230115 Psalm 34: The Invitation

Many Are Called, But Few Are Chosen

Introduction

Synoptic Gospels - account of invitation to the wedding feast

Matthew 22 | 1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. 3 “And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been called to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. 4 “Again he sent out other slaves saying, ‘Tell those who have been called, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.”’ 5 “But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, 6 and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. 7 “But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. 8 “Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were called were not worthy. 9 ‘Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, call to the wedding feast.’ 10 “And those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. 11 “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, 12 and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. 13 “Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Acts - Response in Praise

PSALM 34

Of David. When he feigned madness before Abimelech, so that he drove him away and he departed.

I. The Blessings of the One Who Knows (v1-3) Join With Me

Aleph 1 I will bless Yahweh at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Beth 2 My soul will make its boast in Yahweh; The humble will hear it and rejoice.

Gimel 3 O magnify Yahweh with me, And let us exalt His name together.

Cross Reference Support v1

1 Sa 21.13-15 “So he disguised his sanity in their sight and acted insanely in their hands and scribbled on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down into his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man behaving as a madman. Why do you bring him to me? “Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this one to act the madman before me? Shall this one come into my house?””

Cross Reference Support v2

Je 9.24 “but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am Yahweh who shows lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares Yahweh.”

1 Co 1.31 “so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.””

Cross Reference Support v3

Ps 69.30 “I will praise the name of God with song And magnify Him with thanksgiving.”

Lk 1.46 “And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,”

II. The Prayer of the One Who Was Heard (v4-7) Praise Yahweh Who Hears | Because He Hears and Saves

Daleth 4 I inquired of Yahweh, and He answered me, And delivered me from all that I dread.

He/ Vav 5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be humiliated.

Zayin 6 This poor man called out, and Yahweh heard him And saved him out of all his troubles.

Heth 7 The angel of Yahweh encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.

Cross Reference Support v4

Ps 34.17 “The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears And delivers them out of all their troubles.”

Ps 34.6 “This poor man called out, and Yahweh heard him And saved him out of all his troubles.”

Ps 34.19 “Many are the evils against the righteous, But Yahweh delivers him out of them all.”

Mt 7.7 ““Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

Cross Reference Support v5

Is 60.5 ““Then you will see and be radiant, And your heart will tremble and be large with joy; Because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you, The wealth of the nations will come to you.”

Ex 34.29 “Now it happened when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses’ hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him.”

Cross Reference Support v6

Ps 34.4 “I inquired of Yahweh, and He answered me, And delivered me from all that I dread.”

Ps 34.17 “The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears And delivers them out of all their troubles.”

2 Sa 22.1 “And David spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.”

Ps 34.19 “Many are the evils against the righteous, But Yahweh delivers him out of them all.”

Cross Reference Support v7

Ps 91.11 “For He will command His angels concerning you, To guard you in all your ways.”

Da 6.22 ““My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have done no harm.””

He 1.14 “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?”

Ge 32.1-2 “Now Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. Then Jacob said when he saw them, “This is God’s camp.” So he named that place Mahanaim.”

Theology Ps 34.7 Angles minister to believers - this includes protecting believers from harm. In ther early church it was an angel that delivered the apostle and later peter from prison. The psalmists experienced the angels care. Their major ministry is to spiritual needs however. Angels take a great interest in the spiritual welfare of believers, rejoincing at their conversion and serving them in their needs. Angels are spetators of our lives and are present within the church. At the death of believers, they convery them to the place of blessedness

III. Come (v8-10) The Invitation of the Holy Ones | Join With Me! | Experience Yahweh’s Salvation | Come Experience Yahweh

Teth 8 O taste and see that Yahweh is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

Yodh 9 Oh, fear Yahweh, you His saints;For there is no want to those who fear Him.

Kaph 10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who inquire of Yahweh shall not be in want of any good thing.

Cross Reference Support v8

1 Pt 2.3 “if you have TASTED THE KINDNESS OF THE LORD.”

He 6.5 “and having tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,”

Ps 119.103 “How sweet is Your word to my taste! Sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

Cross Reference Support v9

Dt 6.13 ““Yahweh your God you shall fear; and Him you shall serve; and by His name you shall swear.”

Re 14.7 “And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.””

Cross Reference Support v10

Ps 84.11 “For Yahweh God is a sun and shield; Yahweh gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk blamelessly.”

IV. Come (v11-14) The Invitation of the Holy Ones | Join With Me! | The Evidence of the Accepted Invitation

Lamedh 11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of Yahweh.

Mem 12 Who is the man who delights in life And loves many days that he may see good?

Nun 13 Guard your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit.

Samekh 14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.

Application: The Proof of the Accepted Invitation - Gladdest

Guard your heart and tongue (v13)

Pr 13.3 “The one who guards his mouth keeps his soul; The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.”

Listen to God’s Word (v11)

Pr 8.32-33 ““So now, O sons, listen to me, For blessed are they who keep my ways. “Hear discipline and be wise, And do not neglect it.”

Accept His Teaching (v11)

Pr 1.23 ““Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.”

