Psalm 34: Taste & See, Then Go & Show

We know that God is always working in every situation at every moment, and more often than not, we have no idea what is going on in God’s mind and why He chooses to do the things He does… but don’t you just love how sometimes you stumble upon something that is so obviously a “God thing” that you can’t help but marvel at His power and sovereignty over us?

First David lifted up his heart in gratitude to God, then he gathered his outlaws around him and told them on what principles henceforth he was going to govern his camp. Part one of this psalm is a song, part two is a sermon. The first part is devotional, the second is doctrinal. Part one shows us the grace of God, part two the government of God.

We know that God is always working in every situation at every moment, and more often than not, we have no idea what is going on in God’s mind and why He chooses to do the things He does… but don’t you just love how sometimes you stumble upon something that is so obviously a “God thing” that you can’t help but marvel at His power and sovereignty over us?

We are going to see something like that in this psalm tonight, but also in leading up tonight’s service, God was doing some pretty cool stuff behind the scenes. When Pastor Marc asked me a few months ago which psalm I’d like to preach from, I pretty quickly fell in love with and couldn’t get my mind off of it… it was. I had no idea then what Pastor Marc would preach the morning of August 4th, but I believe it ties in quite well with this psalm of David – the 34th Psalm.

As you turn there, let me explain… We know from Pastor’s message in this morning that true God-given freedom is found in position as God’s child and not our ability to somehow work our way into His favor. What a glorious truth! I don’t know about you, but that’s still something I struggle with… And realizing God’s grace in this area is what prompted David to write this psalm… more on that in a minute.

But then, Pastor’s point that we should examine our hearts to see if the Savior is ruling our lives or we are. Who sits on the throne? Well, we know that David has a pretty good reputation in Scripture as being a man after God’s own heart. A man that submitted to God’s will above his own and delighted in His law. But we also know from Paul in the NT that this is not a one-time fix. De-throning yourself and elevating God to His rightful place on the throne of your heart is a daily choosing that must take place. Tonight, we are going to briefly see what happens when “you do you” – when you let self-rule overtake “Savior, rule” me type thinking…

Let’s read the 22 brief verses of together…

1. David’s Song – An invitation to join him in praise. (34:1–10)

We are going to see something like that in this psalm tonight, but also in leading up tonight’s service, God was doing some pretty cool stuff behind the scenes. When Pastor Marc asked me a few months ago which psalm I’d like to preach from, I pretty quickly fell in love with Psalm 34 and couldn’t get my mind off of it… Psalm 34 it was. I had no idea then what Pastor Marc would preach the morning of August 4th, but I believe it ties in quite well with this psalm of David – the 34th Psalm.

READ

Have you ever made a bad decision out of fear or selfishness and found the walls of consequence begin to crush you alive? Then, in a greater fear than you had with the first bad choice, have you tried to plot and scheme your way out of the ever-worsening situation, because – after all – you know what’s best for you. “In a world where everyone is looking out for their best interests, if anyone is going to come my rescue, it’s gotta be me”, you’ve thought to yourself. With every lie… with every trick… what grew? Not peace… more fear.

Perhaps you realize how wretched you are but know that God wouldn’t answer your prayer now… “Why should he deliver me after all I’ve done to hurt Him?” After all, don’t you deserve to lie in the bed you’ve made for yourself. Broken. Humbled. That was David.

In , out of fear for his life he does something that he would have never done in a sound, peaceful mind. He ran from one enemy (Saul) to another (the Philistines). Although already anointed to be Israel’s next king, David doubts the Word of the Lord and flees for his life. He’s convinced that if he doesn’t take matters into his own hands that Saul WILL kill him. So he runs… but to where? Gath. Sound familiar?

Not long before this, David held the severed head of a giant from this city-state in one hand and the Gittite’s sword in the other.

Have you ever made a bad decision out of fear or selfishness and found the walls of consequence begin to crush you alive? Then, in a greater fear than you had with the first bad choice, have you tried to plot and scheme your way out of the ever-worsening situation, because – after all – you know what’s best for you. “In a world where everyone is looking out for their best interests, if anyone is going to come my rescue, it’s gotta be me”, you’ve thought to yourself. With every lie… with every trick… what grew? Not peace… more fear.

As you turn there, let me explain… We know from Pastor’s message in John 8 this morning that true God-given freedom is found in position as God’s child and not our ability to somehow work our way into His favor. What a glorious truth! I don’t know about you, but that’s still something I struggle with… And realizing God’s grace in this area is what prompted David to write this psalm… more on that in a minute.

1. Let's resolve together to praise God no matter what. (34:1–3)

The people began to sing that Saul slew his thousands but David his tens of thousands.

God’s decree was that David WOULD be the next king of Israel – no one, no lion, no bear, no giant, and no jealous and vengeful king – could thwart the promise of a holy God.

We too, like David, have been called out of darkness by the loving, strong voice of an Almighty God unto victory over sin, death, hell, and the grave… we too, like David, have been seen by the Lord in a lonely wilderness, and yes while we have many moments of sweet communion with God, we often face lions and bears… such is life for an already and not-yet heir. But Christ has made us heirs together with Him… we won’t face Satan’s barrage of attacks forever. No, someday soon we will rule with Him. We will judge angels and rule in peace with the Prince of Peace. Such is the Word of the Lord.

