Lesson 343 - Senior
Memory Verse
Cross References
I A Prayer of David's
1. He petitions the Lord to hear his cry, [PS:5:1-2]; [PS:3:4]; [PS:65:2]; [JAM:5:16].
2. He makes his prayer early, and looks in faith for the answer, [PS:5:3]; [PS:88:13]; [MIC:7:7]; [HAB:2:1].
3. The Lord hates workers of iniquity, [PS:5:4-6]; [PS:55:23]; [REV:21:8].
4. Through mercy and in fear David will worship the Lord, [PS:5:7].
5. He prays to be led in a straight path, [PS:5:8]; [PRO:15:19]; [MAT:7:13-14].
6. He describes the state of the wicked and predicts they will fall by their own counsel, [PS:5:9-10]; [LUK:11:44]; [ROM:3:13].
7. He shows the joyfulness of those who trust in the Lord, and the blessings that follow, [PS:5:11-12]; [ISA:65:13-14]; [HAB:3:17-19].
Notes
Early Worship
In the preceding Psalm David says that he could lie down and sleep in peace because the Lord made him dwell safely. He awakened with a prayer on his lips directed to the God who had protected him through the night. When one goes to sleep with praises on his lips, he often awakens with a prayer in his heart. What a blessed way to start the duties of the day -" with prayer and supplications to the God who watches over all!
The Value of Importuning
David was a man who importuned at the Throne of Grace. He pleaded with the Lord to give ear to his words; and when words failed, he asked that the meditations, the longings, the desires of his heart be considered by his King, his sovereign, his righteous vindicator -" and his God, his acknowledged leader, the Creator whom he loved and worshiped. And when his soul was pressed even beyond his own understanding, and God's specific will was veiled, he pleaded, "Hearken unto the voice of my cry," the "groanings which cannot be uttered" [ROM:8:26-27]).
David realised his enemies were many and his only protection was the wings of the Almighty. The child of God has the same enemies today. There has always been the one common foe -" the devil. We meet the enemy on the same battlefield that David did. There are Goliaths to meet today, and we need faith in our weapons of warfare just as David had faith that the Lord would direct that small stone sent by his only weapon, a little sling, right to the spot that would defeat the enemy. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but are mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" [2CO:10:4-5]). (See [EPH:6:10-18].)
Looking Up
"My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD." David was determined that the first and choicest of his time would be given to prayer and to meditating upon God's Word, concentrating his thoughts upon it and opening his heart to it, so that he might have an understanding of God's will and plan.
I will "direct my prayer unto thee" -" and I will set my prayer in order before Thee. I will bring praises and thanksgiving; I will present my petitions, my arguments, my supplications. A habit that hinders prayer is that which allows one's thoughts to wander when he is seeking God. Every power and faculty of our being -" our mind, our thoughts, and our all -" must be centered upon the Lord. What can God think of any manner of prayer that a man will mumble if his thoughts be upon his business, family, cares of life, or anything else? It is a good thing to ask the Lord to break any such habit and enable us to pray fervently and diligently. The heavens will begin to open; God will begin to work in our behalf. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" [JAM:5:16]).
David said he would "look up" for the answer -" look in faith toward God, toward the promises. God has said, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." "If we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him" ([1JN:5:14-15).
Halfhearted seeking becomes a routine habit with some; they pray without any expectation of receiving an answer to their prayers. If they do not receive an answer today, they think that perhaps they will tomorrow. Seeking becomes a chronic habit with them without any definite results at all. When one begins to fall into that rut he should ask God to bring him out of it and do something for him that will bring results from Heaven. "Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart" [JER:29:13]).
Holiness or Hell
God is holy. He loved holiness and hates iniquity. Evil shall not dwell with the Almighty. That is why sin can never enter Heaven. While God hates sin, He loves the souls of sinful men. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" [JHN:3:16]). God has provided a remedy whereby a soul that is defiled by sin can repent of sin, plead for mercy, and with faith in the atoning Blood of Jesus Christ can be made free from sin and have his garments washed in the Blood of the Lamb. He can then go triumphantly through the Pearly Gates, forever to dwell in a holy Heaven with a holy God.
