DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
What does the title of this psalm teach us about discipleship?
What is the significance of thankfulness when it comes to praise?
Why is it important to understand the difference between God getting angry but not bitter?
David prays a bold prayer in verses 8-10, revealing to the LORD his motive for living. Do we resonate with David’s words here? Or do we often find ourselves living for something other than God’s glory? Is it permissible for Christians to pray similar prayers as David’s here?
SERMON MANUSCRIPT:
Psalm 30 is a psalm of thanksgiving intended to be sung during the temple's dedication. It bridges the past and the future, expressing gratitude and praise for God's past work while assuming God’s faithfulness in the future. It’s a psalm that teaches us critical truths about God: God is a deliverer, is slow to anger and never bitter, and is the extender of favor and joy.
Today, we will again be reminded that God's mercy and grace transform suffering into joy and worship. The God who dwelt with Israel was an excellent God worthy of praise, and the God who dwells with us by living in us is a good God worthy of praise.
Let’s dive in.
“A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of the temple.”
The title of this Psalm is quite enlightening. Here, we see two things: the author and the intention of this psalm. This psalm, written by David, was to be sung when the temple was dedicated. What’s interesting about these two things, though, is that the temple wasn’t constructed until after David died.
In 2 Samuel 7, David expresses his desire to build a house for the LORD. But, in response, the LORD comes to David through Nathan and says (Ryan’s paraphrase), “Thank you! But, instead of you building a house for me, I will make you into a house. When you die, I will raise up your offspring after you, and he shall build a house for my name. I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”
So, behind the scenes of this psalm, we see David’s confidence in God’s promises. Even if he would never see it with his own eyes, David was confident the temple would be built for the LORD.
Why is David so confident the temple will be built? Because God said so. When God says he will do something, he will do it.
But, behind the scenes of this psalm, we also see David’s selflessness in how he prepared others to do the work he wanted to do. Serving the LORD is never about serving you; it’s about the LORD. Serving the LORD is not about your glory but his glory. Serving the LORD is a selfless endeavor; it’s a lifting up of the LORD and a lowering of self.
But, sometimes, it’s hard to keep the main thing the main thing. When we have an idea of how we want to serve the LORD, if we don’t get the credit for that work or don't get to do that work, then we shut down and pout.
Oh, friends! May we never forget that kingdom work is about the glory of the King, not the glory of the King’s servants. Put more bluntly, the Christian faith is more about Jesus than it is about you.
Here, we see David willingly lay down his desire to carry out his dream for God’s kingdom and equip others for the work he wanted to do. David had a vision to build a house for the LORD, yet he wouldn’t be able to. But instead of pouting, he worked to prepare those behind him for that work.
Is this not discipleship? David knew the temple would be built one day, and he was preparing God’s people for that moment, even though he wouldn’t be there. A crucial part of discipleship is preparing those behind you to worship long after you’re gone. Godly leaders seek to do the work of the ministry while also preparing others for the work of the ministry. Godly leaders are willing to let go. Godly leaders are content with passing the torch. Godly leaders are eager to equip. Godly leaders strive to leave the pockets of the next generation full of truths about God so that they will never grow weary of reasons to praise.
Friends, one day, you and I will breathe our last breath. So, what are we doing to prepare those behind us for that moment?
Let’s examine how David seeks to prepare God’s people for worship after he departs.
LIFT UP IN PRAISE THE GOD WHO HAS LIFTED US FROM THE PIT
First, David lifts the LORD up in praise because the LORD had lifted him up from despair.
“[1] I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up
and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
[2] O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
[3] O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.”
The phrase “extol” is a common word used within the context of worship in the Old Testament. It means holding someone up as most precious and glorious; it’s viewing God as the most excellent one above all things. It’s a term of praise that often stems from deliverance. In Exodus 15, for example, Israel “extols” Yahweh for their deliverance from the Egyptians (cf. 15:2). So, David is lifting God up in praise because God has drawn him up from despair.
The language of “drawn me up” is salvation language. It’s likened to drawing water up from a well (Ex. 2:16, 19). So, like water being pulled from a well, God has lifted David up from the hands of the enemy. David has escaped the hand of the enemy, and they can no longer rejoice over him. In the same way that God delivered his people from the oppressive hand of the Egyptians, he delivered David from the hand of the enemy. And in the same way God delivered David from the hand of the enemy, he has “delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son (Col. 1:13).”
