WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 We're at Psalm 13 this evening. 00:00:04.679 --> 00:00:08.099 Pretty short Psalm compared to some of the ones we've done. 00:00:15.300 --> 00:00:17.260 I'll give you a moment to find it. 00:00:20.440 --> 00:00:21.359 Psalm 13? 00:00:21.539 --> 00:00:22.839 Yeah, Psalm 13. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:39.560 Thank you. 00:00:40.620 --> 00:00:42.140 I'll read it out loud for us. 00:00:44.859 --> 00:00:48.780 How long, O Lord, will you forget me forever? 00:00:49.640 --> 00:00:52.420 How long will you hide your face from me? 00:00:53.579 --> 00:00:56.760 How long must I take counsel in my soul 00:00:56.760 --> 00:00:59.879 and have sorrow in my heart all the day? 00:01:00.799 --> 00:01:04.180 How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? 00:01:05.379 --> 00:01:07.859 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God. 00:01:08.420 --> 00:01:12.019 Light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death. 00:01:12.900 --> 00:01:15.579 Lest my enemy say, I have prevailed over him. 00:01:16.599 --> 00:01:19.299 Lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. 00:01:20.780 --> 00:01:24.900 But I have trusted in your steadfast love. 00:01:25.799 --> 00:01:28.219 My heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 00:01:28.219 --> 00:01:35.340 I will sing to the Lord because he has dealt bountifully with me. 00:01:37.799 --> 00:01:38.359 Amen. 00:01:38.359 --> 00:01:43.239 Whenever we experience a setback in life, 00:01:43.379 --> 00:01:45.939 we hope, of course, that it's just a temporary setback. 00:01:46.099 --> 00:01:47.340 We'll get right back up. 00:01:48.039 --> 00:01:52.640 When we veer, of course, that we'll soon get right back on track. 00:01:52.640 --> 00:01:58.159 But sometimes we experience suffering and disappointment that persists, right? 00:01:58.280 --> 00:02:00.299 That lingers. 00:02:00.900 --> 00:02:05.260 And we wait and we hope, wait and we hope and pray, but it doesn't lift. 00:02:05.260 --> 00:02:11.460 And so then our changed circumstances, our suffering then becomes a new norm. 00:02:11.460 --> 00:02:15.259 And then we begin to kind of flounder and to lose hope. 00:02:15.640 --> 00:02:19.020 And that's the kind of suffering that the psalmist is experiencing here. 00:02:19.200 --> 00:02:22.040 He's crying out in desperation, verses 1 and 2. 00:02:22.039 --> 00:02:35.359 We don't know exactly what he was dealing with, 00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:40.920 but he talks about an enemy in the singular and foes in plural in verse 4. 00:02:41.240 --> 00:02:49.040 So it may have been kind of an abstract enemy, like a sickness or maybe just facing death. 00:02:50.120 --> 00:02:54.600 Or it could be more concrete enemies like a military adversary or something. 00:02:54.599 --> 00:03:01.539 But the fact that he uses schools from singular enemy to plural foes seems to mean that he has a lot of different things in mind, 00:03:01.979 --> 00:03:05.039 just collectively things that are ailing him and making him suffer. 00:03:05.819 --> 00:03:13.639 And the cry, how long, really kind of communicates the pent-up yearning and longing and years of waiting. 00:03:13.740 --> 00:03:17.819 It's not just that he's suffered for a few days now and he's crying, 00:03:17.919 --> 00:03:21.000 but he's been suffering for a long time and he's crying out to him, 00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:22.419 Lord, how much longer? 00:03:22.840 --> 00:03:24.560 I can't endure much longer, God. 00:03:24.639 --> 00:03:25.400 So how long? 00:03:25.759 --> 00:03:26.379 How long? 00:03:26.620 --> 00:03:30.500 And it hurts especially more for him because of the uncertainty. 00:03:30.620 --> 00:03:32.099 He doesn't know how long it's going to be. 00:03:32.419 --> 00:03:34.159 He doesn't know when God's going to come to deliver. 