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Our gracious and our loving Heavenly 
Father, we thank You, Lord, that You have promised Your Spirit 
to attend Your Word. And so, Lord, we pray that Your 
blessing might be upon Your Word this day. We seek to lift up 
Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We seek, Lord, to glory, and 
not in the things of this earth, not in the glory of man, but 
rather in the glory of Your Son, the Lord Jesus. And the salvation 
is ours through Him. So Lord, how we pray your blessing 
might be upon these next few moments. We pray, Lord, that 
you would remove from us, from here, from me, anything that 
would seek to take away from your word. We pray, Lord, that 
we might hear from you and that you would be well-pleased to 
bless your word and cause your word to find its mark in each 
one of our hearts and lives. For those that are unsaved, that 
they would see the winsomeness of the Lord Jesus Christ, the 
loveliness of Christ, the knowledge of forgiveness of sins. For those 
who are in Christ, that, Father, we would be edified and built 
up in our most holy faith, that we would be challenged, but also 
much encouraged by your word. We thank you that your word is 
an encouragement to the people of God in this lower world. So, 
Lord, how we pray that your blessing might be upon this time, and 
your gracious Holy Spirit would be here in this place. Forgive 
us of all of our sins and cleanse us afresh in that precious blood 
of your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's in his name we pray. 
Amen. Well, if you have your Bibles open to Psalm 34, it begins 
with the title, The Happiness of Those Who Trust in God, a 
Psalm of David, when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who 
drove him away, and he departed. So I just want to stop there 
for a moment, because the title of this psalm obviously tips 
us off to the circumstances that are found in 1 Samuel 21. David intended here to commemorate 
that event, the events of 1 Samuel 21, with well-carved memorials, 
as it were, of not of himself, because he has nothing to be 
memorialized in 1 Samuel 21, but well-carved memorials of 
God's mercy. God's mercy to David. Thus, he 
wrote this. It's an acrostic poem. It doesn't 
come out in English, but in the Hebrew, there's 22 letters in 
the Hebrew, and each of these verses begins with a successive 
letter. In the Hebrew alphabet, there's 
only one other chapter. There's only one other psalm 
like that psalm 25 That was the psalm we opened as well. You 
perhaps maybe didn't notice but there's 22 verses in that psalm 
as well So they're both acrostic acrostic psalms acrostic poems 
as it were again speaking of of God's God's mercies and trying 
seeking to be a memorial of God's mercy So because that is the 
that's the title of the psalm I'm going to ask you to keep 
your finger in psalm 34 and But I think we should flip over to 
1 Samuel 21, so we get the context, we understand, well, where was 
David at? Why did he write this psalm? 
What are the circumstances to David writing this psalm? And 
chapter 21 of 1 Samuel, if you flip to that, I'm going to read verses 10 to 
15, the context being David is fleeing from Saul and ultimately 
fleeing for his life, not just fleeing because he thought Saul 
was going to rail against him or say nasty things to him. Saul 
wanted to take David's life and he was running for his life, 
David was. And so we pick up the chapter 
or the verse 10 of chapter 21, in 1st Samuel it says, then David 
arose and fled that day from before Saul and went to Achish 
the king of Gath. I might just say that Achish 
is probably the name of the king. Abimelech is more of a title, 
the king, king or Abimelech. So it is the same person we're 
speaking of in case you think, well, That's odd. It says it's 
Abimelech in Psalm 34, but it's talking about Achish here. So 
sorry, I'm going to just read that again, verse 10. 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? Now David took these words up 
to heart and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 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. Then Achish said to his servants, 
Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? 
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? Well certainly he was fearful for his life, because 
ultimately Achish would have perhaps taken his life had he 
thought that David to be of a sound mind. So it's not a It's not 
a high point in David's life. And so therefore David in Psalm 
34 goes back and he's going to speak about that event. And let's 
begin reading Psalm 34, our text for today. And I simply hope 
just to go through each verse and draw attention, draw some 
conclusions, draw some encouragements from each of the verses. Beginning 
at verse one of Psalm 34, I will bless the Lord at all times. 
His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall 
make its boast in the Lord. The humble shall hear of it and 
be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his 
name together. I sought the Lord and he heard 
me and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to him 
and were radiant and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man 
cried out, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all 
his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps 
all around those who fear him and delivers them. Oh, taste 
and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who trusts 
in him. Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints. There is no want to those who 
fear him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger, but those 
who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. Come, you children, 
listen to me. I will teach you the fear of 
the Lord. Who is the man who desires life and loves many days 
that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and 
your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good. 
Seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are on the 
righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. The face of the 
Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance 
of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the 
Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The 
Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such 
as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the 
righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He guards 
all his bones. Not one of them is broken. Evil 
shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall 
be condemned. The Lord redeems the soul of 
his servants, and none of those who trust in him shall be condemned. Amen. Well, I trust that in gratitude 
we can see the psalmist is prompted here in this chapter to record 
the goodness of the Lord. in providing him an undeserved 
deliverance from that incident in 1 Samuel 21. Just an awful 
incident, and I'm sure it played upon the conscience of David 
as he thought back to what he had done before, the madness 
that he had embellished. before Abimelech. Yet David weaves, 
in this chapter, he weaves none of those incidents, which I think 
is curious. It's interesting. He weaves none of the incidents, 
specifically of 1 Samuel 21, into this narrative, but rather 
he dwells on the grand fact of being heard in his hour of great 
peril. He was in great peril, and that's 
what he wants to focus on. God heard me in that hour of 
great peril. And we may learn from his example 
not to parade our sins before others, not to parade the things 
that perhaps we've done wrong and somehow think that there's... 
because that only brings glory to ourselves, but rather parade 
before our fellow man the goodness of God and the fact that God 
is a gracious God and He does provide escape. So let us, along 
with David, parade God's goodness. to one another, parade God's 
kindness, parade God's mercy, parade God's long-suffering. 