Do you believe it? Of course, it’s true. But in this sense, we’re like David aren’t we? David had all the hope of God’s true Word and yet, he runs…straight to the loving, warm embrace of… the enemy?

Not only that, but when David waltzes into town (holding Goliath’s sword, by the way), the people notice David… they notice the sword in his hand… they tell King Achish. And this is where you notice the title of :

But then, Pastor’s point that we should examine our hearts to see if the Savior is ruling our lives or we are. Who sits on the throne? Well, we know that David has a pretty good reputation in Scripture as being a man after God’s own heart. A man that submitted to God’s will above his own and delighted in His law. But we also know from Paul in the NT that this is not a one-time fix. De-throning yourself and elevating God to His rightful place on the throne of your heart is a daily choosing that must take place. Tonight, we are going to briefly see what happens when “you do you” – when you let self-rule overtake “Savior, rule” me type thinking…

2. Let's remember what God did for us and share it with others. (34:4–6)

Have you ever made a bad decision out of fear or selfishness and found the walls of consequence begin to crush you alive? Then, in a greater fear than you had with the first bad choice, have you tried to plot and scheme your way out of the ever-worsening situation, because – after all – you know what’s best for you. “In a world where everyone is looking out for their best interests, if anyone is going to come my rescue, it’s gotta be me”, you’ve thought to yourself. With every lie… with every trick… what grew? Not peace… more fear.

A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.

David became more afraid, began feigning insanity, and was eventually sent out from Achish’s presence. Saved. Rescued.

So let me just ask you… yes or no: Was David right with God at this point? NO. Not one of his finer moments.

In his fear, he sinned. He doubted God and acted on that doubt, ultimately resigning to deception because he felt it better to take matters into his own hands.

But look at what David says in verse 6 – This poor man cried and the Lord heard him, and saved him...

Let’s read the 22 brief verses of Psalm 34 together…

1. I was in danger. (34:4)

Perhaps you realize how wretched you are but know that God wouldn’t answer your prayer now… “Why should he deliver me after all I’ve done to hurt Him?” After all, don’t you deserve to lie in the bed you’ve made for yourself. Broken. Humbled.

This psalm is David looking back at this moment and praising God for His goodness and His grace.

So escapes, runs to the Cave of Adullam to meet back up with his brothers and all his father’s house, his mighty men, and anyone else who was struggling under Saul’s kingdom. Altogether there’s about 400 men here in this cave, and he recounts what has happened, vows to live a life of praise toward God and invites everyone one in that cave to do the same. Gathering his outlaws around him, David told them on what principles henceforth he was going to govern his camp.

The invitations David gave that day in the cave are extended to you and me both tonight…

Part one of this psalm is a song, part two is a sermon. The first part is devotional, the second is doctrinal. Part one shows us the grace of God, part two the government of God.

David’s Song – An invitation to join him in praise. (34:1–10)

READ PSALM 34

That was David.

2. I looked to Christ. (34:5)

Let's resolve together to praise God no matter what. (34:1–3)

1 I will bless the Lord at all times:

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord:

The humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

Have you ever made a bad decision out of fear or selfishness and found the walls of consequence begin to crush you alive? Then, in a greater fear than you had with the first bad choice, have you tried to plot and scheme your way out of the ever-worsening situation, because – after all – you know what’s best for you. “In a world where everyone is looking out for their best interests, if anyone is going to come my rescue, it’s gotta be me”, you’ve thought to yourself. With every lie… with every trick… what grew? Not peace… more fear.

In , out of fear for his life he does something that he would have never done in a sound, peaceful mind. He ran from one enemy (Saul) to another (the Philistines). Although already anointed to be Israel’s next king, David doubts the Word of the Lord and flees for his life. He’s convinced that if he doesn’t take matters into his own hands that Saul WILL kill him. So he runs… but to where? Gath. Sound familiar?

3. I was saved! (34:6)

3 O magnify the Lord with me,

And let us exalt his name together.

How amazingly effective true praise can be. To lift one’s gaze up to heaven is to take your focus off your problems and dilemmas for a moment so that your eyesight – or rather, your faith-sight – is properly oriented heaven-ward first and foremost.

God may deliver you from that burning, fiery furnace “but if not” a heavenly focus will keep you praising God as our forefathers did while tied to the stake.

Spurgeon (vs 1) :

Perhaps you realize how wretched you are but know that God wouldn’t answer your prayer now… “Why should he deliver me after all I’ve done to hurt Him?” After all, don’t you deserve to lie in the bed you’ve made for yourself. Broken. Humbled. That was David.

Not long before this, David held the severed head of a giant from this city-state in one hand and the Gittite’s sword in the other.

3. Let's relish the goodness of Jesus. (34:7–10)

“If we continually rolled this dainty morsel under our tongue, the bitterness of daily affliction would be swallowed up in joy. God deserves blessing w/ the heart, & extolling w/ the mouth—good thoughts in the closet, & good words in the world.”

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…

VERSE 3 –

MAGNIFY – Obviously, we can’t magnify God and make Him bigger than He already is, but just as you hold a magnifying glass to an object, the object doesn’t literally change dimension and matter and space, does it? No, but it brings greater attention to details that you didn’t notice before.

That’s what we as a church are to do together as a gathering body of believers – magnify… shift the focus to… zoom in on the goodness of God so that a world so focused on other things can see Him… not us.

