Psalm 34:14-17 - Part 6 - The Pursuit Of Peace; The Righteous And The Wicked Series

PSALM 34:14-17 - PART 6 - THE PURSUIT OF PEACE; THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED

In our previous study of this psalm we began verse 14 but we only did the first half of the verse that spoke about departing from evil and going good. Today we continue with verse 14. Let us look at it again. Psalm 34 is most instructive and a delightful psalm.

[1]. SEEK PEACE (NOT WAR OR STRIFE) AND CHASE AFTER IT

{{Psalm 34:14 “Depart from evil and do good. SEEK PEACE, AND PURSUE IT.”}}

Jesus said something significant (as He did always) – {{Matthew 5:9 “BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS, for they shall be called sons of God.”}} In the New Testament there is a very strong emphasis on peace because peace comes from God. Peace is not in our nature because the natural man is not peaceful because his range of sins. {{Galatians 5:19-21 “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, ENMITIES, STRIFE, JEALOUSY, outbursts of anger, DISPUTES, DISSENSIONS, FACTIONS, ENVYING, drunkenness, carousing . . .”}}

Have a look at the words highlighted above – 7 of them – key words for the destruction of peace. That is what composes our natures. That is why unregenerated people have no internal peace and no national or international peace.

(The wisdom here is ungodly) {{James 3:15-18 “This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. Where JEALOUSY AND SELFISH AMBITION EXIST, THERE IS DISORDER AND EVERY EVIL THING, but the wisdom from above is first pure, then PEACEABLE, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy, and the seed whose fruit is righteousness IS SOWN IN PEACE BY THOSE WHO MAKE PEACE.”}}. James says every evil thing comes from jealousy and selfish ambition, but it is the wisdom of God that results in peace associated with righteousness. All of us need to be sowers of peace.

Peace is one of the top three fruit gifts of the Spirit given to us – love, joy, peace – and the purpose of that is to cultivate peace among all men but especially our fellow Christians. Romans 12:18 –{{“If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”}} Peace is important because we copy the God of peace who did this – {{Ephesians 2:13-15 “but now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ, FOR HE HIMSELF IS OUR PEACE, who MADE BOTH GROUPS INTO ONE, and BROKE DOWN THE BARRIER OF THE DIVIDING WALL by abolishing in His flesh the enmity which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, THUS ESTABLISHING PEACE”}}

Peace can only occur in mankind when God is in control. Man can not achieve his own peace for he is full of the fruit of the old nature, the flesh. Jesus Christ is our peace, and outside Him there is no peace. Paul persecuted the Church causing havoc but when he was converted he valued peace enormously because he was then at peace with God. He thrived on peace with God, and the peace of God from the God of peace. That went hand in hand with grace that extended to him the persecutor and saved him. Grace and peace became his greeting in all his letters; such was the value he placed on grace and peace.

The Psalm verse says to seek peace. That means seeking to abolish discord and all those things in the old nature from Galatians 5:19-21, among fellow Christians. When Jesus stilled the storm, there was peace, so stilling the storms in our churches is a start.

Psalm 34:14 commands to seek peace but it also says to pursue it. It means to run after it and I think with the sense of not letting it get away. The Study Bible says [[“The word "pursue" implies an active, ongoing effort, suggesting that PEACE IS NOT EASILY ATTAINED AND REQUIRES DILIGENCE AND PERSEVERANCE. This aligns with the New Testament exhortations to strive for peace with everyone (Hebrews 12:14) and to live at peace as much as it depends on you (Romans 12:18).”]]

[2]. THE ONES WHO ARE RIGHTEOUS ARE IN GOD’S SIGHT

{{Psalm 34:15 “The eyes of the LORD are toward THE RIGHTEOUS, and HIS EARS ARE OPEN to their cry.”}}

The eyes of the LORD are also towards the unrighteous but He will not entertain their cry unless it is in repentance, for the heart of man is wicked and seeks not the things that are spiritually good. Out of the heart comes all manner of evil.

There is an interesting passage in Isaiah where the righteous examine their situation. The whole of chapter 59 is so revealing and I can only select a minimum of verses. Firstly we will consider this – {{Isaiah 59:8 “They do not know THE WAY OF PEACE and there is no justice in their tracks. They have made their paths crooked. WHOEVER TREADS ON THEM DOES NOT KNOW PEACE.”}} In the previous verse of Psalm 34 above, we were thinking about peace. This verse speaks of the unrighteous and confirms again the man away from God has no personal, national or international peace.