Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
This Psalm is an acrostic Psalm written by David.
This Psalm is concerning David when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech (king of the Philistines) who drove him out and he departed to the cave of Adullum.
Prior to this in 1 Samuel David having fled from Saul - had gone to the priest Ahimelech at Nob and after getting food also took with him the sword of Goliath.
David fled to the Philistine city of Gath - hoping I guess to be safe there?
However upon arrival the kings servants recognized him - possibly from the sword that had belonged to Goliath who was from Gath! David himself said there is none like it.
The songs that they sung of David that drove Saul to despise David were known by the Philistines also.
Hearing the people talk of him David became fearful in the land of the Philistines.
He decided then to pretend to be insane and acted like a madman even letting saliva run down his beard.
The king seeing this believed he was a madman and crazy and let David go for he had no need of a crazy person in his presence.
Leaving the city of Gath David took refuge in the cave of Adullum.
Fear of Saul brought David to the Philistine city and the fear of the Philistines drove David to pretend to be insane and flee again in fear to the cave of Adullum.
Upon coming to the cave David’s family heard and came and joined him and in addition to family every other person - desperate, in debt, discontent, etc all came around him.
And maybe you are there today.
Stuck in some kind of fear.
You call it concern, but that concern has become a cocoon, forbidding you from living beyond your cave of fear.
May this Psalm be not only inspirational but instructional as well for how we can come out of our cave of fear.
Sing Praises of the LORD
David more than likely realized that it wasnt his cleverness that saved him from the people in Gath, and it was fear and fleeing from Saul that brought him on the road to Gath to begin with.
David in the cave considering the events begins to write - I will bless the LORD — at all times.
Bless - [bay-rock] and it can be translated bless or praise and has the sense of bowing the knee in worship.
David then says His praise will always be on my lips.
He will always be ready and willing to praise Him.
David is declaring that he will worship and sing praises not just in good times or easy times, but in all times.
The LORD can be worshipped at ANY and ALL times.
Before you scoff and say that’s easy for him He was a king - remember the context of this psalm - no one was in a more fearful and perilous situation than David when writing these words.
Spurgeon spoke wisely when he said “He who praises God for blessings will always have blessings for which to praise God.”
David writes that he will boast int he LORD; the humble will hear and be glad and then he enjoined those with him to proclaim the LORD’s greatness and to exalt His name together.
David wanted to lift up the LORD and not himself.
Left to his own devices David would be driven mad and drooling on himself - as would we all.
David desires to lift up the LORD and it is the humble who would be glad to see the LORD lifted up.
The humble realize there is nothing glorifying about themselves, but when you lift up the LORD He has much to be praised and proclaimed!
David says proclaim His greatness with me and let’s exalt Him together.
When it comes to fear our fear can be contagious and can cause others to also become fearful.
Just take note of the pandemic - the more fear was proclaimed the more people became afraid.
Something that is more contagious than fear though is FAITH.
We proclaim our faith as we worship and praise the LORD and proclaim His greatness.
As God’s people sing God’s praises and proclaim His greatness and exalt Him as we should our worship begins to push back our fear.
Look Unto the LORD
What does David sing?
He sings of God being His answer he needed.
David says I sought the LORD and He answered me and rescued me from ALL my fears.
David didnt find rescue in his own answers - it was only when he sought the LORD was he rescued from his fears - all of them.
Seek the LORD He will rescue you from ALL your fears.
David says all who look to Him are radiant with joy and their faces will never be ashamed.
Those who look to the LORD are directing their gaze towards Him and are putting their attention to Him and their faith in Him.
Those in times of trouble, confusion, pain, worry, stress, fear etc - if they look to the LORD they will become radiant with joy.
Shining and exuding a sense of joy or over-all well-being.
This poor man - David refers to himself as a poor man - one who has little but not enough to resort to begging.
David says as a poor man he cried out to the LORD and the LORD heard him and saved him from all his troubles.
If the LORD saved him from all his troubles certainly he could and would do the same for others.
Who wouldnt look to LORD knowing that He will answer and can save one from all their troubles?
David writes that the angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him and rescues them.
David using military imagery that he is familiar with envisions the LORD’s divine protection.
David then writes a challenge to those who would read and hear his psalm and praises.
The LORD saves all who call and cry out to Him.
David calls out for people to test this.
David says taste and see that the LORD is good.
David isnt saying just believe that the LORD is good He says test that the LORD is good.
Taste and experience His goodness for yourself.
Determine on your own if He is good, find out for yourself.
As David has tasted the LORD’s goodness we are all called to come taste and see that the LORD is good.
Taste isnt suggesting a sip or nibble either - it implies feeding on the LORD through His Word and experiencing all He has for us.
Those who look to the LORD discover not only that He saves from times in our life but that He indeed satisfies for all of our life.
How happy is the one who takes refuge in Him.
You who are His holy ones fear the LORD and the promise is that those who fear the LORD lack nothing.
The idea is that those who fear the LORD have no lack of needs.
They do not lack the necessary things.
Young lions lack food and go hungry and starve with a severe want.
Those who seek the LORD will not lack any good thing.
If it is lacking it is not good.
Those who fear the LORD need fear nothing else for the fear of the LORD drives out all other fear.
Learn the Fear of the LORD
David continuing on goes from praise to exhortation to instruction.
A move from public praise to a type of preaching instruction.
The instruction that David lays out is that which possibly is a missing factor from their religious life.
The instruction is on how to have a fear of the LORD.
David refers to those who need instruction on fearing the LORD as children.
Without a fear of the LORD is immature in their walk with the LORD, for the mature know to fear God.
The fear of the LORD is not ill-defined or elusive concept but one that can be instructed and known.
The fear of the LORD is not merely academic either but must be worked out practically.
The fear of the LORD is not merely learned but it must be lived - similar to James in his epistle
David begins by teaching the practical ways in which the fear of the LORD is manifested.
Desire what is good.
To love life is to desire a full and fulfilling life.
This is the abundant life that Christ talked about - not that the word of faith teachers speak of.
This abundant life has little to do with possessions, status and fame, but has lots to do with character, faith and a desire to honor the LORD.
This one seeks the LORD and want nothing less than what He wants for their life.
The fear of the LORD results in self-control over our tongue and lips, or more specifically our speech.
One who has a healthy fear of the LORD is mindful over the words they speak.
If we can control the tongue we can control the body as James says in James 3.
Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it.
This means abandoning sin once and for all, doing good as God gives strength and opportunity, and being a peacemaker and not a troublemaker.
Not that they are to seek “peace at any price,” for peace depends on purity but they do make every effort not to make enemies.
“Pursue” means that we have to work at it, with the help of the Lord.
We learn then that the fear of the Lord is no ethereal, academic matter.
The fear of the Lord involves acting consistently with God’s character and with His commands.
It means we must forsake deception, and we must speak truthfully.
It means that we must cease pursuing evil and must pursue peace instead.
The fear of the Lord not only involves doctrine, it implements it.
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