WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.080 morning. My name is Matthew Capone and I'm the pastor here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian 00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:12.300 Church and it's my joy to bring God's word to you today. Special welcome if you're new or visiting 00:00:12.300 --> 00:00:17.879 with us. Welcome. We're glad that you're here and we're glad that you're here not because we are 00:00:17.879 --> 00:00:24.600 trying to fill seats but because we are following after Jesus together as one community and as we 00:00:24.600 --> 00:00:28.879 follow after Jesus together we're convinced that there's no one so good that they don't need God's 00:00:28.879 --> 00:00:35.219 grace and no one's so bad that they can't have it and so we're convinced that we come because we 00:00:35.219 --> 00:00:45.280 which mic should I use? Sorry. We're also convinced that we have a lot of technical difficulties. 00:00:49.340 --> 00:00:53.219 We're convinced that everyone needs to hear what God has to say in his word and so that's why we 00:00:53.219 --> 00:00:58.079 come Sunday after Sunday. God has something to say to people who have been Christians their entire lives. 00:00:58.079 --> 00:01:02.879 he has something to say to people who have only recently become Christians and he has something 00:01:02.879 --> 00:01:07.759 to say to people who have doubts and questions and objections about Christianity and so that's why 00:01:07.759 --> 00:01:13.980 every Sunday we open up God's word to see what he has to say to us. If you've been with us you know 00:01:13.980 --> 00:01:17.840 that we're in the book of Psalms and the book of Psalms as I've been telling you is the prayer book 00:01:17.840 --> 00:01:23.019 and the hymn book of God's people in the Old Testament. It's a guide for how they should worship God 00:01:23.019 --> 00:01:29.319 and it continues in the New Testament as well and so people in the New Testament God's people the 00:01:29.319 --> 00:01:35.399 church have also used the Psalms. We see it quoted throughout the entire New Testament and as I've 00:01:35.399 --> 00:01:39.219 mentioned before there's lots of different ways that we could talk about the Psalms. One that I 00:01:39.219 --> 00:01:43.920 mentioned in December was that it's the standard operating procedures for the Christian life so when 00:01:43.920 --> 00:01:49.519 we come up against different circumstances or situations there's often a psalm for it. Now we've seen 00:01:49.519 --> 00:01:54.479 before just the last couple weeks we have Psalms of Lament, Psalms 3 and 4 when we face difficulty in 00:01:54.479 --> 00:01:59.719 life and I've shared with you last week another way that we think about the Psalms is they're sort of 00:01:59.719 --> 00:02:07.539 like paintings of water lilies by Monet. I mentioned that there are about 250 different paintings of 00:02:07.539 --> 00:02:14.319 water lilies by Monet and so there's this similarity between all of them. They're all of water lilies but 00:02:14.319 --> 00:02:21.139 they're also of different shades and colors and circumstances and so we don't just look at one 00:02:21.139 --> 00:02:25.659 painting and say we've seen it all and we also don't just look at one psalm. So there's two things 00:02:25.659 --> 00:02:31.479 going on. First we see the same themes over and over and second we see different colors and different 00:02:31.479 --> 00:02:35.859 shades. We see different pieces in each psalm that help us understand a different aspect of the 00:02:35.859 --> 00:02:40.219 Christian life. We're going to see that this morning. We're going to be looking at Psalm 5 and we're going to 00:02:40.219 --> 00:02:44.719 see many of the same things we saw in the past. So Psalm 1 we talked about the fact that there are 00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:49.219 only two ways to live. Those who follow after God and those who don't. We're going to see that again 00:02:49.219 --> 00:02:56.060 in Psalm 5. Psalm 2 we saw that there are nations and people that rebel against God and that God is 00:02:56.060 --> 00:03:02.780 the great king who's going to bring his justice. We're going to see that again in Psalm 5. In Psalm 3 00:03:02.780 --> 00:03:07.379 the last psalm that I preached we saw that it was a psalm of lament which means that it's a psalm about how 00:03:07.379 --> 00:03:12.319 we have hope in the midst of difficult circumstances and that's going to be true about Psalm 5 as well. 00:03:13.259 --> 00:03:17.359 However here's what's different about Psalm 5. It's going to have its own particular shade 00:03:17.359 --> 00:03:22.359 and color and circumstance and that's because it's what we call a, it's going to be a big word, 00:03:22.819 --> 00:03:30.060 an imprecatory psalm. An imprecatory psalm. And that is just a fancy theological psalm way of saying that 00:03:30.060 --> 00:03:37.199 this is a psalm that asks for God to curse someone. I'm going to say that again. This is a psalm 00:03:37.199 --> 00:03:42.500 that asks for God to curse someone. And if I didn't have your attention before I hope that I have it now. 00:03:44.680 --> 00:03:51.060 We have this psalm for many reasons. One of this which is that all of us have people in our lives, 00:03:51.199 --> 00:03:55.539 I would say most of us, maybe not all of us, but most of us have people in our lives either in the past 00:03:55.539 --> 00:04:00.419 or in the present. This could be someone that we know personally. It could be someone we don't know, 00:04:00.500 --> 00:04:05.959 but they have a lot of power. And it's someone that we long for them to see God's justice. 00:04:08.199 --> 00:04:11.919 There are people in our lives that we long for them to face God and to see his justice because 00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:14.840 of the things that they are doing or have done. 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:21.139 And so what do we do with our longings for justice? 00:04:21.139 --> 00:04:27.579 And what do we do with a psalm that calls for God's destruction? 00:04:29.120 --> 00:04:33.579 Especially since Jesus himself told us that it's our responsibility to turn the other cheek 00:04:33.579 --> 00:04:36.680 and to pray for those who persecute us. 00:04:38.360 --> 00:04:40.819 So with that question, I hope I've gotten your attention. 00:04:41.639 --> 00:04:44.879 You probably weren't expecting to come to church and hear a sermon about cursing. 