Latest / Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons / The Cry and The Cup
Transcript
- 0:00Verse 21, verse 13 begins saying,
- 0:06But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord,
- 0:10at an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love.
- 0:15Answer me in your saving faithfulness.
- 0:19And so on.
- 0:21As I said earlier, this is our third time looking at this psalm, third of four.
- 0:26So the next one will come to a conclusion.
- 0:29And as we've seen going through this psalm,
- 0:32David is obviously in great distress and great turmoil in his situation.
- 0:38He's surrounded by enemies in so many different ways.
- 0:41And there's mocking going on.
- 0:43He's suffering.
- 0:44He feels overwhelmed and sinking in the midst of it all.
- 0:49We've seen that he came with a cry of trouble.
- 0:53The psalm opens with these words,
- 0:55Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.
- 0:59There's obviously just something major going on around him.
- 1:03He has a confession himself.
- 1:06He's looking not at just others around him.
- 1:09He's looking within himself and looking and seeing the faults within his own heart.
- 1:14But he's crying out in the midst of that,
- 1:17Don't let me be a stumbling block in any way to those who are your people
- 1:22or those who would become your people,
- 1:25that my witness would not fail.
- 1:28And then the last time we were looking at this psalm,
- 1:30we saw how his focus is towards God.
- 1:35He remembers who he's praying to.
- 1:38He recognizes the reproach, the unjust suffering he is going through.
- 1:44It's all because, as we saw, for his seal for God.
- 1:51He's not turning his back on God.
- 1:53He's not allowing, although he feels overwhelmed,
- 1:56he's not allowing the people to defeat him in any way.
- 2:01His focus is always towards God.
- 2:05He is close to God.
- 2:07That's a great reminder to ourselves that we need to be close to God ourselves at all times.
- 2:14Because when we feel these times of being overwhelmed,
- 2:17if we have been distant from God in the good times,
- 2:21how are we going to be able to draw near to God when the going gets tough, as it were?
- 2:26So we are to be faithful and close to God at all times.
- 2:31As I mentioned as well, this psalm, it's not just a psalm about David.
- 2:38It's not just a psalm about his suffering.
- 2:41It's a psalm that points us forward to the New Testament
- 2:45and always pointing us to the Lord Jesus Christ and his suffering.
- 2:52And it's something we want to further reflect on this evening,
- 2:56the suffering of Jesus in the midst of the suffering of David as well.
- 3:02And especially as we think of approaching a communion weekend in just over a week,
- 3:08we want to always be preparing our hearts as we come to worship God.
- 3:13But especially at a time of communion when we are focused on the death of Christ,
- 3:20the cross of Christ.
- 3:22We are always focused on that.
- 3:24But when we take communion, we are remembering his death in that particular way
- 3:28as we take the bread and take the wine.
- 3:33This psalm is a prayer, a prayer that David is offering up.
- 3:38And although we would always love to have nicely polished prayers
- 3:42and eloquent prayers where everything just flows from us,
- 3:46we know so often that that is not the case.
- 3:49We know so often we can come even as David is coming here,
- 3:55just where everything seems to be just overwhelming him.
- 3:59As we saw before, there's almost like there's not much structure in this psalm.
- 4:03He's just jumping from one thing to another.
- 4:07And yet as you go through this psalm,
- 4:09especially as we come to the last part of it,
- 4:12you see that as he's coming near, although he seems disorganized in the start,
- 4:17there is always this just coming in towards God.
- 4:21God calming him.
- 4:23God reassuring him.
- 4:25God comforting him.
- 4:27And eventually, as we'll see, he comes praising God.
- 4:30And that's really what prayer does.
- 4:34Even when we feel distracted, even when we think we're disorganized so much,
- 4:39prayer can calm us as we come close to God.
- 4:43So we come to that point where we praise him,
- 4:46that he is with us and that he hears our prayer.
- 4:51And especially so as we come just to look at Christ,
- 4:56to gaze on the beauty of Christ,
- 4:58to see the cross of Christ
- 5:00in all the reality, in all the horror.
- 5:04And yet there he died for sinners,
- 5:07that we might have life and have peace through him.
- 5:12So we continue to see the situation of David here.
- 5:16And just as we come into verse 13,
- 5:19verse 12 just reminds us of the situation he was in.
- 5:23I am the talk of those who sit in the gate
- 5:26and the drunkards make songs about me.
- 5:31The gate was a place where so many of the people met.
- 5:34It was like a council chamber almost.
- 5:38The important people would gather there
- 5:40and they would talk about all the different things that were going on.
