20260712 Psalm 5: Enjoying God in Times of Trouble
How can we enjoy God in our troubles? Martin Luther was a man of extraordinary intellect and conviction. He was a scholar who translated the Bible into German. He ignited the Protestant Reformation. He stood fearlessly before the most powerful authorities of his time. He changed the course of history, shaping faith and society in ways that still echo today. Yet, Luther was also deeply human, plagued by anxiety and fears before he found hope in Christ. Even as a Christian, he battled doubts, inner turmoil, and spiritual struggles, mirroring the groaning and cries for guidance of Psalm 5. Luther's journey from anguish to faith also reflects the movements of Psalm 5. The Psalm goes from troubled pleas to entering God's presence by God’s mercy, finally finding refuge and joy in the Lord.
Psalm 5 answers
the question, “How can we enjoy God in our troubles?” Psalm 5 reflects honestly
our human condition and offers deep theological truths to help us when we
suffer. This text offers nothing new, no secret knowledge, just the gospel
message. We have a good, just, and merciful God who wants to be with us. Psalm
5 is a prayer that expresses a longing to commune with God and a longing to see
God at work when we suffer. Psalm 5 acknowledges God’s holiness and his just
judgment of sins. Psalm 5 also reveals a gracious and merciful God who leads us
in his righteousness so we can find refuge and joy in Him.
Following the flow of Psalm 5, we will travel the path to
joy in our suffering in four movements. These movements are not a checklist. They
are neither a one-time experience nor stops on a linear road. The Christian
life is one of going through cycles of hardship. Psalm 5 gives us tools and
insights for this hard journey. We will look at Prayer, the Penalty, the
Provision, and Protection.
First, according to Ps 5:1-3, we must pursue God in Prayer. Second,
according to Ps 5:4-6, we need to understand the Penalty for sin. Third,
according to Ps 5:7-8, we must treasure God’s Provision through his steadfast
love. Fourth, according to Ps 5:9-12, we can enjoy God and his protection.
We can study Psalm 5 with the same historical backdrop as
Psalm 3 and 4, with David's suffering at the hand of his son Absalom who wanted
to take his throne. I’ve also decided to use Martin Luther’s life as the
running illustration of this Psalm. A friend told me that when we use
illustrations from church history, we learn about our family history. We will
also apply this text to our own lives.
First, according to Ps 5:1-3, in times of trouble, we must pursue God in
Prayer.
Ps 5:1-3
These verses reveal the Psalmist suffering and faith and
teach us we can have faith while we suffer.
Ps 5:1-2 has three commandments. These are the Psalmist’s
three pleas to God. These pleas are “Give ear” in Ps 5:1, “consider” in Ps 5:1,
and “give attention” in Ps 5:2. The Psalmist first asks that God would “give
ear” to his spoken words. In the second plea, the Psalmist asks that God would
“perceive” what is not spoken but remains trapped in the Psalmist’s heart
expressed through “groaning.” The third plea is that God would pay careful
attention to the Psalmist’s cry for help.[i] These three different
pleas for the Lord’s attention reveal a deep pain, anxiety, despair, as well as
faith.
The Psalmist’s words reveal his faith. The Psalmist calls
God: in Ps 5:1, 3 “O Lord,” in Ps 5:2 “my King” and “my God.” According to Ps
5:3, the Psalmist prepares a sacrifice to God and he “watches.” He expects to
see God acting in his situation.[ii] Ps 5:3 reveals that while
the Psalmist is in agony, he has confidence in God. Twice Ps 5:3 mentions the
morning to suggest God is the one he turns to, to start the day. Ps 5:3 ends
with the Psalmist’s expectation that the LORD will answer. We see that in times
of trouble, the Psalmist pursues God in prayer.
Application
Like the Psalmist, in times of trouble, we must seek God. We
must pursue God. We must prioritize prayer. Like the Psalmist, we live with a
tension. The Psalmist feels isolated and he has confidence, so he acts despite
his feelings.
When God feels far and we feel isolated and alone, we need
to do something counterintuitive. We need to pray to God who seems far to
realize that he is actually very close. Not praying re-enforces our belief that
God is far. God gives us means where he promises to meet us and bless us. He
promises to meet with us and bless us when we gather for worship, to pray, hear
his word read and preached, and partake in the sacraments, as we will do with
the Lord’s Supper, later. Though God is near, he will feel far if we do not
make diligent use of the means he promises to use to meet us and bless us.
As we pursue God, we must also remain aware of who it is we
are pursuing. Like the Psalmist in Ps 5:1, we must recognize that we pray to
“The LORD.” This name, "The LORD" is the name God revealed to Moses
in the burning bush. He is the one who is. While the rest of creation is in the
process of becoming and changing, God is the one who is. He is the one who does
not change, so he is most worthy of our trust. To him, we pray.
