Title: Christ’s
Dealing with Enemies
Text: Ps 70:1-5
Date: Oct 4, 2020
Place: SGBC, NJ
Psalm
70: 1: « To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, to bring to
remembrance. » 1: Make haste,
O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O LORD. 2: Let them be ashamed and
confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to
confusion, that desire my hurt. 3: Let them be turned back for a reward of their
shame that say, Aha, aha. 4: Let
all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy
salvation say continually, Let God be magnified. 5: But I am poor and needy: make
haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no
tarrying.
David wrote this
Psalm to bring to remembrance our Lord Jesus—what our Substitute suffered for
his people, how our great High Priest intercedes for us, the sure salvation from
every enemy by our King. David suffered
this and believers suffer similar things. David was in a dire need of help—"Make
haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O LORD.”
The devil had used sinful
men to seek David’s soul, desiring his hurt. They spread rumors, backbiting, shamefully mocking
David. He prayed for deliverance from
his enemies—"Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul:
let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt. Let
them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha.”
David asked God’s
help, not only for himself, but for his brethren—"Let all those that
seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say
continually, Let God be magnified.”
Again, David asks help
for himself—"But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art
my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying.”
Proposition: When a child of God suffers something similar, we must
remember that Christ endured even more to save his people from our sins and
Christ is our great High Priest who ever lives to make intercession for us.
SAVED BY PERFECT
FAITH
Psalm 70: 1: Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste
to help me, O LORD.
In order to glorify
the Father and save his people, the Son of God humbled himself to the point of
utter dependence upon his Father as a Man.
Only humble faith pleases God our Father.
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.
Christ said, “Except
we become as a little child…” (Mt 18: 3-6). Christ is the one humble Faithful Son of God who
trusted his Father as a little child perfectly.
He did it for his people. God’s
elect were in Christ. When he trusted
the Father perfectly, we trusted the Father perfectly.
We see Christ’s perfect
Faith. THE Deliverer asked, “Make haste, O God, to deliver me.” This is how sinners, unable to
deliver ourselves, were delivered from our sins. THE Deliverer asked the Father
to deliver me! He did so in perfect humility. In perfect faith. Left in our sin, we would not glorify the Father
by asking God to deliver us from our sins.
Even as believers our faith is so small and so mixed with pride. During trials, we ask in faith to be
delivered. But while we ask, in unbelief
we try to deliver ourselves. Christ is the Faith of our faith! Our faith, itself, cannot save us. We are
justified by THE FAITH OF CHRIST. That is
why we believe in Christ! (Gal 2:16)
We see Christ’s
perfect Faith. THE Helper of the helpless, cried, “Make haste to help me, O
LORD.” The world has a saying that God
helps those who help themselves! No! God only helps those who cannot help
themselves! God has to bring us to be
utterly helpless before we will truly, in faith, ask God to help! But Christ willingly condescended to a state
of perfect helplessness that he might look to the Father to help in perfect faith. Christ helped us by crying in perfect
faith, “Make haste to help me, O LORD.”
So remember, believer, Christ’s perfect Faith is the
faith of our faith! He is the Author and
Finisher of our faith. Christ
established righteousness by having a perfect holy, sanctified heart of faith
in his Father. We see Christ’s perfect faith toward the Father while he suffered
in our room and stead. This is how he is
our Holiness as well as our Righteousness!
SAVED FROM TEMPTATIONS
Psalm 70: 2: Let them
be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward,
and put to confusion, that desire my hurt. 3: Let them be turned back for a
reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha.
We see Christ’s faith as he withstood the devil’s
greatest temptations. It was the devil
who sought after Christ’s soul and desired his hurt. Remember that, believer. The devil uses men. But we are not wrestling against men!
Ephesians 6: 12: For
we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places. 13: Wherefore take unto you the whole armour
of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all,
to stand.