00:04:45.599 --> 00:04:49.120 That's where we're at in Psalm 5, and it's with that that we come to read together. 00:04:49.120 --> 00:04:53.480 And so we're reading from Psalm 5. It's in your worship guide near the end. 00:04:54.079 --> 00:04:56.220 It's perhaps on your phone. It may be in your Bible. 00:04:56.340 --> 00:04:58.300 I invite you to turn to any of those to follow along. 00:04:58.959 --> 00:05:00.600 And I'm going to be reading beginning at verse 1. 00:05:00.680 --> 00:05:02.759 And as we start, remember that this is God's word. 00:05:03.920 --> 00:05:07.860 And God tells us that his word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. 00:05:08.660 --> 00:05:11.840 In other words, God has not left us alone to stumble in the dark, 00:05:12.360 --> 00:05:14.560 but instead he shows us the way to walk. 00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:16.840 And that's why we come to his word. 00:05:16.839 --> 00:05:19.919 And so I invite you to read with me to follow along. 00:05:21.219 --> 00:05:22.759 Give ear to my words, O Lord. 00:05:23.259 --> 00:05:24.379 Consider my groaning. 00:05:25.099 --> 00:05:29.060 Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God. 00:05:29.519 --> 00:05:31.000 For to you do I pray. 00:05:32.199 --> 00:05:34.519 O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice. 00:05:35.159 --> 00:05:38.539 In the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch. 00:05:39.659 --> 00:05:40.279 Verse 4. 00:05:40.279 --> 00:05:43.919 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness. 00:05:44.659 --> 00:05:46.039 Evil may not dwell with you. 00:05:46.839 --> 00:05:49.539 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes. 00:05:50.199 --> 00:05:52.119 You hate all evildoers. 00:05:52.779 --> 00:05:54.859 You destroy those who speak lies. 00:05:55.639 --> 00:05:58.799 The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. 00:05:59.839 --> 00:06:00.279 Verse 7. 00:06:01.079 --> 00:06:05.059 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. 00:06:05.060 --> 00:06:09.040 I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you. 00:06:10.459 --> 00:06:14.000 Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies. 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:16.300 Make your way straight before me. 00:06:17.139 --> 00:06:17.680 Verse 9. 00:06:18.480 --> 00:06:20.439 For there is no truth in their mouth. 00:06:20.920 --> 00:06:22.540 Their inmost self is destruction. 00:06:23.279 --> 00:06:24.819 Their throat is an open grave. 00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:26.959 They flatter with their tongue. 00:06:27.519 --> 00:06:29.620 Make them bear their guilt, O God. 00:06:30.199 --> 00:06:32.079 Let them fall by their own counsels. 00:06:32.079 --> 00:06:35.639 Because of the abundance of their transgressions, cast them out. 00:06:36.039 --> 00:06:37.699 For they have rebelled against you. 00:06:38.740 --> 00:06:39.359 Verse 11. 00:06:40.199 --> 00:06:42.779 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice. 00:06:43.000 --> 00:06:44.959 And let them ever sing for joy. 00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:47.399 And spread your protection over them. 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:50.839 That those who love your name may exult in you. 00:06:51.459 --> 00:06:53.339 For you bless the righteous, O Lord. 00:06:53.740 --> 00:06:56.500 You cover him with favor as with a shield. 00:06:57.879 --> 00:07:01.180 I invite you to pray with me as we come to this portion of God's word. 00:07:02.079 --> 00:07:08.300 Dear Father in heaven, we thank you for your word that you've given to us. 00:07:08.959 --> 00:07:11.740 We thank you for the times when it comforts us. 00:07:13.019 --> 00:07:15.419 We thank you for the times that it challenges us. 00:07:15.779 --> 00:07:18.620 And we also thank you for the times that it surprises us. 00:07:19.339 --> 00:07:22.740 We ask that you would do all of those things this morning with this psalm. 00:07:22.799 --> 00:07:27.419 That you would help us to understand everything that you have for us in your word. 00:07:27.420 --> 00:07:31.199 We ask these things not because we have earned them. 00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:32.480 But because Jesus has. 00:07:32.900 --> 00:07:34.300 And so we ask them in his name. 00:07:34.960 --> 00:07:35.280 Amen. 00:07:37.720 --> 00:07:40.300 Okay, I began by asking you a tough question. 00:07:40.920 --> 00:07:44.460 What do we do with a psalm that calls on God to curse someone? 00:07:44.540 --> 00:07:45.960 And I'm just going to point out to you right now. 00:07:45.980 --> 00:07:48.180 I'm going to jump around a little bit in this psalm where that happens. 00:07:48.180 --> 00:07:49.920 We're looking at verse 10. 00:07:50.680 --> 00:07:52.199 And the psalmist says in verse 10, 00:07:52.439 --> 00:08:10.139 In other words, the psalmist is asking for God to destroy the enemies that we've seen earlier in this psalm. 00:08:10.199 --> 00:08:12.100 These enemies we saw in verses 4 and 5. 00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:14.220 And then verses 9 and 10. 00:08:14.220 --> 00:08:19.160 And to help you understand this, I'm going to do what I sometimes do, which is tell you a story. 00:08:20.280 --> 00:08:26.500 So there's many interesting things that have happened throughout the years as I've worked since I graduated from college. 00:08:26.540 --> 00:08:30.560 And one of them, when I was teaching, I had a variety of things that I would do during the summer. 00:08:30.700 --> 00:08:34.720 And one summer, I ended up being what's often called a manny. 00:08:35.420 --> 00:08:36.580 Short for a male nanny. 00:08:36.580 --> 00:08:42.160 And I got connected with a parent at the school who had a son in kindergarten. 00:08:42.320 --> 00:08:46.420 And she wanted someone to watch her 3-year-old and her 5-year-old over the summer. 00:08:46.620 --> 00:08:50.340 So it involved many trips to the pool, a few trips to the bounce house. 00:08:50.440 --> 00:08:54.759 In fact, one time we were on the way to the bounce house and we had a seatbelt unbuckling fight. 00:08:55.540 --> 00:08:56.580 Which I do not recommend. 00:08:57.220 --> 00:08:59.660 We had to turn around and go home and not go to the bounce house. 00:08:59.659 --> 00:09:09.459 But one of the things that was challenging was that the 5-year-old had a severe case of what I would refer to as third parent syndrome. 