Apr 21
18
New Testament Reading: 1 Peter 5:6–11
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:6–11, ESV)
Old Testament Reading: Psalm 38
“A PSALM OF DAVID, FOR THE MEMORIAL OFFERING. O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath! For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me. There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness, I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning. For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart. O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you. My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me. My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off. Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long. But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth. I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes. But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. For I said, ‘Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!’ For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me. I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin. But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully. Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow after good. Do not forsake me, O LORD! O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!” (Psalm 38, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
Psalm 38 may be categorized as a “Psalm of lament”, or a Psalm of sorrow. This is one of the reasons that the Psalms are so loved. They express the whole range of human emotion. There is a Psalm for every season of life, therefore. There are Psalms of praise, thanksgiving, and confidence. But there are also Psalms of lament. And this is because life is not always easy for God’s people. God’s people do sometimes suffer in this world. There is such a thing as “the dark night of the soul”. And Psalms of lament can help us to run to God in the midst of our suffering. These Psalms may help us to “Humble [ourselves]… under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt [us]”. They help us to cast our anxieties on him, and to remember that he cares for us.
Notice, this is what David does in Psalm 38. He runs to the Lord in his affliction. After expressing his sorrow he acknowledges God’s presence, saying in verse 9, “O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you.” And then in verse 15 he reasserts his faith, saying, “But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.” As I have said, Psalms of lament show us how to run to God and to wait on the LORD in the midst of our suffering.
Psalm 38 is a Psalm of lament. But we might classify this Psalm with even greater precision as a “penitential Psalm”. Penitential Psalms are Psalms of repentance (there are seven such Psalms — 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143). As we analyze this Psalm together it will become clear that in this instance David’s suffering had something to do with David’s sin. And so David to runs to God in his suffering, but does also repent. And this is also helpful for the people of God, for God’s people do struggle with sin as they sojourn in this world. And sometimes our sin does bring about suffering. In this Psalm, we learn that even when our suffering is the result of our sin — even as we languish under the chastisement of the Lord — even still we are to run to God and not from him.
So, Psalm 38 is a penitential Psalm of lament.
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In Humility Confess Your Sin And Run To The Lord To Receive Mercy And Grace (vs. 1-4)
Look with me now at verses 1 through 4 where the Psalmist says, “O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath! For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me. There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.” (Psalm 38:1–4, ESV)
In this instance, David knew that his suffering was the consequence of his sin. What sin of David brought about this suffering? We do not know for sure. The text does not say. Perhaps it was one of the sins of David recorded in the pages of Holy Scripture, or perhaps it was another sin. We simply do not know. But we do know that David was suffering and that David knew that this suffering was the consequence of his sin.
Sometimes our sins have natural consequences. The sin of lying will often naturally lead to fractured relationships. The sin of fornication may lead to disease. Sin is often accompanied by natural consequences.
Our sins always have spiritual consequences. When the people of God sin the Spirit of God is grieved within them. Sometimes our sin will lead us into seasons of doubt and despair.
And sometimes we are able to discern that the suffering we are enduring, be it physical or spiritual, is in fact God’s discipline upon us.
Please notice that I said “sometimes”. The scriptures are very clear that not all suffering is the direct consequence of some sin that we have committed. There is a whole book of the Bible that has this as one of its major themes — the book of Job. And certainly, we could pile up examples from scripture and from the history of men and women who suffered in the flesh though they were doing right in God’s sight. Christ is of course the supreme example of this. So it is not always possible to draw a straight line between our suffering and some particular sin that we have committed. Suffering is not always the chastisement of the Lord. Sometimes we simply suffer because we live in a fallen world and because God wishes to refine through the suffering, to bring us some good, and to glorify his name. So we should not assume that every ache and pain, every sniffle, every heartache and sorrow of life is the Lord’s discipline upon us. We may say that it is the Lord’s will, for nothing happens apart from his will (there is purpose and meaning in everything, therefore). And we may say that it is the sanctifying work of the Lord. Yes, the Lord is always sanctifying, or refining, his people. But we must not say that every bit of suffering we endure is the Lord’s chastisement. I think you can see how problematic it would be to think in this way.
