Psalm 33 is a “descriptive praise” psalm. These types of psalms have two main elements: a call to worship and a cause for worship. In this case, the psalmist’s cause to worship God is that He is the creator of the earth and is sovereign over it and all of the nations—despite what the leaders of those nations and their armies might think! So as we look at this psalm let’s see that sovereignty over creation, over history, over the nations, and over each of us individually.
1 – 3
At the beginning here the psalmist is making a call to those who belong to God to rejoice in Him. And as the praise goes forth he realizes how wonderful it is for those that are God’s to bring praise to Him. I know what he means. It is really an incredible thing to gather together as the body of Christ and corporately bring praise and adoration to the Most High God. Don’t underestimate it and don’t withdraw from it. Become a part of what will be an eternal lifting up!
Further, the encouragement is made to 1) use musical instruments to adorn that praise and 2) use your experiences, or Scripture, to create new songs of praise. You too can be a worship song composer. It may be that only you and the Lord ever hear the song—but that’s okay.
4 – 5
This is the first cause for praise: God’s word. This can also be the revelation of God—we’ll see this more as we see God revealed in His creation. You can trust what God does. It may not make sense to you and it may run counter to human default values, but it is right and trustworthy. Though verse 5 is so true, it may seem that as you look around you don’t see the earth full of God’s unfailing love. But it is. Whenever you see the gospel preached and a broken heart come into relationship with Jesus Christ that is God’s love shining through the darkness. Sometimes we dwell on the darkness, but as Paul said:
Philippians 4:8-9 Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things.
We also see God’s love through His creation (verses 6 – 9, and His sovereignty, verses 10-19)
6 – 9
Verses 6 and 7 recite what we see in Genesis where God spoke and the universe came into existence. This kind of power is unparalleled. It ought to cause us to tremble! The creation is God’s spoken mind. Science believes that the universe and all matter came into existence as kind of a cosmic accident—a big bang, not a big God. But interestingly, the more physicists study how things work on a sub-atomic level, the less like an accident it seems. Scientists are now starting to realize that at its very basic level, the universe if really just math—kind of E=MC2 but much more complicated. In fact, one famous physicist says that the universe is just a very good concept. That fits within the Biblical narrative. God thought up the creation and it came to pass.
10 – 12
God gave humans free will, but though they think they can thumb their noses at God, His ultimate plan of creation, fall, redemption, and renovation will not be thwarted. That should give us a good perspective on the state of ours or any nation. Though a nation may seem to move away from God—nothing can stop God’s plan of salvation. Verse 12 speaks of Israel as God’s chosen nation, but we also are a “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness and into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
13 – 17
I guess the point of verses 13 through 17 might be to say that though leaders think they have great power, in the end each of us must decide whether we will be in relationship with God. God is involved in history and in each person’s life. No power can overcome God. We each must be ready to given an account of our life to Him.
18 – 19
If you are in relationship with God through His Messiah, He not only shapes your heart but has a specific and focused part in your life. When you belong to God He has a special mission for you and a place prepared for you which He will bring you to.
2 Corinthians 1:10-11 He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and He will deliver us; we have placed our hope in Him that He will deliver us again.
20 – 22
So the bottom line of his psalm is that even if seems like the world is swiftly away from God—that God is in charge of the world, of history, and of your life and destiny. It is enough to wait on Him!
Psalm 34
To get the context of this Psalm, let’s turn to 1 Samuel 21:10. David has been anointed king of Israel by the prophet Samuel. Nothing really happens except that God keeps putting David in the current King Saul’s face. First he kills Goliath, then he’s called upon to sooth Saul as he descends into madness. Then David becomes a member of the court and Saul’s chief body guard. But Saul becomes incredibly jealous of David because God is with David as he goes out to battle for Israel, and Yahweh has abandoned Saul because Saul abandoned God. Saul begins to chase David around the countryside. At one point David and his small group of men come to the High Priest at Nob and Ahimelech gives him the sword he took from Goliath. At this point David is feeling completely surrounded and so flees Israel to Philistine territory where he puts on an Oscar winning performance!
