I want you to take your Bibles
and turn with me to the book of Psalms. Psalms chapter 7. Psalms chapter 7. As I've looked at some of the
Psalms that We find the word Selah. I brought a few messages
on the first part of Psalms where that word Selah was found. And we're somewhat aware of the
meaning and the significance of that word. It means pause
and calmly meditate upon what was just said. Now, the amazing
thing about that word that was placed there by the Spirit of
God is that we know that all scripture is given by inspiration
of God. It's profitable. for correction,
for reproof, for instruction in righteousness that the man
of God might be throughly or completely furnished. But whenever the Spirit of God
puts that word, Selah, that particular verse He's saying, the Spirit
of God is saying, now you make sure that you pause here. You make sure that you give meditation,
muse upon what I just said. Now I'd like to look at the first
five verses of the seventh chapter of the Psalms and up at the top,
the little title It says, the segion of David, the song, it's
a song of David. Some say that that word segion,
I have to just look and see what that word means, as I say I don't
speak Hebrew, but the meaning by some of the translators says
in this song, it's a song that is sung with just passion. And so this Sagaion, this song
of David, which he sang unto the Lord concerning the words
of Cush, the Benjamite. Now, it seems to indicate that
when David was being, and Mr. Spurgeon is the one who said
this, he said this song that was being sung by David unto
the Lord was in response to some accusations, some false accusations
of a man named Cush. He was a Benjamite. And what
this Cush was doing was he was falsely accusing David of treason
before Saul. accusing him, it was false accusation,
but he was accusing him of being a traitor unto the king. Now these words of David are
without a doubt the pleading unto the Lord of his innocence. But more so, and here's where
I want us to really concentrate. These words are the words of
our Lord Jesus Christ. as he is pleading the innocence
of his people against the accusations of Satan
of the world and its false religion. These false accusations that
are made according to the words of our Lord against his people,
against himself, against his people and therefore declaring
their innocence of treason before God. He's praying. Now let's just, I just want to
read the five verses of scripture and then I'll make a few comments
on this and we'll sum it up. Oh Lord, capital L, capital O,
capital R, capital D, oh Jehovah, pleading unto the God of covenant
grace. Oh Lord, my God, In thee do I
put my trust. Save me from all them that persecute
me and deliver me, lest he tear my soul like a lion rending it
to pieces while there's none to deliver. Oh, Lord my God,
if I have done this, If there be iniquity in my hands, if I
have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me, yea, I
have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy. If I've
done that, then let the enemy persecute my soul and take it. Let him tread down my life upon
the earth and lay mine honor in the dust. Selah. Now, I've got three points. In light, my first point, in
light of David praying, which are the words of our Lord. We know that. You've heard people
say, I think some of these Psalms are, you know, Messianic Psalms. They're all Messianic Psalms.
These are all the Lord speaking. And it's written that David,
who is that picture of the Lord Jesus, and in light of him praying,
calling upon the Lord, the God of covenant grace. Here's my
first point. Every believer in the Lord Jesus
Christ prays. They all pray. Turn with me to
Matthew 6. Matthew 6. Matthew chapter six. Look at verses five to seven,
our Lord speaking. And when thou prayest, and when thou prayest, it's not if, it's when. Thou shalt not be as the hypocrites
are. They love to pray standing in
the synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may
be seen of men. Now take that, let's take this
to heart. I've asked, I've mentioned before,
you know, why do we not, we come together here. And here we are
in an assembly of worship, but when we're out in, you know,
restaurants and we don't hold hands and, you know, make a big
show and, you know, start in the middle of a group. Why? Why do we not do that? Can we
not pray in our heart? and thank the Lord for our food,
but according to the word of our Lord, he said, thou shalt
not be as the hypocrites are, for they love to pray standing
in the synagogues, in the corners of the streets, out there in
public. Why? That they may be seen of men. Verily, I say unto you, they
have their reward. They wanted to be seen amended.
