THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Psalms: Living By Faith In God

LIV. God’s Assurances In A Fearfully Insecure World

(Psalm 54:1-7)

Introduction: (To show the need . . .)

Last week, several believers at different times told me of concerns that they or many other people have on various issues they face in today’s fearfully insecure world, including dealing with our spiritual enemy, Satan:

(1) We face it with the economy: (a) “President Biden has called Republican efforts to use the debt ceiling to rein in spending ‘fiscally demented.’ In holding the ‘debt limit hostage,’ Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says Republicans could do ‘irreparable harm to the U. S. economy.’ But at what point does not raising the debt ceiling become less irresponsible than continuing current policy and allowing the country to go broke?” (Phil Gramm and Michael Solon, “Yes, Use the Debt Ceiling to Control Government Spending,” The Wall Street Journal, Feb. 2 as cited in “Quotable,” Republican-American, February 3, 2023, p. 6A) (b) A worker in the financial industry tells me that so many anxious investors are fleeing stocks for “safer” investments that it has led to upsetting paperwork snarls!

(2) We face it with the “climate change” issue: At “(t)he recent meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland . . . global elites flew more than 1,000 private jets to Davos to lecture the rest of us on our carbon footprint and the importance of going green.” (Jim Nelles, February 2 Washington Examiner column, “George Orwell was right,” cited in “Quotable,” Ibid., February 6, 2023, p. 8A)

(3) We face it with the deceit by the government-business-mainstream media complex: “ . . . (A)n unholy alliance of government, Big Tech and the mainstream media have sought to narrow the range of acceptable views . . . It turns out that lying to people is not a very effective way to win back their trust . . .” (Spectator World editorial board, “The United States of paranoia,” February 2023 issue, cited in “Quotable,” Ibid., February 4, 2023, p. 8A)

(4) We face it in regard to the anti-police movement: “ . . . (V)iolent anti-police activism, legislative attacks on qualified immunity, and so-called equity initiatives spurred” in “2020 has caused experienced officers to flee the profession as under-qualified officers take their places in understaffed police departments. The results . . . Black homicide deaths have spiked” to “their highest level since the early 1990s, and the number of Black suspects killed by police officers reached a nine-year high in 2022.” (“A victim of collapsing standards,” Ibid., February 3, 2023, p. 6A)

(5) We face it with some of our state legislators on abortion: “ . . . (A) group of Connecticut . . . legislators and other . . . officials . . . proposed that state government establish a fund to pay the expenses of residents of other states who came to Connecticut for abortions.” (Chris Powell, “‘Free’ college is a survival scheme,” Ibid.) It’s not enough to push the murder of babies in our state – they want to use our tax moneys to spread the carnage around the country!

(6) We face it with our national security: A spy balloon from China recently sailed across our nation before being shot down, but White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that in “‘multiple instances’ during the Trump administration . . . Chinese surveillance balloons traversed American airspace and territory.” (Zeke Miller, “White House: Improved surveillance caught Chinese balloon,” Ibid., February 7, 2023, p. 5B)

Need: So, we ask, “CAN we gain a sense of security in today’s fearfully insecure world, and IF so, HOW?!”

I. Psalm 54:1-7 is a teaching psalm on David’s handling of a fearfully insecure situation he faced:

A. The psalm’s introductory notes, part of the Hebrew text (Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 1021), claim that Psalm 54 is a maskil, “a contemplative poem” that “gives insight.” (H. A. W., The. Wrdbk. of the O. T., 1980, v. II, p. 877)

B. Thus, the introductory notes with Psalm 54:3 reveal that David was informing his hearers on how to handle a fearfully insecure situation that he faced while hiding from Israel’s paranoid and threatening king Saul:

1. David wrote this psalm after the Ziphites in 1 Samuel 23:19 and again in 26:1 traveled 20 miles from the Wilderness of Ziph in Judah north to Saul’s town in Gibeon of Benjamin to ask him why he seemed ignorant of the fact that David was hiding himself in their area. (The Macmillan Bible Atlas, 1968, Map 92). They did not consider the fact that David needed a fair trial, only that Saul find him and kill him!

2. The description of these men, likely along with Israel’s king Saul, is provided in Psalm 54:3:

a. They were “strangers” (zur, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., H. A. W., vol. I, p. 238) in the figurative sense, or “aliens in spirit” to David and the Lord. (Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms, 1975, p. 241)

b. These enemies were also ‘arisim, “strong, terrible, ruthless enemies” (Ibid., H. A. W., vol. II, p. 699).

c. These foes of David had literally “not set God before them,” that is, they acted “as if they did not remember or believe in His existence and his presence,” what boosted their ruthlessness, Ibid., Alexander.

