Psalm 34 - The LORD hears the Cries of the Afflicted

This article was first published in French at TPSG.

The main message of Psalm 34, in one simple phrase, is this:

 

Because the LORD hears our cries, let us fear him and draw near to him in our afflictions.

 

A careful study of this psalm of thanksgiving promises to yield rich blessing in the life of the believer. But in order to understand this psalm and the psalter as a whole, it may be helpful to become familiar with the different genres of psalms:

 

Genres in the Psalms

Scholars differ in the exact way they classify the psalms, with some employing up to 20 different groupings. I propose the following: 

1.     Psalms of confession express sorrow over sin and an appeal for God’s forgiveness. 

2.     Psalms of praise give the covenant people the words to extol God for who he is. 

3.     Psalms of thanksgiving serve as a shared celebration of gratitude to God for what he has done for his people.

4.     Royal psalms focus on the coming reign of the promised Anointed King in the line of David. 

5.     Psalms of lament are individual or communal cries to God for help.

6.     Wisdom psalms reflect on the value of living under God’s instructions as preserved in the Torah.

7.     Imprecatory psalms appeal to the justice of God, calling on him to defeat his enemies and defend his holiness. 

 

Acrostic Psalms

In addition to genre, another helpful element to be aware of us structure. Psalm 34 is an acrostic psalm, which begins with Aleph (A) and each successive line begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. According to scholars, there are at least three reasons certain psalms may have been written in this form:

1.     It demonstrates poetic beauty, similar to the use of rhyme in our own poetry (which is absent from Hebrew poetry).

2.     It communicates completeness. It has covered its desired subject from A to Z. 

3.     It is a useful tool in memorization in an oral culture. 

 

Psalm 34 in its Historical Context

Psalm 34 tells us precisely what is going on in the life of David that leads him to pen these words. We find the complete account in 1 Samuel 21:10-15, in which David feigns insanity before Achish (French: Akisch). (Please refer to Finding Christ in the Psalms for more about typology in this psalm). 

 

A Major Theme in Psalm 34

When we study Scripture, it’s important to take note of repeated words, phrases, or ideas, as they will often direct us to the main point of a passage. In this case, David uses a variety of images to draw us a vivid picture of his many adversities.

·      Fears/terrors (v. 4/5)

·      Shame (v. 5/6)

·      All his troubles (v. 6/7 and 17/18)

·      Hunger (v. 10/11)

·      An evil tongue (v. 13/14)

·      Deceitful speech (v. 13/14)

·      A crushed spirit (v. 18/19)

·      A broken heart (v. 18/19)

·      Broken bones (v. 20/21)

·      Haters (v. 21/22)

For them all, the antidote is the same: the fear and the fellowship of the LORD.

 

I. Introduction: Magnify the Lord with me (Ps 34:1-3)

In these opening verses, David speaks of praise in absolute terms: at all times and always. God has been faithful to him, and he promises to be faithful to God. Then, he invites his hearers to share in this commitment of faith. “Join me! Don’t you want to celebrate our awesome God together?!”

 
II. Testimony Time (Ps 34:4-7)

In v. 4/5, David looks back to what the Lord has done for him: he has delivered him from ALL his fears. In fact, he uses the word “all” 8x in this psalm. Then, in v. 5/6, he describes what happens to those who seek him. They’re not just a little bit happy – they are radiant with joy! And what’s more, they will never be ashamed! This seems like two sides of the same coin: joy and shame cannot coexist, and looking upon the face of God floods our hearts with joy and banishes shame. 

 

In v. 6/7, David refers to a poor man. Most commentators believe that he is speaking of himself. This term malheureux could be translated poor, humble, needy, afflicted, and here, it demonstrates David’s recognition of his frailty and dependence upon the LORD. The military term he employs next in v. 7/8 depicts an army encampment that protects from enemies in time of war, just as the LORD did for his people in the Exodus.

 

III. An Invitation to Fear and Fellowship (Ps 34:8-10)

In this section, David opens in v. 8/9 with a double imperative that involves the senses. Taste. See. The French translation “Sentez” doesn’t bring this out, but John Calvins writes that by invoking the use of one’s mouths and eyes, the psalmist is calling his hearers to awaken their dull senses to God’s goodness. This rich imagery brings to mind God’s abundant provision and table fellowship. And what comes of feasting on Christ? The second clause in the verse tells us: Happiness! 

 

His next imperative in v. 9/10 is closely connected: Fear the LORD! In fact, the fear of the Lord appears 4x in this psalm and is a central theme. In this case, David juxtaposes the fear of the Lord with the terror the Lord delivers him from in v. 4/5. The filial fear of God casts out earthly fears (insert link to book review for “Rejoice & Tremble”).

