Psalm 39 To the Chief Musician, to Jeduthun, a Psalm of David.

I said I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue. I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, while the wicked are before me. I was mute with silence. I held my peace even from good, and my sorrow was stirred up. My heart was hot within me. While I was musing, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue.

Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am. Indeed, you have made my days as handbreadths, and my ages as nothing before you. Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah. Surely every man walks about like a shadow. Surely they busy themselves in vain. He heaps up riches and does not know who will gather them.

And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you. Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the reproach of the foolish. I was mute. I did not open my mouth, because it was you who did it. Remove your plague from me. I am consumed by the blow of your hand. When with rebukes you correct man for iniquity, you make his beauty melt away like a moth. Surely every man is vapor, Selah.

Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry. Do not be silent at my tears, for I am a stranger with you, a sojourner as well as all my fathers were. Remove your gaze from me, that I may regain strength before I go away and am no more.

Let’s seek the Lord’s blessing on this, His holy word.

Prayer Gracious God in heaven, we do praise you and thank you for your word, which is truth. It is our only infallible rule for faith and life, and you have been pleased to reveal it to us, even in our own language, our own tongue, and what a precious gift it is. We don’t have to guess about who you are and who we are and what you’ve called us and why you created us because you have revealed yourself and all these things in your word and so we pray father as we come to this particular psalm this morning we ask that your spirit would be active in our midst giving us understanding and insight to the truth that is here applying these truths to our hearts

And as your word goes forth in the power of the Spirit, we do pray that it would find in each and every one of our hearts that rich, fertile soil that brings about great and abundant fruit for your glory. We pray now for your blessing upon your word. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Introduction: The Big Questions of Life

Why are we here? What’s our purpose for being? Do we even have a purpose? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why is there so much evil in the world, so much pain and suffering? Why must I endure affliction and grief, difficulties and challenges in my life? God, why have you made me like this?

These are some of the big challenging questions that people are often asked and they have. Wondering about this life, what it’s all about. Wondering if God is truly there and whether he is listening.

Many people have many of these kinds of questions. And many who want to find those answers, they search anywhere they can, looking for the answers, except often, they often fail to search and seek out the answers from the One who truly has them, the Lord God, who has revealed Himself in creation in His Word.

But even for us. Even for believers in Christ. Especially when the questions are about our own circumstances. Maybe of suffering and affliction. Or different trials that we may be going through. We may be afraid to bring these questions before the Lord. Because we don’t want other people to think. We don’t even want God to think. That we’ve lost faith. Or that we have doubts.

God has the answers, this we know, but our pride can keep us from asking God these difficult questions.

But friends, there’s nothing wrong with asking God questions, even these difficult and challenging questions, questions of doubt and uncertainty.

You see, if we’re trusting in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation, as I hope you are and as we are, then your faith is secure in God and will not be shaken. And so just because you have questions doesn’t mean your faith has failed you.

Now certainly, if you allow your unanswered questions to rule in your hearts, and if you don’t ultimately submit yourself to what God has revealed to you in His Word, thus leading you away from Him, Well, you can be moved to a serious state of doubt and such doubt can lead to despair and sin. And so from this, you ought to be warned.

But we should seek the Lord in faith and we should come before him with our questions, even these most challenging questions.

And in Psalm 39, we find somewhat of a pattern for dealing with difficult questions, questions that often don’t have easy answers.

As David once again finds himself in the middle of trouble and affliction, and as we consider this pattern, we’ll notice that it’s actually the same process that Jesus himself goes through. As he struggled with suffering and even death that led to our salvation. and the questions that he was faced with at that time.

Main Point: There Is a Time to Ask Questions and a Time to Be Silent

And so the first thing we need to consider in this psalm is that there is a time to ask questions and there’s a time to be silent.

And see David here finds himself again in this common predicament of being surrounded by enemies and yet know carefully that instead of defending himself, instead of speaking out, instead of openly questioning God, David remains silent.

The Nature of David’s Silence

David’s silence is deliberate and committed.

He says, I will guard my ways lest I sin with my tongue. I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle while the wicked are before me.

He’s going to restrain his mouth. He’s guarding his way. He’s putting a muzzle on himself. So he will not speak.

David here seems to be acknowledging how quickly a spark of the tongue can engulf a whole forest in flames, as James reminds us of in James 3.

