The mp3 of this talk can be downloaded here
Soul Searching for Shelter.
Psalm 64
On the 3rd of March 2009 the Sri Lankan cricket team was ambushed by gunmen on the way to an international cricket match against Pakistan. The teams had 2 buses that on each of the previous days of the test had left the hotel together, complete with armed security guards. But on this day, one bus left 5 minutes before the other one, leaving the bus with the security at the hotel. On approaching a roundabout near to the stadium, the first bus was ambushed by pairs of attackers armed to the teeth with automatic weapons, grenades and walkie-talkies. 7 men were killed – the driver of the bus and 6 policemen.
Immediately questions were asked about how this could happen. Why were the security guards, on this particular day, not accompanying the rest of the team? Was there inside knowledge? The conspiracy leaves cricket, to this day, paranoid.
Imagine you were there. What would you feel for those unknown people who conspired, plotted and carried out the action? If you knew who the inside man was, what would you feel for him?
Psalm 64 is another song of David. In some ways it is very different from the other 2 Psalms we have been looking at recently (Psalm 62 and 63). It is a plea for protection, for help from David’s God in the face of unbelievable pressure.
Just look at the context - and in particlar the story of David and Absalom (based on 2 Sam 14-17)
The view of Zadok the priest.
I was there. Not party to every conversation, but present enough to know what was really going on. Priest of the King, priest of David’s tabernacle in Jerusalem and all this time watching David’s sin lead to the implosion of his family.
It started with the sordid affair between David’s son Amnon and his step-sister. Of all the family, Prince Absalom took it particularly hard and he had eyes for only one thing. Revenge. 2 years later he killed his step brother, avenging the sin against his sister and then fled to Geshur for 3 years. King David was furious.
But David’s greatest strength has always been his greatest weakness. His anger so burned against Absalom that even when David eventually allowed Absalom back to Jerusalem – with all the rights of a Prince again, still David wouldn’t see him. 2 years it took, 2 long years. Absalom had a family, chariots, horses – even a guard of fifty men. But still David wouldn’t see him.
Mind you, eventually he did – but by then it was too late. All the way through David tried to do what was right – he has a good heart, but by now Absalom was a stranger to him. Twisted and bitter, Malicious and angry – and with the charm and good looks to get away with it.
As I remember it started with simple lies.
People would come to Jerusalem to bring the complaints to the King, seeking Justice. But the Prince, with all his men would sit out on the main route into Jerusalem, claiming that though the claims were valid and proper, due to the incompetence of the King there was no representative of the King to see them. He would bemoan the situation. If only he were king, things would be different and everyone would get the justice they properly deserve. Of course, David knew none of this and I only found out recently. Apparently, it didn’t take long for the Prince to start stealing the hearts of the people in much more blatant ways.
Then finally after 2 years of lies, plotting and planning it all came to a head.
Absalom went off on a supposed ‘worship trip’ to Hebron. This cleverly coincided with the spreading of a rumour throughout Israel that Absalom was the king of Hebron. One thing lead to another and before you know it the coup was in full flow. The people were with Absalom and David was forced to flee. The truth (the bitterness in the Princes heart), was buried under lies and more lies, curses and accusations. The King, left with no option, fled Jerusalem taking some of his men with him and leaving others, including me, to serve the new administration and where possible hinder the Princes plans. So we did.
It was amazing how it happened really.
Ahithophel was loyal to the Prince and, as far as he was concerned, wanted to wipe out the name of the King forever. Being Abasloms adviser he had power, real power and exerted it with cunning. He advised an immediate pursuit of David and his men, killing David and taking the men back to Jerusalem. He would have done it too, but for 1 thing.
God placed David’s friend Hushai right in the heart of things. Only one voice had authority to question Ahithophel and that was Hushai. He suggested another plan. To wait.
Wait until all Absalom’s men could be gathered. Wait until they could attack, as one. Wait until they could ambush David and his men with the full weight of Israels, and Absaloms anger and might and wipe him out forever. Wait until Hushai could get word to David, advise him of the plan and prepare for a counter offensive. So they did.
Where we would be today, were it not for God providing Hushai I don’t know. Absalom would most certainly still be alive, the King himself may have been dead. But as it is David is in there, worshipping his God for rescuing and sheltering him. On the way in he gave me this. It’s a song. He wrote it in his days in the desert running away from the Prince. I know ‘Who writes songs in the desert’. He does! And you should see what he wrote.
