Verse 21, verse 13 begins saying,
But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord,
at an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love.
Answer me in your saving faithfulness.
And so on.
As I said earlier, this is our third time looking at this psalm, third of four.
So the next one will come to a conclusion.
And as we've seen going through this psalm,
David is obviously in great distress and great turmoil in his situation.
He's surrounded by enemies in so many different ways.
And there's mocking going on.
He's suffering.
He feels overwhelmed and sinking in the midst of it all.
We've seen that he came with a cry of trouble.
The psalm opens with these words,
Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.
There's obviously just something major going on around him.
He has a confession himself.
He's looking not at just others around him.
He's looking within himself and looking and seeing the faults within his own heart.
But he's crying out in the midst of that,
Don't let me be a stumbling block in any way to those who are your people
or those who would become your people,
that my witness would not fail.
And then the last time we were looking at this psalm,
we saw how his focus is towards God.
He remembers who he's praying to.
He recognizes the reproach, the unjust suffering he is going through.
It's all because, as we saw, for his seal for God.
He's not turning his back on God.
He's not allowing, although he feels overwhelmed,
he's not allowing the people to defeat him in any way.
His focus is always towards God.
He is close to God.
That's a great reminder to ourselves that we need to be close to God ourselves at all times.
Because when we feel these times of being overwhelmed,
if we have been distant from God in the good times,
how are we going to be able to draw near to God when the going gets tough, as it were?
So we are to be faithful and close to God at all times.
As I mentioned as well, this psalm, it's not just a psalm about David.
It's not just a psalm about his suffering.
It's a psalm that points us forward to the New Testament
and always pointing us to the Lord Jesus Christ and his suffering.
And it's something we want to further reflect on this evening,
the suffering of Jesus in the midst of the suffering of David as well.
And especially as we think of approaching a communion weekend in just over a week,
we want to always be preparing our hearts as we come to worship God.
But especially at a time of communion when we are focused on the death of Christ,
the cross of Christ.
We are always focused on that.
But when we take communion, we are remembering his death in that particular way
as we take the bread and take the wine.
This psalm is a prayer, a prayer that David is offering up.
And although we would always love to have nicely polished prayers
and eloquent prayers where everything just flows from us,
we know so often that that is not the case.
We know so often we can come even as David is coming here,
just where everything seems to be just overwhelming him.
As we saw before, there's almost like there's not much structure in this psalm.
He's just jumping from one thing to another.
And yet as you go through this psalm,
especially as we come to the last part of it,
you see that as he's coming near, although he seems disorganized in the start,
there is always this just coming in towards God.
God calming him.
God reassuring him.
God comforting him.
And eventually, as we'll see, he comes praising God.
And that's really what prayer does.
Even when we feel distracted, even when we think we're disorganized so much,
prayer can calm us as we come close to God.
So we come to that point where we praise him,
that he is with us and that he hears our prayer.
And especially so as we come just to look at Christ,
to gaze on the beauty of Christ,
to see the cross of Christ
in all the reality, in all the horror.
And yet there he died for sinners,
that we might have life and have peace through him.
So we continue to see the situation of David here.
And just as we come into verse 13,
verse 12 just reminds us of the situation he was in.
I am the talk of those who sit in the gate
and the drunkards make songs about me.
The gate was a place where so many of the people met.
It was like a council chamber almost.
The important people would gather there
and they would talk about all the different things that were going on.
So they were all talking about David,
the important people.
But also, it says the drunkards,
even the drunkards are making songs about me.
He was the talk of the town,
ridiculed in so many ways.
But look at what it says in verse 13.
But as for me,
my prayer is to you,
O Lord.
And so there's two things we want to see this evening.
First of all,
we're going to see,
again,
just the cry of David.
The cry
and then the cup.
The cry and the cup.
His cry,
but also his portion at this time.
And we'll see just how that ties in with our Lord Jesus.
His cry
and the cup he had to bear
for us.
When you read through verse 13
down to verse 18,
you see there
David's prayer
just pouring his heart out
to God.
And it seems in some ways
to start
in a calm kind of way initially.
Yes,
that there's much trouble.
He's crying out
to my prayer
to be heard,
O Lord.
But he says,
at an acceptable time.
It's almost like,
I don't want to trouble you
just now,
God,
but
at an acceptable time,
O God,
in the abundance
of your steadfast love,
answer me
in your saving.
faithfulness.
He seems
quite composed.
But then,
the further down you go,
verse 16,
he's saying,
answer me,
Lord,
O Lord,
for your steadfast love
is good.