And what a great challenge for us to be vigilant about guarding our own tongues. We know it’s so easy to speak, but the problem is once you have spoken, well, there’s no taking it back. What you said has gone forth and perhaps it has brought destruction.

And so it’s better to remain silent than to speak rashly. Or again, as James cautions us to let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.

But here in Psalm 39, David is suffering persecution. And yet he does all that he can to remain silent, uttering not a word.

Why this honorable silence?

Certainly in such a situation, we might think that he would be justified in speaking out. But he remains silent because he doesn’t want to speak in the presence of his enemies, in the presence of the wicked, because it could lead to sin.

And so we see here that David’s silence is actually an honorable silence.

But again, we wonder, why doesn’t he speak before his enemies? What sin could it lead to?

Whereas the rest, as we see throughout the Psalm, David is struggling in his heart and his mind with questions. Questions about what God is doing in his life.

And so if he speaks openly about this turmoil that he’s struggling with in his own heart, in his own mind, if he shares that with the wicked, well then he knows what he says could be distorted. It could be used against him. It could then give leverage to his enemies if they sense that David’s doubting and questioning his God.

Because the one thing that David’s enemies knew is that his faith in God was strong, and that God was with him.

And so, if David comes before them, and he suddenly begins to make these comments and speaks, and questioning God, and what God’s plan is, and, God, why are these things happening before the wicked? Well, then they’re going to suddenly realize he’s weak. And his faith has faltered. And they now have opportunity to pounce upon him in the midst of his weakness.

And it could also, if David would speak at this time, we could also open the door for mocking and reproach, not just against David, but against David’s God.

And so David doesn’t want to bring shame to the cause of the Lord. And so he willfully remains silent.

In verse two, the New King James reads, I held my peace even from good.

And there is some disagreement among commentators and translations about this phrase, as it can also be translated, and some translations have, I held my peace to no avail.

But either way you take it, it fits into the context.

You see, if David has held his peace from good, It’s like Jesus warning His disciples in Matthew 7 to not give what is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn and tear you in pieces.

The speaking good to those whose hearts are hardened against the Lord and His gospel will only lead to mocking and ridicule, so it’s better to just remain silent.

And this is exactly, we know that this is what Jesus did. before the Jewish council.

Jesus knew that there was no point in answering their false accusations because they had already pegged Him as guilty. They already judged Him as guilty and they wanted Him put to death. And they were so hardened in their hearts. Anything He said, would certainly be turned against him. And when he did finally answer, that’s exactly what they did. They accused him of blasphemy. And so Jesus just remained silent.

But the sense of David’s silence here being to no avail also fits with the increase of his sorrow.

You see, even though he was silent and brought no reproach to the cause of the Lord, his silence actually increased his own suffering.

He describes his heart in verse 3 as burning hot within him. While he was thinking about his plight and working at restraining his tongue, his situation didn’t improve, and the urge to cry out only burned greater within him.

Silence can be painful.

We don’t speak up to defend ourselves and make our case heard. It can often mean that our suffering intensifies rather than subsides.

But what’s David’s choice? You see, he can either unload and make himself feel better, which may or may not make a difference to his adversaries, or he can remain silent. to honor God and endure the suffering, trusting that in the end God will come to his aid.

Painful as it is, David chooses to honor the Lord rather than himself. What a difficult choice to make.

And this is a choice that many of our brothers and sisters in Christ have made throughout history.

We know that when persecution arose against the early church, many were faced with the choice to recant and deny their faith in Christ or to remain silent and suffer torture and gruesome death while clinging to their faith and hope in their Savior.

Those who put the honor of God before their own remained silent, even though it cost them their lives. And their silence didn’t spare them. But neither was it a futile waste.

We see this especially in the suffering of Jesus.

Jesus could have spoken up. He could have defended Himself. He could have called down a whole legion of angels to come to His aid.

But He chose to honor His Heavenly Father and remained silent, thus enduring the mocking abuse and the suffering of His enemies.

And this was in fulfillment of Isaiah 53, that

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

Jesus committed himself to silence so that he might suffer what we deserved and secure for us the forgiveness of sins. Certainly, that was not a futile waste.

Even Jesus, like David, was moved to eventually break his silence. But his speech wasn’t directed toward the unbeliever and towards those who were putting him to death. It was directed toward the Lord God.

