WWUTT 1279 Set a Guard O Lord Over My Mouth (Psalms 141, 142, 143)

You've heard the expression, garbage in, garbage out, right? Whatever content goes in, that's what's going to come out of you. So we need to be filled with Christ that what comes out of us is pleasing unto God when we understand the text.

This is When We Understand the Text, a daily Bible commentary to help encourage your time in the Word. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday we feature New Testament Study, an Old Testament book on Thursday, and our Q &A on Friday.

Now here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe.

Thank you, Becky. We come back to our study of the Psalms, open your Bible, if you will, to Psalm 141. That's where we're picking up today. I mentioned last week that I thought we would finish up by the end of August, but given that we have 10 Psalms left, I'm probably going to need another Thursday.

So we've got today, next week, and September the 3rd. We'll see if we finish up there. Hey, I've loved this study of the Psalms so far. We're in no hurry. Let's start with Psalm 141. I'll begin by reading all 10 verses.

This is a Psalm of David. O Lord, I call upon you, hasten to me. Give ear to my voice when I call to you. Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

David’s Prayer for Guarded Speech and a Righteous Response

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth. Keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my heart incline to any evil. To busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies.

Let a righteous man strike me. It is a kindness. Let him rebuke me. It is oil for my head. Let my head not refuse it. Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds. When their judges are thrown over the cliff, then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.

As when one plows and breaks up the earth, so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol. But my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord. In you I seek refuge. Leave me not defenseless. Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me, and from the snares of evildoers.

Let the wicked fall into their own nets while I pass by safely. See, this is just a good psalm. We can't go through this too quickly because there's such goodness here and lessons for us as we read, let a righteous man strike me.

It is a kindness. Let him rebuke me. It is oil for my head. It is good for us to feel conviction over the things that we read, that we might repent of any wickedness and desire all the more righteousness.

So let's do that together as we embark on these psalms that we have before us today. This psalm, the language that begins this psalm sounds like David is offering up a sacrifice because of his sins. He is reaping what he has sown and whatever it is that he has done has incited his enemies against him.

So he's asking God that he would be delivered from his enemies and that the punishment that God is inflicting upon him for the wrong that he has done would be inflicted upon his enemies because they are doing wrong to him.

Right at the start here, we have Lord, I call upon you. Give ear to my voice. Let my prayer be counted as incense. That's a reference to sacrifice. So the incense that was burned in the tabernacle later in the temple, it was a sweet smelling aroma and there was also the smoke that went up as prayers went up to God and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

So David is offering a prayer that he is asking God would be received as though he were giving a sin offering unto the Lord. Set a guard, oh Lord, over my mouth. Keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my heart incline to any evil.

So there seems to be an indication that David has said something that has incited his enemies against him. So he's probably sinned with his words and out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks as Jesus says in Matthew chapter 12 and so hence why David asks that a guard be put over his mouth and let my heart not incline to any evil because what's in his heart is going to come out of his mouth.

So do not let my heart incline to any evil to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity and let me not eat of their delicacies. We still have a reference to mouth there. So whatever goes in, if I eat the food of wicked men, then what's going to come out of me is wickedness.

Perhaps you've had someone say to you, garbage in, garbage out, right? My grandmother used to say that to me. So she was telling me, whatever you consume, that's what's going to come out of you. If you are around people who are cursing, well, you're going to start cursing.

If you watch a lot of bad TV shows and movies where there's foul language in it, then that's what's going to go into you and that's what's going to come out of you. Garbage in, garbage out. And that's kind of what David is talking about here.

Let me not keep company with wicked people and eat of their delicacies because then what's going to come out of me is wickedness. When I was in Christian radio, we had a saying and that saying was this, the mic is always hot.

And I applied that principle when I had a band, I had a Christian band and we would travel around, I imposed that upon my band as well. The mic is always hot. What does that mean that the mic is always hot?

Means that you should always assume your your mic is on and whatever you say, people are going to hear it. So don't speak in such a way that you're going to embarrass yourself or you would be ashamed of something that you say.

Always assume that the mic is hot. I'm talking about this right after the day after Cincinnati Reds announcer Tom Brenneman was fired because he said something live on the air, not realizing that his microphone was on.

And because of his foul language over the air, he actually used a gay slur. And that's what he got fired for. I mean, that's like an unpardonable sin in our secular culture. So he's he's probably been let go as a Reds announcer and he may never return to the microphone, at least not as a as an announcer for the Cincinnati Reds again.

