RADIANT FACES HAVE LOOKED TO THE MIGHTY GOD OF DELIVERANCE – PSALM 34:1-6
We are going to consider the first 6 verses of this most glorious Psalm. They are really uplifting in great comfort. Let us enjoy them.
Psalm 34:3 O magnify the LORD with me and let us exalt His name together.
Psalm 34:4 I sought the LORD and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.
Psalm 34:5 They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.
Psalm 34:6 This poor man cried and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
THE SETTING OF THE PSALM
What is the setting of this psalm? Look at the tile. [[“A Psalm of David when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed.”]] It was written after he had departed from the Philistine king. So it resulted from deliverance! Being delivered caused his heart to well up in praise and song. A true poet knows that best.
Have you ever needed the Lord’s deliverance? We must never forget that we are in a battle, and the sides are clearly divided – light and dark (always the great contrast of the Bible). Good and evil. Citizens of heaven, and the unsaved of earth. Clearly – you belong to God, or you belong to Satan. Righteousness, and unrighteousness. You can not share the camps. It is one or the other.
This psalm principally concerns itself with the righteous ones and their relationship to God. We will now work through the first 6 verses.
Psalm 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD. The humble shall hear it and rejoice.”
VERSES 1-2:
As in a lot of David’s experiences, he writes with a summary statement at the beginning, something like a chapter synopsis. Then he expands on that to develop the main theme. The Psalms were all songs of course, and so many of them skilfully constructed, but they were based on real experiences. It is not the skill alone that produced them, but the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit.
I like writing poems very much and I know that skill is required in their construction and that comes from my background in education. However, it amazes me how a poem will come together in a way that when I look back, I can say, “How did I possibly do that?” Well I did not do that. The Spirit put His hand on the poem. That is the spiritual aspect, and lifts the poem from a piece of writing in the world to something anointed by God. It will be the same in any man’s true ministry, and that principle applies to whatever the Lord has led His servant to do for Him.
All scripture is inspired by God and in these Psalms, the outcome is man’s God-given ability “taken over” by the touch of the Holy Spirit. That is why there is a huge magnificence in the scripture that elevates it to a place of anointing and inspiration that no other writing has. Holy men spoke through the anointing of God.
Psalm 34 is an Alphabetic psalm, so called because their successive verses, or successive parallel series, begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Some of these formations are perfectly regular, others are more or less defective. These poems are of an acrostic formation, in which the first letter of the word that begins a line or a couplet or even a strophe, follows the succession of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
As far as possible it is good to know the background of a Psalm, and in this case the background is given to us. [[“A Psalm of David when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed.”]]
The account of this is written in 1Samuel 21. David was in mortal fear of his life as he was fleeing from Saul. When in desperate circumstances people often can not think rationally and sometimes engage in “out of character” actions. Those who have been in that dark place of desperation know. It is like being in an abode of no comfort, no way out, and no way to plan anything. The world crushes in. The whole body becomes numbed and fearful. The writer has been there and knows the injustice and desperation that such situations throw at us.
At the time of writing David had two enemies. One was Saul and the other was the Philistines. In fleeing from Saul, from one enemy, he ending up coming before the second enemy. We know David as a man of faith in God, and you know, often in desperate situations, we are reduced to nothing except the cord of faith in a faithful God. It is when faith latches on to faithfulness.
David finished up in the presence of the Philistine ruler in Gath, a man named Achish and that was real desperation, because David was identified there as the killer of “ten thousands” of Philistines. Can you picture him there escaping Saul only to fall into the hands or mercy of Achish? Trapped, desperate, fearful, all alone – what would happen to him? David pretended to act insanely and was expelled from Achish’s presence. That deliverance was the cause of the Psalm.
David was so overwhelmed by thankfulness and gratitude that his spirit cried out in rejoicing to the Lord. Then the Holy Spirit composed this psalm through him. He would bless the Lord; praise Him continually with his mouth; his soul would release its thankful boast. Great the deliverance, and great would be the response. True praise comes from a heart that knows.