In 1 Samuel 21, out of fear for his life he does something that he would have never done in a sound, peaceful mind. He ran from one enemy (Saul) to another (the Philistines). Although already anointed to be Israel’s next king, David doubts the Word of the Lord and flees for his life. He’s convinced that if he doesn’t take matters into his own hands that Saul WILL kill him. So he runs… but to where? Gath. Sound familiar?

The people began to sing that Saul slew his thousands but David his tens of thousands.

1. God fiercely protects His own. (34:7)

And let us do this praising thing together… People gathering together and worshipping Jesus as a congregation is one of the most basic outgrowths of new life. Christians simply worship together. Together. Read about heaven in the Bible and you’ll find a consistent thing taking place… gathered worship.

“In heaven it is enjoyed to the full, and earth is likest heaven where it abounds.” –Spurgeon

Let's remember what God did for us and share it with others. (34:4–6)

4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me,

And delivered me from all my fears.

2. God lovingly provides for His own. (34:8–10)

God’s decree was that David WOULD be the next king of Israel – no one, no lion, no bear, no giant, and no jealous and vengeful king – could thwart the promise of a holy God.

Not long before this, David held the severed head of a giant from this city-state in one hand and the Gittite’s sword in the other.

5 They looked unto him, and were lightened:

And their faces were not ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him,

And saved him out of all his troubles.

So David, giving into the lie that “self-rule” was the best way to go, finds himself in quite a bind. It’s his fault. No one elses… and notice that he’s not exactly repentant. He doubles down on the fear and starts acting like a maniac!

2. David’s Sermon – an imploring to join him in obedience (34:11–22)

We too, like David, have been called out of darkness by the loving, strong voice of an Almighty God unto victory over sin, death, hell, and the grave… we too, like David, have been seen by the Lord in a lonely wilderness, and yes while we have many moments of sweet communion with God, we often face lions and bears… such is life for an already and not-yet heir. But Christ has made us heirs together with Him… we won’t face Satan’s barrage of attacks forever. No, someday soon we will rule with Him. We will judge angels and rule in peace with the Prince of Peace. Such is the Word of the Lord.

The people began to sing that Saul slew his thousands but David his tens of thousands.

David wasn’t following some secret plan from the Holy Spirit. Let’s be honest: This is sin. SIN.

But what does God do? Answers his prayer.

What grace! God answers prayer based on one thing – grace.

Don’t fall for erroneous thinking which bases God answering your prayers on your ability to be “right” with Him, and not on His grace.

That’s why David referred to himself here as the “poor man”… fearful… lacked trust in God to deliver him. Poor. Pitiful. Helpless.

Do you believe it? Of course, it’s true. But in this sense, we’re like David aren’t we? David had all the hope of God’s true Word and yet, he runs…straight to the loving, warm embrace of… the enemy?

God’s decree was that David WOULD be the next king of Israel – no one, no lion, no bear, no giant, and no jealous and vengeful king – could thwart the promise of a holy God.

1. David gathers his hearers (34:11)

RESCUED.

Not only that, but when David waltzes into town (holding Goliath’s sword, by the way), the people notice David… they notice the sword in his hand… they tell King Achish. And this is where you notice the title of :

A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.

David became more afraid, began feigning insanity, and was eventually sent out from Achish’s presence. Saved. Rescued.

By the way, just as thinking you can earn God’s favor is wrong, presuming God’s grace and doing whatever you want because “God will forgive me” is also wrong… God forgives broken people. People humbled by their sin. Paul called it “sorrow” that leads to “repentance”…. If you’re planning on sinning tonight after church and planning your repentance time before the Lord when you’re done. Don’t expect forgiveness. That’s the “presumptuous sins” that David spoke of .

So let me just ask you… yes or no: Is David right with God at this point? NO.

So let me just ask you… yes or no: Was David right with God at this point? NO. Not one of his finer moments.

So here’s what we ought to remember and share with others…

In his fear, he sinned. He doubted God and acted on that doubt, ultimately resigning to deception because he felt it better to take matters into his own hands.

I was in danger. (34:4)I looked to Christ. (34:5)I was saved! (34:6)

But look at what David says in verse 6 – This poor man cried and the Lord heard him, and saved him...

This psalm is David looking back at this moment and praising God for His goodness and His grace.

So escapes, runs to the Cave of Adullam to meet back up with his brothers and all his father’s house, his mighty men, and anyone else who was struggling under Saul’s kingdom. Altogether there’s about 400 men here in this cave, and he recounts what has happened, vows to live a life of praise toward God and invites everyone one in that cave to do the same.

The invitations David gave that day in the cave are extended to you and me both tonight…

Let's relish the goodness of Jesus. (34:7–10)

2. David grips them with his theme (34:12)

We too, like David, have been called out of darkness by the loving, strong voice of an Almighty God unto victory over sin, death, hell, and the grave… we too, like David, have been seen by the Lord in a lonely wilderness, and yes while we have many moments of sweet communion with God, we often face lions and bears… such is life for an already and not-yet heir. But Christ has made us heirs together with Him… we won’t face Satan’s barrage of attacks forever. No, someday soon we will rule with Him. We will judge angels and rule in peace with the Prince of Peace. Such is the Word of the Lord.

