Now our text tonight is to be found in Psalm 18 and verse 27. Psalm 18 and verse 27. For thou wilt save the afflicted people, but wilt bring down high looks. Jesus said as he began his sermon on the mount, Matthew 5 verse 3. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed. Dear congregation, that is what we consider in our text here tonight. One is blessed. The afflicted or the humble people are blessed by the Lord. And we see it here, for the Lord will deliver them. In contrast to the proud man, we note that at the end of verse 27, the humble man or the afflicted man is blessed by the Lord. Now from verse 25 through to verse 27, the psalmist now in this psalm considers God's dealings with the sons of men. Verse 25, upright. To the merciful he will show mercy. He will be faithful to the godly man and show himself to be such a pure God, as we note there in verse 26. However, let there be no misunderstanding. He will oppose those that oppose him, as we note at the end of verse 26 as well. Now coming to our text, we note here his dealings with the humble and also with the proud. For thou wilt save the afflicted people, but will bring down Hylux. Dear brethren, in view of his dealings, we have been humbled by grace. Let us therefore, like with David, raise a song of thanksgiving. And we see this also in Psalm 22, verse 23. You see the exaltation to praise the Lord because of the Lord's dealings with his humble afflicted people. For thou wilt save the afflicted people but will bring down high lows. Well as we come to these words tonight I'd like us to consider first of all deliverance for the afflicted and then secondly desolation for the proud deliverance for the afflicted and desolation for the proud well first of all tonight deliverance for the afflicted for thou would save the afflicted people now for God's people there is much comfort in these words deliverance will come the Lord will assist and As we go on into verse 28 we read, For thou wilt light my candle, the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. He thinks of deliverance in verse 27 and he rejoices in it in verse 28. There will be help and a restoration in a time of darkness. Well, the psalmist was comforted and so can we in these words. Deliverance will come. There is comfort here for the people of God. Do you remember those words in Isaiah 40 verse 1? Comfort ye, comfort ye my people. Save your God. Well, there's a message of comfort here in verse 27. Take comfort, dear brethren. The Lord makes plain here that deliverance is coming, for thou wilt save the afflicted people. C. H. Spurgeon, in giving hints to the village preacher, wrote this, consolation for the humble, consolation for the humble, for thou wilt save the afflicted people. Well let's open this up a little further and let's consider first of all tonight deliverance for the afflicted. Let's specifically consider the afflicted people. And then we'll consider the Lord God. For we read in verse 27, for thou wilt save. And then thirdly under this first point, deliverance. For thou wilt save or deliver the afflicted people. Firstly then, here under this first point, the afflicted people. We have here this word afflicted. From the Hebrew it can be translated as poor and needy or lowly or humble. In Psalm 37 verse 14 we have the word translated as pour. The wicked have drawn out the sword and have bent their bow to cast down the poor. psalm 40 verse 17 again the hebrew word is translated as poor but i am poor and needing and then one more proverbs 3 verse 34 the hebrew word there is translated as lowly surely he scorneth the scorners but he giveth grace unto the lowly or it could be translated as here he giveth grace unto the afflicted Now we can consider that the Lord's people suffer affliction. For we note here, there will come deliverance for them, for they are in need. However, particularly from the Hebrew word, we are considering those who are poor in spirit or lowly in heart. The Lord will deliver them. Yes, they suffer affliction, but particularly focusing on that they are poor in spirit, they've been humbled by grace, the Lord will show mercy and deliver them. Listen to John Brown. The word rendered afflicted properly signifies poor or needy. The persons spoken of are obviously afflicted ones, for they need to be saved or delivered, but it is not their affliction so much as their poverty that is indicated by the psalmist here. So we're thinking particularly of those that are poor in spirit. Dear congregation, the Lord's people have been humbled by grace. By nature there is pride in the heart, there is rebellion and there is opposition to God. In regeneration, a work is done. And so no longer is there a stony heart, but there is a heart of flesh. There is humility. Dear congregation, one has been humbled by grace. And now there is a little likeness to Christ or conformity to him. Remember what he said, learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart. Matthew 11 verse 28. He's