The silence that had welled up within him as he cried out from the cross, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

His silence was broken. by this difficult, burning question.

And as Jesus did on the cross, David does here. The questions that were burning inside him now kind of bubble forth, and still preserving the honor of the Lord, he speaks directly to the Lord, and he awaits the answer.

And again, this shows us that there’s, again, nothing wrong with setting even these difficult questions that we might have before the Lord. It’s just important to do so in a manner that acknowledges the honor due to the Lord.

David’s Three Burning Questions (vv. 4–7)

In verses 4-7, David sets forth three basic questions that are troubling his heart.

1. “Lord, make me to know my end” (v. 4)

Oh Lord, make me to know my end. And what is the measure of my days that I may know how frail I am?

Basically, David is asking here, when will it all come to an end? This miserable life, the struggle with sin, this affliction of pain and suffering, this persecution, What’s the measure of my days? And when will you bring them to an end?

I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if everyone here has at some point and in some fashion considered these questions in your own hearts and perhaps even have cried them out to God.

Whether it’s a passing affliction or whether you’re truly wondering when you’ll leave behind this life of sin and misery. It’s a common question.

David was looking for relief, either he was looking for relief either in the short term or finally, whichever would come sooner. He wanted, was looking for the end. How much longer must I endure?

But in asking this question, David acknowledges some significant truths that we should take note of.

First, he knows that the life of mankind, including his own life, on this earth is nothing compared to the infinite and eternal God who created him.

We see this in verse 5, where David acknowledges, my age is as nothing before you. And then he continues, even when man is at his best, at the prime of his life, he’s still a mere vapor. that quickly dissipates with the passing wind. Here today and gone tomorrow.

Moses sings in Psalm 90 that the days of our lives are 70 years, and if by reason of strength they are 80 years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow, for it is soon cut off and we fly away.

Even 80 years, which is a long time for us. is still a very brief period of time when we consider that God is eternal.

And so significant is this point that twice David repeats, man is a vapor in verse five, and then again in verse 11. And then after each of those times, we find that little word, Selah, that untranslatable to probably a musical notation. We find in many Psalms that basically has the effect of simply calling us to think about it. Take a pause.

Man is a vapor. Think about the shortness of life. Think about the vanity of those who do everything they can to try and prolong their youthfulness. Think about how small we really are. and how big God truly is.

Secondly, David acknowledges the fact that it is God who is the one who appoints the birth and the death of all mankind.

God is the one who has made our days like handbreadths. He is the one who’s sovereignly appointed the end from the beginning.

Because of this, we know that from God’s perspective, then there’s ultimately no untimely death.

Like, death may come at a time that’s untimely for us, and untimely for our plans and for our purposes, but it isn’t untimely with God, who has sovereignly appointed it according to His most holy and perfect will.

What a difficult question to grapple with.

And as we’ll see, in the end, we can do nothing but submit ourselves to what God has revealed, even if we don’t like the answer.

And we should also take note at this point, again, that even though we ask these questions, we may not ever get an answer, at least not a satisfactory answer, one that satisfies our curiosity.

And in the case of, what is the measure of my days? Well, it’s for good reason that God withholds this information from us.

You see, if we were given a clear answer to this question, how would you end up living your lives? Would you be committed to living your lives for the glory of God or for yourself? Would you continue in sin right up until that brief moment before you died with the intention that you would seek God’s forgiveness with your last breath? Or would you fret and worry and grow anxious as that coming day approached, keeping you from doing what God has called you to do?

All of these would be great temptations. And so the Lord graciously spares us from them and instead leaves us with the knowledge that our lives are but a vapor. How will you use it to glorify Him?

2. What is the purpose for my life? (implied in v. 6)

Though it’s more implied than asked directly, it’s, what is the purpose for my life?

We see this in how David describes mankind in general in his pursuits in verse 6, that he walks about like a shadow. And for a time he busies himself where he makes an uproar, but then is silenced. And he amasses riches, but he doesn’t know who’s going to benefit.

You see, sinful man looks to find meaning and purpose. empower possessions and wealth, but such investments are vanity because these things aren’t going to last any longer than the man himself.

