DISCIPLINE-Psalm 39, INTEGRITY-Psalm 41

Old Testament, Psalms, Sermons

TRANSIENCE: “Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is” (Ps 39:4).

DISCIPLINE: “Save me from all my transgressions… Remove your scourge from me; I am overcome by the blow of your hand. When you rebuke and discipline anyone for their sin, you consume their wealth like a moth—surely everyone is but a breath” (Ps 39:8, 10-11).

HURTING: “Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again before I depart and am no more” (Ps 39:13).

THOUGHTFULNESS: “Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; the Lord delivers them in times of trouble” (Ps 41:1).

INTEGRITY: I said, “Have mercy on me, Lord; heal me, for I have sinned against you.” “I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me. Because of my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever” (Psalm 41:4, 11-12).

How does Psalm 38-41 about “the guilty sufferer“ point to Christ?

“…there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin. My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear” (Psalm 38:3b-4).

I. Jesus bore my unbearable sin and guilt.

  • “…since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, …let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb 10:19, 22).
  • “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Mt 26:28).
  • “…as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Ps 103:12).

“When you rebuke and discipline anyone for their sin, you consume their wealth like a moth—surely everyone is but a breath” (Psalm 39:11).

II. Jesus was unjustly disciplined because of my sin.

  • “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8).
  • “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Phil 2:8).
  • “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood” (Heb 12:3-4).

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—but my ears you
have opened—burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. Then I said, ‘Here I am, I have come—it is written about me in the scroll. I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart’” (Psalm 40:6-8).

III. Jesus sacrificed himself in obedience to God’s will.

  • “First he said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them’—though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, ‘Here I am, I have come to do your will.’ He sets aside the first to establish the second” (Heb 10:8-9).

“Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me” (Ps 41:9).

IV. Jesus tasted betrayal from one whom he loved.

  • “But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me’” (John 13:18).
  • “And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me” (Mt 26:21).
“Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again before I depart and am no more” (Psalm 39:13).

V. God looked away from Jesus so that He could look at us.

  • “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?” (Psalm 22:1).
  • And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) (Mark 15:34; Matthew 27:46).
    • We can turn our eyes upon Jesus because God turned His eyes away from Jesus!
A bleak ending without a note of hope (Ps 39:13). As with Psalm 38, David is hurting through divine “rebuke” and “discipline” for sin (Ps 38:1; 39:11), described as “blows,” “wounds,” or “bruises” (Ps 38:5, 11; 39:10) from the “hand of God” (Ps 38:2; 39:10). In both psalms personal sin is acknowledged as the cause of divine judgment (Ps 38:4-5, 18; 39:8, 11) and adopts an attitude of silent waiting in the presence of detractors (Ps 38:13-16; 39:1-3, 8-9). Both stress in different ways the tenuous nature of human life (Ps 38:10, 17; 39:4-6, 11). [Gerald Wilson.]
In Psalm 38, sickness exposed sin and the theme is sin–wrath–confession–forgiveness. In Psalm 39 sickness exposes the brevity of life, the way to face this in such as way as to give a good testimony to the watching world, and the desire for relief in the brief time remaining. David speaks to our hearts: the full knowledge of eternal life does not diminish our sense of this life’s brevity, its preciousness, and our desire to “make a good death.” [Alec Motyer.]
  1. Kidner. 1973. No Fixed Abode. [Longman III; Wilson]
    1. The pent–up [silent] protest (Ps 39:1-3). Silence before God. Agony of silent waiting.
    2. This fleeting life (Ps 39:4-6). The frailty of human life. Prayer for divine illumination.
    3. The dire discipline (Ps 39:7-11). Acknowledgment of sin. Remove your scorge.
    4. This small petition (Ps 39:12-13). Prayer/Final plea for deliverance.
  2. Longman III, Garland. 2008. A Stranger to Life and an Alien with God.
  3. Keller. 2015. Desperation. Guzik: Wisdom to speak under God’s correction. Paul LeBoutillier: Let me know how fleeting I am. Goldingay. 2013. I Am Going to Die.
  4. Motyer. 2016. The Pity of Life‘s Transience.
    • A1. Silence before the world (Ps 39:1-2).
      • B1. Talking to God; living with life’s brevity (Ps 39:3-6).
        • C. The essential issues (Ps 39:7-8).
    • A2. Silence before God (Ps 39:9-11).
      • B2. Talking to God; desiring relief before the inevitable end (Ps 39:12-13).

I said, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked” (Ps 39:1). 

 

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