God is a deliverer. He is the only one capable of pulling us from despair and darkness. In our lowest moments, when we feel as if the enemy has his teeth latched into us, it is God who can save us. It has been and always will be Christ who saves. David is teaching us, from his personal experiences, that we are invited to cry out to the LORD for help. God is a deliverer. He is a God who reaches down into the pit and saves.
So, are you hurting this morning? Is your soul in trouble? Is your spirit weak? Does it feel like your soul is in the place of the dead, Sheol? Cry out to the LORD for help! The all-powerful God of the universe is our helper. The transcendent God is also imminent. He is far above, separate from us (transcendent) but also close (imminent).
The beauty of the gospel is that Christ has saved us from the pit by getting in it with us. He who knew no sin became sin so that we might become the righteousness of Christ. Jesus's life, death, and resurrection are the instruments God chose to use to pull us out of darkness and into the light. The only proper response to this deliverance is gratitude and praise. Praise is a response to grace. When God pulled David out of the pit, he was met with grace, and praise rightly followed.
If we are in Christ, we have been met with grace today. We have been delivered from the oppressive hand of sin, death, and Satan. And praise is the only proper response to such grace. God heard your cry for help, and he has answered. So, we, like David, should “extol” the LORD!
PRAISE AND THANKFULNESS
This personal experience of David leads him to say to the generation behind him,
“[4] Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.”
The term “saints” here means “holy ones” or “faithful ones.” It describes God’s people, those who belong to God. It means they have been set apart and declared holy. The Bible uses this term to describe both our status and our character. Their status is that of holy ones because they belong to the Holy God. For us now, in Christ, we, too, are positionally holy, set apart, and called saints. Because of what Christ did for us on the cross, we have been set apart from the world and belong exclusively to God. Our sin was placed upon Jesus, and his righteousness was put upon us, so now, when God sees us, he sees us as holy, blameless, and above reproach. We are saints because God has set us apart and declared us holy. But, those declared holy will begin to walk in holiness. Those with the title of “faithful one” will seek to walk faithfully. Our character ought to reflect our status, and part of the character of a saint is a devotion to worship.
Notice here in verse 4 how praise and thankfulness go hand in hand. They’re partners in crime. Thankfulness is to praise as Batman is to Robin. A thankful heart is a praising heart, and a praising heart is a thankful heart. Thankfulness and praise often stem from receiving a gift you don't deserve. Those who have been met with grace always have a reason to be thankful. Those who have been met with grace always have a reason to praise. A grateful heart should be accompanied by singing lips.
ANGRY, BUT NOT BITTER
Why should the saints be thankful? They should be grateful because “his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
The word for anger refers to God’s righteous anger. It conveys a sense of intensity and severity, but David tells us that his anger is short-lived. God is slow to anger, yes, but he’s also quick to resolve it. He doesn’t let his anger simmer and take over his heart. God gets angry, but he never gets bitter. Bitterness has destroyed many relationships throughout history. But God doesn’t allow bitterness to rule his heart. No, his anger is only for a moment. His favor, however, is for a lifetime. Favor means goodwill, acceptance, delight, or pleasure. It’s the opposite of rejection; it’s acceptance and embrace. So, where bitterness divides and pushes away, favor unites and pulls in. Yes, God hates sin, and anger is the only righteous response to his people's sin. But God is not short-tempered. He’s quick to forgive. And he invites us to a life of acceptance, joy, and favor.
No matter the cause, any trial feels like it will never end. Discipline, especially, seems unending. When tears fill our eyes, we’re tempted to think the sun will never shine again. But this psalm reminds us that the sun will shine again. God is not bitter toward us. He doesn’t hold things against us. He casts our sin as far as the East is from the West. Joy is on the other side of discipline. Your tears may last for the night. But remember that the morning is coming, and joy comes in the morning.
Do you believe this to be true today? Do you understand that God’s common disposition toward his people is not anger but favor? Do you know that God is for you today? Let this be water to your soul this morning. Perhaps you’ve blown it. Maybe you’ve sinned greatly. Please know that God's anger is temporary, and his favor is lasting. God offers you grace, forgiveness, and joy this morning.
Before we move on, let me speak to those holding onto bitterness this morning. If the God who feels indignation daily is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, shouldn’t we do the same? If God’s anger is only for a moment, why are you letting your anger last for a lifetime? Some of us must let this truth about God seep deep into our hearts today. Some of us need to lay our anger down at the foot of the cross today. Anger, left unchecked, is a poison that will destroy us. So, may today be the day when we taste the joy of forgiveness.
GOD > PROSPERITY
David then shifts from a corporate call to a personal example. He says,
“As for me, I said in my prosperity,
‘I shall never be moved.’
By your favor, O LORD, you made my mountain stand strong;
you hid your face; I was dismayed.”
When used in the context of the LORD, the phrase “I shall never be moved” has a positive connotation. It depicts an immovable confidence in the LORD. But it can also have a negative connotation whenever it conveys confidence in something other than the LORD.
The language used here seems to indicate David's confidence in his own prosperity. He looked at his wealth and possessions and thought, “I’m good! No harm can touch me.” The favor of the LORD was on his life, and his mountain stood firm. But, then the LORD hid his face, and he was dismayed. He realized his hope and security didn’t reside in his wealth, health, power, and prosperity. No, his full pockets produced nothing when the LORD hid his face.
This led to David crying out to the LORD,
“To you, O LORD, I cry,
and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
‘What profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me!
O LORD, be my helper!”
The language here is strong and bold. He’s saying to God, “What good is there for me to be dead?” If I’m dead, I won't be able to praise you. But, as long as there’s breath in my lungs, I will sing your praise!” This prayer of David reveals his goal in life. He lets God peek deep into his motives, saying, “The primary goal of my life is to bring glory to praise you and tell of your faithfulness!”
David's language here closely resembles Paul’s when he says, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” In other words, yes, death is gain! When we die, we will be with our Savior and Lord forever. But as long as we’re here on earth, our life will be for Jesus. We’re here on this earth to worship him and tell of his goodness! So, Lord, show us mercy! Be merciful to us so that we might praise you!
Friends, let me ask you: What is your motive for living? What does your heart beat for today? Does it long to make much of Jesus, or does it beat for something else?
WEEPING INTO DANCING
It seems the LORD was gracious in answering the cry of David because he then says,
“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!”
Prosperity has a strange way of taking our eyes off the LORD, but trials have a peculiar way of fixing our eyes on him. Prosperity provides a false sense of hope and security. But when the sovereign LORD blows our straw houses down, we realize we are nothing without him. And when our straw house crumbles, God is there to deliver. And when God delivers, joy follows. When God mercifully acts on behalf of the needy, mourning is turned into dancing. When God delivers, our sackcloth (clothing closely tied to grief and distress) is replaced with gladness. Mercy leads to thankful proclamation.
We have a lot to be thankful for, church. But may we be careful not to limit our thankfulness to physical things that can be destroyed in the blink of an eye. May our hearts be filled with thankfulness because God is a merciful deliverer. May our hearts be filled with thankfulness because God didn’t leave us in the pit of despair.
As we close today, let me land the plane on the hope of the gospel. Let me direct our attention to the cross, where Jesus turned our mourning into laughter. On the night that Jesus was nailed on the cross, the disciples wept through the night. But their weeping was short-lived, and joy came in the morning. Jesus was soon raised to life, and his resurrection is the key that brings us to life.
All who look upon Jesus in faith experience their wailing turning into dancing. All whose faith resides in Jesus will experience their sackcloth being exchanged for gladness. And our praise will never be silenced.
As God’s people were dedicating the temple of the LORD, the holy house of the LORD, they were reminded of God’s faithfulness amid difficulties. They were reminded that their God is excellent and worthy of praise.
Church, let me remind you that God no longer dwells in a building. God dwells in you. You, the church, are the temple of the LORD. God has lifted you out of the pit of despair, he has redeemed you, and he now dwells in you. So, may we always sing of his goodness and seek to tell all of his faithfulness. All who have been saved will find unending joy in Jesus.