Reminding the Lord

 Temple Baptist Church - 7-14-2024

Psalm 70

 

Introduction: 

 

A.  The introduction of this Psalm is important:

 

1.  This Psalm is Davidic.  David was a musician and song writer long before he ascended the throne of Israel.  King David became a Worshipper before he became a Warrior!

 

2.  The Psalm is written to the “chief Musician.”  It was a Psalm to be sung by the Nation of Israel. 

 

a)  These Psalms were of great worth to Israel as our Songs are important to God’s People today.  I think of the vast spiritual worth of the hymns that we sing in church.  Songs to admonish us as well as to encourage s. 

 

b)  When I think of hymns, my mind goes back to Fanny Crosby, who was born blind and remained so all her life.  At age eight, Crosby wrote her first poem which described her condition.  This she stated concerning her blindness: "It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me."  She said later, “When I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior".

 

3.  This Psalm is one of Remembrance. 

 

a)  This Psalm is Reminding God!  Sounds unnecessary?  After all, God knows all things and forgets nothing.  God is always on time with His perfect answer to our prayers. 

 

b)  God’s answer may or may not be exactly what we ask Him for, but it will always be perfectly right. 

 

Jeremiah 33:3  Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

 

Ephesians 3:20-21  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,  (21)  Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

 

c)  The Bible admonishes us to continually bring our petitions to God.  Praying over and over for the things that we desire.  This is not the “vain repetition” of the heathen.  There is nothing wrong with reminding the Lord as long as it is done with inditing Him.

 

Luke 18:2-8  Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:  (3)  And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.  (4)  And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;  (5)  Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.  (6)  And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.  (7)  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?  (8)  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

 

d)  This Psalm is also Imprecatory in nature!  Verses 2-3 are a call for God to reward David’s enemies.  There is a time for imprecatory praying.  The is not vengeance, it is a cry for justice and deliverance.  Imprecatory praying is to invoke evil or to curse (this is not modern day cussing but rather to invoke evil that is supposedly deserved).

 

B.  Now, the prayer.

 

1.  Verse 1.  A prayer of:

 

a.  Haste.  David is calling on the Lord to “hurry up.”  Nothing wrong with this type of praying as attention to time is often of the essence.  I call this the “Popeye Syndrome:”  “I’ve had all I can stand and I can’t stands no more!”  David has had enough!  There are limits in the flesh for even the strongest of people.

 

b.  A Plea for Deliverance.  There are things in life that only God can do!  David finds no human way out!  Human nature does not like extended evil times.  We understand that life is hard and there will be many times when we are not, humanly speaking, “Happy Campers!”  It is so sad that evil so often seems to have the advantage.

 

c.  A Cry for Devine Intervention.  Now, it is God’s turn!  Here, we find that circumstances had gotten far beyond human intervention.  I have been a “fighter” all my life but there have been times when I took and continued to take a “whuppin.” 

 

2.  Verse 2.  Here we find the imprecatory desires of a man after God’s own heart.  He David can pray this way and the Holy Spirit record it; we can pray this way also.

 

a.  “Let them be ashamed.”  They will never act right if they never get right!  Shame brings reproach and often desire to do better.

 

b.  “Let them be confounded.”  They seek after my soul so disappoint them, Lord!  Take my side and give me divine help that they will recognize.

 

c.  “Let them be turned backward.”  Make the sound “Retreat!”  Yosemite Sam used to say, “Back Off.”  Give me some respite from the battle and let the enemy be in disarray. 

 

d.  “Let them be confused.”  Confusion causes one to stand still or stop what they are doing.

 

e.  Notice that in his imprecatory praying, David did not pray for their destruction or for them to be cut off.  Each aspect of verse 2 is to 1)  Stop them and 2) to Turn them.  This is as beneficial to them as it was to David.

 

3. Verse 3.  “Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame.”  Remembrance brings about shame and shame bring about repentance which is their reward. 

 

Proverbs 16:7  When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

 

4.  Verse 4.  Here we find magnification of God. 

 

a.  Rejoicing and gladness know that the seeker finds an ever present, all powerful God on his side.

 

b.  Rejoicing and gladness because of divine deliverance.  It is good when one can deliver himself by his own power but so much greater when he cannot deliver himself, but God does!

 

5.  Verse 5.  Lessons learned from this Psalm.  Here we find reinforcement. 

 

a.  That we are poor and needy.  Pride in self is both sinfulness and self-delusion.  When we come to the point that we realize that God is all that we have, it is then that we find that God is all we need.

 

b.  Please Hurry!  There are times when we are to “wait upon the Lord,” but there will also be times when we need an answer or an action from God in the immediate.

 

c.  A reminder that God is on our side.  “Greater is He that is in you.”  “If God be for us.”  “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” 

 

d.  A reminder that time and power is in God’s hands.  He said in Isaiah 45:11-12: “Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.  (12)  I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.”