Aspire: Psalm 34

Fear the Lord and Taste of His Goodness

Introduction

Good evening, brothers.

Please turn with me to .

While you’re turning there, I just want to give you a brief background on before we read it together.

Background

If you know much about poetry, is an acrostic psalm. That is, the psalm is written in such a way that each verse begins with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The English parallel would be as if the verses in the Psalm started with A, B, C, D and so forth until the end of the alphabet. That’s important to know because, at times, the language of an acrostic psalm may seem a bit odd or repetitious and there may not be a single progression of thought throughout the Psalm but, for many such Psalms, and such is the case for , there may be multiple themes or thoughts woven together.

For , those themes are thanksgiving for God’s deliverance and wisdom in the fear of the Lord.

Another important thing to know is that this Psalm was written after an actual historical event in David’s life.

Notice the title of the Psalm:

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

We find this Psalm rooted in . David, who is to eventually be God’s anointed king over Israel, hasn’t yet risen to the throne at this point in his life. At this point, Saul is king over Israel and he is currently intending to take David’s life. He sends men to find David so he can kill him.

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

But David, fleeing from Saul, came to Achish the king of Gath, whom this psalm refers to as Abimelech which is just a title for a Philistine king such as Pharaoh of the Egyptians.

And, as we see in this passage in 1 Samuel:

"the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances,

‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?”

and David his ten thousands’?”

Now, this was the song that Israelites sang after David returned from defeating Goliath, the Philistine of Gath, a few chapters earlier. So, here David is alone in the Philistine city of Gath, in front of the king, and his Achish’s servant’s mistakenly call him the “king of the land” and reminded him that David killed tens of thousands of his people, so the folk song goes.

Understandably, the text says that “David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.”

What’s interesting, here, is that earlier in —in fact, in the verses immediately preceding this account with Achish—David, who in his hasty flight from Saul was without a weapon, obtains the sword of Goliath that he had previously given to a priest in a city he just came from.

So, I just imagine this scene from the Hobbit where Thorin and the dwarves are taken captive into the goblin kingdom and are taken in front of the Goblin King. The king tells his servants, “Don’t just stand there, search them! Every cleft, every crevice!” and then, after seeing a sword on the ground, the king retreats in fear, saying, “I know that sword! It is the goblin-cleaver!” And everything gets crazy, Gandalf comes, and the dwarves escape.

And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.”

So, I just imagine this scene from the Hobbit where Thorin and the dwarves are taken captive into the goblin kingdom and are taken in front of the Goblin King. The king tells his servants, “Don’t just stand there, search them! Every cleft, every crevice!” and then, after seeing a sword on the ground, the king retreats in fear, saying, “I know that sword! It is the goblin-cleaver!” And everything gets crazy, Gandalf comes, and the dwarves escape.

So, I just imagine David, being backed into this corner and confronted in front of the Philistine king and his servants, whips out his sword of Goliath, strikes fear in all the Philistines, and then escapes. That would be awesome.

So, I just imagine David, being backed into this corner and confronted in front of the Philistine king and his servants, whips out his sword of Goliath, strikes fear in all the Philistines, and then escapes. That would be awesome.

Yet, David has a different idea. He pretends to be insane. He starts going around, graffitiing their gates, and letting spit just run down his beard.

the Philistine city where Goliath came from whom he just killed four chapters earlier.

David’s fleeing from Saul. In David’s flight from Saul, he came to Achish king of Gath (23 mi. SW of Nob). His servants mistakenly called him “the king of the land” and heard the song: saul thousands, david ten thousands. So, out of fear , David pretended to be insane in front of Achish the king of Gath. After he was driven away—and, thus, saved out of his hand by the Lord—he sings this song of praise! This is a Psalm of deliverance. This is important to know since this theme of deliverance pops up time and time again throughout the Psalm.

Eventually, the king says, “ Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”

And he sends him away. Hey, it worked, I guess. He reached the same goal, which was to escape.

So, here we are, then in . Rather than boasting about outsmarting the Philistines, about escaping death from Saul, etc. David praises the Lord. Why? Because he recognizes that he was saved out the hands of these men by the Lord Himself. He was delivered by the Lord.

How

And so, he sings this song of praise, this psalm of deliverance.

Let’s hear from the Word of the Lord:

Read .

I went back and forth last night on whether I should have titled this sermon “The Life of the Redeemed,” and I very well could have—I just want to be careful about making one-to one applications from everything included in this text, but what we see in this Psalm is the response of one who has experienced God’s deliverance.

This is God’s Word. Thanks be to God.

Pray

I went back and forth last night on whether I should have titled this sermon “The Life of the Redeemed” and then made the main points application-driven based on the actions of the delivered one in this very well could have—I just want to be careful about making one-to one applications from everything included in this text, but what we see in this Psalm is the response of one who has experienced God’s deliverance.

Main Idea:

I understand the Psalm to be divided into two parts:

I understand the Psalm to be divided into two parts:

- vs. 1–10: which deal primarily with David praising God for His deliverance and inviting others to join him in that praise and

- vs. 11–22: which deal with instruction in the fear of the Lord.

Spurgeon calls the first part a hymn and the second part a sermon.

Thus, my two main points are:

Taste and See that the Lord is Good (v. 1–10)

Fear the Lord and you will never be condemned. (v. 11–22)

The main idea I have for us this evening from , which essentially makes up my only two points is, having experienced God’s deliverance, the psalter is inviting us to:

Main Idea

The main idea I have for us this evening from , which essentially makes up my only two points is, having experienced God’s deliverance, the psalter is inviting us to:

Taste and see that the Lord is good and redeems the life of his servants. Fear the Lord and you will never be condemned.

