How to Hope

Series on the Psalms

Text: Psalm 31

Title: How to Hope

Introduction

Psalm 31 is a longer song which like many of the Psalms we have already studied pleads for deliverance from the enemies and inequities of this present evil age. In the Psalms we observe this theme over and over. In the present people constantly come up with questions like, “Why do the righteous suffer?” and “Why is this happening to me?” They say things like, “I can’t take it any more!” and “This is too much.” This raises a serious question as to whether people are looking in the right place and with the right attitude for the answers because the answers certainly are there. It’s interesting that J. A. Alexander says that all the psalms were intended for singing in worship, but only some of them have the superscription like this one, “To the chief Musician.” He thinks that this is especially attached to Psalms where people might have considered them inappropriate for public worship. This suggests, as I pointed out long ago, that the use of the psalms in worship tends to instruct and advise people about questions of personal struggles which really need to be answered. In this particular Psalm I think that verses 21 and 22 give us insight into the composition. Like all of us, David in the midst of his trials spoke hastily and said God doesn’t see my plight. The Psalm is David’s way of repenting of this foolish statement. After speaking in haste he now carefully considers the matter and he appears before the judge of all the earth and pleads his case. It may be useful to us to think of this Psalm as a court case in which David is appealing to the judge because in it he affirms the character of the one whose judgment he questioned. In doing this he appeals to the probity, the precedent, the pity, the power and the plan of the chief magistrate.

I. The Probity

He appeals immediately to the righteousness of the judge in verses 1-5, In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. God is a rock, but he is also a refuge and a fortress. Even in David’s time, before the coming of Christ, there is a recognition that God is not only fair in all his judgments but that he forgives. This section ends with the affirmation in Hebrew, “You have redeemed me O Lord God of truth.” We understand more perfectly that the righteousness of God has been revealed in a Savior. God is just, but through Christ he is the justifier of all those who believe. His justice includes his provision to redeem his people. If you were in a courtroom where the judge was not also your redeemer you would despair. You certainly would not be ready to commit your life into the hands of the judge. But David does not despair and instead he says you are my protector. Deliver me in your righteousness.

II. The Precedent

In court cases it is common to quote precedents or previous actions of a similar nature. In verses 6-8 David recognizes that he has been in this court before, I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the LORD. I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place. How has the judge acted? You have considered my trouble and you have delivered me. It’s interesting that the image here in verse 8 is very similar to that of a person on trial. They can either be set free with their feet in a spacious place or be imprisoned, that is handed over to the enemy or shut up in the enemy’s hand. The precedent here is vindication.

III. The Pity

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “hanging judge” In old westerns. Those that were really tough on criminals earned this title. Today we have gone to the extreme where most defendants and defense attorneys are blaming their circumstances and many judges are complicit in this miscarriage of justice. David knows that the judge of all the earth is merciful and therefore he pleads for pity in verses 9-13, Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends-those who see me on the street flee from me. I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life. But David is not misguided. He does not think that the judge is a weakling who is incapable of punishing sin. Neither should we. We can plead for mercy precisely because the judge is just and has punished Jesus in our place on the cross of Calvary. David would not have put it his way, but he understood that God was in a covenant relationship with His people and that the only way that God could have chosen a people, was to make some provision for their justification. In the Old Testament the work of Christ was prefigured by the atoning sacrifices of the tabernacle and temple. That David understood the significance of this is made clear in the very next Psalm in the opening verses. Psalm 32 where he confesses sin and trusts in God’s forgiveness.

IV. The Power

It would be foolish indeed to trust your life to a judge who did not have the final say in your disposition and destiny. But David says “I trust you O Lord, My times are in your hands.” All that follows in verses 14-18 regarding deliverance and judgment is based on this trust, But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I have cried out to you; but let the wicked be put to shame and lie silent in the grave. Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly of the righteous. This trust is based on the fact that God controls history in general and David’s life in particular. What greater comfort than to know that the judge who is righteous and merciful is in control and no one can stay his hand or challenge his authority. The foolish minds of sinners attempt to preserve God’s integrity by limiting his power. They say he is not in control because bad things happen to good people. David says the opposite. We may not understand his purpose, but we know he is in charge and He is good. There is a wonderful hymn based on this verse. “My Times are in Thy Hand.” The third verse says, “My times are in thy hand, why should I doubt or fear? My Father’s hand will never cause his child a needless tear.”

V. The Plan

What comes through in the concluding verses of the Psalm is David’s conviction that the judge has a plan. He begins in verses 19 and 20, How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you. In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues. God treasures up his blessings and then bestows them upon his people. Should we conclude that the judge is partial or unfair. No! because the judge never condemns any who do not deserve it, and the judge is not under any requirement to show mercy. He does so because he is God and he has the right. This is a plan. David affirms in verses 21 and 22 that he is part of that plan, Praise be to the LORD, for he showed his wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city. In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from your sight!” Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help. The translation “besieged city” is unique to the New International Version. Literally the Hebrew means a strong or walled city and suggests to us the city of God itself, namely first, favored Jerusalem below and then Jerusalem above which is the mother of us all. Thus we have the Psalm ending in verses 23 and 24 with an exhortation to love the Lord because he is faithful and will accomplish his purpose preserving his people and paying back the proud and haughty, Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD. When, like David we are too hasty and tempted to say God has forgotten, these are the things we need to carefully consider. His plan, his power, his pity, and his probity and these are the things that give us hope in the Lord. And Jesus identified Himself with this same hope in God because when He is suffering in His humanity upon the cross he quotes from this Psalm, verse 5, Into your hands I commit my spirit.

Summary of Psalm 31

Psalm 31 is a plea for deliverance from trouble and trial. One is likely to ask why there are so many Psalms about this theme. The answer is that, Like David, we are all apt to hastily question God’s judgments and to think he has forgotten us. In this Psalm David is reflecting and gaining the sober insight which he overlooked at the beginning. Through his meditation he is reminded that God is not only just but that he bestows his righteousness upon his people freely so that they are favored. This truth is taught to us in the Gospel of Christ who paid the price of our sin in his death so that God could be just and the justifier of the one who believes. Because of this the Judge of all the earth pities those who fear him. His almighty power defends them and his plan is to bless them even though they do not deserve it. David has experienced this in the past, but he needs to remind himself of God’s special love. So when David concludes with an exhortation to hope in God he is teaching us that in the midst of our trouble and confusion we must focus on who God is and what He has done.