and they have their reward. They were seen of men. But when
thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut
thy door, pray to thy father which is in secret, and thy father
which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray,
use not vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think that
they shall be heard for their much speaking." Now, here's the
thing I know. Every believer prays, and when
you pray, the Lord said, when you pray. Here our Lord reveals that his
people pray secretly, and I'm going to tell you this, and you'll
know it's so when you hear me say it. They pray secretly, even
in public, meaning right here, where it's appropriate that we
pray outwardly. And that's what makes it so hard. I've said this, praying, even
in an assembly like this, it's very hard because we can't escape
the thought. We know that everybody's standing
here. We know everybody hears. What
you just did, Brother Neil, the lead and pray, it's hard. Because
there's some things that you can't say. There's some things
you just can't openly say. you think in your heart, but
God's people, even in public, there is that awakened acquaintance
that desires communion with the Lord and therefore the believer
prays in his heart and his mouth, saying words of praise and thanksgiving unto
the Lord. Every believer prays. Here's
my second point. We don't know what to pray. Every
believer prays. Turn to Romans 8.26. We don't know what to pray. I've
told you before, my prayers, I do try to find time, as you
do, with the Lord and pray. And it just seems like when I
pray, the things I pray, I pray the same things over and over
and over again. I pray them. And I don't want
it to be vain repetition. I want it to be from my heart. I want that. But I don't know
what to pray. I don't know what to pray. Romans
8 verse 26, likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities.
Isn't that comforting that the Lord would tell us? This is an
infirmity. This is an infirmity. We don't
know what to pray. For we know not what we should
pray for as we ought. I've told you before, in my mind,
this is the only way I pray for you. Go right down there. I know
where you're sitting. I know where you're sitting.
I know where you are. But I don't know what to pray. I can call your name. Lord, I
pray for Pat, Bear. But I don't know what to ask
for, as we ought. But the Spirit itself maketh
intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered We desire
to pray, but how wonderful to be reminded of our inability.
We read that and we say, that's right, that's right. I don't know what to pray for,
but the Spirit bears us up, helps our infirmities in our weakness
to know, for we don't know the will of the Lord. I don't know
the will of the Lord. The Spirit prays for us, the
scripture says, with groaning that is too spiritual to utter.
So every believer prays, and no believer knows what to pray
for. But here's my third point. We
have an advocate with the Father. Turn with me to 1 John 2. First
John chapter two. First John chapter two, verse
one says, my little children, these things write I unto you
that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an
advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. We have an advocate. Now turn
with me to Revelation 8. Revelation 8. Here's our blessed advocate.
We've read this passage in Scripture before, but it's so comforting
to know how the Father hears the prayer of the saints, how
the Father hears the prayer of the saints. Revelation 8, verse
1 to 4, and when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence
in heaven, about the space of a half hour. And I saw the seven
angels which stood before God, and to them were given seven
trumpets, and another angel came. Here is the angel of the covenant
himself, the Lord Jesus Christ. Another angel came and stood
at the altar, having a golden censer. And there was given unto
him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of
all saints upon the golden altar, which was before the throne,
and the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of
the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hands. Here is the advocate of God's
people. The Lord Jesus Christ, He declared
in John 17 verse 9, concerning those that had been given Him
by the Father, I pray for them. I pray for them. That's what
He told Peter. Satan has desired to have you
and sift you as wheat But I've prayed for you That your faith fail not You realize that when he prays
for us that our faith fail not our faith not gonna fail Here's
the advocate the Lord Jesus the intercessor, the advocate, the
great high priest of the bride. And the incense is spoken of
in Revelation chapter 8, that's in that golden censer. It sets
forth the glorious merit of the one who prays. And as the father's
servant, the servant of Jehovah, the Lord Jesus Christ, honored
and glorified and satisfied the Father, having obeyed every jot
and tittle of the law for righteousness before his people. He was made
sin, the scripture says. before God laid down his life,
bearing all the guilt of his people in his own body, satisfying
the justice of the law for the disobedience done by his people,
he bearing all that. And here he is satisfying, he
satisfied the law of God for justice, obedience. And here
he is as the intercessor, the advocate, the mediator, praying
for his people, perfuming heaven with the savor of his obedience
in life, obedience in death. And now he ever lives to make
intercession for his people, offering up their prayers in
his merit. Father, hear them for my sake. Hear the prayers of the people.
The ones that they don't know what to pray, here's what they're
saying. Here's what they're saying. Here's
what they want to say. I know what they want to say.
