A Song for the Betrayed

Psalm 3 May 25, 2025 Pastor Jonathan Vogan

Thesis When you are betrayed, trust in the care and salvation of the Lord.

Series

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Type

Expository

Tone

pastoraldidacticevangelistic

Method

grammatical-historicalredemptive-historicalapplicatory

What's in this sermon

The shape of the argument

32 units across exposition, application, illustration, theological claim, and conclusion. The pastor's argument is built from these moving parts.

Pastoral correction · unit #11

"Vogan applies David's declaration to the congregation's experience, contrasting our natural tendency to try to lift our own heads (self-vindication) with David's example of acknowledging that only God can vindicate and restore honor."

Doctrinal loci· 11 surfaced

Soteriology · 13 Providence / Sovereignty · 7 Pastoral Theology · 6 Theology Proper · 5 Christology · 4 Ecclesiology · 3 Bibliology · 2 Doxology / Worship · 2 Sanctification · 2 Eschatology · 1 Hamartiology · 1

Bible citations· 22

Illustrations· 2

personal story · unit #16 — Vogan uses personal testimony and hypothetical rewriting of the psalm to illustrate the radical nature of David's trust—that in life-threatening danger, David was able to sleep, whereas Vogan confesses his natural response to anxiety is sleeplessness and terror.
cultural reference · unit #24 — Vogan uses Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh as an illustration of the modern tendency toward navel-gazing introspection and gloomy pessimism when facing problems, contrasting this with David's backward look to God's faithfulness.

Theological claims· 4

When betrayed, the proper Christian response is to run to God in prayer rather than to despair, other people, or one's own feelings—a pattern David models and Calvin articulates. unit #8
To withhold our groaning from God in distress is proof of lack of faith; true faith brings the distress to God in prayer rather than attempting self-reliance, which is as futile as plastic toy armor against real danger. unit #13
David's ability to sleep in mortal danger was not psychological denial but genuine trust in God's sustaining power—a trust Calvin distinguishes from the false peace of the wicked. unit #17
David's physical sleep and waking sustained by God is a type of Christian resurrection—through Christ we can die and rise again both spiritually and eternally because of God's sustaining grace. unit #28

Quotations· 10

"David thus teaches us by his own example that although the whole world with one voice should attempt to drive us to despair, instead of listening to it, we ought rather to give ear to God alone and always cherish within us the hope of the salvation which he hath promised. And as the ungodly use their endeavors to destroy our souls, we ought to defend them by our prayers." — John Calvin (unit #5)

"with my voice, have I cried to the Lord. Here David informs us that he never had been so broken by adversity or cast down by impious scornings as to be prevented from addressing his prayers to God. It was an infallible proof of his faith to exercise it by praying, even in the midst of his distresses." — John Calvin (unit #8)

"Nothing is more unbecoming than sullenly to gnaw the bit with which we are bridled and to withhold our groaning from God, if indeed we have any faith in his promise." — John Calvin (unit #8)

"But let us particularly notice that David came to have this confidence of safety from the protection of God and not from stupidity of mind. Even the wicked are kept fast asleep through an intoxication of mind while they dream of having made a covenant with death. It was otherwise with David, who found rest on no other ground but because he was upheld by the power of God and defended by his help." — John Calvin (unit #13)

"But let us particularly notice that David came to have this confidence of safety from the protection of God and not from stupidity of mind. Even the wicked are kept fast asleep through an intoxication of mind while they dream of having made a covenant with death. It was otherwise with David, who found rest on no other ground but because he was upheld by the power of God and defended by his help." — John Calvin (unit #17)

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." — Paul (unit #18)

"I was so upset I forgot to be happy." — Eeyore (unit #20)

"if it's a good morning, which I doubt" — Eeyore (unit #20)

"could be worse. Not sure how, but it could be." — Eeyore (unit #20)

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." — Jesus (unit #26)

Read it

Full transcript

28,282 characters 32 units ~31 min reading time

0 · Vogan establishes the theme of betrayal by recounting Julius Caesar's assassination by his trusted friend Brutus, then announces that Psalm 3 addresses a similar setting—betrayal from within David's own household

Let's open to Psalm chapter three. I've titled my message this morning, A Song for the Betrayed. Throughout history, it's not unusual for world leaders to rise and fall. While external forces are regularly credited for this, as strong countries and kingdoms conquer weaker ones, it's not. It's also not unusual for the fall of a leader to begin from within the house, so to speak. The story of Julius Caesar is one such story. You may be familiar with the Roman general and politician from Shakespeare's play by the same name, dramatizing the life and death of Julius Caesar. It really was a fascinating story. Julius Caesar gained popularity by gaining military strength and strategic victories. He endeared himself to the citizens and soldiers, but not the Roman Senate. When they ordered him to disband his army, he instead crossed the Rubicon with his army, which was seen as a declaration of civil war. He was successful in seizing power and becoming the dictator of Rome, eventually declaring himself dictator forever. While there were many good things for the people about the rule of Julius Caesar, the Senate became increasingly wary of the way Caesar was leading. So a group of senators, including his friends, including his close friend Brutus, assassinated him. Shakespeare dramatizes the last words of Caesar as being, et tu, Brute. As Caesar dies. The story of Julius Caesar has captivated people for a long time as it is a dramatic story marked by betrayal, betrayal by political allies. But as Shakespeare so eloquently marked, the real weight of betrayal was from Brutus, Caesar's trusted friend. The setting of Psalm 3 is not dissimilar in some ways from the setting of at least the end of the life of Julius Caesar. The setting of Psalm 3 is one of betrayal from within the house, as we'll see in a moment now, sometimes it's helpful for us when we're studying the Psalms to draw out broad themes. The overarching theme of book one of the Psalms could be God's salvation of his anointed King David. And we could draw out broad salvation themes, and that would be a faithful reading and preaching of the text. But sometimes it's helpful to see what specifically is in view thematically. And that's what we're going to do today.

