Put them out of my misery! Psalm 35

How do you apply a Psalm to your life about God’s chosen king experiencing a serious diplomatic incident? Not only that, how are we to respond to his undiplomatic and brutal call for God to sort it out? Asking to hit the ejector seat on our enemies (when and if we get them) seems pretty intolerant and extreme. But it is a big issue. How can persecution and evil exist in a world where God is good and promises to bless? Why do we or anyone else suffer at the hands of others? What if we are the cause of suffering?

King David has no doubt that God can handle evil. This might explain his outrageous and comprehensive ‘to do’ list for the LORD. He knew that God will do it properly and not like him. He asks God to punish those who seek his life in a way that the punishment fits the crime. The crime in this case is a nation that is breaking a treaty with Israel but making David look like the bad guy. Ancient treaties were signed with consequences. Blessings for abiding by the covenant and curses for a failure to deliver.

David is confident that God will do this as he has already started thinking about how he will praise God. But that won’t happen until it is done. The readers of the psalm are to have the same confidence and to rejoice in David’s vindication.

So, do you have that confidence in God dealing with evil? Can you make outrageous demands of God regarding evil?

Since David there are 3 key outrageous demands that reflect this Psalm.

Outrageous Demand #1 - Crucify him! The treachery not only of the nations but of God’s chosen people in betraying their king unjustly. All of humanity is guilty of wishing God were dead (many times we think and act wishing God were not there to enjoy life with us).

Outrageous Demand #2 – Father Forgive them! Jesus response to the world’s rebelion? 

Outrageous Demand #3 – Vindicate me! Jesus is vindicated because he was innocent. Through Jesus we can be right with God. Vindicated through Jesus’ righteousness and not our own. You can ask that of God. Trust in Jesus and you benefit from his righteousness. Even though you are wrong, God can declare you right as a free gift through Jesus.  This is worth rejoicing in.

Ps 33 Holy Power Ballad

When it comes to over the top singers, there are many who screech or wail at the top of their lungs - Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, Steve Tyler… (OK so I don’t know any recent ones). And when people do a karaoke version of these songs they often fall short because the big voice is not part of their style and they probably don’t feel as passionate about the subject matter. So it is a big ask when Psalm 33 asks you to praise so powerfully.
Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous!
Praise befits the upright.
Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

For the word of the LORD is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

What is praise? What makes it powerful? Praise is a heartfelt endorsement. In this case the endorsement is for Yahweh (The LORD). It is divine advertising. There are two things that make the Psalmist want to praise God like this.
• Yahweh’s character – his faithful steadfast love
• What Yahweh has done – creation of the world, Israel and each person

The loving God who made the cosmos, who created the nation of Israel also creates every heart with the same attention. He spoke and the world came to be. He breaths life into us. To know Yahweh’s hand in your life personally will help you to rejoice in his creation and in his King who brings the kingdom of heaven into the world.

Praise is our response to Yahweh’s word with our words. Through our words we tell others about how great Yahweh is. Our response is to praise him. It is an expression of our relationship and trust in him.

The Psalm ends on a confident but a dependent note.
Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.

Show us some more love. We want the next chapter. There is more love to be experienced from Yahweh and with that will come more praise – a new song.

Certainly the major event in salvation history is Jesus delivering us from sin, death and Satan. We’ve seen so much more of God’s character and actions through Jesus. Yet our praise seems weak and we feel oppressed to tell it in a world that does not want to hear about Jesus.

Rev 5 shows heaven erupting at the good news about Jesus - elders, angels a multitude of people praising through song. But it doesn’t feel like that here. Often it is like the decaf of praise. John, in Revelation, shows us the heavenly reality of the praise that happens in heaven even though we are in a world that wants to suck God out of our lives. Jesus is the King where heaven and earth intersect and through him a new creation will come for every heart that trusts in him. Each time we tell others the gospel we are singing this same song of ultimate praise. It may not look like an over the top power ballad but it is an intense and personal song.

We sing this new song but we also ask God to show us the love that Jesus has secured when we will meet him face to face in heaven. We praise the God that has the power to transform us and our praise. It is in his power that our praise has power.
• Power to bring us joy as we express our gratitude to God.
• Power to encourage Christians with true words of hope.
• Power to save lives as people have a chance to place their trust in Jesus.

Why am I so popular!!! Psalm 32

Ever wanted your time in the spotlight? Ever wanted to walk down the red carpet? Ever want the praise of the elite and the lifestyle that goes with it? It would be nice but it seems to out of reach. The good life or the blessed life is for those at the top of the tree but not for me. The bar seems too high to get over. Or it is to fickle to find out how to get it.

But listen to what King David says Ps 32 says:

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit. (32:1-2)

This head of state believes Blessed are the wicked forgiven. This is the blessed life. Do you think you could live up to that?

Many a PR officer has been enrolled to lift the profile of people chasing lasting popularity and the perks that come with it. Regularly we see Politicians, rocks stars, sports heroes and others that seem to have a charmed life try to distance themselves from events at a nightclub, bad behaviour, words ‘misquoted’, women ‘they’ve never met’ or ‘heard of’, men they've not had sexual relations with.

What was King David’s strategy to attain the blessed life?

I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. (32:5-6)

Why don’t you do the same? Say sorry to God and you have God’s approval. He already knows who you are and what you need. Turn to him. You are a real person not some media liaison officer’s airbrushed and packaged stooge who is scared the rest of the world is going to find them out as a fake. God knows (and deep down you may well know too) that you need to be reconnected with him. He is the one who holds life, death and riches of life and relationships in his hand.

