December 6
Reading: Psalm 34
Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.
1 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!
4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
11 Come, O children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 What man is there who desires life
and loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn away from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
and his ears toward their cry.
16 The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones;
not one of them is broken.
21 Affliction will slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
This is a psalm written on a particular occasion. You can read about it in 1 Samuel 21:10-15 where King Abimelech is called Achish, a more personal name. David was hiding in Gath with King Abimelech because King Saul was trying to kill him. But Abimelech did not trust David, the greatest warrior of his enemy, Israel. God gave David a plan:
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?” 1 Samuel 21:13-15
This psalm is a testimony from David to those who need to hear it, to us. Not one verse is addressed to the Lord. The entire psalm speaks to us about the Lord and how He rescues those who are in an impossible situation and who trust in Him.
Have you ever written a testimony about what the Lord has done for you? David writes this testimony in the form of a song, an alphabetical song. Each verse begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It is like presenting the faithfulness of God from A to Z.
David begins with three verses calling others to join him in praise. Then he tells us of the Lord who heard his prayer and rescued him, a fearful man, ashamed, afflicted, troubled. I love how David puts it in verse 7, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.” I think of Genesis 32:1-2 when Jacob discovered an entire encampment of angels following him around.
Next David gives us two imperatives, commands:
“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” (vs. 8)
“Fear the Lord, you His holy ones.” (vs. 9)
In the rest of the psalm (vss. 10-22) David illustrates the blessings of tasting and fearing the Lord. Notice the comforting anthropomorphism of verse 15-16. God has eyes, ears, and a face. Do you see how it wonderfully illustrates the posture of God with respect to His children? Affliction will destroy the wicked, but for you who find your refuge in God it is only an opportunity for God to rescue you. (vss. 21-22)
What does it mean to you to know that, even when you are not doing well, you have the eyes of the Lord on you and the ears of the Lord open to you?