Because certainly here in this chapter, David, he played the 
fool before Abimelech, but he was not so foolish as to write 
a psalm exploiting his sins, exploiting his folly. You see 
in your handout, I should have said in the announcements that 
there were some handouts being given at the back. If you didn't 
get one during one of the hymns, you could have gotten up and 
gotten one. So my apologies if you don't have it. But for those 
who do have it, you can see that the chapter divides into two 
major divisions. Verses 1 to 10, we will take 
kind of as a section. And the psalmist here is expressing 
his praise. To God almost like a hymn. That's 
what we do when we sing hymns. We're expressing praise to God 
and Verses 11 to 11 to 22 while the psalmist turns his address 
to men. It's a sermon So really we've 
got we've got it We've got a hymn and we've got a sermon not unlike 
what we have on a Sunday morning or Sunday evening Where we sing 
hymns and we hear from God's Word We hear what what the Word 
of God has to say so Those are the two major divisions that 
I trust you'll be able to see as we go through this chapter. 
So, verses 1 to 3, you will see in your handout, this is where 
David vows to bless the Lord and invites the praise of others. 
That's his desire, is to praise God. and express that praise 
to God in hymns. So verse 1, it says, I will bless 
who? I will bless the Lord. David 
is resolved. He's fixed. It says, I will. Not maybe, not eventually, not 
someday, not one day, but I will praise the Lord. Let other people 
do as they may. He himself personally is determined 
to be a praiser of God. That's his desire. That was his 
heartbeat, was to praise God. And ought to be our heartbeat 
as well. Be determined that I will bless the Lord. And to whom is 
that praise? It's to Jehovah. It wasn't to 
second causes. David certainly could have said, 
well, didn't I act the brilliant man? I acted mad and I got away 
from Abimelech. Abimelech didn't come at me, 
didn't take my head off. Wasn't I a wonderful fellow? 
and almost in a sense, glorying in his own second causes and 
being grateful for that. Well, David may have had warrant 
to think that he would have shared in that transaction with God, 
and that's where it would have been sinned. He would have robbed 
God of the honor that was due him. It was God that got him 
out of that circumstance. It wasn't David's madness. David 
did use that means and God overlooked it in many ways, but that was 
not the thing that David looked back on and said, wasn't I a 
wonderful fellow? Wasn't I a smart fellow? Didn't 
I use ingenuity and creativity in getting out of the circumstance? 
No. He wants to heap praises upon God. I will bless the Lord, 
because otherwise would be to rob God of the honor that was 
due him. God ultimately has a monopoly 
on his creature's praise. And if you are given a gift by 
someone, do we praise the gift or do we praise the giver? Do 
we thank the giver? Sure, we're grateful for the gift. for the 
gift, but it would be something wrong with us if we were totally 
consumed by the gift that was given to us. Let's praise the 
giver of that gift, and that is God himself. The second half, 
that first line, at all times, to bless the Lord is never unseasonable. It says at all times. It's not 
a matter of you know, it's been waiting for the right time to 
praise God I'll wait till Sunday and I'll praise the Lord on Sunday 
I'll wait till my my prayer time tonight before I go to bed or 
I'll wait till tomorrow morning's Devotional time that's when I'll 
praise God. No, it says I will bless the Lord at all times and 
I not necessary at the right time 
or at the right place, in every situation, under every circumstance, 
in bright days, in dark days, in difficulty, in happiness, 
in joy. Our duty as Christians is to 
bless the Lord at all times. If I could have you turn your 
Bibles to Deuteronomy 6, This was known as the Shema in Old 
Testament Israel, and I think David is simply taking and being 
practical with the Shema, without actually saying this is the Shema, 
but if you've not, I know Pastor Butler has spoken a great deal 
about it, so I don't think it's an uncommon term to us, but it 
was a prayer that the Old Testament Israelites were to pray. And 
just notice as I read this Shema, Deuteronomy 6, 4-9, that it's 
this idea of all times. I will bless the Lord all times. 
Not sometimes, not when I feel like it, not just in dark days, 
not just in difficult circumstances, but all days, all the time. Deuteronomy 
6, verses 4-9. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our 
God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your 
God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your 
strength. And these words which I command you today shall be 
in your heart. You shall teach them diligently 
to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your 
house. when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you 
rise up. You shall bind them as a sign 
on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your 
eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts 
of your house and on your gates." So, that is what we are to do. 
