The Reason For Refuge

Psalm 18

A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

¹ I love you, Lord, my strength. ² The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

³ I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.
⁴ The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
⁵ The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.

⁶ In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.
⁷ The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry.
⁸ Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.
⁹ He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.
¹⁰ He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.
¹¹ He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—the dark rain clouds of the sky.
¹² Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
¹³ The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.
¹⁴ He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
¹⁵ The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, Lord, at the blast of breath from your nostrils.

¹⁶ He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.
¹⁷ He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.
¹⁸ They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
    but the Lord was my support.
¹⁹ He brought me out into a spacious place;
    he rescued me because he delighted in me.

Introduction

This is the fourth longest Psalm and the central theme is PRAISE FOR DAVID’S VICTORY OVER HIS ENEMIES. But it is too long for a preacher of my caliber to cover in one message: better preachers could do it but I don’t think I can. Although VICTORY OF OUR ENEMIES is the central theme, there are other things in this Psalm that are worthy of conversation. David was a prophet and the condescension of Christ is written all over Psalm 18. There are other themes as well but tonight we are going to address OUR NEED FOR REFUGE.

As we stated previously, David had faced opposition all his life. It takes time for God to shape his servants {Wiersbe page 78, Be Worshipful}. Joseph spent 13 years in slavery and prison before becoming the Prime Minister of Egypt. Moses spent 40 years on the backside of nowhere before God used him. Joshua was also in training for 40 years. David spent 10 years in exile before becoming Israels greatest king. He had two anointing, Samuel’s and then 10 years later, the elders of Judah. These days of exile were not pleasant. David was hounded constantly but this Psalm is written on the occasion of David securing the kingdom and he is looking back on how God miraculously protected him from harm.

This is illustrated in verses 16-19…David saw himself as a drowning man, on the verge of death and the LORD…reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

To get us into the heart of tonight’s message, we will use verses 1-2 as a spring board…David said… I love you, Lord, my strength. ² The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I want you to note the metaphors David uses as He praises the LORD. The LORD is David’s [1] Strength [2] Rock [3] Fortress [4] Deliverer [5] God [6] Refuge [7] Shield [8] Horn and [9] Stronghold. Rock, Fortress, Refuge, Shield and Stronghold have to do with protection from the enemy. A rock can be a refuge, so can a fortress, shield or stronghold. All these metaphors speak of God’s various ways of protecting us.

Transition

THE FIRST THING I WANT TO SAY IS…

I. I BELIEVE IN DIVINE PROTECTION

Moses said in Deuteronomy 23:14… For the LORD your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. David said in Psalm 12…You, LORD, will keep the needy safe and will protect us forever from the wicked. Again is Psalm 32 David says… You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Paul said, But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. [2 Th. 3:3] Jesus prayed in John 17… My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

Jesus also taught us to pray… And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. [Matt. 6:13, NIV] David never considered Saul his enemy or at least he never spoke of Saul as being his enemy. Herein lies a great spiritual truth which Paul highlights in Ephesians 6–Our true enemy is not flesh and blood. People may oppose us; they may even persecute us or harm us but they are not the primary enemy. The TRUTH is, people cannot hurt us. They can kill the body but that only promotes the soul to something bigger and better.

II. I BELIEVE WE NEED DIVINE PROTECTION

Psalm 18 is a reflection over David’s past and how God has delivered him to the present. George Washington has at least two quotes that affirm his belief in DIVINE PROTECTION…

“Glorious indeed has been our Contest: glorious, if we consider the Prize for which we have contended, and glorious in its Issue; but in the midst of our Joys, I hope we shall not forget that, to divine Providence is to be ascribed the Glory and the Praise.”

“The Man must be bad indeed who can look upon the events of the American Revolution without feeling the warmest gratitude towards the great Author of the Universe whose divine interposition was so frequently manifested in our behalf.”

I sincerely hope the great general cannot see what is going on in America today for indeed we have a great host of “Bad men” who feel no sense of gratitude to God for our great Republic. I for one agree with General Washington, the United States exist only by the providence of God. Had God not intervened, we would have more assuredly lost our bid for independence. Our forefathers meant it when they uttered the words “GOD BLESS AMERICA.”

I have a good friend in Danville, Alabama. He was not raised Baptist; his folks were Church of God. He came to me before Trump was elected and said, “I believe God has heard the prayers of his people and he is going to use Donald Trump to give us one more chance.” I am not going to lie, I have great respect for this man and I didn’t dare rain on his parade but I walked away from that conversation thinking…“I wish John was right but I’m afraid he is in for a huge disappointment.” Donald Trump is a flawed human being but perhaps no more so than the rest of us. We keep waiting for him to fowl up but to this point, he had done an admirable job. At this juncture, I, who have never prayed for presidents, pray for this president every single day. WHY? Any man who does as good of a job as this man is going to be hated and despised by the enemy. Other than Jesus, Donald Trump is the most hated man in America. I promise you, the devil has put a target on his back.

I believe the only hope we have is PRAYER. We must pray daily for this man’s protection. The devil is relentless and his has millions of followers who are willing to do his bidding. We must pray for our president. I tell folks: there are two people you need to pray for every day: [1] Your president and [2] Your pastor. Since I consider Franklin Graham America’s pastor, I pray for him.

III. I BELIEVE WE NEED DIVINE PROTECTION BECAUSE OUR ENEMY IS TOO STRONG FOR US

NOTE: look at verse 17…He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.

Folks I am the last person in the world to give the devil free ink. Some folks make the tragic mistake of talking about the devil more than they talk about JESUS but we have to be honest…the devil is not human…he uses humans…but he is a fallen angel. He was not born into the NATURAL WORLD, he is SUPER NATURAL. Whereas he is not a rival or threat to God, he is more than a match for you and I. If we go against him in the power of the flesh {one on one}, we will lose.

