Psa 4:2-5 | KingComments | STEP | In these verses, David addresses the “sons of men” ( ). With the sons of men are meant men of renown, people with a prominent position in life. They are the aristocrats, the upper class of society, the nobility. They derive the meaning of their existence from their high social position. For them David is a failed king, a man with a humble attitude and therefore does not correspond to their idea of a powerful leader. They drag his honor or glory, which has been granted to him by God as His anointed king ( ), through the mud. David is aware of this and addresses them about it. There is impatience in his voice when he tells them ‘how long’ they will “love what is “worthless”. Since honor has been given to him by God, their effort to disgrace his honor is “worthless”, ‘empty’, and therefore pointless. He speaks to them of loving what is worthless because they are working diligently for something that is nothing. In addition, they “aim at deception”, meaning that they consult idols to carry out their ungodly plans. The foolishness of their living in emptiness and deception is further underlined in . They must realize that the only thing God reckons with is “the godly man” He has “set apart … for Himself”. The value and weight of each human life is determined by God according to the esteem which such a person holds for His godly man. The basis of the faithful remnant’s confidence – and of ours as well – is that God has set apart a godly man, a pious or gracious man, someone on whom God’s pleasure rests. This is primarily about David himself, the man whom God has set apart as a godly man to rule over His people. Beyond David we see the great Son of David, Jesus Christ, the Godly Man of God, His Messiah. Every man, and especially the man of renown who thinks so highly of himself and so contemptuously of God’s Godly Man, must know Who is the Man on Whom God’s special pleasure rests. Every appeal made to God He answers only in relation with Him. This awareness gives the believing remnant confidence that God will hear when they cry out to Him in faith. David knows that God hears him when he calls to Him on the basis of the fact that he has been set apart by God. He knows that there is no merit in himself. He is set apart because Christ is set apart. Likewise, we may know that we are chosen by God because the Lord Jesus is the Chosen One ( ; ; ). We are chosen in Him ( ). David is God’s godly man because His great Son is God’s Godly Man. The relationship to God’s godly man must be in order for God’s blessing to come. Whoever rejects God’s choice calls down God’s anger upon himself. That is why David tells the sons of men, the men of renown, to “tremble” ( ). They should realize that they will perish if they do not kiss the Son ( ). The exhortation “tremble” means that they should become inwardly restless about their attitude toward God. It should cause them to reflect on their lives instead of continuing to sin. The first line of is quoted by Paul in the letter to the Ephesians ( ). He does so from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, to prove that there is justified anger [the word tremble means tremble with anger or fear]. In doing so, he points out at the same time that in case of a justified anger there should not be a sinful reaction. In the case of the sons of men to whom David speaks, it is about a wrong attitude. This is evident from what follows. He admonishes them to speak in their hearts when they are lying on their beds. At night, man can contemplate his life. There is nothing to distract him then. The big mouth he opens to others during the day is then silent. “Be silent” implies the command to stop arguing in order to continue living without God. When opposition to God is given up, David comes up with the recommendation to “offer sacrifices of righteousness” ( ). Through this, man expresses that he needs a sacrifice to come to terms with God. It means the realization that an innocent animal must die in his place. These are sacrifices of righteousness, that is, sacrifices that are offered to God because He is entitled to them. They are sacrifices made with a devoted heart and in accordance with the righteous demands of God. He determines what sacrifices a person must come up with. It means that a man is accepted by Him only on the basis of the sacrifice of His Son. This is as the Lord Jesus said: “No one comes to the Father but through Me” ( ). In drawing near to God, the inner attitude toward God is also important. This is what David points out in the second line of . It comes down to trusting God. This trusting in Him has two aspects. God wants us to trust that He has accepted the sacrifice brought by His Son. God also wants us to trust that He accepts every person who comes to Him on the basis of the sacrifice of His Son.

