“Cornered”
Psalm 3
Emmanuel Christian Church 10.22.23
INTRODUCTION: Backed into a corner- we’ve all been there! What you do when you are there- makes all the difference in the world!
King David was backed into a corner on numerous occasions. Some of those times, it was a matter of his own making- the consequences of his own sinful, selfish decisions (I’m sure we can all relate to that!) Other times, it was other people who backed him into a corner (I’m sure that we can all relate to that scenario too!).
The occasion that prompted his inspired writing of Psalm 3 was a combination of both!
As a consequence to his sin of adultery with Bathsheba, and his killing of her husband Uriah, God had sent the prophet Nathan to deliver this word:
2 Samuel 12:9-12 Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’
“This is what the LORD says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’”
That came true with a cascade of events that went far beyond David’s reign as king and eventually led to the destruction of the entire nation. The particular event that prompted David to pen Psalm 3 involved three of his children: his son Ammon, his daughter Tamar, and another son Absalom. The short list of sordid details are these: In a fit of incestual lust, Amnon rapes his sister Tamar. In retribution Amnon’s brother Absalom murders him. In ongoing malice toward his own father, King David- Absalom plots a coup against David and forces him to flee for his life from the capital city of Jerusalem! What a MESS!
PROPOSITION: With his back in the corner, running for his very life- David wrote these words:
Psalms 3:1 O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! 2 Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” Selah 3 But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. 4 To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah 5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. 6 I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side. 7 Arise, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. 8 From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. Selah
Nearly three thousand years later, we’re left with some lessons learned about what to do when we (like king David) find ourselves “Cornered”! These lessons are not taught in a classroom, but in the real-life example David left for us while running for his life!
Our list consists of 5 “lessons”: two of the lessons are about what NOT to do when cornered, three are points of ACTION we need to REMEMBER when we find ourselves backed into a corner!
#1 DON’T BE SURPRISED!
Psalms 3:1 O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!
- We live in a sin broken world!
- Sometimes, its the sin of others that gets us backed into a corner.
- People are NOT basically good- we’re all basically BROKEN. - Sometimes, its our own fault!
even though God had forgiven David- there were STILL real
consequences for what he had done.
- Because we live in a sin broken world, you can do all the right things
and STILL suffer, Remember, Jesus led a perfect life and they NAILED HIM TO THE CROSS!
APPLICATION: So- DON’T BE SURPRISED! Instead, listen carefully to this instruction from God’s Word:
- Evil is real.
- In the present case, David brought this on himself!
- Even though he had repented of his sins of adultery and murder, and
1 Peter 4:15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
#2 DON’T BE NAIVE!
Psalms 3: 2 Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.”
- It’s childish to think that your enemy won’t use your faith as a weapon against you! He does it by tempting you to doubt the source of your greatest strength - which is, your trust in God.
- It is a small step from hearing your enemy say “God will not deliver him.” to hearing your own voice repeat, “God will not deliver ME.”
- David had LOADS of reasons to believe the taunt of his enemies: - He was a man of much blood, a warrior who had slain “tens of
thousands”.
- He was an adulterer. - He was a murderer.
- On the other hand,
- David was a man of incredible faith in God.
- David was a humble man who took responsibility for his sin in humble
repentance.
- David was a man “after God’s own heart”.
APPLICATION: When your back’s against the wall and the devil accuses you saying “And you call yourself a Christian!” Push back with all your faith, and let him know it is on the blood sacrifice of Christ that you take your stand. Listen again to God’s Word speak to this very issue:
1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
1 John 1:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
1 John 2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
I highly recommend that every one of you memorize this Scripture!
#3 DO RUN!
Psalms 3:3 But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. 4 To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill.
- “Fight or Flee” those are the two options you have when cornered! - King David was a battle hardened warrior who NEVER ran from the
battle, but in the midst, ALWAYS ran TO the LORD!
- There it is again: “LORD”- the name of the absolute, all powerful,
Creator of the universe!
- David KNEW from his past experience that it is God alone who gives
GLORY to the shamed, and LIFTS the head of the downtrodden!
APPLICATION: “In this life, you WILL” have trouble!” Count on it- it was Jesus who said it! But do NOT forget what He said immediately following those words: “But take heart, I have overcome the world.”
David’s son Solomon learned this lesson from his father:
Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
Remember this, when you find yourself cornered- you can ALWAYS RUN TO THE LORD!
#4 DO REMEMBER!
Psalms 3:5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. 6 I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.
- “Peace” does NOT depend on circumstances - it IS the result of FAITH. - On the other hand, ANXIETY IS all about the circumstances!
- David was running for his life!
- His own son wanted to kill him!
- His political popularity had vanished!
- His military power was in the hands of his enemies!
- In SPITE of all that, David was able to get a GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP! - How did he manage that? He simply made a CHOICE.
- It was a FAITH choice.
- He could either trust in himself- hoping that his own strength and wisdom could carry the day, or
- He could put his confidence in the LORD - the ONE who is the absolute, all powerful God of the universe!
APPLICATION: On the night Jesus’ disciples were about to face the greatest crisis of their lives; knowing that they would all be so terrified that they would all abandon Him, Jesus said this:
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
So, what are YOU going to do the next time you wake up in the middle of the night with the anxiety clutching at your throat? I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you REMEMBER “peace” follows YOUR faith choice! Listen again to God’s Word:
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Which brings to our last lesson...
#5 DO PRAY!
Psalms 3: 7 Arise, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. 8 From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.
- Interesting prayer request!
- “Deliver me LORD, because I know that I can’t deliver myself!”
- I think more than ASKING God for something (like deliverance), prayer is an ADMISSION to God of our absolute dependence on Him!
- Knowing that God knows EVERYTHING, could it be that prayer requests are more for our REALIZATION than God’s INFORMATION? (I think so.)
- “Punch my enemies in the mouth!”
- Notice, David didn’t pray “Let ME punch my enemies in the mouth!” - David knew that vengeance is something that belongs to the Lord.
- Only God can execute justice with absolute righteousness, because he sees to the very heart of man.
- David was certainly no pacifist! But, he did have the humility to understand that it was God alone who had the ability to judge who needed to have their teeth broken!
CONCLUSION: Next time you find yourself cornered, remember these words from God’s Word:
Romans 8:31 “...If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
Romans 8:38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
