Psalm 34 (2)

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The Lord is good, and the Deliverer of His people who trust in Him and fear Him.

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How do I enjoy and partake in the goodness of God?

I. Intro

Background on Psalm:
-David killed Goliath and was in the king’s court for a while as a military leader, and was even son-in-law to the king
-Saul gets jealous of David and wants to kill him
-So, David goes on the run
-He goes first to the priest Ahimmelech to grab a weapon and provisions, and then he heads to Gath, which is in the land of the Philistines
-Instead of finding protection, while he’s in the presence of the king, the Philistine men recognize him as the mighty warrior of Israel
-David is afraid for his life, and pretends to be insane by drooling on his beard and scratching on walls
-The Philistine king falls for it and lets him go, and David writes this Psalm

II. Question 1: What is David rejoicing in?

Vs. 8
Have you ever eaten something that was so good that you wanted others to share in it as well?
-Recently, one of my friends took me out to eat to Ruth’s Christ Steakhouse
-It was so good
-It was fun to share in it with my friend
-Afterwards, you want others to try it! It’s sooooo good!
-Here in our Psalm, David has experienced something, and he wants others to be able to experience the same thing
-And unlike Ruth’s Chris, this is something that is accessible to all people, regardless of income
Taste and see that God is good!
-Have you ever tasted and seen that God is good?
-Has there ever been a time where God has shown Himself strong in your life in a special way that has caused rejoicing and worship?
-David narrowly escapes death
-He finds himself caught between 2 kings who want him dead, and he cries out to God
-And God hears him
-And now he says “Oh, taste and see the the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”
-Have you had times like this in your life?
-Have you had times of wonderful rejoicing and enjoying God and savoring Him?
-Jordan, Jonny and I a couple months back got together at the church over lunch, and we swapped SA stories
-We talked about how God supplied Jordan with $1500 out of nowhere
-We were getting close to the trip
-Jordan didn’t have the money
-His grandfather calls him up out of nowhere and wants to give him money
-$1500!
-Praise God!
-There’s a group of young believers that comes over to my house each week for Bible study
-We just recently finished going through the book of Genesis
-I pray for these guys regularly
-Marquise, the other day tells me “the more I’m getting to know God, the more I don’t want to do the sin I was doing”
-Praise God!!
-Oh taste and see!
This comes about despite our weakness
Vs. 4, 6
-When we know that there is nothing we can do
-We are spiritually bankrupt, and physically, mentally, and emotionally weak
-We cry out because there’s nothing else that can be done!
-We cry out in desperation, dependent on God
-And God hears
-He delivers
-He saves
The results:
Vs. 5
-radiant faces
-Our faces show the goodness and glory of God
-There’s joy
Vs. 1-3
-there’s praise!
-We praise the Lord for His goodness
-We magnify His name with other believers!
-Corporate worship is a natural outflow of people who believe that God is good!
-We’ve got to share it!
-If you don’t love meeting with your local body of believers, maybe it’s because you haven’t tasted and seen that God is good!
-Some people, when we sing congregationally look like they’re at a funeral
-While some people’s faces shine with the praise they’re giving to God
Vs. 9-10
-Those who fear God lack nothing!
-Romans 8:32 echoes this same thought
-Those who seek God are not lacking of any good thing!
-Even young, strong lions, the king of the jungle, suffers hung at times
-But not God’s children. They lack no good thing
-Like the child of a loving and protective parent, God’s children lack not one good thing
-Vs. 8 Oh taste and see!! God is good. Blessed is the one who trusts in Him.

