From Perplexity to Praise - 2

We began study last Sunday night on the subject of lament, a subject that most of us are probably not real familiar with, but I believe there's some real help for us here.

We need instruction in righteousness to not get stuck in our journey of faith in God is called us to. John Newton said through many dangers, toils and snares we have already come. There are dangers and there are toils and there are snares in the sufferings and the perplexities and the difficulties of life can indeed be snares to us.

If we do not know how to navigate through them and profit as God ordains in his providence that we go through these things. So last well Sunday night we studied Psalm 77 and we learned among many things seem to me the primary thing is that the psalmist is teaching us that despite all of his questions. Despite all of his perplexity and unanswered questions. He kept seeking after God and that's what we must do, but in this journey of lament that we are going to be continuing on tonight. There's more than just turning to God with our questions and are perplexities, the next step in this journey is we saw in Psalm 77 and will see it here tonight in Psalm 10 is bringing our complaints to the Lord. There's attention here is another.

And I'm sure you feel that complaint and complaining isn't very isn't a very positive word.

We don't like complainers.

God is judged. Those who have complained these command that is not to complain, and it seems like the wrong response to situations where we should be content and thankful but is not always the case is complaining, always wrong. If you were here last Sunday night. You should be convinced that is not always wrong in the Psalter.

There's 150 Psalms and 30 of the Psalms are Psalms of lament.

Lament is a complaint and they're not just penned by individual people. They were given for corporate worship directed to the chief musician or the director of music.

It should be part of our corporate worship as were singing to God lamenting in wrestling with the questions of life.

So as we continue in our study tonight will see in Psalm 10 and will see in subsequent weeks expressions of sorrow and of fear and of frustration and even can and words given to articulate those emotions. The Bible is full of complaints and apparently they are not sinful again they been set to music for us to sing now don't get me wrong I'm not giving you permission to vent self-centered rage and anger toward God is not what this is about. I'm not suggesting for a second that you or I or anyone has a right to be angry with God. I think it's always wrong to be angry with God's obviously were talking about something different than that. This is something that is in God's arsenal of tools to help us in our growth in grace and again I my purpose tonight is to give a bit of a lengthy introduction and then give an exposition of Psalm 10 so because the subject is new to a site I feel the need to invoke an incense and need to ground us a bit in what what is it we're talking about here.

Complaint and lament complaint was never meant to be an end in itself.

In other words, lament does not give you or me an excuse to wallow in our questions and our frustrations.

It is a means to another end. And if you never move beyond complaint lament loses its purpose.

So not at all suggesting that we engage in this exercise just for its own sake. We should never complain just to complain. We bring our complaints to the Lord for the purpose of moving us toward him. We allow the honest opening of our souls to become a doorway to a more steadfast and more robust faith in him or someone say one time. It matters not how great the pressure is it only matters where the pressure lies in what that person meant by that statement is that life brings pressure to us. It matters not how great the pressure is only where the pressure lies is the pressure pushing us, forcing us, driving us toward the Lord.

Or is it pushing us away from the Lord and for just complaining for complaining sake. I think that is going to result in us moving further and further away from the Lord.

But if we understand the instructions that we have here in the sacred Scriptures about lament its design is to move us in closer to the Lord. So I want you to see that in most of the lament Psalms, there's movement we saw that self-study of Psalm 77 this depression that came over Asaph and how he just the longer he spoke about at the more depressed he became and then he called the mind trues that he knew about God and you see this incredible turn and he moved from depression to praise, so we saw that in Psalm 77 we see that again here. Psalm 10 opens with questions, wondering about where is God.

Why does God seem to be distant and then seven or eight versus given to his frustrations over those realities and the injustices that he saw around him. But again, the Psalm ends with a declaration of praise and a confident trust so I wants to see that this is part and parcel of what God is doing as he instructs us in the lament were not to get stuck in a place where all were doing is complaining and venting our frustration that it is part of our journey that God has ordained for us to grow. Let me show you for elements in our Psalm tonight and in many of the Psalms.

They began with an address to God, we encounter the writer in prayer to God and here it is right from the very beginning.

