This psalm deals with an uncomfortable topic. I'm speaking, of course, about rebuke. When I get rebuked, I get that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I just got told I was wrong, and even when it happens in the nicest way possible, it's still a gut punch. A couple of you have told me recently that none of us love rebuke. That may be true. But here's the thing: rebuke is the path to wisdom. The one who hates rebuke is by definition a fool and a scoffer. The one who accepts rebuke is learning the discipline of wisdom, and he will be pleasing to God.
That is a very quick sketch of the biblical teaching about rebuke. And it is in this context that the king's remarks on rebuke come to us. We will see that rebuke didn't just hit him a little bit and give him a twist in his gut for the rest of the day. Rebuke threw him for such a loop that you might think he was having a full-blown nervous breakdown. We're going to talk more about his symptoms in just a minute, but let's just cut to the main point of the psalm, which is this: When terrorized and weakened by rebuke, the king does not hesitate to call on God. And when he does, he finds that God answers, rebukes his enemies, and reestablishes his moral authority. The overall lesson: When rebuked, turn toward God. He has told you you're wrong, but He will heal you when you cry out to Him.
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Caleb Nelson grew up in Ft. Collins, CO. Born into a Christian home, where he eventually became the eldest of 11 children, he has been a lifelong Presbyterian. He professed faith at the age of six, and was homeschooled through high school. He then attended Patrick Henry College...