We are to be praisers of God, bless God at all times. If we 
look at the second half of verse 1, his praise shall continually 
be in my mouth." Not in my heart. Oh, I feel joyful. I'm happy 
in my heart. No, it's in our mouth. That's 
what David the psalmist says. God does not want dumb children. I don't mean dumb as in not intelligent, 
but dumb as in deaf and dumb, I can't speak. God wants us to, 
our tongues to be used to glorify him at all times. Times of private 
prayer, may our private prayer be times of worship, of glorifying 
God, or times of corporate prayer that we'd remember to worship 
God, to bless God at all times. When we sing hymns privately 
or hum a hymn to ourselves, that's an opportunity, that's a time 
when his praise shall continually be in my mouth. When we gather 
for corporate worship, That's a time and opportunity for our 
singing in corporate worship to be the praise of God in our 
mouth, in our conversations with one another. I believe David 
intends here to indicate that our conversations with one another, 
that we would seek to praise him continually. Let it be like 
a perfume. If a lady is wearing a perfume, 
it spreads out. It's in the air. Everyone around 
can smell. Usually it's a good thing. That 
we can enjoy that they we can enjoy that perfume. So let our 
worship of God Let our blessing God at all times let our praise 
of God be like a perfume that goes out from us So instead of 
giving voice to discontent, we're cataloging all the blessings 
of God instead of complaining and we're showing contentment 
in our conversation, in our speech. Instead of slandering other people, 
we're giving voice to complimenting other people, encouraging them. 
Instead of perhaps giving voice to bitterness, we've got a joy 
about us if we are praising God continually. Instead of fretting, 
some of us are given to fretting, given to the cares of this world. 
Instead of fretting, well, we're going to see all the blessings 
that we have. So, I believe that's what David, the psalmist here, 
is attempting to do. when he says, his praise shall 
continually be in my mouth. Verse two, my soul shall make 
its boast in the Lord. So it's not self-boasting, but 
it's soul-boasting. Self-boasting, I think we all 
know what self-boasting is. It's as natural as breathing. 
It's as natural as drinking water. We all do it. We have a natural, 
because of the Adamic sinful nature, we have a propensity 
to boast about ourselves. I did this. Oh, aren't I wonderful? 
We may not say it in those words, but perhaps we may come across 
that way. That's called self-boasting. I think the psalmist here is 
speaking of soul-boasting. My soul shall make its boast 
to the Lord. Soul-boasting requires the mind to conjure up thoughts 
of God before expressing them. That's what soul-boasting is. 
We're going to see David's boasting here in who? Not in David, even 
though the circumstances, he could have rejoiced in his ingenuity 
in getting out of a difficult circumstance, slipping through 
from Abimelech. But no, David's boasting here 
is in Jehovah, in his attributes, in his covenants, in his promises, 
in his works. That's what David is boasting 
in here. That's what I think he intends for us to do when 
we talk about, my soul makes boast in the Lord. Continuing 
on, verse two, the humble shall hear it and be glad. Do we ever 
feel uplifted when we're in conversation with someone who's a bragger? 
No, it doesn't lift us up. It doesn't encourage us when 
we are with someone who brags. It's the humble that we desire 
to be with. It's those who genuinely see 
themselves before God. Think of when you were, conversing 
with someone who's genuinely talking about the Lord's goodness 
in their lives. Well, that only helps to confirm 
our trust in a faithful God. It encourages our hearts. We 
want to praise God along with them when they're not boasting 
themselves, they're boasting in the things of God. It makes 
those around us feel glad and happy and genuinely uplifted 
in our souls. Verse 3, He says, oh, magnify 
the Lord with me. David's address here is ultimately, 
again, to the humble man, the humble woman. And we're not inclined 
to come alongside someone who's not humble, someone who is proud. 
It's just not someone we naturally want to be with. We tend to probably 
shy away from someone who boasts of their own proud doings and 
whatnot. And I believe that when someone 
is magnifying the Lord, it doesn't always have to be in a demonstrative 
manner. We were with someone recently 
who a great tragedy had come into their lives, and they were 
truly boasting in the Lord. Again, not in a demonstrative 
way. They were just speaking of the goodness of God, the kindness 
of God, the smile of God, how God had been so gracious to them, 
how God was being gracious to them. in that very difficult 
circumstance, that situation that they had been called to 
go through. And that just, to Leslie and myself, that just 
encouraged our hearts. We felt uplifted by the fact that they 
were magnifying the Lord. And so let's be of that ilk, 
people. Let's be those who demonstrate, 
who seek to magnify the Lord in our speech. I have a quote 
here from C.H. Spurgeon, which I think to some 
degree says, it says, no praise can excel that which lays us 
prostrate under a sense of our own nothingness, while divine 
grace, like some topless elf, rises before our eyes and sinks 
us lower and lower in holy awe. That's what it means to magnify 
the Lord with me. And the last part of verse three, 
and let us exalt his name, Together, not let us exalt his name. Let 
us exalt his name together. Pastor Butler has been preaching 
through Acts, and at the end of Acts, Acts chapter 2, verse 
47, the pattern is set down for the church. They broke bread, 
they ate together, and they praised God. Now, I don't get the impression 
that they prayed. I'm sure they did praise God 
individually in their homes, but you got the impression that 
these are the things they were doing corporately together. They 
were breaking bread, eating together, and praising God. I think that's 
what the psalmist here is saying when he says, let us exalt his 
name together. That's what we do when we gather 
together for prayer meeting, for morning worship, for Wednesday 
night, for Sunday evening. We're gathering together to magnify 
the Lord and exalt his name together. Ultimately, this is what the 
redeemed are going to be doing in heaven, so why would we not want to do 
it here on earth? Why would we not want to do it 
with God's people here on earth? If exalting His name together 
is going to be a full-time, our full-time job, I guess you can't 
really call it a job, our full-time occupation in heaven is exalting 
God, well, we ought to glory and joy in exalting His name 
together here on earth. Let's turn to the next section, 
as you see in your handout. Verses 4-7, David relates the circumstances 
of his experience. Still continuing in that hymn, 
but David here is relating the circumstances of his experience. 