7 The angel of the Lord encampeth

Round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

8 O taste and see that the Lord is good:

Blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

We know that God is always working in every situation at every moment, and more often than not, we have no idea what is going on in God’s mind and why He chooses to do the things He does… but don’t you just love how sometimes you stumble upon something that is so obviously a “God thing” that you can’t help but marvel at His power and sovereignty over us?

Do you believe it? Of course, it’s true. But in this sense, we’re like David aren’t we? David had all the hope of God’s true Word and yet, he runs…straight to the loving, warm embrace of… the enemy?

3. David gets to the point (34:13–20)

Let's remember what God did for us and share it with others. (34:4–6)I was in danger. (34:4)I looked to Christ. (34:5)I was saved! (34:6)Let's relish the goodness of Jesus. (34:7–10)God fiercely protects His own. (34:7)God lovingly provides for His own. (34:8–10)David’s Sermon – an imploring to join him in obedience (34:11–22)David gathers his hearers (34:11) David grips them with his theme (34:12)David gets to the point (34:13–20)Listen to his sermon (34:13–16)Worship with your words (34:13)Worship with your walk (34:14)Worship with your works (34:15)2. Learn from his story (34:17–20)David gives his summary(34:21–22)

9 O fear the Lord, ye his saints:

For there is no want to them that fear him.

10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger:

But they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.

You can’t tell others to try that which you haven’t tasted and enjoyed yourself.

1. Listen to his sermon (34:13–16)

We are going to see something like that in this psalm tonight, but also in leading up tonight’s service, God was doing some pretty cool stuff behind the scenes. When Pastor Marc asked me a few months ago which psalm I’d like to preach from, I pretty quickly fell in love with and couldn’t get my mind off of it… it was. I had no idea then what Pastor Marc would preach the morning of August 4th, but I believe it ties in quite well with this psalm of David – the 34th Psalm.

Not only that, but when David waltzes into town (holding Goliath’s sword, by the way), the people notice David… they notice the sword in his hand… they tell King Achish. And this is where you notice the title of Psalm 34:

God fiercely protects His own. (34:7)Angel of the Lord – pre-incarnate Christ (only twice in Psalms) –“Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord chase them”. In the angel of the Lord is seen protecting the saint. In he is seen pursuing the sinner. David was brought into fresh realization that God protects.

God lovingly provides for His own. (34:8–10)“O fear the Lord, ye His saints: for there is no want to them that fear Him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.”

David is remembering, perhaps, the callous way he was thrown out of Gath. His arch-rival Phillistines were probably not sending him back to Jerusalem with a Christmas card to pass along to Saul and bagged lunch for the journey. John Phillips said it this way: They probably escorted him to the border and gave him a count of twenty to get out of arrow range. And there he was, facing the hostile wilderness alone, defenseless, without food or drink. But God had cared for him, provided for him, and saw him safely to Adullam. David does not tell how the Lord took care of his needs, but there in the cave surrounded by his faithful men, with great hunks of venison hanging from the roof and with the tribute from a dozen farms stacked in a corner, David assures us that the Lord provides. In the distance, he hears the angry growl of a hunting lion out there on the hills (“The young lions do lack,” he mused, “and suffer hunger”) and comments, “But they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.”

The first half of this psalm is full of praise. But now, David completes the worship service with a sermon.

True worship always involves 2 inseparable components:

A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.

1. Worship with your words (34:13)

As you turn there, let me explain… We know from Pastor’s message in this morning that true God-given freedom is found in position as God’s child and not our ability to somehow work our way into His favor. What a glorious truth! I don’t know about you, but that’s still something I struggle with… And realizing God’s grace in this area is what prompted David to write this psalm… more on that in a minute.

–Inward: Heart-level worship toward God out of deep-seated gratitude

– Outward: Obedience to God and love toward others

To have one without the other might work for a little while, but eventually you’ll lose both…

To illustrate, inward worship is the gas that fuels the engine; outward worship is the rubber that meets the road. On their own, you’re not getting anywhere… They each have their place, and when they work together, you can basically go anywhere.

At a church-wide level, this is why we gather and worship and also make it a point to be community-minded… others-minded… service-minded.

David became more afraid, began feigning insanity, and was eventually sent out from Achish’s presence. Saved. Rescued.

But then, Pastor’s point that we should examine our hearts to see if the Savior is ruling our lives or we are. Who sits on the throne? Well, we know that David has a pretty good reputation in Scripture as being a man after God’s own heart. A man that submitted to God’s will above his own and delighted in His law. But we also know from Paul in the NT that this is not a one-time fix. De-throning yourself and elevating God to His rightful place on the throne of your heart is a daily choosing that must take place. Tonight, we are going to briefly see what happens when “you do you” – when you let self-rule overtake “Savior, rule” me type thinking…

2. Worship with your walk (34:14)

But can you imagine what Harvest Baptist Church would be like if all we did was serve? It would be draining.

What if you PERSONALLY don’t take the time to worship God and like the Mary/Martha situation, you find yourself ALWAYS serving, never praising. WATCH OUT!

What if all we did was praise? Sing? Gather, worship, go home. Gather, worship, go home. That’s not going to make “mature followers of Jesus”

Making mature followers of Jesus – that’s the goal. And it’s a complete and continuous cycle:

• Inward worship fueling outward obedience resulting in more worship.

So let me just ask you… yes or no: Was David right with God at this point? NO. Not one of his finer moments.