Why do you stand afar off the Lord is praying. So with his questions. He's just not mumbling and talking to himself. He's bringing these concerns to God. So there is prayer there is a turning to God, then there is a complaint and will see that he gives voice to it, and complaint gives way to a request. Most of the lament, you will find this pattern of turning to God. A complaint or request in the Nubian expression of trust and or praise. And again, each of the lament.

Each step of the lament is part of this journey this pathway that God has for us now. Just so we're clear what were talking about here lament what is a lament, a lament can be defined as a loud cry, a hall or a passionate expression of grief, but in the Bible. It's more than just sorrow or talking about sadness is more than walking through stages of grief lament is a prayer in pain that leads to trust lament is a prayer in pain that leads to trust. We see here in the Scriptures lament giving voice to the strong emotions that believers feel the cause of suffering. It wrestles with the struggles of life lament typically asks at least two questions number one, where are you God in the number two if you love me why is this happening closer to predominant questions you see surfacing in the Psalms of lament.

I had us sing tonight. William Cooper's him.

God moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform most of you know a bit about his history his life. He struggled with debilitating bouts of depression, even landed in an asylum for time. Most of his life.

He he wrestled with how to turn his sorrow into trust and he his been used of God to give great humidity to the church. There is a fountain filled with blood 04 closer walk with God and then what we sang tonight. God moves in a mysterious way penned that in 1774, believed to be one of the last hymns that he wrote and what I like about the him is Cooper's candid statements about the realities of life. He's not.

He doesn't have his head in the sand. He's dealing with life as it really is in a broken world, he speaks about dreaded clouds and of judging the Lord with feeble sense and in the category of frowning Providence. The man knew something of suffering, but I love this him because of Cowper's ability to turn from hardship to the character of God. Fearful clouds are full of mercy, frowning Providence does what it hides up :-). Pain can become a platform for worship.

Suffering can lead to trust in songs of sorrow are meant to move us from complaint to confidence in God and I think Cooper's him helps us in that regard.

In Psalm 10 David is the resumed author here most commentators tie Psalm nine and Psalm 10 together, and Psalm nine says prayer of thanksgiving for the Lord's righteous judgment to the chief musician to the tune of death of the son, a Psalm of David. But the heading up in my Bible over Psalm 10 is a song of confidence in God's triumph over evil and in the Psalm of David. Saw the many injustices in what seemed to be in his mind the indifference of God toward sinful mankind. The success of sin and of sinners brought the militating discouragement and despair to David, but he shifts his focus in the middle of the Psalm from the earthly to the eternal, and his anxiety turns to assurance in his confusion. The confidence in his perplexity to praise.

So as we consider Psalm 10 tonight I want to look at it under three headings wants to see number one David's perplexity and that's in verses one through 11 and there's two parts to that perplexity. It's his questions and it's his frustrations will look at that verses one through 11.

David's perplexity number two David's plea or David's prayer in verses 12 through 15 and then finally David's praise so pretty easy to remember perplexity plea and praise. Notice the questions. David's perplexity, he asks the question, why do you stand afar off the Lord, O Lord.

That's God's covenant name Jehovah. The God who declared himself to Moses at the burning bush. I am that I am. He's asking why oh Jehovah God, the covenant God, why do you stand afar off. This was the God who made a mockery of the false gods of Egypt, turning them against their worshipers in the 10 plagues. This is the same God who led Israel through the wilderness, and who inhabited the tabernacle. This was the God who defended his people and delivered them. Yahweh was a deliverer he parted the Red Sea. He brought his people out of slavery and David is saying to this God why do you stand afar off at this particular moment, God seems to the Psalm is to be standing far away God's people are in trouble and it feels as if God is distant. The psalmist fears that God is no longer helping him, nor his people is not a foreign sentiment to us as it was the last time you felt that way you felt like God was afar off, God was distant. I think every believer can relate to that sentiment at some time in his or her life, but the this Psalm Psalm 10 it teaches us that these feelings. These emotions should not be dismissed as invalid or sinful they are part of the journey.

It is an aspect of genuine faith to be wrestling with these things. If we didn't know God we didn't know his presence. We didn't know is fellowship. We would never know to cry out when we sense a distance with God and in indifference or a sense of indifference with God. So again it's part of the language of faith.

