Psalm 34: Knowing God is Worth the Effort

Main Point: A vigorous pursuit of God guarantees blessing

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!

Three aspects of a call to worship:

1) A will to praise God

2) A boast about God

3) An invitation for others to participate

What the Lord did when David sought Him (vs. 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.

The decision and call to worship (vs. 1-3):

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.

What does turning to God look like?

1) We Seek Him: דָּרַשׁ (dā·rǎš): v. ≡

a. 1. (qal) seek, inquire, consult, find out, i.e., learn information not previously known; (qal pass.) be sought after; (nif) let search, allow inquiry;

b. 2. (qal) account for, require, i.e., give a responsible presentation of an action or wrong done, reporting to a superior;

c. 3. (qal) look for, seek, i.e., try to find out information about a person or event;

d. 4. (qal) care for, care about, formally, seek after, i.e., take actions which nourish and keep safe, with an implication that one cherishes or desires the object;

e. 5. (qal) have a relationship, formally, seek, i.e., join in a relationship as an extension of seeking the presence of a person so as to relate to them in some way;

f. 6. (qal) petition, ask, formally, seek, i.e., make a request;

g. 7. (qal pass.) ponder, formally, be sought, i.e., to think and process information, with a focus to think seriously and long about its meaning or ramifications.[1]

When we seek God, we ask the Lord, in transparency and vulnerability, for a deeply intimate a relationship that absolutely sustains the entirety of our being.

2) We Look to Him: 5564 נָבַט (nā·ḇǎṭ): v.; ≡ Str 5027; TWOT 1282—

The decision and call to worship ():

a. 1. (piel) look at, observe, gaze, i.e., use the perception of sight to see or detect objects, implying interpretation and understanding of what is observed; (hif) look at, gaze at, consider;

b. 2. (hif) have regard, formally, see, i.e., think about an object, implying an appropriate, caring response.[2]

When we look to God, we purposely and intensely work to understand and ponder the Lord’s attributes, works, and self-revelation—we work to know Him!!!

3) We Cry to Him: קָרָא (qā·rā): v.; ≡

a. 1. (qal) call, summon, i.e., call person(sing.) to come into one’s presence or give a task; (nif) summoned, called; (pual) summoned, called;

b. 2. (qal) call, i.e., designate by a name or title and so give something a name, either a proper name or a representative title; (nif) called, designated, known as, reckoned by; (pual) be called;

c. 3. (qal) proclaim, announce, i.e., make a public calling out of information or an event;

d. 4. (qal) invite, i.e., give an offer to hospitality; (qal pass.) be invited as a guest, receive an offer of hospitality;

e. 5. (qal) read aloud, i.e., to speak aloud something, reciting what has been written down; (nif) be read aloud;

f. 6. (qal pass.) be appointed, i.e., be chosen for a task, implying authority or high status;

g. 7. (nif) mentioned, i.e., pertaining to what is remembered and spoken.[3]

When we cry to God, we vocally and specifically ask the Lord to fellowship with us.

4) We Fear Him: יָרֵא (yā·rē): adj.≡

a. 1. reverence, fear, i.e., pertaining to respect toward a superior;

b. 2. worship, i.e., pertaining to profound reverence to a superior, which may include ritual observance;

his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

c. 3. fear, afraid, i.e., pertaining to a being in a state of alarm.[4]

When we fear the Lord, we reverently approach Him in sobriety and humility in full awareness that He is exceedingly superior to us and completely sovereign over us.

So, let’s summarize what it means to draw near to the Lord in worship:

1) There is a desire for God’s presence and provision

2) There is an active and aggressive reorientation of our life to know God

3) There is an actual request to know God made to God

4) There is a respectful and reverent approach to God

Does God reward this? Does God reward us when we seek Him?

God absolutely rewards those who desire to honor Him and

1) God answered David (vs. 4)

2) God delivered David from ALL his fears (vs. 4)

3) God gave vitality to David for seeking Him (vs. 5)

4) God exalted David for humbly seeking Him (vs. 5)

5) God rescued David from trouble (vs. 6)

6) God dwelt with and protected David (vs. 7)

2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;

Psalm 34:1–3 ESV

I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!

An Invitation to Fellowship with God (vs. 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.

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.

let the humble hear and be glad.