As the Psalmist
cries out in Ps 5:2, we can cry out, "my King and my God." God is
personal. He is not just “God,” he is “my God.” Sometimes when we pray in a
group, our prayers sound like we are talking to the people in the room and
giving information rather than relationally communing with God.
Sometimes we are so overwhelmed by what we are praying about
that we pay little attention to the one we are praying to. We want to be aware
of who it is we are talking to. He is our "Lord", "my King"
and "my God." To him we pray. The act of prayer soothes us and
comforts us as we remember that the Sovereign Lord who delights in us, is our
God who hears our prayers. With the NT, we possess the fullest revelation of
who God is. He is the God who sent Jesus to die for us while we were his
enemies, how much more as his adopted children should we run to him and cast
all our anxieties on him (1 Pet 5:7).
Early in the
life of Martin Luther, he did not have such a confidence. Luther had the
intention of becoming a lawyer until, one day in 1505, he was caught in a
thunderstorm. A bolt of lightning knocked him to the ground, and terrified, he
called out to Catholicism’s patroness of miners: “St Anne, save me! And I’ll
become a monk!” Luther kept his vow.
Luther did not know God and did not know how to pursue him. He
was so disciplined that he himself later said, “If ever a monk got to heaven by
his sheer monkery, it was I. Luther pushed his body to the limit. He sometimes
fasted for three days and slept without a blanket in freezing winter. He was
driven by a profound sense of his own sinfulness and of God’s unutterable
majesty. Luther admitted that he did not love God but hated him. Like Luther,
we rely on ourselves. We have our own versions of his Monkery, to justify
ourselves. It can even include long hours of prayer. In contrast, the Psalmist
invites us to know God as our Lord, my God, my King, and know that he answers. Like
the Psalmist we can turn to the Lord every morning to start the day and watch
expectantly.
Second, according to Ps 5:4-6, in times of trouble, we must remember the
Penalty for Sin.
Ps 5:4-6 speaks
of God’s relationship to sin in two ways. God is separate from sin and hostile
to sin.
Ps 5:4-6
First, God is separate from sin. God does not delight in
wickedness. Evil cannot dwell with God, and the boastful shall not stand before
his eyes. In Ps 5:4, the word “dwell” dampens the original meaning. God’s
holiness is so perfect that “evil cannot even sojourn with God.” Even a short,
temporary coexistence is utterly impossible. God is Holy, so there can be no
sin in him.[iii]
God is separate from sin, and he is also hostile to those
who sin. Psalm 5 has some of the hardest verses in the Bible so we must be
careful to read the whole Psalm to read the hard verses in their proper
content. According to Ps 5:5, God hates all evildoers. According to Ps 5:6, God
destroys those who speak lies. He abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
Application
Psalm 5:4 is a key text to talk about the severity of sin
and our need for forgiveness. In Psalm 5, Ps 5:4-6 are expressions of comfort
by the Psalmist. The Psalmist finds relief in knowing that his enemies will
know justice.
So, what does it means that God hates sinners? If we are not
balanced here, we are no longer biblical. Some texts like Ps 5, Prov 6, Ps 11:5
teach that God actively opposes sinners. This hatred that is consistent with
God’s holiness.
And this is not the whole picture, other verses, and there
are many more speak of God’s love towards those who hate him. So we can also
say that God loves everyone! This is Jonah 4:11, “11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great
city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right
hand from their left, …?” This is God’s love towards his enemy. According to
Luke 6:35-36, we must love our enemy and be merciful to be like our Father in
Heaven. We could also turn to John 3:16, or Rom 5:8 and the list goes on to see
God’s love towards his enemies.
We must be balanced. When people hold signs in the street,
that say, “God hates a particular type of sinner,” though there is a sense in
which it is true, and they can point to Psalm 5 if they want, if that is all
their sign says, it is not helpful, it mischaracterizes God, it does not
present a balanced picture of God’s posture towards sinners, and pushes people
away through provocation. So I don’t want to see anyone of you with those
signs, okay?
In the context of Psalm 3-5, David's son, Absalom, betrayed
David and pursued him with an army to kill him. David must have been
heartbroken that his own son was hunting him down. Yet, with an army of
enemies, David could find comfort in knowing that God hates the wicked and
judges those who are bloodthirsty. Like David, we can find comfort and relief
that God is a just judge and the wicked will be judged because there is a
penalty for sin.
For Luther, the doctrine of God’s holiness, because he did
not know God intimately, led him to despair. Luther, when he led Mass, thought
to himself, “Who am I that I should lift up my eyes or raise my hands to the
divine majesty? For I am dust and ashes and full of sin.” Luther could not pray
like the Psalmist because he was convinced he was a doomed sinner.
Conclusion
Like David we can find comfort in knowing that our God is a
just God. A just God punishes sins so he punishes our sins. Christians know
that Jesus took that punishment for them.
