What is Psalm 34 about?

• Example: Snickers—you’re not yourself when you’re hungry. Psalm 34—you’re not yourself when you’re fearful, but God is himself despite your fears.

Superscription: Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

• Note: Achish was the king’s name, Abimelech was his title (Pharaoh vs. Amenhotep).
• What is the story here? Retell 1 Samuel 16-22.
• Upon reflection, David learned that, despite his foolishness and compromise, God was his deliverer.
  • Cunning vs. Providence: In retrospect, David realized God opened the door and saved him.
  • Implied Guilt: David teaches about the fear of the LORD in this psalm—something he lacked during that season of his life.
    • David may have even alluded to his guilt when he exhorted his followers to keep their tongues from evil and their lips from deceit (13). He may have felt his actions before Achish had been such a sin.
    • I imagine David sitting down with his growing band in the Cave of Adullam, calling them to gather round, so that he can share this piece with them. He’d reflected on what had happened when he feigned madness before Achish, and the protection God gave him. He was floored that, despite his folly, there, at the bottom of the pit, God had been faithful. Now it was time for him to pen an acrostic prayer—a disciplined and focused song of praise and teaching. He wanted others to know this God who delivered him despite his foolishness.

1. The Testimony: Turn to the LORD (1-10)

I found out it’s always a good time to praise the Lord (1-3).

1 I will bless the LORD at all times;

his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD;

let the humble hear and be glad.

3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me,

and let us exalt his name together!

• Note the ways David described praising the LORD:
  • Bless the LORD, praise (1)
  • Boast in the LORD, gladness (2)
  • Magnify the LORD, exalt (3)
• Note the instruments used in praising the LORD:
  • My mouth (1)
  • My soul, the humble (2)
  • Me, us together (3)
• At all times (1): At every time. Even in that cave, after a colossal embarrassment, David renewed his commitment to praise the LORD.
  • Praise belongs at all times, in every situation, and under every circumstance.
    • Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
    • David had fallen out of praise, and it harmed his soul.
  • Will you embrace relentless doxology?
    • “When you pray, you are yet in the environment; but when you praise, you have risen above the environment.” (Watchman Nee, Assembling Together)
    • Praise is a significant reason why the Psalms are good for us to study.

• • The Psalms are a human journey of praise to God.
    • First line vs. Last line:
      • Ps. 150:6—Let everything that breathes praise the LORD. Hallelujah!

• Ps 2:1—Why do the nations rage and the people plot in vain?

When I sought the LORD, he worked in my life (4-7).

4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me

and delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant,

and their faces shall never be ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him

and saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the LORD encamps

around those who fear him, and delivers them.

• Note the ways David described seeking the LORD:
  • I sought the LORD (4).
  • Looking to him (5).
  • This poor man cried (6).
  • Fear (7).
• Note the results of seeking the LORD:
  • God answered him and delivered him from all his fears, such as fear of Saul or Achish (4).
  • Radiance, lack of shame (5).
    • Radiant: Isaiah used this word to describe the face of a mother after her long lost sons and daughters were returned to her (Is. 60:4-5).
  • The LORD heard and saved (6).
  • The angel of the LORD encamps, and delivers (7).
    • Who is the angel of the LORD?
      • Though the identity of the angel of the LORD is debated, some see him as theophany of the preincarnate Christ. Whether he is a mere angel or the second person of the Trinity, he is there as God’s representative and leader of God’s armies.
    • David was between a rock (Saul) and a hard place (Achish), but the LORD was present with him.
    • The LORD encamps with us.
      • Example: mobile home in the driveway.
• I sought the LORD (4): David could not attribute his current delivered state to his own cunning—despite his folly, God took his weak pleading and answered his man.
  • Achish and the Philistines could not save.
    • Those who fear him (7): David pivoted and turned to God.
  • Our passage last week: replace fear with a greater fear.
    • Example: Poison oak vs. Mountain lion

I hope you taste and see the LORD with me (8-10).

8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!

Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

9 Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints,

for those who fear him have no lack!