But in this instance (whatever the circumstances were) David was able to draw a straight line between his suffering and his sin. He knew that the Lord was chastising him at this moment. He knew that his affliction was the discipline of the Lord. Hear again verse 3: “There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation [anger]; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.” And in verse 2 David confessed that this suffering was in fact the discipline of the LORD, saying, “For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me.” And this is why in verse 1 David cried out for mercy, saying, “O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath!”
We know that God will never pour out his wrath on those he loves, that is, on those who have taken refuge in Christ. But that did not stop David from praying in this way, and neither should it stop us. It is right for us to say, Lord, we know that we deserve your wrath, but have mercy on us for Christ’s sake. Lord, be gracious to us in Jesus’ name. “Rebuke [us] not in your anger, nor discipline [us] in your wrath!” Have mercy Lord. And we know that he will if we are in Christ Jesus, for Christ endured the wrath of God in our place. In Christ, we are washed. In Christ, we are covered. His righteousness has been applied to us through faith.
But never should we forget that God disciplines those he loves. As Hebrews 12:6 says, “The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6, ESV). We must never forget this. We must never despise the discipline of the Lord. Though it is true that “for the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant”, we are to remember that “later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11, ESV). Never will God pour out his wrath on those in Christ, but he will discipline those who are his.
Here in verses 1 through 4 David confesses his sin and acknowledges that his suffering is the result of his sin. He was experiencing the natural consequences of his actions (whatever they were). And more than this, the LORD was disciplining him through the suffering.
But do not miss this one fact: David ran to the LORD and not away from him even as endured the LORD’s chastisement. The Psalm begins with the words, “O LORD”. What did David do when the LORD disciplined him? He ran to the LORD and cried out to him for grace and mercy. And here is the difference between the faithful and the unfaithful, the righteous and the wicked. When the wicked endure God’s judgment they flee from the LORD. But those who have been made righteous by the blood of the Lamb endure God’s discipline, they know it is in love, and so they run to the LORD, who is their heavenly Father.
[SLIDE] And so this is the first point of the sermon for today. When the LORD chastises you, do not run from the Lord, but in humility confess your sin and run to the Lord to receive mercy and grace (vs. 1-4)
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Bring Your Suffering To The Lord, For He Cares For You (vs. 5-8)
Let us go now to verses 5 through 8 where we read, “My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness, I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning. For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart.” (Psalm 38:5–8, ESV)
So it appears that David was both physically and spiritually afflicted. And this affliction, as I have already said, with the result of sin. Here David says that it was “because of my foolishness”. Sin is foolish. When we sin against God we exchange that which is good, beautiful, and life-giving for that which is ugly, detestable, and leads to death and decay. As David says elsewhere, “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul… the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward” (Psalm 19:7, 9–11, ESV). Sin is folly. To live in disobedience to God’s commands is to choose the wrong path — a path that leads only to death and destruction. David had gone down the path of folly. But because David belonged to the Lord, the Lord was faithful to discipline him so as to turn him around so that he might set his feet upon the right path again.
I will say it again, it would be wrong to interpret every bit of suffering we endure as the Lord chastisement. But it would also be wrong to forget that the Lord does discipline those he loves. When we suffer, we should at least ask the question, what is the Lord teaching us through this suffering? How is he refining me? How is he working to strengthen me? I can tell you for certain that he is always about that work! But we should also ask this question, is there some sin in my life that I have not turned from so that this suffering that I am enduring may in fact be interpreted as the discipline of the Lord?
