[Biblemat] S>Series on the Psalms #142

[Jeff S. Smith]

Psalm 142: I Cry Out to the Lord
a gospel sermon by J.S. Smith

Introduction
i. Psalm 142 is subtitled as a contemplation of King David when he  
was in the cave, making it an individual lament when the future  
monarch hid from King Saul in the cave of Adullam or En-Gedi,  
circumstances which we will consider in this study. David’s life in  
between the slaying of Goliath and his coronation was marked by  
intense persecution at the hands of King Saul. David was continuously  
in a cave of desperation and frustration.
ii. [Read Psalm 142:1-7.]
iii. We can divide Psalm 142 into three sections. Verses 1-2 indicate  
the depth of his supplication. Verses 3-4 speak of his overwhelmed  
spirit. Verses 5-7 identify God as his refuge.

Discussion
I. The Text
	A. I Cry Out (1-2)
		1. most of us have been in caves, but I would guess that few of us  
have actually hidden from bloodthirsty, jealous monarchs within caves
			a. caves are usually damp, dark and cramped places where the walls  
and ceiling always seem to be getting closer and creepy, crawling  
things are about
			b. things have to be pretty grave for a person to seek out a cave  
as a hiding place, especially before the age of artificial illumination
		2. at least twice during his retreat from King Saul, young David  
hid in caves to avoid having to face and possibly kill the king
			a. after he had been fed by the priests in Nob and feigned madness  
before the king of Gath, David moved into a cave (1 Samuel 22:1-2)
			b. things were even more interesting, though, after David had left  
another refuge in the wilderness of Ziph and En Gedi (1 Samuel 24:1-7)
		3. these reports of David’s cavernous sojourns seem to be fairly  
pleasant, even humorous to a degree, and they show that Saul’s  
madness was driving the hearts of the people away
			a. perhaps David’s psalms result from other cave experiences, or  
just as likely, these histories do not consider the concerns and  
anxiety that David felt in spite of what is to us an obvious position  
of ascendancy and strength
			b. sometimes those who appear to others to be rising stars possess  
the most doubts and fears
		4. and so somewhere David poured out his “sad musing” before the  
Lord – a complaint which is not necessarily indicative of whining and  
self-pity, but simple disappointment and anxiety
			a. sometimes a complaint is only a concern rather than an accusation
			b. in fact, Psalm 62:8 counsels, “Trust in Him at all times, you  
people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”
			c. when it turns to self-pity and wondering, “Why me?”, however,  
it is a complaint

	B. When My Spirit Was Overwhelmed (3-4)
		1. David poured out his complaint before God because his spirit was  
overwhelmed and the emotion needed to be released so that he might  
find some relief
		2. it plainly made David feel better to tell someone what was on  
his mind and it also helped David to collect his thoughts and to  
assemble them in a petition, which when spoken and considered further  
came into better perspective
		3. the sense of isolation was what bothered David the most – that  
no one cared about him at all, which was exactly the same complaint  
made by his tormenter, King Saul (1 Samuel 22:6-8)
			a. both men felt threatened by the other, but one leaned on God  
for companionship and direction, while the other sank deeper into  
self-pity and delusion
			b. what do you do when it seems that no one cares about you and  
that you are isolated and alone? (Psalm 42:4-5)
			c. “From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is  
overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2).

	C. My Refuge (5-7)
		1. and that is what David did in composing the thoughts of Psalm  
142, making God his portion in the land of the living where so many  
others had forsaken him
		2. his refuge was not in the people who could fail him, but the God  
who never had, and he did not consider this present hardship to be  
God’s failure, but Saul’s
		3. the soul can know no harsher prison than the false perception  
that God has placed it there

II. Some Applications
	A. Imprisoned In The Cave of an Overwhelmed Spirit
		1. of all the Bible writers, David seems to be the most personal  
and sensitive, often appearing to write from deep anxiety and even  
depression, being honestly touched by his suffering and his sins
		2. stress, anxiety and depression continue to slay people even  
today when bloodthirsty kings and Philistine giants are in short supply
			a. some such conditions are more physical than spiritual,  
resulting from chemical imbalances in the brain that allow for  
violent mood swings and depression or from other body issues
			b many depressions, however, have a spiritual and psychological  
cause, which must not be overlooked and which cannot be treated as  
easily with sleep, dietary changes or medications
		3. depression is generally most serious among the divorced,  
widowed, unemployed, guilty, and lonely
			a. someone suddenly feels threatened or without worth and stress,  
anxiety and depression begin to build
			b. and when that person feels somehow severed from God, the  
condition is sure to deteriorate
				1. people feel separated from the God of all comfort because they  
are guilty, because they are not prayerful, or because their prayers  
are not being granted
				2. and while medication can help alleviate some of the symptoms  
of such depression, it can never treat the underlying spiritual causes
		4. we can prevent some anxiety simply by being prepared for its  
inevitable arrival and eventual departure (1 Peter 4:12-13).
			a. when loneliness is the cause – because of divorce, widowhood or  
isolation, the answer is found in approaching God and his people with  
their companionship in mind: “Draw near to God and He will draw near  
to you” (James 4:8).
			b. “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are  
crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).
			c. so many who complain of loneliness expect their isolation to be  
cured without their participation, but that rarely happens; instead  
one must insert himself into the company he wishes to obtain by  
spending more time with the saints and inviting visitors and friends
		
