Entertaining Evil:
Freedom from Fear
Psalms 56:1-13
In last week's sermon, we looked at one of the last events in the life of King Saul. It was a moment when desperation overcame him and he responded sinfully by seeking out a medium to speak to Samuel, who had passed away. We saw the consequences that he had to face for those actions. This event recorded in 1 Samuel 28 wasn’t the only time that desperation had obtained a foothold in the life of King Saul, but it would be the last. We look at what led to the ultimate demise of King Saul. There was something present every time he found himself in a moment of desperation: fear. The word “fear” is usually not something that we ever have to define because we have all experienced it. Just in case, I think a good working definition of fear is “a feeling or sense of dread or anxiety over a situation”. It’s hard to define because fear can come in all forms and intensities, depending on the person and the situation. The fear that King Saul experienced brought about panic and despair in the life of Saul. It was fear that led him to make desperate and sinful choices. We know that fear does not come from God, but rather it is something that drives us away from God. When fear is left unconfronted it can ensnare us - dictating our actions, attitudes, and controlling our lives. God doesn’t want it to be that way. This morning we are going to look at a man who was in a situation almost identical to what Saul found himself in last week. That’s King David, who came through his situation in a much better state, for he let God free him from his fear.
David’s Situation - Psalm 56:1-2
O God, have mercy on me, for people are hounding me. My foes attack me all day long. I am constantly hounded by those who slander me, and many are boldly attacking me.
We are not 100% sure as to which event this psalm is referring. Some have suggested it might have been David’s run-in with the King of Gath recorded in 1 Samuel 21. Or maybe it happened during the event that was recorded in 1 Samuel 29. Whatever the event, we know that David is facing his enemy, the Philistines, just like Saul did. His enemy was starting to wear him down. David starts by crying out for mercy. It’s the cry of a man that is starting to feel fear and desperation set in. As we read these first two verses, we see that there is a lot of uncertainty in his language, and uncertainty can very often lead us into fear. He sees his enemies as predators, stalking him, continually hovering over him, ready to strike, and not letting him rest out of fear of being attacked. It even seems like David might be having a crisis of identity because he describes these enemies as bold in their attacks. They should know he’s the king of God’s chosen people. They should know that he killed the mighty giant Goliath. But his enemies didn’t care about any of that. They were relentless in their attacks upon him, and it was in this moment that David had to make a choice concerning his fear. He could fight his enemy, flee from his enemy, be frozen in fear, let his fear lead to panic, or he could do what he actually did and let that fear activate his faith in God.
David’s Solution - Psalms 56:3-4
But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised.
I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?
When David found himself in a moment of fear, his response was polar opposite to what King Saul did. Instead of acting rashly and running headlong into sin thinking he could solve his own problems, David turned to God. Let’s take a closer look at David’s response recorded here in verses 3 & 4. In verse 3, David doesn’t say “if I am afraid”, but rather “when I am afraid”. David was being a realist. He knew there were times he would be afraid in life. He wasn’t trying to be a tough guy or set unrealistic expectations for anyone who would read this psalm, but rather he wanted everyone to know that in this fallen world you will face fear. Fear was not found in the perfect paradise of Eden. Fear entered the world when sin first entered, and Adam & Eve went and hid from God because they were scared. Fear will no longer exist when Jesus returns, but for now it’s a reality, and if it’s not dealt with, it will cause us to become enslaved to it. David tells us how we are to deal with the fear that will come upon us in our lives. We must trust God. The word translated as trust here gives us the idea of our hearts resting in God. What a beautiful picture that is! When we find ourselves in danger, instead of panicking, we trust in God and our hearts can find rest. We aren’t worried about how WE will solve the problem, but rather trust that GOD will solve it through us. This is easier said than done. David doesn’t just leave the solution there, but he goes on to explain that we rest in, trust in, and give praise to God because of His rock steady promises.
If we look at the entirety of the Bible, we will see that God makes 7,487 promises to mankind and He has never failed even once in keeping those promises. David was saying that when he found himself in a situation where fear is creeping in, he just remembered the promises of God and knew God is in control. Now there is obedience on his part. He knows that God has got it under control. Just think, David didn’t know everything we know when it comes to the Messiah Jesus, God, and everything else that is revealed in the entirety of the Old and New Testament. If David could be so confident with such limited knowledge of God, how much more so can we trust in the promises of God because of everything He has given us?
Maybe our problem is we underestimate the promises of God. Take, for example, God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars. I’m not sure how many Abraham would have thought that was, but I'm sure he was amazed at the prospect. To give you a little context about what they thought about that number, let’s look at a man named Hipparchus who lived a few thousand years after Abraham (roughly 100 years before Jesus). He counted the stars and said there were 1,022 stars. 250 years later, a man named Ptolemy said he was wrong and there were 1,056 stars in the sky. Now, we have to estimate the number of stars, because with all the technology we have to estimate the number, we still can’t count them. The last estimate that I saw was over 1 septillion stars in the universe. That’s 1 with 24 zeros after it. It’s a number that’s almost too large for the human mind to comprehend. That's what God was promising Abraham - a number of descendants that could not be counted. When we find ourselves in a moment of fear and we go to God's Word and see His promises, we can rest in the truth that His promises aren't going to just "get us by," but they are going to be more than we could ever imagine. God's promises aren't the only reason that David is able to find freedom from his fear.
David’s Reason - Psalms 56:5-13
They are always twisting what I say; they spend their days plotting to harm me. They come together to spy on me— watching my every step, eager to kill me. Don’t let them get away with their wickedness; in your anger, O God, bring them down. You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help. This I know: God is on my side!
I praise God for what he has promised; yes, I praise the Lord for what he has promised.
I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? I will fulfill my vows to you, O God, and will offer a sacrifice of thanks for your help. For you have rescued me from death; you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light.
As David gets ready to end this psalm, he mentions three specific attributes of God that he clings to in order to help him break free from his fears. Before he does, he mentions once again the tactics of his enemy. Since we already discussed that, let’s move down to the 8th verse. In verse 8 we see a familiar passage that gives us the image of God collecting tears in a bottle and keeping track of all David’s sorrows. Think about this image for a second. What would it take for someone to record every sorrow and tear that you shed? It would take the utmost care and dedication and that’s exactly what David is talking about here. The first thing that David mentions is God’s great love and care for him. Knowing that God cares for him means that God is going to always be looking out for him and what is best for him. The second thing David mentions is the power in the name of God. It’s at His name that the enemy retreats. It’s knowing that God is all powerful that helps David break free of his fear. It’s the absolute power in just the name of God that sends his enemies retreating in fear. Lastly, David mentions the point that wraps this up: he knows that GOD IS ON HIS SIDE! We need to understand that this is not to say that whatever you get (in your sinful and depraved mind) should be attributed to God. David was a man after God’s own heart and he knew if he walked with God in obedience, then God would always be with him, just like he mentions in verse 13. He had seen what happened to Saul when he decided to do things his own way and David wanted nothing of it. He knew that God was light and the fear present in darkness couldn’t abide in the light of who God is. God cared for and loved David. He was powerful, and He was on David’s side. That’s all David needed. He feared nothing because he feared God.
Like we mentioned before, we have so much more knowledge about God than David did, but we can still find ourselves trapped by fear. We know that perfect love casts out all fear and perfect love comes only from Jesus. When we find ourselves being moved by fear, we need to stop and ask ourselves why we are afraid. We need to go to God’s Word and see what God says about the subject. We need to trust in the truth we find there. We need to understand that He will never fail, and all His promises are true. He cares for you, He is almighty, and He is on your side. When we embrace those truths, what fear can stand?
