Journal for Christ: Cast Yourself on the Mercy of God

It's been a little over two weeks since my last blog entry. I actually had this basically finished at the end of last week but I sat on it for several days. I have not slept well these last few days. Please pray that I am able to get more sleep than I have lately. This is a continuing problem I have. Some good has come out of the delay. I have been able to make some additions and corrections these past two days and feel it is ready to share now.

July 7, 2020, 2020

Worship in WORD

Psalm 3O ← Here’s a link to the complete Psalm

8 To you, O Lord, I called;

to the Lord I cried for mercy:

9 "What gain is there in my destruction,d

in my going down into the pit?

Will the dust praise you?

Will it proclaim your faithfulness?

10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me;

O Lord, be my help."

NIV

8 I cried out to you, O Lord.

I begged the Lord for mercy, saying,

9 "What will you gain if I die,

if I sink into the grave?

Can my dust praise you?

Can it tell of your faithfulness?

10 Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me.

Help me, O Lord ."

8 I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication.

9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?

10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.

KJV

8 To you, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy:

9 “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?

10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!”

ESV

I. Personal/Public Purpose - Title

II. Personal Praise: vs. 1- 3

III. Public Exhortation & Encouragement: vs. 4 - 5

IV. Personal Plea: vs. 6 - 10

V. Personal/Public Praise: vs. 11 – 12

And what was David’s plea? What mercy did he appeal to God for?

9 "What gain is there in my destruction,

in my going down into the pit?

Will the dust praise you?

Will it proclaim your faithfulness?

10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me;

O Lord, be my help."

In verse nine, he begins his petition with an argument in the form of three questions. In verse ten, he finishes with three desired responses to his prayer.

3 Questions:

1. What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit?

2. Will the dust praise you?

3. Will it proclaim your faithfulness?

3 Responses:

1. Hear, O Lord, - Hear me

2. and be merciful to me; - Have mercy on me

3. O Lord, be my help. – Help me

Here we could get bogged down into the Old Testament believer’s concept of the afterlife. I do not want to take the time here to get entangled in this question. Suffice it to say that I believe the OT teaches that there is a part of a person that continues consciously after the body dies, though not as clear perhaps as in the New Testament.

* see below where I have quoted a portion of an article on death).

The question that arises in my mind when I read this is, “Is King David’s desire inferior to that of the Apostle Paul’s?” After all, David asks, “what gain is there” if I die? Paul says, however, “to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).

If we take a closer look, I think we will see that their desires are quite similar. First, let us consider the context in which Paul is writing. That is, the situation he found himself in at this time. The Apostle was writing from prison (probably Rome, though Ephesus or Caesarea have been suggested as well). He wasn’t sure if he was going to be executed or released. Yet he rejoiced in the spread of the gospel due to his imprisonment (see Phil. 1:12-18a).

Next, he continues to rejoice not only for the spread of the gospel but also in the hope of his release. See what he writes in verses 18b-20:

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, ¹⁹ for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. ²⁰ I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
NIV

It is in this context that Paul wrote verse 21, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain (NIV).” However, he does not stop here. We need to look at what Paul says following his declaration in Philippians 1:21. In doing so, we will see where David’s and Paul’s motives are, in essence, the same. For he goes on to say:

²² If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! ²³ I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; ²⁴ but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.
Phil. 1:22- 24 NIV

Paul saw death as gain (for himself), but for the sake of the Philippian believers, he felt it was more crucial that he remain. The Apostle desired to glorify Christ as well as edify Christ’s followers.

Now, what was David's desire? I believe the answer is implied in the very questions he asks. If King David died, his dead body could not sing God’s praises as a witness before the congregation of those who worshiped God. He could not compose psalms by which others could glorify God.

30:8-10 David had prayed for the Lord to be gracious to him. He had based his request on the fact that, if God allowed him to die, he would not be able to glorify the Lord with his public praises any longer. Consequently, David would not be able to honor God among His people. David based his petition on the glory of God, not on his own selfish desires (cf. James 4:2-3).
(from Thomas Constable's Notes on the Bible. Copyright © March 4, 2014 by Thomas L. Constable. All rights reserved. Used by permission.)

It is true; he would be in the joyful presence of God (Psalm 16: 11). Yet how would his death demonstrate the faithfulness of God? Wouldn’t his death be fodder for the mockers?

So David was concerned here about the glory of God and the welfare of God’s people.

