THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Psalms: Living By Faith In God

XXXIV. Handling Self-Entrapping Impulsiveness

(Psalm 34:1-22)

Introduction: (To show the need . . .)

We along with billions of other people worldwide are facing the pressure to react impulsively and thus harmfully to reported threats to our welfare:

(1) An Associated Press story last Sunday reported, “As inflation surges around the world, politicians are scrambling for ways to keep food affordable as people increasingly protest the soaring cost of living . . . The pain is being felt unevenly, with 2.3 billion people going severely or moderately hungry last year, according to a global report by the World Food Program and four other U. N. agencies.” (Aya Batrawy, Eileen Ng, Omar Faruk and Kareem Chehayeb, “Just the staples, for now,” cited in the Sunday Republican, July 24, 2022, p. 3B)

(2) This crisis is reportedly being amplified by government officials: (a) Marc A. Thiessen wrote, “One of the main reasons inflation is skyrocketing is because Biden’s first act as president was to pass nearly $1.9 trillion in social spending disguised as pandemic relief.” (Marc A. Thiessen, “Why would Biden add more inflation?” Republican-American, July 14, 2022, p. 6A) (b) Then, due in part to the president’s policy to reduce oil production for our nation, the Associated Press claimed, “The price of diesel fuel has skyrocketed in recent months” and “the goods consumers buy . . . are delivered by trucks, trains or ships that run on diesel. Those inflated prices are then passed on . . . until they reach consumers.” (“High diesel prices driving up cost of everything,” Ibid., July 21, 2022, p. C1) (c) Rich Lowry added, “Even as inflation, with energy prices leading the way, destroys Biden’s presidency, he and his supporters are determined to pursue a climate agenda that will drive up costs and create inefficiencies at home while doing next to nothing to affect global temperatures.” (Rich Lowry, “‘Green’ self-destruction,” Ibid., p. 8A) (d) Here in Connecticut, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski on July 13 said that “tax hikes now and over the years are making it harder for families and small businesses to weather these tough times.” (“Quotable,” Ibid., July 14, 2022, p. 6A) (e) Chris DiPentima, president, and CEO of the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, expressed concern “over a second consecutive month of construction job losses because . . . declines in the construction industry are often an early warning sign of an economic slowdown.” (Paul Hughes, “State unemployment rate declines as state employers continue hiring trend,” Ibid., July 22, 2022, p. 7A)

(3) Bjorn Lomborg’s July 22 op-ed, “How the climate elite spread misery” in The Wall Street Journal summed up this entire situation, claiming, “‘When people are cold, hungry, and broke, they rebel. If the elites continue pushing incredibly expensive (climate) policies that are disconnected from the urgent challenges facing most people, we need to brace for chaos.’” (Ibid., Sunday Republican, July 24, 2022, p. 10A)

Need: So, we ask, “How should we handle pressures to react impulsively and harmfully to threats to our welfare?”

I. The introductory notes of Psalm 34 in light of 1 Samuel 18:6-22:1 reveal that David authored this psalm after reacting impulsively to a threat to his life only to see that reaction lead him into greater trouble:

A. After David had slain the Philistine giant Goliath with a slingshot, Israel’s women had sung greater praises about David’s combat exploits than they had about the combat exploits of Israel’s king Saul, 1 Samuel 18:6-7.

B. As a result, Saul viewed David as a threat to his role as Israel’s king, so he tried to kill David (1 Samuel 18:8-9; 20:31-33), leading David to flee from Saul, 1 Samuel 20:30-42 with 21:10.

C. In his flight, David hurriedly picked up Goliath’s sword that had been stored at the tabernacle (1 Samuel 21:8-9), and he escaped by going over to the Philistine king Achish of Gath for protection, 1 Samuel 21:10.

D. Yet, in impulsively fleeing from Saul to Gath with Goliath’s sword, David arrived in Goliath’s hometown of Gath where the giant’s sword could be recognized (1 Samuel 17:4), identifying David as his killer, and the servants of Achish recalled the song that Israel’s women sang in praise of David (1 Samuel 21:11 with 18:6-7)! Thus, in impulsively fleeing from Saul to Gath, David became surrounded by men who wanted him dead!

II. To escape from Gath, David acted insane (1 Samuel 21:12-22:1), for pagans viewed the insane as an “evil portent and so exempt from harm lest the [pagan] gods be provoked,” Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 451.

III. Psalm 34:1-22 is then David’s later testimony of God’s deliverance of him from death in Gath:

A. Psalm 34:1-10 records David’s praise to God for being good to those who trust in Him:

1. In Psalm 34:7 in particular, David testified that the Angel of the Lord encamps like a protective army all around those who revere Him and delivers them from their enemies.

