As we open Psalm
34 we see from the title we are taken to the context of I Samuel 21.
It is here that through deception David gets the shewbread and
Goliath’s sword from Abimelech the priest. A close associate of Sauls,
Doeg the Edomite, is nearby and David is struck with such fear that he
flees to Achish, the King of Gath. This is the hometown of Goliath.
David is struck with fear and acts like a madman and scribbles on the
door with spit drooling down his face. Achish puts him out of Gath
and he fled to the cave Adullam where he gathers his men around him
and pens this Psalm.
In verses 1-10 we have
a song and in verses 11-22 we have a sermon, certainly all that is
needed for a church service. It is an acrostic form with each verse
beginning with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Let us look as verses
1-5, which have entitled “A Song And It’s Effect Upon David”.
The text says, “I
will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in
my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall
hear therof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt
his name together. I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered
me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and
their faces were not ashamed.”
In verse 1 David
mentions ‘An Effective Blessing’. The word ‘blessing’
means to kneel while giving words God-ward of adoration and
thanksgiving. The word ‘praise’ is a hymn or song of
laudation. David says, “I will bless…at all times:” It will be
in my mouth continually. What a great antidote for the poison of
doubt, despair, and depression. In times of a great fear of the
unknown let us break out in blessing and praise. Some roads I have
recently walked down have left me with heavy thoughts of the unknown
but praise and blessing has lifted me out of these heavy thoughts of
despair.
In verse 2-3 David
shares with us ‘An Effective Boasting’. The word ‘boast’
means to shine forth or actions in public that is clamorously
foolish. These are actions that are felt before they are expressed.
The soul is making the boast. David’s soul is doing hand springs
before they are manifested in the outward actions. God’s Spirit is
bearing witness with David’s spirit. The ‘humble’, those lowly
in spirit and see themselves as less, will hear these expressions and
be made ‘glad’. The word means to be merry and rejoice
greatly. O how the boast of our soul outward can lift the soul of the
lowly to rejoice. In verse 3 David asks all of his men and family to
join him in a boast of the Lord. No doubt in the cave of Adullam
there was a real worship service in progress. I sure would have loved
to attend a service down at the Cave of Adullam Baptist Church. They
sure had the freedom of worship.
In verse 4 we see ‘An
Effective Behavior’. In the middle of the trials of great fear
with Doeg the Edomite and King Achish David ‘sought’ the Lord.
The word means a continual longing or seeking after. David said He
heard me and delivered me from all my fears. This was not a partial
deliverance but a full deliverance from all David’s fears. “God
expects to hear from you before you can expect to hear from Him.”
(Spurgeon)
In verse 5 we see ‘An
Effective Beam’. David in this time of fear began to ‘look’
toward the Lord. The word means the idea of fixing the gaze upward.
O how much is said in the Bible and through songs about looking to the
Lord. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus…Seek those things which
are above…Set your affections on things above…Looking
unto Jesus…and We know not what to do but our eyes are upon you.”
David looks and the situation of dark despair is covered with light.
O how he will make a dark situation clear when we look unto Him.
David says there will
be no looks of despair upon the faces of those who look to the Lord.
Lord, teach us in our
times of dark despair over to the unknown not to fill our minds with
thoughts of anxiety and worry. Let us begin with songs of praise and
blessing while looking unto Him. There is great liberty for those who
look!
