Let's take our Bible to Psalm 6. We're going to be looking at a prayer of deliverance in times of distress. How many of you have ever faced a time of distress and you've ushered up a prayer of deliverance and looking to the Lord for special grace? Well, Psalm 6 was written by David, it was delivered as you notice the inscription just after the designation psalm chapter 6 it says to the chief musician that's the chief musician in David's orchestra the temple orchestra and then it says to the chief musician on Meginoth upon Shemineth now Shemineth Literally in the Hebrew means, upon the eighth. Of course, the big question that Bible scholars have, upon the eighth what? Well, some people say it was an eighth string harp. Others feel that it has reference to an octave, a very low bass octave. I think that a combination view, perhaps, is the best. David instructed for this to be played upon an eighth string instrument. using a lower bass melody, which would represent, quite frankly, the depressing content which he was using, the eighth string being the lowest sound. So here, we have an instrument that is an eight-string instrument that is accompanying this particular psalm, and it was delivered to the chief musician, and of course, David, is the writer. Now the early Christian Church regarded this as the first of the penitential Psalms, one of seven. And of course these are Psalms that are expressive of David's godly sorrow for sin. Now we don't know the specific context of the reason why he was remorseful. Some would tie it in with Bathsheba. Others would tie it in to persistent difficulties that all of us need to deal with in our lives. I don't think that we should look at David's life as sinless or without problems except for that one historical event with Bathsheba. I'm sure he had many personal struggles in his relationship with the Lord God of Israel through which perhaps he received the chastening of the Lord. And here is one, the first, of his penitential Psalms. And David is under duress here in this particular Psalm. He's expressing godly sorrow for sin. As we look into this Psalm, we're going to note that he can't sleep. He's so concerned over the pressures that are upon him and the godly sorrow for sin that he cannot sleep. His breast is full of the pain of anguish, and his pillow is drenched in tears." We're going to see that in this chapter. Have you ever been there? Have you ever been so overwhelmed with sorrow and spiritual pain and agony that it seems as if your chest is going to burst with grief? Have you ever been in the position where you are not able to sleep and indeed your pillow is drenched with the tears of sorrow? And I might also add, David being a human being, he was undergoing a great deal of godly sorrow, but also guilt over sins undoubtedly that he had committed. Now we're going to look at this psalm. I've divided it up in a three-fold outline, which opens up for an easier study for us. And I want you to note the outline with me. In verses 1-5 of Psalm chapter 6, we have David's anxious appeal. His anxious appeal. Then in verses 6-7, we have David's awful anguish. And then in verses 8-10, we have David's assured answer. And it's a good place to complete our study. Now let's look at verses 1-5, David's anxious appeal. What's his anxious appeal? Let's read verses 1-5, but let's begin with verse 1. Oh Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger. neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure." David is not asking for immunity from God's judgment. I feel that David knows whatever had occurred, he knows that he has it coming. And he is not asking for immunity from God's judgment because he knows evidently that it's well-deserved But David is asking the Lord to balance mercy with his judgment. Jeremiah, by the way, did the same thing. If you don't lose your place in the book of Psalm, turn to Jeremiah chapter 10. Jeremiah chapter 10, specifically verse 24. Jeremiah chapter 10, verse 24. Notice Jeremiah's words here. Oh Lord, correct me, but with judgment, not in Thine anger, lest Thou bring me to nothing. So David is asking the Lord to temper mercy with judgment. You know, it's interesting. Oftentimes, we want God to show mercy to us, but then we want God to do judgment on everyone else. But David is asking, Lord, be merciful. I know that I deserve judgment, but Lord, be merciful unto me as well. And that's what he says in Psalm chapter 6 and verse 1. And he continues with his anxious appeal. Let's read verse 2. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak. O Lord, Heal me, for my bones are vexed." Now here, David's emotional state has physiological consequences. Isn't it interesting that that's true? Oftentimes, when we go through a great, long, extended period of stress, be it for wrongdoing on our part, or be it for any type of suffering, Oftentimes, long periods of stress can result in physical illness. Doctors have told us very clearly that stress can be responsible for heart disease, cancer, hypertension, and other maladies that face the human race. And David here is talking about his bones being vexed. In Psalm 32, he speaks about his bones waxing old within him on, I believe, another occasion. But nonetheless, it's seen there. You jump down to verse 7, and you see it says, My eye is consumed because of grief. He can't even see clear. Maybe he's so grief-ridden that his eyesight has been affected. Now, I've had people tell me that I've been through such