Verse 4, it says, It must have been a very confused, 
conflicted manner that David prayed back in 1 Samuel 21, because 
he resorted to some very dubious methods by pretending to be a 
mad, raving lunatic. But be encouraged, we're never 
shut out from the Lord. Because of our sin, God doesn't 
say, I don't want to listen to you anymore, I don't want to 
hear you anymore. God invites through David here, God encourages 
us that truly he does not close the door to our prayers. This 
quote is from Spurgeon as well. And I have depended on Spurgeon 
very much for this outline. It comes from Spurgeon. It is 
another quote from Spurgeon, which I think speaks very well 
to this idea of, I sought the Lord and he heard me. David's 
poor, limping prayer had an acceptance and brought him succor. the more 
reason for then celebrating the abounding mercy of the Lord. We may seek God even when we 
have sinned. If sin could blockade the mercy 
seat, it would be all over for us. But the mercy is that there 
are gifts even for the rebellious and an advocate for men who sin." 
So I think that ought to encourage us, brethren, this morning as 
we consider that idea. of seeking the Lord, and he heard 
me. The next section, he delivered 
me from all my fears. The second half of verse four, 
he delivered me from all my fears. Simply, God answered David's 
prayer. David shot a prayer to God, and 
God answered that prayer. You may note in these verses 
thus far, these first three and a half verses or so, maybe some 
egotism, or the first four verses, I guess, a little bit of egotism 
on the part of David. I don't think it is. I think 
the answer is found in this last line of verse four, of he delivered 
me from all my sins. David's aim is not to glorify 
himself, but to give glory to God for his deliverance. And 
that ought to be the aim of our lives, that we would seek to 
give glory to God. He delivered me. Yes, maybe I 
was sinful that time. Maybe I wasn't thinking right 
thoughts of God. But I'm not going to pray those. I'm just 
going to glory in the fact that He delivered me from all my fears. 
He delivered me from all of my discomforts and uncomforts. If 
we look at verse 5, they looked to Him and were radiant, and 
their faces were not ashamed. When we're sorely tried, is it 
the time spent with a friend or the time spent before the 
Lord that brings true settleness to the heart and to the soul? 
I would say it's time spent with the Lord. Yes, friends are good. 
Friends are comforting. Friends can be encouraging. But 
it's ultimately, if we're seeking our pleasures, if we're seeking 
our comfort in the Lord, there is true comfort when we seek 
that. Three examples, we think of the 
disciples in Matthew 8. They were in a storm. Their boat 
was being tossed to and fro. They were afraid of drowning. 
What did they do? They said, help Lord. And he helped them. 
He saved them. He did it. That's all they had 
to do, was just ask the Lord to save them. Jesus, the good 
physician, who did he heal? Blind Bartimaeus. Blind Bartimaeus 
just simply looked to the Lord Jesus and he saved them. Think 
of Zacchaeus as well, who was up in the tree. Zacchaeus, certainly 
he was delivered. From from from from from the 
difficulty that he was in as well on the unsaved condition 
Think of the Israelites when they looked they looked to that 
brazen serpent in the wilderness I think that there's evidence 
there again that David is drawing all these things together in 
verse 5 when he says they look to him and Were radiant and their 
faces were not ashamed. We need to look to the Lord Jesus 
We need to look to him look to his spirit comfort help and aid 
verse 6 this poor man cried out and the Lord heard him and saved 
him out of all of his troubles David's life was in very real 
danger. He was in great touch great jeopardy before Bimilac 
we read it and of course we see the end of the story but at the 
time David David Perhaps maybe he was thinking, this is the 
end. This is the end of my life. My head may be cut off by Obamacare. So what does he do? His prayer? 
He didn't have time for a long intercessory prayer. His prayer 
was a cry. This poor man cried out. It was 
a cry. It was brief. It was bitter. 
It was earnest, but it was simple. And God, nonetheless, God who 
is powerful in heaven, came and answered the prayer of David. 
So David is saying that prayer can clear trouble away as easily 
as the Lord cleared the frogs and the flies of Israel away. 
The frogs were all over the place in Egypt. The frogs and the flies, 
they were everywhere. They were in the rooms, out of 
the rooms. There's almost not a spot where 
they could not be. and simply through a simple prayer 
of Moses, and God cleared it all away. Let that be our testimony, 
as well as David's here, in this verse. It's David's personal 
testimony, ultimately, to us. So let's make it ours, and take 
heart, be of good courage. This verse is for us, just as 
it was for David. This poor man cried out, and 
the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. 
So if you're in a difficulty today, If you're experiencing discouragement, 
disheartening, great anxiety, what ought we to do? Well, let's 
take verse 6 as our marching orders for this day, and cry 
out to the Lord. He does hear, just as He's heard 
the people in the Old Testament. Moses in Egypt, and David's personal 
testimony here from 1 Samuel. Verse 7. The last verse in this section, 
the angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear him 
and delivers them. What an encouragement that is. 
We may never know how many providential deliverances we owe to those 
unseen hands of God, which have been charged to bear us up, lest 
our foot dash against a stone. I'm repeating perhaps a familiar 
verse to those who are familiar with it. If you turn to Psalm 
91, Psalm 91, that is Psalm 91 verses 11 and 12. Psalm 91, 11 
and 12. So take this as our encouragement. 
