Sermon
Where To Find Peace
July 14, 2002
Pastor Donald Sheley

I'd like for you to take your Bibles this morning. We're spending the summer in the Psalms. We've spent all last year in the book of John and so during the summer times we turn to this beautiful portion of God's word and we take a Psalm a Sunday or two. It's really rich with great spiritual truth, so today I'd like for you to turn in your Bible to Psalms 34. If you're using the pew Bible it's page 380. I'll give you the pages as we go along. We'll use the Bible quite frequently today, so have it out there. We'll not use our notes. We'll just hurry through the Scriptures today.

You'll notice that at the top of many of the Psalms that little part that says; a Psalm of David when he pretended madness. Is that in your Bible? What you'll find when you read through the Psalms, many of them tell us the historical occasion or the event which caused that Psalm to be written. Remember, the Psalms were the great hymns of the ancient synagogue, and so these were sung. I'm going to tell you the history of this Psalm in just a moment, but first of all I'll read it for you. Look at what it says.

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exult His name together. I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the inflections of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

Now that's the Psalm, but what's the historical setting that caused that Psalm to be written? Go with me to 1 Samuel chapter 21. It's page 204 in the pew Bible. These Psalms come from human experiences and that's why we relate so closely to the Psalms. Some of the great hymns that we sing today in our church services came out of experiences where people went through very difficult times and wrote a hymn, and those hymns are with us to this day.

We sing a hymn found on page 493 -- It Is Well with My Soul. Here's the background. A businessman had sent his family, four girls and his wife, across the Atlantic for a vacation years and years and years ago. There was an accident, the ship went down, and he lost all of his family, save one. He was broken hearted. It was one of life's deepest, darkest moments for him. He catches the next ship because he's going to England to get his daughter. When the captain of his ship crosses the markings where his wife's ship had gone down, he notified those on ship that this was the place. Mr. Spafford went down to his cabin and he wrote this beautiful hymn -- It is well, it is well with my soul. He found that in life's darkest moments that God was near him, even through life's difficult trials. We sing it today; It is well, it is well with my soul.

Now here's a Psalm written by David. Let me quickly give you the background. David was selected after Saul, who was the first king of Israel, had disobeyed God so many times as king that God finally lifted His blessing from Saul and sent Nathan the prophet to the house of Jesse and he had the little boy, the shepherd boy named David, and there Nathan anointed David. But for 14 years he ran from Saul. Saul was jealous. Saul knew his days were numbered. He was on a downward spiral, in fact, he became so disobedient to God he finally, on the battlefield, commits suicide. But for 14 years he's chasing David all over the place, and David knows he must wait God's time; He'll take care of Saul, but he had to flee.

On one occasion he's ready to go again because Saul is getting close and he drops by the priest and he says, in all of my haste I forgot my weapons of war, do you have something here for me that I can use. Notice verse 8 of chapter 21: And David said to Ahimelech, "Is there are not here on hand a spear or a sword? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste." So the priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, there it is, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it. For there is no other except that one here." And David said, "There is none like it; give it to me." Previously, you remember, David had killed the giant from Gath, cut off his head with his sword, and David brought the sword back. Now that priest has that sword wrapped in a cloth in the temple. David said, I'll take it. That's the only thing available.

Let's look at the next verse. Then David arose and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. He ran right into trouble, didn't he? He's got the sword that he took from the giant of Gath and in his frustration he runs right to Gath, and look what happens. And the servants of Achish said to him, "Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying: 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?" They recognized that this is that little boy from Benjamin who killed their giant, and as a result they lost their war, and now they're singing his praises back there in Israel. Saul kills his thousands, but David kills his ten thousands. So David now knows his identity is exposed.

They chain him up, put him in steel, and the old king has his sword that he had used on Goliath next to him. Now look at what David did. Now David took these words to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. There he is sitting in the presence of a king whose giant he had killed with the sword that's now at his right hand, and he's chained and can't get out. He's in a tough spot. One stroke and his life is gone.

Look at what David did. I'd never think of this. So he changed his behavior before them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let His saliva fall down on his beard. I mean, he's making it up. He's going to act like he's insane; he's crazy. I would've never thought of that, but David did. And look at what the king did: Then Achish said to His servants, "Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?" In other words, take him away. Why do you embarrass me with an insane man? And they let him go.

Look at what happened. Chapter 22, David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, the went down there to him.

Now back to our Psalm -- Psalm 34 -- so what David is doing he turns the cave of Adullam into a cathedral. He starts singing with his harp. I will bless the Lord at all times. He had a reason to bless God, didn't he? He was set free out of the hands of death, and he said my mouth shall make its boast in the Lord. He said I'll always remember what God has done and I'll keep praising Him. Oh, come and magnify the Lord with me let's turn this cave into a place of song. He said, I sought the Lord. I can imagine in all of his madness he's also saying, God, get me out of this thing. Get me out of this situation oh God. He said, I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Verse 6, this poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. He's rejoicing. He got out of the hands of a king whose sword had been used to kill his giant. Look at what he says in verse 7. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. That's interesting. Now we modern-day folks don't believe much about angels other than what we hear on Channel 6, but the Bible still teaches that God assigns angels to guard us.