Let’s read the 22 brief verses of together…

3. Worship with your works (34:15)

David’s Sermon – an imploring to join him in obedience (34:11–22)

David gathers his hearers (34:11)

Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

David grips them with his theme (34:12)

What man is he that desireth life, And loveth many days, that he may see good?

2. Learn from his story (34:17–20)

In his fear, he sinned. He doubted God and acted on that doubt, ultimately resigning to deception because he felt it better to take matters into his own hands.

READ

David gets to the point… And my name’s David so I’ll also get to the point. This last half will go quickly…

Let’s worship God & love others with our words, walk, & works (34:13-14)

words (34:13) – what you saywalk (34:14) – how you live (testimony before others)works (34:15) – what you do

Stay in while I read from – sound familiar?

10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

4. David gives his summary(34:21–22)

Have you ever made a bad decision out of fear or selfishness and found the walls of consequence begin to crush you alive? Then, in a greater fear than you had with the first bad choice, have you tried to plot and scheme your way out of the ever-worsening situation, because – after all – you know what’s best for you. “In a world where everyone is looking out for their best interests, if anyone is going to come my rescue, it’s gotta be me”, you’ve thought to yourself. With every lie… with every trick… what grew? Not peace… more fear.

But look at what David says in verse 6 – This poor man cried and the Lord heard him, and saved him...

Learn from his story (while inviting others to learn from ours) (34:15–20)

Pastor Marc did a great job explaining “position” versus “performance” this morning so I won’t dive deep into that but whenever you read the words “righteous” or “evil” that is talking about what Pastor was talking about this morning. (I.e. our righteousness is as filthy rags – this is the righteousness of Christ in us as His own)

15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,

And his ears are open unto their cry.

16 The face of the Lord is against them that do evil,

This psalm is David looking back at this moment and praising God for His goodness and His grace.

Perhaps you realize how wretched you are but know that God wouldn’t answer your prayer now… “Why should he deliver me after all I’ve done to hurt Him?” After all, don’t you deserve to lie in the bed you’ve made for yourself. Broken. Humbled. That was David.

To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth,

And delivereth them out of all their troubles.

18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart;

And saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

So escapes, runs to the Cave of Adullam to meet back up with his brothers and all his father’s house, his mighty men, and anyone else who was struggling under Saul’s kingdom. Altogether there’s about 400 men here in this cave, and he recounts what has happened, vows to live a life of praise toward God and invites everyone one in that cave to do the same. Gathering his outlaws around him, David told them on what principles henceforth he was going to govern his camp.

In , out of fear for his life he does something that he would have never done in a sound, peaceful mind. He ran from one enemy (Saul) to another (the Philistines). Although already anointed to be Israel’s next king, David doubts the Word of the Lord and flees for his life. He’s convinced that if he doesn’t take matters into his own hands that Saul WILL kill him. So he runs… but to where? Gath. Sound familiar?

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous:

But the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

20 He keepeth all his bones:

Not one of them is broken.

David gives his summary – Let’s keep tasting His goodness (34:21–22)

The invitations David gave that day in the cave are extended to you and me both tonight…

Not long before this, David held the severed head of a giant from this city-state in one hand and the Gittite’s sword in the other.

21 Evil shall slay the wicked:

And they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

22 The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants:

And none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

Some years ago a preacher watched some rabbits flying in terror from a strange brown creature which began to follow one of them with slow, serpentine movements. It was a weasel. The preacher was puzzled how so slow a creature as the weasel could make a much faster animal its prey. Later he read that a weasel has an insatiable thirst for blood. It singles out a particular rabbit for destruction and persistently follows its trail, never losing the scent of its victim. It is generally a long chase. The rabbit makes a dash ahead, then a double or two, and halts at the mouth of the hole. The weasel follows. Although the bank is full of fifty other rabbits past whose hiding place the weasel must go, they scarcely take notice. The other rabbits seem to know it is not their turn. So the chase goes on, for the weasel never allows himself to be turned aside. The stricken rabbit rushes from field to field and from hedgerow to hedgerow, but still his pursuer follows. The rabbit, tired to the death, at last hides in the grass, but across the meadow, stealing along the furrow, comes the weasel.

The people began to sing that Saul slew his thousands but David his tens of thousands.

Part one of this psalm is a song, part two is a sermon. The first part is devotional, the second is doctrinal. Part one shows us the grace of God, part two the government of God.

“Evil shall slay the wicked,” says David. Evil is God’s weasel on the trail of the rabbit. Nothing but intervening grace can turn it aside.

“None of them that trust in Him shall be desolate,” concludes David. His point is illustrated by an Englishman named Archibald Brown, who experienced a wild night on the southern shore of the Isle of Wight. The wind had been blowing all day and the sea had risen mightily. It was near time for high tide, and Brown and his wife came out and stood on the balcony of their home, watching the inrushing sea. Between them and the sea was but a narrow strip of roadway. The waves broke in fury on the sea wall, fell back, and came on again. Far away in the moonlight they could see line after line of advancing billows.

After a while, Mr. Brown turned to his wife and said, “Well, we can go to bed now!” What? Go to bed with those wild waves still thundering on the shore? Go to rest with destruction so near? Yes! For he had taken a look at his watch and realized that high tide had come and gone. “The waves will come no further,” he said. “We can go to bed now.”

