The All-Sufficient God!
Psalm 34
Introduction:
Psalm 34 = written by David to commemorate his deliverance from a time of great peril… through a series of events and poor choices… David put himself in a place of great danger… experienced a great deliverance.
Look: v.6
Every Psalm has a story:
Clue = title of the Psalm.
1 Sam. 21:10 – 22:2 – provides historical backdrop for the Psalm.
• David slew Philistine giant Goliath of Gath… valley of Elah… Israel routed the armies of the Philistines… won a great victory.
• Experienced a newfound fame … courage and exploits became subject of songs… Saul slain his thousands… David his tens of thousands.
• Saul consumed with jealousy… out of his own insecurity and self-preservationist mentality… sought to kill David.
• David now in survival mode… fearing for his life… on the run… moving from place to place to evade Saul’s henchmen.
• In a moment of weakness and fear… David’s faith failed… forgot the Lord… leaned to his own understanding… panicked and made the fatal choice to leave the Promised land for a pagan land.
• 1 Sam. 21:10 - Flees to the city of Gath… Philistine stronghold… seeking refuge from Saul… looks to Achish one of the 5 lords of the Philistines for protection.
• Ps. 34 – called Abimelech… Achish = personal name… Abimelech = royal name… dynastic title for Philistine kings… Pharoah or Caesar.
• David = went from the frying pan into the fire!
• Philistines had longed to get their hands on the man responsible for killing their champion Goliath and routing the armies. Now here he was standing outside the gates of Gath… with Goliath’s sword hanging from his belt!
• Immediately clasped David in chains and hauled him before Achish… ever had one of those Aha moments? Believe David had on right then!
• Realizing his danger… David feigns himself a mad man… begins to drool out of the corner of his mouth… scribble with his finger on the prison gates.
• Achish = completely fooled by David’s charade… bought it hook, line and sinker.
• David = escapes back into the land of Israel… finds himself in Judean wilderness… cave of Adullam… where he repents of his failures… recognized the God’s deliverance!
**Don’t know exactly when David penned this Psalm:
1) May have been shortly after the event itself… fresh on his mind… lifted up a heart of praise to God… Psalm 34.
2) Years later in the palace… after crowned king over Israel… sitting in his palace reflecting on his life… remembered time of failure… how close he was to being a goner… sudden deliverance.
No matter when it was written…
David = recognized that it wasn’t his own good fortune that saved his neck… but the Providential hand of God that delivered out of the mess of his own making.
Applic: Has your faith ever failed? Have you ever made a mess of things. I know I have… Thankful for a God who forgives our failures and delivers us from our messes!
Psalm 34 = Alphabet Psalm
Each of its 22 verses begins with a diff letter of Heb alphabet.
Literary tool to aid the memory and probe the heart.
Psalm Divides into 2 Parts:
1. Song (vv.1-10) – David praising.
2. Sermon (vv.11-22) – David preaching.
Note: “All” = found 4x’s in Psalm [vv.4,6,17,19]
Psalm 34 = Learn of “Our All-Sufficient God”
God is the God of “all times (v.1) and is greater than “all troubles” (v.6).
TS: God can deliver us from…
I. ALL OUR FEARS!
Look: v.4
Fear = enemy of faith… it was fear that caused David to forget God… and his faith to fail… it is when we give in to our fears that our faith fails.
God = not the author of our fears.
2 Tim. 1:7 – “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
Satan = King of Terrors – Satan wants to bring a spirit of fear into our lives.
Two Ways Overcome Fears:
A. Pray without Ceasing (4)
Look: v. 4 – “I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears.”
David = brought his fears into the presence of God.
Prayer Recognizes that God is greater than his fears.
B. Praise without Ceasing (1-3,5)
Look: v.1
“Bless” = to speak well of … we want God to bless us… God wants us to bless Him.
“At all times” = all means all and that’s all all means! in every situation and under every circumstance
Quote: “before, in and after every trial; in bright days of gladness and dark nights of fear.” – Spurgeon
How do you bless the Lord at all times??? By recognizing that in all places and in all circumstances God is there!
“I will” = choice… determine to praise the Lord in the good times and the tough times of life.
v.2 – “Magnify” = praise makes God bigger and brings Him nearer in our lives.
v.5 – praise has a way of changing our countenance.
Bible - “fear hath torment”
“lightened” = radiance of joy. David went from a sad note to a glad note!
II. All Our Troubles
Look: v.6
“Poor man” = humble … David recognized his own poverty… inability to save himself… humbled himself before God. God resisteth proud… gives grace to the humble.
“Cried” = to shout … David lips may have been silent, but his heart was shouting for help.
The Lord heard him and answered him!
“Trouble” = a tight place – David found himself between a rock and a hard place.
Imagine: as David played the madman… prayed to the God of heaven for deliverance.
Quote: “Even while pretending to be mad, even while acting insane, David was praying in his soul: “Have mercy, Lord! Help me, Lord! Save me, Lord!” That’s what David remembered. And, instead of rubbing David’s nose in the dirt, the Lord stepped in and set him free! ”
A. The Lord’s Intervention in His Life (7-10)
1. His Protection (7,8)
v.7 – “the angel of the LORD” = OT reference to the Lord Himself.
“Encampeth” = to encircle
Even in his failure the Lord was there!
v.8 – invitation to put one’s faith in the Lord… to trust the Lord is to taste the Lord… it as we trust Him that we taste His goodness in our lives!
2. His Provision (9,10)
Not only did the Lord protect David… provided for him as he made his way back to the land of Promise…
“No want” = no lack – every need supplied.
“Fear Him” = look to the Lord rather than to themselves
v.10 – “Young lions” = boastful, proud, self-sufficient… do lack and suffer hunger. Even the Lion… king of the beasts goes hungry.
v.10b – “shall not lack any good thing.” = God doesn’t withhold His help from those who trust in Him.
B. The Lord’s Expectation of His Life (11-17)
David = goes from praising to preaching…
Gathers his men around in the cave Adullam and teaches them to good and right way… how not to make a mess of their lives.
You want to love life and see good days???
1. Desire what is good (v.12)
2. Speak what is true (13)
David got himself into the pickle he was in because of his falsehood… lied to himself, lied to Priest of the Lord in Nob… lied to Achish.
3. Pursue what is right (14)
4. Expect what is best (15-17)
III. ALL OUR AFFLICTIONS!
A. A Word of Assurance (18)
Christian = the Lord is closest to us when we hurt… comes to us when our hearts are broken, and our spirits are crushed.
Not a promise but a statement of fact… don’t have to feel Him to know that He is there!
B. A Word of Assistance (19-22)
v.19 – “Many are the afflictions of the righteous…”
“Afflictions” = struggles – all of us have struggles.
James 1:2 – “My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.”
Nothing too hard for God! May be beyond us but not beyond our God.
Look: v.20
“Keepeth” = to watch over, guard, preserve
“Broken” = shattered
Our struggles may shake our faith but don’t have to shatter it!
Verse is Messianic in nature - Prophetic of the Savior!
Conclusion:
Love how the Psalms ends: vv.20-22
Note: Contrast between wicked and righteous… those who trust in the Lord and those who don’t.
“Desolate” = 2x’s – means to be condemned or without hope.
“All and none” = because God delivers us from the all’s of life we are never without hope in life.
God = never intended for us to live a defeated, deflated life… live life of victory, joy, hope, peace.
No matter what looked David in face… knew that God was enough!
Challenge: Bless the Lord at all times and watch God work in all situations!