In the Jewish captivity in Babylon, this is recorded – {{Psalm 137:1-4 “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion. Psalm 137:2 Upon the willows in the midst of it we hung our harps. Psalm 137:3 There our captors demanded of us songs and our tormentors mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” Psalm 137:4 How can we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land?”}}
Those captives were in a truly sorrowful situation. How could they sing of joy when sadness clothed them every day? How could they sing of their homeland when it had been cut from them. Are there hypocrites in the work of the Lord, pretenders who speak of Him and not know Him? Yes there are, ones who speak what their hearts honestly do not know, and pretend experiences they have never had. Sunday after Sunday they do that. Where there is truth, there will always be corresponding error.
In verses 1 and 2 of Psalm 34, David knew what true deliverance was, and that set his heart on fire and it expressed itself in poetry and song. That is why we can praise God with a knowing heart and bless the Lord from first hand experience. Verse 2 ends this way – {{“The humble shall hear it and rejoice.”}} That is the secret, and there can be no other avenue. Those who have humbled themselves before the Lord, identify with the praise of the psalmist. The aloof and the proud and conceited, will never know the joy and praise that comes from a relationship found in a man in right connections with his God.
THE GLORIOUS PSALM CONTINUES – VERSES 3-6
{{Psalm 34:3 “O magnify the LORD with me and let us exalt His name together. Psalm 34:4 I sought the LORD and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:5 They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. Psalm 34:6 This poor man cried and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.”}}
In those 4 verses, David moves from the personal “me” to “us” and makes a short, personal statement followed by one of the loveliest verses in scripture. He finishes with another personal statement, he being the “poor man”. Verse 5, the gold plated verse, comes out of the crucible of fire, and rests on the testimony of verses 4 and 6. We will look in more detail at this.
VERSE 3 is a call to the faithful and genuine hearted people to join with David in exalting God’s name. It is a sham to call on people to do that when you don’t do it yourself. I don’t like to say this, but there is so much pretence and falsity in so much Christian testimony. There are ministers who call people to worship and commitment when they do not worship themselves and don’t have much commitment in their lives to God. Song leaders do the same and some youth leaders speak out of the head and not the heart. It does us no good to highlight the negative, and there are many leaders of God’s people who are genuine before their Lord. They are the ones who are effective.
When we have a great experience of God we want to share it and that is what David is doing. The Lord delivered him from the clutches of two enemies and now he rejoices and wants others to join in with him, to join in, in combined praise.
The Psalms (Songs) of Ascent are beautiful and they begin with this verse – {{Psalm 120:1 “In my trouble I cried to the LORD and He answered me.”}} That is almost a repeat of the thankfulness of Psalm 34, and it sets the tone for the whole series of the Ascent Psalms. 120 – 134.
Deliverance is one of the mighty themes of scripture. Israel was delivered out of Egypt; Joseph from the dark dungeon of Pharaoh; Daniel form the lion’s den; David from his enemies many times; Israel from the devil’s claws of Haman; Peter and John from the prison, and lastly, every born again saint from the great iron chains of sin in Satan’s prison. Our God is a God of deliverance. Even the Lord Jesus Christ cried out for deliverance as recorded in these two Messianic Psalms -
{{Psalm 69:14 “Deliver me from the mire, and do not let me sink. May I be delivered from my foes and from the deep waters.” Psalm 22:20 “Deliver my soul from the sword, My only life from the power of the dog. Psa 22:21 Save me from the lion’s mouth, and from the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.”}} Both those Psalms are prayers of the Lord from the cross.
Yes, our God is One of deliverance and what does deliverance do to you apart from setting you free? Well it causes such gratitude that you can’t help praising God. Praise and worship burst forth in thankfulness. That is why I said that you can’t pretend this. Don’t sham deliverance if you have not been delivered from your sins. God hates imposters. If that is you then get yourself right with God in humility and repentance.
VERSE 5. {{Psalm 34:5 “They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.”}} Those who are delivered look to God as the One who cares so much, that He delivers His own dear children. That thankfulness caused the faces to be radiant. Their faces shone with joy and thanksgiving, because God lifted them out of troubles. The redeemed have a song to sing to the nations because they have a personal testimony. Radiant testimonies are those that get people’s attention because they are real. There is TRUE REAL, and there is PRETEND REAL. The real believers who know deliverance will radiate that deliverance. The pretend professing believers just go along with the crowd in confusion.