- 5:43So they were all talking about David,
- 5:45the important people.
- 5:47But also, it says the drunkards,
- 5:49even the drunkards are making songs about me.
- 5:52He was the talk of the town,
- 5:55ridiculed in so many ways.
- 5:58But look at what it says in verse 13.
- 6:01But as for me,
- 6:03my prayer is to you,
- 6:05O Lord.
- 6:06And so there's two things we want to see this evening.
- 6:10First of all,
- 6:10we're going to see,
- 6:12again,
- 6:12just the cry of David.
- 6:15The cry
- 6:16and then the cup.
- 6:18The cry and the cup.
- 6:20His cry,
- 6:21but also his portion at this time.
- 6:23And we'll see just how that ties in with our Lord Jesus.
- 6:28His cry
- 6:28and the cup he had to bear
- 6:31for us.
- 6:33When you read through verse 13
- 6:35down to verse 18,
- 6:39you see there
- 6:40David's prayer
- 6:42just pouring his heart out
- 6:44to God.
- 6:45And it seems in some ways
- 6:47to start
- 6:48in a calm kind of way initially.
- 6:52Yes,
- 6:52that there's much trouble.
- 6:54He's crying out
- 6:55to my prayer
- 6:56to be heard,
- 6:57O Lord.
- 6:58But he says,
- 6:59at an acceptable time.
- 7:03It's almost like,
- 7:04I don't want to trouble you
- 7:05just now,
- 7:06God,
- 7:06but
- 7:07at an acceptable time,
- 7:10O God,
- 7:10in the abundance
- 7:11of your steadfast love,
- 7:13answer me
- 7:14in your saving.
- 7:15faithfulness.
- 7:17He seems
- 7:18quite composed.
- 7:21But then,
- 7:22the further down you go,
- 7:24verse 16,
- 7:25he's saying,
- 7:26answer me,
- 7:26Lord,
- 7:27O Lord,
- 7:28for your steadfast love
- 7:30is good.
- 7:31So again,
- 7:32maybe just a little bit
- 7:33more haste here,
- 7:34but he's still
- 7:35focused on
- 7:36the love
- 7:37of God.
- 7:38God.
- 7:40But then,
- 7:41you see,
- 7:43in verse 17,
- 7:44the end of verse 17,
- 7:45he's saying,
- 7:45hide not your face
- 7:46from your servant,
- 7:47for I am in distress.
- 7:49Make haste
- 7:49to answer me.
- 7:52So it's almost like
- 7:53he's just going
- 7:53through this,
- 7:55in your own time,
- 7:56God,
- 7:57answer me,
- 7:58and then make haste
- 7:59and answer me.
- 8:01What's keeping you?
- 8:02But he's not
- 8:04losing hope
- 8:06in it.
- 8:08And what we find
- 8:09is that
- 8:09he is still
- 8:11specific in prayer
- 8:12and focusing
- 8:13on prayer
- 8:14and again,
- 8:15it's just different
- 8:16ways that we can
- 8:17pray ourselves.
- 8:20We pray
- 8:20the Lord's prayer
- 8:22each Sunday
- 8:23and we pray
- 8:24the Lord's
- 8:26will be done.
- 8:28There's a sense
- 8:28of patience
- 8:29in that prayer.
- 8:30your will be done.
- 8:33We'll wait
- 8:34on your will.
- 8:35But that doesn't mean
- 8:36that there isn't
- 8:37occasions
- 8:37when we plead
- 8:39with God,
- 8:40when we come
- 8:41with a sense
- 8:42of urgency
- 8:43to God,
- 8:44when we need
- 8:44almost an answer
- 8:45immediately.
- 8:48We see it
- 8:49throughout the Psalms
- 8:50and in other prayers
- 8:51in the scriptures.
- 8:52The psalmist says
- 8:53in other places,
- 8:54make haste,
- 8:55come quickly.
- 8:56All of these
- 8:57kind of prayers
- 8:58are offered up
- 8:59to God
- 9:00where the sense
- 9:01is,
- 9:01we need you
- 9:02now.
- 9:04We almost
- 9:04don't have time
- 9:05to wait.
- 9:06We need you
- 9:07now.
- 9:09And so it's a
- 9:10reminder to us
- 9:11that we can
- 9:12pray in this
- 9:14way as well.
- 9:17Specific
- 9:17prayers
- 9:18to God.
- 9:20God.
- 9:20And it doesn't
- 9:21mean that
- 9:21he'll give us
- 9:22exactly what
- 9:24we're asking
- 9:25for every
- 9:26time.