1 · Vogan pivots from the Julius Caesar illustration to direct application, connecting the historical example to the congregation's likely experience and then stating the sermon's thesis

It's likely, if you're sitting in this room, you've experienced some sort of betrayal in your life, some sort of hurt, broken trust, personal attack. Ultimately, what we will see through this psalm is that in the face of danger, in the face of certain death, more specifically, in the face of deep betrayal, the Lord is the one who guards and protects, and the Lord is the one who saves. So, simply put, here's our idea for today. When you are betrayed, trust in the care and salvation of the Lord.

2 · Vogan reads the entire text of Psalm 3 aloud, including the inspired superscript that provides historical context—David fleeing from his son Absalom—establishing the textual foundation for the entire sermon

Let's read God's word together, beginning with the important superscript. A psalm of David when he fled from Absalom, his son. Oh Lord, how many are my foes? Many are rising against me. Many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord and he answered me. From his holy hill. I lay down and slept. I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. Arise, O Lord. Save me, O God, for you strike all my enemies on the cheek. You break the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing be on your people.

3 · Vogan offers an opening prayer asking God for receptive hearts to understand the text

God of David, you are also our God. Lord, give us ears to hear and hearts to listen this morning to what you would have us see in your word in Jesus name, Amen.

4 · Vogan explains the nature of the Psalms as songs arising from real experience, functioning both as personal catharsis and theological commentary, and establishes the hermeneutical importance of the inspired superscripts that provide historical context

I once heard a songwriter describe his job as being a professional autobiographer. Songwriters look at the world and they describe what they see and they interact with it from a personal level and they interact with it from a commentary level. Often stories, they're storytellers. Stories sometimes are fictional accounts of made up things. But often songs are the writer's way of observing and or dealing with the things that are going on in their life or society around them. Songwriting is often somewhere on the spectrum between catharsis and commentary, and the Psalms are great examples of this in many ways. Throughout the Psalms, we see the writers of these poems and songs viscerally wrestling with their circumstances while looking to the Lord for help, salvation, trust, forgiveness, faithfulness. Psalm 3 is a great example of this. A couple of important text notes here are when we're will help us read this Psalm, but will also help us read the Psalms. One is that under the editor's titles we often see superscripts. A Psalm of David when he's fleeing Absalom, his son. These are inspired and these are on purpose. They're intentional from the writers of scripture. They give us important context for what we're about to sing. You'll see to the choirmaster, right? You'll see the sons of Korah in some of the Psalms. The Psalms are not arranged chronologically, but they're arranged with an inspired purpose. In this case, Psalm 3 comes in the superscription. It Gives us an important context. A psalm of David when he fled from Absalom, his son.

5 · Vogan provides extensive exposition of David's historical situation, recounting his status as anointed king and type of Christ, his sin with Bathsheba, and now the specific crisis of Absalom's rebellion—a betrayal from within his own household that placed David in mortal danger

So our first kind of section today is David's problem. If you look at the first two verses, David is acknowledging his problem. Do you remember the story of David? You can go back this afternoon and I'd encourage you to read the end of first and Second, the end of First Samuel and read Second Samuel. This is the story of King David, God anointed one. He is a man after God's own heart. He is a warrior, poet, king. He's the guy who slayed Goliath. He's the guy of whom it said Saul slayed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands. David's kind of a big deal. What we also see through first and Second Samuel and also the Psalms, is that David is referred to as a type of Christ. He's a precursor, a dim image of the coming Messiah. David was also a great sinner. Do you remember the story of David and Bathsheba? He saw Bathsheba, wanted to sleep with her, had her husband killed, got her pregnant, and then the Lord punished him for his actions. Psalm 51 is David's Psalm of repentance. It's important to see God. He repented to the Lord, asked the Lord, remove not your spirit from me. He repented, God forgave. And Psalm 3 is what comes later in his life. We're provided the exact historical setting for David's problem. In this moment, the enemy is not outside the house. The enemy comes from within. David's son, Absalom, is leading an insurrection, a rebellion against the rightful king of the nation, but also a rebellion against his father. This isn't Luke Skywalker rebelling against the evil Lord Vader. This is attempted patricide, where Absalom desires to murder his father, the true king of Israel, to gain power and authority. At this moment, David is being hunted. His life is in grave danger. And the wild thing is, it's not just Absalom. Absalom has talked legions of David's own people into chasing him down, hunting him to gain power and authority. This is an act of ultimate betrayal, not only by the king's son, but by the king's people as well. The beginning of this song, which is what the Psalms are, sees David recounting that he is not the only one aware of his plight. Many are saying of him, there's no hope for him, there is no salvation for him. This is an interesting word because the salvation motif comes back later in this psalm and throughout Book One of the Psalms. As we said earlier, book one of the Psalms is about God preserving King David. David's problem ultimately stems from a betrayal by his own flesh and blood and the people God gave him to care for and protect and lead. It would seem here that David is communicating in this first part of the psalm, the reality of feeling hopeless. And his situation is looking hopeless. Look at what David's instinct here was. David is addressing this song to the Lord. He's vocalizing his plight, his problem, his hopeless situation to the Lord. Not because the Lord doesn't already know what's going on, but because this is an act of trust in the Lord, knowing that the Lord would listen to him.

