Psalm 34:1-2 - Part 1 - Blessing, Praise And Rejoicing Following Deliverance Series

PSALM 34:1-2 - PART 1 - BLESSING, PRAISE AND REJOICING FOLLOWING DELIVERANCE

[1]. INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 34

We are going to consider the first 2 verses of this most glorious Psalm today. This Psalm is really uplifting in great comfort. Let us enjoy these verses.

Every so often in the bible the Holy Spirit enlightens a passage that just enfolds us. These are precious episodes. We will never approach the uplifting heights the two disciples encountered on the Emmaus Road when they claimed, “Did not our hearts burn within us when He opened unto us the scriptures.” Nevertheless sometimes God makes His word glow with joy and assurances. I pray that in these 8 or so messages based on Psalm 34 that the Lord might just open to us a shining light on just one small portion of His inspired word.

Even the world could recognise the uniqueness of the Lord. The word of God is just so powerful and it is featured here once more in this account – {{John 7:45-46 The officers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees and they said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?” The officers answered, “NEVER DID A MAN SPEAK THE WAY THIS MAN SPEAKS.”}} Well you never heard Jesus speak when the officers were sent to arrest Him but you can hear Him speaking to you in His very living word, the bible. Have nothing to do with people or organisations who claim the bible merely contains the word of God for they have mutilated it. They will never, ever hear the Lord opening his word to them. The only word they will hear is, “Depart from Me for I never knew you.” God’s word testifies to itself – (NASB) – {{Hebrews 4:12 “THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND ACTIVE and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”}}

The very word of God that men despise, and with the devil’s enthusiasm, criticise and pull apart with scorn, it will be the very word of God that will judge every man and especially at the great white throne. I would tell young Christians to engross themselves in Psalm 119 to understand the variety of the great truths there relating to the word of God. There are 22 verses in this 34th Psalm which is an alphabetic Psalm, and we speak about that later on.

[2]. THE SETTING OF THE PSALM

What is the setting of this psalm? Look at the title. [[“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.

There are some outstanding deliverances in the bible such as Israel departing Egypt, and the Apostles being released from prison in Acts 5, and Daniel being kept from the mouths of hungry lions, but two I want to say something about are Mary Magdalene and the man known as Legion. This is about all we know of Mary of Magdala’s background – {{Mark 16:9 “Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene FROM WHOM HE HAD CAST OUT SEVEN DEMONS. She went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping,”}} (I know some say this chapter was not in the original).

All throughout the gospels, you will not find a more devoted lady than Mary Magdalene, and that goes back to her deliverance from demonic possession. Once there was an unnamed woman who poured perfume over Jesus’ feet after washing them with her tears. This woman was a sinner. There was indignation from the Pharisees over this so Jesus told a parable. To the owner of the house, Simon, a Pharisee, the Lord said this – {{Luke 7:45-47 “You gave Me no kiss but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. For this reason I say to you, HER SINS WHICH ARE MANY, HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN FOR SHE LOVED MUCH BUT HE WHO IS FORGIVEN LITTLE, LOVES LITTLE,”}} Those who were forgiven much, love much. Note John Newton.

Mary of Magdala was forgiven much, so she loved much. I love this quote from Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, speaking of the unnamed woman with the alabaster box of perfume – [[ “Her love and her forgiveness were mingled with each other in mutual interchange. She loved because she was forgiven; she was forgiven because she loved. Her faith and her love were one; it was “faith working by love”, and the love proved the faith. Spiritual things do not admit of the clear sequences of earthly things. There is with God no before or after, but only an eternal now.