The armor of God is Christ himself. Flee to Christ. He was tempted by the devil using sinful men
who circled him on the cross, mocking him with, “Aha, aha!” This was temptation like when the devil
tempted him in the wilderness. As soon
as Christ was baptized and entered his public ministry, the devil tempted him. The devil tempted our Savior by questioning
his profession of being the Son of God.
Likewise, as soon as a young believer publicly confesses
Christ in baptism, immediately the devil begins to tempt. The devil’s desire is
to stir up our flesh, our sinful old nature to take matters into our own hands
to defend ourselves as being who we profess to be. The Lord Jesus had no sinful nature. But notice how the devil tempted our Redeemer
by questioning his profession as the Son of God.
Matthew 4: 1: Then
was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2:
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
3: And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God,
command that these stones be made bread. 4: But he answered and said, It is
written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of God. 5: Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city,
and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6: And saith unto him, If thou be
the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels
charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest
at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7: Jesus said unto him, It is
written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8: Again, the devil
taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms
of the world, and the glory of them; 9: And saith unto him, All these things
will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10: Then saith Jesus
unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord
thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11: Then the devil leaveth him, and,
behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
Each time the devil questioned Christ’s sonship. Each time the devil used something that would
have appealed to our sinful flesh: hunger, pride, covetousness and so on. It this had been us pride would have easily
made us defend ourselves as a true son of God.
Our sinful flesh’s love of money would have easily turned us; the devil
has won more souls by giving them promotions in life than any other way. But each time Christ turned to scripture. Each time he cast himself upon the care of
God his Father.
Brethren, we only endure the devil’s tempting by fleeing
to Christ. We even depend upon Christ to
keep us fleeing to him during temptation.
It is Christ’s Faithfulness sustaining us in faith. I pray he make us flee to him, to his word,
to his throne of grace.
So again around the
cross, as our Savior hung there bearing the sin of his people, the shame and
curse of his people, the devil tempted Christ by questioning his profession using
sinful men to speak “shame, saying, Aha, aha.”
Mark 15: 29: And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads,
and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in
three days, 30: Save thyself, and come down from the cross. 31: Likewise also
the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved
others; himself he cannot save. 32: Let Christ the King of Israel descend now
from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with
him reviled him.
What they said was true.
Christ is the one who destroyed the temple. He was speaking of his body. He said I lay down my life myself. No man takes it from it. Three days later he took it up again.
In order for him to save others, he could not save
himself. He was bearing the sin and shame
of his people; bearing the cruel mocking of hell for his people; bearing being
forsaken of God on our behalf to satisfy justice for us to present us perfect to
the Father. So no, he could not save
himself because he gave his life to save his people.
And they that were crucified
with him reviled him. But what happened when the Spirit of Christ
entered that elect thief? He stopped
condemning Christ and condemned himself!
Oh, how we need the Spirit of Christ at all times!
Do you see how the devil tempts? He questions our name, our character, our
profession using men to say, “Aha, aha!”
It is shameful to backbite. Sinful
pride predicts what will happen to a person then hopes the prediction comes to
pass so pride can say, “Aha, aha! I was right!
Our eye saw it beforehand. We are
so wise. We knew it would happen!” That is what Christ says they did of him.
Psalm 35: 21: Yea,
they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye
hath seen it. 22: This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence:
O Lord, be not far from me. 23: Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even
unto my cause, my God and my Lord. 24: Judge me, O LORD my God, according to
thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me. 25: Let them not say in
their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him
up.
That was our Savior’s
response to the devil’s tempting. He looked
to the Father alone. He believed the Father
perfectly. He said,
Isaiah 50: 6: I gave
my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid
not my face from shame and spitting. 7: For the Lord GOD will help me;
therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be ashamed. 8: He is near that justifieth
me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine
adversary? let him come near to me.
Trusting his Father, he
glorified God to the highest! He Authored
and Finished our faith. Our Redeemer brought
in everlasting Righteousness for us, put away our sins and justified us forever. So let us look to Christ when the devil tempts.