6 · Vogan explains the meaning and function of 'Selah' in the Psalms—a liturgical pause for reflection—and notes that its placement after David's acknowledgment of hopelessness creates space to feel the weight of his situation

Now, you'll notice I paused a couple of times when we read the. Read the Psalms. There's a little word in here. Some people call it Selah, some people say Selah, some people say it all different ways. I looked it up. I tried to really. This could be a really good instructive moment for us and myself. It is, in fact, selah. So we see this Selah. We don't know exactly what this word means, but traditionally, this is a time to pause. It could be a musical interlude. What we need to get from this is it's a time to reflect on what we just read in the modern day. Sometimes you'll hear us do. You'll hear us do instrumentals, and you're like, is this a concert? Like, no, for sure, no. Remember what we're doing. We've just sung something. Let's provide an opportunity to breathe and listen and hear what the Lord has had us just sing Selah. So throughout the Psalms, whenever we see this word Selah, it would be helpful to go back and reflect on what we just read. This has a profound effect on us in this Psalm because we pause after the acknowledgment that salvation seems impossible. This placement of Selah is an opportunity for us to sit with the gravity of the circumstance.

7 · Vogan steps out of exposition into direct pastoral address, confessing his own tendency to avoid difficult emotions and inviting the congregation to allow themselves to feel the weight of betrayal, acknowledging that most have experienced broken trust and that this psalm creates space to process that pain

It's possible that some of us may prefer to avoid deep emotion. If you're like me, I have a tendency to be really excited about fun stuff. I get really excited about joyful things. But when it comes to hard things, miss me with that. I do not want to sit with hard things. I will do in my own power all I can to avoid hard things. But that's not what the Lord asks us to do here today. It is often right for us to feel the weight of life, to seek to rightly understand the gravity of our salvation, of our situation. Might there be a time in your life when you felt betrayed. Might there be a time in your life where your trust was broken by a friend or a co worker that you trusted? Maybe it's closer than that. Maybe it's a family member who broke your trust or hurt you or harmed you emotionally or physically or spiritually? It's likely that most of us in this room, many of us, at least likely most of us, have experienced something like this in our life. Psalm 3 is an opportunity for us to relate to David's problem, to feel the gravity of his situation and maybe even remember situations where we have felt this way.

8 · Vogan cites Calvin to establish the theological principle that David's example teaches us to run to God in prayer rather than to despair when betrayed, then confronts the congregation with diagnostic questions about their actual first instincts in moments of betrayal

John Calvin in his writing if you There's a lot of really good new books, but I got some. I got the encouragement one time to read the Dead Guys, so we're going to do that this morning. John Calvin, in his commentary on this, says, david thus teaches us by his own example that although the whole world with one voice should attempt to drive us to despair, instead of listening to it, we ought rather to give ear to God alone and always cherish within us the hope of the salvation which he hath promised. And as the ungodly use their endeavors to destroy our souls, we ought to defend them by our prayers. So my question for us here up front is, when you feel betrayed, what is your first instinct? Do you run to the Lord? Do you run to your feelings? Do you run to other people? What is your reaction to broken trust? Betrayal? Harm done by those who are closest to you? We pause as David encourages us to

9 · Vogan transitions to verses 3-4, where David, after acknowledging his hopeless situation, reorients himself by declaring God's character and past faithfulness—that God is his shield, his glory, the lifter of his head, and has answered his prayers before

David's belief. Look at Psalms. Look at Psalm 3, verses 3 and 4. For a moment. Whatever your answer is to those questions that I just asked, David gives us an example of a proper response. It's the beauty of the Scriptures. God never leaves us wondering what our next steps are. He acknowledges that his situation seems hopeless and resets his attention, declaring back to the Lord what is true. But you, O Lord, are a shield about Me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah.

10 · Vogan expounds the three vivid images David uses—shield (omnidirectional divine protection), glory (acknowledging God as the source of his kingship and victories), and lifter of his head (God as the bestower of honor and dignity)—showing that these declarations are grounded in David's lived experience throughout 1-2 Samuel

When you read through the story of David in First and Second Samuel, you'll see that what David declares that the Lord is his shield, his glory, and the lifter of his head, and has been true over and over and over in David's life. The images that David uses here are vivid. A shield. What is a shield? A shield is a symbol of protection. You'll notice that in human terms, it's a unidirectional symbol of protection. But David Here acknowledges that God is a shield about him on all sides, in front, in back, above, below. This means that he's not only being protected by God from his front, so to speak, but over his entire life. He speaks about the Lord being his glory. David acknowledges that the Lord is the one who set him on the throne. The Lord is the one who anointed him king over his people. The Lord is the one who is, in fact, his glory. David slayed his tens of thousands, but David's glory wasn't in his victory. David's glory was in who placed him on the throne. And David acknowledges that here, my glory. And then he says, the lifter of my head. The Lord is the one who bestowed on David honor and dignity. So the Lord will be the one who lifts David's head.