00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:37.340 So he's just in the midst of it and he's crying out to him, how long? 00:03:37.419 --> 00:03:40.979 He doesn't see, I mean, when you're in a race and you see the finish line, 00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:42.900 you find new vigor in your muscles, right? 00:03:43.340 --> 00:03:46.539 Or you see the light at the end of the tunnel and you can strive to the end. 00:03:46.620 --> 00:03:49.479 But for the psalmist, he doesn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. 00:03:49.740 --> 00:03:51.139 He doesn't see the finish line. 00:03:51.219 --> 00:03:52.840 So he's just crying, how long, God? 00:03:52.840 --> 00:03:59.920 And I think this, if you could think about maybe the lowest moments in your life, 00:04:00.360 --> 00:04:03.420 but I think of maybe people who have suffered for decades, 00:04:04.360 --> 00:04:08.439 maybe a single person who's been waiting for decades to get married, right? 00:04:08.879 --> 00:04:13.340 Being, crying out for someone that they can spend life with. 00:04:13.340 --> 00:04:18.780 And maybe someone that's been going through chemotherapy for four or five years, right? 00:04:19.040 --> 00:04:22.660 And cancer keeps coming back stronger. 00:04:24.139 --> 00:04:29.579 Or someone that, maybe a woman that's been trying to have a child but has been infertile, been miscarrying. 00:04:30.579 --> 00:04:34.199 And it's just, it's all of these people suffering and then crying out, how long? 00:04:34.199 --> 00:04:37.959 That's the kind of cry that's here in the psalmist's longing. 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:42.479 And he says, how long, Lord? 00:04:42.579 --> 00:04:44.120 So what about your promises, O God? 00:04:44.199 --> 00:04:46.019 Is this the green pasture that you promised me? 00:04:46.139 --> 00:04:49.639 Is this the, why have you turned your face from me? 00:04:49.659 --> 00:04:52.300 Where's the light of your countenance shining on me? 00:04:52.300 --> 00:04:57.819 And because of the suffering, and he sees there's two poles, right? 00:04:57.900 --> 00:05:02.319 There's God whom he's crying out to and then the enemy that he's facing, the source of his troubles. 00:05:02.920 --> 00:05:06.420 And as he looks at those things, he feels, as the enemy is in ascendancy, 00:05:06.540 --> 00:05:08.300 he feels that he's been abandoned by God. 00:05:08.780 --> 00:05:11.100 And so he cries, so will you forget me forever? 00:05:11.199 --> 00:05:15.620 In verse two, how long will you hide your face from me? 00:05:16.819 --> 00:05:20.100 He feels as though God's hiding from him. 00:05:20.100 --> 00:05:23.420 And because of that, it's such a sad picture. 00:05:23.580 --> 00:05:28.320 He says, how long must I take counsel in my soul? 00:05:28.540 --> 00:05:32.520 So, you know, when you're suffering, you find, you look for counselors. 00:05:32.820 --> 00:05:33.939 You seek advice. 00:05:34.060 --> 00:05:35.420 You try to seek solutions. 00:05:36.100 --> 00:05:38.200 And your mind's going off all the rest of the day. 00:05:38.260 --> 00:05:40.740 But the psalmist, he takes counsel in his soul. 00:05:40.879 --> 00:05:43.340 He's alone in his struggle and his suffering. 00:05:43.760 --> 00:05:46.379 And he has sorrow in his heart all the day. 00:05:46.379 --> 00:05:56.699 And all of the suffering is exacerbated by the fact that he feels that his God, his Lord, his confidant, his helper, his defender has abandoned him. 00:05:56.699 --> 00:06:05.459 And because that's the main issue here, that he feels that he's been abandoned by God, he says to him in verse three, he prays, 00:06:05.779 --> 00:06:08.339 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God. 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:11.980 Light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death. 00:06:12.620 --> 00:06:17.959 So the word consider can be literally translated as, it's to look, it's to look at me. 00:06:17.959 --> 00:06:25.799 It's when my daughter, Ine, really wants my attention because she knows that sometimes I'm distracted. 