Now, like David, we may suffer from the sins of others, but
our God will one day make all things right. God's holiness and justice comfort
us, provided it is accompanied by the next point.
Third, according to Ps 5:7-8, in times of Trouble, we must look at God’s
Provision through his Steadfast Love
Ps 5:7-8
If Psalm 5 ended at verse 6, we would all be in despair. But
verse 7 begins with the most beautiful words for a sinner: “But I....” Still
answering the question, How can we enjoy God in times of trouble, Psalm 5:7-8
presents the gospel. Ps 5:7 is a contrast with Ps 5:4. Ps 5:4 reads, “Evil may
not dwell or sojourn with you”, and now Ps 5:7, “But I, through the abundance
of your steadfast love, will enter your house.”
This is remarkable faith in God’s character! The Psalmist
does not hint at a righteousness that he has earned as a basis for belonging in
God’s presence. In Ps 5:8, he says the opposite. He acknowledged being a sinner
when he says, “Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness.”
This confession is at the heart of the Christian message. While
God is Holy and no evil can be in God’s presence, and everyone has sinned,
there is a way for sinners to enter the presence of God. Ps 5:7 teaches that
entering into the presence of God is obtained “through the abundance of [God's]
steadfast love.” God makes a way to cleanse us so we can enter his presence!
Application
David knew
God’s saving grace that he grants to sinners who trust in him. Though Martin
Luther had a rough start, the following marked his transformation. In 1515,
while pondering Paul’s letter to the Romans, Luther came upon the words of Rom
1:17, "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for
faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” The phrase,
"the righteous shall live by faith,” brought him relief. He knew that as a
sinner he was liable to God's judgment, but now he also knew that by God’s
grace alone, through faith alone, God declares us in right relationship with
him. Luther realized the "righteousness of God" wasn't just a
standard God uses to judge us, but a gift God gives us. Luther understood that
Man is saved from God judgment for sins only through faith on the basis of
Christ’s sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. Luther had come to his famous
doctrine of justification through faith alone. Psalm 5:7 is the heart of the
Christian message. In the OT, the saints looked forward, and now we look back
on God’s provision in Christ. Through his death, we enter God's house, through
the abundance of God's steadfast love.
Fourth, according to Ps 5:9-12, we can find Refuge under his Protection
Ps 5:9-12
Ps 5:9-12 contrast the wicked and the righteous and God
promises to protect the righteous in times of trouble.
Ps 5:9-10 is about the judgment of the wicked. Their
wickedness knows no bounds. There is no truth in their mouth. They are bound
for destruction. They will bear their guilt. In contrast, of those who seek
refuge in God enjoy his protection. The Psalmist says in Ps 5:11, “Let them all
rejoice, let them sing for joy.” The Psalm ends, “For you bless the righteous,
O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield.”
Application
This Psalm reveals the kind of faith and joy we can have in
difficult circumstances. On one hand, God had promised that David would have a
Son who would sit on his throne forever in 2 Sam 7. A few chapters later,
David’s reality is that his son Absolom wants to kill him to ascend to his
throne. Psalm 5 joins Psalm 3 and 4 to remind the reader of the Psalms that
faith and joy are possible for those who find refuge in God.
Once Luther had
his newfound faith, he confronted the world’s most powerful Church organization
in his time, the 16th Century Catholic Church. He condemned
financial abuses, the spiritual abuse of the indulgences, and other issues. While
the church excommunicated Luther, some followed him, helped him, and provided
for him.
There was a famous exchange between a Cardinal and Luther. The
Cardinal asked Luther, “Where will you find shelter if your patron, the Elector
of Saxony, should desert you?” Luther, very much like the end of Psalm 5,
answered, “Under the Shelter of Heaven.”
No matter what consumes us emotionally, the Lord covers us
with his favor, that is like a shield. We will endure hardship and heartache,
but God's shield remains. Our biggest problem is our sin that separates us from
God, and through his steadfast love allows us to enter his house, he leads us
in righteousness, and our eternity is secure. "God doesn't always change
the weather of our trouble, but He always offers His house as a storm
shelter."
Conclusion
We have been asking, “How can we enjoy God in times of
trouble?” Psalm 5 teaches that when we are in trouble, we must Pursue God in
prayer, remember God punishes evil, God provides through his steadfast love,
and he promises to protect us.
God does protect us and I mean that even though Christian
die in accidents every day. We have access to God’s presence today in Christ by
the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and that access is protected no matter what
comes our way. And by “whatever comes our way” I mean imprisonment, death of
family members, chronic pain, a betrayal, and whatever we can think of. It is
easy to say, when we are healthy and free, but this Psalm applies to all
Christians in all circumstances as many who have suffered testify. This Psalm
is true for us as well.
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