Donald Trump does not stand a change against the democrats and the media. The main weapon being used against TRUMP is the lie and who is the source of all lies. Trumps enemy appears to be demos, Hollywood and the media but all of these are simply playing a part in the devils orchestra: the devil himself is the conductor. How can I make such a statement with assurance? Hate and lies have the same origin: they both come from hell. If we fight fire with fire and began to hate them the way they hate us, we will be doing exactly what the devil wants. We cannot give into hate and we cannot lie.

TRUMP and his advisers may be more intelligent than the left but they are not more intelligent than the EVIL ONE. We cannot defeat him without God’s help: we can’t stand against him without God’s protection. I’m not trying to frighten you but I am warning you: we can’t win this battle without spiritual help. We must be rescued or delivered by the mighty hand of God. This is why it is vitally important to TAKE REFUGE IN HIM.

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Under Attack

Psalm 17

A prayer of David.

¹ Hear me, Lord, my plea is just;
    listen to my cry.
Hear my prayer—
    it does not rise from deceitful lips.
² Let my vindication come from you;
    may your eyes see what is right.

³ Though you probe my heart,
    though you examine me at night and test me,
you will find that I have planned no evil;
    my mouth has not transgressed.
⁴ Though people tried to bribe me,
    I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
    through what your lips have commanded.
⁵ My steps have held to your paths;
    my feet have not stumbled.

⁶ I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
    turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
⁷ Show me the wonders of your great love,
    you who save by your right hand
    those who take refuge in you from their foes.
⁸ Keep me as the apple of your eye;
    hide me in the shadow of your wings
⁹ from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
    from my mortal enemies who surround me.

¹⁰ They close up their callous hearts,
    and their mouths speak with arrogance.
¹¹ They have tracked me down, they now surround me,
    with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
¹² They are like a lion hungry for prey,
    like a fierce lion crouching in cover.

¹³ Rise up, Lord, confront them, bring them down;
    with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
¹⁴ By your hand save me from such people, Lord,
    from those of this world whose reward is in this life.
May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;
    may their children gorge themselves on it,
    and may there be leftovers for their little ones.

¹⁵ As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
    when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

INTRODUCTION

David had to deal with opposition all his life. As a boy, his brothers excluded him; they scolded him, made fun of him and did nothing to encourage him. David cut his teeth on adversity. After Samuel anointed him, Saul became his arch enemy. After he became king, he was surrounded by enemies: they were without and within.

David was not a perfect man but he was a passionate man and he has a lot to teach us about worship, praise, prayer and dealing with adversity. PSALM 17 tells us what David did when he was UNDER ATTACK.

I. He Sought The LORD in Prayer {He looked up}

Anytime I get in trouble; I pray and that is exactly what David did, He sought the LORD in prayer. There are a dozen Hebrew words for ‘Prayer’ and four of them are used in Psalm 17… Hear me, Lord, my plea is just; listen to my cry.
Hear my prayer—it does not rise from deceitful lips.

• Prayer {tĕphillah} intercession or supplication
• Hear {shâmaʻ}
• Heed {kä·shav’} give heed, incline, attend
• Hear {‘azan} to hear, to listen, to give ear

David was not a perfect man but he was a praying man. He prayed with passion. He has a lot to teach us about prayer. I tell folks every time I get the opt, do not try to develop a prayer life without using the Psalms. I use them every day.

In a sense, we are all under attack. Paul said in the Ephesian letter… ¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.… And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. ¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. Count them with me, one, two three four, five times Paul uses the word pray or prayer. PRAYER IS ESSENTIAL IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE. [Also verses 6-9 are about prayer]

II. He Searched His Own Heart {He looked in}

Note verse 3-5… ³ Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me, you will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed. ⁴ Though people tried to bribe me, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent through what your lips have commanded. ⁵ My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not stumbled.

I did attend one session of the SBC yesterday and I listened attentively to the Presidential address. I was convicted. There is no doubt, I have failed miserably as a witness. I do agree that soul winning should be a priority and it has not been with me. It is difficult to keep the main thing the main thing. When I am under attack, I invariably search my own soul. GOD USES OUR ENEMIES…to humble us, drive us to Jesus, but also to teach us. We can actually learn from those who want to destroy us.

III. He Surrendered His Enemies to the LORD {He looked out}

Note verse 2… Let my vindication come from You; may your eyes see what is right. Also 13-14… ¹³ Rise up, Lord, confront them, bring them down; with your sword rescue me from the wicked. ¹⁴ By your hand save me from such people, Lord, from those of this world whose reward is in this life.

There is a pitfall we must avoid: we cannot take revenge on those who do us wrong. “Vengeance is mine, says the LORD, I will repay.” It is never up to us to make people pay. A get even mentality will destroy you. There are several things to consider when someone attacks you or your character. Their motive is one of them and who knows there motive other than God. HURTING PEOPLE ARE HURTFUL. Helping the hurting can be dangerous. An injured dog will bit. When all is said and done, only the LORD knows all the details. Just give them over to the LORD. He will do any settling up that needs to be done.

III. He Set His Hope On The Future {He looked ahead}

The heart of this Psalm is about the vicious nature of David’s enemies {9-12}. David’s enemies are vicious, “Out to destroy him.” They are not playing games, they are going for the jugular. They have no compassion and they show no mercy [v.10]. They are cold and callous. They are like vicious lions, ready to rip you apart.

David prays in verse 14… By your hand save me from such people, Lord, from those of this world whose reward is in this life. But the key is verse ¹⁵ As for me, I will be vindicated and I will see your face;  when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

David is looking to a future time when God’s presence will overshadow all David’s enemies.