an extended illness and grief that I believe I've got to get a new prescription for glasses. Well, who knows? Maybe the high blood pressure burst little capillaries in the eyes that could have caused some type of myopia or some type of an effect on the eyesight. But here it says it waxes old because of all my enemies. So here there are physiological consequences to this grief that David is going through in his emotional state. And then, still continuing with his anxious appeal to God, he says the following in verse 3, My soul is also sore vexed. But thou, O Lord, how long? His soul is vexed. How long, he cries. By the way, is that your prayer? Is that your cry tonight? Have you been praying concerning a trial that you've been going through? And you're praying and praying, like, with great importunity, such as the servant that continues, the lady that says, avenge me of my adversary, Luke chapter 18. And with great importunity, repeating and praying and praying that request. And your prayer is, Lord, how long? Well, God is accomplishing, I assure you, a purpose in your life. But you know that phrase, how long, appears in several places in the Bible. We don't really have time to go there, but I would encourage you to jot them down and then read the context in which it is found. For instance, in Psalm chapter 90 and verse 13, composed by Moses, Moses said, Lord, how long? Referring to, Lord, how long until you return to exercise your judgment upon wrongdoing? Habakkuk, in Habakkuk chapter 2 and verse 6, Habakkuk, cried out and said, Lord, how long until you exercise judgment upon our enemies, the Chaldeans, in that context? Then, the prophetic portion of Scripture, all of you remember Revelation chapter 6, verses 9 and 10, the souls under the altar who are martyred tribulation saints, yet to come, but nonetheless, there are many martyred during the tribulation period, for the Word of God, the testimony of Jesus Christ, and conscious existence after death. They're crying out unto the Lord, saying, Lord, how long will it be until you avenge our martyrdom and your righteousness by establishing your kingdom, you see? So there are various saints throughout biblical history that have cried out, how long? So don't feel bad. You're in good company if you've been doing that. And they've been praying. Now notice, we're finishing up now in verses 4 and 5 with David's anxious appeal. And he says in verse 4, Return, O Lord! Deliver my soul! O save me for Thy mercy's sake! Then he says in verse 5, For in death there is no remembrance of thee. In the grave who shall give thee thanks?" Now David is pleading two reasons why God should deliver him. First of all, he just flat out pleads God's mercy. He says, Lord, deliver me, save me for Thy mercy's sake. that word translated mercy the word hesed in the greek means God's covenant loyalty God's covenant mercy I believe one of the reasons why God did not do away with David when he had sinned with Bathsheba in a capital sin was because of his hesed to the Davidic covenant and his promise that his lineage would continue and it was an unconditional covenant, the Davidic covenant, based upon God's faithfulness to his word, you see. Well here, David is pleading Chesed, God's covenant loyalty, and he's appealing to that, as to why God should deliver him. And that Chesed is found 250 times in the Old Testament. But then, the second reason why David cries out to god to deliver him is not only because of his covenant loyalty and his keeping his covenant word but also number two cries out to the lord and and he says lord if you if you allow me to die i'm not going to be able to praise you if i'm a dead man i'm not going to be able to give you public praise before the inhabitants of the earth if I'm dead now be careful the cultists all they've latched onto this verse old Herbert W. Armstrong way back with the Worldwide Church of God you have the Jehovah Witnesses other cults that teach annihilationism I was just about two weeks ago witnessing the one fella who was still in league with the old worldwide Church of God, which is now called the Philadelphia Church of God. And he was using this as a proof text to say, well, you see, when you die, that's it. You're just like a dog. And that there's no eternal consciousness. And he was using this verse here. But that's not what David is saying at all. What he's actually saying is this, hey, if I'm dead, Lord, i'm not going to be a living testimony to praise you uh... and and i want to be able to give you thanks publicly there are many scriptures be careful that will rest one scripture out of context in violation of many other scriptures which speak about the conscious existence people that are departed they will just totally disavow it. For instance, you have Samuel, who was raised up conscious. You have Matthew 17, the Mount of Transfiguration experience. Moses and Elijah, conscious and present there. The souls under the altar that we mentioned in Revelation 6 and verse 10. We know that the Word of God teaches in 2 Corinthians 5 and Philippians 1, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord and and there's going to be the judgment seat of Christ that will be taking place when we are raptured to be with the Lord and there's that conscious existence there as well but nonetheless David says here paraphrase Lord if I die I'm not going to be able to publicly give thanks to you for those on the earth. So Lord, I've got a real good idea that it would