And of course, that is what we find in Psalm 64
Often we can struggle with Psalms like this one – especially when we don’t know the background. Apart from anything else, it is extremely un-politically correct to talk about 'shaking heads at people with scorn (v8)', or God 'shooting people with arrows' and 'striking them down' (v7).
But, as with all the Bible, this psalm is written about real situations and issues. It addresses the struggles of real people. Often, in our world we feel like we need to try to make the Bible relevant. It is relevant – powerfully, shockingly so. It tackles real-world issues, real-world crises and shocking feelings with often brutal honesty. The reason the Bible can look at us full in the face, and speak into the our lives and this world is because God has very broad shoulders.
God has very broad shoulders (v1)
Is it OK to complain at God?
Is it OK to ask serious questions of him? I suspect one of the most common prayers prayed across the world each day is ‘Why?’
‘Why is my child suffering so much?’
‘Why don’t you stop the slaughter of innocent lives?’
‘Why do I feel so low and fed up when I haven’t got anything to complain about!?’
The great thing is – we are in good company. David complains, and God has very broad shoulders.
David starts – ‘O God, listen to my complaint’
To be fair, he is not really complaining. He is more sharing what is on his mind. He asks to be protected from the ‘threat’ of the enemy. The situation is seriously disrupting his mind and he is in danger of being overwhelmed by the pressure and threat he is under. So he lets God in, letting him know the full weight of the burden that is upon him.
Some people would suggest that this is somehow less than Spiritual. It isn't. God has very broad shoulders and he knows.
And David’s plea is not empty – it is confident. 'Listen to my complaint' and he does.
We all suffer with various pressures and burdens. Some of us may feel that they are too trivial, or irrelevant to bring to God. They certainly don’t compare with what David is going through. If God has big enough shoulders to bear Davids burdens, they are big enough for yours. Others may feel our troubles are so terminal that it is pointless bringing them to God. Again - God has very broad shoulders.
But what is the nature of David’s burden?
The architecture of the human heart
As we have seen already, David probably wrote this Psalm as a response to his son Absalom’s conspiracy, lies and coup against his reign. For David it is close to home, personal and very painful. And it also dredges up his own sin again.
Only a few years previously David himself, one of the heroes of the Bible committed adultery, murder and perjory. And God promises David that he wouldn't get off scot free.
‘Because of what you have done, I, the LORD, will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man, and he will go to bed with them in public view. You did it secretly, but I will do this to you openly in the sight of all Israel.’ 2 Samuel 12v11-12
This is the stuff of OK magazine and Jerry Springer. And I have a feeling that, as David brings to God the terrible things that are happening to him, it reminds him of his own guilt again.
David, in v2-6, takes us into the lounges of the Mafioso, or the caves and bunkers of the extremist terrorists.Plots and conspiracy, crowds encouraging each other to do evil (v5), hiding their plans like landmines to produce maximum effect, ambushing the innocent. But the damage is caused, not by fists or weapons. No – the weapons themselves are words.
‘Sharp tongues are the swords they wield; bitter words are the arrows they aim.’v3
It all stinks of wickedness and evil, of injustice that is considered the ‘perfect plan’ (v6).
It is a black and white picture of human sin at its worst. And we would all shake our heads in dismay at what some people are like. But as we hinted earlier, this is much closer to home for David that just being about his family. This isn’t just about what is happening to him, it is about him. And it is about you and me too.
The last line of v6 says
‘Yes, the human heart and mind are cunning’ (v6)
Behind David’s conspirators, is the all pervading wickedness of the human heart. But David’s, and our hearts are just the same as Absalom and his henchmen. David doesn’t differentiate between good and wicked hearts. He himself knows what is in his own heart and it smells just as bad as those who are after him. And we are all in the same boat because the 'human heart and mind are cunning'.
That word cunning literally means ‘deep’. We are complicated individuals who on the surface look sorted, together, clean cut. But deep down we have the potential for amazing deception, self-seeking injustice and distortion.
It is interesting that this whole section of psalms (51-72) about betrayal in one form or another are arranged after Psalm 51 – a Psalm where David himself confesses his rebellion and wickedness before God. We would do well to confess our own sins when we deplore other peoples.
