Psalm 138 – Singing by Myself

This sermon was preached on 21/7/2013

David wrote this psalm, although we cannot tell at what stage in his life it was composed. It is a psalm of thanksgiving for answered prayer during a crisis situation. David here is engaged in private worship because there is no suggestion that someone else is with him. Yet his description of how he worships is full of lessons for us.

The contents of worship (vv. 1-2)

The first detail to note is that David’s thanksgiving involves all his heart. What does it mean to do something with all one’s heart? It means an undivided heart. Jesus said on one occasion that it is impossible to serve two masters. Similarly it is impossible to worship God if our heart has divided loyalties. In order for worship to occur, there has to be a devoted heart.

Furthermore David has an undistracted heart. Perhaps that is why he is by himself. He has gone somewhere where his thoughts and his affections will not be diverted even by legitimate things. This does not mean that the devil will not attempt to disturb David’s worship. But for David to pray with all his heart indicates he has taken steps to ensure he will not be distracted. If he had possessed a mobile phone, he would have switched it off.

When he worships, David is obviously at a distance from God’s temple. Yet he is aware that others, whom he calls gods, can see him. Who are these gods? They are not likely to be pagan deities, so I assume he is referring to heavenly beings, to the angels. It is a fact of the Christian life that angels are around us, sent by God for various reasons. They will expect us to be thankful when God answers our prayers, and to express our thankfulness.

Moreover, David when he worshipped was conscious of where God revealed his glory in the most profound way, so he even bowed down facing the tabernacle (although the verse says temple, it does not mean the temple that David’s son erected). Where should we face when we worship? Heaven is the answer to that question. I think it is interesting that Jesus looked up when he prayed (John 17:1). His physical posture indicated where his heart was. When we worship, we should be conscious of heaven, the place where God’s glory is revealed in the most profound manner, especially in connection with the exaltation of the Saviour. David may have thought of the sacrifices and the songs taking place at the tabernacle; we think of the living Saviour and of the songs of the redeemed around his throne as we worship privately.

David, as he prayed on this occasion, focused on two divine attributes – God’s covenant love and God’s faithfulness to his promises. In a sense, they are both entwined with one another, although it was useful for David to think about them separately. David realised that God’s character and promises are very important to God, which is why he has made them the most important realities in existence. Since the Lord thinks they are so important, so should we.

It is a question to ask ourselves regarding what we think about God when we worship in private. There are many ways in which we can do so profitably such as thinking about him as the powerful Creator or the sovereign Lord of providence. Yet we should aim higher at times and think about his holy character and his gracious promises. Worship becomes more reverent when we think about his character and it becomes more intimate when we think about his promises. In this way reverence and intimacy both flourish.

The efficacy of prayer (v. 3)

David does not specify the issue about which he prayed. All we can deduce about it is that he received a speedy reply that included inner strengthening. This statement by the psalmist allows us to consider briefly the nature of answered prayer. So what can we say about it?

The first detail is obvious and wonderful – the living God answers prayer. In fact, he is the only one in the universe who can do this. Connected to this is that he answers specific prayers – on this occasion he answered the request of David. Further, he answers prayers as the sovereign – granting petitions in a royal manner unlike the rulers of the earth whose inabilities are usually highlighted by their subjects’ requests. And he can answer prayer speedily when he chooses to do so.

David must have felt weak when he prayed. There are many things that cause weakness in a Christian. He may sense the power of sin as Paul did in Romans 7. He may want to experience the overpowering love of Christ, which Paul prayed for in Ephesians 3. He may look at the strength of his opponents and wonder how he can survive. There may be strong temptations. But the weakest saint can pray and receive immediate strengthening from heaven.

As we think of weakness and prayer connected to it, we should think about the Saviour in the Garden of Gethsemane. There he felt weak, but he prayed and received strength in a special manner. It is encouraging for us, when we pray for divine strength, to know that our Representative in heaven once did the same, and was heard. He remembers what it was like to do so.

We can also recall the experience of the apostle Paul when he felt weak because of the thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12). While it was not removed, he did receive strength from Jesus to cope with the thorn. Jesus’ strength was exhibited in Paul’s weakness.

