Head For the Light

It overcomes the darkness.

By David; when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.

Psalm 34

1 I will bless Yahweh at all times.
His praise will always be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall boast in Yahweh.
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3 Oh magnify Yahweh with me.
Let’s exalt his name together.
4 I sought Yahweh, and he answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked to him, and were radiant.
Their faces shall never be covered with shame.
6 This poor man cried, and Yahweh heard him,
and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 Yahweh’s angel encamps around those who fear him,
and delivers them.
8 Oh taste and see that Yahweh is good.
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
9 Oh fear Yahweh, you his saints,
for there is no lack with those who fear him.
10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger,
but those who seek Yahweh shall not lack any good thing.

11 Come, you children, listen to me.
I will teach you the fear of Yahweh.
12 Who is someone who desires life,
and loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil,
and your lips from speaking lies.
14 Depart from evil, and do good.
Seek peace, and pursue it.
15 Yahweh’s eyes are toward the righteous.
His ears listen to their cry.
16 Yahweh’s face is against those who do evil,
to cut off their memory from the earth.
17 The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears,
and delivers them out of all their troublels.
18 Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart,
and saves those who have a crushed spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but Yahweh delivers him out of them all.
20 He protects all of his bones.
Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall kill the wicked.
Those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
22 Yahweh redeems the soul of his servants.
None of those who take refuge in him shall be condemned.

********

This Psalm was written during a very stressful time in David’s life. He had been loyal to King Saul and had won many victories for him, but Saul was so jealous of David that he was trying to kill him. He knew that David was going to replace him on the throne someday. But Saul wanted to leave the throne to his son who was David’s best friend. So David is fleeing from his own people and has to take refuge among his enemies, the Philistines. In order for this to work David pretends to be insane so he will not be taken seriously as a threat.

As usual, David turns to the Lord in his times of distress. He exalts God and magnifies all of His goodness, even while David is experiencing trials and difficulties. That is probably why this Psalm is so full of contradictions. David is talking about how the righteous never lack and that they are just continually blessed, while at the same time talking about how the righteous have many afflictions, but that the Lord delivers us from them all.

I know what it is like to be in a very low place, were you even despair of life itself. When I cried out to God, it was so that I would get a positive result. But before that happened, I was seeking the reassurance of his presence. I knew I was going to have to wait for my difficulties to end, but it was good to know that he was watching over me through them.

As I told my children often, we live in a sin cursed world. All human beings are sinners, and all of our systems are corrupted on some level. And for that reason we all wait for Christ to come and restore all things. There will be a new Earth in which there is righteousness. We will even be given new bodies since the old ones are made of sinful flesh. In the meantime, we look to that heavenly Kingdom.

Hebrews 11:13 “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. 15 If indeed they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had enough time to return. 16 But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”