There is always sin, brothers and sisters. We always come short of God’s law in thought, word, and deed. And I am not talking about those sins that you struggle with and struggle against. No, I am talking about unrepentant sin. Intentional sin. Sins committed with a high, arrogant, and rebellious hand. I hope you can see the difference. There is a difference between, let’s say, a mother being impatient with her children from time to time, recognizing her fault, confessing it to the Lord to seek his forgiveness and strength, and even asking her children for forgiveness. Did the mother sin when she was harsh with her children? Well, yes. But should we expect the Lord to chastise her? Well, no, for she responded with repentance when the Spirit of God convicted her. She judged herself according to the scriptures, recognized her failure, and amended her ways. This is the Christian life, friends. There is a great difference between that, and the one who professes faith in Christ running headlong into sin without any thought of turning. It breaks my heart to see that as a pastor, but I have witnessed it. And I have also watched the Lord chastise those who belong to him so as to humble them and finally bring them to true repentance.
We should remember that David did at one point sin in this way. I am thinking here of his sin with Bathsheba. He sinned in a bad way. And for a time he did not acknowledge his sin but instead covered it so as to persist in it. And we know that the Lord brought him low so as to bring him to true repentance. Perhaps that is what Psalm 38 is about, but we do not know for sure.
And we should remember what Paul said to the Corinthians regarding the connection between their unrepentant sin, the unworthy partaking of the Lord’s Supper, and their sickness.
In 1 Corinthians 11:27, he says, “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.” (1 Corinthians 11:27–32, ESV)
So why would the Lord give his children over to the natural consequences of their sin? Why would he chastise them with physical and spiritual afflictions? Doesn’t he love his children? Yes, he loves his children. And we know that he disciplines us because he loves us. He wishes to refine us. He uses afflictions to humble us. He does often wake us up from our sleepy slumber concerning the danger of sin by giving us over to its consequences for a time.
The thing that I would like for you to see in verses 5 through 8 is that David did not grow hard-hearted and calloused as he endured the Lord’s disciple. [SLIDE] No, he brought his suffering to the Lord, knowing that the Lord cared for him. Not only did David confess his sin, he also confessed his suffering to the Lord in prayer, saying, “My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness, I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning”, etc. (Psalm 38:5–8, ESV). And we are to do the same, brothers and sisters. Confess your sins to Lord. Run to him for mercy and grace. And bring your suffering with you to lay it before his feet, knowing that he cares for you. “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6, ESV).
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Know That The Lord Is With You in The Midst Of Suffering (vs. 9-14)
In verses 9 through 14 we see that though David knew his suffering was the result of his sin, and though he knew that his suffering was the chastisement of the Lord, he also knew that the Lord was with him. And that is the third point of this sermon: [SLIDE] If you are in Christ you must never forget that the Lord is with you in the midst of suffering. This is true of the suffering that is unrelated to some particular sin. And this is even true of suffering that is the result of sin. If you are in Christ — if you have faith in him — then you must know for certain that the Lord is with you, for he has promised to “never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5, ESV).
Let us now briefly consider verses 9 through 14 and notice that David knew the Lord was near.
In verses 9 we read, “O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you” (Psalm 38:9, ESV). In other words, David knew that the Lord was not unaware. He knew that the Lord had not abandoned him, but was there with him.
In verse 10 he says, “My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me” (Psalm 38:10, ESV). I do not doubt that David was physically afflicted, but what he describes here is spiritual affliction. And this is what sin does to the soul. It hurts the heart, saps our strength, and darkens our outlook.
And in verse 11 David notes that his friends and companions did abandon him in his trial. He says, “My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off” (Psalm 38:11, ESV). This verse is very significant. You should notice that it is at the heart of this Psalm. Also, you should notice that this verse is alluded to in Luke 22:49 which describes the experience of Jesus on the cross with the words, “And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things” (Luke 23:49, ESV). We will return to this observation at the end of this sermon. But for now, notice the contrast. The Lord was faithful to David even as his closest companions failed him. And so it is in life. Many have found that in times of trial and tribulation those who were thought to be friends prove only to be fair-weathered friends.