- 9:28But we
- 9:29plead with
- 9:30him for an
- 9:30answer.
- 9:31And that
- 9:32he'll give
- 9:33what we
- 9:34need.
- 9:36And this
- 9:36is an
- 9:36example,
- 9:37as we see
- 9:38as you go
- 9:38through this
- 9:39Psalm,
- 9:39where David
- 9:40perhaps isn't,
- 9:42his prayer
- 9:43isn't answered
- 9:44just as he
- 9:45wants it.
- 9:46because you
- 9:46see,
- 9:47he's not
- 9:47removed from
- 9:49the situation
- 9:49of his
- 9:50enemies being
- 9:50around him
- 9:51and slandering
- 9:53him.
- 9:55But what we
- 9:55see as we
- 9:56go on is he
- 9:56comes to a
- 9:57point where
- 9:57he's able to
- 9:58praise God.
- 10:00God gives
- 10:01him what he
- 10:01needs for
- 10:02this occasion.
- 10:04Not to remove
- 10:05the situation,
- 10:06but to calm
- 10:07him in it.
- 10:09And so
- 10:12it's okay
- 10:13for us to
- 10:15plead earnestly
- 10:16to God.
- 10:18If you look
- 10:18at the New
- 10:18Testament and
- 10:20instructions and
- 10:21prayer in the
- 10:22New Testament,
- 10:23you notice
- 10:24Jesus teaches
- 10:25a parable.
- 10:27A parable in
- 10:28Luke 18 and
- 10:29verse 1 where
- 10:29it says,
- 10:30and he told
- 10:30them a parable
- 10:31to the effect
- 10:32that they ought
- 10:33always to pray
- 10:34and not lose
- 10:35heart.
- 10:37And he uses
- 10:37the example of
- 10:38a widow who
- 10:39keeps bothering
- 10:40a master.
- 10:43And in verse
- 10:435 it says,
- 10:44yet because
- 10:44this widow kept
- 10:45bothering me,
- 10:46I will give
- 10:47her justice so
- 10:48that she will
- 10:48not beat me
- 10:49down by her
- 10:50continual coming.
- 10:52Jesus is there
- 10:53talking about
- 10:54prayer.
- 10:55That if we
- 10:56almost keep
- 10:57pleading to
- 10:58God in prayer,
- 10:59we don't lose
- 11:00heart in prayer
- 11:01that yes,
- 11:02he relents
- 11:03and answers
- 11:04our prayer.
- 11:06And this is
- 11:07based on who
- 11:08God is.
- 11:10And that's
- 11:11how David
- 11:12is coming
- 11:13to God
- 11:14in prayer
- 11:14at all times.
- 11:15He's not losing
- 11:16hope,
- 11:16he's not losing
- 11:17faith in God.
- 11:18You see it in
- 11:19verse 16,
- 11:20answer me O
- 11:21Lord for your
- 11:22steadfast love
- 11:23is good.
- 11:25According to
- 11:26your abundant
- 11:27mercy,
- 11:28turn to me.
- 11:29He knows
- 11:30who he's
- 11:31praying to.
- 11:32He knows
- 11:33God is a
- 11:33God of
- 11:34steadfast love,
- 11:36an unchanging
- 11:37love.
- 11:38And he's a
- 11:39God of
- 11:39mercy,
- 11:40abundant
- 11:40mercy.
- 11:42So he
- 11:42knows God
- 11:43can give.
- 11:44And so he
- 11:45keeps coming
- 11:46to him in
- 11:46this way.
- 11:47Never do you
- 11:48see him
- 11:48coming and
- 11:48say,
- 11:49well,
- 11:49I'll do it
- 11:50myself,
- 11:51Lord.
- 11:51You're not
- 11:51doing it in
- 11:51my time or
- 11:52my way.
- 11:53I'll just
- 11:53have to do
- 11:54it myself.
- 11:55Even when
- 11:56he's asking,
- 11:57come in
- 11:57haste,
- 11:58make haste
- 11:59to answer
- 12:00me,
- 12:01he's saying,
- 12:02hide not your
- 12:03face from
- 12:03your servant.
- 12:06He's not
- 12:07saying,
- 12:07I'm going
- 12:07to do it
- 12:07myself.
- 12:08He's always
- 12:08saying,
- 12:09Lord,
- 12:10I know
- 12:10only you
- 12:11can do
- 12:11it.
- 12:12Answer
- 12:12in your
- 12:13acceptable
- 12:14time.
- 12:15Answer
- 12:16me.
- 12:16Make haste
- 12:17to answer
- 12:17me.