The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear him 
and delivers them. Psalm 91, 11 and 12 says, for 
he shall give his angels charge over you to keep you in all your 
ways. In their hands, they shall bear 
you up. lest you dash your foot against 
a stone." So we don't know how many times in a day, how many 
times in a week, how many times in our lifetime thus far. We 
have been kept and delivered by the God who sees all and knows 
all. And the last section of this 
hymn is verses 8 to 10. David exhorts the godly here 
in verses 8 to 10. to constancy in faith. Is our Christian life one that 
has ups and downs, ups and downs, ups and downs, or are we steadily 
marching to heaven? Are we steadily being steadied 
by the Word of God, steadied by the Spirit of God, so that 
we are growing in faith, growing in the things of God? I trust 
that's what our lives demonstrate, and if not, if your life doesn't 
demonstrate that, then be encouraged. This is David's secret in these 
next three verses, as he exhorts us to just constancy in the faith, 
so we don't have a Christian faith that goes up and down. 
Verse 8, he says, excuse me, Oh, taste and see that the Lord 
is good. We cannot taste and see God's 
deliverance vicariously. We can't see it through someone 
else. It's got to be personal. We've got to see it ourselves. 
It's got to be experiential. We must taste the Lord's deliverance 
for ourselves. And we can trust God for deliverance 
from circumstances, deliverance from sin, but it's something 
that we have to do. It's something we've got to take 
on. I would just refer you to 1 Samuel chapter 14 as an example 
of this. 1 Samuel chapter 14. It's similar in the same vein 
as what this context was with Jonathan. and David on the run from Jonathan's 
father. 1 Samuel chapter 14, verse 24. to 31. And it's, again, under 
this theme of verse 8 in Psalm 34, of tasting and seeing that 
the Lord is good. It has to be done by ourselves, 
it has to be done to ourselves, for ourselves, and we can't live 
the Christian life vicariously through someone else. So 1 Samuel, 
chapter 14, verses 24 to 31. And the men of Israel were distressed 
that day, for Saul had placed the people under oath, saying, 
Cursed is the man who eats any food until evening, before I 
have taken vengeance on my enemies. So none of the people tasted 
food. Now all the people of the land came to a forest, and there 
was honey on the ground. And when the people had come 
into the woods, there was the honey, dripping, but no one put 
his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. But Jonathan 
had not heard his father charge the people with the oath. Therefore, 
he stretched out the end of the rod that was in his hand and 
dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth, and 
his countenance brightened. Then one of the people said, 
your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, 
cursed is the man who eats food this day. And the people were 
faint. But Jonathan said, my father has troubled the land. 
Look now how my countenance has brightened, because I tasted 
a little of this honey. How much better if the people 
had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies, which 
they found. For now, would there not have 
been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines? Now they 
had driven back the Philistines that day from Michmash and Ajlon. So the people were very faint. So we see the evidence there 
that it was as David, sorry, as Jonathan experienced the honey, 
something as simple as that, that he was brightened by it, 
he was lightened by it. And he experienced deliverance 
as he tasted the goodness of the Lord in that circumstance. 
The second half of verse eight, Blessed is the man who trusts 
in Him. Ultimately, the allure of trusting 
ourselves in others, in second causes, that just robs us of 
the comfort in the Christian life of walking with Christ and 
enjoying all of His benefits. Let our walk be a walk that trusts 
in God, not trust in others, or even perhaps in second causes. What does this look like for 
the child of God, to fear God? Well, it's to have a childlike reverence. 
We ought not to ever think of God as our buddy. as just a little bit bigger than 
ourselves, as just a little smarter, a little wiser, a little stronger 
than ourselves. It's to have a childlike reverence. That's 
what David had. To walk in God's laws, have respect 
for the will of God, for the law of God. To tremble to offend 
Him. Do we tremble to offend God? 
I think that's what David is saying here. Oh, fear the Lord, 
you His saints, and be ready to serve Him. That's what God 
is looking for. those who are ready to serve him and thus demonstrating 
that fear of the Lord. The second half of verse nine, 
for there is no want to those who fear him. Jehovah will not 
let his children suffer needlessly. It doesn't mean we won't suffer, 
but he won't let us suffer needlessly. He may not give, God may not 
give us all the luxuries, but he will supply the necessities. 
That he has promised to do. Many of our whims, many of our 
wishes may remain ungratified, But the real wants that we have, 
the Lord will supply. That's what David is saying here. 
He will supply. Paul's testimony in 2 Corinthians 
12, verse 9, he was speaking of that thorn in the flesh, that 
thing that we don't know what it was, but that thing that he 
desired to be rid of. He wanted it to be gone. He prayed 
to the Lord. He sought the Lord. Well, the 
Lord didn't remove it, but he did say, Paul faithfully said, 
My grace is sufficient. Or God said to Paul, my grace 
is sufficient for you. He was able to endure that difficulty. So therefore, there is no want 
for those who fear him. He is a kind God. He's a good 
God to his children. In the last verse, verse 10 of 
this section, this first section, which is a hymn, is the young 
lions lack and suffer hunger. but those who seek the Lord shall 
not lack any good things. Interesting that lions come up, 
because lions are usually fierce, they're cunning, they're crafty, 
they get what they want. But it says here in the scripture, 
sometimes even they go hungry, sometimes they can go without, 
but not so with the child of God. The Christian, in the humblest 
of circumstances, whether it be humble mentally, physically, 
whatever it may be, the humblest of circumstances, who's walking 
with God, Well, we have all we need, do we not? I trust that's 
your testimony. I trust that's my testimony. 
I have all I need because I am a Christian. I am one of God's 
children. We may be called foolish by this 
world's standards, but this life is not the end for the Christian. 
