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I don't deserve this! · Fifteen Minutes With Fritz - Where Scripture Meets the Sidewalk

• 0:10
  SPEAKER_01: We're turning the page on Psalm 23, which was filled with familiar phrases, beautiful imagery, and abundant blessings.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_01: In this week's fifteen minutes with Fritz Podcast, we're going to look at another Psalm written by King David, but this one is not nearly as well known, and yet it challenges us nonetheless.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_01: As a reminder, we are working our way through the Psalms because they are filled with words of inspiration and reassurance, and we are discovering ways to find encouragement for the daily grind of life.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_01: Listen to Chuck Swindal's prologue to this psalm.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_01: We have all been done wrong, haven't we?
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe that describes your circumstance right now an intolerable working situation, a husband, wife, parent or child who takes unfair advantage of you even when you have treated him or her kindly, a friend who has turned against you due to a misunderstanding of something you did with only the purest of motives.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_01: Such feelings grind away at our peace so severely we wonder if we can continue.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_01: Basically, what Swindal is saying is that we sometimes find ourselves in situations that we simply do not deserve.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_01: We've been obedient, we've been faithful, we've been walking the narrow path, and yet in spite of our good behavior, people still do us wrong.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_01: What I want to discover in today's Psalm is how we should respond when that happens to us, because it will happen to us.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_01: Let's start by reading the twelve verses of Psalm twenty six.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_01: Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have led a blameless life.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_01: I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_01: Test me, O Lord, and try me.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_01: Examine my heart and my mind for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_01: I do not sit with deceitful men, nor do I consort with hypocrites.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_01: I abhor the assembly of evil doers and refuse to sit with the wicked.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_01: I wash my hands in innocence and go about your altar, O Lord, proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: I love the house where you live, O Lord, the place where your glory dwells.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_01: Do not take me away, do not take away my soul along with sinners, my life with bloodthirsty men, in whose hands are wicked schemes, whose right hands are full of bribes.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_01: But I leave it to lead a blameless life.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_01: Redeem me and be merciful to me.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_01: My feet stand on level ground.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_01: In the great assembly I will praise the Lord.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_01: The first thing that jumps out at me in this psalm is David's boldness that actually borders on arrogance.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_01: The very first verse is a reflection of his self assurance, his confidence that he has done nothing wrong.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_01: Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have led a blameless life.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_01: I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_01: Now I don't think David is being so bold as to claim he is sinless, but I do think he's claiming he is a man of integrity.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_01: He then challenges God to look into his life.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_01: Examine my heart and my mind.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_01: When I first read this I thought David was being pretty defiant, confident that God wouldn't find anything that justifies the bad treatment he's been receiving from his friends and family.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_01: And while this is an unusual way to approach God, it isn't the first time David expressed himself like this.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_01: Another psalm penned by David one hundred thirty nine sounds almost identical.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_01: Search me, O God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts, see if there is any offensive way in me.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_01: He then goes on to list the reasons why God can go ahead and test him, try him, and examine him.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_01: He won't find anything to justify the treatment he was getting.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_01: David starts with the things that he doesn't do.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_01: I do not sit with deceitful men, nor do I consort with hypocrites.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_01: I abhor the assembly of evil doers and refuse to sit with the wicked.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_01: So he doesn't hang out with the wrong crowd.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_01: He then transitions to a list of all the good things he does.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_01: I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, O Lord, proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_01: So he maintains a pure lifestyle, he goes to church, he tells people how wonderful God is.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_01: And in his self righteous mindset David gets even bolder.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_01: So because of my obvious integrity, here's what I want you to do, God.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_01: Do not take away my soul along with sinners, my life with bloodthirsty men, in whose hands are wicked schemes, in whose right hands are full of bribes.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_01: In other words, don't judge me like other sinners.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_01: Liberate me.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_01: Be merciful to me.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_01: Why?
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_01: Because I deserve it.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_01: Well let's stop here for a moment.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_01: Have you ever said this to God?
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_01: Have you ever purposely folded your hands, bowed your head, closed your eyes, and prayed anything even remotely similar to these words that David spoke?
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_01: I'd be afraid to pray to God this way.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_01: Because I know that it wouldn't take much effort for God to find some offensive way in me.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_01: But hold on.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_01: If I'm being honest, I've thought these exact same thoughts many, many times.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_01: I've been in situations where I've been mistreated, and my mind goes immediately to all the reasons why I don't deserve this treatment.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_01: Why?
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_01: Because I considered my behavior to be righteous and pure.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_01: And to prove it, I have handwritten notes throughout the pages of my Bible where I've documented these very feelings.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_01: And just to make sure I don't forget anything, I name names, I write dates, and I list the circumstances that I'm experiencing, all to remind me how righteous I am and how I don't deserve this treatment.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_01: Funny thing is, though, these notes are usually written next to verses that call for God's intervention and judgment.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_01: In nineteen ninety three I documented my struggles with a particular individual, asking God to jump in.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_01: And here's the verse where these notes were written next to Contend, O Lord with those who contend with me, fight against those who fight against me, take up a shield and buckler, arise and come to my aid.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_01: In nineteen ninety eight I was so frustrated with someone I work with that I claimed this verse May those who seek my life be put to shame and confusion, may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_01: Same year, same person, similar request a few verses later.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_01: May my accusers perish in shame, may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_01: So my attitude was very similar to David's.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_01: I was being mistreated and I was self righteously telling God what I wanted him to do punish the person who was treating me badly.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_01: But you know what?