II. Thus, David provided insight on wisely handling this fearfully insecure situation (as follows):

A. First, he prayed to the Lord for God to deliver him from these enemies, Psalm 54:1-2.

B. David also trusted that the Lord was his Help Who sustained him, Psalm 54:4.

C. Then, based on David’s awareness [from Scripture] that God is righteous and sovereign and that He had anointed David to be Israel’s king (1 Samuel 16:1, 13), David knew that God had to deal out justice in line with God’s righteousness and plan for his life, so David was sure that God would punish his foes, Psalm 54:5.

D. Finally, David claimed that he would thank and praise God for His deliverance, being so sure of that future rescue that he referred to it in the past tense as if it had already occurred, Psa. 54:6-7; Ibid., Alexander, p. 242.

Lesson: Recalling that God had promised to make him Israel’s next king, and trusting that God was both righteous and sovereign, David expressed full confidence that God would deliver him from his foes who were alien in spirit to him and to God, who were strong, terrible, ruthless enemies, and who had created a fearfully insecure situation.

Application: (1) May we trust in Christ Who died as our Atoning Sacrifice for sin that we might receive God's gift of eternal life, John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. (2) In facing fearfully insecure situations, may we recall God’s prophetic plans for us coupled with our knowledge that He is righteous and sovereign so that we put complete confidence in Him that He will deliver us.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message and provide additional guidance . . .)

We apply this sermon in a general way and also specifically to the issues of concern in our introduction:

(1) In a GENERAL way, like David, we know from Bible prophecy God’s future plans for us in our era relative to fearfully insecure situations we might face: (a) First, 2 Timothy 3:15-4:1 reveals that we possess all of the Scripture truths we need to perform every good work until the rapture. Thus, regardless what situations we face, we can function well in every case! (b) Second, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 teaches that before the rapture, God has made it possible for us to be comforted in heart and established in every good word and work regardless what we face!

(2) Just how we can be comforted and continue in every good word and work regarding the SPECIFIC ISSUES mentioned in our INTRODUCTION, (+) on the economy, (-) 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, 2 Thessalonians 3:10, 1 Timothy 5:8, and Hebrews 13:5-6 promise that if heads of households work independently to earn a living for their families, being content with what God supplies, they will not suffer material need and have a good testimony regardless of the economy. (-) On investing, Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 teaches that profit comes by investing boldly with diversification for the long-term and constantly adding to our investments. (-) Then, Ecclesiastes 11:3 warns against focusing on risks and verses 4-6 warn against focusing on short-term economic events [like the current weather], but to focus on the long-term [like the growing season] to avoid “knee-jerk” reactions to events where we fail to invest or we pull out our initial investments and thus miss long-term gains. (+) On the climate, Genesis 8:22 records God’s pledge to keep the climate habitable for us as long as the earth exists. (+) On lies by the government-business-mainstream media complex, 2 Timothy 3:13-17 states that as deceivers go from bad to worse, Scripture will still thoroughly equip us to know the truth we need to live godly lives and do God’s work. (+) On the anti-police movement and lawmakers wanting to fund out-of-stater abortions, Daniel 2:41-45 claims that Western Civilization will not be destroyed but will proceed from our era beyond the rapture into the Tribulation as partly strong and partly weak. (+) On China’s spy balloons, (-) Psalm 127:1 with Daniel 2:41-45 and Revelation 17:1-18 teach that Western Civilization nations will continue as partly strong and partly weak after the rapture, so there cannot be a worldwide, devastating nuclear war in our era! (-) Also, our times are in God’s hand (Psalm 31:15), so He is our true Protector!

(3) In regard to our spiritual enemy Satan, (a) Jude 8-9 warns us not to order Satan on anything [unlike what Jesus as the Son of God did in Matthew 16:23]. (b) Rather, God crushes Satan under our feet, Romans 16:20 ESV, NIV. (c) However, we can overcome Satan by (+) being strong in the Lord, that is, by relying on the Holy Spirit in living and His gifting in serving God (1 John 2:14b; Galatians 5:16; 2 Timothy 1:6-7 and 2:1), by (+) exposing our minds to Scripture and applying it in thought and life (1 John 2:14c with Deuteronomy 17:18-20) and by (+) putting on the whole spiritual armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-17). We put on that armor by (-) speaking the truth (Ephesians 6:14a), (-) confessing our sins to God to be experientially righteous (Ephesians 6:14b), (-) being prepared to give the Gospel (Ephesians 6:15), (-) trusting God to quench Satan’s attacks (Ephesians 6:16), (-) being sure of our salvation security (Ephesians 6:17a), (-) using Scripture as our sole offensive weapon (Ephesians 6:17b) and (-) praying for God’s deliverance from Satanic attack for us and for other believers (Ephesians 6:18-20).

May we trust in Christ Who died as our Atoning Sacrifice for sin that we might receive God’s gift of eternal life. May we trust God’s Biblical plans for us and trust Him for handling our fearfully insecure world.