‏ Psalms 4:2-5

But Know …

In these verses, David addresses the “sons of men” (Psa 4:2). With the sons of men are meant men of renown, people with a prominent position in life. They are the aristocrats, the upper class of society, the nobility. They derive the meaning of their existence from their high social position. For them David is a failed king, a man with a humble attitude and therefore does not correspond to their idea of a powerful leader. They drag his honor or glory, which has been granted to him by God as His anointed king (Psa 3:3), through the mud. David is aware of this and addresses them about it.

There is impatience in his voice when he tells them ‘how long’ they will “love what is “worthless”. Since honor has been given to him by God, their effort to disgrace his honor is “worthless”, ‘empty’, and therefore pointless. He speaks to them of loving what is worthless because they are working diligently for something that is nothing. In addition, they “aim at deception”, meaning that they consult idols to carry out their ungodly plans.

The foolishness of their living in emptiness and deception is further underlined in Psa 4:3. They must realize that the only thing God reckons with is “the godly man” He has “set apart … for Himself”. The value and weight of each human life is determined by God according to the esteem which such a person holds for His godly man.

The basis of the faithful remnant’s confidence – and of ours as well – is that God has set apart a godly man, a pious or gracious man, someone on whom God’s pleasure rests. This is primarily about David himself, the man whom God has set apart as a godly man to rule over His people. Beyond David we see the great Son of David, Jesus Christ, the Godly Man of God, His Messiah.

Every man, and especially the man of renown who thinks so highly of himself and so contemptuously of God’s Godly Man, must know Who is the Man on Whom God’s special pleasure rests. Every appeal made to God He answers only in relation with Him. This awareness gives the believing remnant confidence that God will hear when they cry out to Him in faith.

David knows that God hears him when he calls to Him on the basis of the fact that he has been set apart by God. He knows that there is no merit in himself. He is set apart because Christ is set apart. Likewise, we may know that we are chosen by God because the Lord Jesus is the Chosen One (Isa 42:1; Mt 12:18; Lk 23:35). We are chosen in Him (Eph 1:4). David is God’s godly man because His great Son is God’s Godly Man.

The relationship to God’s godly man must be in order for God’s blessing to come. Whoever rejects God’s choice calls down God’s anger upon himself. That is why David tells the sons of men, the men of renown, to “tremble” (Psa 4:4). They should realize that they will perish if they do not kiss the Son (Psa 2:12). The exhortation “tremble” means that they should become inwardly restless about their attitude toward God. It should cause them to reflect on their lives instead of continuing to sin.

The first line of Psa 4:4 is quoted by Paul in the letter to the Ephesians (Eph 4:26). He does so from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, to prove that there is justified anger [the word tremble means tremble with anger or fear]. In doing so, he points out at the same time that in case of a justified anger there should not be a sinful reaction. In the case of the sons of men to whom David speaks, it is about a wrong attitude. This is evident from what follows.

He admonishes them to speak in their hearts when they are lying on their beds. At night, man can contemplate his life. There is nothing to distract him then. The big mouth he opens to others during the day is then silent. “Be silent” implies the command to stop arguing in order to continue living without God.

When opposition to God is given up, David comes up with the recommendation to “offer sacrifices of righteousness” (Psa 4:5). Through this, man expresses that he needs a sacrifice to come to terms with God. It means the realization that an innocent animal must die in his place.

These are sacrifices of righteousness, that is, sacrifices that are offered to God because He is entitled to them. They are sacrifices made with a devoted heart and in accordance with the righteous demands of God. He determines what sacrifices a person must come up with. It means that a man is accepted by Him only on the basis of the sacrifice of His Son. This is as the Lord Jesus said: “No one comes to the Father but through Me” (Jn 14:6b).

In drawing near to God, the inner attitude toward God is also important. This is what David points out in the second line of Psa 4:5. It comes down to trusting God. This trusting in Him has two aspects. God wants us to trust that He has accepted the sacrifice brought by His Son. God also wants us to trust that He accepts every person who comes to Him on the basis of the sacrifice of His Son.