Mensa Otabil - God Is Committed to You (11/01/2025)
Psalm 4:3: But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly. The Lord will hear when I call to Him. This verse, verse three, is a response to verse two. Yesterday, we looked at verse two. In verse two, David is asking, «How long? How long are these people going to be against me?» But then, in verse three, he provides the answer to how long, and he calls his accusers not to forget God’s commitment to those who live for Him. He says, «But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself.» So he is telling those sons of men who are against him, «You have to get this right-know this.» He says a few things about what we must also know: that the Lord sets the godly apart. The verb that is translated " set apart» means to treat in a special way, in a good way.
So, when a person is godly, God picks them and sets them apart, treating them in a special way. This is a word of encouragement that David speaks to himself because he was a man who knew how to encourage himself in the Lord. So when people are against him, and he says, «How long?» he doesn’t end with «how long?» He says, «Remember this: that God sets the godly apart for Himself.» And so, like David, we must also know that when we live for the Lord, He sets us apart. You don’t live for God and lose. When you live for God, He will set you apart; He will pick you out of the line for special treatment- for His mercy, for His goodness, for His favor. And that’s what David says.
Then, he also helps us to understand that the godly belong to God. The word «godly» is translated from a Hebrew word which means to be loyal, to be devoted, and to be pious. So, when we say that a person is godly, that is what the word means. Under the Old Testament, a godly person was one who obeyed the laws of God, lived according to the rules of the law, and was righteous with their sacrifices and all the things they did. That’s what makes a godly person.
But that is not the same in the New Testament. Under the New Testament, a godly person is one whose sins have been forgiven by the Lord Jesus Christ, who has Christ living inside of them, and who is committed to following Christ and doing His will. So, godliness in the Old Testament is not exactly the same as godliness in the New Testament. The standards are the same, but what qualifies us to be godly is different. In the Old Testament, it is our own works; in the New Testament, it is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that helps us meet God’s standard. So, the godly belong to God.
Like David, we must have a firm assurance that if Christ is in our heart and we belong to Him, we are in God’s hand; we are in His grip, and He would never allow the enemy to pull us out of His hand. Then, David says that God hears the prayer of the godly. When we live for God, He hears us. You may not have the physical evidence that God is hearing you; it’s not as if, when God hears you, you hear a special sound or some other sound that tells you, «Oh, God has heard you.» No, it’s not like what happens when you get a text on your phone. God hears us, and we have to recognize that by faith. How do we do something by faith? By just depending on His promises in His word. He says, «Call upon Me, and I will answer you.»
So, if you have Christ in your heart and you call on the Lord on the basis of the word of God, you have to know God has heard you-not because you feel good, or you feel light, or you feel happy, but simply because you know God says, «When I call on Him, He will hear me.» So, David says «How long?» in verse two, and then he reminds us that the godly are God’s special treasure, and you are God’s special treasure if Christ Jesus lives in your heart.
Let’s pray. Say with me: Heavenly Father, Your grace has set me apart for honor. You hear me when I call on You. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.