Certainly, death may reveal some things that life doesn't. So 
we ought not to look with desire towards those around us who are 
not Christians. Boy, life goes so well for them. Life just seems 
so happy for them. Cast your mind upon Luke 16 and 
verse 19 and onward from there. Lazarus, the parable of Lazarus 
and the rich man. Life looked miserable for Lazarus. 
Life looked horrible for Lazarus and looked very good for the 
rich man. But what did eternity show? The reverse. Things were 
very different for Lazarus in the life to come. And I think 
that's what David is saying here. The young lions lack and suffer 
hunger, but those who seek the Lord, you're not going to lack 
any good thing. Always keep your eye upon the mark, upon the finish 
line for the Christian. It's heaven. It's eternity. It's 
forever and ever and ever. And that ought to encourage our 
hearts. That ought to encourage our souls that the last has not been 
written, and certainly death may reveal what this life certainly 
doesn't. If we look at the next section, 
verses 11 to 22, the psalmist turns his address to men, so 
now it's almost like he preaches a sermon, and he starts that 
sermon by giving direct exhortation to the people of God, or to those 
who are going to read this psalm. And who does he turn to but, 
verse 11, "'Come, you children.'" Perhaps the boys and the girls 
of Gath of that particular day, maybe they were making sport 
of David in his seeming madness. I'm sure the story got around 
how David acted like a madman, saliva dripping down his beard, 
scratching the walls, scratching the doors. He may well have been 
made fun of by the people of Israel, by the children of Israel. 
Well, here he draws the attention of the children. And perhaps 
his aim is to undo the mischief that he had previously done. 
He's not proud of it. And therefore, come, you children, listen to 
me. The second half of verse 11. 
Listen to me. I will teach you the fear of 
the Lord. So here's the job of the parent. 
the grandparent, the pastor, the teacher, the Sunday school 
teacher, is ultimately to teach the fear of the Lord. We must 
teach them in a winsome manner, not in an austere manner. You 
fear God or terrible things are going to happen to you. Let's 
do it in a winsome manner for our children, for our families. 
to teach them to fear God, not repelling them with harsh words 
and, you know, God's going to get you if you do this or if 
you do that, but rather with a desire to allure them, give 
them the allure of the fact that things of the Lord are worth 
fighting for. The fear of the Lord is something that we ought 
to desire. It's not something we ought to 
push away. But just to keep that uppermost 
in our children's minds. Because the allure of the world 
certainly is there. All things that are shiny, all 
things that are great, all things that just seem so smooth and 
wonderful, that's the allure of the world. But what ought 
we to be doing as parents, or whatever stage of parenting you're 
at, but rather teaching the children to fear the Lord. Verse 12, who 
is the man who desires life and loves many days that he may see 
good? Well, again, if we believe this 
is speaking to the children, it's a perfectly normal desire 
for no matter what age you are, particularly for children, for 
every single person, we desire that we have long life. We desire 
that things go well for us. The psalmist poses the question 
to sharpen our focus on this question. and ultimately we must 
read on to find the answer for, who is the man who desires life 
and loves many days that he may see good? Well, verse 13 continues 
on and tells us how we might enjoy that. How are we going 
to enjoy long life? Keep your tongue from evil and 
your lips from speaking deceit. Guard with careful diligence 
that dangerous member of the body, the tongue. Pastor Butler 
has been recently was preaching through James and James 3 tells 
us that the danger of the tongue. It's a very, very powerful instrument 
of the human body, and we need to keep it. We need to guard 
it. Deceit and a happy life do not go well together. If we have 
evil, if we're speaking lies, it just doesn't go with a happy 
life. Cast your mind, I'm sure you all know someone who is full 
of deceit, who is full of lies. They don't have a happy life 
because it's a miserable life. It's an unhappy life. It brings 
disease, disease to the body, disease to the mind, and it's 
difficult. Spurgeon says, stuffs our pillow with thorns 
and makes life a constant whirl of fear and shame. It's a great 
imagery there. Who wants to lay their head on 
a pillow of thorns? We don't. Well, how not to do 
that? How to seek long life by keeping 
our tongue from evil and our lips from speaking deceit. David 
certainly had tried the deceitful life before Abimelech, but here 
he's denouncing it to the children. Children, don't do this. Don't 
do what I did. Learn from my example. Steering others away 
from the error of his ways. Verse 14, depart from evil. Verse 
14, depart from evil. Get away from it. Don't try and 
domesticate it. Don't try and, well, I'll just 
do a little bit. No, stay away from it. Clear away from it. 
Set a distance between yourself and evil. even the temptation 
to do evil. What is Proverbs 5.8? Again, 
Pastor Butler has been speaking through Proverbs lately. It says, 
keep a path far from her. Do not even go near to her house. That's how far away we're to 
depart from evil and keep away from evil. and do good. Depart from evil and do good. 
