Psalms

[0:00] As the Lord should be pleased to help me, I shall call your attention to a subject you will find in Psalm 32 and the seventh verse.

[0:14] Thou art my hiding place, thou shalt preserve me from trouble, thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.

[0:32] Selah. Psalm 32 and the seventh verse. The psalmist in this psalm is setting forth an experience which he had entered into, wherein he had been driven far from God, wherein he had earned and strayed like a lost sheep.

[1:14] And then he was brought back again. You need to read Psalm 32 in conjunction with Psalm 51, which is termed the penitential psalm.

[1:31] You were all aware that godly David, and he was godly David, but some of his deeds did not make him manifest as godly, but arose from what he was by nature.

[1:50] And in the matter of Uriah and Uriah's wife, the psalmist was left, permitted by God, to go to great lengths.

[2:05] And his sin was grievous. Not only grievous in the fact that he had committed it, but the reproach that was brought upon the name of God in Israel, as it was broadcast from one end of the land to the other.

[2:32] And in that sad experience, the psalmist was left in a strange frame of mind, so that for a year or two, he went on, without being overmuch concerned, about his great guiltiness before God therein.

[2:57] But the Lord appeared on his behalf, and like the prodigal, he came to himself. And then you see in the psalm before us, somewhat of how we felt before God.

[3:14] When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me, my moisture is turned into the drought of summer.

[3:32] Then there came a turn, and a blessed turn it was. I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid.

[3:50] I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.

[4:03] It seems astonishing that sinners, though they are taught of God, can be so guilty before God, and yet not willing or ready to tell all the truth, and make confession of their sin before God.

[4:27] And yet his word is so kind and encouraging for them to do so. There is a word in Jeremiah, only acknowledge thy iniquity.

[4:44] And if you do that, as it were, God says, only acknowledge thy iniquity, and I will say no more to you about it.

[4:57] I will blot it out. Your sins and your iniquities I will remember no more. And now in the opening words of the psalm, David is speaking of that great subject which is strictly speaking the most important subject of all of which the word of God tells.

[5:27] Forgiveness of sins. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered.

[5:38] Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputed not iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile. And now godly David was rejoicing in the blessedness of it.

[5:56] And I hope you dear people know somewhat of the blessedness of it. If you cannot enter therein too as you would like to do, yet the word of God is full of encouragement for you.

[6:15] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. the great central truth which runs throughout the word of God is how sin can be removed from poor sinners and they be made into saints.

[6:41] Godly David in his behavior was revealed before his own people as a sinner.

[6:59] And yet before God with his sins blotted out to be no more remembered forever and ever, he was revealed to be a saint.

[7:13] And a saint is a sanctified sinner, a forgiven sinner. Blessed is he and it means in the original, Oh the heaped up blessedness of he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

[7:37] The subject of forgiveness of sins is very important. and there are many people who are sinners born again who long to know it in the fullness of it who have long waited on God that they might possess that knowledge and as yet they have not had their answers to prayer granted.

[8:08] And yet the word of God encourages such not to give up hope, not to listen to what Satan may suggest.

[8:21] He tells us we are weak, our hope is in vain, the good that we seek we ne'er shall obtain. But then he is a liar and there is forgiveness of sins, Jesus' blood through earth and skies, mercy eternal, mercy cries.

[8:47] It is to be known and oh let every poor sinner who desires to possess that knowledge follow on to know the Lord and give him no rest peace until you can enter into this heaped up happiness of the sinner whose sins are forgiven.

[9:18] And so the psalmist gives an outline of his own case. He was inspired of God to do it. And then he turns to other people in ages to come.

[9:35] And he says in the context for this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found.

[9:49] Surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. And now if you look at that how it is worded that should encourage you for this forgiveness of sins this inestimable mercy forgiveness of sins for this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time of finding margin reading.