1 Samuel 21:10-15
I’m not sure what kind of greeting David expected but it soon becomes evident that they know him and know that he is an enemy of the Philistines. Rather than be executed on the spot, David pretends he is crazy (maybe he learned it from Saul?). His little act worked and the Philistines sent him packing.
It’s an interesting background story. After he left there, David wrote this psalm, which doesn’t seem to have anything to do with what he encountered at the Philistines, but he is apparently so overjoyed at God’s deliverance that he gives us one of the most encouraging psalms of the entire book!
1 – 4
First, I’ve got to stop and notice the song that was written from the King James Version of these verses. It’s a song that Pastor Chuck Smith likes to sing and it’s best done acapella.
I don’t know about you, but verse 1 is very difficult to imagine. Did David praise the Lord while he feared for his life in Philistia? Do you praise God all the time? I think Paul echoed these words when he said: (Phil 4:4-5) Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! In reality, if you have a relationship with God, there is no circumstance where you cannot praise God. Even in life’s most terrible moments you can praise God that He is in control and that He is both a loving and just God. In fact, in the midst of terror is the very best time to declare God’s goodness.
Boasting in the Lord suggests just communicating that relationship you have with God like it says in Jeremiah 9:23-24: But the one who boasts should boast in this, that he understands and knows Me—that I am the Lord, showing faithful love, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for I delight in these things.
I love how David invites others to praise with him. Worship ought to be contagious!
4 – 7
God certainly delivered David from Achish. But look what he actually says: God delivered him from his fears. God sometimes puts us in dark places but He takes away our fear in that darkness. “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me.” And: “Perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18). Because God loves you and promises to always be with you, you do not need to fear anything!
Don’t you just love the pictures that are being painted here: of radiant faces of joy that never need to feel shame as they experience the presence of God surrounding them. We don’t need to fear anything because we “fear” God in that wonderful awe-filled way.
8 – 10
The word “taste” means to experience. You can’t know what it’s like to snorkel in the tropics unless you snorkel in the tropics. You can’t know what God is like unless you experience Him. David says that those that go the distance are blessed. Philip and Nathaniel were talking in John chapter 1 about Jesus and Philip told Nathaniel “Come and see.” So “taste and see that the Lord is good!”
Fearing the Lord is a really good thing. It means we know how much bigger and more important He is than us. And knowing that we know He cares for us. I like the picture of young lions. It’s sort of the ultimate hubris—king of the beasts with youth! But when the hunting is sparse the stomach growls louder than the mouth! But with God you lack – look what it says – “no good thing.” God doesn’t give you everything you want but He does give you everything you need.
2 Peter 1:3-4 For His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.
So how do we act in the fear of the Lord?
11 – 14
David says if you really want to enjoy life here is the key: be honest in what you say, have integrity with your character, act in ways that reflect God’s character while not doing the things the culture and the flesh wants you to do, and in all things seek peace. So think, act, and speak like the Lord’s character. Sounds easy, but it’s not. It’s really only possible when you have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13).
15 – 18
In these verses David paints a wonderful picture of God in three ways: His eyes, His face, and His ears. God is all for those that belong to Him. But evil will not even be remembered. But notice who it is that God hears and answers? It is the brokenhearted, the humble, the crushed. You don’t get into God’s good graces by being strong but by realizing how weak we really are.
So does that mean that once we belong to God it is easy street? No.
19 – 22
There will be resistance to you wanting to live a life dedicated to God. The enemy will hate you. He will bring adversity to you. It is also a struggle with that broken part of you that remains, and sometimes God will allow difficulties in your life to burn away that old flesh. But notice—God delivers the righteous “from them all.”
Romans 8:35-39 Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or anguish or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: Because of You we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered. 37 No, in all these things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!
Verse 20 is Messianic—after Jesus gave up His Spirit the soldiers came along to break the legs of the prisoners on the crosses in order to hasten death but when they came to Jesus they saw He was already dead and did not break His legs.
Notice verse 21: evil and sin bring death and punishment. But if you take refuge in the Lord and His Son Jesus you are redeemed! What is not to like about that!
