You Are Not the Only One

1 (A Psalm of David.) Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.  2 Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.

David begins Psalm asking “O LORD my rock; be not silent to me.” When The Lord is silent it is a deafening silence to His people.  David is not the only one to experience God’s silence. Look at what David felt! “ Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.” Lawson proposes that David was lifting his hands toward the “innermost part of the tabernacle that housed the ark of the covenant, the symbol of God’s presence” (Lawson 2004, 166). David is not pretending here. He desperately needs God to answer him. This is not the first time nor will it be the last time that he cries out to The Lord for Help.

• Psalms 35:22 “This thou hast seen, O Lord: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.”
• Psalms 83:1 “Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.”
• Psalms 109:1 “ Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise.”

Other prophets who have experienced God’s silence.

Isaiah

• Isa. 57:11 “And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?”
• Isa. 64:12 Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O Lord? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?

Habbakuk

• Hab. 1:13 “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?”

Have you been in a “deep waters” situation where you felt that God was silent? Did you experience spiritual and emotional turmoil during those periods of perceived silence?

3 Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts. 4 Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert. 5 Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.

As the youth of today would say “Snap!” David is asking God to separate him from the wicked people who say one thing with their mouths, but planning evil behind the backs of their neighbors. Verse 3 Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts.” I know that you have had at least one experience in your life where you have had someone “speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts.”  Longman made it quite clear when he stated

Silver dross overlying clay, smooth lips and an evil heart. Those who hate dissimulate with their lips, but they set deception aside. Though their voice is gracious, don’t believe them, for seven abominations are in their heart. Hatred is covered with guile, but they reveal their evil in the assembly (153)..

²³ Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.²⁴ He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him;²⁵ When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.²⁶ Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation (Proverbs 26:23-26). God’s word speaks for itself.

 4 Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert.

Notice the difference between David’s attitude and maybe our own. He is telling God to judge and execute His righteous sentence on the evil doers. David is NOT trying to take them on himself. He is NOT attempting to become their judge, jury, and executioner!  David makes a transition from the lament to a time of worship. Why? He knows that God has heard his prayer. When was the last time that you were faced with lies, deception, and hatred? Did you pray for the person and then ask God to deal with them?

One of the things that I find really disturbing is when someone makes false accusations against another person. My immediate reaction is to walk away from the scenario. Then I can think clearly and pray about how to respond. Taking the high road in these scenarios is challenging “in the flesh.” But it is easy to do in the “spirit!” Jeremiah 1:10 shows who is responsible for the tearing down and building up of people who are sinning “See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.”

Regardless of what David is going through, he still finds the time to praise God.

6 Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications.

Praise Jesus! That is my phrase when God has brought me through a severe trial. Sometimes it is my go to phrase just because He is so good to me!

• 7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
• 8 The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.

After lamenting for sic verses, David explodes with “The LORD is my strength and my shield” why? “my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” In the midst of seriously hot trials we should praise Him anyhow. Psalm 13:5 “My heart trusted in him” repeats that same phrase.

Ephesians 6:16 reminds us that we have Holy Spirit grade battle equipment “Above all, taking the shield of faith, [What for?] wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” 

Hebrews 1:9 tells us what happens when we live like Jesus “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, [even] thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” 

9 Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up forever.

I agree with Cayce who declares “God amazingly considers His people a most precious possession.” For encouragement, please read these scriptures: Deut. 7:6-16; 9:29; 1 Sam. 10:1; Psalms 33:12; 94:5; Eph. 1:18.

Colossians 3:24 “Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” What is our inheritance?

Revelation 2:7 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”

References

Cayce, Ken. 2017. “Books of the Bible.”  http://www.bible-studys.org/About%20Me.html. Accessed September 17,2018.

Longman, Tremper, III. 2014. Psalms: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. Accessed September 17, 2018. ProQuest Ebook Central.