A lesson in grace
Text: Psalm 7
This psalm, apparently, has some musical direction with singers. Psalm 7 happens in 1 Samuel 24. Cush is Saul’s father. It’s the same name as Cis. Cush has done what every father has done. He defended his son against his son’s enemy, David. Cush must have offered some advice on hunting David down or cornering David.
David’s proper expectation of God’s grace (vss 1-5)
- Here we are again with the theme of trusting God.
- Save me unless I have done something to bring this on myself.
- David says in verse 4 that if I have made someone an enemy who is not an enemy.
- Grace is not a blank check
- Peter said, But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. (1 Peter 4:15)
- If I’ve cursed others, let God’s curse be on me.
- The grace of God taught us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; (Titus 2:11-12)
- Jude 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares… turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
- We need to understand David’s theology. David understands trusting God to be him not taking vengeance or making enemies out of people who are not his enemies.
David is confident he has followed the LORD (vss 6-11)
- This is why he’s confident that he has trusted the LORD in these matters. What you might call self-righteousness, where David relies on him following the LORD, David would call it trusting God.
- My defense is of God AND my integrity is my defense!
- That’s not a theology we’re familiar with because we’ve made God’s blessings separate from our good work.
- Good work is HOW you trust God.
- Paul understood this when he explained it in Romans 2 about the heathen seeking God in continual well doing.
- God trieth the hearts…
- Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
- Proverbs 20:11 – even a child is known by his DOINGS
God’s righteous leadership and David’s righteousness are compatible (vss 12-17)
- Sin is the thing that eats itself up. It destroys itself. Why would anyone fall prey to sin if it’s bad? Because it is accompanied by pleasure and a sense of well-being. It makes you feel good.
- In Proverbs, wisdom speaks and says, I lead in righteousness.
A lesson in grace