What a beautiful word this “radiant” is. It reminds us of Moses who had been in God’s presence and his face testified to the fact. Those who like Moses, spend much time in God’s presence will radiate the love and goodness of God. This is a challenge for all of us. Are we, metaphorically speaking, walking with the radiance of God, or are we examples of what astronomers call “dark matter”. “Radiant” means “to shine, beam, light up”.
Now what is it that we have been delivered from? The bible uses many examples and illustrations to explain this but the familiar one for John was to be delivered out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. That is as graphic a transformation as you can get. There are hardly any greater opposites than light and darkness. It is equal to God and Satan. Christians are walking in light not in darkness.
Then there is this one from Paul – {{1Thessalonians 1:9 They themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, 1Thess 1:10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”}} Paul looks at this stark contrast – from idolatry to Christ. Paul was more familiar with that concept than John, for Paul moved among the idolatrous, heathen Gentiles. He saw the dramatic change in converts out of idolatrous darkness into heavenly light.
Look now at the expression, “they shall never be ashamed,” At the end of verse 5. How magnificent is that! What makes us ashamed? Well it is sin, failure, pretense, being caught out and discovered, being exposed, and walking in the old nature. Truly, I don’t think that position (never being ashamed) can be fully realised this side of glory, for we continue to carry the sin nature, but there is a level of un-ashamedness we can reach as the Holy Spirit does His work in us. How glorious one day will it be, when we will never be ashamed again.
It is interesting what the New Testament says about being ashamed. There is one verse that often gives me a scare. This is it here – {{Luke 9:26 “Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”}} This verse more has its application to the Second Coming, but the concept can equally be applied at the Rapture. It is possible for us even as Christians, to be unsteady in our testimony and let the Lord down. We think, “Have I failed the Lord, and backed away when I should have spoken out?” That is something we must always have in mind.
The other serious matter of being ashamed is the one that concerns that time when each one of us will stand before the Lord. Can you picture that, just the Lord and you at the judgement seat of Christ? What will we say? What will we feel? The verse concerning this is the following – {{2Corinthians 5:10 “for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”}}
Do you find that fearsome? That will be a test of how good a servant of the Lord you have been? It says “whether good or bad”. The good is what honours the Lord, and the bad is what is unprofitable. I think it will be calling into account our faithfulness, for that to me is the key word in service. How faithful have we been? In {{Matthew 25:23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things so I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’”}} – the words “good and faithful” I think are the serious ones. It is faithfulness that will be called into account.
Our service for Christ will be tested. What will result? What remains to glorify the Lord? Consider these verses – {{1Corinthians 3:11 “for no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1Cor 3:12 Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 1Cor 3:13 each man’s work will become evident, for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.”}}
VERSE 6
We will look briefly at this verse – {{Psalm 34:6 “This poor man cried and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.”}} The word “poor” there does not mean destitute of money or assets. It means poor in spirit and being in desperation. Something like “pitiful”. Our compassionate God looks on such a person when he and she calls out to God and He will answer those needy ones. Recall the scene in the Temple one day when a Pharisee praised himself for how good he thought he was, but a poor sinner just cried to the Lord for mercy. The humble, the meek, the poor and the needy, they are the ones the Lord will hear. He who is too big for his boots will never be able to walk properly in God’s sight.
FINAL THOUGHTS FOR SERVICE
The Christian life is not meant to be a lazy one. It does not mean turning up at some church service and then thinking you have done your duty for God, then go away and live as you please. Let me tell you the time is short before the end of the Church age is on us. For the Christians, they will go to be with the Lord in His call, “Come up here!” from Revelation 4:1. If you belong to Jesus you go to be with Him but what regrets might you have? Indeed I address myself here. Before my eyes in the coming day might flash all the useless times when I could have served the Lord but my pleasure and my desires outweighed the desires of the Lord for me. How much of our lives has been eaten up by locusts?
There is a wonderful lesser known hymn that says this (just the first stanza) :-
By and by when I look on His face,
Beautiful face, thorn-shadowed face;
By and by when I look on His face,
I’ll wish I had given Him more
More, so much more —
More of my love than I e’er gave before.
By and by when I look on His face,
I’ll wish I had given Him more.
Grace Reese Adkins (Author)
Wishing I had given Him more when we are in His presence, is too late. While it is still day, rise up and go out in the strength of the Lord and do all that God directs you to do. Look forward to the commendation from the Lord Jesus Christ of “Well done you good and faithful servant.”
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
