Sticks and stones - Psalm 7
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Introduction
Introduction
Good Morning, As we have considered the Psalms in our recent sermon series, it is evident that David faced his share of Adversity. He was anointed king according to divine will of God but that alone did not keep or prevent David from dealing with difficult situations and hurtful circumstances. Today our message is titled Sticks and stones. And as we look into psalm 7 this morning we will notice that it is a song sung to the Lord while David was dealing with accusations from Cush the Benjamite. You may ask yourself did David really take it hard when others spoke lies about him? Yes he did. Have you been on the receiving side of rumors and lies that were hurtful? then you might understand the struggle that David might be facing. We all know that words can be devastating and heartbreaking. One of the deadliest things are the words of someone. In Pro 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” Our tongues can build others up or and tear them down. You can carry the hurtful words around with you all your life if you are not careful.
We are not kings, but we do face our share of difficulty in life. Like David we seek to serve the Lord and maintain a relationship with Him. Being a Christian does not prevent the hurt and pain but it does provide a source of help during difficult times. we are not without hope even during our darkest hours.
One major part of our spiritual growth is to realize it is not what people say about us that matters, it is not even what God says about us that matters (even though that can help us so much during the initial heartbreak of the mean words, what is even more important is what we say and believe about God, when we remove our self-importance from the equation then we start to see exponential growth.
So this morning lets see how David deals with the hurt and pain of another’s words
Let’s turn to Psalm 7
In order to understand the context of this Psalm we need to look at a couple of old testament accounts. in 1 sam chapters 20 and on we see Saul pursuing David not to capture him but to kill him. This rage was fueled not only by Saul’s jealousy but by lies and rumors that Men like Cush fed Saul. These men wanted the kings favor so they fawned and flattered king Saul and enraged him against David. There words were deadly and surprising to David who was heartbroken by them. David was a man of honor and integrity and these outlandish lies against him were bad enough, yet these lies were believed by Saul, his father in law and father to his best friend. That was what hurt. The words yes are bad enough but when others believe them that is the hardest pill to swallow.
Three things we notice about our text today that we need to fully understand...
The First
I. Other people will Judge us wrongly - vs 1-2 one of the things that we ourselves needs to come to grips with is that no one see the struggle that you are dealing with. No one knows the true you and that wicked people will target you with their mouths. Wicked people do wicked things. We must not be shocked by this the human heart is wicked. Jeremiah 17:9
Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV)
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
These are probably the most truest words in the Bible in the book of James it is said
And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
People will Judge you - This judgment starts from their own wickedness. Their hearts and minds are corrupt
2. People will seek to hurt you and seek their own success - The statement is factual “hurt people will hurt people”
3. Well will suffer at the hands of others - Matt 5:11-12 and 1 Peter 3:13-17
Cush lied about David, therefore Saul persecuted and pursued David, David fled to the Lord for refuge and the Lord helped because He knew of Davids innocence.
II. We need to Judge ourselves honestly - Vs 3-5 David affirmed his integrity before the Lord and asked the Ultimate Judge to vindicate him because his hands were cleaned. David wasn't claiming to be sinless he was stating in his motives and actions he was blameless. Of course this only works and is honest if the accusations are not true. “oh she called me a liar, well are you? oh he calls me a drunkard, are you? You see what David was accused of lead to Saul wanting to kill him. The accusations were lies. If David was guilty of a sin then he was prepared to accept God’s discipline.
David evaluated His life and actions - 2 Cor 13:5
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 Pet 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Heb 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”
2. David was willing to be examined under Gods holiness -
3. We need to be honest with ourselves and God - David had opportunities to kill Saul but he didn't. 1 Sam 24, 26, This showed that David did not have malice in his heart and did not seek Saul’s downfall
How important is it that we are open and honest with both our Lord and ourselves. If he was proven guilty then David would own up to it, But David was a man of honor.
III. God judges Sinners Righteously -vs 6-13 David turned Saul and his scheming men over to God. David did not do what the world thought was right he could have taken his revenge but he stayed his hand and allowed God to handle it. Only Gods anger could totally vindicate David Romans 12:17-21 Last week I reminded you to Let God be God...
If Man does not repent - This is the quintessential “turn or burn” scripture
Acts 3:19, 2 Pet 3:9, Matt 4:17, Luke 13:3
2. The wicked will do wickedness - vs 14 it is in their nature. “But pastor they tell me their saved? do they act like it?” Pro 6:12-16, Micah 2:1 “Woe to those who devise wickedness and work evil on their beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in the power of their hand.” Isa 5:20 “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”
3. The wickedness one does to you will come back on them - what goes around comes around. That is a comfort that we get to enjoy… but it is a cautionary tail Matt 16:27, Jeremiah 17:10 , Lam 3:64, Rev 22:12
Application
vs 17 Because of this knowledge we give thanks to God He is our shield and our refuge when painful words, schemes, and rumors come. He is where we go when people lash out with painful words that break our hearts. With this knowledge we can move on from this and begin to grow