What perfect faith in a simple law of nature to dare to stand within a few yards of a roaring sea and say: “We can go to bed now, the tide has turned.” What faith in the law of the tide! Yet behind those crested waves there was a power mightier than the storm. Behind them stood God with His infallible decree: “Thus far and no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed” (). Thus too runs this infallible decree: “The Lord redeemeth the soul of His servants.”

Here, then, is David’s summary. For the sinner it is the law of the weasel, the law of the relentless trail. For the saint it is the law of the wave, the law of the obedient tide. “Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. The Lord redeemeth the soul of His servants: and none of them that trust in Him shall be desolate.”

God’s decree was that David WOULD be the next king of Israel – no one, no lion, no bear, no giant, and no jealous and vengeful king – could thwart the promise of a holy God.

David’s Song – An invitation to join him in praise. (34:1–10)

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,

He will not, He will not, desert to its foes;

That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,

He’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

Let's resolve together to praise God no matter what. (34:1–3)

1 I will bless the Lord at all times:

Do you believe it? Of course, it’s true. But in this sense, we’re like David aren’t we? David had all the hope of God’s true Word and yet, he runs…straight to the loving, warm embrace of… the enemy?

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Not only that, but when David waltzes into town (holding Goliath’s sword, by the way), the people notice David… they notice the sword in his hand… they tell King Achish. And this is where you notice the title of :

A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord:

David became more afraid, began feigning insanity, and was eventually sent out from Achish’s presence. Saved. Rescued.

The humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

So let me just ask you… yes or no: Was David right with God at this point? NO. Not one of his finer moments.

3 O magnify the Lord with me,

In his fear, he sinned. He doubted God and acted on that doubt, ultimately resigning to deception because he felt it better to take matters into his own hands.

And let us exalt his name together.

But look at what David says in verse 6 – This poor man cried and the Lord heard him, and saved him...

How amazingly effective true praise can be. To lift one’s gaze up to heaven is to take your focus off your problems and dilemmas for a moment so that your eyesight – or rather, your faith-sight – is properly oriented heaven-ward first and foremost.

This psalm is David looking back at this moment and praising God for His goodness and His grace.

God may deliver you from that burning, fiery furnace “but if not” a heavenly focus will keep you praising God as our forefathers did while tied to the stake.

So escapes, runs to the Cave of Adullam to meet back up with his brothers and all his father’s house, his mighty men, and anyone else who was struggling under Saul’s kingdom. Altogether there’s about 400 men here in this cave, and he recounts what has happened, vows to live a life of praise toward God and invites everyone one in that cave to do the same. Gathering his outlaws around him, David told them on what principles henceforth he was going to govern his camp.

Spurgeon (vs 1) :

The invitations David gave that day in the cave are extended to you and me both tonight…

“If we continually rolled this dainty morsel under our tongue, the bitterness of daily affliction would be swallowed up in joy. God deserves blessing w/ the heart, & extolling w/ the mouth—good thoughts in the closet, & good words in the world.”

GALATIANS 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…

Part one of this psalm is a song, part two is a sermon. The first part is devotional, the second is doctrinal. Part one shows us the grace of God, part two the government of God.

VERSE 3 –

David’s Song – An invitation to join him in praise. (34:1–10)

MAGNIFY – Obviously, we can’t magnify God and make Him bigger than He already is, but just as you hold a magnifying glass to an object, the object doesn’t literally change dimension and matter and space, does it? No, but it brings greater attention to details that you didn’t notice before.

Let's resolve together to praise God no matter what. (34:1–3)

1 I will bless the Lord at all times:

That’s what we as a church are to do together as a gathering body of believers – magnify… shift the focus to… zoom in on the goodness of God so that a world so focused on other things can see Him… not us.

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

And let us do this praising thing together… People gathering together and worshipping Jesus as a congregation is one of the most basic outgrowths of new life. Christians simply worship together. Together. Read about heaven in the Bible and you’ll find a consistent thing taking place… gathered worship.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord:

“In heaven it is enjoyed to the full, and earth is likest heaven where it abounds.” –Spurgeon

Let's remember what God did for us and share it with others. (34:4–6)

The humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

3 O magnify the Lord with me,

4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me,

And let us exalt his name together.

And delivered me from all my fears.

5 They looked unto him, and were lightened:

How amazingly effective true praise can be. To lift one’s gaze up to heaven is to take your focus off your problems and dilemmas for a moment so that your eyesight – or rather, your faith-sight – is properly oriented heaven-ward first and foremost.

God may deliver you from that burning, fiery furnace “but if not” a heavenly focus will keep you praising God as our forefathers did while tied to the stake.

And their faces were not ashamed.

Spurgeon (vs 1) :

6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him,

And saved him out of all his troubles.

“If we continually rolled this dainty morsel under our tongue, the bitterness of daily affliction would be swallowed up in joy. God deserves blessing w/ the heart, & extolling w/ the mouth—good thoughts in the closet, & good words in the world.”

So David, giving into the lie that “self-rule” was the best way to go, finds himself in quite a bind. It’s his fault. No one elses… and notice that he’s not exactly repentant. He doubles down on the fear and starts acting like a maniac!

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…

VERSE 3 –

David wasn’t following some secret plan from the Holy Spirit. Let’s be honest: This is sin. SIN.