True popularity comes from the approval of the Lord of the universe. This popularity is secured through Jesus who died for our sin and rose again to put us right with God. He did this so we might live the full life. Live it for eternity and live it in the presence of the God who blesses us and longs to give us every good thing.

What about My reputation?!!!! Psalm 31

Do daggy Christians give God a bad name? Do dodgy Christians give God a bad name? Do you think it is harder to tell people about the good news of Jesus when another scandal happens – ‘Priest in Paedophilia Ring’, ‘Pastor Caught with Gay Prostitute’, ‘Church Leader’s Fingers in the Till’? Certainly when Christians are dragged through the mud either deservingly or not it seems that the message about Jesus is less attractive.

Maybe you just find it hard to tell people about Jesus when you think that others don’t respect you? How does reputation and God’s reputation fit together?

An Outrageous Prayer
In Psalm 31 we get a ballsy prayer from King David. Not only is it ballsy it is a bold command and he has enlisted the choir to sing it loud and proud to God. The main gist of it is ‘What about my reputation God?!’ He asks Yahweh to ‘Let me never be put to shame (v.1).’

But in the same song David recognises his shame and how it is zapping him of his very life.
My strength fails because of my iniquity,
And my bones waste away. (v.10)

Yet David’s reputation is linked to Yahweh’s reputation.
‘for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me’(v.3).

It seems a pretty outrageous prayer, doesn’t it. ‘Make me look good even though I look bad….because, as your chosen King leading your chosen people you’ll look good!’.
But it is a prayer David is confident will be answered and this should encourage the faithful.

Is your life in Yahweh’s hands?
David prays to Yahweh (the LORD) – he doesn’t dress up his life to be acceptable. Instead he throws himself upon Yahweh and his promises. This is the only place for life, true reputation and meaning. Without Yahweh, David would be lost. So he says ‘into your hands I commit me spirit’ (v.5).

Jesus prays the same prayer – not so that his life would be spared but as his life is being taken. He was so confident in his heavenly father bringing him back to life. It was because he was dying for the iniquity of his people and not his own that death could not hold him in judgement. Death would not diminish or cause Jesus’ reputation to fade. Instead his reputation is higher than anyone else’s because of his outrageous love and service for us.

If you trust in Jesus you will not bear the consequences of sin and failure but will be glorified when our king returns. Our reputation is only anything because of Jesus' reputation. Are you praying this outrageous prayer with confidence? Jesus gives us a reputation before our reputation reflects his. It is to God’s glory.

Why Sample the Psalms?

 Often when it comes to the Bible people say to the Holy Spirit, ‘I like your new stuff better than your old stuff’ because it is about Jesus. The New Testament seems more tangible and is clear on exactly what Jesus has done for us. When you come to the Psalms you might think 'What is all this mess of emotion, random thoughts and touchy feely stuff'. But think on this: Jesus said the whole Old testament is about him (Luke 24:44-47). He even says Psalms are about him and are proof that he had to die and rise again for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 24:44).

Not only that, Jesus sampled the Psalms. It's a bit like a rap or R&B artist that resurrects some old rock or soul classic. They sample it to get the mood and groove for a new personal expression of the original vibe of the song. Jesus takes the Psalms and uses their lyrics bringing to our mind the whole vibes of the Psalm they come from. 

The big exception to Jesus' sampling is that the Psalms are about him. When modern artists sample James Brown they sample songs that James Brown wrote about another time, another place and other people. The original authors of the Psalms knew that they were writing scripture for Christians and trying to work out what this meant for the Christ (1 Peter 1:10-12). So we are to Sample the Psalms and make them part of our life because Jesus is now part of our life if we trust in him.

Songs for Saints.
It is interesting where the Psalms are on Jesus’ lips in the Gospels. When things seem out of control and the world turned upside down – when God’s chosen King is facing death.

‘My God, why have you forsaken me?’ Ps 22
‘Into your hands I commit my spirit’ Ps 31
‘I thirst’ Ps 69

As followers of King Jesus we will cop some of the treatment he did in a world that wars against him (1 Peter 4). The Psalms cover the range of Christian experience and Psalms 1 & 2 anchor us in what it means to be God's people.

Ps 1 - Are you righteous or wicked? Do you pay attention to what God says in the Bible?

Ps 2 - Are you following Yahweh's King? He is the one who dispenses blessing or wrath?

The Psalms are Songs for Saints. A collection of bold, raw, majestic, beautiful, broken, joyful, disconcerting and at times unPC songs that can shake you to the core or sooth your soul. Some of them leave you thinking ‘Can anyone talk to God like that?’. ‘Can I talk to God like that?’.

If you are trying to keep a lid on your relationship with God or hold back from the richness of your conversation with your heavenly Father, you would be inclined to skip over them. Certainly when I was preparing this series I was thinking about cherry picking a few psalms to fit in with some themes I’d thought of talking on. However, a friend of mine challenged me to stick to a section so that God's word would bring up the themes. I have found this confronting but exciting, disconcerting, invigorating and challenging. But enough of my feelings.

Why don’t you sample the Psalms? Open them up! Let God’s word guide and enrich your life and help you in every season of your life - in every blessing, in every disappointment, in every heartbreak, in joy, in anger, in sadness, in success, in failure …. Your heavenly Father knows you, cares for you and wants you to be refreshed in him. That is why by His Holy Spirit he wrote this book for you through a number of authors and their experiences of life trusting in Yahweh.