Sermon(Ps 27): God who receives me

The original Korean text: https://blog.naver.com/stevision/50025253057

 

 

>>1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When evildoers assail me, uttering slanders against me, my adversaries and foes, they shall stumble and fall. 3 Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. ... 5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent, he will set me high upon a rock. .... 10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me up. ... 12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence. 13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! ... (Ps 27) <<

 

People, if they are not cannibals, do not gnaw off and eat humans. However you'll feel as if your flesh were torn off when a man with a knife in his hand is wandering around to find and kill you. And you'll feel the pain of stab wounds if someone reviles and accuses you before a lot of people. It's a really terrible situation if the army is looking for you to arrest you. This is the story of David. David lost Saul's favor and was chased by his army. There were notices all over the country, which said, "If you report the hiding place of this man (David), you'll be abundantly rewarded."

 

But David could not exile to another country and die there because of that situation. It was because all the neighboring countries served their gods, so that David couldn't serve his living God freely there. In Rome, you have to follow Roman law. At that time, it was possible for a man to live without difficulty in other countries only with an oath that he would make their gods his gods. David was in a hard situation ㅡ either he must serve a foreign god to lead an easy life but under the curse of the eternal hell, or he must bear too many dangerous adversaries seeking for his life, in order to live in Israel.

 

Of course, David went to another country because of Saul's persecution and became a servant of the king of the country for a while. But he never broke the bond with the Israelites living in his homeland, in that circumstances. He sent them gifts, asked them how they were doing, and said to them that he was never living as a gentile. He could never go to a gentile nation and serve foreign god, forsaking the God of Israel. It was the last thing David could do. "Hide not thy face from me. Turn not thy servant away in anger, thou who hast been my help, Cast me not off, forsake me not, O God of my salvation! (v. 9)" It would be God’s forsaking of David if David was pushed out to a foreign country by his adversaries and lived as a gentile. But David would rather die than become a heathen man. So he prayed God not to forsake him. This prayer is not only a petition that God should save him from his enemies but also a petition that God should help him keep his faith.

 

We can, in v. 4, find David's wish that he would live in Israel, keeping his faith. "One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. (v. 4)" The place for offering sacrifices to God was really a public place. David who was chased by Saul couldn't escape death if he attended the worship service taking place at such site, with his face uncovered. Therefore, how David who wanted to worship God so eagerly missed the temple where God was! What should David do now?

 

David seeks help from God whom he loves so much. "Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! (v. 7)" Who dare hinder your love if you would love your God? God will never leave him who hinders your love unpunished. David's beastlike adversaries rushed upon him to eat his flesh, but they all fell down. David's adversaries tried to attack him like a band of soldiers, but they all became dead in front of him. Yes, my brethren! Anyone who tries to disturb the religious life of those who love God will be defeated like David's enemies. On the contrary, he who makes it the supreme purpose of his life to love God like David won't be defeated by anyone.

 

You keep your valuables in a secret place, so that no one can steal it. God regarded David as the most precious treasure in Israel. So he hid David in a place no one knows. "He will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent, he will set me high upon a rock. (v. 5)" Saul and his army who would kill innocent people were worthless to God; while David who loved God was so precious a treasure to God, so he kept David in a secret place in order that he might not lose David in the days of his trouble. Saul and his army who had sought after David's life were completely defeated and futilely died in the war with a neighboring country later. Because God regarded them as worthless humans. But God thought David whom he loved to be precious, and kept him like precious jewels. He had never been robbed of David by the enemies. It is natural that a precious gem be set in a gold ring. God made David a glorious king. God will regard those who hate him that loves God as waste and throw them away. However God feels heavy responsibility on them who love him, and will take care of them to the end and crown them with the crown of honor and glory. If your love pleases God, neither sickness nor war nor famine nor natural disaster can harm you. God will treasure you more than jewels and keep you in a strong safe. No one, including the Devil and the worldly powers, will never be able to take you away from God's mighty hands. The stupidest in the world is he who persecutes him who loves God; the wisest in the world is he who loves God.

 

My brethren, the war is in the hand of Jehovah, and the victory is on the side of those who love him. Israel fell into David's hand, and David triumphed and was able to worship God in Israel as he liked. "And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies round about me; and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord. (v. 6)" David couldn't lift up his head when he was chased by enemies. He couldn't offer sacrifices to God openly then. He couldn't praise God with loud voice. But now the world was changed for God had granted victory to David who loved him. The world is David's now. David could happily offer sacrifices to God in his tent, with praises of thanksgiving. God, being wise, surely gives victory to him who is like David, to receive great glory and praise through him. If the glory of God is the goal of your life, you'll always have victory. Are you in too miserable a situation to lift up your head? Nevertheless keep on the life of loving God and the life for his glory, and he will lift up your head above any other people in the future. When the time comes, God will surely exalt you. The greater the present humiliation, the greater the dignity of your future.

 

Even though all people of the world abandoned David, God welcomed David into his house. When Saul made every effort to kill David, he went home covertly. But David's father gave him a cold answer. "How have you behaved yourself that the king is endeavoring to kill you? We can suffer the extermination of the whole family because of you. Get out of my sight! If the king knows you've been here, he will certainly kill me and your mother. Oh my goodness, why did I have such a son so that suffer this difficulty!" This might be the reason why David said this: "My father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me up. (v. 10)" His father might have wanted to hide him, but he couldn't because of king Saul.

 

Yes, my brethren. Even our parents, brothersgerman and sistersgerman can't guarantee and support our life. You can meet such situation in your life. They are too feeble to help us. Someone deserts me because he dislikes me. Someone looks away from me for fear of loss of his money. Someone is incapable of helping me. But God receives me even when all people desert and depart me, because he is omnipotent and righteous, above all, because he is loving and merciful to us. David depended on God, so Saul's own son Jonathan began to help him. David depended on God, so the favor of the people of Israel departed from Saul to David. My brethren, God can change the mind of people. My brethren, always find rest under God's wings, even in a trivial situation. God will embrace you with great affection as a hen embraces her chicks. Who are you that you should have useless worries in God's bosom?

 

David, who is resting under the shadow of God's wings, confesses: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (v. 1)" You are afraid in the dark for there can be someone who approaches you to harm you. You feel uneasy when you can't see ahead in darkness, thinking, 'Wouldn't this way lead me to a trap?' However Jehovah is the light, and he who flees to him will walk on the bright highway. He doesn't have to be afraid of stumbling over something or of falling into a trap. If you only live in God, you can go on a righteous path, on a right way, and on the way of life. Jehovah is our Savior. We are his sheep, so he keeps us from beasts such as lions and wolves. If we fall into a pit, he will rescue us, because he is our good shepherd. Jehovah is the power of my life. He who waits for and loves him gets new strength. A young lion can starve, but we can bear all fruits like trees that, planted beside the stream, are full of vitality all year round.

 

Is there any other sure help like this in the world? The God good and merciful and powerful says to all that are heavily laden and exhausted from heavy work, "Seek ye my face. (v. 8)" My brethren, let not this voice of God go in one ear and out the other. Your reliable help and refuge is Jehovah. Jehovah is a God who does not reject but receives all people who escape to him. "I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! (v. 13)" "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; yea, wait for the Lord! (v. 14)"

 

May all of you be wise and seek help from God in everything. May God lift you out from the deep pit.

 

Chong Tack Kim

- Dongtoma Sunshine Church -