- 12:17All these
- 12:18different
- 12:19situations,
- 12:20he's still
- 12:21trusting
- 12:22God.
- 12:24Because he
- 12:25knows who
- 12:25God is.
- 12:27He knows
- 12:27what God
- 12:28is able
- 12:28to do.
- 12:29And as you
- 12:29see in
- 12:29verse 18,
- 12:31it's talking
- 12:31there about
- 12:32the God
- 12:32who is able
- 12:33to redeem.
- 12:35Throw an
- 12:35ear to
- 12:36my soul,
- 12:37redeem me,
- 12:39ransom me
- 12:40because of
- 12:42my enemies.
- 12:46You see,
- 12:47David pleads
- 12:48with God
- 12:50because he
- 12:51is the
- 12:52one who
- 12:53is able
- 12:53to redeem,
- 12:54able to
- 12:54save,
- 12:55able to
- 12:56ransom.
- 12:57And both
- 12:58these words
- 12:58tie in
- 12:59with what
- 13:00we have
- 13:01in Christ.
- 13:03David
- 13:05pleads
- 13:05that he
- 13:06would be
- 13:06redeemed
- 13:06by God
- 13:07and God
- 13:07heard his
- 13:08prayer.
- 13:10And we
- 13:11know it
- 13:11for ourselves
- 13:12today
- 13:13that God
- 13:14is the
- 13:15one who
- 13:15can redeem
- 13:16and ransom
- 13:17us.
- 13:18And how
- 13:18do we
- 13:20know that?
- 13:22Well,
- 13:22it's because
- 13:23we look
- 13:23to the
- 13:23cross.
- 13:25As we
- 13:26read in
- 13:26Matthew
- 13:27chapter
- 13:2827,
- 13:30what we
- 13:30see with
- 13:31Jesus on
- 13:32the cross
- 13:33crying out,
- 13:34my God,
- 13:35my God,
- 13:36why have
- 13:37you forsaken
- 13:38me?
- 13:41Why?
- 13:43To redeem
- 13:44his people,
- 13:46to ransom
- 13:47his people,
- 13:49to pay
- 13:50the price
- 13:51for us.
- 13:53he's
- 13:56standing
- 13:56in our
- 13:58place.
- 13:59He's
- 14:00bearing
- 14:00our
- 14:01sin.
- 14:03He's
- 14:03redeeming
- 14:04his
- 14:05people.
- 14:06So
- 14:07that's how
- 14:07he cries,
- 14:09my God,
- 14:09my God,
- 14:10why have
- 14:11you
- 14:12forsaken
- 14:13me?
- 14:14To
- 14:15redeem
- 14:15his
- 14:16people.
- 14:17God,
- 14:18there's
- 14:19a story
- 14:19used many
- 14:20years ago
- 14:21to illustrate
- 14:22the meaning
- 14:23of redemption.
- 14:25There's
- 14:25the story
- 14:25of a
- 14:26minister
- 14:26of a
- 14:27church
- 14:27in
- 14:28America,
- 14:28in
- 14:28Boston,
- 14:29in
- 14:29America.
- 14:30Outside
- 14:31the church
- 14:32one day,
- 14:32he met
- 14:33this young
- 14:33boy coming
- 14:34along the
- 14:34street,
- 14:35and the
- 14:35boy had
- 14:36a cage,
- 14:36a rusty
- 14:37old cage,
- 14:38and inside
- 14:39the cage
- 14:40were several
- 14:41birds,
- 14:42sort of
- 14:42just
- 14:43flapping
- 14:44around
- 14:44in distress,
- 14:46wanting
- 14:46out of
- 14:47the cage.
- 14:48And the
- 14:48minister
- 14:48asked the
- 14:49boy,
- 14:49where did
- 14:50you get
- 14:50those
- 14:50birds?
- 14:52And the
- 14:53boy replied,
- 14:53I trapped
- 14:54them out
- 14:55in the
- 14:55field.
- 14:57And so
- 14:57the minister
- 14:57asked,
- 14:58what are
- 14:58you going
- 14:58to do
- 14:58with them?
- 15:00And he
- 15:00says,
- 15:00well,
- 15:01I'm going
- 15:01to take
- 15:01them home
- 15:02and I'll
- 15:03play with
- 15:03them for
- 15:04a wee
- 15:04while,
- 15:04and I guess
- 15:05I'll feed
- 15:05them to
- 15:05the old
- 15:06cat at
- 15:06home.
- 15:09And the
- 15:09minister's
- 15:10reply was,
- 15:11to offer
- 15:12to buy
- 15:13the
- 15:13birds.