David knew that the foolish would not stand in God's sight. A man may think he can make himself fit for God's sight by his own works, but such a one sooner or later finds his resources are exhausted. The slow decay of his unfinished building of life testifies to his folly in not abandoning his own ways and thoughts and trusting God for daily guidance as David did. (See [LUK:14:28-33].)
But if a soul persists in remaining in sin, and refuses God's mercy, that soul will be banished forever from the presence of a holy God and will never have the privilege of dwelling in a in a holy Heaven with a holy people. Other portions of Scripture confirm the fact that they who work iniquity, they who speak leasing (all liars), and bloodthirsty and deceitful men will have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone [REV:21:8] and [PS:101:7]). But they who follow the example of Jesus "who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth" [1PE:2:22]), shall stand "without fault before the throne of God" [REV:14:5]). Someone has made the statement that it is "holiness or hell."
David's Decision
"As for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple." David realised that he had once been foolish and wicked, and it was only through God's mercy that he was saved. The Apostle Paul wrote in his Epistle to Titus:
"We ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
"But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
"Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
"That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life" [TIT:3:3-7]).
The foolish man is the one who rejects God. The wise man chooses salvation and eternal life. Have you made that wise choice? If not, you can make it today. No one has ever deserved God's mercy, but God through His great love for fallen humanity has extended mercy to us. How can we reject it?
Godly Fear
It was with godly fear that David worshiped the Lord -" a fear lest he displease one so mighty, so holy, so powerful that He could speak this world into existence -" a fear lest he fall from, or be separated from, the mercy and grace of God. "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" [1CO:10:12]).
God deserves a reverential fear. David felt that, and said, "In thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple." The wise man said: "Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."
Prayer for Guidance
David prayed for the Lord to lead him in the straight and narrow path of righteousness. He realised there were many bypaths that led astray. There are many deceptions in the religious world today: false cults, false religions on every hand. John says, "Many deceivers are entered into the world" ([2JN:1:7]). The land is full of deceivers. How many ministers are preaching from the pulpit that there is a hell, and saying in the words of Jesus, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" [LUK:13:3])? How many are warning against today's awful prevailing sin -" adultery? Many church pews are filled with men and women living with another man's wife or another woman's husband. How many are declaring from the pulpit that "ye must be born again"? and that when you are born again you will make restitution? How many are saying that you must be sanctified and have a clean, holy heart, with the inbred sin destroyed? Such vital subjects are not preached from many pulpits. Nevertheless, these truths are in God's Bible, and the Bible declares that if anyone adds to or takes from the Word of God, he will not have a part with God. "Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar" [PRO:30:6]). (Also see [DEU:4:2]; [DEU:12:32]; [JOS:1:7]; [REV:22:18-19].)
David knew that the people of the world were watching him. He wanted everything he said and did to be a credit to the family of God, to bring honour to the great name of his heavenly Father. "Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" [MAT:7:14]).
Iniquity Hated
This Psalm tell us that the Lord hates "all workers of iniquity." If a soul persistently rebels against God's merciful call to repentance, purposing to practice sin, the holiness of God must be vindicated. "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity" [HAB:1:13]).
The Lord rained fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah because their sins were very grievous. In Noah's day the people were so wicked that the Lord repented that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at His heart. God is grieved today with the workers of iniquity, and His righteous judgments will soon be poured out upon the earth again.
The Blessings of the Righteous
"Let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee." There are enough promises to the righteous to cause them to rejoice day and night. To be set free from sin fills the heart with peace. The promise of eternal life gives joy to the soul. The hope of Heaven makes one shout aloud God's praises. Peter declares that this salvation causes us to rejoice "with joy unspeakable and full of glory."
The child of God is hated by the devil and looked on with scorn by sinful men. But he is beloved of the Father, watched over by Jesus, and comforted by the Holy Ghost. He has that blessed hope of one day seeing Jesus and dwelling forever in that pearly white city John saw coming down from God out of Heaven.
Questions
1. When did David make his prayer unto the Lord?
2. What did Jesus say about importuning prayer?
3. Why did David pray for God's guidance?
4. What kind of fear did David have when he went to the Temple to worship?
5. What is God's attitude toward the wicked?
6. In whose counsel will the wicked fall?
7. Contrast the difference between the wicked and the righteous.
8. Name some of the things that cause the righteous to rejoice.