11 · Vogan applies David's declaration to the congregation's experience, contrasting our natural tendency to try to lift our own heads (self-vindication) with David's example of acknowledging that only God can vindicate and restore honor

How often in our lives when we feel betrayed, offended, beaten down, is our gaze downcast. We hang our heads and then we try all the things in our might to lift our own heads, and we find ourselves over and over, staring at our feet. David gives us the example of acknowledging that the Lord is the one who can lift our heads. The Lord is the one who will vindicate David and us.

12 · Vogan acknowledges David's moral imperfection and dysfunctional family while establishing that David's confidence rests on experiential knowledge of God's faithfulness—he has repeatedly cried out and been answered, so he cries out again from genuine distress, not self-pity

David's not a perfect person. In fact, his sin, which we've already talked about, is great in a number of areas. His family is pretty messed up. If you look at that, it's not perfect. He's got some pretty challenging family dynamics, to say the least, and this is one of those. David knows from experience, however, that God is the one who cares for him personally. Time and time again, God cares for, saves and preserves David's life. He knows that the Lord hears when he calls on him, and this in light of his plight, he chooses to look backward and be reminded of the times when he's called out to the Lord and that the Lord has answered in his faithfulness. David, in verse four, recognizing the gravity of his distress, cries aloud to the Lord, this is not some babyish woe is me ism. This is a visceral cry to the Lord who answers from his holy hill.

13 · Vogan cites Calvin again to establish that prayer in distress is the proof of faith, then delivers a visceral diagnostic question about whether the congregation trusts God enough to bring their groaning to Him or instead tries self-reliance

Calvin again says this with my voice, have I cried to the Lord. Here David informs us that he never had been so broken by adversity or cast down by impious scornings as to be prevented from addressing his prayers to God. It was an infallible proof of his faith to exercise it by praying, even in the midst of his distresses. I sent this to a few buddies this week and was just like, ouch. Be encouraged. Nothing is more unbecoming than sullenly to gnaw the bit with which we are bridled and to withhold our groaning from God, if indeed we have any faith in his promise. Nothing is more unbecoming than sullenly to gnaw the bit with which we are bridled and to withhold our groaning from God, if indeed we have any faith in his promise. So my question is, do you trust God to bring your distress to him first in prayer? Or do you, like Calvin identifies so viscerally, find yourself gnawing the bit to which you are bridled as you withhold your groaning from God? It's possible that when we are faced with great seasons of distress, we find ourselves trying to pull ourselves up by ourselves bootstraps. We try to lift our own heads, we try to carry our own shields. But the reality of this, the reality of this situation is this, when we try to put up our shield. Do you remember, some of you may remember the little armor of God set for kids, the plastic one. You had the. All the things right, and the kids walked around looking like David in Saul's armor before Goliath, like, ah, right. When we try to carry our own shields, like using that costume against a barrage of bullets, there's just not a lot of hope there. Here's the encouragement. Ask the Lord to make us like David, to cause us to go to the one who does answer us from his holy hill.

14 · Vogan acknowledges the Selah, issues a concrete call to remember God's faithfulness throughout the week, and transitions to the final movement of the psalm covering verses 5-8

Much like the first two verses, there is a place here where we are instructed to pause and reflect on what the Lord would have us remember. I would encourage you this week, go back and remember the Lord's faithfulness in your life. We'll have a moment to do this in a little bit, but this week, remember the Lord's faithfulness and thank him for it. Which brings us to David's hope and his salvation. Verses 5 through 8.

15 · Vogan transitions to verses 5-8, reading them aloud and framing this section as David's movement from past experience to present reality (sleeping despite danger) and future hope (confidence in God's salvation and victory)

We see this up to this point. We've seen David recognize his current problem, look to his past experience and express his trust in the Lord's faithfulness, particularly to protect him when he hears his cries. But we now see David write about his present reality and future hope. Look at verse five together. I lay down and I slept. I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. Arise, O Lord. Save me, O my God. For you strike all my enemies on the cheek. You break the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing be on your people now.

16 · Vogan uses personal testimony and hypothetical rewriting of the psalm to illustrate the radical nature of David's trust—that in life-threatening danger, David was able to sleep, whereas Vogan confesses his natural response to anxiety is sleeplessness and terror

I don't know what your Bodily response to anxiety and distress might look like. But if it's anything like mine, it doesn't look like sleeping. When I'm in distress, the first thing I want to do is definitely not sleep. In fact, even when I want to sleep, it doesn't come when I'm distressed or anxious. Tossing and turning, my mind races. If I was the songwriter here, can I just. Would you permit me to be silly here for just a moment? Look, if I was the songwriter here, my song might sound something like this. I lay down and can't sleep. I don't wake up because I never fell asleep. I'm terrified of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. Can we relate?