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_01: David never asks God to do that.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_01: Throughout this entire psalm, David never tells God to judge those who are mistreating David.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_01: I resorted to asking God to punish my detractors.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_01: David, however, doesn't do that.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_01: But this psalm doesn't end the way we might think it would.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_01: There is a definite change in David's attitude beginning in verse eleven.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_01: The transition begins with the word but but I lead a blameless life.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_01: This is the second time David has made this claim.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_01: In verse one he says I have led a blameless life, and here he says I lead a blameless life.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_01: The NIV translation doesn't quite do justice to the significance of this change in direction in verse eleven.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_01: The verb lead is actually a future tense verb, meaning it should read I will lead a blameless life.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_01: Now why is this important?
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_01: Because David has just spent ten verses telling us in great detail why he doesn't deserve the treatment he is getting, why he is righteous and should be treated like it.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_01: But instead instead of asking God to step in and intervene, like I did in nineteen ninety three and nineteen ninety eight, David takes a different road.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_01: Instead of seeking punishment for those who are mistreating him, David makes a promise to God.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_01: In spite of my circumstances, in spite of how I am being treated, I will not seek revenge.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_01: I will continue to lead a blameless life.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_01: But wait, there's more.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_01: Immediately after making this promise to God, notice what David does next.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_01: I will lead a blameless life, redeem me and be merciful to me.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_01: You see what he's done?
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_01: He makes it abundantly clear that the intervention he seeks from God isn't revenge, it's forgiveness and mercy.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_01: In spite of his best attempts at being blameless, David recognizes it still isn't enough.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_01: He can't do it on his own.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_01: He needs God's help.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_01: Redeem me and be merciful to me.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_01: The last verse begins this way My feet stand on level ground.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_01: I think this is one of those verses that has a dual meaning.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_01: In one sense David was speaking about his current situation.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_01: In spite of how he was being treated, he could trust God.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_01: He was on level, safe ground.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_01: In another sense, the phrase level ground paints a picture of the future.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_01: How?
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_01: Listen to this passage in Luke's gospel.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_01: A voice of one calling in the desert, prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_01: Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_01: The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth, and all mankind will see God's salvation.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_01: This, of course, is describing the ministry of John the Baptist.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_01: He was preparing the way to Jesus.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_01: In this dual sense passage, David is pointing out that his feet stand on level ground, and that level ground is because of his redeemer, Jesus Christ.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_01: Now would people really understand this connection?
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_01: Listen to this quote from the gotquestions.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_01: In the ancient world a royal herald would travel ahead of an incoming king to level rough roads, remove obstacles, and ensure a straight path for his arrival.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_01: In other words, creating level ground for the king.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_01: John was doing the same thing by removing the obstacle of sin through repentance.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_01: In other words, creating level ground for the ultimate king, Jesus the Messiah.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_01: And David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, understood that and wrote about it.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_01: My feet stand on level ground.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_01: Verse twelve ends with the statement in the great assembly I will praise the Lord.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_01: At the end of the day, regardless of everything that is happening to him, David will still praise the Lord.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_01: When I read these final words it changed my attitude about David in this psalm.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_01: Instead of arrogance and boldness, when I reread the psalm with a more humble attitude, it reflected the change of heart David had in verse eleven.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm going to ask you to listen to this psalm one more time, but this time with David's new humble mindset.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_01: Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have led a blameless life.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_01: I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_01: Test me, O Lord and try me.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_01: Examine my heart and my mind for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_01: I do not sit with deceitful men, nor do I consort with hypocrites.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_01: I abhor the assembly of evil doers and refuse to sit with the wicked.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_01: I wash my hands in innocence and go about your altar, O Lord, proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_01: I love the house where you live, O Lord, the place where your glory dwells.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_01: Do not take away my soul along with sinners, my life with bloodthirsty men, and whose hands are wicked schemes, whose right hands are full of bribes.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_01: But I lead a blameless life.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_01: Redeem me, and be merciful to me.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_01: My feet stand on level ground.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_01: In the great assembly I will praise the Lord.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_01: Oh one more thing.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_01: I went back to those passages in my Bible about revenge and judgment and added the note.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_01: But see Psalm twenty-six eleven to twelve.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_01: Let's pray.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_01: Our Father in heaven, we thank you that you didn't end Psalm twenty six at verse ten.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_01: Instead you inspired David to write verses eleven and twelve to rightly show us how we should respond when we are treated unfairly.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_01: Help us, Lord, not to seek revenge, but to keep our eyes on you, recognizing our need for your mercy and forgiveness, knowing that only through Jesus can we stand on level ground and ultimately praise your name.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_01: In Jesus' name we pray.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_01: Amen.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_00: Now to the king, eternal and mortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_01: This is the end of our podcast, but it's not the end of our story.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for listening.