00:06:26.339 --> 00:06:28.120 She'll say, look at my face. 00:06:28.399 --> 00:06:28.819 Look at me. 00:06:29.239 --> 00:06:31.459 And then she'll tell me something that she really wants to tell me. 00:06:31.579 --> 00:06:34.919 So it's kind of like the psalmist feels that God's hidden his face from him. 00:06:34.979 --> 00:06:36.599 So he says, look at me, Lord. 00:06:36.859 --> 00:06:37.539 Where are you? 00:06:37.579 --> 00:06:38.459 Why have you hidden from me? 00:06:38.500 --> 00:06:39.179 Look at me. 00:06:39.659 --> 00:06:41.179 And then answer me, O Lord. 00:06:41.180 --> 00:06:46.240 And because if he doesn't, he's going to sleep the sleep of death. 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:48.500 He doesn't have light in his eyes. 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:53.160 And this is connected to the covenant promise that God had given Israel. 00:06:53.379 --> 00:06:58.519 The covenant blessing that priests were supposed to pronounce upon Israel was in number six. 00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:03.319 It says, the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. 00:07:03.319 --> 00:07:06.920 The Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you peace. 00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:10.699 So that was the promise that God would have his face turned toward us. 00:07:10.699 --> 00:07:12.219 He would shine on us. 00:07:12.699 --> 00:07:15.479 But that he feels that God's turned his face from him. 00:07:15.560 --> 00:07:22.759 And because of that, he doesn't have light in his eyes, which is kind of a metaphorical way in Hebrew language of referring to really life. 00:07:23.899 --> 00:07:28.000 Strength in one's eyes was considered to be vigor and strength for life. 00:07:28.480 --> 00:07:31.579 You see that in description of Moses at the end of his life. 00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:37.740 It says that he was not weak in his eyes, which just indicate that he was strong to the end of his life. 00:07:37.740 --> 00:07:42.639 And so he's grieving and he's dying. 00:07:43.199 --> 00:07:47.699 And he's asking God, if you don't help me, I'm going to sleep the sleep of death. 00:07:48.639 --> 00:07:51.600 And so you can kind of picture light dimming around him. 00:07:51.800 --> 00:07:52.600 Everything's fading. 00:07:52.600 --> 00:08:05.700 And then as he's beginning to drown in the flood of grief and pain and sorrow, he puts a stop to this with a declaration of faith in verses 5 and 6. 00:08:05.939 --> 00:08:06.080 He says, 00:08:06.079 --> 00:08:20.159 Note the tenses in the verbs here. 00:08:20.379 --> 00:08:22.199 That's really helpful, illuminating. 00:08:22.740 --> 00:08:23.099 Because it says, 00:08:23.100 --> 00:08:37.379 So the psalmist has already trusted in God's steadfast love. 00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:42.779 And that's why he has the confidence that he's going to be able to sing and rejoice in God's salvation. 00:08:42.779 --> 00:08:47.700 Because he believes that God has already dealt bountifully with him. 00:08:48.340 --> 00:08:50.700 And so faith in the present leads to hope for the future. 00:08:50.700 --> 00:09:00.580 But this leads us to ask a question, though, because psalmist had just been talking about how God hid his face from him. 00:09:01.040 --> 00:09:04.140 Then how come all of a sudden he thinks God's dealt bountifully with him? 00:09:04.139 --> 00:09:15.819 And it's not that he's trying to lie to himself or play a mind trick on himself to convince himself that God's been good to him when he's actually been wicked toward him. 00:09:16.319 --> 00:09:19.740 But he's trusting in faith. 00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:22.399 His circumstances have not changed. 00:09:22.639 --> 00:09:24.120 He's still in the midst of his suffering. 00:09:24.480 --> 00:09:25.960 But his attitude has changed. 00:09:26.019 --> 00:09:27.399 His posture has changed. 