17 · Vogan establishes that David's sleep was not denial or stupor but trust-based rest, citing Calvin to distinguish between the sleep of the wicked (self-deception) and David's sleep (confidence in God's sustaining power), then pivots to connect this Old Covenant example to the New Covenant in Christ

Look, the example of David in this song is the opposite of my potential song. David trusts in the Lord so much to quiet his body, quiet his mind to the point of rest. Trusting in the sustaining care of the Lord. One more time from our friend John Calvin. But let us particularly notice that David came to have this confidence of safety from the protection of God and not from stupidity of mind. Even the wicked are kept fast asleep through an intoxication of mind while they dream of having made a covenant with death. It was otherwise with David, who found rest on no other ground but because he was upheld by the power of God and defended by his help. There it is. In the face of distress, anxiety or betrayal, let's look to the new covenant in Christ.

18 · Vogan brings in Philippians 4:6-7 as New Covenant fulfillment of David's pattern, showing that Paul commands the same response David modeled—bringing anxiety to God in prayer—with the promise of supernatural peace that guards hearts and minds in Christ

Philippians 4 brings us even more direction for ourselves and encouragement in the Lord. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, who upholds us by his power and defends us by his help. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

19 · Vogan reminds the congregation that Psalm 3 is a corporate worship song, emphasizing that declaring 'I will not be afraid' together provides shared language for shared experience in the community of faith

This may be a helpful place to remind us all that this is a song for corporate worship. This is a song for shared experience. It is good and right for God's people to declare together, I will not be afraid. Another benefit of good songwriting is that it gives people common language for common experience and circumstance.

20 · Vogan addresses the imprecatory language in verses 7-8 (striking enemies, breaking teeth), explaining that this is vivid imagery declaring God's total power to render enemies powerless, not a literal request for violence, and that David attributes salvation entirely to God rather than seeking personal vengeance

Now that this is a song meant to be sung together could make the next verse a bit of a unique record scratch moment to our modern sensibilities. We can imagine ourselves in church singing, Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God. Now imagine me standing up here as I normally do and ask you to sing back to me. You punch enemies in the face and break their teeth. Can you imagine? Like, yes, Amen. Break their Teeth, oh, Lord. But this is the psalm meant to be sung in corporate worship, is it not? So we have to deal with it. What's happening? There's a number of examples of what we'd call imprecation throughout the Psalms and some other places in the scripture should be a spoken curse, asking for God's judgment on the enemies of his people. Now, while this psalm wouldn't be an imprecatory psalm necessarily, this particular verse definitely is imprecatory. One could ask the question, is David being literal here? The answer is really that when David cries for you strike all my enemies on the cheek. You break the teeth of the wicked. He is declaring. Notice it's not a question. He is declaring the total and utter power of the Lord. By using commonly understood imagery to portray swift and decisive action, rendering his enemies powerless, David takes no credit for his own salvation here. Salvation belongs to the Lord alone.

21 · Vogan emphasizes that David, despite having the power and past precedent to seek personal vengeance (having killed Goliath), chose instead to look to God as his vindicator, making this psalm's corporate singing a necessary reminder that salvation belongs to God alone even in deep betrayal

David had every right, humanly speaking and honestly, every reason based on his past experiences. Remember when he killed the giant with a slingshot to seek vengeance on his own. Remember David's enemy, the one who betrayed David and talked a large number of people into betraying King David was his son. This is a deep and complicated pain that David is writing and singing through. And instead of seeking his own vengeance, he looks to the one who is his vindicator and savior, God Himself. In this way, it's totally right that we would sing this together, because we too must constantly be reminded that God is both the sustainer and the defender of his people and the savior of their souls. Salvation comes from God alone, even in the face of the worst type of betrayal.

22 · Vogan signals a major transition from exposition to application, recapping the three movements of the sermon and inviting the congregation to apply David's pattern to their own lives

So let's come to today. We've talked about David's problem, David's belief in God, and David's hope and salvation. So let's walk through David's songwriting process together for a minute together, as we seek to trust in the care and salvation of the Lord.

23 · Vogan directly applies the first movement of David's psalm, pressing the congregation to identify their own experiences of betrayal and asking whether they follow David's pattern of vocalizing their pain to God or have developed other coping patterns

Our problem. When have you in your life experienced betrayal, broken trust, physical or emotional harm? When have you encountered a hopeless personal or vocational circumstance? It'd be easy for you to think that this question is rhetorical, but I'm asking us to answer it in our minds. What David did in this moment was vocalize his problem, his plight, his pain to the Lord. Have you vocalized, or is your pattern to vocalize your problems to the Lord when they arise?

24 · Vogan uses Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh as an illustration of the modern tendency toward navel-gazing introspection and gloomy pessimism when facing problems, contrasting this with David's backward look to God's faithfulness

We identify our problem, we identify our plight. But then the example of David is to look backwards. Our common practice today would be to look at our problems and immediately get introspective right? How is this making me feel? There was a character in a popular kids cartoon when I was growing up called Eeyore. His disposition was one of navel gazing, gloomy pessimism. He'd say things like, I was so upset I forgot to be happy. Or if it's a good morning, which I doubt, or could be worse. Not sure how, but it could be. Have you related to Eeyore with your problems?