So again,
maybe just a little bit
more haste here,
but he's still
focused on
the love
of God.
God.
But then,
you see,
in verse 17,
the end of verse 17,
he's saying,
hide not your face
from your servant,
for I am in distress.
Make haste
to answer me.
So it's almost like
he's just going
through this,
in your own time,
God,
answer me,
and then make haste
and answer me.
What's keeping you?
But he's not
losing hope
in it.
And what we find
is that
he is still
specific in prayer
and focusing
on prayer
and again,
it's just different
ways that we can
pray ourselves.
We pray
the Lord's prayer
each Sunday
and we pray
the Lord's
will be done.
There's a sense
of patience
in that prayer.
your will be done.
We'll wait
on your will.
But that doesn't mean
that there isn't
occasions
when we plead
with God,
when we come
with a sense
of urgency
to God,
when we need
almost an answer
immediately.
We see it
throughout the Psalms
and in other prayers
in the scriptures.
The psalmist says
in other places,
make haste,
come quickly.
All of these
kind of prayers
are offered up
to God
where the sense
is,
we need you
now.
We almost
don't have time
to wait.
We need you
now.
And so it's a
reminder to us
that we can
pray in this
way as well.
Specific
prayers
to God.
God.
And it doesn't
mean that
he'll give us
exactly what
we're asking
for every
time.
But we
plead with
him for an
answer.
And that
he'll give
what we
need.
And this
is an
example,
as we see
as you go
through this
Psalm,
where David
perhaps isn't,
his prayer
isn't answered
just as he
wants it.
because you
see,
he's not
removed from
the situation
of his
enemies being
around him
and slandering
him.
But what we
see as we
go on is he
comes to a
point where
he's able to
praise God.
God gives
him what he
needs for
this occasion.
Not to remove
the situation,
but to calm
him in it.
And so
it's okay
for us to
plead earnestly
to God.
If you look
at the New
Testament and
instructions and
prayer in the
New Testament,
you notice
Jesus teaches
a parable.
A parable in
Luke 18 and
verse 1 where
it says,
and he told
them a parable
to the effect
that they ought
always to pray
and not lose
heart.
And he uses
the example of
a widow who
keeps bothering
a master.
And in verse
5 it says,
yet because
this widow kept
bothering me,
I will give
her justice so
that she will
not beat me
down by her
continual coming.
Jesus is there
talking about
prayer.
That if we
almost keep
pleading to
God in prayer,
we don't lose
heart in prayer
that yes,
he relents
and answers
our prayer.
And this is
based on who
God is.
And that's
how David
is coming
to God
in prayer
at all times.
He's not losing
hope,
he's not losing
faith in God.
You see it in
verse 16,
answer me O
Lord for your
steadfast love
is good.
According to
your abundant
mercy,
turn to me.
He knows
who he's
praying to.
He knows
God is a
God of
steadfast love,
an unchanging
love.
And he's a
God of
mercy,
abundant
mercy.
So he
knows God
can give.
And so he
keeps coming
to him in
this way.
Never do you
see him
coming and
say,
well,
I'll do it
myself,
Lord.
You're not
doing it in
my time or
my way.
I'll just
have to do
it myself.
Even when
he's asking,
come in
haste,
make haste
to answer
me,
he's saying,
hide not your
face from
your servant.
He's not
saying,
I'm going
to do it
myself.
He's always
saying,
Lord,
I know
only you
can do
it.
Answer
in your
acceptable
time.
Answer
me.
Make haste
to answer
me.
All these
different
situations,
he's still
trusting
God.
Because he
knows who
God is.
He knows
what God
is able
to do.
And as you
see in
verse 18,
it's talking
there about
the God
who is able
to redeem.
Throw an
ear to
my soul,
redeem me,
ransom me
because of
my enemies.
You see,
David pleads
with God
because he
is the
one who
is able
to redeem,
able to
save,
able to
ransom.
And both
these words
tie in
with what
we have
in Christ.
David
pleads
that he
would be
redeemed
by God
and God
heard his
prayer.
And we
know it
for ourselves
today
that God
is the
one who
can redeem
and ransom
us.
And how
do we
know that?
Well,
it's because
we look
to the
cross.
As we
read in
Matthew
chapter
27,
what we
see with
Jesus on
the cross
crying out,
my God,
why have
you forsaken
me?
Why?
To redeem
his people,
to ransom
his people,
to pay
the price
for us.
he's
standing
in our
place.
He's
bearing
our
sin.