MAGNIFY – Obviously, we can’t magnify God and make Him bigger than He already is, but just as you hold a magnifying glass to an object, the object doesn’t literally change dimension and matter and space, does it? No, but it brings greater attention to details that you didn’t notice before.

But what does God do? Answers his prayer.

What grace! God answers prayer based on one thing – grace.

That’s what we as a church are to do together as a gathering body of believers – magnify… shift the focus to… zoom in on the goodness of God so that a world so focused on other things can see Him… not us.

And let us do this praising thing together… People gathering together and worshipping Jesus as a congregation is one of the most basic outgrowths of new life. Christians simply worship together. Together. Read about heaven in the Bible and you’ll find a consistent thing taking place… gathered worship.

Don’t fall for erroneous thinking which bases God answering your prayers on your ability to be “right” with Him, and not on His grace.

“In heaven it is enjoyed to the full, and earth is likest heaven where it abounds.” –Spurgeon

That’s why David referred to himself here as the “poor man”… fearful… lacked trust in God to deliver him. Poor. Pitiful. Helpless.

RESCUED.

Let's remember what God did for us and share it with others. (34:4–6)

By the way, just as thinking you can earn God’s favor is wrong, presuming God’s grace and doing whatever you want because “God will forgive me” is also wrong… God forgives broken people. People humbled by their sin. Paul called it “sorrow” that leads to “repentance”…. If you’re planning on sinning tonight after church and planning your repentance time before the Lord when you’re done. Don’t expect forgiveness. That’s the “presumptuous sins” that David spoke of Psalm 19.

4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me,

So here’s what we ought to remember and share with others…

And delivered me from all my fears.

5 They looked unto him, and were lightened:

I was in danger. (34:4)I looked to Christ. (34:5)I was saved! (34:6)

Let's relish the goodness of Jesus. (34:7–10)

And their faces were not ashamed.

7 The angel of the Lord encampeth

6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him,

And saved him out of all his troubles.

Round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

8 O taste and see that the Lord is good:

So David, giving into the lie that “self-rule” was the best way to go, finds himself in quite a bind. It’s his fault. No one elses… and notice that he’s not exactly repentant. He doubles down on the fear and starts acting like a maniac!

David wasn’t following some secret plan from the Holy Spirit. Let’s be honest: This is sin. SIN.

Blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

But what does God do? Answers his prayer.

9 O fear the Lord, ye his saints:

What grace! God answers prayer based on one thing – grace.

For there is no want to them that fear him.

10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger:

Don’t fall for erroneous thinking which bases God answering your prayers on your ability to be “right” with Him, and not on His grace.

But they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.

That’s why David referred to himself here as the “poor man”… fearful… lacked trust in God to deliver him. Poor. Pitiful. Helpless.

RESCUED.

You can’t tell others to try that which you haven’t tasted and enjoyed yourself.

By the way, just as thinking you can earn God’s favor is wrong, presuming God’s grace and doing whatever you want because “God will forgive me” is also wrong… God forgives broken people. People humbled by their sin. Paul called it “sorrow” that leads to “repentance”…. If you’re planning on sinning tonight after church and planning your repentance time before the Lord when you’re done. Don’t expect forgiveness. That’s the “presumptuous sins” that David spoke of .

God fiercely protects His own. (34:7)Angel of the Lord – pre-incarnate Christ (only twice in Psalms)Psalm 35:5 –“Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord chase them”. In Psalm 34 the angel of the Lord is seen protecting the saint. In Psalm 35 he is seen pursuing the sinner. David was brought into fresh realization that God protects.

I was in danger. (34:4)I looked to Christ. (34:5)I was saved! (34:6)Let's relish the goodness of Jesus. (34:7–10)

God lovingly provides for His own. (34:8–10)“O fear the Lord, ye His saints: for there is no want to them that fear Him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.”

You can’t tell others to try that which you haven’t tasted and enjoyed yourself.

David is remembering, perhaps, the callous way he was thrown out of Gath. His arch-rival Phillistines were probably not sending him back to Jerusalem with a Christmas card to pass along to Saul and bagged lunch for the journey. John Phillips said it this way: They probably escorted him to the border and gave him a count of twenty to get out of arrow range. And there he was, facing the hostile wilderness alone, defenseless, without food or drink. But God had cared for him, provided for him, and saw him safely to Adullam. David does not tell how the Lord took care of his needs, but there in the cave surrounded by his faithful men, with great hunks of venison hanging from the roof and with the tribute from a dozen farms stacked in a corner, David assures us that the Lord provides. In the distance, he hears the angry growl of a hunting lion out there on the hills (“The young lions do lack,” he mused, “and suffer hunger”) and comments, “But they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.”

The first half of this psalm is full of praise. But now, David completes the worship service with a sermon.

God fiercely protects His own. (34:7)God lovingly provides for His own. (34:8–10)David’s Sermon – an imploring to join him in obedience (34:11–22)David gathers his hearers (34:11) David grips them with his theme (34:12)David gets to the point (34:13–20)Listen to his sermon (34:13–16)Worship with your words (34:13)Worship with your walk (34:14)Worship with your works (34:15)2. Learn from his story (34:17–20)David gives his summary(34:21–22)

True worship always involves 2 inseparable components:

7 The angel of the Lord encampeth

Round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

–Inward: Heart-level worship toward God out of deep-seated gratitude

8 O taste and see that the Lord is good:

– Outward: Obedience to God and love toward others

To have one without the other might work for a little while, but eventually you’ll lose both…

Blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

To illustrate, inward worship is the gas that fuels the engine; outward worship is the rubber that meets the road. On their own, you’re not getting anywhere… They each have their place, and when they work together, you can basically go anywhere.

