5. The Security of the Redeemed Psalm 31:5

Text:  “Into Thine hand I commit my spirit; Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.”

                                                                                                                     Psalm 31:5.

Good morning, securely redeemed Christian!  You and I - and all those whom have likewise been quickened by God the Spirit, granted faith to believe; called by God with His ‘effectual call’ to Salvation in Christ Jesus - are Eternally redeemed by His Blood.  Hallelujah!  The Lord God has, in His Sovereign grace, given us life Eternal - not some transient claim to temporal life - and thus, we can rest in full assurance that we are securely saved.  Wow!  What a Saviour we have in Christ Jesus!  We can commit our spirits into His safe keeping, and rest forever in His full redemption.  Thank you, Lord God.  All glory to Thy Holy and gracious Name!  Amen.

“For ye KNOW that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (entire lifestyle) received by tradition from your fathers (religion); but with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot…being born, again not of corruptible seed (biological sperm), but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” (1 Peter 1:18-23) 

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”  (Romans 10:17)

One can clearly see the theme of ‘reverent reasoning’ continuing throughout the verses of this wonderful Psalm 31 - in our verse text today we find David reverently reasoning with his Lord God Jehovah. 

Perhaps, if one reverses the order of the lines of verse 5, one might more clearly understand this reverent reasoning process?

Verse 5b.  “…Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.  In this latter section of verse 5, we find David stating the certain fact of his faith and trust in God.  He boldly declares his heart’s belief that the Lord God of all truth, Almighty Jehovah, has redeemed, ‘bought back’; ‘ransomed’; ‘paid the full ransom price’, to buy back his soul/spirit from sin’s grip and sin’s eventual destination, Hell.  Therefore, he reverently reasons that, IF the Lord God has so redeemed him, by faith in the shed Blood of His coming Christ, then he can confidently commit his spirit/soul into God’s hand.

Verse 5a.  “Into Thine hand I commit my spirit.  David’s theology is sound and clear.  He believed God’s record contained in the Book of Genesis, and thus reasoned from his knowledge of that record, trusting in the Author of it with all his heart.

“ And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breathe of life; and man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7)

How could David trust his very spirit/soul into God’s hand?  Because he fully believed that the Lord God of truth had indeed ’…redeemed…’ him and made him worthy to go to Heaven to be with him when God saw fit to take him Home. 

God had given mankind a ‘living soul…’ in the first place, so David reasoned correctly that his soul was not his own possession, but was a possession of God given to mankind, through mankind’s representative head, Adam.

He also believed that his God-given soul and his Spirit-quickened spirit were constituents of sinful man that were so closely entwined that only the ‘Two-edged Sword of the Spirit’ could separate them.  Thus, when David ‘committed’ his ‘spirit’ into God’s faithful hand, he was committing his soul into God’s hand also.  Hallelujah!

“For the Word of God is quick (alive) and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged Sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow and intents of the heart.”  (Hebrews 4:12)

David was reverently reasoning that he could commit his very spirit into God’s Omnipotent hand with confidence, knowing that this same One true and faithful Lord God had redeemed him and thus made it possible for his spirit/soul to return unto Him securely.  His confidence was firmly based on his knowledge of God’s great truth.

“Sanctify them (the elect) through Thy truth: Thy Word IS truth.”  (John 17:17)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word WAS God…all things were made by Him (Christ Jesus); and without Him was not any thing made that was made…and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”  (John 1:1-14)

Verse 5.  “Into Thine hand I commit my spirit.  These living words of David were our Lord’s dying words and have been frequently used by holy men in their hour of departure.  Be assured that they are good, choice, wise, and solemn words; we may use them now and in the last tremendous hour.”  (C.H. Spurgeon 1834-1892)

Thought:  “These words were the last words of Polycarp, of Bernard, of Huss, of Jerome of Prague, of Luther, Melanchton, and many others…‘Into Thine hands I commit my spirit’”  (J.J. Stewart Perowne 1868)  They were all faith-filled ‘reverent reasoners‘ with God - and examples to you and to me.

4. A Confirmation of God's Strength Psalm 31:4

Text:  “And the Philistine (Goliath) said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.  Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the Name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.  This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.  And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

                                                                             1 Samuel 17:44-47.

Good morning, Divinely empowered Christian!  From the first days of our Christian enlightenment and Spiritual quickening, we have been taught of the Lord the fact that this great Spiritual Battle in which we are engaged, is not OUR Battle, but ‘…the Battle is not yours but the Lords.’  Christian children are taught the lesson in words of well-known hymns and choruses: ‘…The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own…’  Thus, we are confident that He that has Divinely called us to participate in His great Spiritual Battle, will at all times grant us the eventual victory, for ‘…the Battle is not ours but the Lords.’   Hallelujah! Victory in the Cross of Christ Jesus!

“Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the Salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.  And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord.”  (2 Chronicles 20:17-18)

As redeemed sinners, living in an increasingly apostate and openly reprobate world, faced with increasing sickness of sin and Sodomy all around us - it is often difficult not to grow personally weary. 