Sinful man has suppressed the truth of God in his heart and lives only for this life. And yet all his riches are exposed to moth and rust and will quickly fade away as the grass and the hot sun burns up. And so what does he have then? Nothing but rags.

Repeatedly in the scriptures we’re told that the wicked will be cut off and destroyed and their wealth will vanish with them.

The caution as we looked at several weeks ago about not being worried and concerned about the prosperity of the wicked. Because such pursuits are truly in vain.

But you see, there’s a twist here to David’s anxiety in this question. Because he acknowledges the truth that yes, the wicked and the riches will quickly pass away, but so too is he. He’s also going to pass away.

And yet he is left to endure great suffering and affliction.

When he says that every man at his best state is but vapor, that includes everyone, believer or unbeliever.

And so David wonders, what’s the point of it all then? What’s the point of living a life of faith when you’re going to suffer and endure hardship? Which we know Jesus promises will come to those who follow him.

Well, it’s Jesus himself who gives us the answer.

Jesus, knowing that the vapor of His own life was quickly passing away, He prays in the Garden of Gethsemane,

Oh my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me, nevertheless not as I will, but as You will.

Despite the harsh realities of the suffering that would soon come upon Him, Jesus commits Himself to do God’s will, that is, to glorify God in all that He did, even if it meant suffering and dying on the cross for undeserving sinners.

And this is the example Christ has set for us.

Our purpose in this life is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, even though we know that it means that we must deny ourselves. and take up our crosses of suffering daily and follow after Him.

We have our purpose in Christ alone to glorify Him.

3. “And now, Lord, what do I wait for?” (v. 7)

And then verse 7, David asks the final question.

What do I wait for? So what’s next? I’ve laid out my questions before you. What’s your answer? What is it that I wait for? Is it death or deliverance?

We may wonder in our own lives. Again, what’s it all for? Yes, okay, we just considered that we’re to glorify God in our lives, but what’s in it for us? Is there anything besides suffering for the cause of Christ in the short time that we live on this earth?

We’re born, we suffer, and then we die. Is that it? For what do we wait? Do we have any hope? Is it deliverance? Or is it death?

The answer is simply both. or more accurately, deliverance through death.

Jesus says in John 12,

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

The great blessing of our hope and what we wait for comes through death.

Not only through our own death as we anticipate the eternal glory of being in God’s presence, but more essentially through the death of Jesus Christ.

Because what awaited Christ after His suffering and death? He was raised up to sit at the right hand of God the Father, where even now He rules over all things for the blessing and the benefit of His people, the church.

And He accomplished this great honor by submitting His will to the will of His Heavenly Father.

We learn from Christ that submission to the Father’s will, even as He has revealed to us in His Word, is the key step in dealing with our difficult questions.

Again, we may not be satisfied with the answers, but we must submit ourselves to them, knowing that the Lord has something greater in store for us, even as He had something greater in store for His Son, Jesus.

This is our great hope.

As we see David humbly confess, my hope is in you.

David has no answers, but he submits himself to God’s will and places his trust and hope in the covenant God.

The Facets of David’s Great Hope (vv. 8–13)

And in these final verses, he expresses the various facets of that great hope.