Depart from evil (v14)

Ps 37.27 “Depart from evil and do good, So you will dwell forever.”

Do good (v14)

Ps 37.27 “Depart from evil and do good, So you will dwell forever.”

Encourage others to join (v12)

Rom 14.19 “So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”

Seek peace diligently (v14)

He 12.14 “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord,”

Teach others what you have learned (v11)

Dt 31.12 ““Assemble the people, the men and the women and little ones and the sojourner who is within your gates, so that they may hear and so that they may learn and fear Yahweh your God and be careful to do all the words of this law.”

Come to Yahweh

Accept His Teaching

Listen to His Word

Guards his heart and tongue

Departs from evil

Does Good

Seeks peace diligently

Cross Reference Support v11

Dt 31.12 ““Assemble the people, the men and the women and little ones and the sojourner who is within your gates, so that they may hear and so that they may learn and fear Yahweh your God and be careful to do all the words of this law.”

Cross Reference Support v12

1 Pt 3.10-12 “For, “THE ONE WHO DESIRES LIFE, TO LOVE AND SEE GOOD DAYS, MUST KEEP HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL AND HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING DECEIT. “HE MUST TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; HE MUST SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT. “FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE TOWARD THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR PRAYER, BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL.””

Cross Reference Support v13

Ps141.3 “Set a guard, O Yahweh, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.”

Jm 1.26 “If anyone thinks himself to be religious while not bridling his tongue but deceiving his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.”

Pr 13.3 “The one who guards his mouth keeps his soul; The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.”

1 Pt 2.22 “WHO DID NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH;”

Cross Reference Support v14

Ps 37.27 “Depart from evil and do good, So you will dwell forever.”

Is 1.16-17 ““Wash yourselves, purify yourselves; Remove the evil of your deeds from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Execute justice for the orphan, Plead for the widow.”

Ro 14.19 “So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”

Heb 12.14 “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord,”

V. Presence(v15-18) The Deliverance of the One Who Cried Out | He Sees, Hears and Saves

Ayin 15 The eyes of Yahweh are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry for help.

Pe 16 The face of Yahweh is against evildoers, To cut off the memory of them from the earth.

Tsadhe 17 The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears And delivers them out of all their troubles.

Qoph 18 Yahweh is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Cross Reference Support v15

Ps 33.18 “Behold, the eye of Yahweh is on those who fear Him, On those who wait for His lovingkindness,”

Cross Reference Support v16

Am 9.4 ““And though they go into captivity before their enemies, From there I will command the sword that it kill them, And I will set My eyes against them for evil and not for good.””

Je 44.11 ““Therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am going to set My face against you for your evil demise, even to cut off all Judah.”

Cross Reference Support v17

Ps 34.6, Ps 34.15

Ps 34.19 “Many are the evils against the righteous, But Yahweh delivers him out of them all.”

Ps 145.19 “He will work out the desire of those who fear Him; He will hear their cry for help and He will save them.”

Cross Reference Support v18

Ps 51.17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”

Is 61.1 “The Spirit of Lord Yahweh is upon me Because Yahweh has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim release to captives And freedom to prisoners,”

Ps 145.18 “Yahweh is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.”

Is 57.15 “For thus says the One high and lifted up Who dwells forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the crushed and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the crushed.”

VI. Refuge (v19-22) Redemption of the One Who Trusted in Yahweh | He Delivers from Many Evils

Resh 19 Many are the evils against the righteous, But Yahweh delivers him out of them all.

Shin 20 He keeps all his bones, Not one of them is broken.

Tav 21 Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous will be condemned. 22 Yahweh redeems the soul of His slaves, And all those who take refuge in Him will not be condemned.

Cross Reference Support v19

2 Tim 3.11-12 “persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra. What persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

Ps 34.6, Ps 34.17,

Cross Reference Support v20

Jn 19.33 “but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.”

Jn 19.36 “For these things came to pass in order that the Scripture would be fulfilled, “NOT A BONE OF HIM SHALL BE BROKEN.””

Cross Reference Support v21

Pr 24.16 “For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked will stumble in calamity.”

Cross Reference Support v22

Ro 8.33-34 “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”

La 3.58 “O Lord, You have pleaded my soul’s cause; You have redeemed my life.”

Conclusion

Luke 8:26–40 | 26 Then they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 And when He came out onto the land, a man from the city met Him, one who was possessed with demons and had not put on any garment for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs. 28 Now seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What do I have to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.” 29 For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times, and he was bound with chains and shackles, being kept under guard. And yet breaking his bonds, he was driven by the demon into the desolate regions. 30 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. 31 And they were pleading with Him not to command them to go away into the abyss. 32 Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain, and the demons pleaded with Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission. 33 And when the demons came out of the man, they entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. 34 And when the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and reported it in the city and in the countryside. 35 And the people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 36 And those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been saved. 37 And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes and the surrounding district asked Him to leave them, for they were gripped with great fear. And He got into a boat and returned. 38 But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Him that he might accompany Him. But He sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your house and recount what great things God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. 40 And as Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed Him, for they had all been waiting for Him.

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