There's a second question, and again it's in verse one. The first one is, why do you stand afar off the Lord second question, why do you hide in times of trouble is far as David was concerned. It's it's not that adjusted God was standing afar off. Now the problem to him is the feeling that God is hiding himself God is withdrawing himself that God is ignoring and the best I can understand and get my mind around what David is saying here is that the David is saying basically needs telling God that he feels like to him that his is as if God is not being godlike, your God, your Jehovah God, you're the God who did miraculous things for your people, but right now my sense is that you're not you're not acting like that God you're not helping us you're not delivering us your not present help in time of trouble. You're distant, you're far away. In fact you're even hiding yourself. You see injustices. One thing but God's lack of intervention is a deeper pain it creates complaint and that's what David is doing injustices unfairness think is one of the lessons that parents continually repeat to their children when they say it's not fair.

Life isn't fair. Life isn't meant to be fair there's many unfairness is injustices and that's where the psalmist goes. Now he he moves in his perplexity from these questions to his frustrations. He's frustrated by what he sees what a cc begins in verse two he saying in error against the wicked do what they persecute the poor and their pride in their in their arrogance. The wicked boast of their desires of the soul. Verse three the wicked boasts of his heart's desire what's behind that well.

He believes that he can have whatever he wants.

He can pursue whatever he wants.

There's no restraint. No one to tell him he can, verse four, and the pride of his face.

The wicked does not seek him does not seek the Lord and then this statement God is in none of his thoughts. Now that's one thing to observe that it's another thing that to see that somebody like that is prospering. Life is going well for them. This doesn't seem right.

This is in fair psalmist is a bit outraged over it all. He's frustrated that there seems to be no justice.

It appears that the proud and the oppressive person only, no success. Verse five is ways are always prospering. He says the oppressor. He says acts as if you never experience adversity verse six. He has said in his heart, I shall not be moved.

I shall never be in adversity in the boast of the wicked is just frustrating David to no end and then it even gets worse. He observes that this ungodly person he lies in wait any plans for his next victim. Verse 89 he sits in the lurking places of the villages in the secret places he murders the innocent's eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless. He lies in wait secretly is a lion's den.

He lies in wait to catch the poor. He catches the poor when he draws them into his neck. David is just frustrated as to why God allowing this.

Why is God permitting this one and he put a stop to it. Vulnerable people are hurt by the wicked, the proud man concludes in verse 10.

This is the proud man. The goddess forgotten he has hidden his face and he'll never see it. Notice what he says so he crouches, he lies low that the helpless may fall by his strength and he is said in his heart, God has forgotten he hides his face he'll never see, that's the wicked man.

That's the ungodly man. That's the unsaved man talking. There's Dave accounting God's going to judge me. He didn't see that's what this man is saying is what the psalmist is frustrated over so he's perplexed.

We see David's perplexity and it is communicated to us in his questions and in his frustrations, but his complaint is an opportunity to redirect his heart against. I want you to see the movement here rather than allowing the painful circumstances to rule his life and create bitterness and despair. He lays out his frustrations before God and the frustrations expressed in lament push him further toward God, not away. Notice David's plea begins in verse 12 arrives. All rise, O Lord, O God, lift up your hand. Do not forget the humble. Why did the wicked renounce God, he is said in his heart, you will not require an account, but you have seen for you observe trouble and grief to repay it by your hand, the helpless commits himself to you. You are the helper of the fatherless, and then this request. Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man seek out his wickedness until you find none.

David is making a request now see these four things I mentioned to you that we see in many of the Psalms, we see a turning he's bringing his requests or not his request. He's bringing his questions and his frustrations to God. There is a turning then there is the complaint, the language of complaint. He verbalizes his frustrations and then there is the asking. The making a request of God and then were going to see finally here statement of trust renew trust and confidence in God's all for those elements are here in Psalm 10, but again David's plea has prayer he's asking God to remember what remember the week in verse 12 and 14 and to reject the wicked. In verse 15. Remember the week. Remember them in their affliction. Remember them in their vexation arise, O Lord, O God, lift up your hand. Do not forget the humble. Why did the wicked renounce God. Again, he's just great.

