The Lord Hears

In middle school, I played flute in the marching band. My Mom volunteered as a chaperone for one of our out-of-town competitions. I don’t remember if I minded her coming along or not. I was probably more focused on hanging out with my friends until The Incident. Our school finished playing. I think we had changed out of our band uniforms and were heading back to the bus. A kid from another school started teasing me, and then tripped me as I ran across the street to the bus. I was embarrassed, bleeding, and mad. My Mom was already at the bus. I was grateful she was there to hear and answer my cry. She bandaged my scratches, hugged me, and validated the meanness of the kid who tripped me.

David didn’t have a rival trip him in the road, but in Psalm 4 his reputation was attacked. Others had brought false accusations and lies against him. There are several connections between Psalm 3 and 4 (3:1 and 4:1; 3:2 and 4:6; 3:5 and 4:8), so David may still have his son Absalom’s betrayal in mind. David was in a bad situation, and he called out to God. As we will see in many of the Psalms, our situation won’t be exactly like the psalmists’, but we all face trials where we have a choice to look to and trust God or to trust someone or something else instead.

Let’s read Psalm 4.

To the choirmaster: With stringed instruments.

A Psalm of David

1Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!

You have given me relief when I was in distress.

Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

2O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame?

How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah

3But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for Himself;

the Lord hears when I call to Him.

4Be angry, and do not sin;

ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.

5Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord.

6There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?”

Lift up the light of Your face upon us, O Lord!”

7You have put more joy in my heart

than they have when their grain and wine abound.

8In peace I will both lie down and sleep;

for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4 is divided into three parts. In verse 1, David prays to God. In verses, 2-5, David turns his attention to those speaking falsely against him. In verses 6-8, David again talks to God.

David’s prayer is personal. It reveals his own trust in God which he later calls his accusers to do (vs 5). David asks God to answer him. His use of “O God of my righteousness” demonstrates that He understood that God was the one who would vindicate. God knows David’s innocence, and He is David’s righteousness. David states a “God is…” truth at the very beginning of his prayer (there are more in the psalm). Knowing who God is allows David to trust God to be his defense instead of mounting his own defense.

David not only knows who God is, but he remembers throughout the psalm what God does or has done.

• “You have given me relief when I was in distress” (vs 1) – We don’t know what relief will look like in our own circumstance, but like David, we can trust that God will bring relief in some form. He never leaves or forsakes us, and He has given us His Spirit, the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead, to indwell us and be our Comforter. We also look forward to eternity when we receive final and complete relief from this fallen world.

• “the Lord has set apart the godly for Himself” (vs 3a) – Those who are in Christ are set apart to God. We belong to Him. We are His children. Like a shepherd caring for his sheep, God will protect and provide for us.

• “the Lord hears when I call to Him (vs 3b) – We have confidence that God hears us. Jesus, who atoned for our sin, made it possible for us to confidently draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

• “You have put more joy in my heart…” (vs 7) – “There are many who say, ‘Who will show us some good?’” (vs 6). David answers in verse 7 when he writes that God has put more joy in his heart than those whose grain and wine abound. God shows His children good every day (Lamentations 3:22-23), and it is a good that goes beyond temporal, material blessings.

• “You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety (vs 8) – David is not saying that bad things won’t happen. He is acknowledging that God is sovereign. It is God’s purpose that will prevail regardless of how things appear from our human perspective. David’s enemies do not determine his safety. God does. David’s trust in God led not only to joy but being able to lie down and sleep in peace even though his situation had not changed (vs 8).

Often it is challenging enough for me to trust God as my defender instead of taking matters into my own hands, but David goes even further. There are other places where David asks God to smite his enemy because they are ultimately God’s enemy, but in Psalm 4, David calls on his accusers to turn from their sin of falsehood, lies and anger. He encourages them to repent, to reconcile with God and others and to trust God (vs 2, 4-5).

These are good challenges for us too. When people come against us, especially falsely, it is all too easy to respond in sinful anger. David anticipates that temptation (verse 4). David tells his accusers to “ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent” (vs 4). We should talk to God instead of responding in sinful anger. We should trust God with our circumstance (vs 5).

Jesus was falsely accused. Lies were brought against Him. His name was maligned. He was beaten, mocked, abused, shamed, and crucified. He is the only One who was completely blameless. There is no valid charge that could be brought against Him, yet He suffered and died without defending Himself (Matthew 27:12) or using His divine power to save Himself. He did this in our place, so that He could be our righteousness. God promises, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1), and “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the One who died – more than that, who was raised – who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us (Romans 8:32-34). There are abundant reasons to trust God, to have hearts overflowing with joy, and to be at peace.

Reflection

1. Write down the “God is…” truths from Psalm 4. Which are most encouraging to you in your current circumstance? Why? Which do you struggle to believe is true in your circumstance? Why?

2. Which of the “God does…” truths encourage you in your current circumstance? Why? Which do you struggle to believe is true in your circumstance? Why?

3. Are you more likely to talk to God as your defender when you feel attacked, or do you look to someone or something else for your defense? Are you likely to respond in sinful anger? Sometimes our defense or sinful anger can be in our thoughts. We may not speak a word to someone else, but in our mind, we rehearse our defense instead of trusting God. Take time to pray about your circumstance, asking God to grow your faith in who He is and what He does.