But because of the infirmity of that old body of death that's
with them, they don't know how to say it. I'm saying it for
them. And the Father hears it. Well
pleased. And he prays. He prays. Now,
I want to just look at those first five verses again very
quickly and I'll be done. Here's what he's praying. Here's
David. Here's David praying. David truly prayed this prayer.
Without a doubt. David prayed it. But this is
showing forth the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ who took what
David said Moved upon by the Spirit of God. Moved by God's
Spirit. David said this, by God's Spirit.
Moving on him to pen these words. Pray this prayer. This segion. This song of praise unto God.
He didn't know what to pray. But in the merit of the Lord
Jesus Christ. In the merit of the Lord Jesus
Christ. In the merit of the Lord Jesus
Christ. being found in him. This is what
David prayed. Oh Lord, Jehovah, my God, in
thee do I put my trust. Lord, you're my refuge. You're
my only refuge. Save me. from all them that persecute
me and deliver me. I flee to you, Lord, my city
of rest, my city of refuge, my haven of rest. Verse two, lest
he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces while there's
none to deliver. Hold your place right there.
Just turn over to Psalm 22, just a few pages. Psalm 22. These are the words of our Lord
when he was on the cross. Now here he is, made sin, bearing
the guilt of his people. Listen to his prayer. Psalm 22,
verse 11 to 22. Be not far from me, for trouble
is near. For there's none to help. Many
bulls have come past me, strong bulls of Bashan, unreasonable
men. They gaped upon me with their
mouths as a ravening, a roaring lion. I'm poured out like water
and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax. It's melted
in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like
a potsherd. And my tongue cleaveth to my
jaws, and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs
have compassed me about. The assembly of the wicked have
enclosed me. They've pierced my hands and
my feet. I may tell all my bones, they look and stare upon me.
They part my garments among them, cast lots upon my vesture. But
be not far from me, O Lord. Oh, my strength, haste thee to
help me. Deliver my soul from the sword,
my darling, from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion's
mouth. Thou has heard me from the horns
of the unicorns. Lord, help me. Verse 3 to 5, back in Psalm 7. Oh Lord, my God, if I've done
this, if there be iniquity in my hands, if I have rewarded
evil unto him that was at peace with me, yea, I have delivered
him that without cause is mine enemy. If I've done that, if
I've delivered him that but that was my enemy and it was my fault. Verse five, then let the enemy
persecute my soul and take it. Let him tread down my life upon
the earth and lay my honor in the dust. Now let me tell you
in closing the plea of those last three verses. Here is the plea of the Lord
who is touched with the feelings of our infirmities. who knows
the depth of our trouble, who knows the depth of the accusations. David was accused by a man named
Cush of Benjamite. He was accused of treason before
Saul. He was accused of treason. But
this world and this false religion Satan himself, fueled by the
direction of Satan, the father of lies. God's people are accused
of being treasonous before God because of who they trust and
what they believe concerning the gospel of God's free grace.
This world and its false religion says you're traitors. You're
traitors against God. That's what the Pharisees accused
the Lord of. Your father's Beelzebub. You're a traitor. You're a traitor. And here's David, the Lord Himself,
the great David Himself, praying on behalf of His people who's
been accused of treason before God. And He's pleading on their
behalf. He's saying to the Lord, Lord
you're my only refuge. This is what I got. I got your
word. I got your promise. Lord, you
said salvation is of the Lord. Now the world says that salvation
is by the works of man. Salvation is by man's free grace. Salvation is offered to all men.
The world says Christ died for all men without exception. And
God loves everybody. And God wants to save everybody
if they'll let Him. And Lord, I've held to Your truth. You're my refuge. Your Word is
true. And Lord, they're calling me
a traitor. And I'm casting all my care on You. Now Lord, If
I've done what they said, by trusting you, Lord, last verse,
then let the enemy persecute my soul and take it. Let him
tread down my life upon the earth and lay mine honor in the dust.
If they're saying the truth, but Lord, your word's all I got. Your word is my hope. I'm trusting
in you. And all of these false accusations,
it's made against me. Lord, I'm gonna trust Christ. And I'm not gonna put any confidence
in myself. Lord, help me and save me. For Christ's honor, your glory,
and my good. Amen. And the Spirit of God said,
now you muse on that. You muse on that. Amen. All right, let's take a break.