Taste and see that the Lord is good and delivers His those who fear Him from all their troubles. Fear Him and you will never be condemned.

A quick reading of this Psalm suggests there are two divisions: (1) vv. 1-10 and (2) vv. 11-22. Charles Spurgeon calls the first part a hymn and the second a sermon. The first ten verses deal with thanksgiving and praise for deliverance. The last twelve deal with instruction.

Thus, my two main points are:

Taste and See that the Lord is Good (v. 1–10)

Fear the Lord and you will never be condemned. (v. 11–22)

Accordingly, the title of my sermon is:

Fear the Lord and Taste of His Goodness.

v. 1

1. Taste and See that the Lord is Good (v. 1–10)

A. — David’s Praise

Look with me at verse 1:

Look with me at verse 1:

English Standard Version Psalm 34

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!

English Standard Version Psalm 34

I will bless the LORD at all times;

his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

English Standard Version Psalm 34

I will bless the LORD at all times;

his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

More precisely ,

At all times or, at every time, his praise...

This has extra significance considering the situation David just came out of. His life was threatened multiple times by Saul and now in this situation with King Achish and his servants. He was scared to death and then acted insane to get out of the situation.

By God’s providential hand, he was delivered and David says, at every time, I will bless the Lord.

David says, at every time, I will bless the Lord.

Application

Can we say this, brothers? Can we say with David, I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth? What about in extremely difficult and trying times?

What about in extremely difficult and trying times?

It is rather easy to bless the Lord when good comes. But are we willing to say, with Job, “The Lord gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Blessed be the name of the Lord when my father-in-law passes away from congestive heart failure. I will bless the Lord at all times!—even in the times of depression, when I long to feel Him near but I can’t.

English Standard Version Chapter 5

Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Rejoice always, Paul says, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thess. 5)

We who are in Christ have even more reason to rejoice, brothers. . .to bless the Lord at all times. For we know him “ who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory” ()

English Standard Version Chapter 5

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory

Let us bless the Lord at all times. He continues,

English Standard Version Psalm 34

My soul makes its boast in the LORD;

let the humble hear and be glad.

David could have boasted: Ah, I outsmarted those Philistines! I outran Saul! I came in clutch. But he doesn’t, he knows he was divinely delivered.

says,

Read 23 — the Lord rejects these grounds for boasting

One commentator brings to mind Paul, who in “his great passage on boasting, may have remembered this saying and this episode, and so recalled his on ignominious escape from another foreign king (), and the lessons he had learnt in such straits. (TOTC)

Read 24

Psalms 1–72: An Introduction and Commentary Rejoice with Me! (34:1–10)

Paul, in his great passage on boasting, may have remembered this saying and this episode, and so recalled his own ignominious escape from another foreign king (2 Cor. 11:30–33), and the lessons he had learnt in such straits.

English Standard Version Chapter 9

Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.”

“Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

One commentator brings to our minds “Paul, who in his great passage on boasting, may have remembered this saying and this episode, and so recalled his own ignominious escape from another foreign king (), and the lessons he had learnt in such straits. (TOTC)

English Standard Version Chapter 11

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands

Read 23 — the Lord rejects these grounds for boasting

Read 24

David knows who is the Lord. He knows He is a merciful God who delivers His people out of trouble and that he practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth and makes his boast in Him.

Showing that he has reason to praise him, David invites others to join him.

English Standard Version Psalm 34

Oh, magnify the LORD with me,

and let us exalt his name together!

Magnify — literally, “make great.”

Make great? God is already great! There’s nothing we can do to make Him great!

One commentator puts it this way, “the essence of praise is the acknowledgment and public declaration of God’s greatness; such praise does not change the divine essence, but creates awareness of God’s greatness in the perception of others. And, as an expression of awareness, it is also a personal acknowledgment of divine majesty and glory.” (WBC)

A common analogy that Piper uses is in contrasting the way that a microscope magnifies and the way a telescope magnifies. The former makes a small thing look bigger than it is. The latter makes a big thing begin to look as big as it really is. It would make it clearer and bring the object up close to the observer.

We are not making a small God look bigger than he is. Our goal is to make a big God begin to look to others as big as he really is, His greatness to look as great as it really is!

Piper would even go to say that “The whole duty of the Christian can be summed up in this: feel, think, and act in a way that will make God look as great as he really is.”

App. David is inviting others and us to say together that the Lord really is great! Let us exalt his name together!

B. — David’s Experience

Read 4–7 together while saying My Exp. and Yours too

David interweaves in these verses the messages of “This was my experience” and “This can be yours, too.”

1a.

Because David has experienced God’s gracious deliverance, he invites others to share the same experience.

Brothers, does His gracious deliverance of us through the gospel of Jesus Christ not compel us to share ours?!

Paul says in

English Standard Version Chapter 5

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

English Standard Version Chapter 5

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

English Standard Version Chapter 5

the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 5

Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, we seek to persuade people

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 5

For Christ’s love compels us, since we have reached this conclusion: If One died for all, then all died. 15 And He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 5

Everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us.

APP: He reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. The message of the gospel is meant to be embraced and to be shared. May we share of God’s deliverance from all our fears, all our troubles—namely, from His just wrath against us—through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. May we invite others to share in this deliverance!

This invitation is only made more earnest by the next verses. Here we look at David’s invitation. He’s been inviting others all along, but here he takes on add

C. — David’s Invitation