Your Blessing Be On Your People

Psalm 3
July 3, 2022
Abraham Hong

Sermon Script

Praise be to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Our salvation belongs to him. We are saved because of his life, his death, and his resurrection.

His blessing is on us who are his people. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

And now today we are one week closer to his return. Selah.

But as we wait for Jesus’ return, we often forget about him. And we often sin against our King. This is not good.

But today’s passage is a wonderful and loving reminder about God’s covenant of grace. About his promises to us. About his promises to David. Even though David forgot about God and sinned against him.

On one level, this psalm is very simple. It is a prayer of David when he fled from his son Absalom. David was the king of Israel. But his son Absalom rebelled against him and conspired to take the throne away from David. And so in Psalm 3, David cries out to God for help.

David begins by saying that his enemies are many. His foes rise against him. And they speak words of mockery, saying, “There is no salvation for him in God.”

But make no mistake. These are ultimately enemies and foes of God himself, not of David. And these are ultimately words of mockery against God himself, not against David. For he who sits in the heavens laughs and says, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”

Therefore, David goes on to declare who God really is. God is a shield of protection for him. God is his glory. God is the lifter of his head. And when he cried out to God, God answered him.

Even more so, David goes on to proclaim his real-life confidence in God. David can go to sleep and wake up, knowing that God sustains him. David is not afraid of all his enemies and foes who set themselves against him.

And at the end, David cries out for salvation from God. David asks God to arise and save him. And David recalls how God would strike and break his enemies.

This is David’s prayer to God in Psalm 3. This psalm is simple. Simple to read and understand.

But when you consider the story and the background and the bigger picture behind it, this psalm is also profound, dramatic, and full of the gospel of Christ Jesus.

Consider this. David, in a very real sense, does not deserve to pray this psalm to God. And the reason why is this. Absalom’s rebellion and conspiracy against David was ultimately all David’s fault and ultimately all a result of David’s sin against God.

David committed adultery with Bathsheba. And David had Uriah murdered to cover it up. This was David’s sin against God. And God saw it all.

God confronted David through the prophet Nathan. And God declared that David would suffer the consequences for his sin. God ordained that the sword would never depart from David’s house and David’s life. And God raised up evil against David from David’s own house.

This was the meaning and the purpose of Absalom. Absalom, a son of David, would rebel and conspire against David. Absalom and all the drama that came with him was a direct consequence of David’s sin against God.

And that brings us to Psalm 3. How could David pray this psalm? On what basis could David ask God for help against Absalom? On what grounds could David ask God for help when he deserved all of this?

This is the true drama of Psalm 3. David was a failed king of Israel. David was a sinner before God.

But David’s failure could not destroy God’s covenant of grace.

David’s sin could not change God’s promises of salvation.

David, the earthly king of Israel, was able to pray this psalm because of his King. Because of his Lord. Because of the heavenly King and the ultimate Lord of the true Israel: Jesus Christ.

David sinned against God. But God did not throw him away. God sent Jesus to save David from his sins. This is the faithfulness of our God. This is the steadfast love of our God. This is a result of God’s covenant of grace.

God saved David with the life, the death, and the resurrection of his eternal Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus defeated David’s ultimate enemies. Jesus atoned for David’s sin. And Jesus overcame the Devil. Jesus was David’s final shield and ultimate glory. Jesus was the lifter of David’s head as he took away David’s guilt and shame.

Many were Jesus’ enemies and foes. The Jews crucified him. Judas Iscariot betrayed him. Peter denied him. His disciples deserted him.

The Son cried aloud to the Father. But on the cross, the Son was forsaken.

Our Lord died and “slept” in his death.

Our Lord rose again from the dead and “woke” in his resurrection.

And now we are his people. All because of God’s covenant of grace. All because of God’s promise of salvation. Salvation belongs to the Lord. God’s blessing is on us who are his people. Selah.

Dear Highland, if you are united with Christ and found in him, then you too can pray in the spirit of Psalm 3 as David prayed. Your sins are many. You deserve many consequences for your sins.

But God’s covenant of grace, God’s sovereign and eternal election of his people, God’s promises of salvation, and God’s steadfast love apply to you.

Therefore, praise be to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

And therefore, let us live for Jesus and love and worship and serve him.

Did God answer David’s prayer here in Psalm 3? The answer is yes.

Absalom sought counsel from two key men: Ahithophel and Hushai. But what Absalom didn’t know was that Hushai was David’s friend. And God sent Hushai to Absalom in order to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel and ultimately bring Absalom down.

Absalom followed the counsel of Hushai. And as a result, Absalom lost his battle against David.

And so at the end, as Absalom was riding a mule in a forest, his mule went under a thick branch of a great oak tree. Absalom’s head got caught fast in the oak. And Absalom was suspended between heaven and earth. And the mule went on. And Absalom died.

God answered David’s prayer in Psalm 3.

But not because David was worthy. God answered David’s prayer because salvation belongs to Jesus.

Dear Highland, you may suffer real earthly consequences for your sins. You may receive real temporal discipline from God in your life.

But remember that you have full forgiveness in Christ Jesus.

Remember that the covenant of grace is greater than all of your sins and all of the earthly consequences of your sins.

Look to the Lord right now. He is your salvation. Salvation belongs to him. And his blessing is upon his people.

Soli Deo Gloria