Everything Christian and wholesome is put down - especially in a Satanic inspired multi-media - and all things perverted and lewd, are promoted - especially those practicing it - and our children are indoctrinated to think that this is  ’normal practice’.  Today, in this 21^st Century, it is fast becoming just like it was in ’…the days of Noah…’  What a fearful vengeance our Holy Lord must bring upon such gross and vile sin!  Oh the depth of fear and dread that is on its way!  Nations, REPENT!

“But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man (Jesus) be.  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”  (Matthew 24:37-39)

The GOOD NEWS concerning all this ‘doom and gloom’ is that, those of us who are indeed genuine, Spirit-born Christians, can and will endure all the gross evil that comes upon this fallen and condemned world. How?  Because we are ‘Divinely empowered Christians’!  Hallelujah!  We are granted the strength of Almighty Jehovah God!

“The Lord is my light and my Salvation; whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?  When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.  Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.”  (Psalm 27:1-3)

Verse 4.  “Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily (secretly) for me.  Israel’s king Saul, and all of his army were being slyly manoeuvred by the Philistines to fight a battle by proxy - I.e. their champion, the giant Goliath of Gath, would fight for a Philistine victory; any man in Israel would fight Goliath to decide the outcome.  This was ’the net’ into which the feet of the young shepherd boy, David, were placed.  However, as our selected Bible text for today teaches us, young David trusted the Lord God to ’pull him out of the net…’:

“Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the Name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.  This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.  And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”  (1 Samuel 17:45-47)

Verse 4.  “…For Thou art my strength.  Omnipotence cuts the net which policy weaves.  When we poor, puny things are in the net, God in not.  In the old fable the mouse set free the lion; here the Lion liberates the mouse.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 148)

Thought:  “Those that resolve to follow God’s direction may in faith pray for it. That his enemies being very crafty, as well as very spiteful, God would frustrate and baffle their designs against him: "Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me, and keep me from the sin, the trouble, the death, they aim to entrap me in.’’ In this prayer he gives glory to God by a repeated profession of his confidence in him and dependence on him.”  (Matthew Henry 1662-1714, Bible Commentary)

3. A Declaration of God's Ownership Psalm 31:3

Text:  “For Thou art my Rock and my fortress; therefore (a conclusion) for Thy Name’s sake lead me, and guide me.”

                                                                                                                   Psalm 31:3.

Good morning, bought-and-paid-for Christian!  When the Lord God gave you and I His gift of faith to believe and to receive Christ Jesus as our own and personal Saviour and Lord - we became His bought-and-paid-for possessions.  We are not our own any more.  We are willing bond-slaves of the King of all kings - Jesus the risen Christ!  Hallelujah!

“What?  Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  For ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”   (1 Corinthians 6:29-20)

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (entire lifestyle) received from your fathers; but with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot.”     (1 Peter 1:18-19)

If you are NOT bought-and-paid-for by the sinless Blood of Christ - you are NOT a true Christian!  God KNOWS them that are His!  We are marked in His Blood.

“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth (knows and continuously knows) them that are His.  And, Let everyone that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity.”  (2 Timothy 2:19)

Reverent Reasoning:  In Psalm 31: and verse 3 the Psalmist is reverently reasoning with God in this manner: ‘Lord, You are my Rock and my fortress, and therefore, because You are, and for the glory of Your Own Name’s sake, lead me and guide me.  Not to do so, would be to allow shame to come to Your Own Name, therefore lead me and guide me.’  (Dr C.K. McClinton 1947 -?)

Verse 3.  “For Thou art my Rock and my fortress.  The two personal pronouns, like sure nails, lay hold upon the faithfulness of the Lord.  Oh, for grace to have our heart fixed in firm, unstaggering belief in God!”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 148)

If the Lord God has ‘purchased’ you and I by the Price of His own sinless Blood, shed upon that cruel Cross at Calvary - then we are, by His unmerited favour and Sovereign grace, become His personal possessions.  As His personal possessions, how can we not fail to be heard at His throne when we humbly come in reverence to pray to Him?  Not to hear us, and not to answer us when we reverently petition Him for His help and grace, would be tantamount to Him breaking His own inspired and revealed Word to us as His born again adopted children.  This the Lord can never do.  Praise His Name!

“Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; There shall none of My Words be prolonged any more, but the Word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord God.”  (Ezekiel 12:28)

“I will worship towards Thy Holy Temple, and praise Thy Name for Thy loving-kindness and for Thy truth: for Thou hast magnified Thy Word above Thy Name.”  (Psalm 138:2)

When the Lord God makes a promise to ‘His people’, His Word is His Divine bond; guaranteed by the power and Holiness of His own Almighty Name.

Verse 3.  “Therefore for Thy Name’s sake lead me, and guide me.  It is not possible that the Lord should suffer His own honour to be tarnished, but this would certainly be the case if those who trusted Him should perish.  This was Joshua’s plea, ‘What wilt Thou do unto Thy great Name? (Joshua 7:9)’”

Those of us who genuinely profess ourselves to be regenerate, Bible-believing Christians have, by God’s free grace, taken upon ourselves the Name of Christ, the Son of the Living Lord God, God the Living Son.  Therefore, we reverently reason that carrying the Holy Name of God the Son Himself, we cannot go unheard at God the Father’s throne in prayer, nor left without the Divine guidance and leading of God the Holy Spirit.  The Lord hears and answers us when we pray to Him in Christ’s Name.

