I still remember one fateful day in 3rd grade. I didn’t get in trouble very much at school, but that day I had to stay in from recess. It was the last week of school. I had two very good friends. One of them had very blond hair. It was almost white. It looked clear. One weekend, my other friend and I went to his soccer game. It was a muddy day, and he headed the ball. When he did, the very dirty ball left muddy streaks in his white hair. To 3rd grade boys, that was pretty funny! The next week at school, my friend and I were laughing about how dirty our friend’s hair had been, and our teacher got mad. She accused us of talking bad about our friend behind his back and made us stay in for recess and write sentences! It was so unfair! We were falsely accused.
I bet you have a story like that. When you’ve been accused of something you didn’t do. Those accusations cut right to your heart. They stick with you. Maybe it was a teacher. Maybe a boss or coworker. Maybe it’s your child who accuses you, or your parents. Maybe it’s even your spouse. Accusations cut right to your heart. We hear stories about false accusations all the time, don’t we? People are found innocent after years in prison. Reputations ruined. Lives changed. All by people’s words. Do you know what it’s like to be accused? There’s a psalm for that: Psalm 17.
Hear me, Lord, my plea is just; listen to my cry. Hear my prayer— it does not rise from deceitful lips. Let my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.
Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me, you will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed. Though people tried to bribe me, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent through what your lips have commanded. My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not stumbled. (Psalm 17:1-5)
King David knew what it was like to be falsely accused. He doesn’t tell us the exact situation, but we can guess. Before David became king, King Saul accused David of trying to steal his throne. Saul relentlessly pursued him. Saul trashed David’s reputation. Those accusations hurt! Then it happened again. Years later, when David’s son Absalom rebelled against him, Absalom spread rumors throughout Jerusalem that King David didn’t have time for his people. That David didn’t care about his people. Absalom got the people onto his side. Those false accusations hurt.
So what did David do? He turned to the LORD. David prayed, “LORD, vindicate me! I have planned no evil!” David insisted he was innocent. Was he? Well, David is also the one who confessed, “Surely I was sinful at birth” (Psalm 51:5). David wasn’t innocent of sin. But he was innocent of the sins people were accusing him of. The fact that we’re sinful doesn’t mean that we’re guilty of every sin. Those accusations were false. David said, “God, you can see my heart. You know what’s really true. You know I haven’t done what they say I’ve done. Vindicate me!”
I think this is so valuable for us to hear. As Christians, we know that we’re sinful. Every single day is a day to repent of our sins. But recognizing your sinfulness doesn’t make you responsible for everything bad in the world. You as a Christian, at the very same time, can confess, “Surely I was sinful at birth,” and also say, “God, I haven’t done what they say.” David was innocent of those accusations. But David’s true confidence didn’t rest in his innocence. Let’s keep reading:
I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who are out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me. (Psalm 17:6-9)
What did David place his confidence in? “The wonders of your great love.” Ultimately, David’s salvation didn’t depend on what he had done or not done. It depended on the grace of God. So he called on God, because God answers. God hears. God saves those who take refuge in him.
As we study these psalms, maybe you’ve noticed that often the theme of each psalm is the very center verse. That’s how ancient poetry often worked. The theme is found in the middle. The middle verse of Psalm 17 is verse 8: “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.” In Hebrew, the “apple of your eye” really says, “the little man of your eye.” David really prayed, “God, keep me as the little man of your eye.” Do you know what we call the “little man” of our eyes? The pupil. If it sounds weird to say, “little man of my eye,” what is a pupil? A little person at school. English works the same way as Hebrew! You are the pupil of God’s eye.
What does that mean? Let’s think of it in two ways: First, you are precious. Of all your body parts, the last thing you want to lose is your eyes. That’s how precious you are to God! He treasures you like you treasure your eyes. Second, your pupil is always focused on what you’re looking at. So, if you’re the pupil of God’s eye, what is God focused on? You. God’s eyes are always looking at you. He loves you that much! This was David’s greatest confidence: “God, show me the wonders of your great love… Keep me as the apple of your eye.”