25 · Vogan applies the second movement of David's psalm, calling the congregation to look backward to identify specific instances of God's faithfulness in their lives, citing a conversation with fellow pastor Todd to emphasize that God's sovereignty means even small things are His work

Another practice today would just be to ignore the problems and try to be happy, which ends up being fake and potentially irresponsible. Instead, David's example is to look to the faithfulness of God in Scripture, but also in his own life. So my question for us today is, where have you seen God keep His promises in your life? Where have you seen God at work in the specifics of your life? One of my friends, Todd, another pastor here, one time I was like, how do you notice the Holy Spirit's work in your life? And he goes, you notice it. Sometimes we think the small things of the Lord are not of the Lord. We look at little things that happen and go, oh, that just happened. Well, how did it happen? Is the Lord not the sustainer of all life? Is he not sovereign over all things? So when the thing. When we look back at things in our life that where the Lord has been faithful, it would be a right response to say, lord, you were faithful in that, even in that little thing. Maybe he was faithful in a really gigantic thing. Maybe in the moment you didn't feel like he was faithful. But as you look back, you go, oh, you totally were faithful. This is what David encourages to do in our own songs. Might I encourage you to make it a regular rhythm in your own life to remember the specifics of God's faithfulness to his people and in your own life.

26 · Vogan applies the third movement by confronting the congregation's natural responses to betrayal—vengeful self-vindication ('John Wick') or resigned despair ('Eeyore')—then pivots to the gospel, showing that David is a type of Christ and that Jesus, facing the ultimate betrayal by Judas and God's own people, modeled forgiveness rather than vengeance

Which brings us to our final application, our hope in salvation. Remember, in the face of betrayal or when we've been wronged, the Christian's hope rests in protection. And salvation is all a work of the Lord. When we've been wronged, our desire is often to be our own vindicators. And an overdeveloped sense of justice can lead us to to misplaced attempts at self vindication. I must make this right. In a moment of betrayal, there's two paths. We can go full John Wick and destroy everyone who killed our puppy who deemed that wronged us. Or we lean to resigned apathy and grief, giving up on hope, giving up on anything that's good. Much like Eeyore, David's way shows us a third way that actually points to our only ultimate hope. This is the gospel. The Bible is the story of Jesus. So we would be remiss if we did not see Jesus here in Psalm 3. In the face of one of the deepest betrayals imaginable, the picture of David can actually be seen as a dim image of our ultimate hope in the life and death of Jesus. In fact, if we look closely at Jesus, we see a picture of true betrayal. Specifically, he was betrayed by Judas, one of his closest followers and confidants. More broadly, Jesus was betrayed by those who he came to serve. God's chosen people were the ones who turned on him and crucified him. And yet among his last words were, what Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.

27 · Vogan connects the gospel to the baptisms happening that day, explaining that baptism declares the miracle of being brought from death to life through Jesus, who endured the ultimate betrayal so believers could have eternal hope in their own seasons of betrayal

In baptisms today, we see people who have surrendered their lives, their whole lives to the Lord. They've acknowledged their betrayal of the Lord through their sin, turned from their sin, confessed that Jesus is Lord, believed in their hearts that God raised him from the dead, and they have been forgiven and saved. Their baptisms today are outward declarations of that inward miracle being brought from death to life. The only way we find true and eternal hope in the face of our own seasons of betrayal, distress or pain is to look to the One who went to the full lengths of betrayal and pain and death for us that we might have life

28 · Vogan establishes the typological fulfillment: just as David slept and woke sustained by God, believers through Christ can face death itself and rise again, both spiritually in salvation and physically in resurrection, because of God's sustaining grace

In Jesus, we see the ultimate picture of salvation that belongs to the Lord Jesus, for the joy set before him endured the cross, that through him we would find hope and salvation for our souls. So just as David physically slept, was sustained by the Lord and woke again, we through Christ too can. We can sleep, we can die, and we can rise again both in our salvation and eternally because of the sustaining grace of the Lord.

29 · Vogan concludes with a direct pastoral charge to believers to trust fully in God's care despite betrayal, then pivots to address unbelievers present, declaring that apart from Christ there is no hope and all human self-help efforts are futile—only Christ can lift our heads and provide salvation

So Church, no matter the betrayal you have faced or will face in your life, if you are a Christian, you can, with full confidence, trust in the care and salvation of the Lord. We're going to pray for this. We're going to ask that we as Christians would be reminded of this. But can I talk? If you're here this morning and you're not a believer, you would not call yourself a Christian. This is the only hope for life and death apart from Christ. There is no hope apart from Christ. We are stuck trying to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. We are stuck navel gazing. We are stuck trying to do things of ourselves. And we will never ever, ever be able to lift our heads on our own. We will be stuck in endless patterns of self vindication and resignation. What is our only hope in life and death? The answer, Church, is Christ alone. Christ alone.

30 · Vogan transitions to prayer by inviting those who are carrying specific burdens of betrayal or broken trust to seek prayer ministry, emphasizing that the prayer team exists to help bear burdens and that walking out without seeking help would be to miss the practical application of the sermon

So as we pray, if the Lord has brought anything specific to mind that you're continuing to carry, rather than trusting it completely to the Lord, we want to pray for you. This prayer team over here by the cross, isn't there just for their benefit? Whether you show up or not, they're going to pray for you. But if the Lord is bringing specific things to mind this morning, don't walk out the doors without letting us help you bear that burden and lay it at the foot of the cross. Find the hope and mercy of Jesus.