Anyway, so he he just did not realize that his microphone was on and he said this word that he later apologized for. And, you know, it was your your typical superstar apology when they say something like this isn't who I am.

It's not me. OK, well, if it's not you, then why were you saying that? And why did an open mic happen to catch you saying a word that you claim you don't.

Regularly use?

Anyway, when I heard about that story, it just came back to mind again. The saying that we had in radio, the mic is always hot. And again, as I said to my band, the mic is always hot. And as Christians, we should be imploring this principle in all that we do.

The mic is always hot because God always knows what it is that we say. Just last week, we were reading from Psalm 139, and it's in verse four where it says, even before a word is on my tongue, behold, oh, Lord, you know it all together.

God knows even our thoughts. And Jesus said this is also Matthew 12, verse 36. On the Day of Judgment, people will give account for every careless word they speak. We must know that everything that we say and do, we have a judge that we're going to stand before and give an account for every word that we have spoken.

He is the Lord Jesus Christ. And so we should always conduct ourselves as if the mic is hot. Now, how is it that we can guard our hearts so that what comes out of our mouth is pleasing unto the Lord and not something that we're going to be ashamed to give an account for on the Day of Judgment?

Well, we must be filled with the Holy Spirit of God. The change has to happen from the inside out because you can just try to watch your mouth, but your heart still be wicked. And God knows your thoughts even before the word is on your tongue.

So for David to say here, set a guard over my mouth, keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my heart inclined to any evil. He is asking God to be transformed right down to his very core so that whatever comes from his mouth will always be pleasing unto God.

James said to wash your hands, you sinners and purify your hearts. You double minded to be sure that the words that come from us meet that expectation of Ephesians 429. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up as fits the occasion that it may give grace to those who hear.

No corrupting talk, but only such as is good for building up. If we are disciplined by God to speak in such a way all the time, then we never have to worry about the mic is always hot. The words that we say are going to be pleasing unto the Lord, and they will be good for building up others as well.

So draw near to God. He will draw near to you. Ask forgiveness for your sins, and Christ will cleanse you from all unrighteousness as we desire to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

That includes our tongues. As Romans 12 one says to present yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto the Lord. This is your spiritual act of worship that includes our mouths and the words that we say that even the words we would speak in our everyday language would be honoring of God.

David goes on in verse five to say, let a righteous man strike me. It is a kindness. Let him rebuke me. It is oil for my head. Let my head not refuse it. Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.

So David is in a sense here. He's asking God to give him a righteous man to correct him, because if a righteous man corrects him, then it's going to be an admonishment. And to admonish means to correct with goodwill.

So he's going to do this with goodwill. But a wicked man doesn't have goodwill. A wicked man uses evil whenever he is an instrument in the hand of God to punish somebody for some evil that they have done.

That doesn't mean that every time we are oppressed by wicked people that we're being punished for our sins. That's not necessarily the case. But in this particular instance, that's what David is saying.

The punishment that has come against him has come by the hands of an evil man. And David is saying, let it be a righteous man so that evil would not be done. And let my head not refuse the righteous man who strikes me.

It is a kindness because he is meaning to lead me back to righteousness. The evil man just oppresses me because it makes him feel better. He's doing it for completely selfish purposes. And no glory is given to God on the part of the evil person, whereas the righteous person is going to do all things to the glory of God.

So verses six and seven, when their judges are thrown over the cliff, then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant. In other words, David is saying those judges would have to die if my case is ever going to be heard by wicked men.

They are unjust, so they're not going to consider my cause. As when one plows and breaks up the earth, so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol. We are limited people. We are finite. We are transient.

We are coming to an end. So entrust yourself to the judge who judges all and is eternal versus eight through ten. My eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord. In you, I seek refuge. Leave me not defenseless.

Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me and from the snares of evildoers. Let the wicked fall into their own nets while I pass by safely. So the evil that they have committed against me, let it fall upon them and let me come out of this trial that the Lord has put David through as a consequence for his sin.

Let me come out of that back to the path of righteousness. I will continue on my way, but they are going to go to their destruction because of the evil that they have done. We continue on with Psalm 142.

David’s Deliverance in the Cave

This is a mask of David when he was in the cave, a prayer. He's fleeing Saul who is wanting to kill him because Saul believes that David is a threat to his throne. So while he is in the cave fleeing from Saul, this is what David prayed.

With my voice, I cry out to the Lord. With my voice, I plead for mercy to the Lord. I pour out my complaint before him. I tell my trouble before him. When my spirit faints within me, you know my way. In the path where I walk, they have hidden a trap for me.