Where does it say that? Well look at Psalm 91. It's page 406. Psalm 91:10, No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. So as a child of God you've got an angel. Well that's Old Testament, pastor, get into the New Testament. All right, I'll do that. (Congregation laughs)

Come with me to Hebrews. Look at what it says in Hebrews; page 804 in the pew Bible. On page 804 the subject is Christ is higher than angels. In verse 13 it says, But to which of the angels has He ever said: "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool"? Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? The writer to the Hebrews says God's angels have been sent to minister to us, who are the heirs of salvation. I believe with all my heart God has assigned an angel to watch over us. I believe that.

Over my seventy plus years I can go back and tell you time and time again, if God's angel hadn't been there to protect me, I don't know what would have happened. Over the years we come on each morning of the week at 5 o'clock in the morning for prayer, and one of my prayers has always been; God, may you send Your angels to take up encampment about us. May they give us divine protection today, and many You give us Your peace in Your presence.

Back in 2 Kings 6, the old prophet was being chased down in Dotham, and the armies are chasing him, and he goes in and goes to bed. And while he's sleeping the old armies just surround him, and the next morning his servant gets up a little early and he goes out and sees all of this army. He runs back into the bedroom and he says, Hey, prophet, we're surrounded by enemies!. And so the old prophet gets up, walks through the door, and says, God, would You open this servant's eyes? When the servant saw as God saw, he saw all the mountains around him filled with angels. God blinded that army and they were sent on their way. Nothing happened.

I tell you folks, I believe with all my heart that David realized that in life's most difficult moments you can be at peace because you know God has a divine servant watching over you. Amen?

Back to our text. He says, oh, taste and see. Notice he says that there is no want to those who fear Him. Look at verse 15. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. That doesn't mean we are perfect, folks. We'll make mistakes, but if your desire is to please God, you know one thing: That the ears of the Lord are open to your prayers. He's listening.

Verse 17 -- The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears. Verse 18 -- The Lord is near. Verse 19 -- Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. David said, there was a time when I sat their chain in front of old Achish and all of my peace was gone, but when I realized that God was taking care of me and he set the free, I'm going to keep praising God because I know He hears me, and I know He sent an angel to watch over me.

Now this ties together very beautifully with Psalm 46, because they're almost the same kind of message. Go with me to page 386 , Psalm 46. It's one of the beautiful things about the Psalms, many of them are almost parallel in thought. It says, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in the time of trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah; stop and think.

He said, we have a God, and the word for refuge in Hebrew is a God that's high and lifted up, and no foe and ever affect Him. We have a God that's over all. And he paints as in poetic words life's turbulences, mountains rolling, and the waters flowing. You and I know that there are sometimes when all that seems to be stable and have longevity, all of a sudden it's gone and the mountains around us, as it were, are beginning to fold and the waters are flowing and life seems to be almost at a turbulent end. That's the picture the old psalmist paints here.

Let's go back and find out the history. Go with me to 2 Kings 19. It's page 270 in the pew Bible. You've got to know the background of the Psalm, and then it just immediately comes alive. Here's the background for Psalm 46. Hezekiah is the king down here in Jerusalem. Over here in Assyria you have old Sennacherib the king, and he's decided he's going to go to battle. So he's just mowing over all of these nations and he's coming down from Syria. He's almost at Jerusalem.

Old Hezekiah thinks, I can't fight this guy. He's got bigger armies than mine. What will I do? Well I'll try to appease him. So he strips all the gold out of the house of God, even off the door, and he sends the gold to Sennacherib thinking that this may appease him and he might go on his way. But old Sennacherib is a warrior, and he says, I've come this far and if I leave this part unconquered, I'll never get into Egypt and across North Africa. I've got to make sure this is conquered too. So he sends a message to Hezekiah down in Jerusalem, he said, you've got to let me into your city.

And old Hezekiah, he's done all he can do. He stripped the temple of all of its gold. He's got nothing more to give. His back his right against the wall. So what does he do? Look at verse 14 chapter 19 of 2 Kings; And Hezekiah received a letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it. These are the demands from old Sennacherib. You let me come, or I'm coming. And Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord and said: "O Lord God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdom of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, Oh Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God.

Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands. He said, God, that letter He sent me is true. Every nation has just fallen over in front of them. God, You know he's right. Look at verse 19 -- Now therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdom of the earth may know that You are the Lord God, You alone. Hezekiah has nothing more to do now than to turn to God. He's given away all the gold. He has nothing more to pay off the king that's coming after him, Sennacherib, so he goes up to the temple and says; God, You can read as good as I can read. You know what he said, and You know, God, I'm going to turn this whole matter over to You. Now it's Your opportunity to prove Your power.

I think he left that letter in the temple that night. He didn't even take it to his room. He said, God, that's You're problem. I'm going to go to bed and to get a good night's sleep. Look at what happens. This is absolutely terrific. Look at verse 35 -- And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses-all dead.

