Reflections on Psalm 4
Psalm 4: The Text
Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame?
How long will you love vain words and seek after lies?
But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.
Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.
Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord.
There are many who say, "Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!"
You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.
In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Framework
An important reminder when looking at the Psalms is that they build on one another. Psalm 1 established the preeminence of the Scriptures as the foundation for wisdom, righteousness, and fruitfulness. Psalm 2 calls for the nations plotting against God's authority over them to trust in and submit to the Lord's King. Psalm 3 testified to God's people trusting in God even in the face of vast enemies. So, while Psalm 2 gave us a sweeping picture of God's work in history to conquer the nations and Psalm 3 called upon God to break the teeth of his enemies, Psalm 4 will give us a picture of how Christians should speak to their enemies.
Psalm 4 should likely be paired with Psalm 3, with the 3rd Psalm used as a morning prayer and the 4th as a prayer to end the day (it is quoted during evening prayer in the Book of Common Prayer). Both Psalms presuppose the Christian is surrounded by enemies who have no regard for the word nor the glory of the Lord, and so they refuse to honor Christ, God's King.
How the Psalm is Organized and Some Observations
V. 1 - Calling Upon God
David bases his present prayers on God's past faithfulness. God had answered his prayers before, so David called upon him again to be gracious to him and hear his prayer.
V. 2-5 - Speaking to Those Who Hate the Word of God
David now speaks to his persecutors, to his enemies, and gives us a model for speaking to our enemies:
He names their fundamental sin: They deride what he glories in. They reject what he honors. David has told us in chapter 3 that the Lord is his honor and glory. He has told us that his delight and glory are in the law of God. These people reject the glory of the Lord; they treat what is most honorable with shame—calling what is good and what is evil good.
He again declares God's promises and the authority of God's king. God sets the godly apart. Those who trust in God are made holy by God. He hears their prayers. He cares for them and protects them. God's authority and his covenant grace are the central message of David's response to the rebellion of his enemies.
In the light of this grace, he offers wise and godly counsel to his enemies: Cease your rebellion against God. "Be angry" acknowledges what is plain: you do not like the authority of God. You do not like the kindness of God towards me. But instead of that anger leading you further into sin and, therefore, destruction, consider it. Consider the folly of your anger at God at the rejection of his word and his king. God's authority and law make you angry, but instead of continuing your sin, take a break. Lay down. Consider these things in the silence of your bed. Reflect on the good authority of God. Reflect on his grace towards those who are his.
V. 6-8 - Godly Counsel rejected, God's King refused, yet God's people delight in God's favor and rest in his promises.
David's enemies' response is to question God's goodness. "Who will show us some good?" explicitly denies the excellent counsel just given them.
David then prays the blessing of Numbers 6:26 - a blessing of grace and glory - that God would show his face to God's people. In front of God's enemies and their continued rebellion against Him and His word, David asks that God's people would see again, in God's acts on their behalf the faithfulness and glory of God. This is not simply a prayer for the defeat of his enemies, but something more - namely, that God would be seen and known as *their God* and as gloriously faithful to them. This is seen especially in the joy of God's people, not merely in abundant crops and good wine, but in the peace that comes in God's saving grace towards his people - protecting and revealing himself to them.
-The Psalm ends with a simple act of faith: God's people, fully trusting in the provision of God over their enemies, can sleep safely, for it is God who keeps them safe.
Living in the Light of this Psalm
We should not be surprised when the ways of God are dishonored and mocked. We should not be surprised that we have real enemies who do not love and trust the words of God. But how do we respond to these enemies? Jesus commands us to love our enemies, and this Psalm shows one fundamental way we are to do so. It is not by softening the hard edges of God's word. It is not by trying to find common ground. It is by doubling down on the promises and goodness of God. It is by reasserting God's great authority and holiness, pointing out the folly of man's anger in the face of this authority, and then giving counsel: Stop sinning. Stop your rebellion. Consider the holiness of God, the authority of God, and the grace of God. Be silent and consider these things again. Repent of your sins. Take refuge in the God who reigns and keeps his promises to bless his people and forgive their sins.
The Psalm does not give us a grand picture of God's enemies turning from their rebellion and listening to such counsel. The counsel is discarded as soon as it is provided. But the Psalm teaches us how to live in such times as ours - when God's law is mocked and rejected when God's king Jesus is derided and his ways abandoned and castigated as hateful, arrogant, or worse. It calls God's people to pray for deliverance, to stand faithfully and joyfully in the truth, calling for the repentance and salvation of these same enemies, and for God's people to find peace and rest in the promises of God, given to us in Christ - that he will, indeed rule all the nations, bless all who take refuge in him, and in the end silence his enemies.