Allow me to make a brief point of application before moving on. This must not be the case in Christ’s church. We must be faithful to God and to one another in Christ’s church. This will involve weeping with those who weep. This will involve walking with one another through the trials and tribulations of life. This will even involve patiently enduring one another’s weakness. We must show grace to one another, brothers and sisters. We must love “one another earnestly”, and we know that “love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8, ESV). This does not mean that love ignores sin. Nor does it mean that love tolerates unrepentant sin. No, unrepentant sin is not to be tolerated within Christ’s church. But it does mean that we are to forgive one another, bear with one another, be patient with one another, and walk alongside those who are suffering — yes, even if the suffering is self-induced.
David’s friends abandoned him, but the Lord did not.
And then in verse 12, David mentions his enemies. “Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long” (Psalm 38:12, ESV). David’s enemies looked to capitalize on his weakness to overthrow him.
And finally, in verses 13 and 14 David describes his response.“But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth. I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes”. So weak was he that he could not respond.
But again, the point is that David knew the Lord was with him. He was so very weak that he could not even speak in his own defense. His enemies were plotting against him. His friends had abandoned him. But he knew for certain that the Lord was with him. “O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you”, he says.
And this should bring great comfort to all who are in Christ Jesus. You must not interpret the trials and tribulations of life to mean that God has abandoned you. No, if you are in Christ, then God cannot abandon you, for he has determined to set his love upon you. This he has done, not because he regarded you as worthy, but according to his good pleasure. If he set his love upon you because he regarded you as worthy, then I suppose he could remove his love if you began to walk in an unworthy manner. But this is not the case. God has determined to set his love upon you, not because of anything in you, but according to the good pleasure of his will. He has set his love upon you, he has justified you, and he is sanctifying you, not because of your own merits, but because of Christ’s merit. And God is faithful. He will never leave you nor forsake you, for he has promised.
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Have The Lord As Your Only Hope (vs. 15-22)
Lastly, in verses 15 through 22 we find a most wonderful expression of faith. David’s hope was in the Lord and in the Lord only. And this must be true for you and me. [SLIDE] We must have the Lord as our only hope.
Listen carefully to his words: “But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. For I said, ‘Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!’ For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me. I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin. But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully. Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow after good. Do not forsake me, O LORD! O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!” (Psalm 38:15–22, ESV)
The question that I have is, where did David get this confidence? What made him think that he could cry out to God for mercy as he did in this Psalm. After all, he admits that his suffering was due to his sin. He deserved it, in other words. So on what basis did he plead for mercy, saying in verse 1, “O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath!” Where did he get the confidence that the Lord was with him, saying in verse 9, “O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you.” And why would he set his hope so firmly on the Lord, saying in verse 15, “But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.” And on what basis does he make his final appeal in verses 21 and 22, saying, “Do not forsake me, O LORD! O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!”
The basis cannot be his own righteousness, for he admits that he had none. It was his own sin that brought this misery upon him. The basis for his hope could only be the gospel. David knew that the LORD was gracious. He knew that the LORD had promised to forgive all of his sins in the Messiah. He understood that the Lord was his salvation. And so he ran to the Lord for refuge, knowing that “blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2:12, ESV).
Conclusion
I have told you before that the Psalms are all about Jesus the Christ. Yes, Psalm 38 was about David and his experience. We cannot ignore that. And yes, Psalm 38 does apply to us. We have experienced similar things, have we not? But above all, this Psalm is about Jesus the Christ.
Notice two things:
One, David could not appeal to God for mercy as he did, not have confidence that God was with him, not have the hope that the Lord was his Savior, apart from promises of God concerning a coming Messiah who would atone for all his sins. So in this sense Psalm 38 is about Jesus. The Christ is revealed here in this Psalm, for it is in Christ that David hopes.
