Faith is practical – in our Isaiah series we have heard that a lot. And it has real life implications for how we deal with life. We have before us today one who says “In the LORD I take refuge. We are only at the beginning of the year, but I already have seen anxious and sometimes tired faces walking into church. If it’s not work, its family, if it’s not family it’s the church, if its not church, its sickness and disease. If it’s not that it’s the past or the future. If it’s not that it’s maybe the biggest of them all sin.
We have all at some point gone through a crisis, even if you are not there now. And there are three ways of dealing with crisis. The first is to escape. Run – that is the advice of the people in this Psalm. The other is to try to grin and bear it and try to just push through trying to be tough. The third is to look up, take refuge in the LORD and let the crisis shape you. We have all probably done all three at different times.
When Crisis come…
- Human advice
- The Christians response
Human Advice.
People around David are giving some advice in light of his troubles. This is what verse 1-3 is about.
And their advice is basically, “When danger hits. Run.” Or in today’s language, David’s friends would say, “Look! There is a loaded gun to your head, and you have to run!” get out of the situation – you are going to die.
There are a lot of different ways that the world gives us advice to just escape the reality which we face. There is gaming. Now I like a good game as much as anyone. But it can easily be an escape from life, rather than a way to glorify God in life. We get lost in hours and hours of a world that is not real – and we can escape the stress, we can escape having to deal with our problems.
Or it can be social media. We escape like a bird to the mountains by losing ourselves in an alternative universe, of made-up faces, and endless debates so that we don’t have to deal with the real world of relationship and loving sinful people We build a world which is not real, we put our head into the sand.
Or we can simply escape the country or go to another church. Humans have found endless ways to escape like a bird to the mountains. This is the advice of humans – the advice of those who have lost sight of God. Run. Get away from your problems. How you face your problems now is a pretty good indication how you will face your biggest problem – and that is the judgement of God.
It was satans Temptation when he said you can avoid your suffering. Just bow to me and I will give you what you want. Later Peter echoes satanand that he must not suffer and die . You can avoid suffering you can avoid carrying your cross says satan says Peter Get out while the getting is good.
And it makes sense. from a worldly perspective, the best thing is to run. But guess what as the old saying goes, you can run but you cant hide. At some point your real enemies will catch up to you and you will die. Yes all of us will have to face the enemy of death, and it has in a sense “(v. 2) bent their bow and fitted their arrow to the string to shoot at the upright in heart” the moment you and I were born, the enemies were ready to take you down as a covenant child of God! But guess what!? The one who is in you is stronger then the one who is in the world!
The arrow is strung. Now we need to decide what we are going to do. Take the advice, and try to ignore, or hide, or play dumb hopping that it will just go away?
The Christians response
the Christian lifts up his eyes and sees the LORD on the throne.
Above the horizon of our lives. Above the horizon of world history, above the horizon of space and time, to God Holy Temple. And in that temple is the only refuge of mankind the lion and the lamb!
This is why we are here, right? to meet with God in his holy Temple. As Hebrews 12:22-24 says, “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Spurgeon a 19th century preacher says,
“When we think of Jesus in the temple of heaven, we remember that He is praying for us. Satan has desired to have us, that he may sift us as wheat, but Jesus is in the temple praying for us, and how can our faith fail?”
David was asked, “What can the righteous do? David answered with another question: “What can’t the righteous do when the LORD God is still on His throne?” the foundations are not destroyed! They are as stable as ever! Let this be your perspective as you face this coming year. God – your Father in Christ – sits on the throne. And he knows what is going on!
verse 4b says, “…his eyelids test the children of man.” The picture is of someone looking closely inspecting for any flaws. You know how your eyes narrow when you inspect something carefully. He is busy purifying you as you take refuge in him. You see, the wicked, and the seeming unstableness of the world is all a test from the father! How will you respond!
“The LORD tests the righteous but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence” David understood the crisis he was going through as a period of testing or discipline—part of the process whereby the Lord “examines” or “disciplines.” David understood what the writer of Hebrews also knew: that discipline is a sign of the Lord’s love (Hebrews 12:6). Though it is painful, suffering “produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11). He accepted these dangers as from the Lord, and a way also to give glory to him by going to him, and not looking for an easy way out.
Difficult times are … well difficult. Faced with a choice we would rather go through easy and pleasant times. But they do often far less. Hard times force you to come to God!
The question for you and I is, “Do we pass the test?” I think if we are honest this fills us with a bit of fear. Do we really want the LORD examining us that closely. Every thought, every word, every deed.
Especially when the result for the wicked is verse 6 “Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.”
This is the end of those who reject the LORD. There is only one response to this warning and reality – and that is repentance and faith in Christ – who stood and was condemned and suffered and drank the cup of God wrath! Real repentance real faith. That says I will run to him. As Isaiah 53:12 says, “…he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
So when the Father examines you he sees his Son, and the work of Jesus in you! This is why he loves the rightoues. This is why he loves rightoues deeds, because he rejoices in the work of his son in you!
But this is also a warning for those who do not find refuge in Christ. Who continue in careless sin – for the king is coming again, and Luke 17:29b-30 warns that “when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur around from heaven and destroyed them all – so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
Everyone runs. But where you run is what matters. To God or away from him. And here is a reminder that we should use times of crises to share the good news of Jesus. There are so many people that need hope. That need joy. That need satisfaction. And they run everywhere but where thye can truly find it. Will you give them the answer? There is a day of judgment to come.
It is also a reminder that, as much as we might feel that our foundations are being destroyed, there is a day of judgment when the foundations of the world really will give way (2 Peter 3:12). As Christians, we are to live in the light of that day.
Finally, David remembers that final day will be one when he and all the “upright” will see the LORD face to face (11:7). With the holidays over, and with long distance travel difficult, many relate to the longing to see absent friends face to face. David points to an even greater longing—to see the Lord face to face. For believers, there is a far more wonderful reunion to come (and it will come too!) when we are united with the Lord Jesus face to face.
Come Lord Jesus.
Amen