00:09:27.399 --> 00:09:31.819 And now he has decided to trust in God's steadfast love. 00:09:32.459 --> 00:09:37.699 That God, in the midst of all of the suffering that he's experiencing, loves him. 00:09:38.019 --> 00:09:39.720 That his love has not changed toward him. 00:09:40.740 --> 00:09:45.720 And C.S. Lewis writes about this in his book, The Problem of Pain. 00:09:46.399 --> 00:09:46.740 He says, 00:09:46.740 --> 00:10:01.480 So courage helps more than knowledge. 00:10:02.159 --> 00:10:05.879 People's sympathy helps more than courage. 00:10:05.879 --> 00:10:09.500 But the least tincture of the love of God helps more than all. 00:10:10.080 --> 00:10:12.279 Because we might not have knowledge. 00:10:12.340 --> 00:10:13.659 We might not know why we're suffering. 00:10:14.720 --> 00:10:17.860 And we might be lonely in our suffering. 00:10:17.960 --> 00:10:20.320 We might have some people who are sympathizing with us. 00:10:20.899 --> 00:10:25.759 But even then, suffering tends to be isolating. 00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:28.620 We feel as though no one else truly understands. 00:10:29.820 --> 00:10:35.620 We might be just fed up with putting on a brave face and trying to face the suffering we're just done. 00:10:35.879 --> 00:10:39.139 We're at the end of our ropes and crying out, how long? 00:10:39.659 --> 00:10:43.659 Yet in the midst of that, when we remember that God loves us. 00:10:43.879 --> 00:10:45.960 That his love is steadfast, as it says. 00:10:46.039 --> 00:10:46.980 That it's unchanging. 00:10:47.200 --> 00:10:47.980 That it's constant. 00:10:48.460 --> 00:10:49.519 That gives us hope. 00:10:49.519 --> 00:10:55.220 Because then, even the suffering, the evil, everything that we're enduring is coming from, ultimately, 00:10:55.419 --> 00:10:57.240 from the hands of a sovereign God. 00:10:57.299 --> 00:11:01.639 The superintendents of a loving God who has our good in mind. 00:11:01.740 --> 00:11:04.019 Who has our interest in mind. 00:11:04.019 --> 00:11:08.399 And because of that, because when we remember that, that's steadfast love. 00:11:08.460 --> 00:11:09.199 Then we can endure. 00:11:09.500 --> 00:11:10.399 Then we can persevere. 00:11:10.819 --> 00:11:13.419 Even the most severe suffering. 00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:19.159 It's in a way kind of like, you know, when we have someone that we really love and trust. 00:11:19.639 --> 00:11:23.860 You know, they can tell us things about us that no one else would dare tell us about, right? 00:11:24.179 --> 00:11:25.659 And that's because we trust them. 00:11:25.799 --> 00:11:27.079 And we know that they love us. 00:11:27.120 --> 00:11:28.419 So we give them the benefit of the doubt. 00:11:28.419 --> 00:11:32.759 So even when they say something really harsh, you know, he loves me. 00:11:32.839 --> 00:11:35.500 So we give them the benefit of the doubt. 00:11:35.579 --> 00:11:39.259 As opposed to getting really defensive and being hurt when someone tells you that. 00:11:39.740 --> 00:11:42.759 When it's coming from someone that loves you, we trust them. 00:11:43.139 --> 00:11:49.399 So in the same way, when we experience suffering at the hands of God, our loving God, 00:11:49.459 --> 00:11:52.360 then we can endure while trusting in his steadfast love. 00:11:52.360 --> 00:12:01.899 And for us as believers, we have an even greater assurance than the psalmist does, right? 00:12:01.960 --> 00:12:05.879 Because he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die for us. 00:12:06.200 --> 00:12:13.259 And in demonstrating in an ultimate way, in an unmistakable way, his faithful love, his steadfast love toward us. 00:12:13.759 --> 00:12:17.220 And that's what 2 Corinthians 4, 6 talks about. 00:12:17.220 --> 00:12:47.200 It says, 00:12:47.220 --> 00:12:52.860 And if you're not suffering today, I hope that you remember that when you encounter your severe suffering. 00:12:53.460 --> 00:12:55.960 And that you can use this to comfort others for suffering as well. 00:12:57.399 --> 00:12:59.340 So let's pray.