The Christian life is not about don't, don't, don't, don't. It's 
about putting off and putting on. Put off evil and put on what? Good. Scripture is very practical. Be active, be energetic, be persevering 
in what? In doing good. That's what we 
ought to be as Christians. Persevere in doing good. Be energetic 
about it. Be active about it. Because when 
we're doing good, we're sure to avoid evil. It's nature. It's almost like the laws of 
nature. If I were to drop something, 
it will fall to the ground. It's as natural as that. And 
we're seeking to do good, then we cannot do evil. And the last 
part of verse 14, seek peace. and pursue it. Seek peace and 
pursue it. Do not merely prefer peace, but 
zealously promote peace. What can bring health to the 
soul but peace with God, peace in our own heart, and peace with 
our fellow man? When we have animosity, when 
we have difficult circumstances, situations with our fellow man, 
that doesn't bring us peace. Psalm 133, verse one says, how 
good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in peace 
and unity. I think it's talking about the 
church, but we could also say between spouses, we could say 
within a family, brothers, sisters, parent to children, when we're 
living in peace, how good and pleasant it is when brothers 
live together in peace and unity. And Proverbs 6, 16, again, Pastor 
Butler spoke recently about this. Six things the Lord hates. Yes, 
even seven are an abomination. A man who stirs up dissension 
among brothers. So I think it's very wise of 
David to encourage the people of God to depart from evil and 
do good. And what else? Seek peace and 
pursue it with our fellow man. The last section I'd like to 
go through is verses 15 to 22. 15 to 22, David falls up with 
didactic teaching. It's an encouragement, how to 
live. How shall we then live is basically David's call here 
as he continues with his sermon, the last section of his sermon. 
So verse 15, the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous. and his ears are open to their 
cry." Isn't that an encouragement to us? The eyes of the Lord are 
on the righteous. So he sees us here. If we're 
seeking to be righteous, if we're covered in the blood of Christ, 
then his eyes are upon us, and his ears are open to our cry. 
That ought to be an encouragement to us. We have dealings with 
a God who is near. We perhaps fall between two heirs. Some churches may fall between 
two heirs. they emphasize the transcendence of God over the 
eminence of God. God is far, far away, far removed, 
a holy God who is just beyond anything that we could ever, 
ever come close to. There's that error, and then 
there's also the error of God's imminent. God's my buddy. God's 
my friend. God's right here. I can have conversations with 
him in a, in the way in which I have a conversation with a 
friend. No, we need to have both, both, both theological positions 
correct. Yes, God is an is a transcendent 
God, but he's also an immanent God. So we ought to respect him. 
We ought to recognize he is a holy God, but he's also a God who 
is close. The eyes of the Lord are on the 
righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. I hope that's an 
encouragement to you today. As you go home this afternoon, as 
you go into tomorrow, this ought to be a great encouragement to 
the Christian on Monday morning, on Tuesday morning, on Thursday 
night, that God's eyes are upon me. His ears are open to my cry. No matter what my cry is, I trust 
that you'll be encouraged by that. Juxtaposed to verse 15 
is verse 16. The face of the Lord is against 
those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from 
the face of the earth. What a contrast between verses 
15 and 16. The face of the Lord is against 
those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from 
the face of the earth. God's not indifferent to sin. 
He's not indifferent to sinners. He sets his face against them. 
That's ominous words. If there's anyone here today 
who is not a believer, who is not trusting Christ, those are 
ominous words. I would far rather be a verse 
15 than verse 16, because verse 16 sounds like a very, very heavy, 
heavy thought to take into our day, to take into our week. God 
has resolved that the ungodly shall not prosper. Certainly, 
it may appear that they prosper for a time. We look around, we 
see the ungodly prospering, and they do to some degree. But ultimately, 
utter destruction is going to be their lot, is going to be 
the lot of the ungodly. And think about Lazarus and the 
rich man. The rich man had everything going 
for him, but not in eternity. And eternity is forever and ever 
and ever. Lazarus in this world didn't 
have a whole lot going from him, but he's, you know, if he was 
a real person, of course he's not, it's a parable, but for 
all of eternity he's enjoying the pleasures of God, the benefits 
of God. So it's a warning, a warning to us to stay from evil. Again, I refer to Proverbs 5.8, 
keep to a path far from her. Now, of course, again, in the 
context, it's an adulterer, or maybe I would say the temptation 
to sin in general, but keep to a path far from her. Do not go 
near the door of her house. That's a warning, a warning to 
us. But as I say, I trust that verse 
15 is an encouragement to you. Verse 17, the righteous cry out, 
and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. 
That ought to put a smile on our face. If we haven't had a 
smile yet, that ought to put a smile on our face. Verse 17, 
the righteous cry out, and the Lord hears and delivers them 
out of all their troubles. So like Peter on the water, Peter 
was sinking. What did he do? He cried out 
to the Lord. He looked to the Lord, and the 
Lord lifted him up. out of that water. Like the Israelites 
in Egypt who cried out to the Lord under the oppression of 
Pharaoh. They were lifted out of their difficulty, out of their 
troubles. Our afflictions, they could be 
numerous, they could be very complicated. Life is complicated, 
life is messy. Sometimes our difficulties, our 
troubles can be complicated. But what is the answer? The answer 
is that prayer can set us free from them. It can sanctify us 
through them. So I see that, I trust you see 
that in verse 17. The righteous cry out. It doesn't 
say the righteous will have a perfect life, a smooth life, a life with 
no hurt, no discomfort, no uncomfortableness. No, the righteous have to cry 
out because there must be difficulty. But what's the next part? The 
Lord hears and delivers them out of their troubles. and if 
it's just simply for our sanctification, then that's a blessing. Verse 
18, the Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves 
such as have a contrite spirit. Broken hearts think God is far 
away. At the time when your heart is breaking, God just seems far 
away, but he's not. He's not. The Lord is near. That's 
what the verse says. So if you feel this day that 
the Lord seems far from me, I'm going through a difficulty, I'm 
going through a circumstance, and the Lord just feels far away 
from me, Read verse 18, get it into our conscience, fill our 
conscience with that, that he is not. The women at Jesus' tomb, 
when they went to see Jesus, they were disheartened, they 
were discouraged, they thought he's going to be in the tomb, 
but they went away filled with joy because they met the Lord 
Jesus. And Christ does bring happiness and joy to his children. So scripture is very honest. 