How often can we conspire against other people in the words we use? Our words can be careless or deliberate – but they can ambush people and harm people. We need to face up to this in the church. A great catch-phrase in life is this. ‘Encourage the good wherever you find it. And if you can’t find it – look harder.’ This doesn’t mean be soft all the time – but it means to be continually looking to build up, to encourage, to challenge so that greater things happen. Lets learn this as a church. Lets be careful of the words we use.
So, this is David’s story, but it is our story too. Whether we are under attack from outside, or are only too aware of our own self-deception, we can echo these words.
But just before we move on to consider God’s response to David’s prayer – notice that David is not insecure before God. We might expect him to be.
Despite his past, he is not doubtful of God’s willingness to listen and hear his prayer. David has come to terms with his heart, has confessed the depths of his distortion and has turned to God for forgiveness. David sings and prays from a place of safety and security, and so can we. Despite what we know about ourselves, running through this Psalm like the silver thread through a £20 note is David’s security in the justice of God.
The justice of God (v7-8)
‘But God himself will shoot them down. Suddenly, his arrows will pierce them. Their own words with be turned against them, destroying them. All who see it happening will shake their heads in scorn.’
God cares and he listens to David’s complaint. God cares about your cares too, and listens. Ultimate justice will be done, even if it is not imminent justice.
I don’t know how you have felt over recent weeks as we have considered God’s judgement portrayed in Revelation 14 and 19. Here again we see something of the character of that judgement and it is ultimately, just. In v 7-8 we see a picture of self-imposed judgement. Like in so many movies, the hero wrestles the bad guy to the ground, in the process turning the bad guys’ weapon on himself, so God needs only reflect the words and arrows back to maintain justice.
Arrows will be shot back at them, suddenly. Their own words will be turned back on themselves.
At the end of the day, ultimate and absolute justice will be done – of that we can be certain. That day is a day of hope, or of fear, depending on our response to these last 2 verses.
A right response
God’s right, just decisions and actions will be seen and known by everyone, and everyone will respond in awe. David, he is confident that before long, Absalom will be seen for the conspirator and rebel that he is. Everyone will know it, will stand in awe and will declare that God’s destruction of Absalom is right and good. And that was what happened. But just like the rest of this Psalm, it speaks of a bigger reality at the end of history.
Everyone will be amazed at what God has done and proclaim his mighty acts. And this state of justice, at the end of time, will be a time of right judgement and God being acknowledged as the ruler of history. And it will endure.
But a right response is to respond to him now.
‘The godly will rejoice in the Lord and find shelter in him. And those who do what is right will praise him.’
David suggests we should Rejoice in the Lord, and find shelter in him. But so often we don't. Just a glance at the video at the top of this page will make that only too clear.
We all long for this shelter, for certainty and security.
Wanting to find shelter from those things that trouble us is natural. Of course sometimes the things that we want to hide from are more about us than anything else. Sometimes we need to learn to think straight and stand up and even grow up. But we all want shelter.
I want to suggest that this shelter, this place we can hide protects us from 2 things.
Firstly, threats from outside of us, like David. He needed shelter from physical assault and God provided it in the here and now.
Many in the world will have prayed a similar prayer to David but found that they have succumbed to the hands of those who are after them. But even then – God provides shelter. After this life has finished those who have prayed in faith, find that God has protected and provided for them in the ultimate reality, the Kingdom of Heaven that lasts forever.
You may face ultimate financial meltdown. You may face family trials and breakdown, sickness, or just the routine pressures of every day life. Turn to God, putting your faith in God's grace and forgiveness through his Son, and he hears and may act in the hear and now. But you can be certain that in the ultimate reality, he has your back. The ultimate threat – that someone may somehow take away your eternal security or shelter will never happen. His shoulders are broad enough. So you don’t need to run and hide. Find shelter in him.
But our greatest threat may be from within.
If I’m honest, the answer to the question ‘what is the one thing in life you would most want to hide from?’ it is me!
The biggest fear we have is that the thing we shelter under will not protect us from the ultimate justice and judgement of God. We may fear that v7 should read – ‘my words will be turned against me, destroying me.’
If we find shelter in God, rather than hiding from him we find that he, far from wanting to destroy us, he wants to protect us. If we are soul searching for shelter – find it here. In David’s God. In our God.
And no wonder this Psalm ends in rejoicing, praise and worship – a right response to God. David has found, in his God, shelter and protection, even though God knows the depths of his heart.
So,where are you going to shelter?