He is rehearsing what the wicked man is said water the wicked renounce God. He has said in his heart, you will not require an account. That's what he thinks God but then he's speaking the reality but you have seen a thanks you don't see but you have seen for you observe trouble and grief to repay by your hand someone is said God never God seldom pays at the end of the day, but in the end he always pays it's a good reminder because we want to see injustices settled.

We want to see the ungodly. The unrighteous get there. Do desserts and when they seem to prosper and go on and there's no judgment. We but let's not be flummoxed by what we see. Let's rest and what we know that every injustice will be made right God will resolve every issue.

Injustices injustices will be meted out. God will judge everything verse 14, but you have seen for you observe trouble and grief to repay it by your hand, the helpless commits himself to you in this good news. You are the helper of the fatherless.

That's good news. He is a helper of the fatherless, and then he makes this request of God and sounds pretty violent. Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man.

Another words stopped him in his tracks, frustrate his purposes. Don't let him go on unabated is what David is saying seek out his wickedness until you find none. So again, Psalm 10, David's perplexity revealed in his questions and his frustrations David's plea or is prayer there in verses 12 through 15, asking God to remember the week and to judge the wicked and then number three David's praise.

Notice what he says. And again I can see the see the movement here perplexed by God's indifference what it seemed to him to be there and the questions he raises in the frustrations that he speaks of in here. He says in verse 16. The Lord is King forever and ever.

Wow, USA will I'm still not sure how lament moves a man from all this questioning and frustrations to this statement of trust and praising God. I'm not exactly sure how it works either, but this pattern is seen over and over and over again and I think we need to see it. To encourage us not to be afraid of our honest questions we can go to God and say God I just don't get it.

Help me and wrestle with our faith before God. If we can wrestle with our questions before God where we gonna wrestle with the Boeing on a voice them to does not put off by that now we need to be humble. We need to be respectful.

We need to guard our hearts about against bitterness and anger toward God.

We need to be careful. We take our place, our rightful place he's got it were not, but with all those things in place. There is room for us to wrestle with our questions before God and God will hear us and God will help us so what's he say the Lord is King forever and ever. The nations have perished out of his land.

Lord, you have heard the desire of the humble you will prepare their heart. You will cause your ear to hear, to do justice to the fatherless, and the oppressed, the demand of the earth male press no more. David's praise is praising God for his Majesty's focus is on the character of God, the Lord is King forever and ever.

He's not a temporal king. He's a King forever and ever. He saw her knees rolling in the heavens above and on the earth beneath the nations of perished out of his land and what's implied. There is the nations of perished out of his land but he still the king. He hasn't left is wrong. Lord, you have heard the desire of the humble mess. All we need to humble ourselves in the side of the Lord with the confidence that he will lift us up, God opposes the proud but he gives grace to the humble Lord, you have heard the desire of the humble you will prepare their heart. You will cause your ear to hear not think of that statement in contrast to what he raised earlier in the Psalm. The question, why do you stand afar off the Lord, why do you hide in times of trouble here. He says you will cause your ear to hear, to do justice to the fatherless, and the oppressed that the man of the earth male press no more. When will the man of the earth. The press no more seams after the man of the earth is oppressing constantly. We see it everywhere will there's a day coming. The Bible says he's coming and he's coming in power and great glory. Knees coming as a judges and he so let's rejoice in what we know about God when surrounded by unbelief in the ungodly.

It's easy for us to become distracted in Lucite of the inevitability of the triumph of God's kingdom. God will rule and reign.

He wills. He will judge every sin and all injustices will be dealt with. So I trust that this helps you. It helps me as I've studied through this as we observe the language of lament and see this movement and understand that God has good purposes in preserving this portion of his word and giving this to us for our instruction in righteousness and may God help us as we seek to live for him and understand his ways better. Shall we pray.

Father, we thank you for your word.

We thank you for its instruction. We thank you for its help Holy Spirit of God. Take your word and bring about healing bring about help to us. As you know our needs to be in our areas of struggle. I pray in Christ name, amen