10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;

but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

• Note the ways David described tasting and seeing the LORD’s goodness:
  • Take refuge in him (8).
  • Fear him, the LORD (9).
  • Seek the LORD (10).
• Note the results of tasting and seeing the LORD’s goodness:
  • Blessed is the man (8).
  • No lack (9).
  • Lack no good thing (10).
    • David was not saying this from oblivious naiveté and comfort. He said this as a brand-new commander—with an army but without armament, a group on the run.
    • Though apex predators such as young lions would starve, David and his men would be cared for by the LORD (10).
• Taste and see: An oft-quoted phrase.
  • Experiential, not abstract.
    • Example: My In-N-Out secret menu—memorization vs. experience.
    • A Prayer: “O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, that so I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, “Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.” Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.” (A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God)

2. The Teaching: Fear the LORD (11-22)

• Teaching: the second half of the psalm is David’s teaching—like a father to his children, David instructs his men.
  • His vocabulary shifts into wisdom literature.

Hear me define the fear of the LORD. (11-14)

11 Come, O children, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

12 What man is there who desires life

and loves many days, that he may see good?

13 Keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from speaking deceit.

14 Turn away from evil and do good;

seek peace and pursue it.

• How did David view the fear of the LORD?
  • As something taught by experienced believers (11).
  • As evidenced in control of the tongue, keeping it from evil and deceit (13).
    • David had let his tongue go in Gath—now he holds back.
  • Also evidenced in turning away from evil (14).
  • But also doing good, especially the good of peacemaking (14).
    • Addressed to his warriors: An interesting point to make in that context.
• A taxonomy of fear.
  • Fear of people—fearing others, allowing them to control us.
    • Example: Teens: peer pressure; Adults: people-pleasing; Psychology: co-dependency
  • Fear of pain—fearing sin only because it will cause pain.
  • Fear of judgment—fearing sin only because of God’s judgment.
  • Fear in love—fearing sin because we dread to grieve the God we love.
• What did David think the fear of the LORD could produce?
  • Hint: Life and many good days (12).
  • Read on…

Here’s what the LORD will do for those who fear him. (15-18)

15 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous

and his ears toward their cry.

16 The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,

to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

17 When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears

and delivers them out of all their troubles.

18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted

and saves the crushed in spirit.

• What did David think the LORD would do for those who fear him?
  • Example: Our electromagnetic descaler—Cool Wave Water Softener: 21st Century Technology—doing nothing for us.
  • He would tune his eyes and ears into their lives (15).
  • He would defend them by turning his face against their enemies (16).
  • He would hear and deliver them when they cry (17).
  • He is near to the brokenhearted and crushed in spirit (18).
    • Near: next-of-kin, family relationship—the family redeemer.
      • Gospel
      • Brokenness does not disqualify.

The best way to pass through affliction is with the fear of the LORD. (19-22)

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

20 He keeps all his bones;

not one of them is broken.

21 Affliction will slay the wicked,

and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

22 The LORD redeems the life of his servants;

none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned. (Psalm 34, ESV)

• David concludes with a verse of uber-confidence in the LORD.
  • The LORD delivers (19)! He can handle all our afflictions.
  • The LORD redeems (22)! He doesn’t condemn anyone who takes refuge in him.
• Everyone—righteous and wicked—endure affliction (19, 21).
  • The LORD has brokenhearted, crushed in spirit, fearful, and poor whom he loves (4, 6, 18)—this is a significant point of the Psalms.
    • The Bible does not give us the misconception that living right leads to freedom from difficulty. None of its righteous characters did, and the main character in it, the One we emulate today, is Lead Sufferer.
  • But—because of Jesus—we keep all our bones (20).
    • But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs…For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” (John 19:33–36, ESV)
    • He is our Passover Lamb (Ex. 12:46—you shall not break any of its bones)—because of his death, we live.

Conclusion

• Acrostic: The final verse is where the acrostic pattern is actually broken, which is a neon sign pointing us to the truth David wants to emphasize.. 
  • The psalm runs A-to-Z on the fear of the LORD, then deliberately adds one line past the end—because the LORD’s redeeming work isn’t just part of an itemized list of things he does.
  • Redemption overflows the list and is what the fear of the LORD unleashes the LORD to do. He redeems!
  • Gospel: more than forgiveness—redemption!
• Communion: a chance to taste and see the LORD’s goodness.