- 15:15The boy
- 15:15was surprised,
- 15:16why would
- 15:16you want
- 15:17these birds?
- 15:17They're
- 15:17just useless
- 15:18old birds.
- 15:20They don't
- 15:20even sing,
- 15:21look at
- 15:21them.
- 15:23And the
- 15:23minister was
- 15:23adamant,
- 15:24no, I
- 15:24want to
- 15:24buy these
- 15:25birds,
- 15:25I'll give
- 15:26you two
- 15:26dollars,
- 15:27which was a
- 15:27lot of
- 15:27money at
- 15:28that time.
- 15:29And the
- 15:29boy was
- 15:30surprised,
- 15:31why on
- 15:32earth would
- 15:32you want
- 15:33to give
- 15:33me that
- 15:33kind of
- 15:34money?
- 15:35And he
- 15:35says to
- 15:35them,
- 15:36you're
- 15:36getting the
- 15:37bad deal
- 15:38here,
- 15:38but I'll
- 15:39take your
- 15:39two dollars,
- 15:40you take
- 15:40the birds.
- 15:41So they
- 15:42did the
- 15:42exchange.
- 15:45And the
- 15:45minister took
- 15:46the cage out
- 15:47to the back
- 15:47of the church,
- 15:48a garden with
- 15:49trees out the
- 15:50back of the
- 15:50church,
- 15:51and immediately
- 15:51he released
- 15:52the birds.
- 15:54And the
- 15:55birds flew up
- 15:55into the sky,
- 15:56into the
- 15:57trees,
- 15:57and there
- 15:58they were
- 15:58singing and
- 15:59chirping away.
- 16:01The next
- 16:02Sunday he
- 16:02took the
- 16:03empty cage
- 16:04into the
- 16:04pulpit and
- 16:05used it as
- 16:06an illustration.
- 16:07he talked
- 16:09about Christ
- 16:10coming to
- 16:11seek and
- 16:12to save
- 16:12the lost,
- 16:14and how
- 16:14he paid
- 16:16for his
- 16:16people,
- 16:17the ransom,
- 16:19he redeemed
- 16:19his people
- 16:20by his
- 16:21precious
- 16:21blood.
- 16:25And he
- 16:25said,
- 16:26this young
- 16:26boy told
- 16:27me the
- 16:27birds couldn't
- 16:28sing,
- 16:30but as
- 16:31soon as I
- 16:31released them,
- 16:33they started
- 16:33to sing.
- 16:35And he
- 16:36was saying
- 16:36it's a
- 16:36reminder to
- 16:37us all
- 16:38that we
- 16:38are captive
- 16:39to sin.
- 16:41We have
- 16:41no joy
- 16:42to sing
- 16:43when we
- 16:43are captive
- 16:44to sin.
- 16:46But when
- 16:46we see
- 16:46that Christ
- 16:47has paid
- 16:48the ransom,
- 16:49Christ has
- 16:50redeemed us,
- 16:52when we
- 16:52come to
- 16:52know that
- 16:53and to
- 16:53experience
- 16:54that,
- 16:55our
- 16:55cry
- 16:57is changed
- 16:58from a
- 16:58pleading
- 16:59to a
- 17:00praise.
- 17:02Instead
- 17:03of,
- 17:03Lord,
- 17:03answer me,
- 17:05answer me
- 17:05in your
- 17:06time,
- 17:06answer me,
- 17:06answer me
- 17:07in haste,
- 17:09we will
- 17:09come
- 17:10praising.
- 17:12God is
- 17:13able to
- 17:13change
- 17:14our
- 17:15cry
- 17:15from one
- 17:16of pleading
- 17:17to praise.
- 17:20That's the
- 17:21wonder of
- 17:22the price
- 17:23that God
- 17:23has paid
- 17:24for us.
- 17:26To redeem
- 17:26us,
- 17:28to ransom
- 17:29us,
- 17:30he gave
- 17:31himself.
- 17:32himself.
- 17:33So we
- 17:33see first
- 17:34then the
- 17:34cry.
- 17:36The second
- 17:36thing we
- 17:36see here
- 17:37is the
- 17:38cup.
- 17:39And we
- 17:40see that
- 17:40in verse
- 17:4119 to
- 17:42verse
- 17:4221.
- 17:48Here it
- 17:49says,
- 17:49you know
- 17:50you know
- 17:50my reproach
- 17:51and my
- 17:51shame
- 17:52and my
- 17:52dishonor.
- 17:53My
- 17:53foes
- 17:53are all
- 17:54known to
- 17:55you.
