Psalm 3
Introduction: This is a Psalm of David when he fled from his son Absalom. In a brief summary, David was reaping consequences from his sin (adultery) with Bathsheba. ... When Nathan the prophet confronted him, the word of the Lord was that "the sword would never leave his household and that his enemies would come from his own household" (see 2 Samuel 12:9-13) ... David's son, Amnon, developed a lustful passion for his son, Absalom's sister named Tamar. Amnon violated Tamar and Absalom killed Amnon but then fled away from David's presence for three years. Although Absalom had done this, David longed to see him and mourned over him every single day.(see 2 Samuel 13:30-39) .... When Absalom was finally found and brought back to David, David would not look upon him, but had him dwell away from him. After two years, the bitterness built in Absalom until he was ready to overtake his father's kingdom and become king over Israel. (see 2 Samuel 14:23-33) ...2 Samuel Chapters 15-18 describe Absalom's conspiracy and how he was coming against David and turning others against him. David had expressed his repentant heart to the Lord in Psalm 51 and his relationship with the Lord grew stronger even when life's hardships got harder upon him. In this Psalm, we see expressions of fear and despair as David is hiding out from his enemies, but we also see the awesome contrast of confidence in God's protection and rest as well! ..... We can learn so much from this Psalm about setting our minds on things that give us hope rather than allowing ourselves to dwell on fear. It is a great thing to be able to fall asleep knowing that even if your life is taken, you will wake up in the arms of the Lord.
Questions:
1. What had increased in David's life? vs. 1 Trouble
2. Many were rising up against David. (vs.1) ... What were they saying of his soul? vs. 2 That there was no help for him.
* Selah means to pause and think *
3. Yet, what was the LORD to King David? vs. 3 - Name 3 things mentioned - 1)a shield
2)my glory
3)lifter up of mine head
4. What was David doing when He knew the Lord heard and answered him? vs. 4 He cried
5. What was David able to do once he knew the Lord heard his prayer? vs. 5 He laid his head down and went to sleep.
6. What extreme measures would not even cause David to fear? vs. 6 He would not be afraid of ten thousand people.
7. David cried out "Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God!" ... What did he know God had done to all of his enemies? vs. 7 smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly
8. What belongs to the Lord and how are we blessed by it as His people? vs. 8 salvation Be cause we are his people.
Applications
1. When we read the account of David's life and see how he truly messed up with his affair with Bathsheba and having her husband killed in the line of action to cover up her pregnancy, etc. ... we know that in many ways David had "made his bed and having to live with the consequences". Yet, David knew that the Lord had forgiven his sin. Read his prayer of repentance when he was confronted by the prophet Nathan in Psalm 51. Yes, in some ways, his hard circumstances had been brought on by his own mistakes, and yet, He knew God was forgiving and full of mercy. How can we know that God will forgive and still hear our prayers?
1 Kings 8:46-50 -
| ¶ | If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near; |
  
   |  1Ki 8:47 | | Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness; |
| 1Ki 8:48 | | And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name: |
| 1Ki 8:49 | | Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause, |
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| | And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them: |
Psalm 32:1-5 -
| [[[A Psalm] of David, Maschil.]] Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin iscovered. |
 | Psa 32:2 | | Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. |
| Psa 32:3 | | When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. |
| Psa 32:4 | | For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. |
| Psa 32:5 | | I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. |
Psalm 51:2-4,9-13,17 -
| Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. |
| Psa 51:3 | | For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sinis ever before me. |
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| Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. |
| Psa 51:10 | | Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. |
| Psa 51:11 | | Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. |
| Psa 51:12 | | Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. |
| Psa 51:13 | | Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. |
| Psa 51:17 | | The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise |
| | Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and donethis evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
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Psalm 103:8-14 -
Psalm 130:3,4 -
Proverbs 28:13 -
Isaiah 1:18 -
Isaiah 55:6,7 -
Lamentations 3:22,23 -
Micah 7:18-20 -
Romans 4:7,8 -
Ephesians 1:7-10 -
1 John 1:9,10 -
1 John 2:1 -
2. Do you ever have trouble sleeping when too much is on your mind? What can we learn from David and others in Scripture about God being our Shepherd so that we can count on the Shepherd rather than counting the sheep? Comment on the following verses:
Deuteronomy 31:6 -
Isaiah 26:3 -
Isaiah 41:10 -
Psalm 3:5 -
Psalm 4:8 -
Psalm 23:1-6 -
Psalm 34:17 -
Psalm 46:1 -
Psalm 119:165 -
Psalm 121:3,4 -
Proverbs 3:24 -
John 14:27 -
John 16:33 -
Romans 8:6 -
Romans 12:2 -
Romans 15:13 -
2 Corinthians 10:4,5 -
Philippians 4:6,7 -
Philippians 4:8 -
Colossians 3:2 -
2 Timothy 1:7 -
2 Thessalonians 3:16 -
3. David literally had 10 1000's of people against him. We have unseen enemies in the heavenly realm working with our adversary Satan to make us doubt God's deliverance and to try to attack us and make us fear. Not only that, but there is world wide terrorism making people fear for their lives today. How can we combat fears we have with God's Word? Comment on the following verses:
Psalm 5:12 -
Psalm 27:3 -
Psalm 28:7 -
Psalm 34:4 -
Psalm 118:17,18 -
Isaiah 49:15,16 -
Isaiah 54:17 -
Romans 8:28-31 -
Ephesians 6:10-18 -
4. David knew that 'salvation' and 'deliverance' came from the Lord! How does Scripture confirm that for us in other places as well?
Psalm 18:2,32-36 -
Psalm 27:1 -
Psalm 32:7 -
Psalm 34:19 -
Psalm 68:20 -
John 3:16,17 -
Colossians 1:13 -
Colossians 2:15 -
2 Timothy 4:18 -
Hebrews 2:14,15 -
5. Summarize this lesson and post a prayer if you would like. Thus you may plainly see how God hath wrought in his church in old time, and therefore should not discourage yourselves for any sudden change; but with David, acknowledge your sins to God, declare unto him how many there be that vex you and rise up against you, naming you Huguenots, Lutherans, Heretics, Puritans, and the children of Belial, as they named David. Let the wicked idolaters brag that they will prevail against you and overcome you, and that God hath given you over, and will be no more your God. Let them put their trust in Absalom, with his large golden locks; and in the wisdom of Ahithophel, the wise counsellor; yet say you, with David, Thou, O Lord, art my defender, and the lifter up of my head. Persuade yourselves, with David, that the Lord is your defender, who hath compassed you round about, and is, as it were, a shield that doth cover you on every side. It is he only that may and will compass you about with glory and honour. It is he that will thrust down those proud hypocrites from their seat, and exalt the lowly and meek. It is he which will smite your "enemies on the cheek bone," and burst all their teeth in sunder. He will hang up Absalom by his own long hairs; and Ahithophel through desperation shall hang himself. The bands shall be broken, and you delivered; for this belongeth unto the Lord, to save his from their enemies, and to bless his people, that they may safely proceed in their pilgrimage to heaven without fear.
May this picture remind us of how we can rest; even sleep peacefully when the Word is our refuge; when God is our shield. Amen!