It doesn't promise us a bed of roses. There's not a bed of roses 
for the Christians. Christianity offers no false 
pretenses. There's difficulty. Troubles 
can come to us from every direction, like mosquitoes on a warm Chilliwack 
evening. I'd say in Abbotsford we don't 
enjoy quite as many mosquitoes, but I do believe that there's 
a lot more here in Chilliwack. They come at you from the left, from 
the right, from the top. They come at you from every direction. 
Difficulties can come to the righteous, but there's there's 
a but at the end of that section, verse 19. Many are the afflictions 
of righteous, but, that's an important but, but the Lord delivers 
him out of them all. Verse 20, he guards all his bones, 
not one of them is broken. What a blessed butt that is in 
verse 19, the second half of verse 19. Spurgeon again says, but he will never allow the fiercest 
of them to rend and devour his beloved." We read that one more 
time. I think it's such an important verse, or such an important quote 
on this verse. The same Lord who sends the afflictions 
will also recall them when his design is accomplished. But he 
will never allow the fiercest of them to rend and devour his 
beloved." And that's who we are. We are God's beloved. He's not 
going to allow us to be devoured by the difficulties. Verse 21, 
evil shall slay the wicked. Evil shall slay the wicked. Afflictions 
have been proven in this psalm to not be ruinous to the righteous 
because the Lord delivers his children out of them all. However, 
we're told here that evil in the unconverted man, woman, boy 
or girl, well, it proves fatal. It is fatal, and that ought to 
concern us if our souls are outside of the kingdom of God. Evil shall 
slay us, but for the righteous, not so. And those that hate the 
righteous shall be condemned, the last part of verse 21. They 
hated the best of company in life, and they shall have none 
of it in eternity. Those people who hate Christians, 
who hate Christianity, who hate God, are pushing God away. Hell 
shall be hell for those individuals because it will be absent of 
the goodness, and the kindness, and the mercy, and the love of 
God. So it's a great warning to us. May we take that warning. It is there in the scriptures 
for us. Verse 22, the last verse, the Lord redeems the souls of 
his servants. Christian, are you joyful this 
day? Are you happy, joyful this morning because the Lord has 
so graciously purchased your soul with his blood and delivers 
you from trials by his providential power? We ought to be. We ought 
to be encouraged. I hope you'll leave here this 
place, this place this day saying, well, I came discouraged, but 
I'm leaving encouraged. This psalm has brought encouragement 
to my heart that, yes, the Lord has redeemed my soul. I may not 
have all my difficulties washed away or smoothened out, but I 
do know that he has redeemed my soul. And what did the disciples 
say in the New Testament? What are they to count worthy? 
count it worthy that your souls are written in the land's book 
of life. If you may not be able to cast out demons, you may not 
be able to do this or that, but just rejoice in this one thing. 
Your souls are written in the land's book of 
life. Your names, sorry, your names are written in the land's 
book of life. That is something to rejoice 
in. I think that's what David is ending here with in verse 
22. And the last part of verse 22, 
and none of those who trust in him shall be condemned. So it's 
a walk of faith marks the ransomed believer. It's a walk of faith, 
right? This psalm is not specific to 
your life, to my life, to the circumstances of your life, to 
the circumstances of my life. Life is messy. Life is difficult. 
but we can know that a walk of faith does mark the ransom believer, 
and that's what David is saying here. So wherever trust and faith 
is seen, though it may be ever so small, though your faith may 
be shaky at times, it may be immature at times, it ensures 
that you are God's child, and in that be encouraged. David 
is seeking to encourage you. None of those who trust in him 
shall be condemned. You shall never be deserted. 
You shall never be forsaken. You shall never be given up for 
ruin. Why? Because God is your God. 
He's your guardian. He's your friend. So as you leave 
this morning to go back to your homes and prepare for worship 
this evening, and you perhaps have on your heart or have on 
your mind things that could bring discouragement, things in your 
life that are difficult right now, Be encouraged. God is your 
God. He's your guardian. He's your 
friend. He has promised that none of 
those who trust in him shall be condemned. And we have all 
of eternity to look forward to the redeeming effect of that 
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We don't deserve it. We don't 
deserve anything. But God has graciously given it to us, and 
we ought to rejoice in that. Let's close in a word of prayer. Our gracious God and our loving 
Heavenly Father, how grateful we are, Father, for such a Father 
as you, for such a God as you. A God who is transcendent, a 
God who is far above all that we have here, all that we are 
here in this room this day. We are simply creatures, Father. 
We are like the worms in the garden. in comparison to you. 
You are far, far above us, and how we praise you, Lord, that 
you have something to do with us, that you have entertained 
to give to us your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. You've given to 
us your Word as an encouragement, as a balm to our souls. How we 
pray, Lord, that it would be just that this day, that it would 
be a balm to everyone's soul who is here this day. Certainly 
a warning in many ways, but a balm, an encouragement to know that 
the redeemed shall be kept for all of eternity. And how we pray 
that as we leave this place today, Father, that we would go away 
from here rejoicing in you, celebrating you, and seeking to live according 
to your holy word, as we've heard at this day. And we just pray 
and bless you and thank you, and pray in Jesus' precious name. 
Amen. We'll just close with some playing 
of the music or playing of the piano, and then when the piano 
stops, we'll be dismissed.