He's
redeeming
his
people.
So
that's how
he cries,
my God,
why have
you
forsaken
me?
To
redeem
his
people.
God,
there's
a story
used many
years ago
to illustrate
the meaning
of redemption.
There's
the story
of a
minister
of a
church
in
America,
in
Boston,
in
America.
Outside
the church
one day,
he met
this young
boy coming
along the
street,
and the
boy had
a cage,
a rusty
old cage,
and inside
the cage
were several
birds,
sort of
just
flapping
around
in distress,
wanting
out of
the cage.
And the
minister
asked the
boy,
where did
you get
those
birds?
And the
boy replied,
I trapped
them out
in the
field.
And so
the minister
asked,
what are
you going
to do
with them?
And he
says,
well,
I'm going
to take
them home
and I'll
play with
them for
a wee
while,
and I guess
I'll feed
them to
the old
cat at
home.
And the
minister's
reply was,
to offer
to buy
the
birds.
The boy
was surprised,
why would
you want
these birds?
They're
just useless
old birds.
They don't
even sing,
look at
them.
And the
minister was
adamant,
no, I
want to
buy these
birds,
I'll give
you two
dollars,
which was a
lot of
money at
that time.
And the
boy was
surprised,
why on
earth would
you want
to give
me that
kind of
money?
And he
says to
them,
you're
getting the
bad deal
here,
but I'll
take your
two dollars,
you take
the birds.
So they
did the
exchange.
And the
minister took
the cage out
to the back
of the church,
a garden with
trees out the
back of the
church,
and immediately
he released
the birds.
And the
birds flew up
into the sky,
into the
trees,
and there
they were
singing and
chirping away.
The next
Sunday he
took the
empty cage
into the
pulpit and
used it as
an illustration.
he talked
about Christ
coming to
seek and
to save
the lost,
and how
he paid
for his
people,
the ransom,
he redeemed
his people
by his
precious
blood.
And he
said,
this young
boy told
me the
birds couldn't
sing,
but as
soon as I
released them,
they started
to sing.
And he
was saying
it's a
reminder to
us all
that we
are captive
to sin.
We have
no joy
to sing
when we
are captive
to sin.
But when
we see
that Christ
has paid
the ransom,
Christ has
redeemed us,
when we
come to
know that
and to
experience
that,
our
cry
is changed
from a
pleading
to a
praise.
Instead
of,
Lord,
answer me,
answer me
in your
time,
answer me,
answer me
in haste,
we will
come
praising.
God is
able to
change
our
cry
from one
of pleading
to praise.
That's the
wonder of
the price
that God
has paid
for us.
To redeem
us,
to ransom
us,
he gave
himself.
So we
see first
then the
cry.
The second
thing we
see here
is the
cup.
And we
see that
in verse
19 to
verse
21.
Here it
says,
you know
my reproach
and my
shame
and my
dishonor.
My
foes
are all
known to
you.
Reproaches
have broken
my heart
so that I
am in
despair.
I looked
for pity,
but there
was none
for
comforters,
but I
found none.
They
gave me
poison
for food
and for
my
thirst.
They
gave me
sour
wine
to drink.
Here is
the
experience
of the
psalmist
David.
This is
his cup
as we
would say.
This is
his portion,
his circumstances
at this
time.
This is
what he
has to
go through.
And all
of us
have a
cup to
bear.
All of
us have
a set
of
circumstances
to come
through.
And what
we see
here in
verse
19 to
21 is
his sense
of being
engulfed
by shame
and being
abandoned
of all
comfort.
There is
nowhere to
turn.
Reproaches,
this unjust
suffering,
it is
breaking his
heart.
He is
in despair.
I looked
and there
was no
comforter
to be
found.
But what
do you
see here?
Just like
back in
verse 5,
he says
there that
God knows.
In verse
5,
O God,
you know
my
folly.
Well,
here he
is saying
in verse
19,
you know
my
reproach.
So we
ask ourselves,
is there
any comfort
in these
words?
We see
there is
in the
knowledge
that God
knows.
God
knows
his
every
experience.
He knows
the cup
he is
to bear.
He knows
everything
that he
has to
go
through.
And he's
not blind
to it.
And he
knows
your cup.
He knows
my cup.
You look
back to
the days
of Exodus.
In Exodus
2,
verse 23,
it says,
during those
many days,
the king
of Egypt
died.
And the
people of
Israel groaned
because of
their slavery
and cried
out for
help.
The cry
for rescue
from slavery
came up
to God.
And God
heard their
groaning.