• Hope in God’s forgiveness (v. 8)
  Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the reproach of the foolish. Here he has hope in God’s forgiveness as he confesses his sin and pleads for deliverance from his transgressions. He wants his sin, even the sin of his pride, removed so that he won’t give the wicked cause to foolishly blaspheme the Lord.
  Jesus also had hope in God’s forgiveness. but not because of his own sin, but that God would remember his covenant promise to effectively apply the atonement of Christ’s shed blood to the sins of his people, so that Christ would not have died in vain. And this God did. There was hope for forgiveness, and it’s secured in Christ.
• Hope in God’s sovereign plan (v. 9)
  I was mute. I did not open my mouth, because it was you who did it. David submits himself in silence to hope in the truth of God’s good plan. David knows that God, in his sovereignty, what he endures is part of God’s purpose and plan.
  He doesn’t complain because it was you who did it. He acknowledges that this was all by the hand of the Lord. His suffering, his affliction, all that he endured was under the guiding hand of the Heavenly Father. It was God’s plan and purpose.
  Again, Jesus also had this certain and sure hope that even His suffering and death on the cross were a part of God’s plan to secure the victory for us over Satan’s sin and death. And that hope was not in vain.
• Hope in God’s fatherly discipline (vv. 10–11)
  Remove your plague from me. I am consumed by the blow of your hand. When with rebukes you correct man for iniquity, you make his beauty melt away like a moth. Surely every man is vapor, Selah.
  We see David’s hope in God’s love as he acknowledges that he has been under the discipline and this chastisement of the Lord.
  David had hope in the great truth that whom the Lord loves, He disciplines. They might be brought to a greater reflection of His perfect image.The Lord does this by stripping away everything that we hold dear to show us that our dependence should be upon God and Him alone.Of course, this was the great lesson that Job learned. He had everything stripped away from him. And that even through the Lord’s discipline, we might be drawn closer to him.
  And we know that the Lord loved no one greater than his only begotten son, Jesus Christ. And friends, how fiercely did God chastise his son, but not for his own sins, but for our sins, for your sin and for my sin. Also that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
• Hope in answered prayer (v. 12a)
  Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry. Do not be silent at my tears. Here, David expresses great hope in an answered prayer as he cries out to the Lord with great fervency and tears, knowing that the Lord would answer him.
  Even as Christ himself was assured that God would hear his prayer and deliver him from the grave, raising him up, empower on the third day that we might live his life. And this he did.
• Hope in God’s faithfulness amid sojourning (v. 12b)
  for I am a stranger with you, a sojourner as well as all my fathers were. David expresses great hope in God’s faithfulness as David confesses that he is a stranger and sojourner in this world, but he isn’t alone. And he says, I am a stranger with you. He’s known by God. And though he’s outcast from this phone in the sinful world, God hasn’t cast him off.
  Neither did God cast off his own son, a man rejected and despised of men, but received gloriously into his father’s presence that we might have the assurance of one day enjoying that very same honor.
• Hope in life after this life (v. 13)
  Remove your gaze from me that I may regain strength before I go away and am no more. Here we see David’s hope in life after this life, even eternal life. He wants God’s chastising gaze to be turned away so that he can regain strength or literally smile and enjoy life again, even new and everlasting life.
  And the truth here is that that true and everlasting relief comes when the gaze of God’s wrath and curse are removed, because if remains will be crushed and destroyed.And we know that Christ was the one who endured God’s wrath fully for us. And yet, victory and great joy came on the third day, when He gloriously rose from the dead, securing for us our hope of everlasting life.

Conclusion and Application

As we wait upon the Lord, beloved God, this is your great hope.

So ask your difficult questions, whatever they might be. Even if you fear that these might be questions of doubt and struggle, Bring your questions to the Lord. He’s a big God. He can handle the pressure. Ask him.

And then in faith and with great hope in God’s grace and mercy, as we’ve just noted. Submit yourselves to his will, wherever it may lead, even though it may lead to suffering and death.

knowing, believing that he will truly work out all things for your good and his glory, both in this life, but most especially in that glorious, everlasting life to come through faith in Jesus Christ.

Friends, believe on Christ and you will certainly not be disappointed, not now nor forever to the glory of God alone.

Closing Prayer Gracious God in heaven we do rejoice and give thanks for your blessing upon us and we thank you for your word and for this important reminder and and certainly if we can look and be honest with ourselves and look at our lives that there have been times maybe even now when we’ve had these kinds of questions and we’ve wondered whether you’re there whether you’re truly listening but your spirit drives us back to the truth of your word and what you revealed. And we see there the promises that you’ve made. We see there what Christ has done and accomplished for us. And that even in the midst of suffering and even death, that glory and victory do come to those whom you love.

And so we praise you and thank you, O God, for this reminder. And we know that sometimes when we have these questions and we may struggle and we want answers, but there may not be an answer that will satisfy us fully. Give us the grace and the strength to trust you. and to submit our will to what You have revealed in Your Word, to the hope, to the promises that You have given, to everything that Christ has secured for us, that we may be strengthened and encouraged and built up, that we would not speak rashly before the enemies, before the wicked, bringing shame to ourselves and to Your holy name, but that You would give us wisdom to know when to speak and when to hold our lips, that through all these things, you alone will be lifted up and glorified.

Father, we just praise you and thank you for these reminders. And we just pray that your spirit would be applying these truths to each and every one of our hearts, throwing us all closer to yourself, all to the praise of your glorious name. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, amen.