[10:27] and do you pray for this mercy pardoning mercy if you do you are one that is godly says the word of god before us for this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him if god has granted you a conviction of sin such as he alone can make known in a sinner's breast you will find there are floods of great waters there will be many fears and faintings ifs and buts and hows to sink you in the gloom of all that is dismal in this world or in the world to come but this word says they shall not come nigh unto him the lord will appear for you but there is one thing regarding forgiveness of sins and the possession of it the sweet knowledge of it it is for a set time in the dealings of god with poor sinners there is a set time to favor zion the word of god tells us and when that set time comes then the blessing is known and felt the vision is for an appointed time and though it tarry wait for it for in the end it will speak and not lie it will surely come it will not tarry forgiveness of sins it is worth waiting for if you wait till you die and do not get it till then forgiveness tis a joyful sound to malefactors doomed to die oh may this bliss in me be found may I redeem in grace and joy and now coming to what

[12:59] I read for the text thou art my hiding place thou shalt preserve me from trouble thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance selah you all know what selah means mark well consider it ponder it in your heart selah and now there are three viewpoints of the subject I want to look at as the Lord shall be pleased to help me one is protection thou art my hiding place the second viewpoint is preservation and that wording in the text may make you search your heart a little as to how it can be thou shalt preserve me from trouble the third viewpoint is praise thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance protection preservation and praise three simple words set in forth three valuable and blessed experiences which all sinners who were pilgrims to

[14:39] Canaan bound know somewhat about protection thou art my hiding place the psalmist did not say thou art a hiding place he did not say thou art the hiding place but he uses a personal pronoun thou art my hiding place that meant he felt he was inside it and what is the value of a hiding place unless you are inside you may hear about it as a hiding place sing about it hear much concerning its impregnability its suitability to poor sinners who need a hiding place but if you just hear about it read about it sing about it and never enter therein you can live and die and at the end of life be lost having lived all your life in the vicinity of it but never found it to be what the psalmist did thou art my hiding place and a hiding place implies storms and in journeying through life you do find there are storms arising but when we think of the provision of the hiding place it should soften our hearts to think that

[16:37] God in his own great love made it possible for there to be such a hiding place God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life and oh Isaiah tells us about this hiding place a man should be as a hiding place from the wind a cover from the tempest as rivers of water in a dry place and the shadow of a great rock in a weary land blessed hiding place and wonderful man who has become that hiding place in doing love's redeeming work but when all is said and done you and

[17:44] I must say feelingly experimentally thou art my hiding place and realize the blessed shelter it affords to poor sinners and how it makes matters to be made right between their souls and God and now I said a hiding place implies storms and there is a storm that comes upon a sinner when he is born again when he is convinced of his guiltiness before God at Sinai's mount when the law was promulgated there were indeed storms which made the host of Israel to fear and to desire to be farther off from the mount than they were and when a sinner is born again and the eyes of the blind are opened and he gets a solemn awareness of his guiltiness before

[18:59] God his sins his iniquities his transgressions along life's way as he has lived it heretofore come upon him in his conscience like a storm we may say a thunderstorm because in that experience he hears the laws loud thunder pay me that which thou owest and he realizes he has nothing which he can offer for payment not one stitch can he do to produce the righteousness which the law demands and so the storm rages and he is before God under the law condemned guilty and he is brought at length to realize his lost estate and to accept the punishment of his iniquity and when he is brought there the spirit of

[20:15] God brings him to confess if my soul is sent to hell thy righteous law approves it well and then the spirit of God leads him from being under the law to be under the gospel and under the gospel he learns there is a hiding place from all the guiltiness he has been made to feel under the law he is brought before Calvary's cross and the spirit of God unfolds the heavenly mystery Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone which believe it the spirit of God shows

[21:16] Jesus Christ to be a hiding place for poor sinners brought in guilty under the law who stand before God undone hell deserving solemnly confessing if my soul is sent to hell thy righteous law approves it well and oh our poor sinner is concerned to know the shelter of that hiding place then where the law's demands are all met on his behalf thou üst you

[22:28] MinorTON there are other storms. The storm I have just hinted at, known under the law, is a storm that seems to arise from hell itself, because the sinner learns is hell deserving, while that storm is raging, and his fears run high that hell will ultimately be is well deserved abode when he reaches the end of life's journey. But the gospel reveals a hiding place, and that encourages him to hope in God, and wait on God, and wait for God, and he realizes in due time the safety of being in the hiding place God has provided.