And God
remembered his
covenant with
Abraham,
with Isaac,
and with
Jacob.
God saw
the people
of Israel.
And it just
goes on to
say this,
and God
knew.
And it
seems to
just end
there.
And God
knew.
What did
God know?
He knew
their suffering,
but he knew
what had
to be done.
And he
took action.
And here
as David
is crying
out,
you know
my reproach,
or as he
has in
verse 5,
you know
my folly.
We could
say he
knows our
sin,
and he
knows our
suffering,
and he
knows what
needs to
be done
about it.
And what
has been
done about
it?
Well,
God sent
his son
into this
world.
Because he
knew our
cup, he
knew our
portion, he
knew our
suffering, and
he knew we
could do
nothing about
it, but
he knew.
And he
knew what
to do
about it.
And as
we trust
God, we
can be
assured that
his desires
for his
people is
for good.
The New
Testament reminds
us that
Jesus' own
experience reflects
David's at so
many points.
death.
It's
Matthew who
remembers
this psalm,
the account
of Jesus'
death.
Matthew 27,
verse 34,
where it
says, as
we've read,
they gave
him wine to
drink mixed
with gall,
and after
tasting it,
he would
not drink
it.
Really
following on
from these
words of
Psalm 21.
They gave
me sour
wine to
drink for
my thirst.
Now, why
wouldn't
Jesus drink
this?
Because the
wine was
like a
medication.
It would
have almost
put him
out.
And he
didn't want
this.
He was in
control at
every step
of the way.
He was our
redeemer,
our ransom.
He paid
the price
on the
cross.
Not
dulled to
any of
it.
He bore
our sin.
And why
was that?
Because when
you go back
to Matthew
26,
when Jesus
is in the
garden of
Gethsemane,
what does
it say
about the
cup there?
He says
he's praying
in the
garden of
Gethsemane
in chapter
26,
verse 39.
Going a
little further,
he fell
on his
face and
prayed,
saying,
my father,
if it be
possible,
let this
cup pass
from me.
Nevertheless,
not as I
will,
but as
you will.
He took
the cup.
He bore
our sins.
He died
on the
cross.
John Newton,
wrote a hymn,
in evil
long I
took delight.
I want to
close with
these words
as we think
for ourselves
and what the
cross means
to us.
In our
crying to
God,
and in the
cup that we
have in this
life,
should we not
look to the
cry of our
saviour,
as he
cried out
to God,
my God,
why have
you forsaken
me?
And we
think of his
cry there,
and we
think of the
cup that
he took.
If it be
your will,
may this
cup pass
me by,
but not
my will,
but yours
be done.
And that
would help
us to
focus
ourselves
to the
cross,
and to
see what
Jesus has
done for
us.
John
Newton in
this hymn,
he speaks
about his
own life
transformed.
In evil
long I
took delight,
unawed by
shame or
fear,
till a new
object struck
my sight and
stopped my
wild career.
I saw one
hanging on a
tree, in
agonies and
blood, who
fixed his
languid eyes
on me, as
near his
cross I
stood.
Sure never
till my
latest breath
can I
forget that
look.
It seemed
to change,
to charge
me with
his death,
though not
a word
he spoke.
My
conscience
felt and
owned the
guilt and
plunged me
in despair.
I saw
my sins
his blood
had spilt
and helped
to nail
him there.
Alas,
I knew
not what
I did,
but now
my tears
are vain.
where
shall my
trembling
soul be
hid, for
I the
Lord have
slain.
A second
look he
gave, which
said, I
freely all
forgive.
This blood
is for thy
ransom paid,
I die
that thou
mayst live.
Thus, while
his death
my sin
displays,
in all
its blackest
hue,
such is the
mystery of
grace, it
seals my
pardoned
too.
With
pleasing grief
and mournful
joy, my
spirit now
is filled,
that I
should such
a life
destroy, yet
live by
him I
killed.
His life
was changed
by the
grace of
God, a
life lived
turning away
from God,
but looking
to the
cross, and
seeing his
saviour, who
shed his
blood for
him.
Draw near
to my
soul, he
cries in
the psalm,
redeem me,
ransom me,
because of
my enemies.
David got
answer, and
so did you
and I, when
our saviour
bore our
sins, and
so as we
prepare
ourselves for
the Lord's
supper, we
look to the
cross, where
he gave his
life, that
we might
come and
do this in
remembrance of
him.
Amen, and
may God
bless these
thoughts to
us.
We're going
to sing to
God's praise
and
conclusion.