Read Psalm
34-35 & Acts
22
To discover:
As you read note the attributes of
God being affirmed.
To ponder:
Psalm
34 praises God for delivering David from Saul through his faked insanity (see
title and 1 Sam 21v12-15). David begins calling the afflicted to exalt God with
him, as he will act for them as he did David (34v1-3, 17-22). Here to “boast”
describes the confidence of having God ready to act for our good (as Rom
5v1-11, where rejoicing can be translated boasting).
David’s experience of God’s
deliverance moves him to affirm that the faces of those who look to God are
“radiant” in the sense that they are lit up with delight at what he does for
them, and this is never darkened by the “shame” of finding their trust in God
misplaced, suggesting they are rejected by him. Indeed, David was saved from
“all” his “fears” and “troubles.” And so he states that the “angel of God
encamps around those who fear him.” This pictures the angel who carried God’s
authority and power and fought for Israel
like an army surrounding the believer and ready to deliver him. Such truth was
visibly seen by Elijah’s revelation of the horsemen of Israel
(2 Kgs 2v11-12), and should encourage us that God’s resources are more than
sufficient for our need.
In the light of this David calls people
to “taste and see that the LORD is good” in the sense of looking to him for
refuge and tasting his goodness as he ensures they “lack no good thing” and are
stronger even than lions (Ps 34v8-10). Yet, noting it is only those who “fear
the LORD” who will experience this, David invites his hearers to come and be
instructed on what that looks like. Essentially, it is to be “righteous,” seen
in control of one’s tongue, turning from evil to good, and pursuing peace with
others – all for God’s sake. David is adamant that God’s “eyes” are on such
people to hear their cries, whilst opposing those who do evil – presumably
those who act against the righteous. In adding God is close to the
“broken-hearted” he seems to mean that he is ready to save those who are brought
low by their troubles (34v18). Yet David is not denying the righteous will
suffer. He certainly had his fill. No, he states they may have “many troubles”
but the LORD in some ultimate sense will deliver them from them “all” so not
one of their bones will be broken. And where he will condemn and punish the
wicked, his “servants” who take refuge in him will not be condemned, but rather
“redeemed” and so freed from death, perhaps implying freedom from condemnation
too.
Jesus exemplifies this truth in the
fact that as the truly righteous one not one of his bones were broken (Jn
19v36). And in him, we are saved from death and condemnation, and ultimately
raised in new bodies. So Peter quoted this psalm as encouragement to persecuted
Christians to respond as the psalm commends, and in the knowledge that even
though they might “suffer” now, they will “inherit a blessing.” This is not
just to be alive to God, but looks also to the resurrection (1 Pet 3v8-22). If
God doesn’t deliver his people from persecution now, he will then.
Psalm 35 unpacks Psalm 34v7. David
calls on God to “fight” against his enemies by having the “angel of the LORD”
pursue them (35v1-6). His prayer is that those who seek his life would be
shamed, turned back as easily as chaff is blown in the wind, and experience
their trap for David actually work against them (35v4-8). This all stems from
David’s sense of injustice. These people sought to harm him without cause
(35v7). The sense is that they are charging him with something he didn’t do, claiming
to have witnessed it (35v11, 20-21). And they were actually people David had
sought to do good to, praying and fasting for them when they were ill
(35v12-14), only to find them gather together to slander and mock him when he
stumbled (35v15-16). One cannot but think of Judas – or of backbiting
Christians within the church.
As before, in seeking deliverance,
David prepares himself to praise God amongst the worshippers for answering him.
And what he wants is for God to vindicate him as innocent by stopping these men
from gloating over him (35v22-26). Again, this concern stems from his
particular role as God’s anointed. Such deliverance would show that he has
acted justly as king and remains in God’s favour. And it patterns God’s
vindication of Christ as his true king by raising him from the death his
persecutors subjected him to, and then judging them. David’s call for those who
delight in his vindication to praise God for it, therefore patterns our praise
of God for displaying his righteousness by raising Christ. And this teaches why
his resurrection was so significant: It did not only prove that God was for
Jesus, vindicating his claim and showing he was truly righteous. It also
displayed God’s commitment to what was right in not allowing someone who was so
absolutely righteous and had entrusted himself to God, to remain dead. This is
all deeply reassuring. In Christ, our resurrection will vindicate us before our
despisers. And it is certain because God is faithful to his promise to deliver
all who cry out to him.
Praying it home:
Praise God that he will vindicate
his people before the world by raising them from death. Pray that in the
knowledge of this you would respond to the hostility of others by seeking
peace.
Thinking
further:
None today.
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