00:09:10.679 --> 00:09:14.039 And if you're not familiar with third parent syndrome, that's okay because I made up the term. 00:09:16.019 --> 00:09:18.959 And if you're a youngest child, you know exactly what this is. 00:09:19.439 --> 00:09:25.000 And this is when someone who's older than you, who's one of your siblings, decides that they are the third parent. 00:09:25.000 --> 00:09:30.840 And so this older son thought that at times it was his responsibility to administer spankings. 00:09:31.580 --> 00:09:34.399 And to provide discipline when necessary to the younger son. 00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:37.700 And so it was very challenging for the parents. 00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:39.340 Thankfully I didn't have to face this very often. 00:09:39.440 --> 00:09:43.799 But it was important to remind this child that he was in fact not the third parent. 00:09:45.539 --> 00:09:46.799 He was another child. 00:09:47.519 --> 00:09:54.220 And so it was not his responsibility to bring discipline to bear in situations where something wrong was going on. 00:09:54.220 --> 00:09:56.060 And maybe his judgments were correct. 00:09:56.160 --> 00:09:59.940 Maybe he was right that the younger child was doing something that he shouldn't do. 00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:02.160 That was correct many times. 00:10:02.259 --> 00:10:04.180 In fact, both of them did all sorts of things that they shouldn't do. 00:10:04.639 --> 00:10:07.300 I can tell you all sorts of stories outside of this morning. 00:10:08.620 --> 00:10:15.759 But this third parent syndrome, if there were no parent, right, the response to this child is to tell him, 00:10:15.800 --> 00:10:19.240 hey, you have this problem with your younger son, your younger brother. 00:10:19.680 --> 00:10:21.460 It's not your job to administer discipline. 00:10:21.460 --> 00:10:24.019 It's your job to go to your parent and it's your job to talk to them. 00:10:24.019 --> 00:10:25.980 Because they are the ones who are in charge. 00:10:26.900 --> 00:10:27.639 They're the authority. 00:10:27.740 --> 00:10:29.700 They're the ones who can bring discipline to bear. 00:10:29.780 --> 00:10:30.980 They're the ones who can bring judgment. 00:10:32.080 --> 00:10:33.840 And so that's the process that you have. 00:10:33.900 --> 00:10:34.680 That's your option. 00:10:34.759 --> 00:10:37.540 That you can always come and appeal to a parent. 00:10:37.539 --> 00:10:44.079 And so this psalm, Psalm 5, is good news. 00:10:44.399 --> 00:10:51.959 It's good news that we can pray for God's judgment because it protects us from third parent syndrome. 00:10:53.559 --> 00:10:54.879 I'm going to put it a different way. 00:10:54.879 --> 00:10:58.980 Anyway, Jesus tells us in Matthew 5 that we're supposed to turn the other cheek. 00:10:59.840 --> 00:11:02.360 And that we pray for those who persecute us. 00:11:03.919 --> 00:11:07.759 And you might be thinking, how can we turn the other cheek and be praying for those who persecute us 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:11.439 when we have psalms like this where we're praying for God's judgment and his destruction? 00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:21.200 And the answer is that in precatory psalms, these psalms are what actually enable and empower us to turn the other cheek. 00:11:23.840 --> 00:11:29.760 What makes it possible for the older brother to not bring discipline on the younger brother 00:11:29.760 --> 00:11:34.660 is knowing that there's a higher power and a higher authority that he can appeal to. 00:11:34.659 --> 00:11:41.480 And so rather than this being the opposite of nonviolence, the opposite of loving our neighbor, 00:11:41.620 --> 00:11:47.059 the opposite of not taking justice into our own hands, this psalm is what allows us to do that. 00:11:48.379 --> 00:11:53.279 Knowing what we learned in Psalm 2, that God is the great king and that he's bringing justice to bear. 00:11:54.740 --> 00:12:00.480 That is good news for us because it's what protects us and saves us from third parent syndrome. 00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:06.779 We ask God to bring judgment so that we can turn the other cheek. 00:12:08.100 --> 00:12:14.200 We ask God to bring judgment so that we can turn the other cheek as Jesus commands. 00:12:15.220 --> 00:12:21.920 The older brother comes to his parents and asks them to bring discipline in a particular situation 00:12:21.920 --> 00:12:24.379 so that he can turn the other cheek. 00:12:24.379 --> 00:12:35.059 It's knowing that there is a great king that we can appeal to that allows us to live at peace with others. 00:12:36.500 --> 00:12:40.120 We all have longings for justice, as I mentioned before. 00:12:41.480 --> 00:12:42.840 We all want justice. 00:12:45.019 --> 00:12:48.980 Extremism is what happens when we decide that we're the ones who are supposed to bring it. 00:12:48.980 --> 00:12:56.180 Extremism and radicalism is what happens when we decide that we are the ones responsible for bringing judgment. 00:12:56.860 --> 00:13:00.100 In other words, this five-year-old was a terrorist. 00:13:01.620 --> 00:13:05.279 He believed that it was his job to bring judgment to the earth. 00:13:07.519 --> 00:13:11.120 And so this psalm, Psalm 5, is good news 00:13:11.120 --> 00:13:15.220 because it allows us to bring our longings for justice to God 00:13:15.220 --> 00:13:18.240 rather than bringing justice and taking it into our own hands. 00:13:18.980 --> 00:13:26.539 And this helps us understand why the psalms are so crucial and so important for our lives. 00:13:27.019 --> 00:13:30.360 So important for us as Christians that we trust God for his justice 00:13:30.360 --> 00:13:34.120 as we face all kinds of evil and wickedness in this world. 00:13:35.920 --> 00:13:39.460 Now, Jesus didn't just tell us to turn the other cheek. 00:13:39.539 --> 00:13:42.019 He also told us to pray for those who persecute us. 00:13:43.420 --> 00:13:47.560 Now, I could be snarky and I could suggest that this is a prayer for those who persecute us. 00:13:47.559 --> 00:13:50.279 I don't think that's what Jesus was getting at. 00:13:51.359 --> 00:13:53.699 What I will say is those things are not mutually exclusive. 00:13:55.219 --> 00:14:00.139 We can pray for God to convert those who oppose him and do wickedness in this world. 00:14:00.859 --> 00:14:03.699 But we also know that that will not always happen. 