Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.12UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.11UNLIKELY
Fear
0.12UNLIKELY
Joy
0.62LIKELY
Sadness
0.56LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.56LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.84LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.75LIKELY
Extraversion
0.13UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.9LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.68LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
If you have your Bible (and I hope you do), please turn with me to 1 Samuel 21. Yes, you heard me correctly.
1 Samuel 21:10-15 records this odd moment in David’s life:
Do you remember that story?
That interesting moment in David’s already interesting life?
Well, it seems that the LORD was at work in some significant way at this moment in David’s life, answering his cry for help, delivering him from this strange predicament David got himself into.
We know the LORD was at work in this moment in David’s life because we know the LORD is constantly at work.
But also, because David writes a song about everything the LORD has done for him in this particular instance.
Here’s the title or heading of Psalm 34.
This is a very helpful introduction to the psalm because it helps us to envision what David’s doing—acting a fool, clawing at the walls, making spit run out of his mouth and down his beard.
We know what he’s going through: running for his life from Saul who is hunting him.
David acting insane would have earned him an Academy Award (if that was around then); at least a nomination and some Oscar buzz.
What David’s little ruse actually accomplished was his escape from the Philistines in Gath:
In this cave, alongside his family and about 400 others who joined him there (1 Samuel 22:2), David wrote Psalm 34, the psalm before us this morning.
This psalm—Psalm 34—is divided into two clear parts:
A testimony, full of encouragement to praise and trust God, and
Some observations based on David’s experiences.
C.H. Spurgeon called the first 10 verses a “hymn” and the last 12 verses a “sermon.”
If you would, and if you’re able, please stand with me as we read the first 10 verses, the song David sings:
May God add His blessing to the reading of His Holy Word!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Testimony and Invitation
If we take the heading/title as the actual occasion for this psalm—and there’s no reason not to—how David begins this psalm is right on.
It’s absolutely perfect.
Think about David, drool still fresh on his beard, saying “See ya!” to the Philistines once they let him out of their grip, running toward the cave.
Or, consider David retelling this story to his family and those who came to gather with him.
Can you imagine David owning up to his behavior?
“I don’t know what got into me, I just starting acting like a lunatic.
Strangest day of my life…”
As David is remembering this event, as he’s retelling this strange moment in his life to his father and countrymen, he remembers, before anything else, praise.
“I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.”
At all times, David is going to praise the LORD.
At all times must mean even in times like those of 1 Samuel 21.
People like me find it pretty easy to praise the LORD in good times, when everything’s going my way.
But it’s hard to glorify the LORD, to boast in Him when our circumstances are crummy, when we’re down and out, when we’re afflicted, and on and on.
These, though, are precisely the people David invites to hear and rejoice.
David, himself afflicted, is praising the LORD.
David, whose life at the moment is the ancient equivalent of “living in a van down by the river,” is boasting in the LORD.
And now, David invites others to join him: glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together.
One translation of verse 2 is: My soul makes its boast.
This boast is connected to the praise he’s offering the LORD.
David isn’t boasting in his clever scheme, as if he somehow rescued himself.
David is boasting in the LORD.
David is praising the LORD and inviting others to join him as they exalt God’s name together.
This is what praise does.
Praise doesn’t stand by itself.
Praise isn’t content with just one voice.
Praise is greedy.
Have you ever been to a ballgame and seen a fan stand up, turn around waving their arms, trying to rouse the rest of the crowd to join with them?
That’s what David is doing.
Boice writes: “The person who has experienced God’s mercy naturally looks to others to praise God with him.
Corporate worship is one of the natural instincts of the new life of Christ in God’s people.”
There’s an implied invitation to join David in praise.
In verses 4-7, David shares his testimony.
It’s clear and simple.
It’s powerful.
In light of his circumstances, it’s a really good testimony.
If we read the appropriate chapters of 1 Samuel carefully (something we did this past February, March, April), it’s pretty obvious to see this was the worst moment in David’s life up to this point.
David and hist best friend, Jonathan, had to part ways, in large part because Jonathan’s father, the madman and king, Saul, was determined to kill David.
David was alone.
He had nothing—no armor, no food, no weapons.
It makes total sense that David refers to himself the way he does in verse six: this poor man.
This is a poor man’s testimony, a poor man’s song.
This is a psalm for poor men and poor women, for all the poor and powerless.
Those who are alone or destitute, those who don’t have much, those who are at the absolute lowest place in their lives.
This is where David was.
I would wager we can all call to mind the lowest moment in our lives, the darkest time, the hardest set of circumstances.
If you could sit down with David over a cup of coffee and explain your situation to him, this is what David would say to you:
David experienced trouble, fears, uncertainty for a good, long chunk of time.
And then David prays.
He sought the LORD and called up on Him.
And the LORD delivers; He answers David’s prayers.
The LORD answered.
He delivered.
He heard.
He saved.
And, lastly, David’s life became radiant with the joy of being in the care of such a good God.
We need to get something straight.
David’s circumstances did not all change immediately.
He was still a fugitive and in danger.
He was still alone, but the LORD did deliver him from the Philistines.
The LORD preserved his life.
Praying does not mean that God will change every difficult thing in your life.
But it’s a realization that He will preserve your life and use whatever you’re facing to glorify Him and to work good in your life.
This is David’s testimony.
His invitation is implied and stated clearly.
His testimony makes clear: we should trust David’s God—the LORD Yahweh.
We ought to follow David’s lead.
We should believe that the LORD hears us when we pray, that He answers us, that He has delivered us.
That’s the implied invitation.
But then, David states it clearly; he gives us a direct invitation.
In verse 2, David wants others to listen to his boast—let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
“Listen,” he says, “Listen to my boasting in the LORD.
Listen as I glorify Him.”
In verse 8, we have another clear invitation to experience God’s goodness, to try God for oneself.
Taste and see.
Isn’t that interesting?
Some faith traditions do a better job of engaging all the senses than we do; they burn incense to engage the sense of smell.
There’s plenty here on a Sunday morning to see and to hear.
But there’s nothing here to smell other than Folger’s Coffee and a musty, old church building.
Our sense of touch is engaged when we greet one another with a handshake or a hug.
We taste the bread and the cup, and even though this verse is not about communion, the principle might still apply.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9