Wednesday Night Bible Study 17 February 2021

We’re going to look at Psalm 61:1-8, and try to finish this lesson this week. 

SORROW’S SWEET SONG

Intro: Last time we talked about life and it’s sorrows and hurts

When we have sorrow in life, we must be prepared and equipped to handle the situation.   

 We defined - Sorrow - a feeling of deep distress caused by loss, disappointment, or other misfortune suffered by oneself or others.

Talked about things  that can be sorrowful:

The title of this Psalm indicates that it was written by David.

When this Psalm was written, the rebellion is over, Absalom His son is dead, and David is headed home. He is going back with sorrow in his heart because the son he loved more than life itself is gone. He is going back to reclaim his rightful place on the throne of Israel. He is going home to help restore a nation torn apart by a brutal civil war. David is going home, but he is going home with a heart filled with sorrow.

We started the lesson talking about David’s had a request for Sorrow, and some realizations last time concerning Sorrow.  Tonight we will look at Sorrow’s resolve,   

The sorrows of life are difficult to face, but when sorrow meets faith it looks away to a God Who is able to hear us, help us and hide us! 

  I.  Sorrow’s Request II.  V. 3  SORROW’S REALIZATION

The first stanza of Sorrow’s Sweet Song has to do with what sorrow requests from God. The second stanza has to do with what sorrow realizes. We are talking about sorrow, but the sorrow we are talking about today is sorrow that is influenced and informed by faith. This kind of sorrow knows that there å a sovereign God Who controls all the paths of life.

A.  A Realization Of God’s Provisions - David says, “thou hast need a shelter for me.” a “shelter” is a place of “refuge, of safety, of protection from storms, from danger, and from error.” David looks back over his life and he remembers the times when sorrows and troubles stalked him. He remembers God giving him victory as a boy over a lion and a bear. He remembers God giving him the victory over a giant.

B.  A Realization Of God’s Protections - God has also been “a strong tower from the enemy.” God gave him a place that was beyond the reach of the enemies he faced in life. There is a sense in which God gave David a “raised bed,” a place of peace in the day of battles.

What I am trying to say is that sorrow that is influenced by faith looks back. It realizes that the way God has worked in the past is an indication of how He will work today. Faith informed sorrow knows that God never changes, Mal. 3:6; 6 For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

 I.  Sorrow’s Request  II.  Sorrow’s Realization

Our focus for the lesson this evening.

III.  V. 4  SORROW’S RESOLVE

Because faith informed sorrow has poured out its request to God, and because it realizes that God is able to deal with the problems of life, faith informed sorrow resolves to live in light of what it knows to be true.

A.  Resolves To Live In Commitment - David tells God that he will “abide in thy tabernacle forever.” Now, David was not a priest. He was not allowed to live in the tent of meeting. David was not thinking about that physical tent in Jerusalem. He was thinking of God’s eternal abode in Heaven. The word “abide” means “to dwell as an overnight guest.” David is saying, “I can’t live in that tent down the road, but I can dwell with you.” In other words, this is a commitment by David to live close to the Lord. He resolves to worship the Lord, to seek the Lord, to love the Lord, and to love for the Lord, among other things. 

The picture here is of a man who is hurting. Yet, in the midst of his pain he knows that God is working on his behalf. He does not have all the information about what God is going to do, but he is determined to honor the Lord with his love, his worship and with his life. This is the same attitude we witness in the life of Job, Job 1:20-22. 20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,

21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord

This should be our resolve as well. There will be times when your heart is breaking, but if you belong to hIm, He is working in your life to accomplish His will. He is ever working for your good and His glory, Rom. 8:28. So, our duty is to trust Him regardless of the circumstances determine in our hearts that we will commit all we have and all we are to Him. We must resolve to praise Him in spite of how we feel, what we think our how things look!

(Ill. Paul’s example - 2 Cor. 12:7-10) 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

B.  Resolves To Live In Confidence - Finally, David says, “I will trust in the covert of thy wings.” The word “covert” speaks of “a covering, a hiding place, a place of safety.” It is the picture of a chick hiding under the sheltering wing of its mother. When danger appears the mother hen stands and allows her chicks to run under her. She settles down on top of them and protects them from anything that would threaten them. If they are to be reached, the danger must go through the mother. (Ill. A hen killed in a fire. When her body was moved, her chicks ran out unharmed.)

David expresses his confidence in the Lord. He sets his hope in wings far greater than those of a mother hen. It may be that David is referring to the wings of the golden cherubim, which overshadowed the mercy seat in the tabernacle. David resolves to cast himself completely upon the grace of God, trusting the Lord to sustain him, help him and keep him. He resolves that regardless of what comes his way, he will run to God and he will trust the Lord to shelter him and protect him from the sorrows and pains of life. 

That should be our resolve as well. We cannot protect ourselves. We cannot stave off even the smallest of troubles and trials. Like a chick facing a hawk, we are helpless before our sorrows. But, there is a God is Heaven Who loves us! We are “His people, and the sheep of His pasture.” He died for us and He rose again to give us life, and we rest in His grace in the mercy seat. As part of His relationship with us, he has committed Himself to our perpetual care. So, instead of seeking to face the trials of life in your own power, resolve to run to the Lord and look to Him to shelter you from all that comes your way! 

David closes this Psalm by expressing his confidence that the Lord will bless him in the future. He can see a time when the sorrows of this day will roll away and when he will walk in the blessings of the Lord.

I just want to encourage you today. Regardless of what you are facing today, or what may come into your life in all of your tomorrows, learn to rest in the Lord and trust Him to do what is right! Inform your sorrow with faith in the Word of God and in the God of Heaven. If you can do that, you can sing Sorrow’s Sweet Song too. 

The eagle has an extra eyelid. When he closes this lid, which filters out light, he can still see, but he is not blinded by the sun. When an eagle is attacked by a flock of other birds, the eagle will close that extra lid and fly directly toward the sun. His enemies cannot continue their pursuit when the eagle turns his face toward the sun. 

What a lesson for the child of God! When the enemies of this life attack you, turn your face toward the Son and fly toward Him. Your enemies cannot follow you there!

Psalm 27: 4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.

When sorrow knocks at your door resolve to answer with a song of faith influenced by the requests you have made and the realization that whatever God did before He will do it again.

May God bless you and keep you. Sing unto the Lord a new song, a sweet song, even in the midst of sorrow.