00:14:04.579 --> 00:14:08.619 That there are some people who do not choose to follow after God and his ways. 00:14:08.620 --> 00:14:13.220 And so we are never praying that evil and wickedness would continue unhindered. 00:14:15.159 --> 00:14:17.120 It is good and right for us to do both. 00:14:17.220 --> 00:14:21.060 We can pray for those who persecute us, people who are evil and wicked in this world. 00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:24.560 We can pray that God would bring them to repentance. 00:14:26.279 --> 00:14:30.299 We can also pray at the same time that God, if they do not, would bring his judgment. 00:14:30.299 --> 00:14:36.859 And that's part of what allows us to live with hope in this world. 00:14:38.579 --> 00:14:41.639 It's part of how we work Psalm 2 into our lives. 00:14:41.699 --> 00:14:44.579 Remembering that Jesus is the great king when the nations rage. 00:14:45.939 --> 00:14:48.819 It's by coming to God and telling him, this is wrong. 00:14:49.539 --> 00:14:52.479 We are begging you to bring justice to this world. 00:14:53.039 --> 00:14:54.439 We realize it's not our job. 00:14:54.939 --> 00:14:56.699 We realize we're not the third parent. 00:14:57.519 --> 00:14:59.039 And so we're asking you to do it. 00:14:59.039 --> 00:15:01.799 We're asking you to do that and so we can live at peace. 00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:04.899 We don't have to take justice into our own hands. 00:15:07.919 --> 00:15:14.199 Now Jesus also, we've already actually prayed an imprecatory prayer indirectly in this worship service. 00:15:15.819 --> 00:15:19.079 You may not have realized it, but we prayed the Lord's Prayer. 00:15:19.599 --> 00:15:22.559 And we prayed, your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. 00:15:23.740 --> 00:15:24.339 Guess what? 00:15:24.340 --> 00:15:30.220 God's kingdom does not come in fullness without the destruction of everything that is wicked. 00:15:30.220 --> 00:15:35.240 And so when we pray the prayer that God gave us, the Lord's Prayer, 00:15:35.379 --> 00:15:39.779 we are indirectly praying that God would bring justice on everything that is wicked. 00:15:40.920 --> 00:15:44.540 He would either bring wicked people to repentance or he would bring them to justice. 00:15:45.879 --> 00:15:50.639 And so God's kingdom coming will inevitably bring the destruction of wickedness. 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:57.159 I say all this at the beginning to make the point that what Jesus has told us in the Gospels 00:15:57.159 --> 00:16:00.159 does not take this psalm and get rid of it. 00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:01.000 It doesn't refute it. 00:16:01.080 --> 00:16:02.519 It doesn't abrogate it in any way. 00:16:03.639 --> 00:16:05.240 But instead it goes along with it. 00:16:05.340 --> 00:16:09.840 It enables and empowers us to do everything that Jesus asks us and commands us with our enemies. 00:16:09.840 --> 00:16:13.399 And so we'll talk in a little bit about how we pray for destruction. 00:16:13.519 --> 00:16:16.080 But first I want to stamp a flag right here. 00:16:17.480 --> 00:16:21.879 That we still can come to our good Heavenly Father, the great Psalm 2 King, 00:16:21.960 --> 00:16:27.240 and ask him to bring judgment on those who are destroying things in this world. 00:16:29.300 --> 00:16:32.879 Finally, talking about Jesus, he is the one who didn't just come to die. 00:16:32.960 --> 00:16:34.920 He also brought judgment and declared judgment. 00:16:35.040 --> 00:16:35.960 He's bringing judgment. 00:16:35.960 --> 00:16:40.900 In Luke chapter 10, Jesus declares judgment on unrepentant cities. 00:16:41.860 --> 00:16:44.960 In Matthew 23, he declares judgment on the Pharisees. 00:16:45.060 --> 00:16:49.580 And so as I've mentioned before, God's love and his judgment are not things that we have to divorce from each other. 00:16:50.420 --> 00:16:53.780 They're things that go together both in his first coming and in his second coming. 00:16:55.100 --> 00:16:59.660 Now there are some people that argue that these imprecatory psalms don't have a place in the New Testament. 00:16:59.780 --> 00:17:01.420 I'm not going to go into all of that right now. 00:17:01.540 --> 00:17:03.379 If you would like, I'm happy to talk about it after. 00:17:03.379 --> 00:17:04.480 I'll simply say this. 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:08.539 In precatory prayers show up in the New Testament. 00:17:10.079 --> 00:17:13.539 In fact, one of the places that we see them is in the very end of the Bible. 00:17:13.660 --> 00:17:18.319 In Revelation chapter 6, the martyrs, those who have been killed because of their faith in Jesus, 00:17:18.519 --> 00:17:21.380 cry out an imprecatory prayer in verse 9. 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:25.180 And they ask God when he comes to bring justice for them. 00:17:25.180 --> 00:17:32.560 And so if these psalms, these psalms asking for God's judgment have been gotten rid of in the New Testament, 00:17:32.700 --> 00:17:35.799 it would not make a lot of sense for that to occur in Revelation. 00:17:36.600 --> 00:17:37.200 That's all I'll say. 00:17:37.240 --> 00:17:38.560 I'm happy to talk more about that later. 00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:45.579 And so this prayer for destruction that people in the Old Testament prayed, it is our prayer as well. 00:17:46.740 --> 00:17:55.240 It is something that God has given to us when we face people whose goal and aim in this world is to steal and kill and destroy. 00:17:55.240 --> 00:17:58.160 God wants us. 00:17:58.420 --> 00:18:00.519 First of all, he knows that we face those situations. 00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:05.000 He knows that we have leaders in this world who make that their goal. 00:18:06.740 --> 00:18:11.140 And second, as we've seen in almost every psalm, he wants us to talk to him about it. 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:12.259 He wants us to cry out. 00:18:12.259 --> 00:18:17.539 This is like someone coming before a judge and pleading and saying, 00:18:18.019 --> 00:18:19.099 These are the laws of the land. 00:18:19.220 --> 00:18:22.619 This is what you as a judge swore that you would protect and uphold. 00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:25.039 So please protect and uphold it. 00:18:26.660 --> 00:18:28.839 This is the land that you're over as a king. 00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:32.259 And we know that your heart as a king is for justice and goodness. 