Introduction
A few stats to begin…in a CDC study they found that “15.4% of adults had trouble falling asleep most days or every day […] just under one in five (18.1%) adults had trouble staying asleep most days or every day.” Another survey found that “Nearly 4 in 10 adults have trouble falling asleep 3 or more nights per week […] and almost ½ of adults have trouble staying asleep 3 or more nights per week.”
This is a hymn for the evening. But nighttime, when the din of the day has died down, leaves us in the silence of our own thoughts. Depriving prisoners of sleep is an ancient technique of torture. Certainly, when the lights turn off the clamoring voice of our own fears, guilt, regrets, and worries all come shouting. They aim to torture and give no rest. But David shows us in this Psalm, how to sleep in heavenly peace.
The Text
Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah. But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him. Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD. There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:1-8
Summary of the Text
David addresses God (v1). This psalm most likely took place during Absalom’s revolt. Turmoil was abundant. Everything was unsettled. Everyone was pointing fingers. But instead of listening to the accusations, speculations, discontent, and lies, David calls out to God. He asks God to hear him and gives two reason. First, God is his righteousness, and second, God is merciful. David is painted into a corner, but God has gotten him out of such scrapes before.
David addresses his enemies (vv2-5). With prophetic bite David rebukes the wicked for two things: one, turning his glory into shame, and two, loving vanity & lies (v2). His enemies have imagined up all sorts of tall tales about him, but David reminds them of the peace that the saints have in divine election (v3). He then challenges his enemies to search their hearts in the stillness of the night and see if they have that same peace (v4, Eph. 4:26). His last word to his enemies is what we NT saints would call an evangelical call. He summons them to put off their hypocrisy and offer righteous sacrifices by putting their trust in the Lord (v5).
David addresses his companions (vv6-7). Having defied his enemies, David now must rebuke his companions. Having fled with David into exile, they had begun to imitate the wandering Israelites, moaning and complaining about their circumstance and the hard times they were facing (v6a). They complain, “When will anyone think about me?” David sets himself in contrast to the bellyachers. For him, God’s smile is more delightful than a harvest-time feast (vv6b-7).
David addresses himself (v8). He says to himself, “Time for bed.” The Hebrew is lovely here. The laying down and the falling asleep are simultaneous. By the mercy of God, David can go right to sleep. His enemies keep spreading lies about him. His companions keep complaining. He is quite alone. So, even though he is isolated and alone, David dwells in the safety of God’s favor.
Haunted by Sin
This Psalm presents us with two radically different images. Man in his sin, and man in God’s mercy.
When you love lies, you must tell more lies. But sin weighs down the conscience. Think about the board game RISK. If you overextend your troops you make your entire army vulnerable to destruction. Each sin is a lie. With each lie you expose yourself further. This room is full of sinners. Sinners, by necessity, hide their sin.
Some of you think that the passage of time will absolve you of your sin. Some of you think you can inch closer to sin then other immature Christians. Some of you think that your sin isn’t as bad as others’. Some of you sinned this week in a way you promised yourself you never would again. Some of you keep telling yourself that you couldn’t possibly confess that sin. Some of you keep insisting that you should keep taking those pills, or that booze, or that joint in order to function. Some of you keep cherishing some ancient grudge. But when the night hushes the noise of all the distractions, your guilt, shame, and fears are a megaphone that won’t let your troubled conscience sleep.
This leads to two equally wrong approaches to how the wicked man views the godly man. First, the wicked make up all sorts of twisted tales about the righteous man. They blow faults out of proportion. They insinuate. They turn the glory of the righteous into shame. Those Christians can’t be as happy as that! They must be hiding something sinister. Or, like David’s companions, they try to drag the godly man into a pity party. This is much like the excuse making and the sulking within modern evangelical circles. Look at how they treat us WASPs; the illegal immigrants, the democrats, the Jews ruined our country; the deep state controls everything and elections don’t matter; the boomers are spending our inheritance and pulling the ladder up after themselves.
But making up stories about the righteous or trying to get the righteous to join you in a pity party are both inadequate to deal with your shame. This is why David tells them to offer righteous sacrifices. Stop the hypocrisy. Stop fondling all your lies. Stop your bellyaching. Stop complaining. Stop trying to pull the righteous down. Stop trying to discourage others from walking in righteousness. None of that will soothe your conscience.
Beloved by God
David stands here as a shadow pointing us to his anointed heir, the Prince of Peace. Consider the portrait of David here. First, his glory is mocked as a shameful thing. If this Psalm is during Absalom’s revolt, think of the mockery which was hurled on David, especially by Shimei (2 Sam. 16:5-14). The glory, peace, and prosperity of David’s kingdom is twisted by his enemies into something grotesque. Evil men do the same with Christ, both in His own time & down to the present. The Jerusalem crowds passed by hurling all sorts of falsehoods upon the very One who was sent for their deliverance. In the present day folks will say that Jesus is a crutch for the feeble-minded. A further point on this phrase from verse 2 is that it is a grievous shame whenever we, made in the image of the glorious God, turn that glory into shame by our sin.
Second, David insists that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself. This is the source of his peace. He knew he had been anointed as king by God’s purpose, and nothing his enemies said or did, and no amount of complaining by his companions could thwart God’s purpose. But who amongst us is godly? Here is where Christ shines brightly in this Psalm. The Father set apart His Son for Himself. Your only hope is to, by faith, share in that sanctification of the Son. God sets apart the godly for Himself, because the godly are only those who have hidden themselves in God the Son. You are the apple of His eye. The Church is His beloved. He will not forget you. If you are in Christ, by trusting in Him, the Father will not drop you through the cracks of His everlasting hands.
Third, David has a deep gladness because He knows what God thinks about him. This is why he can sleep peacefully. This is why he doesn’t tremble with fright upon his bed. This too draws our mind to consider Christ, who is the mercy and righteousness of God on our behalf. God looks upon Christ with pleasure. The Father beams with joy upon His Son. David asks God to hear his pleas because of God’s mercy and God’s righteousness. David invites his enemies to turn from their fretful lies, and trust in God. David rebukes the fickleness of his companions for being far too easily satisfied with corn and wine, when the only source of their peace and joy is that God looks upon them with favor.
Go to Sleep
The shame of your sin, the fear of your lies being exposed, the worries about what other people think will torture you with sleeplessness. But if you get this simple truth of the Gospel deep in your bones, you can truly rest. You can go to sleep, even in profound loneliness. Even in a tempest of ridicule, or the downpour of sulking excuses. This is because you rest in the safety of the merciful arms of Jehovah Tsidkenu.
Charge & Benediction
If you want to get sweet sleep, and it should be pointed out that this is not always the same thing as getting as much sleep as you want, remember that Scripture teaches us that such peace and rest stems from sins being confessed by entrusting yourself entirely to Christ. So if you desire rest, come to Christ. Charles Spurgeon commented on this Psalm, “A quiet conscience is a good bedfellow. How many of our sleepless hours might be traced to our untrusting and disordered minds. They slumber sweetly whom faith rocks to sleep. No pillow so soft as a promise; no coverlet so warm as an assured interest in Christ.”
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
2 Corinthians 13:14
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