- 17:55Reproaches
- 17:56have broken
- 17:56my heart
- 17:57so that I
- 17:58am in
- 17:58despair.
- 17:59I looked
- 17:59for pity,
- 18:00but there
- 18:00was none
- 18:01for
- 18:01comforters,
- 18:02but I
- 18:02found none.
- 18:04They
- 18:04gave me
- 18:04poison
- 18:05for food
- 18:05and for
- 18:06my
- 18:06thirst.
- 18:07They
- 18:07gave me
- 18:08sour
- 18:08wine
- 18:09to drink.
- 18:10Here is
- 18:12the
- 18:12experience
- 18:13of the
- 18:14psalmist
- 18:15David.
- 18:15This is
- 18:15his cup
- 18:16as we
- 18:16would say.
- 18:17This is
- 18:17his portion,
- 18:18his circumstances
- 18:19at this
- 18:20time.
- 18:20This is
- 18:20what he
- 18:21has to
- 18:22go through.
- 18:23And all
- 18:24of us
- 18:24have a
- 18:25cup to
- 18:26bear.
- 18:26All of
- 18:26us have
- 18:27a set
- 18:27of
- 18:28circumstances
- 18:29to come
- 18:30through.
- 18:32And what
- 18:32we see
- 18:33here in
- 18:33verse
- 18:3419 to
- 18:3421 is
- 18:35his sense
- 18:36of being
- 18:36engulfed
- 18:38by shame
- 18:39and being
- 18:39abandoned
- 18:40of all
- 18:41comfort.
- 18:41There is
- 18:42nowhere to
- 18:43turn.
- 18:45Reproaches,
- 18:45this unjust
- 18:47suffering,
- 18:47it is
- 18:48breaking his
- 18:49heart.
- 18:50He is
- 18:50in despair.
- 18:51I looked
- 18:51and there
- 18:52was no
- 18:52comforter
- 18:53to be
- 18:54found.
- 18:56But what
- 18:57do you
- 18:57see here?
- 19:00Just like
- 19:00back in
- 19:01verse 5,
- 19:02he says
- 19:04there that
- 19:04God knows.
- 19:07In verse
- 19:075,
- 19:08O God,
- 19:08you know
- 19:09my
- 19:10folly.
- 19:11Well,
- 19:12here he
- 19:12is saying
- 19:12in verse
- 19:1319,
- 19:14you know
- 19:15my
- 19:16reproach.
- 19:18So we
- 19:18ask ourselves,
- 19:19is there
- 19:20any comfort
- 19:20in these
- 19:21words?
- 19:21We see
- 19:22there is
- 19:23in the
- 19:23knowledge
- 19:24that God
- 19:25knows.
- 19:27God
- 19:28knows
- 19:29his
- 19:29every
- 19:30experience.
- 19:32He knows
- 19:33the cup
- 19:34he is
- 19:35to bear.
- 19:36He knows
- 19:37everything
- 19:37that he
- 19:38has to
- 19:38go
- 19:38through.
- 19:39And he's
- 19:39not blind
- 19:40to it.
- 19:42And he
- 19:42knows
- 19:43your cup.
- 19:45He knows
- 19:45my cup.
- 19:48You look
- 19:49back to
- 19:49the days
- 19:50of Exodus.
- 19:52In Exodus
- 19:532,
- 19:53verse 23,
- 19:55it says,
- 19:55during those
- 19:56many days,
- 19:57the king
- 19:58of Egypt
- 19:58died.
- 20:00And the
- 20:00people of
- 20:00Israel groaned
- 20:01because of
- 20:02their slavery
- 20:02and cried
- 20:03out for
- 20:04help.
- 20:05The cry
- 20:05for rescue
- 20:06from slavery
- 20:07came up
- 20:08to God.
- 20:09And God
- 20:10heard their
- 20:10groaning.
- 20:11And God
- 20:12remembered his
- 20:13covenant with
- 20:13Abraham,
- 20:14with Isaac,
- 20:15and with
- 20:15Jacob.
- 20:16God saw
- 20:17the people
- 20:18of Israel.
- 20:20And it just
- 20:20goes on to
- 20:21say this,
- 20:21and God
- 20:22knew.
- 20:25And it
- 20:25seems to
- 20:26just end
- 20:27there.
- 20:28And God
- 20:29knew.
- 20:31What did
- 20:32God know?
- 20:34He knew
- 20:35their suffering,
- 20:36but he knew
- 20:37what had
- 20:38to be done.
- 20:40And he
- 20:41took action.