“And in that day (today!) ye shall ask Me nothing Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My Name, He will give it you.  Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My Name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”    (John 16:23-24)

“If merely a creature’s honour, the credit of ministers, or the glory of angels were involved, man’s Salvation would indeed be uncertain.  But every step involves the honour of God.  We plead for His Name’s sake.”  (William S. Plumer 1802-1880)

Thought:  Go to, then, ‘bought-and-paid-for Christian’, The Makers Name upon us grants us His Eternal guarantee.  If broken, He will mend; if cast down, He will lift up; we can never be lost, if He has found us and stamped His mark of Divine Ownership upon us.  Hallelujah!  Salvation is of the Lord!  (Jonah 2:9)

2. An Acknowledgement of God's Power Psalm 31:2

Text:  “Bow down Thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be Thou may strong Rock, for an house of defence to save me.”

                                                                                                                     Psalm 31:2.

Good morning, prayerfully dependant Christian!  Knowing how utterly weak you and I are, and believing with all our hearts in the Sovereign and Almighty power of our Lord God Jehovah - we acknowledge both God’s Sovereign power and our total dependence on Him.  In prayerful sincerity, therefore, we cry out unto Him for His Salvation and delivering strength.  ‘Lord God Almighty, we fully acknowledge Thy power and our full dependence upon Thee, through Christ Jesus Thy Son, our Saviour.  Amen.’

“And He said unto me (the apostle Paul), My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak (and acknowledge my weakness before God), then am I strong (in the full strength of the Living Lord God Almighty).” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

If we are fully dependent upon the Lord God for our every need; then we are assured of His strength and Divine provision.  If we presume to be self-dependant - then we will very quickly learn the Proverb: ‘Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.’ (Proverbs 16:18)

The wise practice of ‘reverent and serious reasoning’ with the Lord God in prayer continues in verse two of our selected Psalm 31:.

Verse 2.  “Bow down Thine ear.  Listen to my complaint.  Put Thy ear to my lips, that Thou mayest hear all that my feebleness is capable of uttering.  We generally put our ear near to the lips of the sick and dying that we may hear what they say.  To this the text appears to allude.”  (Adam Clarke 1766-1832)

Mankind, because of Adam’s Fall into sin in Eden’s Garden, is born in Adam’s sin and iniquity and therefore, commences life and the process of dying on the day of his/her birth!  As soon as we issue from the womb of woman, we commence our journey towards eventual death.  Thus, the Psalmist cries out to the Living Lord God to hear the prayer of one who is travelling on the road to certain death.  Praise God, in Christ Jesus, death is not the end.  In Him, death merely commences the reality of Eternal life in Heaven with our Saviour, Christ Jesus.  Hallelujah!  Our prayers are heard!

“O Death, where is thy sting?  O grave, where is thy victory?  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the Law.  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”  (1 Corinthians 15:55-58)

Verse 2.  “…Deliver me speedily…”  ‘Prayerfully dependant Christians’ are most conscious of our need for God’s speedy deliverance from sin, from the ever-present temptations of the world, flesh, and Devil.  We are continually in need of deliverance, for the enemies of our souls and our witness and testimony for Christ are never slack in seeking to try to pull us down and trap us in the vices that the world employs.  For a ‘speedy deliverance’ we must therefore send up ‘speedy prayers’ to God.  A prayer- less Christian is at all times a powerless Christian, if a true Christian at all!

“Call upon Me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”  (Jeremiah 33:3)

Verse 2.  “…Be Thou my strong Rock.  It was not for the mere practice of building that many strove hard and worked diligently to create great fortified castles throughout the recent history of modern man.  War, violence, and danger have been a constant companion of mankind since the Fall into sin of our created progenitors, Adam and Eve.  In times of personal threat and danger, mankind yearns to have a mountain of rock enveloping him/her; somewhere to be kept safe from the threat of impeding harm.  There has never been a castle keep that has been more safe than being ‘…kept by the power of God through faith unto Salvation… In Christ, we are Eternally secure.   (1 Peter 1:3-8)

Verse 2.  “…For an house of defence to save me.  How very simply does the good man pray, and yet with what weight of meaning!  He uses no ornamental flourishing; he is too deeply in earnest to be otherwise than plain; it were well if all who engage in public prayer would observe the same rule.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 148)

“Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech.”    (2 Corinthians 3:12)

When walking on the waves with Jesus, and beginning to sink because of his doubt, Peter did not commence a long discourse with the Lord Jesus, hindered by great flowery speech.  Peter cried out, “‘Lord, save me!’  And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said unto him, ‘O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?’”  (Matthew 14:29-32)

Thought:  Acknowledging our weakness in plain prayers to God, assures us of His Divine and ever-given help.  Pray on, prayerfully dependant Christian!