Because I am righteous, I will see you. When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.
Psalm 17:15 NLT
Firstly a few thoughts or reactions before I try to organise my thoughts into a bible lesson with main point and subpoints: I think only Jesus could ever truly say some of these words.
v.3 You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night. You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong.
v.4 I have followed your commands
v.5 My steps have stayed on your path;
I have not wavered from following you.
v.15 Because I am righteous, I will see you.
The world pretends to be a friendly, loving place full of friendly, loving people. It is anything but friendly and loving. The world hates God. They hate righteousness, they hate justice, they hate holiness and purity. The world is an enemy of God, and all together they will kill and silence the son of God every chance they get. Don’t be fooled into thinking you have got no enemies. If you want to follow God, you have untold enemies in all manner of realms of evil. The devil and all the spiritual and worldly forces want you to fail, to fall, to wallow in the filth of their unrighteousness. Don’t be fooled, you have enemies. And they do not want you to be holy. So maybe you will understand David’s prayer a bit better if you reread it with these thoughts.
So I come back to the Psalm and I ask myself, “What does this Psalm tell me about who God is and what God does?” It is the theology, the picture of God that draws me to this task. What do I learn from David’s understanding of God?
I’m bringing you along in my thought process today. Instead of just giving you a single page of the finished product, I’ll try to show you my steps of exegesis (a critical explanation or interpretation of a text.)
David is crying out to God.
David must think that God is listening.
But David wants to be sure.
David appeals to God that David’s innocence matters to God and therefore God should listen and act.
David thinks of God as a listening, answering God who would draw near to David.
David believes God will reveal God’s ways to David.
David would like a personal example of God’s saving ways, God’s protecting ways, God’s parenting ways, God’s caring ways.
It is at this point that I think again of Jesus. Jesus of all people understands the Fatherly ways of God. Jesus can, in my way of thinking, easily say these things to His Father.
I often think David is contrasting the ways of the world (his enemies) with the ways of God. So I think
God is with pity v.10
God is not boastful (in a vain way) v.10
God is not a ravenous predator. v.11
God is not hiding in an ambush v.12
God is just. v.13
God is not shortsighted and looking to temporal, short term get rich quick satisfaction. v.14
God is eternal, patient, long term and heavenly in His plans to prosper His kingdom and followers (his children for whom he leaves an inheritance). v.14
God has standards. He demands righteousness in his family/home/presence.v.15
God is welcoming. v.15
God is approachable. v.15
God is satisfying v.15
Okay I’ve distilled my observations into a few thoughts.
MAIN POINT:
God comes close to help the obedient followers who come to him asking for help.
God is available for his obedient children. v.1
God is listening to his obedient children. vv.1,2,6
God protects his obedient children. vv.7,8, 9
God provides justice for his obedient children. vv.13,14
God satisfies in abundance his obedient children. vv.14, 15
God welcomes his obedient children. v.15
Now I might reorder this list and group the thoughts into two points:
As obedient children, we have a welcoming God who comes to our defence.
God is welcoming us as family (Who God is)
God is available for his obedient children. v.1
God is listening to his obedient children. vv.1,2,6
God welcomes his obedient children. v.15
God is coming to our defence (What God does)
God protects his obedient children. vv.7,8, 9
God provides justice for his obedient children. vv.13,14
God satisfies in abundance his obedient children. vv.14, 15
Conclusion:
When you are determined to be with God you will have enemies who want to keep you from God’s ways. But God is a welcoming God who helps His obedient children. David’s prayer here is most perfectly understood as a foreshadowing of Jesus’ prayers to His heavenly Father. Jesus has shown us how to be obedient children who can depend on their heavenly Father to help them.
To make this a proper bible lesson or sermon I would have to explain and illustrate far more to show the links to Jesus’s life and demonstrate the points from the text.
For application I would personally return to v.3 I am determined not to sin in what I say. What we say to God, about God and about everything God requires sets the path for our trusting of Him, our welcoming by Him and our confidence to approach Him. Then I see I need a Saviour, then I look for and see Jesus who makes me clean so I can approach the throne of God boldly.
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. 6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say,
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”
7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
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