31 · Vogan closes with a pastoral prayer asking God to help the congregation trust in His care and salvation despite life's challenges, affirming God's goodness, faithfulness, and enduring mercy

Lord, would you help us this morning? Would you cause us in the face of whatever challenges our life brings, betrayal, a broken trust, whatever that is? Lord, would you help us to trust, cause us to trust in the care and salvation of you, O Lord, you are good, you are faithful for all generations. Your mercy does indeed endure forever. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Where this fits

Recent preaching context

The three sermons immediately preceding this one in the preaching schedule.

May 26, 2024

To Build or Not to Build? That is the Question

All spiritual gifts must be pursued with love and exercised with clarity for the singular purpose of building up the church, not for self-glorification or personal edification in the corporate gathering.

1 Corinthians 14:1-25

Aug 4, 2024

The Good Gift of God's Multigenerational Church

God's church is a multigenerational good gift where every generation has both the duty to pass down gospel truth and the privilege of receiving wisdom from those who have run the race before them.

Psalm 78:1-8

Mar 2, 2025

Rightly Handle the Word of Truth

Christians must work diligently to handle God's Word rightly—cutting it straight without deviation—because our eternal hope in the bodily resurrection of Christ is the foundation for present faithfulness and the antidote to deadly false teaching.

2 Timothy 2:14-19

May 25 · This sermon

A Song for the Betrayed

When you are betrayed, trust in the care and salvation of the Lord.

Psalm 3

Take it further

Discuss · apply · pray

Small groups

6 discussion questions

What specific circumstances of betrayal does David face in Psalm 3, and how does the superscript help us understand the depth of his pain?…

Daily readings

5-day reading plan

This week we trace David's response to betrayal through the cross-references that illumine his trust: from the historical narrative of his flight, through his confession and repentance, to the gospel promise that sustains us when we are betrayed.

Prayer

A Prayer of Trust When Betrayed

Father, we marvel at Your character—You are our shield, our glory, the lifter of our heads (Psalm 3:3). You do not turn away from us in our…

Family table

When Someone We Trust Lets Us Down

David wrote Psalm 3 when his own son betrayed him—one of the deepest hurts imaginable. Instead of falling apart or trying to fix it himself,…

Couples

When Betrayal Breaks Trust

What part of David's response to betrayal—crying out to God, remembering His faithfulness, or trusting in His care—most challenged or encour…

Memorize

Psalm 3:5-6

This verse crystallizes the sermon's central claim: when betrayed, we trust in God's care and salvation rather than in our own vindication or despair. David's sleep in mortal danger demonstrates not denial but genuine faith—the kind of trust in God's sustaining power that every betrayed believer is called to embrace.

Small-group discussion

6 questions for your group this week

What specific circumstances of betrayal does David face in Psalm 3, and how does the superscript help us understand the depth of his pain?

Psalm 3:superscript; 2 Samuel

→ When you read that his own son Absalom led a rebellion against him, what does that tell you about why David's trust in God becomes so central to this psalm?
Walk through verses 1-2 with us: what is David's external situation, and what are people saying about him in that moment?

Psalm 3:1-2
In verses 3-4, David shifts his focus entirely—from the noise of his enemies to the character of God. What does he claim about God in this moment, and how is that claim an act of faith rather than a denial of his real danger?

Psalm 3:3-4

→ What would it look like for you to make a similar shift when facing betrayal—moving from what people are saying about you to what God says about you?
Verse 5 tells us David 'awoke; for the Lord sustained me.' The sermon suggests this wasn't psychological denial but genuine trust. What's the difference between these two responses, and why does that distinction matter for how we interpret David's sleep?

Psalm 3:5

→ Can you think of a time when trusting God gave you genuine peace in a dangerous or painful situation—not because the danger wasn't real, but because you knew God was present?
The sermon claims that David's physical sleep and God's sustaining him is a type of Christian resurrection through Christ. What does it mean that because of Jesus's death and resurrection, we can experience both spiritual dying-and-rising now and eternal resurrection later?

→ How might this understanding of resurrection reshape the way you face small betrayals or losses this week—as opportunities to die to self-vindication and rise in trust?
In verses 7-8, David moves from trust to a declaration of God's deliverance. But notice—he's still in danger when he writes this. What does this tell us about the nature of biblical faith, and how does this challenge the way we sometimes think about 'victory' over our circumstances?

Psalm 3:7-8

→ When you're in the middle of betrayal, what would it look like to declare God's deliverance before you see the external outcome?

Draft · pending review

Daily readings · Monday–Friday

5-day reading plan

Monday 2 Samuel 15:1-14

David's flight from Jerusalem in the face of Absalom's rebellion shows us a man stripped of political power and familial trust—yet his first act is to seek God's counsel, not to marshal forces for self-defense. This historical narrative grounds the psalm's opening cry: betrayal strips away our human props, and in that nakedness, we discover whether we truly trust the Lord to vindicate us or whether we will scramble to save ourselves.

Tuesday Psalm 51:1-10

David's later confession reveals the heart posture that animates Psalm 3: a willingness to bring the full weight of sin, sorrow, and shame before God rather than hiding in false strength. When we compare Psalm 51's anguish with Psalm 3's trust, we see that authentic faith does not deny pain—it pours it out before the God who hears and sustains, the God whose mercy is greater than our breaking.