- 20:43And here
- 20:43as David
- 20:44is crying
- 20:45out,
- 20:45you know
- 20:46my reproach,
- 20:48or as he
- 20:49has in
- 20:49verse 5,
- 20:50you know
- 20:51my folly.
- 20:53We could
- 20:54say he
- 20:54knows our
- 20:55sin,
- 20:56and he
- 20:57knows our
- 20:57suffering,
- 20:59and he
- 20:59knows what
- 21:00needs to
- 21:00be done
- 21:01about it.
- 21:03And what
- 21:04has been
- 21:04done about
- 21:05it?
- 21:06Well,
- 21:06God sent
- 21:07his son
- 21:08into this
- 21:09world.
- 21:10Because he
- 21:11knew our
- 21:12cup, he
- 21:13knew our
- 21:13portion, he
- 21:15knew our
- 21:15suffering, and
- 21:16he knew we
- 21:16could do
- 21:17nothing about
- 21:17it, but
- 21:18he knew.
- 21:19And he
- 21:21knew what
- 21:22to do
- 21:23about it.
- 21:25And as
- 21:26we trust
- 21:27God, we
- 21:28can be
- 21:29assured that
- 21:31his desires
- 21:31for his
- 21:32people is
- 21:33for good.
- 21:36The New
- 21:37Testament reminds
- 21:38us that
- 21:39Jesus' own
- 21:40experience reflects
- 21:41David's at so
- 21:42many points.
- 21:43death.
- 21:45It's
- 21:45Matthew who
- 21:46remembers
- 21:46this psalm,
- 21:48the account
- 21:48of Jesus'
- 21:49death.
- 21:50Matthew 27,
- 21:52verse 34,
- 21:53where it
- 21:54says, as
- 21:54we've read,
- 21:55they gave
- 21:55him wine to
- 21:56drink mixed
- 21:57with gall,
- 21:57and after
- 21:58tasting it,
- 21:59he would
- 21:59not drink
- 22:00it.
- 22:01Really
- 22:02following on
- 22:03from these
- 22:03words of
- 22:05Psalm 21.
- 22:07They gave
- 22:07me sour
- 22:09wine to
- 22:09drink for
- 22:11my thirst.
- 22:11Now, why
- 22:12wouldn't
- 22:12Jesus drink
- 22:14this?
- 22:15Because the
- 22:16wine was
- 22:18like a
- 22:18medication.
- 22:21It would
- 22:21have almost
- 22:21put him
- 22:22out.
- 22:23And he
- 22:24didn't want
- 22:25this.
- 22:27He was in
- 22:28control at
- 22:29every step
- 22:30of the way.
- 22:32He was our
- 22:33redeemer,
- 22:34our ransom.
- 22:35He paid
- 22:36the price
- 22:37on the
- 22:38cross.
- 22:39Not
- 22:39dulled to
- 22:40any of
- 22:41it.
- 22:41He bore
- 22:43our sin.
- 22:46And why
- 22:46was that?
- 22:47Because when
- 22:48you go back
- 22:49to Matthew
- 22:5026,
- 22:52when Jesus
- 22:52is in the
- 22:53garden of
- 22:54Gethsemane,
- 22:54what does
- 22:55it say
- 22:55about the
- 22:57cup there?
- 22:58He says
- 22:59he's praying
- 23:00in the
- 23:01garden of
- 23:01Gethsemane
- 23:02in chapter
- 23:0226,
- 23:03verse 39.
- 23:04Going a
- 23:04little further,
- 23:05he fell
- 23:05on his
- 23:06face and
- 23:06prayed,
- 23:07saying,
- 23:07my father,
- 23:08if it be
- 23:08possible,
- 23:09let this
- 23:10cup pass
- 23:11from me.
- 23:12Nevertheless,
- 23:13not as I
- 23:14will,
- 23:15but as
- 23:15you will.
- 23:18He took
- 23:19the cup.
- 23:22He bore
- 23:23our sins.
- 23:26He died
- 23:26on the
- 23:27cross.
- 23:28John Newton,
- 23:33wrote a hymn,
- 23:35in evil
- 23:36long I
- 23:37took delight.
- 23:39I want to
- 23:39close with
- 23:40these words
- 23:41as we think
- 23:41for ourselves
- 23:42and what the
- 23:44cross means
- 23:44to us.
- 23:46In our
- 23:47crying to
- 23:48God,
- 23:49and in the
- 23:50cup that we
- 23:51have in this
- 23:52life,
- 23:52should we not
- 23:53look to the
- 23:54cry of our
- 23:55saviour,
- 23:56as he
- 23:57cried out
- 23:57to God,
- 23:58my God,
- 23:58my God,
- 23:59why have
- 24:00you forsaken
- 24:01me?