Look to the right and see there is none who takes notice of me. No refuge remains to me. No one cares for my soul. I cry to you, O Lord. I say you are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. Attend to my cry for I am brought very low.

Deliver me from my persecutors for they are too strong for me. Bring me out of prison that I may give thanks to your name. The righteous will surround me for you will deal bountifully with me. Now, unlike the previous Psalm where David was asking for forgiveness, he was asking for correction to come by the hand of the righteous and not from the hand of the wicked.

Here in Psalm 142, David is being persecuted without cause. And he's being persecuted by someone whom he loves and greatly admires and respects. That is the King Saul. Though Saul was trying to kill David, David was not trying to kill Saul because Saul was God's anointed.

So David is not praying for his enemies to be destroyed here as he did in the previous Psalms 140 and 141. He still loves Saul. He is God's anointed one. So David is just drawing near to God in this particular circumstance and asking to be delivered that he may be among the righteous again and know the blessing of God upon him, that he's been delivered from his enemies and given peace and safety and security.

Lord, you are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. So we go through difficult and trying times, draw near to God, ask him to deliver you. And it could be that the circumstance you're going through is just that you may rely more upon God who raises the dead.

It may not be a punishment because of your sins. It's just so you would put your trust fully in the Lord. I just saw from Dustin Binge today that he had posted this on Twitter over 228 times. The psalmist exclaims, Oh, Lord, sometimes all we can muster in crying out is, Oh, Lord, our shepherd always hears such cries.

We go on to Psalm 143, again, a Psalm of David. Hear my prayer. Oh, Lord, give ear to my pleas for mercy in your faithfulness. Answer me in your righteousness. Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.

For the enemy has pursued my soul. He has crushed my life to the ground. He has made me sit in darkness like those long dead. Therefore, my spirit faints within me. My heart within me is appalled. I remember the days of old.

I meditate on all that you have done. I ponder the work of your hands. I stretch out my hands to you. My soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Answer me quickly. Oh, Lord, my spirit fails. Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit.

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Deliver me from my enemies. Oh, Lord, I have fled to you for refuge.

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Let your good spirit lead me on level ground. For your namesake, oh Lord, preserve my life. In your righteousness, bring my soul out of trouble. And in your steadfast love, you will cut off my enemies.

And you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul, for I am your servant. So here, even though David is crying out to the Lord, he is drawing near to God and asking for his help. Yet he also asks that judgment would come to his enemies.

At the beginning, he says, enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you. If you've done a systematic study or you've like underlined passages about the depravity of man, our sin before God, this is one of those to underline.

Psalm 143, 2. Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you. In Romans chapter 3, of course, where it says there is no one righteous, no, not one. And Paul is quoting from the Psalms.

It wasn't Psalm 143 that he was quoting from. But we have that another statement here regarding that no one is righteous before God. If God were to stand in judgment with us, who can stand? No one would be able to stand against the judgment of God.

So David is asking for mercy from God, for if God were to judge even him, he's saying, judge my enemies. If if I were to be in judgment, I would not stand any better than my enemies stand. So may God be for his servants, but against his enemies.

The enemy has pursued my soul. He has crushed my life to the ground. My spirit faints within me. I remember the days of old. I meditate on all that you have done. I ponder the work of your hands. So David is content with the Lord, and he knows that the Lord will rescue him because he looks back and sees the faithfulness of God throughout the years, throughout the ages.

And we have that same comfort and that same assurance. We know that God is for us, that he will forgive our sins and he will deliver us out of the trials of our present because we see that he has done so for his servants throughout scripture, throughout history.

We have no reason to despair. Trust in the Lord and he will deliver you. I have fled to you for refuge. David says, teach me to do your will for you are my God. Let your good spirit lead me on level ground for your namesake.

Preserve my life in your righteousness. Bring my soul out of trouble. And indeed, it's in 1 John 2, 12, where we read your sins are forgiven for his namesake. Heavenly Father, thank you for your word today.

And I pray that these words are a comfort to us today, that we receive discipline when it is warranted, that we would pray for your righteousness, that we would cling to Christ. We ask that you guard our lips.

Let us not take in anything wicked and therefore produce wickedness, but let us feed on the of God and then what is produced from us will be righteousness as we walk in the righteousness of Christ for his namesake.

It's in the name of Jesus we pray.

Amen.

This is When We Understand the Text with Pastor Gabe Hughes. There are lots of great Bible teaching programs on the web, and we thank you for selecting.

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