SAVED FROM ENEMIES
Psalm 70: 2: Let them
be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward,
and put to confusion, that desire my hurt. 3: Let them be turned back for a
reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha. 4: Let all those that seek thee
rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say
continually, Let God be magnified.
Not only does Christ
save us from our sins, he saves us from our enemies by keeping us in faith.
Christ intercedes against
the enemies of his people—"Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek
after my soul.” Christ and his
people are so one that when the devil and his seed seek after your soul,
believer, Christ says they “seek after my soul.” Christ intercedes, “Let them be turned
backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt.” Any enemy desiring your
hurt, believer, is an enemy desiring Christ’s hurt because you are one. This is Christ intercession against our enemies—"Let
them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha.”
But also Christ prays
to the Father for his redeemed saying, “Let all those that seek thee rejoice
and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let
God be magnified.” We only seek
Christ because he gives life and faith. And the only way we continue is because
our great High Priest intercedes continually, saying, “Let all those that
seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee.” We
only love his salvation because Christ put love in our hearts. And the only way love is renewed within our
new man continually is by Christ praying, “let such as love thy salvation
say continually, Let God be magnified.”
Brethren, when
trouble comes, go to Christ, crying, “Let God be magnified!” All is of our Sovereign Christ, both, in our
enemies and in you and I his people! By
passing by the devil’s seed they seek after our soul and desire our
hurt. But, even using our enemies,
Christ makes the believer seek Christ and love his salvation. By Christ leaving the devil’s seed to
themselves they say, “Aha, aha.” But
even in the midst of that very mockery, Christ makes his people, “say
continually, Let God be magnified.”
For those who are his
enemies, Christ prays, “Let them be ashamed and confounded.” But for his own Christ prays, “Let them rejoice
and be glad in thee.” Shame and confoundment
are of Christ as a reward of the sinner’s own enmity and unbelief. Likewise, rejoicing and gladness are of Christ
as a reward of God’s own sovereign grace and love! Believer Christ shall never let you be
ashamed for trusting him. But he shall
confound all who seek your hurt.
Psalm 35: 26: Let them
be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them
be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me. 27:
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let
them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the
prosperity of his servant. 28: And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and
of thy praise all the day long.
Isaiah 66: 5: Hear
the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated
you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but
he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.
David wrote this Psalm 70 when Absalom was after him. This
was David’s prayer. Let me tell you what
happened. Absalom’s counselor Ahithophel
counseled Absalom saying, [I am paraphrasing] “I will go out with a small band
of soldiers after David. I will kill your father only. Then all his men will come back with me and
serve you Absalom.” It pleased Absalom.
But something moved Absalom to ask another counselor. Hushai said, “Absalom, you know your father. He is a mighty warrior. He is hiding in some pit. He will slaughter Ahithophel and his little
band of soldiers. Then all Israel will say Absalom has been defeated and they
will follow David.” He appealed to Absalom’s
pride. He said, “you need to go
out yourself with all your soldiers, so you can kill them all and you
can get all the glory.” Here is
the result and the reason Absalom was given that counsel.
2 Samuel 17: 14: And
Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is
better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the
good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon
Absalom.
It was the LORD’s way of turning David’s enemies from
David and destroying them. So the Lord
sent word to David, spared him and killed Absalom.
Believer, when the devil
tempts, when he uses the enemy to mock, and to backbite, remember, we wrestle not
against flesh and blood; this is the devil trying to destroy us.
Remember, Christ our
King is in charge. Christ suffered the
same shameful mocking. He shall not let
you be confounded or ashamed for trusting him.
Christ is our Faith and our Righteousness! He may allow us to suffer for a long while
like he did Joseph. But the promise
shall come and the latter end shall be better than the beginning.
So flee to Christ, crying,
with the same brokenness as David, “But I am poor and needy: make haste unto
me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying.” The Lord promises his people, for the
sake of Christ his Son,
Joel 2: 26: And ye
shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your
God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.
27 And ye shall know that I am in
the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none
else: and my people shall never be ashamed.
Romans 9: 33: As it
is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever
believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Amen!