Psalm 34
Notes
Transcript
Big Idea:
Big Idea:
The God’s story of suffering saves [point to Jesus!]
Intro:
Intro:
Have you seen that Geico commercial where the four young people are running for their lives in a scary movie and come upon a spooky house? One of them suggests, “Let’s hide in the attic!” Another says, “No in the basement.”
Then, the hysterical girl says, “Why can’t we just get in the running car?” as she points to a Mini-Cooper. The final friend looks at her with disgust, “Are you crazy?!? Let’s hide behind the chainsaws!” And shot pans to an outdoor shed with 50 chainsaws hanging from the roof. One of the four replies, “Smart.”
And they decide to run into the shed full of chainsaws...
The next shot reveals a man with a mask - holding a chainsaw - rolling his eyes, as if to say, “What a bunch of dummies.” The Geico narrator inserts, “If you’re in a Horror Movie, you make poor decisions, that’s what you do.”
The commercial continues to say that a smart decision would be to save 15% or more on car insurance by switching to Geico.
It’s a clever and funny commercial:
Because we’ve likely seen movies where people make bad decisions like this.
But also, in real life, we kinda know that all of us make bad decisions, especially during times of crises (horror movie or not).
The Bible reveals this truth about our decision making, even from one of our greatest faith-heroes...
King David was Israel’s most honorable king. He was a warrior - a giant slayer. But more importantly, he was “a man after God’s own heart.” And yet, he was not exempt from bad decision making during tough times.
Before officially becoming king, the previous king (Saul) wanted to kill David. To stay alive, David went on the run. Since I don’t have time to go thru the entire story, I’ll just give you the highlights.
The first place he stops is at a town called Nob. He lies to the priest there, which is a bad decision, but he’s desperate - he needs food and weapons to survive. You may be thinking, “Well, it’s just a small lie.” Unfortunately, later on, that lie caused a paranoid king Saul to think the priest was in kahoots with David and Saul orders the death of everyone in the town.
After David left Nob, he decides to seek refuge in Gath. This is dumb because they are David’s archenemies! In fact, the one weapon David got from Nob was Goliath’s sword. And Goliath was from Gath! Basically, David somehow thinks he’ll find safety walking into enemy territory holding the weapon of their most beloved - but now dead because of David - warrior. That’s a bad decision! But David was desperate. And look what happens next...
And 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 took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
David was like, “Uh oh… this was a dumb. What was I thinking!!!” And the only idea he has left was to pretend to be crazy...
So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, “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?”
I want to make sure we realize how desperate David is here. In this culture, the beard was a sign of honor for the man. And for David spit all over his beard was completely shameful. No one in that culture would willingly do this! And definitely not a future king and celebrated warrior. Only a crazy person. But it was David’s last resort in this crisis. If it didn’t work, the Philistines were likely going to torture and kill him.
And somehow… it worked! The king says, “Oh yea…I’m not keeping David. I don’t even care about the revenge. Like I need more crazy people in my life!” Which makes me wonder, “How many crazy people are in your life that you’d just give up capturing and hurting your archenemy?” But that’s not the point of the story! The point is… even though David makes a bunch of bad decisions in his moment of crises, God still saves him.
How do I know it was God that saved him (and not just luck or clever thinking)? Well, today in our “Finding Life in the Psalms” series, we’re reading Psalm 34, which it titled, “Psalm 34 - of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech (king Achish), so that he drove him out, and he went away. This psalm is either about, or dedicated to, the time God saved David when he made a poor decision during his time of crisis.
And learning from this is important because all of us are going to go thru a crisis. Heck, we all just went thru 2020! Tough times are a normal part of a broken world. But knowing how to properly respond to difficult times is even more important if we are going to live for the Kingdom of God. Let’s begin reading and see how this psalm can help us find life...
Exegesis:
Exegesis:
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!
Like many psalms, the writer starts off with a call to praise the LORD. Why? Because the LORD is a Savior. He saves people from their crisis- from their time of suffering.
In fact, the Hebrew phrase for “boast” in verse 2 speaks to a time when “victory came, in a crisis, only after God stepped in and helped.” Like nothing else worked. And I appreciate how the NLT translates the next part of the verse, “let all who are helpless take heart,” emphasizing the fact that the people in a crisis, who are suffering, can’t find a way out on their own! They are helpless! And maybe that’s you today...
Maybe you’re suffering... and it’s not your fault. David ran because king Saul wanted him dead. David didn’t do anything wrong. It wasn’t his fault.
Or, maybe you’re suffering BECAUSE it’s your fault. When David was on the run… he made poor decisions in his time of crisis. And it led him into a greater crisis that he couldn’t fix on his own...
Either way, He needed God’s help. And Psalm 34 clearly tells us, He found it. God saved him. And this matters to us because - again - we all live in the same broken world. Suffering is a part of life. Jesus said...