The Invitation:

1) Come and experience the Lord (vs. 8)

2) Come and hide in the Lord (vs. 8)

3) Come and honor the Lord (vs. 9)

4) Come and find the Lord blesses us (vs. 10)

The Desired Response:

1) Listen to those who walk with God and learn their ways (vs. 11)

2) Avoid speaking lies and about that which is evil (vs. 13)

3) Turn from sin and towards that which is righteous (vs. 14)

A Reminder of the Nature and Work of the Lord (vs. 15-22):

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

3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,

and delivers them out of all their troubles.

18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted

and saves the crushed in spirit.

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. [5]

The Character of God:

1) God is concerned about and interacts with the righteous (vs. 15)

2) God is against the unrighteous (vs. 16)

3) God delivers and comes to the aid of His children (vs. 17)

and let us exalt his name together!

4) God comforts His children (vs. 18)

5) God is faithful in our numerous times of struggle (vs. 19)

6) God is always present with His children (vs. 20)

7) God condemns those who reject Him and His children (vs. 21)

8) God reclaims those who desire Him (vs. 22)

[1] James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

[2] James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

[3] James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

[4] James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .:1-3 ):

Three aspects of a call to worship:

1) A will to praise God

2) A boast about God

3) An invitation for others to participate

What the Lord did when David sought Him ():

Psalm 34:4–7 ESV

I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

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.

What does turning to God look like?

1) We Seek Him: דָּרַשׁ (dā·rǎš): v. ≡

a. 1. (qal) seek, inquire, consult, find out, i.e., learn information not previously known; (qal pass.) be sought after; (nif) let search, allow inquiry;

b. 2. (qal) account for, require, i.e., give a responsible presentation of an action or wrong done, reporting to a superior;

c. 3. (qal) look for, seek, i.e., try to find out information about a person or event;

d. 4. (qal) care for, care about, formally, seek after, i.e., take actions which nourish and keep safe, with an implication that one cherishes or desires the object;

e. 5. (qal) have a relationship, formally, seek, i.e., join in a relationship as an extension of seeking the presence of a person so as to relate to them in some way;

f. 6. (qal) petition, ask, formally, seek, i.e., make a request;

g. 7. (qal pass.) ponder, formally, be sought, i.e., to think and process information, with a focus to think seriously and long about its meaning or ramifications.[1]

When we seek God, we ask the Lord, in transparency and vulnerability, for a deeply intimate a relationship that absolutely sustains the entirety of our being.

2) We Look to Him: 5564 נָבַט (nā·ḇǎṭ): v.; ≡ Str 5027; TWOT 1282—

a. 1. (piel) look at, observe, gaze, i.e., use the perception of sight to see or detect objects, implying interpretation and understanding of what is observed; (hif) look at, gaze at, consider;

b. 2. (hif) have regard, formally, see, i.e., think about an object, implying an appropriate, caring response.[2]

When we look to God, we purposely and intensely work to understand and ponder the Lord’s attributes, works, and self-revelation—we work to know Him!!!

3) We Cry to Him: קָרָא (qā·rā): v.; ≡

a. 1. (qal) call, summon, i.e., call person(sing.) to come into one’s presence or give a task; (nif) summoned, called; (pual) summoned, called;

b. 2. (qal) call, i.e., designate by a name or title and so give something a name, either a proper name or a representative title; (nif) called, designated, known as, reckoned by; (pual) be called;

c. 3. (qal) proclaim, announce, i.e., make a public calling out of information or an event;

d. 4. (qal) invite, i.e., give an offer to hospitality; (qal pass.) be invited as a guest, receive an offer of hospitality;

e. 5. (qal) read aloud, i.e., to speak aloud something, reciting what has been written down; (nif) be read aloud;

f. 6. (qal pass.) be appointed, i.e., be chosen for a task, implying authority or high status;

g. 7. (nif) mentioned, i.e., pertaining to what is remembered and spoken.[3]

When we cry to God, we vocally and specifically ask the Lord to fellowship with us.

4) We Fear Him: יָרֵא (yā·rē): adj.≡

a. 1. reverence, fear, i.e., pertaining to respect toward a superior;

b. 2. worship, i.e., pertaining to profound reverence to a superior, which may include ritual observance;

c. 3. fear, afraid, i.e., pertaining to a being in a state of alarm.[4]

When we fear the Lord, we reverently approach Him in sobriety and humility in full awareness that He is exceedingly superior to us and completely sovereign over us.

