Psalm 142
Sermon preached at Barclay Church, Edinburgh by Rev D. Graham Leitch
14 July 2002

One of the most appealing things about the Bible is its honesty. The trouble with some biographies of the famous, particularly when they are commissioned by the famous themselves or written by their friends is that they can be so selective. Only one side of the coin - the good side - the polished side of the subject’s life is presented.

THE BIBLE PICTURES REAL PEOPLE
The Bible is different - it paints pictures of its great heroes “warts and all!” It reports with equal candour their triumphs and their tragedies - the good and the bad.

Peter, in the New Testament, is a good example of this. The Bible reports both the height of Simon Peter’s insight - when in response to Jesus question “Who do you say that I am?” he confessed “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” and the extent of his deceit - when, after Jesus arrest (accused of being one of Jesus’ friends), he blurted out “I know not the man!”

Here is one of the great boons of the Bible In it we come face to face with REAL people. And because human nature and the human spirit’s the same today as it has always been since Adam fell, again and again we find our experiences and moods and feelings and needs reflected in the lives of the people it portrays.

THE EXAMPLE OF DAVID
David, who wrote many of the Psalms (including the one we read a few minutes ago) is certainly one of the best examples in the Old Testament. Into the fabric of his life are woven golden threads of conspicuous victories - such as his famous victory over Goliath - along with the darker threads of his moral failures - such as his infamous adulterous relationship with Bathsheba.

David’s early years had been years of promise. Things has gone well for him. He was may be just the youngest son of his father, but Samuel the prophet had identified him as the one who would be Israel’s next King and anointed him. In the days of the war against the Philistines he had become a hero by defeating Goliath. He had been welcomed into King Saul’s household and been promoted to high rank in his army. Everyone admired him and his popularity reached such great heights that he outshone the King:

“Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands” the people sang

As a result Saul became jealous. His envy bred anger and his anger blood lust and David, so lately the darling of Israel and the King’s favourite, had to flee for his life. He sought refuge - alone - in desert caves at places such as Engedi and Adullam.

CIRCUMSTANCES CAN CHANGE QUICKLY
How quickly our circumstances can change - it can take but a day or even an hour. In David’s case Saul’s adulation turned to loathing overnight.

How suddenly life can change for ever - illness strikes, or death visits us unexpectedly,we lose our jobs or a seemingly secure marriage suddenly ends in grief. It happens so suddenly and unexpectedly that we want to shake ourselves and wake up because we think it’s a bad dream - but it isn’t!!

The superscription, which is the preface to the Psalm, the note attached to the beginning of it - the superscription to Psalm 142 reads: “A maskil of David (the word Maskil probably refers to the style of composition or musical accompaniment required) When he was in the cave. A prayer..”

Whether David was in the cave at Engedi, the cave at Adullam or some other cave no-one knows. But we DO know that he could not have imagined that adulation could have turned to persecution so quickly and so completely.

A DRAMATIC CHANGE FOR DAVID
The HERO has become the HUNTED. “Rescue me from those who pursue me” we find him cry to God in v.6.

The FETED has become the FEARFUL. Only months before he had been hailed with singing and dancing in the streets of Jerusalem - he had slain thousands. Now he hides in a remote cave, fearing he might himself be slain. At the beginning of v.3 he describes his spirit growing faint within him.

The TRIUMPHANT WARRIOR has become the TRAPPED FUGITIVE. The man the crowds had clamoured to see now cowers in the gloom, afraid to show his face. “Set me free from my prison” he pleads at v.7a.

As a case-study, David in his need, abandoned by his friends, alone and afraid provides a useful example of the best way to handle sudden and unexpected trouble and disappointments.

DAVID OWNS AND EXPRESSES HIS FEELINGS
He may have a reputation as a hero and a great warrior - a tough man - a fighter - a winner, but he’s human and he isn’t afraid to own his feelings. Too often, in our troubles we cover up the way we feel. This Psalm reminds us that when we pray we can be honest with God.

He already knows us through and through. God doesn’t NEED us to tell him what’s been happening to us or how we feel (when life’s treated us cruelly and we’re upset or feel aggrieve) - God doesn’t NEED us to tell him anything about our situation - He’s all knowing!!
He doesn’t NEED us to tell him anything about how we feel but He WANTS us to

It’s important for us to talk through how we feel, what’s upsetting us, why we’re angry - it’s ALWAYS important to OWN our feelings. It’s even more important to express them!!