9 O fear the Lord, ye his saints:

At a church-wide level, this is why we gather and worship and also make it a point to be community-minded… others-minded… service-minded.

For there is no want to them that fear him.

But can you imagine what Harvest Baptist Church would be like if all we did was serve? It would be draining.

10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger:

What if you PERSONALLY don’t take the time to worship God and like the Mary/Martha situation, you find yourself ALWAYS serving, never praising. WATCH OUT!

But they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.

What if all we did was praise? Sing? Gather, worship, go home. Gather, worship, go home. That’s not going to make “mature followers of Jesus”

11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me:

Making mature followers of Jesus – that’s the goal. And it’s a complete and continuous cycle:

I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

• Inward worship fueling outward obedience resulting in more worship.

12 What man is he that desireth life,

And loveth many days, that he may see good?

David’s Sermon – an imploring to join him in obedience (34:11–22)

13 Keep thy tongue from evil,

David gathers his hearers (34:11)

And thy lips from speaking guile.

Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

David grips them with his theme (34:12)

14 Depart from evil, and do good;

Seek peace, and pursue it.

What man is he that desireth life, And loveth many days, that he may see good?

David gets to the point… And my name’s David so I’ll also get to the point. This last half will go quickly…

15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,

Let’s worship God & love others with our words, walk, & works (34:13-14)

And his ears are open unto their cry.

16 The face of the Lord is against them that do evil,

words (34:13) – what you saywalk (34:14) – how you live (testimony before others)works (34:15) – what you do

Stay in Psalm 34 while I read from 1 Peter 3 – sound familiar?

To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth,

Learn from his story (while inviting others to learn from ours) (34:15–20)

And delivereth them out of all their troubles.

Pastor Marc did a great job explaining “position” versus “performance” this morning so I won’t dive deep into that but whenever you read the words “righteous” or “evil” that is talking about what Pastor was talking about this morning. (I.e. our righteousness is as filthy rags – this is the righteousness of Christ in us as His own)

18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart;

And saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,

And his ears are open unto their cry.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous:

16 The face of the Lord is against them that do evil,

But the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

20 He keepeth all his bones:

17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth,

Not one of them is broken.

And delivereth them out of all their troubles.

21 Evil shall slay the wicked:

And they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart;

22 The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants:

And saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous:

And none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

But the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

20 He keepeth all his bones:

Not one of them is broken.

David gives his summary – Let’s keep tasting His goodness (34:21–22)

21 Evil shall slay the wicked:

And they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

22 The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants:

And none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

Some years ago a preacher watched some rabbits flying in terror from a strange brown creature which began to follow one of them with slow, serpentine movements. It was a weasel. The preacher was puzzled how so slow a creature as the weasel could make a much faster animal its prey. Later he read that a weasel has an insatiable thirst for blood. It singles out a particular rabbit for destruction and persistently follows its trail, never losing the scent of its victim. It is generally a long chase. The rabbit makes a dash ahead, then a double or two, and halts at the mouth of the hole. The weasel follows. Although the bank is full of fifty other rabbits past whose hiding place the weasel must go, they scarcely take notice. The other rabbits seem to know it is not their turn. So the chase goes on, for the weasel never allows himself to be turned aside. The stricken rabbit rushes from field to field and from hedgerow to hedgerow, but still his pursuer follows. The rabbit, tired to the death, at last hides in the grass, but across the meadow, stealing along the furrow, comes the weasel.

“Evil shall slay the wicked,” says David. Evil is God’s weasel on the trail of the rabbit. Nothing but intervening grace can turn it aside.

“None of them that trust in Him shall be desolate,” concludes David. His point is illustrated by an Englishman named Archibald Brown, who experienced a wild night on the southern shore of the Isle of Wight. The wind had been blowing all day and the sea had risen mightily. It was near time for high tide, and Brown and his wife came out and stood on the balcony of their home, watching the inrushing sea. Between them and the sea was but a narrow strip of roadway. The waves broke in fury on the sea wall, fell back, and came on again. Far away in the moonlight they could see line after line of advancing billows.

After a while, Mr. Brown turned to his wife and said, “Well, we can go to bed now!” What? Go to bed with those wild waves still thundering on the shore? Go to rest with destruction so near? Yes! For he had taken a look at his watch and realized that high tide had come and gone. “The waves will come no further,” he said. “We can go to bed now.”

What perfect faith in a simple law of nature to dare to stand within a few yards of a roaring sea and say: “We can go to bed now, the tide has turned.” What faith in the law of the tide! Yet behind those crested waves there was a power mightier than the storm. Behind them stood God with His infallible decree: “Thus far and no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed” (Job 38:11). Thus too runs this infallible decree: “The Lord redeemeth the soul of His servants.”

Here, then, is David’s summary. For the sinner it is the law of the weasel, the law of the relentless trail. For the saint it is the law of the wave, the law of the obedient tide. “Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. The Lord redeemeth the soul of His servants: and none of them that trust in Him shall be desolate.”

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,

He will not, He will not, desert to its foes;

That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,

He’ll never, no never, no never forsake.