So, let’s summarize what it means to draw near to the Lord in worship:

1) There is a desire for God’s presence and provision

2) There is an active and aggressive reorientation of our life to know God

3) There is an actual request to know God made to God

4) There is a respectful and reverent approach to God

Q: Does God reward this? Does God reward us when we seek Him?

God absolutely rewards those who desire to honor Him and

1) God answered David (vs. 4)

2) God delivered David from ALL his fears (vs. 4)

3) God gave vitality to David for seeking Him (vs. 5)

4) God exalted David for humbly seeking Him (vs. 5)

5) God rescued David from trouble (vs. 6)

6) God dwelt with and protected David (vs. 7)

An Invitation to Fellowship with God () :

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.

11 Come, O children, listen to me;

Psalm 34:8–14 ESV

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

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.

The Invitation:

1) Come and experience the Lord (vs. 8)

2) Come and hide in the Lord (vs. 8)

3) Come and honor the Lord (vs. 9)

4) Come and find the Lord blesses us (vs. 10)

The Desired Response:

1) Listen to those who walk with God and learn their ways (vs. 11)

2) Avoid speaking lies and about that which is evil (vs. 13)

3) Turn from sin and towards that which is righteous (vs. 14)

A Reminder of the Nature and Work of the Lord ( ):

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.

Psalm 34:15–22 ESV

The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Psalm 15–22 ESV

A Psalm of David. O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. A Miktam of David. Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips. The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. A Prayer of David. Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit! From your presence let my vindication come! Let your eyes behold the right! You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night, you have tested me, and you will find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped. I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words. Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, from the wicked who do me violence, my deadly enemies who surround me. They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly. They have now surrounded our steps; they set their eyes to cast us to the ground. He is like a lion eager to tear, as a young lion lurking in ambush. Arise, O Lord! Confront him, subdue him! Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword, from men by your hand, O Lord, from men of the world whose portion is in this life. You fill their womb with treasure; they are satisfied with children, and they leave their abundance to their infants. As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness. To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who addressed the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said: I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry. Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water. Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds. The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them. Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils. He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me. The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his rules were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me. I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my guilt. So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight. With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; with the purified you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous. For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down. For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness. For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?— the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great. You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip. I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed. I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet. For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me. You made my enemies turn their backs to me, and those who hated me I destroyed. They cried for help, but there was none to save; they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them. I beat them fine as dust before the wind; I cast them out like the mire of the streets. You delivered me from strife with the people; you made me the head of the nations; people whom I had not known served me. As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me; foreigners came cringing to me. Foreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their fortresses. The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation— the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me, who rescued me from my enemies; yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me; you delivered me from the man of violence. For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations, and sing to your name. Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever. To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat. The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans! May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions! Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. O Lord, save the king! May he answer us when we call. To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults! You have given him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah For you meet him with rich blessings; you set a crown of fine gold upon his head. He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever. His glory is great through your salvation; splendor and majesty you bestow on him. For you make him most blessed forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved. Your hand will find out all your enemies; your right hand will find out those who hate you. You will make them as a blazing oven when you appear. The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath, and fire will consume them. You will destroy their descendants from the earth, and their offspring from among the children of man. Though they plan evil against you, though they devise mischief, they will not succeed. For you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bows. Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power. To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help. Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet— I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog! Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen! I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him. From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.

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. [5]

The Character of God:

1) God is concerned about and interacts with the righteous (vs. 15)

2) God is against the unrighteous (vs. 16)

3) God delivers and comes to the aid of His children (vs. 17)

4) God comforts His children (vs. 18)

5) God is faithful in our numerous times of struggle (vs. 19)

6) God is always present with His children (vs. 20)

7) God condemns those who reject Him and His children (vs. 21)

8) God reclaims those who desire Him (vs. 22)

What do we see from this Psalm?

There is nothing wrong with having a firm resolve and commitment to praising God

God actively interacts with those who seek Him

God actively blesses those who seek Him.

We should encourage and instruct others to seek the Lord—because it is worth it.

[1] James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

[2] James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

[3] James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

[4] James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .