1. “Therefore I Will Not Be Afraid” Psalm 3 03/04/2007 Dr. Dane Boyles

2. “Therefore I Will Not Be Afraid” Scripture Reading 1 A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom. O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! (Psalm 3:1, NIV)

3. “Therefore I Will Not Be Afraid” 2 Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” Selah 3 But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. (Psalm 3:2-3, NIV)

4. “Therefore I Will Not Be Afraid” 4 To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah 5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. (Psalm 3:4-5, NIV)

5. “Therefore I Will Not Be Afraid” 6 I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side. 7 Arise, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. (Psalm 3:6-7, NIV)

6. “Therefore I Will Not Be Afraid” 8 From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. (Psalm 3:8, NIV)

7. “Therefore I Will Not Be Afraid”  Introduction When we are faced with problems, we have an important choice: where are we going to look for help?

8. “Therefore I Will Not Be Afraid” 5 “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. (Jer 17:5, NIV)

9. “Therefore I Will Not Be Afraid” 6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. (Jer 17:6, NIV)

10. “Therefore I Will Not Be Afraid” The Psalms teach us to look to God for our help but also warn us that the unfaithful cannot expect to receive such help. Psalm 3 is dramatic reminder that the prayer of the faithful brings confidence.

11. “Therefore I Will Not Be Afraid”  POSSIBLE BACKGROUND TO PSALM 3 This is the first Psalm with a heading, and one of only 13 that are linked to a specific incident in the life of David. “A Psalm of David when he fled from his son Absalom.”

12. “Therefore I Will Not Be Afraid” David concerns:  Personal grief over the actions of his son, Absalom.  The rising rebellion against his authority as king.  The rumor that God had forsaken him.  The dangerous state of the nation.

13. “Therefore I Will Not Be Afraid” Might this Psalm have been composed on the morning immediately after David had been forced to leave Jerusalem?

14. “Therefore I Will Not Be Afraid”  CONFLICT David was beset by his enemies. 1 O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! (Psa 3:1) 2 Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” (Psa 3:2)

15. “Therefore I Will Not Be Afraid” 3 But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. (Psa 3:3)

16. “Therefore I Will Not Be Afraid”  COMMITMENT TO THE LORD David described what he did in the face of difficulty. 4 To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. (Psa 3:4)

17. “Therefore I Will Not Be Afraid” David expressed confidence that He had been heard by God even before he knew what the outcome of the crisis would be. 5 I lie down and sleep. I wake again because the Lord sustains me (Psa 3:5)

18. “Therefore I Will Not Be Afraid” David’s trust gave him courage. 6 I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side. (Psa 3:6)

19. “Therefore I Will Not Be Afraid”  CONFIDENCE On the morning after his restful sleep, David again called upon God to save him. 7 Arise, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. (Psa 3:7, NIV)

20. “Therefore I Will Not Be Afraid” David was not unaware of how many times in the past God had delivered him. This is the right perspective on all earthly difficulties. 8 From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. (Psa 3:8, NIV)

21. “Therefore I Will Not Be Afraid”  Conclusion David’s confidence in God was based on his belief in God’s “covenant faithfulness.” We should learn from David’s confidence in God.

22. “Therefore I Will Not Be Afraid” No matter what happens, we must not ever:  Doubt God’s faithfulness to the covenant.  Forsake our faithfulness to the covenant.

23. “Therefore I Will Not Be Afraid” Psalm 3 03/04/2007 Dr. Dane Boyles