The extension of God’s kingdom (vv. 4-5)

The sentiments of verses 4 and 5 seem a bit out of place here because there is no obvious connection between them and what precedes and follows them. So why does David give God thanks for the future growth of God’s kingdom. Here are a couple of suggestions. First, he believed that what God did for him could also be done with others – he was a king whom God blessed, so therefore other kings too could be blessed. The mighty of the earth might seem unreachable, but they are not beyond God’s reach. And he will reach them through the same way that he reaches all his people – through the words of his mouth (the contents of the Bible).

Second, he believed the promises of the Abrahamic covenant that said that all nations would be blessed, and it would be reasonable to assume that their rulers would be as well. He liked to look ahead to the days when the gospel would be spread all over the world, affecting all the population. They have not come yet, but they will surely do so because of God’s commitment to his character and promise.

Those two reasons can also be found in our experience as we pray. Each of us can say, ‘God converted me so he can also convert people who are like me.’ And each of us should rejoice in the promises that God made to Abraham because they are also promises to us.

The eyes of the Lord (v. 6)

The psalmist then expresses his delight in the fact that ‘though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.’ This is a marvellous difference between God and earthly rulers. The great God of heaven loves to gaze upon the humble. Isaiah reminds us of the truth of this passage when he uses similar words to describe the eyes of God: ‘But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word’ (Isa. 66:2). We can see from those verses that a double looking is occurring: the psalmist looks toward God and the Lord looks toward the humble psalmist.

Why is the Lord interested in humility in his people? It reveals Christlikeness, and we must remind ourselves that Jesus stressed his own humility when describing who he was. He said he was meek and lowly in heart and he said that he was among his disciples as one who serves, and on the evening of his arrest he revealed his humility when he washed his disciples’ feet. Humility is a fruit of the Spirit, evidence that he is working in the hearts of those who have it. As Spurgeon said when commenting on this verse, ‘Because they think little of themselves, he thinks much of them.’

God is looking at us today, but is he looking at us with pleasure? Only if we are humble. The reality is that the eyes of the humble see the furthest because they see God; the eyes of the proud see the shortest of distances because they cannot take their eyes of themselves.

The hand of the Lord (v. 7)

The psalmist was having a rough time, walking in the midst of trouble. Clearly there were dangers all around. What or who could he rely on? The answer is God alone. Because this is the case, he knows that deliverance will happen. Believers are promised that they will have troubles in this world. Yet even when that happens, there is consolation for them.

The hand of God gives them fresh life. This is a beautiful picture of the Lord giving regularly his amazing grace. Troubles, we know, are wearisome and deflating and we can feel almost crushed by them. Yet in the midst of even the most arduous of situations, God’s people are given this renewed energy that enables them to continue. And this fresh life is conveyed to them personally, powerfully and persistently.

The same hand that is so comforting to the psalmist provides him with deliverance at times. Why does the Lord allow us to enter into situations of difficulty? He allows it so that we will be led to pray. And when we pray he will give us deliverance. And this deliverance is given to them personally, powerfully and persistently. How we should ask him to stretch forth his hand!

The confidence of David (v. 8)

This meditation on God’s dealings with him and others leads David to a very comforting conclusion and a heartfelt prayer. Both are necessary. To stop with the comfort and not pray is a sign of presumption taking a hold. And to pray without the comfort of confidence in God’s plans is a sign of panic.

The psalmist rejoices in God’s eternal commitment to his own plans. What will be the fulfilment of God’s purpose? It is for his people to be in his presence forever. God will never give up on his people. This is an Old Testament version of Paul’s words in Philippians 1:6: ‘And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.’ God’s people have this inner awareness that they are destined for glory.

Yet the prospect of glory turns David into an ardent intercessor for the divine presence now. He pleads that the Lord would not abandon him. David is aware that he does not deserve grace, and he wants God to continue remoulding him as long as he is in this world. This is a fervent prayer from a gracious heart, a heart that at the beginning of the psalm was determined to give God all the praise for answering previous prayers. Those answered prayers were an encouragement to him to continue praying all life long.