Look at how David does this - Look at v.1:

“I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy”

He isn’t afraid to admit he needs help. Later on in the Psalm he confesses that he’s in “desperate need” because those pursuing him are too strong for him. Some people say it’s a weakness to admit you need anybody elses help - that you can’t manage by yourself. I say it’s a greater weakness to stubbornly refuse assistance when its available and require just because of your pride!

A SHOUT GODWARD!
David isn’t afraid to admit he needs help. He doesn’t whisper quietly “God, please, help me” -he shouts it out loud:

“I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy”

This is no polite request - it’s a passionate appeal. There’s heart and soul in it! Now that kind of praying has far more of real prayer in it than a thousand thoughtless parrotted “Our Fathers.”

All the prayers ever written and all the liturgies ever recited are as nothing compared to the wordless cry “Oh God” or the falling of a tear!!

DAVID TELLS GOD ALL
Look at v.2! Notice how freely and readily and fully David tells God all. He felt that it was unfair of Saul to be so hostile towards him and so bent on his death. As far as David could see, honestly searching his heart, he’d done nothing wrong!! As David sat in the gloom of his cave he thought “It’s not fair!!” and then he thought “What a mess I’m in now!”

If there had been anyone else with him he might have shared his anger with them, but there wasn’t, so instead he did the best thing he could - instead of letting resentment build up (far too often that’s what we do!) he OWNED his feelings and EXPRESSED them to God:

“I pour out my complaint before the LORD; before HIM I tell my trouble.”

Sometimes when we’re speaking to someone about something that’s important to us - perhaps we are confiding in them, it slowly dawns on us that they’re not really listening - that their thoughts are elsewhere. They’re may be glancing over our shoulder - they’re not giving us their full attention.

The Bible tells us that God’s ear is always open to his children’s cries. When we speak God is always ready to give us his full and undivided attention!! His mind never wanders and he’ll never surreptitiously look at his watch!!

POURING OUT OUR COMPLAINTS
David speaks about “pouring out his complaint” before God. Like a child who’s been working on some kind of puzzle and its all gone wrong and he simply takes it as it is to a wise father or a loving mother - and offers it in its entirety into the only hands the child believes can “sort it out.”

STATING OUR CASE
Job, speaking also about prayer to God in distressing circumstances, speaks of “stating his case” or (as the Old Version has it) “ordering his cause” before God. Like an advocate presenting reasons why his client’s complaint is valid. Marshalling arguments. “Here’s why I think this isn’t fair!” “Here’s why you should listen to me!” “Here’s why I want your help!”

It seems to me there is more faith in David’s method than in Job’s - David is simply willing to pour out his heart to God and despite all his misfortunes re-place his trust in God:
“When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way. In the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me.”
(142:3)
It’s as though David is saying “The snares men set for me may be hidden to my eyes, but they’re not hidden to your eyes, Lord!!”

GOD KNOWS THE FUTURE!
We may not know what our future holds but God does. He’s been there before us. And every stone that trips us and thorn that pricks us is seen and known, permitted at least, if not ordained, by Him.

Yet even that knowledge doesn’t automatically make things easy. We can still feel exposed, vulnerable, frightened and alone. There’s nothing necessarily to be ashamed of in that! It just means that like, David, and like everyone who has ever walked this planet, we’re human.

David was certainly human. At the height of his triumphs he had been surrounded by admiring crowds and loyal friends. He could have called upon all the Kings armies to defend him. But now on the King’s orders they were pursuing him and he felt more alone (abandoned and unsupported) than he had in his entire life!! And he didn’t know what the future held.

In v.4 he complains: “look to my right and see, no-on is concerned for me.” Why does David say “Look to my right” and not “Look to my left...”

LOOKING TO THE RIGHT!
There are two possibilities here, One is that (most people being right-handed) a person’s bodyguard’s right arm was more free standing on his right than on his left. On this interpretation David’s really saying there’s not a single person willing to stand by him to take up arms in his defence, to be his right hand man!!

Now that may not have been true but that’s how David felt!!

The other possibility is that in judicial proceeding the accused’s defence lawyer stood on his right. In this case David may have been saying something like: “There’s no-one here to argue with you on my behalf - I’ve got to argue with you (wrestle with you in prayer) here in this cave on my own behalf.”