So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh. Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the temple of Nisrock his God, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword. Now that's the setting. Hezekiah's back is against the wall. He can't do anymore. He takes the letter and says, God, I'm just going to turn it over to You. It's Yours. And a marvelous thing happened. One angel, one night, one hundred eighty-five thousand; the enemy is gone and the defeated king goes home and his own kids kill him.

Now let's come back to our Psalm. Now you know what this Psalm 46 is, is a song of praise rejoicing over that night that the angel slew. And what he is saying is, God, You are our refuge, that is, You are our high tower; You have all power, You can do anything. And he said, You are always present, You are always available when we come to You. He said, even though earth is shaking and the mountains are falling, and everything that seems stable is gone, I still have a refuge and that refuge is in You.

I watch the congregation folks, Sunday after Sunday, and I had a lovely lady in our service last night, and all the mountains of stability in her life were going; everything she had counted on is crumbling. She sat here. She doesn't know which way to turn. I watched her as we read that, and that describes my life, my mountains are crumbling, and everything I thought was beautiful is being washed away. But there's still is a refuge, and that refuge is God.

Now the next verse, you have to understand the history and I've got to hurry. There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God. Why did he tuck that in there? Let me tell you. In the past years Jerusalem had no natural water system inside its walls, so the armies that would come after Jerusalem they knew one thing, if they just camped out long enough and kept anyone from coming out, sooner or later they'd run out of water and they'd have to surrender. But old Hezekiah is smart. He's a smart king. Years before he was out walking and down in the Valley of Kidron he finds this beautiful, beautiful stream, a natural flow, that's just gushing with water.

So the old king he has that capped off, puts stones so that nobody can see it. Then he has his men drill through 1777 feet of solid rock. He brings that water supply from that bubbling brook into the very center of the city. So while old Sennacherib is sitting out there thinking...sooner or later. They don't have to worry their refreshment is coming through a source that cannot be touched by their enemy; so it made happy. Now there's the spiritual application because this Psalm is for us. We have our turbulent times, but you and I drink from the wells of salvation. God is our source. And if we'll keep that source unclogged by throwing away our fears and our doubts and our distrust, old Isaiah says that His peace will flow like a river.

You see, we believers have an asset that so far exceeds the unbeliever. In the midst when the mountains are rocking and the waves are roaring, we have a fountain of life and blessing, and when we find ourselves in God's presence, even amidst the storm, Jesus says My peace I given unto You. We have a river that flows from the throne of God and feeds our soul with His presence and with His joy.

You can have your tears. I watched a man sitting here this morning, and on Wednesday I sat beside his mother. Mother said to me, Pastor, I want to go home to Jesus. I said, Jesus, come and get mother. She's ready to come, and in a few hours mother went to heaven and I saw Bill sitting here this morning in service too. Tears were running down his cheeks because he misses mom, but he's raising his hands praising God because the peace of God that passeth all understanding flows into his heart. Amen?

I have to hurry. Look at verse 8. He said come, come behold the works of the Lord. Can't you see Him. Here's one of these guys in Jerusalem and he goes out on the battlement and he's wondering what all that army is doing out there. He looks over the battlement of Jerusalem and here he's got a hundred eighty-five thousand corpses. He calls to the folks back in Jerusalem -- Hey folks, come here, come here. See what God has done. We don't have any enemies anymore. Come see the works of the Lord. What that tells me is when we think the enemy is there, if we'll just stop for a moment and go back and remember what God has done so many times in our lives. Right?

I've often gone up to my office and said, God, I've got this problem, but let me think -- 22 years ago I think we went down this same avenue, and You kept us and we came out victorious. When you stop, even though the walls are crumbling and the water is roaring and the mountains are shaking and your life...just say God, You're still God, and I remember when You helped me in the past and I want to thank you for that. Come, see the works of God.

Now, the last one is this. Look at verse 10. Be still and know that I am God. That's not an invitation to tranquility or passivity. Do you know what God says? If you'll just get out of the way, I'll be God. Ah! We too often -- when something comes up we maneuver, and we think, and we go this way and that -- we're going to solve this for God. And after we get done messing it up, God says, Sheley, when you get done, you just back away and I'll prove I'm God. I watch these ladies who are so concerned about their husbands not being saved. They throw tracts and turn on KFAX. The poor guy is under bombardment night and day. They're trying to play God. And God says, just a second, just back off and let Me be God.

That's what He said to old Hezekiah. You've given away all the gold. You've got nowhere else to turn. Just lay it out before Me and go to bed, and I'll take care of it.

I'll tell you it's simple folks, but it's hard. All God says -- just back away from whatever the turbulence is, find a quiet place in His presence, and just let God be God. Where do I find peace? In His presence, submitted to His will, His way, in His time. That's where I find peace. Let's pray.

Father in heaven thank you for these beautiful Psalms. Hezekiah in a difficult position, David in an extremely difficult position; no reason to be at peace for either one of them, but they learned when they turned it over to You, and You took charge, that's when they recognized how big a God You really are. That's when peace begins. Now there are folks sitting here today, Father, who are going through some very turbulent times in their lives and their mountains are shaking and the rivers are rapidly flowing, and stability isn't there. Just help them to be still, back away, and let You be God. Please help us all. And everybody said...Amen. God bless you folks. God bless you.