Series: Psalms
Title: Cry Unto God Most High
Text: Ps 57:1-3
Date: Thursday, February 20
Place: SGBC, NJ
Psalm 57: 1: « To the chief Musician,
Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave. » Be
merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee:
yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these
calamities be overpast. 2: I will cry unto God most high; unto God that
performeth all things for me. 3: He shall send from heaven, and save me from
the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his
mercy and his truth.
In the title of this Psalm “To the chief
Musician” means David would have this song sung by the very best musician. “Altaschith” means “destroy not”. This
is a “Michtam of David” meaning it is “a golden, instructive Psalm.” The time when David wrote this Psalm is “when
he fled from Saul in the cave.” David fled
from Saul and found shelter in the clefts of the rock. Saul and some of his men slept in the cave as
David and his men hid against the wall. At
some point during that great trouble, David wrote this song.
Subject: Cry Unto God Most High
Proposition: When we are in any trial, cry unto God
most High.
THE BELIEVERS MOST COMMON CRY
Psalm 57: 1: Be merciful unto me, O God,
be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy
wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
God’s people most often cry to God for
mercy. In 133 verses in the Psalms, David
begs mercy from God—sometimes multiple times in a verse as he does here. It is mercy for God to send trials to hedge
up our way and shut us up to his mercy. The
trial itself is mercy from God. Any
trial that leaves us no where else to turn but God is an act of God’s mercy. Concerning
the dark cloud of trial, “He causeth it to come, whether for correction,
or for his land, or for mercy” (Job 37:13). When
his child cries for mercy God showers us with new mercies.
Someone wrote, “It may be a tedious and a painful process;
faith may be long and sharply tried, yet the blessings it will bring forth will
more than repay for all the weeping, and suffering, and crying, it has
occasioned. Do not be surprised, then, at any severe trial of faith; be sure that
when it is thus tried, God is about to bring your soul into the possession of
some great and perhaps hitherto unexperienced mercy.”
Everything a sinner needs for salvation is
of God’s mercies.
Lamentations 3:
22: It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his
compassions fail not. 23: They are new every morning: great is thy
faithfulness.
To those of us who are real sinners in
need of God’s mercies, God says, “Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and
your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the
sure mercies of David” (Is 53: 3).
Why did David ask God to be merciful to
him—"for my soul trusteth in thee:”
David knew that God would never let him be ashamed for trusting
God. It is true that it is only by God’s
mercy that God gives us faith to trust him—faith is the gift of God’s grace. But it is also true that those who trust in
God shall never be ashamed for trusting him.
The sons of Reuben made war against the
Hagarites—"And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were
delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God
in the battle, and he was intreated of them; because they put their trust in
him” (1Ch 5:20).
In another battle—“…the children of Judah
prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers (2 Ch 13:
18).
Yet another battle—"Were not the
Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet,
because thou didst rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand” (2 Ch 16:
8).
Why is a sinner saved from our sins? Why are we kept by God trusting Christ?
Isaiah 26: 3: Thou
wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on
thee: because he trusteth in thee” (Isa 26:3).
Psalm 32:10: Many
sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall
compass him about.
Hebrews 11: 6: But
without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh
to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently
seek him.” (Heb 11:6)
Is anyone a sinner who needs God’s mercy?
Is anyone in bitter trial in need of strength? "Trust ye in the
LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength” (Isa 26:4).
Then David gives a beautiful picture—"yea,
in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be
overpast.” The life of a
believer is a life of calamities—a life of “tempests of wickedness,
storms of afflictions.” But in a storm
the little chicks huddle under the wings of the mother hen. So our refuge is under the wings of our
Redeemer. Between us and the storm of
affliction Christ stands in the gap, the refuge to protect his people. So it was that Christ stood on the cross
between his people and the curse of the law, the wrath of God’s justice. He bore everything his people earned by our
sins. We will never have to bear it
because every believer is under his wings.
Brethren don’t miss this. When the calamity comes, remember, they will
soon be “overpast”. Like a severe
thunderstorm, they come but they pass away.
Our calamities are matters of
time, but our refuge in Christ is a matter of eternity.
Oh, what mercy for God to send his child a
calamity to graciously make us take refuge under Christ’s wings to make us cry
for mercy and trust Christ.
OUR FOUNDATION
Psalm
57: 2: I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things
for me.
What is our foundation for trusting
God? Why do we expect God will save us
who trust him?
One, because of who he is
—"I will cry unto God most high.” David was up against Saul who had 3000
men. They entered the very cave where David
and his men were hiding. But Saul was
only the king of Israel; Christ is the King of kings and Lord of lords. Our
Savior of absolutely sovereign over all!
The same one who laid down his life for you believer is now risen and
reigning, “Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every
name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22:
And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all
things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in
all” (Eph 1: 21-22).
“When we trust
in the Most High, the giants of the earth are changed into pitiful dwarfs.”
Two, we expect he will save us because of
what he does—"I will cry unto God most high; unto God that
performeth all things for me.” “All things”
includes everything in the salvation of God’s elect. God does it ALL for us. Christ did not put way some of our sins; he put
away ALL the sins of ALL God’s elect. He did not leave a part for us to do; he said
of it ALL, “It is finished!” His
righteousness that wraps us as robe is not a partial garment; he wove it ALL
from top to bottom with no seams. Believer,
we do not have to fight—our warfare is ACCOMPLISHED. We do not have to wash away our sins; before God
they are ALL gone. What about the cares of
this life?—Peter said, "Cast ALL your care upon him for he careth for you.”
Spurgeon: “Why do you fear where you never ought to
have hoped? Instead of fearing that you
cannot hold on, despair of holding on yourself and never look in that direction
again! If the preservation is of God, where is the cause for anxiety with you?
In Him let your entire reliance be fixed.”
The apostle Paul said I am confident of this, “that he which hath
begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”
(Php 1:6). The apostle Peter
said, “The God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory
by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect [performeth
could be translated perfect], stablish, strengthen, settle you” (1 Pet 5:10).
Three, our ground for trusting Christ is that God
performs at all times for me—"God that PERFORMETH all things
for me.” You know the old English “eth” ending means continual, ongoing action. He has, he is and he shall save me! “In everything give thanks, for this is [this
very day this trial is] the will of God for you”
Four, my ground for trusting God is this
is particular grace. Take out
the words added by the translators—"God that performeth FOR ME.” If you are chosen child of God then on the cross Christ was
performing for you in particular. If you
were redeemed by Christ’s precious blood, when he crossed your path with the
gospel he was performing for you in particular.
If right now his child is suffering a trial, God is performing for you
in particular—"this is the will of God FOR YOU.”
THE SURE OUTCOME
Psalm 57: 3: He shall send from heaven,
and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God
shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
This is what every believer can expect God
to do for us—"He shall send from heaven, and save me from the
reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah.” Where
are you looking to be saved from the reproach of him that would swallow you up?
Are you looking to heaven or earth; to man or your Maker? To the creature or the
Creator? Look to our Savior alone! He shall!
He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that
would swallow me up. Meditate on that
truth.
What is a believer to expect from God?—"God
shall send forth his mercy and his truth.” God sent forth his mercy and his truth
when he sent Christ forth; “By mercy and truth iniquity is purged.” It is done! Christ Jesus justified everyone for whom he
died in truth and justice. At the same
time, God saved all his elect by mercy.
Therefore, God shall continue to save me
by his mercy and his truth. Flee to
Christ, trusting God our Savior to save.
Believer, he has, he is and he shall!
AMEN!