be great if You could deliver me from this. And I promise You, Lord, I'll testify of Your chesed and Your lovingkindness to everyone that I have opportunity to do so." And that's what he's saying in verses 4 and 5. And that's his anxious appeal. So we have David's anxious appeal in verses 1-5. Now, in verses six through seven, we're going to see his awful anguish. His awful anguish. Let's take a look at verse six and seven. He says this, I am weary. Some of you were able to say that this evening. I'm bone tired. I am weary with my groaning. All the night make I my bed to swim. He is going through awful anguish here. I water my couch with my tears. I sure am glad that the Lord also puts our tears in a bottle. And He counts them and He numbers them. And He is aware of our tears. Notice He says, My eye is consumed because of grief. My tear ducts just don't have any more. It waxes old because of mine enemies. And of course, the sorrow And by the way, you know, we can be totally honest with God about how we feel. David was. Lord, I'm totally honest. This is how I feel. Sometimes we're afraid to communicate to God how we feel about trials and testing as if he weren't omniscient. He knows anyway. So trust him. claim his promises. But tell him how you feel. Lord, I'm tired. I'm weary with all of my groaning. I'm crying. Lord, I'm suffering. You know that. And he just reveals his awful anguish. But now I want you to notice in verses 8-10, we have David's assured prayer. And the Lord gives him an encouraging thought here. We have in verses 8 and 9 his confidence in the Lord. He's got confidence. Notice in verse 8, Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity. By the way, does that sound familiar to you? Have you ever read that phrase before anywhere else? Matthew chapter 7. That's right. He quoted it on the Sermon on the Mount, and it was quoted in the context of what? Well, what eschatological period? What prophetic occurrence are those words? Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity. Matthew 7, 23. Take a look at it, and let's see. And those of you that are listening to our message through some other medium, they do so as well. Matthew 7, verse 23, "...then I will profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from Me, ye that work iniquity." We know eschatologically that's referring to the great white throne judgment, when all non-believers will stand, Revelation 20, verse 10, before the great white throne. judgment and we know the Bible says many will say Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thine name in thine name cast out devils in thine name done many wonderful works now what's the connection why would the Lord have quoted what many would think would be an obscure passage from psalm chapter 6 well David was a rejected king Our Lord was a rejected king, but He would come back to rule, and He would come back to rule victoriously. And His name is going to be above all other names. And every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess, and He will rule and reign upon that Davidic throne in fulfillment of God's covenant, Chesed, to His covenant, you see. And here, he says, depart from me. Back to Psalm chapter 6 and verse 8. Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity, for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. And you know, in a sense, the great white throne judgment is going to be an additional exoneration on God's part, because John 5 Verse 22 says that God has committed all judgment unto the Son. The Son who was rejected by men. You see, He will be in judgment. Then, I want you to notice, David continues with his assured prayer and he expresses confidence in the Lord in verse 9 as well. Verse 9. Psalm 6, verse 9, "...the Lord hath heard my supplication, the Lord will receive my prayer." Folks, let's read verse 9 together. Could we do that? But let's do this though. As we read it, will you take the burden on your heart and think of it as you read these words? And as we pray our requests out to the Lord together in a circle, we're going to claim verse 9. We're going to claim it, but let's read it together now. The Lord has heard my supplication. The Lord will receive my prayer. Amen. And you think about that burden that's on your heart right now. David was committing that by faith. He had confidence in the Lord. And that goes with that third point of David's assured prayer. He had confidence in verses 8 and 9. But now in verse 10, he doesn't just talk about confidence, but now he talked about conquest. Now he's going to have conquest over his enemies. Look at verse 10. and be ashamed suddenly. And you know, David was assured, I'm going to leave my enemies in God's hands. God is able to handle that. But I'm going to see to it that my prayer and my relationship is right with the Lord, and I'm going to be assured that God will deliver me in time of distress. So we've seen David's anxious appeal, We've seen his awful anguish, but we also see David's assured prayer. And let's go before the throne of grace and claim that promise of the Lord, hearing our supplication. Let's pray together. Father, we thank you for this time that we can have together and go before your throne of grace. And Lord, there are many needs that we need to present before you this evening. We need to be about, Lord, the ministry of intercessory prayer, one for another. So Lord, as we share these requests, just bless and minister to each one in Jesus' name. Amen.