00:18:32.799 --> 00:18:35.500 And so please come and act according to your heart. 00:18:36.539 --> 00:18:39.859 This is not someone coming before God and asking for vengeance. 00:18:39.859 --> 00:18:43.779 But someone coming and asking for God to make things right. 00:18:46.000 --> 00:18:51.819 It's calling in an airstrike when you're surrounded by enemies who are shooting at you. 00:18:52.819 --> 00:18:58.399 If you're in that situation, you can pray that those people who are shooting at you would repent and turn away and stop it. 00:18:59.359 --> 00:19:02.559 It's also good and right to pray that God would come and rescue. 00:19:03.579 --> 00:19:05.859 And so that's what we're seeing here in this psalm. 00:19:05.859 --> 00:19:15.039 So we see that Jesus coming doesn't do away with imprecatory psalms. 00:19:15.879 --> 00:19:18.619 Our next question is, what do we do with imprecatory psalms? 00:19:18.679 --> 00:19:19.559 When do we pray them? 00:19:20.519 --> 00:19:26.000 For example, if you're in an argument with your spouse, do you turn to verse 9? 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:28.480 For there is no truth in their mouth. 00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:30.559 Their inmost self is destruction. 00:19:31.259 --> 00:19:33.059 Their throat is an open grave. 00:19:33.599 --> 00:19:34.819 They flatter with their tongue. 00:19:37.960 --> 00:19:39.059 The answer is no. 00:19:42.079 --> 00:19:46.279 This psalm has particular colors and shades and circumstances as we've talked about. 00:19:46.339 --> 00:19:48.759 And it gives us the grid that we use. 00:19:48.839 --> 00:19:49.539 So we're going to go back. 00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:50.420 I started at verse 10. 00:19:50.500 --> 00:19:52.680 We're going to jump back to verses 4 and 6. 00:19:52.680 --> 00:19:55.880 And then verses 9 and 10. 00:19:55.980 --> 00:19:57.140 When do we pray this psalm? 00:19:57.180 --> 00:19:58.240 We have to run it through a grid. 00:19:58.299 --> 00:19:59.779 We run it through the grid of these verses. 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:05.900 We pray this psalm when we're facing evildoers who speak lies and are bloodthirsty. 00:20:06.980 --> 00:20:09.759 In other words, these are people who are trying to kill. 00:20:11.860 --> 00:20:17.539 Most likely, David is praying this psalm about people who are actually trying to end someone's life. 00:20:17.539 --> 00:20:21.079 Verse 9. 00:20:21.159 --> 00:20:22.720 Their throat is an open grave. 00:20:25.240 --> 00:20:29.440 David is praying this psalm about people who are actually trying to end someone's life. 00:20:31.539 --> 00:20:34.319 There are many psalms that we can pray in all kinds of situations. 00:20:34.599 --> 00:20:39.259 This psalm is for people who have reached an extreme level of wickedness. 00:20:41.059 --> 00:20:42.180 I'll give you some examples. 00:20:42.180 --> 00:20:46.160 Actually, we've already seen an imprecatory psalm in the book of Nehemiah. 00:20:46.259 --> 00:20:47.220 It went by really quickly. 00:20:47.440 --> 00:20:54.600 But in chapter 4, Nehemiah prayed an imprecatory psalm against the people who were trying to destroy the work of the wall. 00:20:55.440 --> 00:21:01.940 So if you were with us during Nehemiah, you may recall that we met a man named Sanbalat and a man named Tobiah and a man named Geshem. 00:21:02.900 --> 00:21:04.560 And a group called the Ashtodites. 00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:08.660 And all of these people were trying to attack those who were rebuilding God's wall. 00:21:08.660 --> 00:21:14.900 So knowing that these people wanted to end their lives and destroy them, they prayed an imprecatory psalm. 00:21:16.420 --> 00:21:21.680 It's appropriate to pray an imprecatory psalm against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. 00:21:23.640 --> 00:21:26.660 These are groups who are bloodthirsty. 00:21:27.540 --> 00:21:28.000 Verse 6. 00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:38.039 It is appropriate to pray an imprecatory psalm for people responsible in the bombings in Sri Lanka, killing hundreds of folks. 00:21:38.460 --> 00:21:41.819 Some worshiping churches, some at other places this past April. 00:21:43.319 --> 00:21:48.180 It's appropriate to pray this psalm, not just against those who are bloodthirsty. 00:21:48.319 --> 00:21:50.420 But remember, this is a psalm sung by David. 00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:51.819 So he's the king. 00:21:51.920 --> 00:21:53.400 He's representing Israel. 00:21:53.400 --> 00:21:57.740 So it's appropriate to pray this psalm against those who are seeking to destroy the church. 00:21:59.380 --> 00:22:07.240 We can pray this psalm against China as it cracks down and persecutes the church there as they seek its destruction. 00:22:08.140 --> 00:22:12.900 We can pray it against any government that seeks to destroy the church and its witness. 00:22:12.900 --> 00:22:24.420 And then more broadly, we can pray this psalm against anyone who advocates and works to end human life. 00:22:26.320 --> 00:22:29.640 I'm not talking about Romans 13, ending of human life. 00:22:29.680 --> 00:22:32.300 I'm not talking about the state acting in its role as God's judge. 00:22:32.380 --> 00:22:37.560 I'm talking about people who are reckless, who are going about and are seeking destruction. 00:22:37.559 --> 00:22:46.919 These are not people that are acting as the state trying to bring justice, but people who are coming out, as I said before, to kill and steal and destroy. 00:22:47.799 --> 00:22:53.899 And so we can pray in precatory psalms that God would bring his justice to bear against anyone who's seeking to destroy human life. 00:22:55.779 --> 00:23:02.359 We can also pray in precatory psalms against anyone who is working for the destruction of God's church. 00:23:02.359 --> 00:23:07.500 Because as we've seen here, that's also what's coming up against David. 00:23:08.619 --> 00:23:10.179 He's the one representing Israel. 00:23:10.279 --> 00:23:11.519 He's representing God's people. 00:23:11.659 --> 00:23:17.059 And these enemies are coming not just against him, but against all of God's people. 00:23:18.639 --> 00:23:20.319 It's a group that he's praying against. 00:23:20.439 --> 00:23:23.379 When we saw the other psalm of lament in Psalm 3, it's more individual. 