And he adds one more picture: “Hide me in the shadow of your wings.” Jesus himself said, “How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings” (Matthew 23:37). How much danger does a chick face when she’s under her mother’s wings? None. Maybe it seems like the accusations keep flying. God surrounds you. God overshadows you. God’s angels protect you. This was David’s prayer to God: “Show me the wonders of your love. Keep me as the apple of your eye. Hide me in the shadow of your wings.”
David certainly needed that. Listen to how he describes his accusers:
They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance. They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground. They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a fierce lion crouching in cover.
Rise up, Lord, confront them, bring them down; with your sword rescue me from the wicked. By your hand save me from such people, Lord, from those of this world whose reward is in this life. May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies; may their children gorge themselves on it, and may there be leftovers for their little ones. (Psalm 17:10-14)
Relentless. Callous. Arrogant. Cruel. Like a lion hungry for its prey. Can’t we Christians relate to David? Surrounded. Prey. Think of what people say today: If you’re a Christian, you’re too moral. Or, you’re not moral enough. If you’re a Christian, you’re too nosy about getting involved in society. Or, you’re not involved in the world enough. If you’re a Christian, you’re close-minded. You’re intolerant. You’re a bigot. You’re… Can I be honest? I don’t like that. I don’t handle that well at all. I don’t like being hunted by lions. Why doesn’t God do something?
Notice how David describes his accusers: “Those of this world whose reward is in this life.” The Bible tells Christians to be in the world but not of the world. That means not to live for the things of this world. To live for heaven. To look forward to heaven. There are some people who are of this world and look for their reward in this life. Then what? Well, the Bible says there’s hell to pay. When you know that hell is ultimately the end for anyone who rejects God, it makes God’s justice make more sense. God always brings justice, just not always in line with our timetable.
That’s what gave David hope. Let’s read the last verse:
As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness. (Psalm 17:15)
Every morning, when David woke up, what could he be absolutely sure of? God’s presence. Even if the whole world was against him, God was with him. And if God is for us, who can be against us? And when David died, even if he was executed by his enemies, what was he absolutely sure of? He would see God’s face in heaven. This is what gives a Christian confidence! Either way, you win! “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). It’s a win-win! Even when the accusations fly, even when jobs are lost or reputations damaged, God is with you right now, and one day you will see God’s face. That’s better than any justice on earth.
It’s all because of Jesus. As I read and studied this psalm, it hit me: Jesus could have said all of these words. We could read the whole psalm again in Jesus’ voice. Was Jesus’ falsely accused? Absolutely. We heard about it in our passion reading tonight. As he stood on trial before the chief priests, they purposefully brought as many false witnesses against him as they could find. That was their goal: False accusations. And when none of the false testimonies matched, they brought even more. Jesus knows exactly what it’s like to have accusers encircle you.
But there was one big difference between Jesus and David: Jesus didn’t open his mouth. He didn’t defend himself. He let it all happen. He was accused, and he didn’t open his mouth. Why? Jesus was accused, so we could be set free. He let himself be tried and convicted and condemned, so that we—the guilty ones—could go free. When your heart is accused, pause and recognize what Jesus has done for you. Because of our sins, every one of us deserves accusations of one sort or another, but not Jesus. He was perfect! But he took on all the accusations for us. So that you can be forgiven. Perfect. Holy in God’s eyes. Washed clean with Jesus’ blood.
That blood of Jesus is the best shield against accusations. A story is told about Martin Luther. He was often falsely accused of all sorts of things. But his greatest accuser was the devil. That’s actually what the word “Satan” means—“Accuser.” The devil would accuse him over and over, “You are wrong. You don’t deserve anything from God. Who are you to preach God’s Word? You’re a sinner!” Do you know what Martin Luther learned to say to the devil? “If you have a problem with my sins, you need to take it up with Jesus. Jesus already took all my sins off of me and put them onto him. If you have a problem with my sins, you need to take it up with Jesus!”
That was true for Martin Luther. That’s true for you. Whatever you are accused of—false or true—Jesus took it to the cross. Jesus paid for all accusations. For all sins… So what song does the Bible sing to an accused heart? Call on God! He’s the true Judge. Call on Jesus. He’s your true Defender. When you’re accused, like David was, learn to call on God like David did and pray, “Show me the wonders of your great love…. Keep me as the apple of your eye.… Hide me in the shadow of your wings.” There is a song for an accused heart: “I call on you!”
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