[23:26] Then there are storms that come in everyday life. There are storms that rage within. I have no doubt you, dear people, have known what those storms are. Crowds of ill thoughts, their bane diffuse, proud envious false unclean, and every ransacked corner shows an unsuspected sin. What you are by nature, rages like a storm within. And you have to look to Jesus for divine aid, that what you feel within may not be made manifest without. You want then the shelter of this blessed hiding place that you may be able to endure in your profession and hold on your way in life's journey and not fall a prey to what you are by nature and be undone by indwelling sin. There is also a storm which you know quite a deal about, and that is arising from everyday cares. As you journey on through life, life seems to get more and more complicated, especially with family life. And everyday new straits attend. And there seems to be a storm raging raging in your heart, your conscience, in you grappling with the duties and difficulties of everyday life.

[25:20] And you need the quietness afforded by this blessed hiding place. Oh how good it is, if you can say then, in the midst of such a storm in everyday life, thou art my hiding place. And do remember a little talk with Jesus, how it smooths life's rugged road, how it cheers and helps me onward when I faint beneath my load.

[25:54] Thou art my hiding place. Everyday cares. Then there may be adverse circumstances. Matters may arise that you have not made any provision for. Things may fall out in journeying through life wherein something has to be done and you know not what to be done, yet something has to be done.

[26:23] Yet something must be done. Yet something must be done. That these matters may be sorted out and straightened. And it promotes a storm within.

[26:34] And your refuge then is this hiding place. The psalmist says in another psalm, I flee unto thee to hide me. And how good it is as you sang in the opening hymn.

[26:51] Amid the sorrows of the way. Amid the sorrows of the way. Lord Jesus, teach my soul to pray. And let me taste thy special grace and run to Christ, my hiding place.

[27:07] When you have adverse circumstances. When you have adverse circumstances. Raging like a storm. When you wonder how the future is going to unfold. When you know not what to do. When you are brought to your wit's end.

[27:23] When all your wisdom is swallowed up. When you are just left to where the psalmist was. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble. And he saveth them out of their distresses.

[27:42] And then regarding these storms. Sometimes affliction comes like a storm. And it lays you low. And it brings about a revolution in your life.

[28:00] Today you are well and strong. Tomorrow dawns and low. Affliction is laid upon you. And you are not able. For your hands to perform their enterprise.

[28:15] And you carry on. In your duties. In your duties. In everyday life. And now this brings a crisis. Into your life. It promotes a storm. And you need a shelter.

[28:31] And you need a shelter. You need a shelter. And you need a shelter. That it is. Oh that it is such a time. When it comes upon you. You may realize you have indeed this blessed.

[28:46] Hide in place. To shelter in. And wait on God. To see him work on your behalf. so that the wheels of life run smoothly although you feared when affliction came they would stop running altogether in your everyday life thou art my hiding place and then I do believe as the world goes on in the times in which we are living which are perilous times indeed I do believe there will be storms the wrath of men will be evident I should not be at all surprised if I live long enough to see it you will live to see it that there will be storms arising in the world at large more than you have ever seen in your life hitherto of how the world at large regards people who were taught of God there will be storms of reproaches reproaches to endure storms of opposition storms of scorn and scoffing and there will be storms wherein you will need indeed the help of God to endure the test and strain that is put upon you as you follow on to know the Lord and the more you are in earnest to let your yea be yea and your nay be nay the more you will find these storms will rage but then there will still be this blessed hiding place and it will be good if it's such a time when it comes upon you you can feel if on my face for thy dear name shame and reproaches be all hail reproach and welcome shame if thou remember me thou art my hiding place have you ever observed the word in Daniel which is fast coming along to the time when it will be fulfilled and at that time shall Michael stand up the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time and now you may live to see that time live in it and may this be true of every one of you at that time thy people shall be delivered every one that shall be found written in the book thou art my hiding place they that in the Lord confide and shelter in his wounded side shall see all dangers overpassed stand every storm and live at last oh how many storms there are that do rise along life's way the wrath of men and there is a great word in the Psalms too the wrath of man shall praise thee the remainder of wrath thou shalt restrain and it speaks in that Psalm about the meek of the earth having this blessed protection