00:23:24.219 --> 00:23:28.199 It was a lament by one person, and there was another individual who was coming after him. 00:23:28.200 --> 00:23:31.660 This would be more of what we might call a community lament or a group lament. 00:23:32.319 --> 00:23:34.880 There is a group of people who's coming after another group. 00:23:35.700 --> 00:23:41.039 And the group here, we see in verse 11, all who take refuge in God. 00:23:44.600 --> 00:23:48.660 So there's this group of evildoers that the psalmist is praying against. 00:23:52.059 --> 00:23:55.680 The psalm also highlights for us there are different degrees of evil and wickedness in this world. 00:23:55.680 --> 00:23:59.680 We've seen in Psalm 1 that there are two ways to live, and only two ways. 00:23:59.779 --> 00:24:01.480 Those who follow after God and those who don't. 00:24:02.100 --> 00:24:06.100 However, among those who do not follow after God, there are some who are especially wicked. 00:24:06.920 --> 00:24:08.440 Who are bent on destruction. 00:24:09.400 --> 00:24:10.980 That's what Psalm 5 is about. 00:24:11.100 --> 00:24:13.700 It's a psalm for those who are bent on destruction. 00:24:16.279 --> 00:24:19.940 Finally, not just what it is, who we pray it for, what it is and what it isn't. 00:24:20.759 --> 00:24:24.120 It is an appeal to God and his character. 00:24:24.119 --> 00:24:28.159 So just as I mentioned before, we're coming before a judge saying, 00:24:28.399 --> 00:24:29.299 These are the laws of the land. 00:24:29.379 --> 00:24:30.659 We're begging you to uphold them. 00:24:31.279 --> 00:24:34.339 Verses 4 and 6 is a recital of God's ways. 00:24:35.699 --> 00:24:37.319 You are not a God who delights in wickedness. 00:24:37.699 --> 00:24:38.779 Evil may not dwell with you. 00:24:39.379 --> 00:24:41.599 He's reminding God of what he loves. 00:24:42.879 --> 00:24:47.659 In other words, the psalmist is not coming looking for revenge or vengeance. 00:24:47.660 --> 00:24:51.779 This is not a psalm that we pray in anger. 00:24:52.940 --> 00:24:55.519 It's a psalm that we pray as we long for justice. 00:24:57.460 --> 00:24:59.740 The psalmist is not motivated here by hate. 00:25:01.840 --> 00:25:03.920 He's motivated here by God and his glory. 00:25:04.040 --> 00:25:06.120 He's reminding God of what God loves. 00:25:06.119 --> 00:25:09.819 As I said, he's coming before a judge. 00:25:09.899 --> 00:25:11.399 He's coming before a king and saying, 00:25:12.099 --> 00:25:16.000 This is what we know that you as a judge or a king support in our four. 00:25:16.759 --> 00:25:19.859 And so please support it and be for it here in this situation. 00:25:21.739 --> 00:25:25.239 So it's justice and deliverance, not revenge and vengeance. 00:25:25.240 --> 00:25:28.839 It has to be consistent with what Jesus commanded us, 00:25:28.900 --> 00:25:32.039 that we turn the other cheek, that we love our enemies, 00:25:32.140 --> 00:25:33.839 and we pray for those who persecute us. 00:25:34.519 --> 00:25:35.880 And so we can love our enemies. 00:25:36.380 --> 00:25:38.000 We can long for them to repent. 00:25:38.519 --> 00:25:41.680 And at the same time, ask God to bring justice if they don't. 00:25:45.160 --> 00:25:46.640 Finally, we actually have to pray. 00:25:50.279 --> 00:25:52.539 Verses 1 and 2 were the introduction to the psalter, 00:25:52.620 --> 00:25:53.900 so they weren't actual prayers. 00:25:53.900 --> 00:25:57.000 Because every psalm we've seen after it is a prayer. 00:25:58.280 --> 00:26:00.280 That's what we see in verses 1 through 3. 00:26:01.420 --> 00:26:03.040 The psalmist actually prays. 00:26:03.240 --> 00:26:04.620 Give ear to my words, O Lord. 00:26:04.680 --> 00:26:06.240 Verse 1, consider my groaning. 00:26:06.980 --> 00:26:09.540 Verse 3, O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice. 00:26:10.120 --> 00:26:13.060 In the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch. 00:26:15.740 --> 00:26:17.300 What does the psalmist not say? 00:26:19.500 --> 00:26:20.540 He doesn't say, 00:26:20.740 --> 00:26:23.100 In the morning I plot revenge on my enemies. 00:26:23.900 --> 00:26:26.720 He doesn't say, 00:26:27.060 --> 00:26:30.500 In the morning I get up and I check Facebook and Instagram 00:26:30.500 --> 00:26:32.380 so that I don't have to think about my enemies. 00:26:34.720 --> 00:26:35.740 He doesn't say, 00:26:35.880 --> 00:26:38.180 In the morning I bitterly rehearse 00:26:38.180 --> 00:26:40.720 all the wrong things that people have done against me. 00:26:41.480 --> 00:26:42.540 And then I get mad. 00:26:42.539 --> 00:26:45.700 He doesn't say, 00:26:45.700 --> 00:26:47.879 In the morning I rise and I get right to work 00:26:47.879 --> 00:26:50.579 because I'm the only one who can save the world 00:26:50.579 --> 00:26:51.379 and it's up to me. 00:26:55.059 --> 00:26:58.799 In the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch. 00:26:58.799 --> 00:27:04.659 The psalmist actually takes these requests to God in prayer. 00:27:06.659 --> 00:27:08.180 As I mentioned in Psalm 3, 00:27:08.279 --> 00:27:10.220 it's doing that over and over again. 00:27:10.419 --> 00:27:11.899 It's going back to God. 00:27:12.059 --> 00:27:12.720 That is what 00:27:12.720 --> 00:27:14.759 whips up and creates 00:27:14.759 --> 00:27:16.859 and brings true and lasting faith 00:27:16.859 --> 00:27:19.220 and hope and confidence in God in our lives. 00:27:19.220 --> 00:27:26.920 Rather than working himself into a self-righteous frenzy 00:27:26.920 --> 00:27:29.339 about how he can't believe what's going on in the world, 00:27:30.339 --> 00:27:33.819 rather than burying himself in addiction and distraction, 00:27:35.100 --> 00:27:37.579 rather than taking justice into his own hands, 00:27:37.660 --> 00:27:40.720 the psalmist takes his longings for God to act 00:27:40.720 --> 00:27:43.000 and he brings them to God in prayer. 00:27:46.279 --> 00:27:47.960 Imprecatory psalms are as simple as that. 00:27:49.559 --> 00:27:52.880 Avoiding all the temptations to fear 00:27:52.880 --> 00:27:56.180 and bitterness in the face of evil, 00:27:57.279 --> 00:27:59.880 God calls his people to come to him and to pray, 00:28:00.460 --> 00:28:03.120 to ask him for his justice and his deliverance, 00:28:03.180 --> 00:28:04.019 to ask him to act. 00:28:06.720 --> 00:28:07.759 As I've mentioned before, 00:28:07.819 --> 00:28:08.880 when we ask God to act, 00:28:08.880 --> 00:28:10.800 when we pray for his deliverance and his justice, 00:28:10.900 --> 00:28:12.840 we don't do it because we think 00:28:12.840 --> 00:28:14.240 that we are better than other people. 