Secondly, this Psalm is about Jesus the Christ for Jesus experienced what David experienced but on a higher level and without committing sin. Jesus suffered as David suffered. Indeed, the very wrath of God was poured out on Jesus. He was abandoned by his friends. His enemies sought his destruction. And he did also trust in the Lord, just as David did. But Jesus the Christ is different in this respect — he suffered, not for his own sin, but for the sins of others. The sins of his elect were imputed to him, he endured the wrath of God (the wrath that David and you and I deserve), his friends abandoned him, his enemies prevailed over him, he died and was buried, but on the third day he rose again in victory, for he had earned our salvation. This Psalm is about Jesus. Every word spoken by David could be spoken by Jesus the Christ with the exception of these: “there is no health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head”, “My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness”, and “I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin.” But even these words, which belong properly only to David, and which may also belong to us, still illuminate the Christ, for they show that he suffered for sin — not his own sin, but the sins of those given to him by the Father — David’s sin, yours and mine, and all who will run to Christ the Savior for refuge.
Read the Psalm again today, but read as if uttered by Christ, and you will see what I mean. With the exception of the confession of personal sin, these are the words of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the Son of God. And then labor to make this connection: these could only be the words of King David because they would also be the words of King Jesus. In other words, David, the anointed King, could only make this expression of hope as he suffered for his own sin because he knew that the Christ, God’s anointed one, would suffer in his place and atone for his sins to provide salvation for him.
So let me conclude with four very brief suggestions for application.
First of all, as you reflect upon Psalm 38 I pray that you are moved to carefully avoid sin seeing that sin does lead only to death and destruction. Up to this point, I have not said anything about the title of this Psalm. The ESV renders it, “FOR THE MEMORIAL OFFERING”. The KJV and NKJV say, “To Bring to Remembrance”. I think that is more the point. In Psalm 38 David remembers his sin, its destructiveness, and how the Lord was faithful to preserve and refine him through suffering. May we learn something from David’s remembrance. And may we also be disciplined to remember our own past. Do not forget how destructive sin is, brothers and sisters. Avoid it! But also, do not forget the faithfulness of the Lord. He is faithful to discipline those he loves.
Secondly, if you are in Christ Jesus, united to him by faith, may I exhort you to patiently endure suffering knowing that the Lord is with you? He is working to refine you through suffering, he will keep you, and in due time he will lift you up. The title of this sermon is, “For you, O LORD, do I wait”. And this is drawn from verse 15 where David says, “But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer” (Psalm 38:15, ESV). As God’s children, we must learn to wait patiently on the Lord and to know that God will answer. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you…” (1 Peter 5:6, ESV).
Thirdly, may I exhort you to patiently endure the Lord’s chastisement. When God disciplines you, turn from the sin, brothers and sisters. Run to God through faith in Christ. And once there, wait on him. Endure his discipline knowing that he disciplines those he loves. Do not misinterpret the discipline of the Lord. If you are in Christ then God will discipline you because he loves you. This is a truth that is learned in homes where fathers and mothers are faithful to discipline their children in love. The children in homes like these learn from a young age that discipline and love are not contradictory. But I’m afraid that those who have grown up in abusive homes, or in homes where “love” meant “no discipline”, may have a more difficult time understanding this marvelous truth. They will have to learn it from the scriptures and in the church. God disciplines those he loves. The faithful know this. And they will run to God and not from him when he disciplines.
Fourthly, and lastly, if you have not believed upon Christ for the forgiveness of you sin then I must plead with you to flee to Christ for refuge today. Yes, God is love. He is merciful, gracious, and kind. But if we are to come to him and stand right before him, we must come to him through faith in the Savior that he has provided. Jesus taught this saying, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, ESV). And in John 3:16-18 the matter is stated most clearly: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:16–18, ESV). Friends, we must run to Christ for refuge, for there is refuge found in no other but him.
