be problems. They're burdens. But to put them in the category of cross misses Jesus' point. Take up your cross daily and follow me.
In other words, be ready to die for me. Be ready to go the way of all flesh for me. So for our Lord Jesus Christ, what he looks past is this present evil age to what's going to obtain in the future. As for me, I will see your face and righteousness.
I shall be satisfied when I awake in your likeness. Again, very parallel to what you have in in in 16 11. You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy.
At your right hand are pleasures forever more. Brethren, be more about that world of love and what it promises than this world of division, hatred, and wickedness and p persecution and how we're supposed to fix it. Again, I've just spent a long time saying, "Pray God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven." But there's a sense where we get so tied and fixated to, you know, the American dream or the Canadian dream. We get so fixed fixated and tied to to this present evil age.
Is it is it because of verse 14? We want prosperity for our children and our children's children. And I'm all for that. Again, I don't want my kids to starve.
I'm I'm nice that way. I don't want my grandkids to be out begging. I don't want to hand them a country that looks like it does. So, on the one hand, yes, be involved.
On one hand, yes, be prayerful. On one hand, yes, be an activist in so far as you're able. But on the other hand, don't lose sight of glory to come because that's ultimately our hope, Emmanuel's land and the presence with God Almighty.
Application: The Psalm Made Ours
I would suggest that because the psalm is Christ's first, it is for us. And we ought to pattern our lives the way that Jesus evidences here in terms of his prayer to his father. This desire for vindication is not wrong, but understand the tension. God may not vindicate you right away.
God may not vindicate you anytime in this present life. Is that okay? Oh, no. I got to be right.
Oh, no. Everybody's got to know, brethren. As as long as God knows. I love I love Paul's instruction to Timothy on preaching or preparing to preach.
Study to show yourself approved to God. Because no doubt, Timothy, there's going to be a lot of people that say, "I didn't like the way you said this." I didn't like the way you taught that. I didn't like the way you study to show yourself approved to God in the classic text on preaching. Preach the word.
Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching. Prior to that, what does Paul say in terms of a charge before God and the Lord Jesus Christ? In other words, Timothy, when you go about the study, when you go about the preparation, you got your eye on God.
So, with reference to men, it's nice to hear people say, you know what, you were right and I was wrong. But that may not happen on this side of eternity. Our vindication comes on the day of judgment. Secondly, the psalmist's obedience to his father.
Again, this isn't David. This is Jesus with a perfect obedience. When we read this psalm, we ought to muse on the reality that the apostles interpret the obedience of Christ as something imputed to us and received by faith alone. We call it the doctrine of justification by faith alone.
When you see that righteousness in Psalm 17, praise God for your Lord Jesus Christ. The psalmist thirdly, dependence on his father. His dependence on the father and the trials of life. Isn't that where we ought to be?
We all have trials. Where do we go? We say with Simon Peter, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. the dependence on the word of his lips.
I I I just I I love that statement. We've seen again that the emphasis on the word of God up to this point in the Psalms, Psalm 17:4, concerning the works of men, by the word of your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer. His dependence in the midst of the of his enemies. It's not wrong to pray, God, arise.
Cast them down, oh Lord. I mean, you might pray that one silently because if you say it, you know, before the guy that's got a 38 pointed to your head, he might just say click and and let you have it and his dependence in the hope of the resurrection. And then I would say we end on the expectation of the psalmist. The expectation of the psalmist in terms of what is the judgment of the wicked in verse 13 and what is the blessing for the righteous.
As for me, I will see your face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake in your likeness. Andrew Bonar in his great little commentary on the Psalms says this. It was in the act of singing these words as they stand in the metrical version that one of our Scottish martyrs, Alexander Holm, passed from the scaffold to glory.
With a solemn eye and glowing soul, he was able amid gathered thousands to express his rest and hope and these words. But as for me, I thine own face in righteousness shall see, and with thy likeness when I awake, I satisfied shall be. And who of all the saints would not join him? Who would not take up up every clause of the whole psalm?
Who would not sympathize in the righteous one's dissatisfaction with a present world? Amen, Andrew. Who would not? We get the blessed gift of being able to sing, pray, preach, and and and meditate upon these these psalms.
This is what steadies the soul, brethren. This is what helps you in the midst of the trials. This is steel for your spiritual life. And if you're not a believer, I would suggest you want this.
You may not see it. You may think, "Wow, that verse 14 sounds good. Lots of money, lots of kids, lots of grandkids, lots of great grandchildren, and money flowing down." No, that's not what this life is about. What shall it prosper?
A man if he gains the whole world but but loses his soul. the Psalm 14 or 17 verse14 man he gains the world but he but he loses the souls for those who by the grace of God come to the Lord Jesus Christ and who are forgiven of their sins and receive the righteousness of Christ what's our reward benefit what is our hope it's verse 15 as for me I will see your face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when and I awake in your likeness. May God indeed move any sinner here to come to the Lord Jesus, believing on him and knowing the joy of being found in him. Well, let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Our father, we thank you for Psalm 17. We thank you for the entirety of the Psalms of David and for what they teach us and show us concerning our blessed greater than David, even Jesus Christ, our Lord. pray for your blessing upon this congregation that you would fill us with your spirit that you would guide us by your truth that you would stabilize us and and be that that one who surrounds us uh with the shadow of his wings. And we ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.