00:28:15.240 --> 00:28:16.620 We don't do it because we think 00:28:16.620 --> 00:28:18.240 that we have some moral superiority. 00:28:19.240 --> 00:28:20.800 That's what protects the psalmist here 00:28:20.800 --> 00:28:22.080 from vengeance and revenge. 00:28:23.540 --> 00:28:25.480 Instead, he understands in part 00:28:25.480 --> 00:28:27.080 what we now know in full. 00:28:28.440 --> 00:28:29.180 Verse 4, 00:28:29.520 --> 00:28:31.460 You are not a God who delights in wickedness. 00:28:31.460 --> 00:28:33.380 Evil may not dwell with you. 00:28:35.040 --> 00:28:36.980 If evil can't dwell with God, 00:28:36.980 --> 00:28:39.640 how is the psalmist able to pray to him? 00:28:41.299 --> 00:28:41.960 Verse 7, 00:28:43.180 --> 00:28:45.819 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, 00:28:45.900 --> 00:28:46.860 will enter your house. 00:28:47.980 --> 00:28:50.519 That steadfast love is the same steadfast love 00:28:50.519 --> 00:28:51.380 that we saw in Ruth. 00:28:51.480 --> 00:28:53.099 It's God's never giving up love. 00:28:55.319 --> 00:28:58.140 The psalmist knows as he cries out to God for justice 00:28:58.140 --> 00:29:00.240 that it's only because of God's mercy 00:29:00.240 --> 00:29:03.400 that this justice does not fall on him as well. 00:29:03.400 --> 00:29:08.400 He knows that he's not complete in his righteousness. 00:29:08.620 --> 00:29:09.180 So verse 8, 00:29:09.240 --> 00:29:11.320 he asks God to lead him in righteousness. 00:29:12.820 --> 00:29:14.720 And then he reminds us in verse 11 00:29:14.720 --> 00:29:16.220 of what we saw in Psalm 1, 00:29:17.000 --> 00:29:19.280 All who take refuge in you rejoice. 00:29:21.380 --> 00:29:22.140 In other words, 00:29:22.200 --> 00:29:24.140 there's only two ways to live. 00:29:25.180 --> 00:29:26.780 We either rebel against God 00:29:26.780 --> 00:29:28.040 or take refuge in him. 00:29:28.960 --> 00:29:29.960 The psalmist understands 00:29:29.960 --> 00:29:31.379 that his standing before God 00:29:31.379 --> 00:29:33.099 is not based on his righteousness, 00:29:33.399 --> 00:29:35.000 but on God's steadfast love 00:29:35.000 --> 00:29:36.220 and his refuge. 00:29:39.099 --> 00:29:40.659 Romans 5, chapter 10, 00:29:40.740 --> 00:29:42.000 tells us that God saved us 00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:43.759 while we were still his enemies. 00:29:46.359 --> 00:29:47.819 That is, God saved us 00:29:47.819 --> 00:29:49.700 while we were verses 4 through 6 00:29:49.700 --> 00:29:50.399 kind of people. 00:29:51.899 --> 00:29:53.299 Maybe we weren't bloodthirsty, 00:29:53.399 --> 00:29:55.519 maybe we weren't seeking to destroy people's lives, 00:29:55.519 --> 00:29:58.279 but all of us, 00:29:58.359 --> 00:29:58.980 apart from God, 00:29:59.019 --> 00:29:59.720 were evildoers. 00:30:02.400 --> 00:30:04.819 And the gospel runs through this psalm 00:30:04.819 --> 00:30:06.059 like it does every other, 00:30:06.160 --> 00:30:07.339 that as we come to God 00:30:07.339 --> 00:30:08.500 praying for his justice 00:30:08.500 --> 00:30:09.400 and his deliverance, 00:30:09.660 --> 00:30:11.460 we can do it only because 00:30:11.460 --> 00:30:13.299 he brought his justice 00:30:13.299 --> 00:30:14.519 and his deliverance 00:30:14.519 --> 00:30:16.900 and he poured out his judgment 00:30:16.900 --> 00:30:17.839 on Jesus. 00:30:20.099 --> 00:30:21.940 I mentioned before that Psalm 2 00:30:21.940 --> 00:30:23.819 is quoted more than any other psalm 00:30:23.819 --> 00:30:24.500 in the New Testament, 00:30:24.500 --> 00:30:25.420 and it's talking about 00:30:25.420 --> 00:30:26.619 Jesus as the great king. 00:30:27.279 --> 00:30:28.160 And remember that Jesus 00:30:28.160 --> 00:30:29.119 is the great king 00:30:29.119 --> 00:30:30.880 not just in his power 00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:32.799 but also in his humility. 00:30:33.900 --> 00:30:35.059 In coming to die, 00:30:35.160 --> 00:30:36.960 to live as a man in this world, 00:30:37.059 --> 00:30:37.880 in real time, 00:30:37.960 --> 00:30:38.680 in real space, 00:30:39.299 --> 00:30:41.200 living a perfect life without sin, 00:30:41.980 --> 00:30:43.579 the opposite of being an evildoer 00:30:43.579 --> 00:30:44.339 from verse 5, 00:30:44.420 --> 00:30:46.740 and then instead of receiving the life 00:30:46.740 --> 00:30:48.039 that he deserved because of it, 00:30:48.099 --> 00:30:49.980 he took death on our behalf 00:30:49.980 --> 00:30:51.140 and defeated it for us. 00:30:51.140 --> 00:30:55.440 He was the one who took 00:30:55.440 --> 00:30:57.320 the judgment that's called for 00:30:57.320 --> 00:30:57.960 in verse 10. 00:30:58.060 --> 00:30:58.280 It says, 00:30:58.520 --> 00:30:59.300 Make them bear their guilt, 00:30:59.400 --> 00:30:59.840 O God. 00:31:01.340 --> 00:31:01.940 For the righteous, 00:31:02.060 --> 00:31:03.060 those are people for whom 00:31:03.060 --> 00:31:04.420 Jesus has borne our guilt. 00:31:07.000 --> 00:31:08.620 And so as we pray for justice, 00:31:08.740 --> 00:31:10.060 we know that what we're praying for 00:31:10.060 --> 00:31:11.280 is what we deserve 00:31:11.280 --> 00:31:13.160 apart from God's mercy 00:31:13.160 --> 00:31:14.720 and his grace towards us. 00:31:14.720 --> 00:31:16.980 It's something that we pray 00:31:16.980 --> 00:31:18.819 only because of our faith in Jesus. 00:31:19.519 --> 00:31:20.620 As I mentioned before, 00:31:20.740 --> 00:31:21.960 faith has three parts. 00:31:22.059 --> 00:31:22.480 First of all, 00:31:22.579 --> 00:31:23.400 it's knowledge. 00:31:23.539 --> 00:31:24.839 It's knowing the facts about Jesus, 00:31:24.880 --> 00:31:26.140 that he came and he died 00:31:26.140 --> 00:31:27.680 and he took the penalty for our sins. 00:31:28.660 --> 00:31:29.059 Second, 00:31:29.160 --> 00:31:29.920 it's not just knowledge 00:31:29.920 --> 00:31:30.720 but belief. 