lowly. We can think of the Lord's people here, loathing or poor in spirit. There is this humility. For thou would save the afflicted people, all the poor in spirit, all the lowly ones, those who have been humbled by grace. We'll consider them the pure poor in spirit. To them Christ is first, others are second, and they themselves are last. There is a steaming of others better. Jeremiah Bowers, the Puritan, wrote, they think their consideration high as they think of others. And then he goes on to write, oh, happy is their condition, say, if a poor spirited man or woman. Happy. They think others are blessed. They esteem them greatly. They're humble, and they think on others as better. Poor in spirit. A number of years ago, Hudson Taylor was scheduled to speak at a large Presbyterian church in Melbourne, Australia. And as he entered, the moderator of the service introduced the missionary in eloquent and glowing terms. And he told the congregation that was before Hudson Taylor that Taylor had accomplished much in China and then presented Hudson Taylor as the illustrious guest. Why is Ron Taylor? Well, Taylor stood quietly for a moment, and then he opened his message by saying this, Dear friends, I am the little servant of an illustrious master. He was a humble man. The Lord had used him greatly, but he desired to be in the background. I am a little servant of an illustrious master. He was poor in spirit. He was an afflicted one, a lowly one. Now such a one humbly recognizes their unworthiness and their need. They recognize that they need the Lord each and every day. They need fresh supplies of grace. They know they need more strength on the journey as they wade through the waters of affliction. And in the exhausting battle they have with sin and the devil, they know their need. They are in need of wisdom in the weary, perplexing situation. And they are in need of guidance on their pilgrimage to heaven. They know their need. And dear brethren, we know our need. We are the lonely ones, poor in spirit. We recognize we need the Lord. I need Thee every hour, we find ourselves saying. We look to Him, we rest on Him, for we feel our weakness. The poor in spirit find themselves again and again looking to the Lord. And that can be an aid to assurance, can it not? You find yourself, you so need the Lord, you're looking to him, you feel your unworthiness, you feel your weakness. Blessed are the poor in spirit. The believer finds themselves turning again and again to the Lord. In Psalm 10 verse 14 we read, The poor committed himself unto thee. You see that? The poor We could think of one poor in a temporal way, looking to the Lord, but particularly spiritually, they're poor in spirit. They're looking to the Lord, knowing that they need him. They commit themselves unto God. The poor committed himself unto thee. They know the situation before them, that they need help and strength, and so they commit their souls to the Lord. One fills their emptiness and commits themselves to God. We're thinking here then of the poor in spirit, the afflicted ones. Now the poor in spirit suffer affliction. Psalm 34 verse 19, many are the afflictions of the righteous. Dear brethren, this is a bell of sorrow, our joys are interrupted. We know this to be true in view of God's Word and we have learnt it in the School of Grace. We've learnt it by experience, haven't we? That this is a veil of sorrow. we who are the poor in spirit suffer affliction here below well let's move on consider secondly here under this first point the lord god notice how verse 27 begins for thou wilt save the afflicted people Now we read in Isaiah 57 verse 15, For thus saith the high and lofty one, that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy, I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Note where he dwells. He dwells in the high and holy place, but also with those who are of a humble spirit. He is the God of the lowly. And so we read in Psalm 9 verse 12, He forgeteth not the cry of the humble. He doesn't forget. The Lord is their God, He will not forget. And dear brethren, He will not forget your crying. He forgets, if not the cry of the humble. Dear brethren, He is your God. He is my God. Oh, what a God we have. How wonderful, how great He is. How amazing that He dwells with us. Well consider him and what do we read here? For thou wilt save the afflicted people. God will. He who is your God will come to your aid. Well let's think of this a little further tonight. For thou wilt save the afflicted people. God will. Well let's consider firstly here then his power. He is able to do what we and none other can do, that is, to deliver or save us, for thou would save the afflicted people. So great is His power. Think of the Lord God, and think of His power. Psalm 89, verse 13, thou hast a mighty arm, strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand. So strong, so mighty, Dear brethren, remember the strength of the Lord. For thou wilt save the afflicted people. He will, he's able, nothing is too hard with the Lord. He is able to come to our aid. He will deliver his people, those who are poor, in spirit. So firstly here, consider his power. But then secondly consider, He will deliver us because He is our covenant God. For thou wilt save the afflicted people. He is able and He will. We can be assured. What does he say in Psalm 41 verse 10? Fear thou not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee. Yea, I will help thee. Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. He's our God, as we note there, and he reminds that. Wonderful truth to is true towards us. I am thy God And then we note those words. I will He's our covenant god. He will not break his word And so we read here for thou wilt save the afflicted people It's certain He's our covenant god, he will not break his covenant He will come and deliver Doubts may arise in your heart. Will he deliver? Yes, I will, says the Lord your God. I will. Rest assured, dear brethren, he is going to help you. He is going to deliver you. He's God. He will not break His word. He will not turn from you. He will not forsake you. He is going to help you. For thou wilt save the afflicted people. And dear brethren, we ought to give Him the praise for this. Remember again that David is offering the song of thanksgiving. He looks back and considers the way the Lord has delivered him from difficulties and he's looking to the future the Lord will. Oh praise him tonight. It's certain we can be assured God is going to help us. God is going to deliver you. For thou wilt save the afflicted people. He's our covenant God. Oh, think of that and rest in this wonderful truth that deliverance is coming. So secondly then, we consider the Lord God, His power, and that He is our covenant God, and so His word is true. And then thirdly here, deliverance. Verse 27, for thou wilt save the afflicted people. He will save, or he will preserve, or deliver. And we particularly consider here, he will save or deliver in the battle. We can consider that from the Hebrew, and we also see it, do we not, in the following verses, particularly verse 29. For by thee I have run through a troop, and by my God have I leaped over a wall. He will deliver in the battle, for thou wilt save or deliver the afflicted people. Those who are poor in spirit and they're suffering, they're fighting hard in the battle, the Lord will deliver them. For thou wilt save the afflicted people. Now, as I already hinted at, it's implied that the Lord's people will find themselves in difficulties. For thou wilt save the afflicted people. The Lord's people, and we know it all too well, find themselves in strife. in a narrow place, in a tight place, as we have already seen in this psalm. Notice verse six. In my distress, I called upon the Lord. He was in distress. He was in a place of difficulty. He was in straits. For the Lord's people find themselves often in straits. For the Lord, in his mercy and in his good time, will deliver. for thou wilt save the afflicted people he will deliver you from perplexing situations you come up against a wall note that in verse 29 there's a wall there and the psalmist had come up against a wall It's a high wall that the Lord would deliver. You come up against the wall and you may have thoughts in your heart, however am I going to get over that wall? I wonder if you ever have done the high jump. I remember doing it a number of years ago and I used to think often I'll never get over that as I used to put the bar up a little bit more and more each time. How could I get over that? And you may come to a situation in your life, how will I get over that? Well, the Lord will deliver, the Lord will assist you. Notice verse 29, for by thee I have run through a troop, and by my God have I leaped over a wall. Now he's a humble man, isn't he? He's poor in spirit, he gives God all the glory. Did you notice that in verse 29? For by thee I have run through a troop, and by my God have I leaped over a wall. For the Lord will assist you in those perplexing situations. You come up against a wall, He in His power will just take you over it in His good time. It may seem a long time coming, but then the time will come, and He with such ease will take you over that wall. For by thee I have run through a troop, and by my God have I leaped over a wall. He will deliver you also from a time of sorrow, when your heart is overwhelmed, for thou wilt save the afflicted people. He will deliver you from the battle you have with physical pain. He will deliver you from the oppression of ungodly men. That was the Psalmist's testimony, wasn't it? Notice verse four. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. He was fearful. But he's offering this song of thanksgiving. The Lord has delivered him. He's been brought into a large place. Notice verse 17. He delivered me from my strong enemy. and from them which hated me. The Lord will deliver you from the oppression of ungodly men. He will deliver you from the battle you have at times with the evil one. We think of our enemies here. We can think of our arch enemy. We face a battle. But what do we read here? For thou would save the afflicted people. Deliverance is coming. In the Second World War, many would wonder, would they ever be delivered? Would this nation be delivered, particularly in the early years of the war? Dear brethren, let us never wonder. Rather, let us believe. For thou wilt save the afflicted people. Deliverance is coming. It's assured. We've considered already tonight. He's our covenant God. Let's believe him then. Let's believe his word and trust him and rest that deliverance will come. Psalm 34 verse 19, many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. Well firstly tonight then, deliverance for the afflicted. We consider who the afflicted are, they're the poor in spirit. Dear brethren, what a blessing, we've been humbled by grace. We consider then, secondly, God. Oh, how great God is. We can be assured of deliverance. And then thirdly, deliverance itself. Well, let's believe in it, and let's give God the glory for the deliverance that is coming in the future. Well, as we draw to a close tonight, let's consider, secondly, desolation for the proud. Desolation for the proud. And we see such a contrast in this verse. Deliverance for the afflicted, but desolation for the proud. Now, dear brethren, in considering what the Lord will do, his dealings with those who oppose him, this can have a comforting effect upon the godly. Many stand in our way. There are many who hate God and who hate us in this nation. But let's be comforted. The Lord is going to deal. Things are not going to continue forever as they are. We can be comforted. For thou would save the afflicted people, but will bring down high looks. Now let this be underlined. God is going to act. All of the leaders in our nation would remember this and consider it. But wilt bring down high looks. As it is true and certain that God will deliver the afflicted, he will deal with those that oppose him, those who are proud. Consider he will deal with those whose hearts remained hardened in this life. God will act. We've considered from verse 25, God's dealings with the sons of men. In verse 27, first of all, we're considering how God deals with his people. Now we're considering how God will deal with those who oppose him. Now, we have these words, but we'll bring down high looks. And immediately, we're led to consider a proud man. We can think of a proud look. In Proverbs 6, verse 16, we read, Notice the first one that's mentioned, a proud look. hate such. At times you can see the pride glaring out at you, so proud and it's revealed in the eye. You know our eyes reveal much and when we meet unconverted men we often can tell much about them through their eyes. At times such pride, such opposition glares out at you, a proud look, We can think here of high looks then, a proud look, but then further, consider how people looked down on others, as did the Pharisee in the temple. They raised their eyebrows and looked down in scorn. Let's think about this. How many looked down upon believers in this country? Many in high places. Many amongst the common people. They laugh, they mock, they look down on us with scorn. Remember how they looked down on Nehemiah, what can these feeble Jews do? Pride was in their hearts, and they were looking down on Nehemiah and those that were with him, and so they looked down on us to do. They see us as feeble, not relevant anymore. They laugh at us, they mock at us, let such be warned. for thou would save the afflicted people, but will bring down high luck. Now in Isaiah chapter 2 and verse 11, we read this. The lofty looks of men shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. He will have the glory. So many desire the glory for themselves, but God will have the glory. And let's remember that, dear brethren. God will be glorified. He will deal with the nations of the world. He will deal with men. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. but will bring down high looks. What a solemn thing. Dear brethren, we are thankful we have been humbled by grace. We were humbled, we were saved though. What a blessing. But oh, what a solemn thing this is. God will bring down high looks. Proverbs 16, verse 18, pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fire. God will deal. As we conclude, take comfort dear brethren, God is on our side. He will deal with our enemies and he will deal with us. He'll deliver us for that would save the afflicted people but will bring down Consider tonight, God's dealings with the sons of men, how he deals with his people, but how he also deals with those that stubbornly rebel against him. Well, as we consider these things, dear brethren, let's take comfort. God will bless his cause. God will bless us. God will deliver us. and he will have the glory. Well, may the Lord give us understanding and may the Lord help us. For his name's sake. Amen.