[32:59] God has his eye upon his dear people and when the wrath of man seems rising high God will so work and overrule it that he shall get praise the wrath of man shall praise thee the remainder of wrath thou shalt restrain so that what you read the men of might have not found their hands the stout hearted are spoiled what they purpose to do God will not allow to be done and they will be foiled in their purposes and not allowed to bring them to pass and his dear people will find they have indeed a hiding place where they can be sheltered from the wrath of man but then there is another wrath the word of God speaks of and that is more to contemplate than the wrath of man there is the wrath of God the word of God speaks about fleeing from the wrath to come when time shall be no more when we shall all appear before the judgment seat of Christ there to receive what is fitting in accordance with the life that we have lived and oh how solemn then to be without a hiding place when the wrath of God is poured forth upon the guilty

[34:47] Whitfield whenever he was preaching used to very much stress that flee from the wrath to come and it is said whenever he preached and dwelt on that theme the tears streamed down his face all the while he was imploring poor sinners to whom he was preaching to flee from the wrath to come there is the wrath to come for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand the word of God tells us none will stand but those who are standing on the rock of ages trust ye in the Lord forever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength margin reading rock of ages much might be said along that line of thought but if you should know what it is to suffer persecution and the word of God does tell us everyone that will live godly shall suffer persecution thou art my hiding place oh to be safely sheltered within and to remember it is enough for the disciple that he be as is Lord if we suffer with him we shall reign with him thou art my hiding place and now let us look at another viewpoint of the subject there is protection thou art my hiding place and now comes preservation you might wonder what you can feel about that viewpoint because you could understand it you will say if it read thou shalt preserve me in trouble but it says from not in what does it mean the explanation is really quite simple thou shalt preserve me from trouble undoing me making me manifest that I have no religion which is from

[37:40] God thou shalt preserve me from trouble bringing upon me what it appears to be bringing in I shall be preserved in it and you do know that if you tell the truth which you ought to do did ever trouble yet befall and God refused to hear thy call you think of some of the troubles that you have come through along life's way and how you looked askance at them as they came how you feared what the outcome would be but the outcome was not what you feared it might be but you realized in it the Lord is good a stronghold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him thou shalt preserve me from trouble in trouble when it has gone by and you look back upon it see how the goodness of God appeared for you therein you find you have got a way mark to set up in the midst of it a token for good an Ebenezer hitherto hath the

[39:11] Lord helped us so that whatever troubles you have come through along life's way no trouble has undone you in your profession so that you have given it up and made up your mind to walk no more with him whose name you professed but you were still following on to know the Lord still after the Spirit the things of the Spirit thou shalt preserve me from trouble and when you think of the psalmist himself what a checkered life he lived what troubles came into his life and how his fears ran high especially in his earlier life when he said I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul but that was an impossibility thou shall preserve me from trouble preservation and you have been preserved in all the troubles that you have had along life's journey hitherto they have not undone you you were here in the attitude of worship asking the way to

[40:38] Zion with your faces thither ward you were still following on to know the Lord and whatever trouble may yet arise God will still preserve you in it and be to you what he has been in all times of trouble hitherto thou shalt preserve me from trouble and then we come to this thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance you see the psalmist wrote elsewhere call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify me and now he had proved the truth of that because he says blessed be God for he heard my prayer nor turned away his mercy from me and he speaks about praise thou shall compass me about with songs of deliverance and now if you look at the psalms following you will see the keynotes of what some of his songs of deliverance were he says in psalm 34

[42:11] I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears and he also makes this great statement this poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles these are the songs of deliverance the keynotes of the songs which he sang when delivering mercy was granted thou should compass me about with songs of deliverance and you have surely had some songs of deliverance God has delivered you when trouble like a gloomy cloud has gathered thick and thundered loud and you have had in your heart a song of deliverance you may not have sung it in words for other people to hear but you sang it as it were before

[43:22] God and he heard it and accepted it and life's journey is like that it is trouble that is overruled and sanctified so that we see the goodness of God going before us to guard us and guide us and whatever troubles may befall God causes them to compass us about with songs of deliverance because there is no trouble which has come upon you in which you have been allowed to sing to rise no more thou art my hiding place thou shalt preserve me from trouble thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance selah mark well ponder it in your heart the

[44:29] Lord help you to think on these things amen