The Goodness of God (Ps. 34)

Introduction

· Please turn to Psalm 34 this morning.

· Celeste Sibley was a columnist for an Atlanta newspaper and tells the story of an unexpected blessing she had at a diner one morning. She took her three kids out for breakfast, but it was so crowded so they couldn’t sit together. There were no booths. There weren’t even four stools in a row at the counter. They had to take separate seats at the counter, with other guests in between them. Mary, her 8 year old daughter, was seated at the far end of the counter. When her food was served she called down in a loud voice, “Mother, don’t people say grace in this place?” A hush came over the entire diner. Then the waiter said, “Yes, we do, sister. You say it.” Everyone at the counter bowed their heads. Mary bowed her head and in a clear voice said, “God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food.” Truly, “out of the mouth of babes, God has prepared praise” (Mt. 21:16). Well this morning, we’re going to see that little Mary was right. God is great, and God is good.

· Read the passage

· This whole passage is delightful, but I want to focus your attention this morning especially on verse 8. This verse can be broken down into three sections: the invitation, the evaluation, and the benediction

The Invitation

· “Taste and see”

· This is one of several invitations in the chapter. Psalm 34:3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! 9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! 11 Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

· Here in v. 9, to tase and see. To “taste” is to test the flavor of a dish, to judge with the tongue. To “see” is to perceive with the eyes.

· A bit of a wordplay here. Same word as in the superscript. David changed his “behavior” or “lost his senses” to act like a madman and escape from King Abimelech. Now he’s saying use your senses, and exercise judgment in discovering who God is.

· David is saying taste and experience for yourself who God is. Don’t take someone else’s word for it. Try him out for yourself. Get a copy of the Bible, and begin to read it. Call out to him in prayer. Get to know this God. Stop carrying all that heavy burden on your back, and turn your troubles over to him.

· Some product have a 30 day moneyback guarantee. Why would they do it? They hope you will like the product and want to keep it. You feel like you have nothing to lose, so you try it.

· A few years ago, our family took a free tour of the Jelly Belly Factory up in Fairfield, California. It was a super cool place. Did you know it takes over a week to make a single jelly bean? One of the highlights of our tour was the unlimited taste testing of all Jelly Belly flavors in the gift shop. There are over 100 them. Guess what the three most popular are: Very Cherry, Black Licorice, and Buttered Popcorn. My all-time favorite is black licorice. In Psalm 34, it's like David invites you to a taste test. He says there are many different gods and religions, and many places to find pleasure. Many places to run for safety. But only one will truly satisfy your soul. He beats out the competition. Every other god is a cheap imitation of the one true God.

· When Jesus called two of his disciples, one of them Andrew. “Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, ‘What are you seeking?’ And they said, ‘Rabbi…where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and you will see.’” A short time later Philip tells his friend Nathaniel that he found the Messiah. Nathanael said, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” And Philip said to him, “Come and See.” (John 1).

· >>What will you find if you taste the LORD? What will you discover if you follow after Jesus? You will find that he is good…

The Evaluation

· “…that the LORD is good!”

· David gives him a five-star rating. Not to be trite, but David essentially gives God a glowing review. He says in particular, “he is good.”

· He says over in Psalm 145:9 The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.

· While I was studying this passage and learning about the goodness of God yesterday afternoon, I received an unexpected blessing, and thought, our church needs to hear this. I hope you too will be blessed and encouraged by this brief look at the goodness of God.

· Goodness is at the very heart of God’s nature and essence. God is good, and all that he does is good.

· Psalm 136:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 31:19 Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!

· A.W. Tozer: “The goodness of God is that which disposes him to be kind, cordial, benevolent, and full of good will toward men. He is tenderhearted and of quick sympathy, and his unfailing attitude toward all moral beings is open, frank, and friendly. By his nature he is inclined to bestow blessedness and he takes holy pleasure in the happiness of his people…The whole outlook of mankind might be changed if we could all believe…that the God of heaven, though exalted in power and majesty, is eager to be friends with us.”

· No wonder, then, Matthew 5:45 can say … he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Ps. 145:9 explains The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.

· You say, but what about the wrath of God? Isn’t God angry? Yes, because of his holy character, God is angry at sin and must punish us. But this does not diminish the fact that is and will always remain good.

· Exodus 34:6–7 shows how these two attributes are held in perfect tension. He is “…The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty...” Here we see both the kindness and the severity of God. But we should not view God as harsh, tyrannical, or impatient. Just the opposite. He is longsuffering, delaying his judgment, urging and waiting for people to repent. (cf. 2 Pet. 3:9).

· His goodness extends in a general sense to all people. But it is infinitely greater for his children. If you have trusted in Christ, remember that Jesus loves you. He is always with you. Don’t be afraid of God. He is not out to get you, or to punish you for your past. He is kind, and gracious, and means only to help. Even in times where God does allow pain, it is only the kind of pain that a doctor would inflict when performing surgery or giving an injection. It is pain for the purpose of healing and growth. Romans 8:31–32 … If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

· >>David’s evaluation is correct. God is good. What should we do in light of his goodness?

The Benediction

· i.e. a pronouncement of blessing. “Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”

· This chapter contains some wonderful promises that almost sound like a prosperity gospel at first. Your face shall never be ashamed (5). You shall lack no good thing (9, 10). None of your bones will be broken (20).

· This sounds great! The Christian life is going to be easy! Accept Jesus as your Savior, and all your problems will melt away. You will enjoy health, wealth, and happiness. But wait. Is that really what David is saying? Look at v. 4, 6, 9 again.

· When do you need a refuge? When you’re in danger. When do you run for shelter? When a storm is approaching. The assumption is that we will experience trials. The context itself shows that both David – and we – will suffer in this life.

· This is a broken world. David does not say we are exempt from suffering. But he does say God’s protection will surround you when you follow one simple piece of advice: take refuge in God.

· Growing up in Michigan, we would hear a siren on the first Saturday of every month at 1pm. Like an “air raid” siren. Was used in case of tornado warning. But also because there was a nuclear power plant, and in case of nuclear meltdown and evacuation – a bit unnerving to think about. In case of tornado, we were told to find an interior room or wall. A bathroom or closet. To crouch down, and shield our head. To take refuge in times of danger.

· We are to take refuge, to shelter ourselves in the Lord. Those who do so will find joy and blessing.

Conclusion

· How do we take refuge in the LORD? Let me close by sharing three ways.

· Sing to the Lord. This is, after all, a song. Think of what Paul and Silas did while in the Philippian jail. Martin Luther: “Music is a gift of God, not a gift of men.… After theology, I [give] to music the highest place and greatest honor.”

· Cry to God in Prayer. v. 6, 15. 1 Peter 5:7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. As we pray, we shift our eyes from our problems to our protector. We crawl up into his arms and know that we are safe.

· Meditate on His Word. To “chew” on it, like a cow chews its cud. Mull over it. 2 Samuel 22:2–3 He said, “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 and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence. 2 Samuel 22:23 For all his rules were before me, and from his statutes I did not turn aside. 2 Samuel 22:31 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.