“NO-ONE CARES!!”
Whichever is the true meaning v.4 paints the portrait of a lonely man who is becoming prone to self-pity. Look at 4m - “no-one is concerned for me”. Look at 4c: “no-one cares about me.”

It is interesting and perhaps significant that David’s self-pity is expressed at a time when he is alone with himself. His cave wasn’t fitted with a stereo CD or a Video Recorder and Tape Library. It had no satellite dish or terrestrial TV connection. He was alone with his own company - with time for all kind of doubts to creep in and all kind of anxieties to invade his soul.

His nights might well have proved sleepless - the threatenings of Saul made an uncomfortable pillow. He had just exchanged the comforts of a palace for the coldness of a cave. And in the long slow hours of his restless nights he had time for thought - too much time for thought - and he began to feel sorry for himself. Self-pity came knocking at the door!!

Now there is no evidence that David was more prone to self-pity than was normal. All of us have times when we feel sorry for ourselves.

THE DIFFERENCE CARING MAKES
What a difference it can make when someone ‘phones, after a hospital appointment, to say, “How did you get on?”; when someone remembers that you had that exam; or that you had hard decisions to make or difficult things to do and says “How did it go?”

If David’s friends in the city - because there were folk who remained loyal to him, not least Jonathan the King’s son - had had access to a ‘phone or mobile ‘phones fitted on their camels humps would they have ‘phoned him to reassure him, to say “We’re with you! We’re for you! We’re on YOUR side, David!”

What a difference a word, a letter of sympathy or support, a single brief ‘phone call can make!!

DAVID TURNS TO GOD (v.5)
Although David was beyond the reach of his friend’s support he wasn’t beyond the reach of God’s support and in this Psalm it is to HIM - and there is none better - that David turns.

Look at v.5: “No-one is concerned for me....no-one cares for my life! I cry to YOU, O Lord; I say ‘YOU are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”

In our hard times and most difficult trials - and precisely at the time when self-pity is hammering remorselessly at the door a most important choice inevitably confronts us. There is usually one half of us (the half that is angry and cries “foul”) that wants to curse God.

I have known a number of people upon whom hard times have come who have turned their back on the church and on God - who have lost faith. Their tragedies have given birth to tragic live - they are bitter and angry persons.

When bad times come to us there is usually one half of us that wants to curse God. But David chooses the better way and, in his extremity, commits his way to Him. He tells God:

“You are my portion (= my choice CEV) in the land of the living.”

A CHOICE TO MAKE
In out trials we are faced with a CHOICE - to turn from God in anger or to turn TO Him in faith. Those who turn to Him in faith will find that His goodness has not forsaken them and that even in the darkest hours the light of hope still shines.

Don’t TURN FROM God when hard times come, but TRUST Him!! I want to underline that this isn’t merely a matter of feeling it’s a decision of the will - it;s a matter of choice. We can choose at such times (despite our feelings) whether to TRUST God or not.

Verse 5 - “I cry to you, O Lord; I say, “YOU are my refuge, my choice in the land of the living.” - is the record of David’s decision in the cave at Engedi or Adullam or wherever he was to TRUST GOD!!

To follow David’s example - however tossed our emotions and turbulent our hearts and minds when our trials multiply - is to choose well.

“SET ME FREE FROM MY PRISON, LORD” (v.7)
“Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name” David begs God.

What’s he asking for? In the immediate context he is probably asking for deliverance from the cell-like cave in which he is hiding and must necessarily remain confined because of the dangers outside. In other words he asked for deliverance from the specific circumstances that are such a trial to him... He may be saying “Change this situation and set me free”

How many have cried for such relief in situations where their spirits have cried out “I can;t stand it any more!!”

But it may just be that when David is asking God to set him free from his prison that he might praise God’s name - he isn’t asking God to change the situation but is asking God to change HIM!!

In that cave David was held captive not only by Saul’s threats upon his life but by the chains of doubt and fear. It may just be that David’s plea to be “set free” from his prison wasn’t a prayer for FREEDOM so much as a prayer for faith, for the freedom and will to TRUST GOD come what may.

It’s a prayer that every tried and tested and troubled soul may echo knowing that God will hear and God will answer:

“Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name.”

Always remember that God CAN help you - when no-one else can!! AMEN