Matthew Henry says (** see full quote below):

The best pleas in prayer are those that are taken from God's honour; and then we ask aright for life when we have that in view, that we may live and praise him.(from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, PC Study Bible Formatted Electronic Database Copyright © 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All Rights reserved.)

Worship in Witness:

However, reasoning in prayer must not be the sum of our pleas, lest we think that our arguments somehow moved the heart of God, and we become proud. Instead, I believe, they clarify in our mind, what our needs are. They help us examine the motives behind what we are asking for. David’s petition was for the glory of God and the good of others. Still, he knew that God answers prayer according to His gracious designs. So David casts himself on the mercy of God in verse 10 in the form of three petitions:

1. Hear

2. Have mercy

3. Help

In verse 10 is the same form of prayer (in shorter form), as found in Psalm 28:1-2. There, I had a similar outline:

¹ To you I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit. ² Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.

Psalm 28:1-2 NIV

In Psalm 28, David’s enemies were individuals. Here in Psalm 30, the enemy seems to be an illness. In either case, the same prayer can be prayed. And the same God will hear and answer in love and according to His will and for His glory.

One final point. God will hear, but His answer may not result in deliverance from death or harm or illness. Yet it still will be answered in love, according to His will, and for His glory. And this all for the good of His people. So we may come to the Lord with this question:

‘What glory will God have from this?’ This is the right question, though the answer is not for us to give: cf. John 12:27f (emphasis added)Kidner, D. (1973). Psalms 1–72: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 15, p. 147). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Notice the reference to John 12. Here is a passage that is the supreme example of the final point I am trying to make:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D4L9qqZW0AUrloc.jpg:larg

Our Lord did not plead against the purpose of God. He embraced it. And in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed, “not my will, but Yours be done” (Lk. 22:42). And so, Jesus ... “for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame...”NASU

I believe this is what Paul, in essence, prayed as well.

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/dc/ee/a4/dceea4f298c1a1540cd72abdf57379d1.jpg

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/MEIQ_Wla7uI/maxresdefault.jpg

Worship in Song: The Glory of God by Joe Day

What can I give unto you, my Lord

For you are of infinite worth

The sum of my songs, and the cry of my heart

The breath that descends to earth

The deepest parts of the universe

Are not strangers to your hand

The highest mountains the furthest of seas

Forgotten and untold lands

There’s a song that is sung by the saints that have come

And have gone from under the sun

Those that are present before your throne

Sing endlessly

The Glory of God!

Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks

And honor and power and strength

Be to our God forever and ever and ever

Amen

What can I give unto you, my Lord

For you are of infinite worth

The sum of my songs, and the cry of my heart

The breath that descends to earth

What cry can the deepest of sorrows bring

That you do not well understand

What laugh can the outburst of joy not sing

Of the providence brought by your hand

There’s a song that is sung by the saints that have come

And have gone from under the sun

Those that are present before your throne

Sing endlessly

The Glory of God!

Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks

And honor and power and strength

Be to our God forever and ever and ever

Amen

There’s a song that is sung by the saints that have come

And have gone from under the sun

Those that are present before your throne

Sing endlessly

The Glory of God! (repeat)

Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks

And honor and power and strength

Be to our God forever and ever and ever

Amen (repeat)

Lyrics: https://justicetheline.wordpress.com/2011/07/07/the-glory-of-god-by-joe-day/

Note: Adapted from the source I obtained the lyrics from, to reflect the actual flow of the song.

Video: https://youtu.be/O509Ghl5NNc

* DEATH

In the Bible, death is more than the cessation of all physiological processes. By divine command (Ps 90:3), the body returns to dust and the spirit goes back to God who gave it (Gen 2:7; Eccl 12:7). Those who die are said to be gathered to their people (Gen 25:8; 35:29; 49:33).

This gathering is often seen as a reference to the central repository of the family tomb where eventually everyone's bones were thrown. Abraham's people, however, were buried around Haran (Gen 24:4,10). Only he and Sarah were buried in Canaan (Gen 23:19; 25:9). Jacob is gathered to his people at death, but not buried until at least seven weeks later (49:33; 50:3,10).

When Jacob says he is "going down" to Joseph (Gen 37:35), he cannot be referring to a common burial since no one knew where Joseph's body was. Deceased Samuel told Saul he and his sons would be with him the next day (1 Sam 28:19). He could not have meant they would all be buried together the next day since Saul's headless body was buried in Jabesh Gilead some time after his death (1 Sam 31:9-11). David said of his dead son, "I will go to him, but he will not return to me" (2 Sam 12:23).