 

In v. 10-11 David applies the imagery of young lions because they’re the fiercest, most self-sufficient of creatures. Yet even these will go hungry before God allows his own to lack any good thing.^[1] His is an invitation to take God at his Word. 

 

IV. Advice on the Fear of the Lord (Ps 34:11-14)

According to commentators, this verse refers not so much to a father speaking to his children, but to a teacher speaking to his students.^[2] His lesson plan for today is the fear of the LORD. And the prize for those who learn this lesson is a long, happy life!^[3]

 

But how do we get that long, happy life? 

The teacher offers his students a simple PowerPoint Presentation with 3 bullet points:

·      Don’t talk trash about others (v. 12/13) ("casser du sucre sur le dos de quelqu'un")

·      Turn your back on what is evil (v. 14/15)

·      Do good. Be a peacemaker. 

 

V. The God who is Near (Ps 34:15-18)

This psalm uses the imagery of the senses in a powerful way. We’ve already seen a repeated use of the mouth, lips, tongue, tasting, hunger, and satisfaction. And in these verses, David highlights the senses of sight and hearing: 

·      The Lord’s eyes are on the righteous (v. 15)

·      His ears are open to their cry (v. 15)

·      The righteous cry out and the Lord hears them (v. 17)

 

Communion with God in our suffering is a multisensory experience! And it’s a deeply intimate, personal one. God draws near to the brokenhearted and draws the brokenhearted near to him. He saves those who are crushed in spirit. Whether David is hiding in a cave, terrified and broken, or whether he weeping in his fortress, grieving the death of his best friend Jonathan, David experiences his share of heartache. And he bears witness to the truth that God has been near him through them all.

 

Sandwiched in the middle of these words of comfort, we find the opposite side of the coin: God’s face is against the wicked. He turns away from them. Given that they have often been the source of David’s heartache and affliction, these words reassure both David and his hearers then and now that God will make right what is wrong in this world. And that is equally a source of comfort and joy for his people. 

 

VI. No Condemnation Because of the One whose Bones were Not Broken (Ps 34:19-22)

A superficial reading of Psalm 34 could give the impression that God promises to always deliver us from all our affliction. But David dispels that idea clearly when he reiterates in v. 19/20 that the righteous experience many adversities. Not a few. Many. 

 

David uses a metaphor in v. 20/21 to describe God’s protection. “All of his bones” is a way of speaking poetically of his whole body. But what is true of David in an imaginative sense is true of the Son of David in the most literal sense (Jn 19:36). For on the cross, the soldiers didn’t break Jesus’ legs as they did the others crucified with him. And the evangelist tells us that this was to fulfill what was written by David in this psalm! 

 

In v. 21-22/22-23, we see a contrast between two ways of life. We discover two destinies: 

·      That of the wicked and that of the servants of God.

·      Those who do evil that brings death, and those whom the LORD redeems and receive life.

·      Those who are punished and those who are spared. 

And what separates them is that the former are enemies of righteousness and the latter take refuge in the Righteous One. 

 

And who is our only refuge in life and in death? Who is the only one who can deliver us both in this life and in the life to come? The Lord Jesus Christ, the one whose bones were not broken. As Romans 8:1 puts it, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” 

 

Implications

·      When we go through trials, is our immediate response a commitment to praise and thanks? May David’s opening line of this psalm inspire us to choose praise in the midst of trials, knowing that the LORD has always been and will always be faithful. And may his deliverance also incite us to invite others to magnify the Lord with us. 

·      We live in fearful days. The remedy for carnal fear is the filial fear of the Lord. May the fear of grieving our loving Heavenly Father motivate us to turn away from sin and draw near to him. 

·      Have we come to the place where we recognize that we are poor, desperate, and entirely dependent on God? For some of us, our self-sufficiency may be the greatest enemy to faith. We live as if we don’t need the Lord when we have our lives figured out.

·      In our evangelism, let us not issue a false bill of sales by promising that if someone trusts Christ, life will get easier. The promise of the gospel isn’t a life free from suffering, but union with Christ that will carry us through it all the way to glory. May that be the gospel we preach, and not a cheap counterfeit. 

 

Because the LORD hears our cries, let us fear him and draw near to him in our afflictions.

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^[1] Peter C. Craigie, Psalms 1–50, 2nd ed., vol. 19, Word Biblical Commentary (Nashville, TN: Nelson Reference & Electronic, 2004), 280.

^[2] Robert G. Bratcher and William David Reyburn, A Translator’s Handbook on the Book of Psalms, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1991), 323.

^[3] Robert G. Bratcher and William David Reyburn, A Translator’s Handbook on the Book of Psalms, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1991), 324.