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Psalms
Chapter
4
{Note:
II Samuel 15:6 is the background for Psalm 4. The Word of God, in
talking about Absalom's rebellion, calls it stealing. He stole the
thinking part of their minds and in this way he was able to set up a
revolt against his father. Here is a man who was going to be the king
of Israel. He had everything going for him, including the love of his
father. And yet because he failed to understand some principles of
Bible doctrine he became very bitter in his mind.}
1``To
the chief musician on Neginoth, a Psalm of David.
Hear
me {David} when I call, O Elohiym/Godhead of my righteousness
{this righteousness - +R - a righteousness which David received
at the moment of salvation}
You
have caused me to be enlarged {have happiness}
when
I was in distress {under pressure}.
Have
mercy upon me
{an
order - claiming a promise from God - deal with me in terms
of grace},
and
hear my prayer.
{Note: The words "on Neginoth" mean that the stringed instruments were to accompany this - in Psalm 5 the Nehiloth is the wind instrument group. The accompaniment is the weeping and the wailing of the stringed instruments. This is the Psalm of David in a crisis and under maximum pressure, accompanied by hysterical people who fall apart.}
2``
O you sons of men
{referring to those who followed Absalom in the revolt},
how
long will you turn my glory into shame?
How
long will you love emptinesses/meaninglessnesses,
and
seek after lies? Selah {means a 'musical rest'}.
{Note: 'My glory into shame' means that everyone who followed Absalom took the glory of David, his kingdom, his crown, his modus operandi as a king, and they have converted it into shame. David continues, 'Will you put Absalom and his beautiful personality above that which God has ordained?' The Absalom revolt was built upon the lies of Absalom, and the basis of starting the revolt was the religious lie of Absalom when he said that he wanted to go and offer sacrifices in Hebron.}
3``But
know that the God has set apart him
who
is godly for Himself.
God
will hear when I call unto Him.
{Note: David is not claiming here that he is a great spiritual giant. The word godly here means belonging to God. God has set aside someone who belongs to Him for a purpose, and David's purpose was to rule Israel. When David can no longer fulfill that purpose God will remove him, not Absalom. If Absalom had had everyone in the country on his side he could not have won the revolt, he could not have taken the crown from his father. Absalom failed to learn this lesson of waiting on God. He would have been a greater ruler than Solomon but he could not wait until the right time and as a result he lost out altogether. }
{Verses
4-8: Results that will come out of this Crisis - David Prophesized
before it Happened}
4``Be
angry, and sin not.
Commune
with your own heart/'right lobe' upon your bed
{don't lower yourself to Absalom's level, commune with doctrine in
your own soul. The word commune is a qal imperative and it means
to speak in your heart, to think, think doctrine. }
and
be still. Selah.
{faith-rest it - put it in the Hand of God - have a
relaxed mental attitude}.
{Note: 'Be angry and sin not' . . . this same phrase occurs in a little different language in Ephesians 4:26 where we have righteous indignation against heresy, legalism and ignorance of doctrine. Here David has it directed toward Absalom. But David knew he had no right to seek vengeance on Absalom. This was one reason, apart from David's great love for his son, why David gave his command to not kill Absalom. David was not going to have anything to do with killing his son or taking vengeance out on his son. }
5``
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
and
put your trust in Jehovah/God.
{Note: David is addressing this to his son, Absalom. It is too late now but this is what Absalom should have done. He should have offered sacrifices unto the Lord. The sacrifices of righteousness refer to the last two of the Levitical offerings: the sin offering-Lev. 4; the trespass offering-Lev. 5-6:16. These two offerings are rebound offerings. Once you have rebounded you turn all of your problems over to the Lord, forget it, and move on. Verse 5 is the verse of tragedy, the good advice that was never given, the good advice that Absalom never took; this great tragedy of failing to get doctrine to the right place at the right time.}
6``
There be many that say, Who will show us any good?
{Idiom meaning 'We've had it. It is an expression of their hysteria,
of their human viewpoint as they were running out of Jerusalem.}
Jehovah/God,
lift
You up the light of Your countenance/blessing upon us.
{Note: David speaks for the crowd: Lord we are all human, we have all failed You. We have never done anything to earn anything from You. Now look down on us with Your countenance [with Your blessing]. This is a challenge the Lord never ignores. He cannot because of His perfect character. It is impossible for Him to ignore the challenge of grace because grace emphasizes Who and What He is.}
7``You
have put 'inner happiness' in my heart/'right lobe',
more
than in the time that their corn and their wine increased
{idiom: 'more then in times of prosperity'}.
{Note: In David's moment of the greatest tragedy - the greatest he has ever known - in this hour of disaster and catastrophe, David actually has greater inner happiness than he ever had in prosperity. That is what Bible doctrine resident in your soul does for mature believers.}
8~~
In peace I will at once
both
lie down and sleep.
For
You alone, O Jehovah/God, do make me to dwell in safety.
{Note: That is a mental attitude of inner happiness that comes from Bible doctrine. David has lost everything but the clothes he is wearing and yet he has great inner happiness because of doctrine. He hasn't lost the doctrine, it is right there in his soul. He has started to use this doctrine so he stops his crying and says, "At once I will lay down in peace and sleep." This is the point at which the Absalom revolt died. It died when a man in a hopeless situation with all of the pressures that one person can have could say "I will lie down and go to sleep."}
{Note: "For You, Jehovah/God, only" - David doesn't even have an army at this point or a weapon. He doesn't have food, a palace, anything; "makes me to dwell in safety." David's security and every person's security is in God. Our security is not only in the person of the God but the principle that emanates from His person-the principle of grace. Our security and our blessing is located in the grace of God.}
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