Samuel was buried in his house at Ramah (1 Sam 25:1); but in 28:13,15, he comes up from the earth to Saul at Endor protesting that he has been disturbed. The intense emotional reaction of Saul and the medium, as well as their remarks about Samuel, indicate that they believed they had actually seen his departed spirit. Had this been some sort of demonic delusion, the narrator would certainly have been obligated to call this to the attention of his audience.

It is difficult to avoid the fact that in the Old Testament people believed a person's physical remains were interred in one place, and that part of the person capable of consciousness and personality went to another location. The gathering to one's people was an event taking place before burial at the time of death.

** Psalms 30:6-12

(1.) What he pleaded, v. 9. [1.] That God would be no gainer by his death: What profit is there in my blood? implying that he would willingly die if he could thereby do any real service to God or his country (Phil 2:17), but he saw not what good could be done by his dying in the bed of sickness, as might be if he had died in the bed of honour. "Lord," says he, "wilt thou sell one of thy own people for nought and not increase thy wealth by the price?" Ps 44:12. Nay [2.] That, in his honour, God would seem to be a loser by his death: Shall the dust praise thee? The sanctified spirit, which returns to God, shall praise him, shall be still praising him; but the dust, which returns to the earth, shall not praise him, nor declare his truth. The services of God's house cannot be performed by the dust; it cannot praise him; there is none of that device or working in the grave, for it is the land of silence. The promises of God's covenant cannot be performed to the dust. "Lord," says David, "if I die now, what will become of the promise made to me? Who shall declare the truth of that?" The best pleas in prayer are those that are taken from God's honour; and then we ask aright for life when we have that in view, that we may live and praise him.

Psalms 30:9; Psalms 30:10

Some Further Quotes:

· 10. Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.

What a handy prayer this is, a prayer to carry about with you wherever you go! “Lord, be thou my Helper.” That is a minister’s prayer when he was going to preach. That is a Sunday-school teacher’s prayer when going to the class. Is not that a prayer for the sufferer when the pain upon him is very severe? “Lord, be thou my Helper.” Art thou working for him? Art thou cast down in soul? This prayer will suit thee: “Lord, be thou my Helper.”

· Trouble is sent in mercy. It subserves a blessed end. It rouses the sleepy soul from dangerous lethargy. It is a scourge which drives the careless to the mercy-seat. Here, when God's smile ceases, importunate petitions are in full activity. The gate of mercy opens to the returning knock. Faith is an inventive grace. From every trouble it can draw a plea. It here reasons, “My destruction brings no glory to the courts of heaven; if my lips are silent in the grave, no longer can my praise be heard; my grateful tribute can no more set forth Your truth.” Then the prayer renews its strength, and cries for audience, mercy, help.

· [shall the dust praise thee?] that is, men, whose original is dust, being reduced to dust again, as the body at death, when laid in the grave, and corrupted there, is; this lifeless dust cannot praise the Lord: the soul indeed dies not with the body; nor does it sleep in the grave with it; nor is it unemployed in heaven; but is continually engaged in the high praises of God: but the sense of the psalmist is, that should he die, and be buried, and be reduced to dust, he should no more praise the Lord in the land of the living, among men, to the glory of divine grace and goodness; so that this revenue of his glory would be lost. Shall it declare thy truth? Either the truth of the Gospel, which lies in the word of God; or rather the faithfulness of God in the performance of his promises; see Ps 40:10; Isa 38:18,19.

· Nevertheless he who is thus chastened prayed fervently. The futures in v. 9, standing as they do in the full flow of the narration, have the force of imperfects, of "the present in the past" as the Arabian grammarians call it. From the question "What profit is there (the usual expression for ti' o'felos, quid lucri) in my blood?", it is not to be inferred that David was in danger of death by the hand of a foe; for wtrp°ny in v. 3 teaches us very different, "what profit would there be in my blood?" is therefore equivalent to (cf. Job 16:18) what advantage would there be in Thy slaying me before my time? On the contrary God would rob Himself of the praise, which the living one would render to Him, and would so gladly render. His request that his life may be prolonged was not, therefore, for the sake of worldly possessions and enjoyment, but for the glory of God.

Journal for Christ

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Cast Yourself on the Mercy of God

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