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
But whatever the crisis we face. If we are suffering by no fault of our own. Or, if we suffer because it’s our fault. We can take heart. We can have hope! Because there is salvation available through the Lord!
I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Not just “some” of my fears, but “all my fears.”
Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
Whatever the case, when God is your Savior, He will make things right. You will never be ashamed that you put your trust in Him!
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
In our suffering, we may ask the question, “Does God even hear me?” And some times, when we make poor decisions in those times which make things worse, we may wonder, “Does God even want to hear me?” If you’ve asked those questions (maybe you’re asking them today), here’s your answer: God hears you! And He promises, if you trust Him, “He will save you out of ALL your troubles!”
It goes onto say...
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
When you trust Him, God will come like a mighty army and surround you with His love and protection.
David didn’t need the Philistine army to keep him safe. He had no business running to Gath. That was a foolish choice. All he needed was the LORD.
He should’ve remembered his people’s history… When the Israelites left Egypt, and Pharaoh’s mighty army chased them down, what happened? It says...
Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them,
God surrounded and saved them because that’s who He is. And God promises to do that for ALL who put their trust in Him. Why?
[Because] God saves those who suffer (vv. 1-7).
[Because] God saves those who suffer (vv. 1-7).
It’s who He is!
What crisis are you facing today? Are you suffering? Let me encourage you: Seek the LORD! He will save you. It’s what He does!
Psalm 34 continues...
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.
You know, even when we know God is our Savior, we still don’t always trust Him. Right? Think about David. He was known as a “man after God’s own heart.” David knew God. David loved God. But, in a time of crisis, David’s faith went out the door. How many of us can relate to his story?
That’s what I love about the Bible. This is real stuff my friends. It’s not a fictional story about perfect religious people we should imitate in order to earn our way into heaven. No, the Bible is about a perfect God who loves and saves sinners. Sinners, who time and time again, trust in their own strength instead of God’s. And end up making a mess of their lives.
That’s what verse 10 means when it says, “The young lions suffer want and hunger.” In the psalms, lions are a picture of those who are self-sufficient. And like many young people, a young lion is stubborn - thinking they know best and never listening to others. A young lion is a stubborn, self-sufficient, and strong animal; that being the case, Scripture tell us they still suffer want and hunger.
Let’s apply that to our own lives. We may be strong and well-resourced to handle things on our own. But no matter how self-sufficient you are, sooner or later, there will come a point where you need help - where you need God’s help. And when you get there, don’t be stubborn like a young lion. Don’t throw away your faith like David did. Instead, press into your faith. Fear the Lord - put your trust in Him. “Taste and see He is good. That He won’t disappoint you if you do things His way. He will save you. And you will lack no good thing.”
When you suffer, seek the Lord (vv. 8-18).
When you suffer, seek the Lord (vv. 8-18).
And the truth is, a good practice is to ALWAYS seek the Lord because you’re going to face some sort of crisis or suffering your entire life.
So, how do we do that? In crisis, when we suffer, or whenever, how do we seek the Lord? How do we - as the psalmist phrases it - FEAR THE LORD? Glad you asked!
Come, O children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Don’t you love when the Bible gives you the direct answer?
What man is there who desires life
and loves many days, that he may see good?
Here it is… in every circumstance, in suffering, if you want to find life...
Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.
What did David do when he found out the king wanted to kill him? One thing he did was lie to the priest to save his own neck. This was not the right response. There is no “fearing the Lord” in practicing sin.
Verse 13 teaches us that those who fear the Lord don’t speak evil. And they don’t deceive others for their own benefit. They trust God. They keep the integrity of their faith and don’t throw it away. And let me share a practical way to watch our words.
The “tongue” or the “words that come out of our mouth” are the overflow of our heart. Jesus said, “For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.” (Matt 12:34 NLT). Do you want to keep from speaking evil or deceit in times of crisis? Make sure you aren’t filling up your heart with evil. Guard your heart!
Watch what you listen to.
Pay attention to what you read.
Be careful of what you watch.
Because all of those things fill our heart.
Verse 14 says, “Turn away from evil and do good.” Sounds simple. And it kinda is...
See something evil - something that won’t honor God or help you grow in your faith? Turn away from it.
See something good - something that will honor God and help you grow in your faith? Do it!
…but we all know it’s not that easy. So, again, let me suggest another practical step to live this way. The best way to end a bad habit is to replace it with a good one. The best way to stop believing a lie is to replace it with the truth. And in Psalm 34, the best way to turn from evil is to “seek peace and pursue it.”
If you want to “fear the Lord” in a crisis, two things, ...
Make sure you seek peace... with the Lord. Initially, David was acting like a stubborn young lion surviving on his own. When God saved him in Gath, he got right with the Lord in the Cave of Adullam. It was a place where he could find rest, reset, and restore his relationship with the Lord. It was a season when he was seeking to “know what God is going to do for [him].” (1 Sam 22:3). What does your relationship with the Lord look like right now? Do you need to seek peace with Him?