	B. Complaints Poured Out
		1. we tend to look down on complaining, but only when it is done by  
someone else; our complaints are always justified and reasonable
		2. of course, we often complain about things that don’t really  
matter and overlook the good things which God supplies in abundance  
and which do matter much more
		3. these complaints of David are not so much complaints as they are  
concerns and petitions; they lack the “woe is me” self-pity so  
prevalent in the words of Saul
		4. in fact, the Bible says, “Cast your burden upon the LORD and He  
will sustain you” (Psalm 55:22) and you cannot do that without  
identifying and articulating that burden
			a. prayer has a way of sorting out which complaints are truly  
severe and which are really bearable, avoidable or excusable
			b. prayer helps us to assemble our thoughts and feelings and to  
prioritize them so that we better recognize what matters and what  
does not
		5. prayer is a time to pour out one’s complaints (Luke 22:39-46)
			a. Jesus was restored when he prayed, but the disciples, who had  
slept from sorrow, were told to rise and pray lest they enter into  
temptation
			b. sometimes the temptation is not to commit gross immorality, but  
to allow anxiety and depression and fear to take control
			c. wallowing in self-pity and sorrow will only make things worse  
(cf. Philippians 2:12-16)

	C. Refuge Has Failed Me
		1. part of David’s pain lay in the fact that he felt isolated and  
abandoned – caves have a way of making you feel like that – his usual  
refuges in his brothers and friends had failed him because he was on  
the run and it seemed that no one cared about him
		2. Proverbs 18:1 says, “A man who isolates himself seeks his own  
desire; He rages against all wise judgment.”
			a. it is unwise to disconnect yourself from your neighbors, family  
and brethren by being unsociable, irascible and selfish, yet some  
follow that course and then complain when people take flight
			b. people do not tend to make conscious decisions about avoiding  
grumpy, moody, mean people, but over time they learn to avoid them so  
as to avoid being brought down
			c. by contrast, people are subconsciously drawn to those who are  
pleasant and happy and selfless
		3. like David, we sometimes drift into depression because of  
feelings of abandonment – perhaps by our friends, parents, children,  
the church, neighbors, etc.
			a. Elijah sat down under a broom tree and prayed to die because he  
felt like he was alone
			b. Job told his friends, “I loathe my life; I would not live  
forever. Let me alone, For my days are but a breath” (7:16).
			c. elsewhere David wrote, “Turn to me and be gracious to me, For I  
am lonely and afflicted” (Psalm 25:16, NASV)
		4. when human refuge fails, one must put his hope in God and  
continue night and day to pray and to ask God for help (see 1 Timothy  
5:5)
			a. Jesus showed that a solitary place, while otherwise unpleasant  
and depressing, was a good place for prayer (see Mark 1:35); “He  
Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed” (Luke 5:16).
			b. when human refuge fails, God “will deliver the needy when he  
cries, The poor also, and him who has no helper” (Psalm 72:12)

	D. Surrounded By The Righteous
		1. David prayed that God would rescue him from this prison of  
despair and surround him again with the righteous
		2. the lonely want companionship and the people of God should  
certainly provide it whenever possible, but the lonely should not  
prevent it at all by their own unkindness and unapproachability
		3. while I don’t believe for a moment in the social gospel, the  
church has an undeniable role in the association of its members who  
ought to enjoy one’s another’s company and be present in times of joy  
and sorrow
		4. my responsibility in that is partly in not forsaking the  
assembling of myself with others (cf. Hebrews 10:24-25), but also in  
choosing godly company – “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts  
good morals’” (1 Corinthians 15:33, NASV).

Conclusion
David sought in that cave what we seek in life today – “Now may the  
God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you  
may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).





Jeff S. Smith
Jeff Smith is the preacher for the Woodmont church of Christ and  
publisher of ElectronicGospel and its biweekly podcast. Jeff is also  
the Program Director and Head Coach of Burleson Youth Association  
Buddy Ball. The contents of this email are personal and private.  
Please do not forward this communication, in whole or in part, to  
anyone without my express consent.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20071028/9fbab4cd/attachment-0001.html