“O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn My glory into shame? How long will ye love vanity and seek after leasing (falsehood)? Selah But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for Himself; the Lord will hear when I call unto Hm.” Psalm 4:2-5 Have you ever tried to reason with someone? someone who is unreasonable? Here David reasons with the wicked, “how long, oh you sons of men (you unconverted ones), will you turn God’s glory into shame?” He appeals to the foolish brood, once being apart of it himself, knowing he was of the same ancestry, “O ye foolish sons of Adam.” Only a man who knows himself as a sinner saved by grace, called and commissioned of God, under the leadership and anointed by the Spirit of God can stand in the face of unconverted men and tell them what they are. David was such, I am such, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you” (Jeremiah 1:5). On my own I cannot stand before you and ask “How long will you love vanity (worthlessness) and seek after falsehood? When will you forsake your broken cisterns? When will you return to God His glory, and away from your golden calf?” David was in the midst of vain men, men having no real value or significance; worthless, empty, idle, hollow. What is vanity? Every earthly unsatisfying object sought after by rich or poor, young or old. Everything perishing that you set your vain affections upon. “How long are you going to seek after falsehood?” The self-righteous man is a liar. The biased man is a liar; he will not be honest with his soul and allow the Word of God to speak through his religious prejudices. The indoctrinated man who does not possess the power of the life of Christ in his soul is a liar. Oh if we could get men to be honest we could fill the kingdom. Selah Then the Spirit of God says SELAH: Pause! Stop here and think on this. It’s as if God is telling us, “Stop and consider the truth, then goes into “Know this.” God will not be denied His portion; “Know this, God has an elect people: and has identified them as godly. Grace teaches us something besides abstract doctrine, “The Lord will hear when I call unto Him: Shall not the Lord hear His own elect that call upon Him day and night.” Mr. Spurgeon says “since He chose to love us, He cannot but choose to hear us.” David is saying meditate on this (v.4), Stand in awe and sin not: tremble and sin not; “Commune with your own heart.” If we could get them to think! Selah: provided that they had obeyed he goes on (v.5), “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.” When the Jews offered sacrifices righteously (spiritually) setting forth the Redeemer, the great sin atoning Lamb, he was expressing himself fully in the gospel of salvation. Therefore David is making a gospel appeal. It is as I would say, “O sinner flee to the sacrifices of Calvary” the Lord will hear when you call unto Him, all other refuge’s are refuge’s of lies. Selah! ~~Terry Worthan, 1938-2022
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