III. Question 2: How can I experience the goodness of God?

So, how does this work? How do I get to taste and see the goodness of God for myself?
How do I enjoy and partake in the goodness of God?
Is there anything required of me to participate in this?
David is going to answer that questions in the 2nd half of this Psalm
Look at verses 11-16
-Now these verses here look like something we’d expect to find in the book of Proverbs
-Solomon certainly got some of his wisdom taught to him by his father David
Vs. 11
-Now, since those who “fear the Lord lack no good thing,” it’s probably important for us to know how to fear the Lord
-What is “fear of the Lord?”
-Fearing God is obedient, submissive, and affectionate respect and awe
-It is obeying God, not out of cowering fear (1 John 4)
-We do not need to be afraid of God, but we love Him so much and we respect Him
-Where do you get the idea of obedience? I’ll show you in a minute
Vs. 12
-Who wants to have a full and joyful life?
-Who wants to live their life experiencing good?
-Who wants a longer life?
-Now, is David preaching a prosperity Gospel here?
-No! Remember, David is on the run for His life!
-And we’ll come back to this at the end
-The goodness here is the fact that God is good! We are to taste and see His goodness
-So understand, this is not some formula for prosperity or getting a bunch of stuff from God
-This is learning how to enjoy God, to savor Him, to exult in Him
-Proverbs 15:16
So, how do I enjoy and savor and exult in God?
Vs. 13-14
-Keep your tongue from evil
-Don’t sin with your mouth!
-Ephesians 4:29
-Are you someone who curses?
-Are you someone who slanders?
-Do you hurt the reputation of others, even if what you’re saying is true?
-Psalm 101:5
-Do you gossip about others? Telling other people’s business, regardless of whether it’s true or not?
-Proverbs 16:28
-Are you edifying in what you post and share?
-Do the things you say hurt or tear down other people?
-Are you a complainer?
-Do you tear down the goodness of God through the things you say?
-Are you deceitful?
-Ephesians 4:25
Vs. 14
-Very simply put here by David:
-Depart from evil and do good
-Stay away from sin!
-Run from it!
-And do good
-What is doing good?
-Obeying God
-Hate sin and love God
-Seek peace and pursue it
-Romans 12:18
Why?? Why is all of this important??
Because pleasing God and being in close fellowship with Him is most wonderful thing in all the world!
Vs. 15-16
-God loves those who fear Him with a special covenantal love!
-This is not a “I have to do a bunch of things for God to love me and pay attention to me.”
-But we were created for fellowship and closeness with God!
-We were made to enjoy Him!
-There is enjoyment in Him and satisfaction in Him when we are obeying Him and living for Him
-God made us, and therefore knows how we ought to live
-For us to live in rebellion towards Him is so detrimental to who we are and what God has created us for
-Maybe you’re not really living in a way that you’re enjoying God!
-Maybe you’re not tasting the goodness of God, because you honestly think that your sin is more satisfying than He is!
-I want to urge you with David, taste and see that God is good!
Vs. 16
-In contrast, God sets himself against those who rebel against Him
-These people will be rejected by God and punished by Him

IV. Question 3: How can I still enjoy God’s goodness even though I’m sinful?

And this really leads to a big question:
“So I know that in order to really experience and partake in the goodness of the Lord, I need to fear Him and live in the way He wants me to. But how can I? I’m so sinful? Is there any hope for me that despite my sin and weakness, I can still enjoy God? I want to obey God and seek after Him, and I’m growing in that! But can I still experience the enjoyment of God despite my failures?
Yes, there is
Vs. 17-18
-Maybe that’s you!
-Maybe you’re here, and you desire God
-You want to enjoy Him, you want to savor Him and exult in Him
-You know that you’re spiritually bankrupt. That your sin often keeps you from enjoying God to the fullest
-Is there hope for me??
-Vs. 18 — yes, God is near to people of a broken and contrite spirit over their sin
And here’s what He does for them:
Vs. 21-22
-He redeems their soul
-The seconds half of that phrase is better translated “none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned”
-As sinful and wicked as we are, God has provided for redemption and refuge in the day of wrath
How??
-Through Jesus Christ
-2 Corinthians 5:21
-Isaiah 53:5-6
-In Jesus Christ, the debt of God’s justice on our sins has been paid
-All those times we haven’t been righteous with our lips
-We haven’t departed from evil and ran after good
-That’s all covered in the sacrifice of Christ
-He was good for us
-And now through His grace, we can fear the Lord and obey Him to live in the blessings of obedience
Vs. 7
-The angel of the Lord often in the OT was when God showed up in human form
-That’s Jesus. He’s the One who encamps about us that we take refuge in

V. Question 4: What about when life is still hard?

Praise God for that. But Braden, life is still hard. It seems that David is promising all this rosy ease and abundance and goodness. But life is hard! What does this look like in my life. How do these promises fit into my life where hardship and pain exists?
We skipped over 2 verses.
Vs. 19
-David doesn’t have an unrealistic view on life
-MANY are the afflictions of the righteous!
-If anyone knew this, David did!
-He was chased around for years by his father-in-law, King Saul, for doing nothing wrong!
-All he did was beat up on Israel’s enemies!
-David is writing this from a cave as he’s on the run!
-But the Lord delivers him out of them all
What does that mean??
Vs. 20
-We have this verse, I believe, quoted in another place in Scripture
-John 19:31-36
-Now, commentators here also observe that John may have been alluding to verses about the Passover Lamb not having any broken bones, and I agree that that was probably in John’s mind too
-But I believe he’s also quoting and alluding to Psalm 34:20
-What does this mean
-Did Jesus go through awful, horrendous things on the cross
-the cruel torture, the nails, the crown of thorns
-Yes
-But was God completely in control the whole time?
-Was God working this awful thing in to something completely glorious?
-Absolutely
-The most cruel and unjust thing to ever happen, God used to accomplish the most glorious thing in world history: the crushing of the enemy and the accomplishing redemption for His people
And to show He was completely in control, God allowed Jesus to be whipped, beaten, and nailed to a cross . . . but He wouldn’t let them break even one of His Sons bones
-He’s in control
-And He is sovereignly in control of protecting every last one of His children
-And He will not allow or decree ANYTHING to happen to them, apart from His ultimate good plan
So take heart
-When hard things happen to you, it’s only so that God can accomplish His purpose in you of allowing you to taste and see more fully that God is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him
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