2. In Psalm 34:8-10, David announced the blessing of the man who trusts in God, for even when the powerful and aggressive “young lions” (kephirim, B. D. B., A Heb. and Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 498) lack food, what would occur in times of famine, he who trusts in the Lord would even then not lack any good thing.

3. In Psalm 34:8 KJV in particular, the word rendered “man” translates the noun geber, a “nobleman who bears arms for his king” (Ibid., p. 149-150; H. A. W., Theol. Wrdbk. of the O. T., 1980, v. I, p. 148), so the verse teaches that even if a nobleman-warrior seeks refuge in the Lord in time of need, he will be blessed.

B. Psalm 34:11-21 ESV provides David’s instruction to other believers on how to be blessed with a long life:

1. David clarified that God gives long life to those who keep their tongues from evil (Psalm 34:12-13a), who keep their lips from speaking deceit (Psalm 34:13b), who turn away from evil (Psalm 34:14a), who do good (Psalm 34:14b), and who seek peace and pursue it (Psalm 34:14c).

2. In Psalm 34:15-21, David testified that the Lord delivers the upright from dire trials they face when they call on Him in faith for deliverance.

C. Psalm 34:22 ESV summarizes the psalm (Ibid., Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 820), claiming that the Lord redeems the lives of His servants, and no one who trusts in the Lord will be condemned by God to his harm.

Lesson: God all-sufficiently and comprehensively delivers believers who live righteously and call on Him for help.

Application: (1) May we trust in Christ Who died as our Atoning Sacrifice for sin that we might receive God's gift of eternal life, John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. (2) Instead of reacting impulsively and hence harmfully to any threatening trial we face, may we view the Lord as our All-Sufficient and Comprehensive Deliverer from trouble that we might live righteously by relying on the indwelling Holy Spirit and call on Him for help in times of need.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message . . .)

We can use God’s promises in Psalm 34:1-22 ESV to address each crisis issue mentioned in our introduction:

(1) If we seek the Lord’s help and we are in right relationship with Him, according to Psalm 34:4, He will deliver us from all our fears, be it fear of inflation costs for food, fear of the effects of the president’s oil policy, fear of tax hikes, fear of job slowdowns or cutbacks, or fear of ongoing insensitivity of elitist governing officials who are disconnected with the urgent needs of the people.

(2) If we seek the Lord’s help, we will lack no good thing even if the young lions suffer hunger in times of food shortages (Psalm 34:10): We will not lack any good food regardless of inflated food prices, the president’s oil policy, tax hikes, job slowdowns, and elitist governing officials who are disconnected from peoples’ urgent needs.

[Even if high-ranking male leaders (geber, cf. III, A, 3 above) find themselves in trouble too big for them to handle with regard to such issues, Psalm 34:8 promises them God’s blessing if they seek refuge in Him.]

(3) If we keep our tongue from evil, our lips from speaking deceit, if we turn away from evil and do good, if we seek peace and pursue it, we will enjoy the longest lifespan God has for us in our dispensation, Psalm 34:12-14: we will enjoy that long lifespan regardless of the inflation of food costs, the president’s oil policy, tax hikes, job slowdowns or cutbacks and elitist governing officials being disconnected from the urgent needs of the people.

(4) Since the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit, delivering them from all of their afflictions (Psalm 34:18-19), regardless if we suffer emotionally and mentally over inflated food costs, the president’s oil policy, tax hikes, job slowdowns or cutbacks and elitist governing officials remaining disconnected from the urgent needs of the people, God is near to us, He is concerned about us, and He will deliver us from each affliction.

(5) Since the Lord promises that affliction will slay the wicked and those who hate the righteous will be condemned (Psalm 34:21), we know that God will deal with all the injustices we face relative to inflated food costs, the president’s oil policy, tax hikes, job slowdowns or cutbacks and elitist governing officials who remain disconnected from the urgent needs of the people.

(6) Since God’s eyes are toward the righteous and His ears to their cry (Psalm 34:15), God is aware of inflated food costs, the president’s oil policy, tax hikes, the threat of job slowdowns and elitist governing officials who are disconnected from the urgent needs of the people, and He will answer the cry of the godly about these concerns!

(7) Since those who look to the Lord are “radiant” and their faces never ashamed (Psalm 34:5), if we trust in Him regarding inflated food costs, the president’s oil policy, tax hikes, the threat of job slowdowns and elitist officials who stay disconnected from the urgent needs of people, God will cause us to stay “radiant” and never be ashamed!

May we trust in Christ Who died as our Atoning Sacrifice for sin that we might receive God’s gift of eternal life. May we view God as our All-Sufficient Help that we might live righteously in reliance on the Holy Spirit so we might confidently call on Him in time of need and not react impulsively and harmfully to trials.