The Lord Is Near

The LORD is Near

Psalm 34:7-18

Good morning,

As we have been studying the Book of Psalms, we have learned many things about the Lord's character and His attributes.

King David had such a close walk with the LORD, that as he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write some of the Psalms, he was able to tell us many things about this God we serve.

Please open your Bibles to Psalm 34 as we continue surveying through that book.

The LORD is so big and there are many facets of Him that we will never understand this side of heaven, but the things we can learn of Him, should comfort His children and scare His foes.

The LORD deals with His children differently than those who refuse to make Him the Lord of their lives.

1 Peter 5:5 Yes, all of you be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

Edmond Hiebert said, “The verb, “resists” in 1 Peter 5:5 vividly pictures God, as one who places Himself in battle array against such individuals.”

The LORD of Hosts, the God of angel armies, will suit up to fight against proud and haughty people, who will not surrender.

But then 1 Peter 5:6 says, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

1 Peter 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you”. NKJV

Again, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

If we are humble before the LORD, He will give us grace.

Remember, Grace is God’s undeserved, unmerited favor, which can also be explained as God’s riches at Christ’s expense.

I. The LORD God protects His children.

Read Psalm 34:7

This Psalm was written by David when he was being hunted by King Saul and David fled to Gath of the Land of the Philistines.

David pretended to be insane, so the Philistines drove him away and he departed and hid in a cave with the men who joined him.

1 Samuel 21:10 David arose and fled that day from before Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath.

1 Samuel 21:11 And the servants of Achish said to him, "Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying: 'Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands'?"

1 Samuel 21:12 Now David took these words to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

1 Samuel 21:13 So he changed his behavior before them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard.

1 Samuel 21:14 Then Achish said to his servants, "Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me?

1 Samuel 21:15 Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?" NKJV

So, David wrote this Psalm in the cave and sang it with his men.

Whenever scripture uses the term, “The Angel of the LORD” instead of “an” angel of the LORD, there is a distinction.

The dictionary meaning of an angel is a spiritual being who is an attendant, agent, or messenger of God.

We do not know how many angels there are in heaven, but we know that at some time, Satan fell from heaven, and he convinced one-third of the heavenly hosts to follow him.

We also know that angels are very powerful beings, but this identifier of “The angel of the LORD” is about a specific being.

The LORD appeared to different people in the Old Testament, but we first see, “The Angel of the LORD”, in Genesis 16.

gotquestions.org said, “Angels are mentioned numerous times in the New Testament, but “The angel of the Lord” is never mentioned in the New Testament after the birth of Christ.”

Appearances of “The Angel of the LORD” were manifestations of Jesus before His incarnation, not God the Father.

John 6:46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. NKJV

Jesus claimed to have lived before Abraham to the religious leaders and said in John 8:58 "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." NKJV

“The Angel of the LORD” sightings were pre-incarnate appearances of Christ (otherwise known as a Christophany).

David said in Psalm 34:7, “The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him and delivers them.” NKJV

David had an invisible, all-powerful, always-present, protector who camped out around him so that David was untouchable.

During King Hezekiah's reign, Assyria attacked Judah’s cities and mocked Hezekiah as a weak leader with a weak nation.