00:31:31.500 --> 00:31:32.380 Many people know 00:31:32.380 --> 00:31:33.180 that Christians think 00:31:33.180 --> 00:31:34.220 that Jesus came and died 00:31:34.220 --> 00:31:34.880 for their sins 00:31:34.880 --> 00:31:35.779 but they don't believe it. 00:31:36.259 --> 00:31:37.420 It's believing that these things 00:31:37.420 --> 00:31:38.259 are actually true. 00:31:39.240 --> 00:31:40.259 And then it's not just knowledge 00:31:40.259 --> 00:31:40.779 and belief 00:31:40.779 --> 00:31:42.059 but also trust 00:31:42.059 --> 00:31:43.880 that we live our lives 00:31:43.880 --> 00:31:44.720 in the way that Jesus 00:31:44.720 --> 00:31:45.420 has lived his. 00:31:45.480 --> 00:31:46.540 That we follow after him 00:31:46.540 --> 00:31:48.400 trusting in his sacrifice 00:31:48.400 --> 00:31:50.960 knowing that there's nothing 00:31:50.960 --> 00:31:51.700 that we can do 00:31:51.700 --> 00:31:53.060 to earn anything from God 00:31:53.060 --> 00:31:54.360 or prove anything to him. 00:31:55.280 --> 00:31:56.000 But instead, 00:31:56.140 --> 00:31:57.400 we thank God for his grace 00:31:57.400 --> 00:31:58.660 that he has not poured out 00:31:58.660 --> 00:31:59.620 judgment on us. 00:32:04.180 --> 00:32:05.880 In the book of Jonah, 00:32:05.980 --> 00:32:06.820 if you're familiar with it, 00:32:06.900 --> 00:32:08.620 Jonah is a prophet 00:32:08.620 --> 00:32:09.820 who is called by God 00:32:09.820 --> 00:32:11.120 to announce destruction 00:32:11.120 --> 00:32:13.160 on the city of Nineveh. 00:32:13.880 --> 00:32:15.220 He's a reluctant prophet. 00:32:15.340 --> 00:32:16.300 He doesn't go right away. 00:32:17.220 --> 00:32:18.320 And when he finally goes 00:32:18.320 --> 00:32:19.400 and comes to Nineveh, 00:32:19.500 --> 00:32:20.220 all he does 00:32:20.220 --> 00:32:21.020 is pronounce judgment. 00:32:22.440 --> 00:32:24.920 It says in Jonah 3, verse 4, 00:32:25.020 --> 00:32:26.360 Jonah began to go into the city 00:32:26.360 --> 00:32:27.280 going a day's journey 00:32:27.280 --> 00:32:28.880 and he called out, 00:32:29.040 --> 00:32:29.840 Yet forty days 00:32:29.840 --> 00:32:31.300 and Nineveh shall be overthrown. 00:32:32.940 --> 00:32:33.560 In other words, 00:32:33.660 --> 00:32:34.380 God's justice 00:32:34.380 --> 00:32:35.120 and judgment 00:32:35.120 --> 00:32:35.800 and destruction 00:32:35.800 --> 00:32:37.760 is coming for the city of Nineveh 00:32:37.760 --> 00:32:38.860 because of their wickedness. 00:32:40.580 --> 00:32:41.820 What does Nineveh do? 00:32:41.819 --> 00:32:46.079 What happens forty days later? 00:32:49.159 --> 00:32:49.879 Verse 10, 00:32:51.159 --> 00:32:52.779 When God saw what they did, 00:32:53.619 --> 00:32:54.299 the people of Nineveh 00:32:54.299 --> 00:32:54.939 had repented 00:32:54.939 --> 00:32:55.519 and turned away 00:32:55.519 --> 00:32:56.240 from their sins. 00:32:56.759 --> 00:32:57.619 How they turned 00:32:57.619 --> 00:32:58.519 from their evil way, 00:32:58.659 --> 00:32:59.299 God relented 00:32:59.299 --> 00:33:00.119 of the disaster 00:33:00.119 --> 00:33:00.839 that he had said 00:33:00.839 --> 00:33:01.599 he would do to them 00:33:01.599 --> 00:33:03.039 and he did not do it. 00:33:03.039 --> 00:33:06.899 And so as we pray 00:33:06.899 --> 00:33:07.700 for destruction 00:33:07.700 --> 00:33:08.859 on the wicked, 00:33:09.920 --> 00:33:11.399 this psalm reminds us also 00:33:11.399 --> 00:33:13.420 that God offers forgiveness 00:33:13.420 --> 00:33:14.359 and restoration 00:33:14.359 --> 00:33:15.500 to everyone 00:33:15.500 --> 00:33:17.799 who turns away from sin 00:33:17.799 --> 00:33:18.759 and back to him 00:33:18.759 --> 00:33:19.420 in repentance. 00:33:22.019 --> 00:33:23.379 As we live in this world 00:33:23.379 --> 00:33:24.339 longing for justice 00:33:24.339 --> 00:33:25.579 and facing evil, 00:33:26.659 --> 00:33:28.399 if we have faith in Christ, 00:33:28.680 --> 00:33:30.420 we can take refuge in God 00:33:30.420 --> 00:33:31.779 rather than facing 00:33:31.779 --> 00:33:32.379 his punishment 00:33:32.379 --> 00:33:33.740 even though 00:33:33.740 --> 00:33:34.559 we were his enemies. 00:33:35.519 --> 00:33:37.399 And we can cry out to him 00:33:37.399 --> 00:33:39.619 that he would bring justice 00:33:39.619 --> 00:33:41.240 and judgment for us. 00:33:42.299 --> 00:33:43.420 Instead of giving in 00:33:43.420 --> 00:33:45.359 to fear or revenge, 00:33:46.319 --> 00:33:48.000 we can cry out to God 00:33:48.000 --> 00:33:48.500 and hope 00:33:48.500 --> 00:33:50.200 knowing that he is going 00:33:50.200 --> 00:33:51.160 to bring judgment 00:33:51.160 --> 00:33:52.619 often and sometimes now 00:33:52.619 --> 00:33:53.220 and finally 00:33:53.220 --> 00:33:54.200 and fully 00:33:54.200 --> 00:33:55.220 in the future. 00:33:56.279 --> 00:33:57.480 And so that is our hope 00:33:57.480 --> 00:33:58.539 and our confidence 00:33:58.539 --> 00:33:59.420 that reminds us 00:33:59.420 --> 00:34:00.060 and propels us 00:34:00.060 --> 00:34:00.940 to come to God 00:34:00.940 --> 00:34:02.039 and to pray to him. 00:34:03.300 --> 00:34:04.080 I invite you to pray 00:34:04.080 --> 00:34:04.660 with me now. 00:34:09.159 --> 00:34:09.900 Father in heaven, 00:34:10.019 --> 00:34:11.639 we are so grateful 00:34:11.639 --> 00:34:14.240 that you know 00:34:14.240 --> 00:34:15.240 what it's like 00:34:15.240 --> 00:34:16.480 in this world. 00:34:18.079 --> 00:34:19.139 You know what it's like 00:34:19.139 --> 00:34:20.159 because you know everything 00:34:20.159 --> 00:34:20.980 and you also know 00:34:20.980 --> 00:34:21.460 what it's like 00:34:21.460 --> 00:34:22.079 because you sent 00:34:22.079 --> 00:34:23.519 your son to live 00:34:23.519 --> 00:34:25.519 here and walk 00:34:25.519 --> 00:34:27.500 to face evildoers 00:34:27.500 --> 00:34:29.579 and to be willing 00:34:29.579 --> 00:34:30.460 not to receive 00:34:30.460 --> 00:34:31.179 your rescue 00:34:31.179 --> 00:34:33.000 when he called out. 00:34:35.780 --> 00:34:36.679 And so we ask 00:34:36.679 --> 00:34:37.659 that you would remind us 00:34:37.659 --> 00:34:38.159 of our hope 00:34:38.159 --> 00:34:38.739 and that you would 00:34:38.739 --> 00:34:39.639 work it deep in us, 00:34:39.699 --> 00:34:40.099 that you would 00:34:40.099 --> 00:34:42.000 help us to come to you 00:34:42.000 --> 00:34:43.039 and to pray to you 00:34:43.039 --> 00:34:43.719 when we face 00:34:43.719 --> 00:34:45.719 injustice and destruction 00:34:45.719 --> 00:34:46.440 in this world. 00:34:47.099 --> 00:34:48.480 That you'd protect us 00:34:48.480 --> 00:34:49.900 from the temptations 00:34:49.900 --> 00:34:50.480 to bitterness 00:34:50.480 --> 00:34:51.940 and revenge 00:34:51.940 --> 00:34:52.440 and envy. 00:34:53.340 --> 00:34:53.840 And instead, 00:34:53.980 --> 00:34:54.860 we would have the hope 00:34:54.860 --> 00:34:56.099 that comes from knowing 00:34:56.099 --> 00:34:57.800 that you love us 00:34:57.800 --> 00:34:59.300 and you've sent your son 00:34:59.300 --> 00:35:00.640 not only to die for us, 00:35:00.960 --> 00:35:02.539 but to give us life. 00:35:03.079 --> 00:35:03.920 And so we ask it 00:35:03.920 --> 00:35:04.500 in his name. 00:35:05.180 --> 00:35:05.440 Amen.