An Eternal Perspective - Psalm 39
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Opening Illustration: [Boa, Conformed to His Image, p. 60] The most celebrated example of a paradigm (the way of seeing that shapes ones perspectives) shift is the Copernican revolution in astronomy. Until the time of Copernicus, the reigning paradigm was Ptolemy’s geocentric system; the sun and the planets were thought to orbit the earth...”
What is the passage saying?
What is the passage saying?
Resolve to be quiet
This song of lament is one in which David first attempts to hold his peace (v. 1 - 3) in the midst two things:
(i) God's chastening
(ii) The wicked observers. This proves to be a futile effort as he only grows more passionate about his situation.
Prayer to the Lord
In response to this growing pain, he turns to the Lord in prayer (v. 4 -6) with a very specific request:
(*) he asks the Lord to make him aware of the brevity of his life (v. 4)
since it is the Lord who has made man's life so brief in comparison to God's eternity (v. 5).
In light of the brevity of man's life, his pursuits are clearly vain (v. 6).
Hope in the Lord (v. 13)
Because this is evident, David declares that his only hope is in the Lord (v. 7 - 9), and it is the Lord who can bring deliverance from David's wantonness and wrongdoing (v. 8), so as to doubly deliver him from the shaming of the stupid ones.
Cry for His presence (v. 10 - 13)
- and it is the Lord who can bring deliverance from David's wantonness and wrongdoing (v. 8), so as to doubly deliver him from the shaming of the stupid ones. Because it was the Lord who was rebuking him, he resolves to be quiet again. The rebuke of the Lord consumes David's life like moths eating away clothing. Thus, David pleads for relief from the Lord - primarily that he would not be estranged from the Lord's presence. This is the current sense of David in the suffering.
Because it was the Lord who was rebuking him, he resolves to be quiet again. The rebuke of the Lord consumes David's life like moths eating away clothing. Thus, David pleads for relief from the Lord - primarily that he would not be estranged from the Lord's presence. This is the current sense of David in the suffering.
Summary:
Summary:
David declares his hope in God because:
(1) suffering is painful (v. 1 - 3)
(2) God is eternal and life is short (v. 4 - 6)
(3) God alone can deliver (v. 7 - 9)
(3) God alone can deliver (v. 7 - 9)
(4) God’s presence is what he desperately need (v. 10 - 13)
The Key principle I want to focus in on tonight is the fact that God is eternal and life is short.
Proposition:
Proposition:
Christians should seek an eternal perspective from the Lord! We should be people who are living with an eternal paradigm.
(1) Because we recognize the Sovereignty of Jehovah (v. 4)
(1) Because we recognize the Sovereignty of Jehovah (v. 4)
"...the fundamental presuppositions that form the bedrock of my world view are, as Francis Schaeffer put it, God is there, and he is not silent." [Boa, Conformed into His Image, p. 68]
This means:
(*) The most important implication of this is that life is about God and not about us..." [Boa, p. 68]
Our presuppositions shape our perspective....
(2) Because we recognize our short time when we consider His eternity (v. 5)
(2) Because we recognize our short time when we consider His eternity (v. 5)
[Boa, p. 62] Tozer “How completely satisfying to turn from our limitations to a God who has none. Eternal years lie in His heart. For Him time does not pass, it remains; and those who are in Christ share with him all the riches of limitless time and endless years...”
Our perspective shapes our priorities...
(3) Because we recognize the accountability of every man (v. 5b)
(3) Because we recognize the accountability of every man (v. 5b)
Augustine said, “We must care for our bodies as though we were going to live forever, but we must care for our souls as if we were going to die tomorrow.”
(4) Because we recognize the emptiness of our lives before Him (v. 6)
(4) Because we recognize the emptiness of our lives before Him (v. 6)
Our priorities shape our practice...
Illustration: Imagine preparing for uprooting your family and moving them from Ohio to Arizona. You pour over all of the details, even what you will wear for the 2.5 day journey. Only problem is that you have no clue where you will live or what you will do when you arrive in Arizona...
Concluding with Christ: Connecting
Concluding with Christ: Connecting
As we look at this passage, we note David and we can certainly take lessons from his song of lament. It is a way that we can learn and experience our perspective being shaped by an eternal value system; but our perspective should be shaped more by the offspring of David, who:
Was sinless, yet he suffering
Was willingly dumb before his accusers
Was cut off from the land of the living
Was stricken and smitten for our sins
Was forsaken by His Father
All of this, we note that Jesus Christ did as the ETERNAL God to bring ETERNAL life to those who were living for the temporary.
All of this, Jesus Christ did to cause us to be able to "set our affections" on things above...
All of this, Jesus Christ did bring about a heavenly citizenship.
So, it is that if Jesus is your Lord, you should live your life with an eternal value system because your perspective (of Christ) must be allowed to shape your priorities, and your priorities should shape your practices.
Our perspective shapes our priorities. Our priorities shape our practices.
Seek the Lord for an eternal perspective that shapes your priorities and ultimately your practices.