- 24:03And we
- 24:03think of his
- 24:03cry there,
- 24:05and we
- 24:05think of the
- 24:06cup that
- 24:06he took.
- 24:08If it be
- 24:08your will,
- 24:09may this
- 24:10cup pass
- 24:10me by,
- 24:12but not
- 24:12my will,
- 24:13but yours
- 24:14be done.
- 24:16And that
- 24:16would help
- 24:17us to
- 24:18focus
- 24:18ourselves
- 24:19to the
- 24:20cross,
- 24:21and to
- 24:21see what
- 24:22Jesus has
- 24:23done for
- 24:24us.
- 24:26John
- 24:26Newton in
- 24:26this hymn,
- 24:27he speaks
- 24:27about his
- 24:29own life
- 24:29transformed.
- 24:32In evil
- 24:33long I
- 24:33took delight,
- 24:35unawed by
- 24:36shame or
- 24:36fear,
- 24:37till a new
- 24:38object struck
- 24:39my sight and
- 24:40stopped my
- 24:40wild career.
- 24:42I saw one
- 24:43hanging on a
- 24:44tree, in
- 24:45agonies and
- 24:46blood, who
- 24:47fixed his
- 24:48languid eyes
- 24:48on me, as
- 24:50near his
- 24:50cross I
- 24:51stood.
- 24:52Sure never
- 24:53till my
- 24:54latest breath
- 24:55can I
- 24:56forget that
- 24:57look.
- 24:58It seemed
- 24:58to change,
- 25:00to charge
- 25:00me with
- 25:01his death,
- 25:02though not
- 25:02a word
- 25:03he spoke.
- 25:04My
- 25:05conscience
- 25:05felt and
- 25:07owned the
- 25:07guilt and
- 25:08plunged me
- 25:09in despair.
- 25:11I saw
- 25:11my sins
- 25:12his blood
- 25:12had spilt
- 25:13and helped
- 25:14to nail
- 25:15him there.
- 25:17Alas,
- 25:18I knew
- 25:19not what
- 25:19I did,
- 25:20but now
- 25:21my tears
- 25:22are vain.
- 25:22where
- 25:23shall my
- 25:24trembling
- 25:24soul be
- 25:25hid, for
- 25:26I the
- 25:27Lord have
- 25:28slain.
- 25:29A second
- 25:30look he
- 25:31gave, which
- 25:32said, I
- 25:33freely all
- 25:34forgive.
- 25:35This blood
- 25:36is for thy
- 25:37ransom paid,
- 25:38I die
- 25:39that thou
- 25:40mayst live.
- 25:42Thus, while
- 25:42his death
- 25:43my sin
- 25:44displays,
- 25:45in all
- 25:46its blackest
- 25:47hue,
- 25:48such is the
- 25:49mystery of
- 25:49grace, it
- 25:50seals my
- 25:51pardoned
- 25:52too.
- 25:53With
- 25:53pleasing grief
- 25:54and mournful
- 25:55joy, my
- 25:56spirit now
- 25:57is filled,
- 25:59that I
- 25:59should such
- 26:00a life
- 26:01destroy, yet
- 26:03live by
- 26:04him I
- 26:05killed.
- 26:07His life
- 26:08was changed
- 26:10by the
- 26:11grace of
- 26:12God, a
- 26:13life lived
- 26:14turning away
- 26:16from God,
- 26:17but looking
- 26:18to the
- 26:19cross, and
- 26:20seeing his
- 26:21saviour, who
- 26:22shed his
- 26:23blood for
- 26:24him.
- 26:26Draw near
- 26:27to my
- 26:28soul, he
- 26:29cries in
- 26:30the psalm,
- 26:31redeem me,
- 26:32ransom me,
- 26:34because of
- 26:35my enemies.
- 26:37David got
- 26:38answer, and
- 26:39so did you
- 26:40and I, when
- 26:42our saviour
- 26:43bore our
- 26:44sins, and
- 26:46so as we
- 26:46prepare
- 26:47ourselves for
- 26:48the Lord's
- 26:49supper, we
- 26:50look to the
- 26:51cross, where
- 26:52he gave his
- 26:53life, that
- 26:55we might
- 26:55come and
- 26:56do this in
- 26:58remembrance of
- 26:59him.
- 27:00Amen, and
- 27:01may God
- 27:01bless these
- 27:02thoughts to
- 27:03us.
- 27:05We're going
- 27:06to sing to
- 27:07God's praise
- 27:08and
- 27:08conclusion.