Wednesday Philippians 4:6-7

Paul's command to bring our anxieties to God in prayer, not to suppress them, echoes David's example: the peace that guards our hearts comes not from pretending danger is absent but from entrusting our very safety to the God who never sleeps. Like David resting while enemies surround him, we can know genuine rest when we release our grip on outcomes and grip instead the faithfulness of our Father.

Thursday Luke 23:34

On the cross, Jesus embodies David's psalm in ultimate form: surrounded by enemies, abandoned by disciples, yet praying for forgiveness rather than vindication. His betrayal was infinite in depth, yet His trust in the Father's sustaining grace was absolute—a trust that moved Him to intercede even for those who pierced Him. In Jesus, we see that betrayal met with trust becomes the very means of our redemption.

Friday Romans 10:9; Hebrews 12:2

Confessing Jesus as Lord and believing His resurrection (Romans 10:9) completes what David's trust in Psalm 3 began: the pattern of dying and rising, of being sustained through mortal danger into new life. As we fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), we discover that every betrayal we endure—even death itself—is met by a God whose sustaining grace raises us to eternal life. Our trust in His salvation is not naive hope but confident grip on the One who has already conquered the grave.

Draft · pending review

Pray together this week

A Prayer of Trust When Betrayed

Father, we marvel at Your character—You are our shield, our glory, the lifter of our heads (Psalm 3:3). You do not turn away from us in our deepest pain, but You invite us to cry out to You with our whole hearts. We confess that when betrayal strikes, especially from those we have loved and trusted, our first instinct is to vindicate ourselves, to grasp for our own restoration, to spiral into despair or self-reliance. We want to be our own shield, to lift our own heads. Forgive us for the pride that makes us hesitate to bring our groaning directly to You, as if our distress were too small or our pain too complicated for Your care.

Yet the gospel tells us that Christ Himself endured the deepest betrayal—rejected and crucified by those He came to save—and through that abandonment He secured our eternal salvation and vindication (Luke 23:34). His resurrection declares that no betrayal, no matter how cutting, can separate us from God's sustaining grace. In the gospel we have a Savior who knows our pain from the inside and has triumphed over it forever (Hebrews 12:2).

Grant us, we pray, the faith of David—the courage to run to You in prayer rather than away into self-pity or self-vindication (Philippians 4:6-7). Teach us to sleep in Your sustaining care, knowing that You watch over us when we cannot watch over ourselves (Psalm 3:5). Give us the grace to trust that You alone can vindicate us, defend us, and preserve us through whatever betrayal we face. We commit ourselves afresh to You—the only sure foundation, the only true shield—and we do so together as Your people, upheld by Your unfailing mercy.

Draft · pending review

Sunday-evening family table

When Someone We Trust Lets Us Down

For the parent

David wrote Psalm 3 when his own son betrayed him—one of the deepest hurts imaginable. Instead of falling apart or trying to fix it himself, David did something surprising: he went to sleep peacefully, trusting God to protect him. Use this prompt to help your family think about what it looks like to trust God when someone hurts us, rather than trying to handle it alone.

David was in terrible danger from his own son, but the psalm says he lay down and slept—and woke up because God sustained him. When you've been hurt by someone you trusted, what's the difference between trying to fix it or prove yourself right on your own, and bringing that hurt to God and asking Him to take care of it?

works for ages 8+

Draft · pending review

Couples · three questions over coffee

When Betrayal Breaks Trust

What part of David's response to betrayal—crying out to God, remembering His faithfulness, or trusting in His care—most challenged or encouraged your heart as you heard it preached?
When have we faced betrayal together, and did we run toward God in prayer or toward self-protection? How might we respond differently next time, as a couple, knowing that only God can vindicate and sustain us?
What specific betrayal or wound is the Spirit inviting you to bring before the Lord this week, and how can I pray for your trust in His care and salvation to deepen?

Draft · pending review

Memory verse this week

Psalm 3:5-6

I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.

Why this verse: This verse crystallizes the sermon's central claim: when betrayed, we trust in God's care and salvation rather than in our own vindication or despair. David's sleep in mortal danger demonstrates not denial but genuine faith—the kind of trust in God's sustaining power that every betrayed believer is called to embrace.

Draft · pending review

Where this was preached

About the church

Cross of Grace Church

About us · What we believe

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# Cross of Grace Church

A church preaching expository sermons through the books of the Bible.

## Sermons
- [To Build or Not to Build? That is the Question (1 Corinthians 14:1-25, 2024-05-26)](/CoGElPaso/sermons/2024/05/to-build-or-not-to-build-that-is-the-question)
- [The Good Gift of God's Multigenerational Church (Psalm 78:1-8, 2024-08-04)](/CoGElPaso/sermons/2024/08/the-good-gift-of-god-s-multigenerational-church)
- [Rightly Handle the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:14-19, 2025-03-02)](/CoGElPaso/sermons/2025/03/rightly-handle-the-word-of-truth)
- [A Song for the Betrayed (Psalm 3, 2025-05-25)](/CoGElPaso/sermons/2025/05/a-song-for-the-betrayed)

## About
- [About the church](/about)
- [Plan a visit](/visit)

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