Make sure you also seek peace... with others. Even those who are responsible for your suffering. David later had an opportunity to kill king Saul. Instead, David sought peace. He told Saul, “See, my father… I… did not kill you… I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it.” (1 Sam 24:11). That was the right thing to do and God blessed him for it. He found life from it. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matt 5:9). Those who fear the Lord seek peace with others. Who do you need to make peace with today?
Again, as you think about this, don’t be stubborn. Don’t keep doing things your way and making things worse. Put your faith in God, because...
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.
My friends, God cares about your suffering. He’s not distant. He’s near to you. And He promises to deliver you from them when you cry out to Him.
Here’s something I have to mention. God is sovereign. That means He’s in complete control of everything. It also means He knows best. His timing is perfect. His ways are perfect. That being said, we also know God does not always keep people from suffering. Many who love God... suffer. So, what are we to think about this, especially in light of the promises of this psalm?
Well, look at verse 20, which seems a little weird. “He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.” The most direct interpretation refers to God keeping us whole. In a crisis, God will provide everything we need. But there is also a greater interpretation… one speaking of Jesus on the cross...
For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.”
The apostle John quotes Psalm 34 during the greatest moment of suffering in human history: When Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world - not only experiencing the physical pain of crucifixion, but also suffering the wrath of God. And I believe, when we consider all of these things together, we arrive at an answer of why God allows some of his children to suffer: Sometimes suffering has divine purpose!
With Jesus, the greatest amount of suffering resulted in eternal life for the world! His suffering had purpose!
And for those who put their faith in the Savior, when suffering leads to the ultimate earthly consequence (death), it’s not an ultimate failure of God’s promise, but the ultimate fulfillment. Because what happens to the believer who dies? Because of Jesus, they pass into heavenly perfection, never suffering again. In the ultimate way, God “keeps all his bones and not one of them is broken.”
But as I close, there is another reason why God allows suffering that I’d like to share… and it’s connected to the previous reason… It’s this…
God uses your suffering as a story that brings life (vv. 19-22).
God uses your suffering as a story that brings life (vv. 19-22).
As difficult as it is to understand, God uses suffering to bring life. It’s a picture seen through the Bible, and still seen today!
When Joseph suffered in Egypt, it had divine purpose! Joseph declared to his brothers (who initially sold him into slavery)...
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
Joseph’s suffering brought life! And it remains a story of hope throughout all generations!
When David suffered, when it wasn’t his fault and when it was, it gave him a story that pointed to God as a Savior and brought life! Psalm 34 is proof of this.
And when Jesus suffered on the Cross, it brought eternal LIFE to all who put their faith in the gospel story.
And God’s still bringing life through our stories today! When Janelle and I suffered as we faced the crisis of our first born son being critically injured at birth, we came out of it with a story! A story that built our faith in God as our Savior. A miracle worker. A healer! And a story of suffering that’s pointed others to Jesus as the giver of life!
Psalm 34 closes with a final call to put your trust in God...
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.
Let me summarize it this way:
When you do things like the devil, you’ll only end up dead.
But those who trust in the Lord will be saved and live forever.
Response:
Response:
So, as we close, think about which path you will choose.
Will you trust in God as your Savior?
Or, will keep trusting in yourself?
Let me encourage you, as this psalm is meant to do, where ever you are today, seek the Lord. Turn from your evil and put your faith in Jesus. Tell Him today you’re sorry for your sins and you’re ready to follow Him.
Maybe some of you need to do that for the first time today. Stop being stubborn. Find life by making peace with God by accepting the forgiveness found in Jesus.
Finally, remember God has given you a story - even if it was birthed by suffering. It’s a story that can help people find life. Like David, share those God-stories with others. People need to hear it. God wants to use it. You never know how God will use it to help someone find life!
And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
God uses stories of suffering to bring about victory and life. Let’s tell our story. More importantly, let’s tell His story!
Let’s pray...
Father, we thank you for today. Help us Lord. We need you. We’re facing many different things today, but we believe your word that tells us you will deliver us from all our fears. Please do that today. Help us to not be stubborn, but to trust in Jesus. So that, at the end of the day, well be left with a glorious story about You that we can use to invite others into your Kingdom. And that we can magnify your name together! In Jesus name, amen!
Thanks for joining us for Church Online. If this was your first time joining us, fill out a Connect Card. We’d love to say hi and send you a gift. Also, if you have prayer requests, would like to know more about TRC, or you decided to follow King Jesus today - maybe you want to talk to someone about how you can receive what Jesus has for you - we want to hear from you. And there are easy ways to do that on our website (riverchurchct.com), or follow the links in the comments below, or you can text TRCConnect to 94000.