Senior Class Notes – May 5, 2024 – Toonigh Baptist Church

Spring 2024 Unit 2 Session 4 – Worshiping God; Psalm 34:1-3, 8-10, 15-18 PSG 118-127 CSB.

May 5, 2024

The Point: When we worship God together, we experience joy in His presence.

Inspirational verse: “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matthew 4:10).

Psalm 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Praise for the Lord’s deliverance in answer to prayer. Commitment to continual praise – to the encouragement of the godly who are afflicted. At all times: The determination of David to praise God is similar to the words of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:18. “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” The story behind this psalm may be found in 1 Samuel 21:10-15.¹⁸ The title describes David’s strange escape from King Achish of Gath. Psalm 34 is an acrostic, as each line begins with the successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The Psalm begins with a call to worship. David joyfully resolves to worship God in all circumstances, and he invites the faithful to join in. His song is designed to resonate with those weighed down by suffering. Their heavy spirits lifted, they will praise God together.³¹ The idea of always praising God is similar to the Apostle Paul’s exhortation to rejoice and pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:16-17). Glorifying God is not just for the fortunate; the afflicted should also hear David’s testimony and rejoice.²⁸ The psalmist’s resolve is fixed. In every situation and under every circumstance, he is determined to bless the Lord. But more than that, his blessing of the Lord will not just be in his heart, but his praise shall continually be in my mouth.¹³ It bears all the marks of the testimony of one who narrowly escaped death, just as the passage in Samuel describes. As such, it contains the praise and testimony of the one who was redeemed (vv. 1-10) and the seasoned instruction that can stem from such deliverance (vv. 11-22).¹⁴ If it is not already your practice, praise God throughout the day. Exalt him when you wake up, when you eat, when you leave the house and when you return. An attitude of adoring trust in the Lord will make an amazing difference in your life.²

Psalm 34:2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

My soul: Not a spiritual aspect in distinction from the physical, nor the psalmist’s “inner” being in distinction from his “outer” being, but his very self as a living, conscious, personal being.³⁵ Boast in the LORD is best defined in Jeremiah 9:23-24: “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.” where it means to “understand and know” Jehovah, which is further explained as knowing that Jehovah shows “lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth.” In other words, it is knowing who God is and what He does – having a personal knowledge and experience of Him through trusting in Him.⁴⁰ The supreme goal and glory of humanity is to know and enjoy God.¹⁶ When you glory in the Lord, you give the Lord all the praise.³⁶

Psalm 34:3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.

Exalt or extol (Hebrew rum): The Hebrew word translated extol here in Psalm 145:1 is one of many Hebrew words for praise in the Psalms. The specific meaning of this word is “to hold high” or “esteem greatly.”²⁰ To Extol the Lord at all times comes easily in the day of prosperity. But David sang his song in the night of adversity. When God’s people are afraid, they should worship. When they are filled with panic, it is time to praise. When worry overwhelms, the time for worship has arrived “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:20).³² His Name: The name of the Lord is the manifestation of His character. It has no separate existence apart from the Lord, but is synonymous with the Lord Himself in His gracious manifestation and accessibility to His people. Hence the Jerusalem temple is the earthly residence of His name among His people, and His people can pray to Him by calling on His name (see Psalm 79:6; 80:18; 99:6; 105:1; 116:4, 13, 17).³⁵ In other words the Psalmist says, “Don’t make me praise God by myself. Let’s together make him appear as big as he truly is.⁴⁷ David extends a call for Israel to come and praise Jehovah with him.¹³

Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Taste and see does not mean, “Check out God’s credentials.” Instead, it is a warm invitation: “Try this; I know you will like it.” When we take that first step of obedience in following God, we cannot help discovering that he is good and kind. When we begin the Christian life, our knowledge of God is partial and incomplete. As we trust him daily, we experience how good He is.³³ Taste can mean “judge” in the sense of determine for oneself (“perceiveth” in Proverbs 31:18). See most likely carries the same sense in order to reinforce the concept.¹⁶ Put the matter to the test of experience (cf. 1 Peter 2:3). Job spoke of the mouth tasting food (Job 12:11). Clearly one cannot “taste,” in that same sense, that the Lord is good, but by inference David was encouraging total, complete trust in the Lord – a faith David hopes we have internalized completely.²⁰ David urges the use of many senses to experience God as fully as possible (he also urges people to “listen” in verse 11). Taste used figuratively here and in 119:103 “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (the only other reference in the Psalms) for experiencing God; it usually in its literal sense in the Old Testament. The New Testament uses “taste” figuratively more often: to taste death (Matt. 16:28; John 8:52; Heb. 2:9) or to taste the goodness of God (Heb. 6:4-5; 1 Peter 2:3).²⁸ David now invites those in desperate situations to taste God’s rich goodness for themselves (v. 8 is quoted in 1 Peter 2:3) “If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious”. God is good, he gives what is good, and he calls us to do good.³¹ Blessed: The happy condition of those who revere the Lord and do his will, and who put their trust in him.³⁶ Blessed is the man: Although the Hebrew word for “the man” can refer to a man generically – [relating to or characteristic of a whole group or class], or (the one in the NIV) it most commonly means “warrior” or “strong man.”²⁸

Psalm 34:9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

O fear the LORD: This is a call to awe, wonder, worship, and reverence (Prov. 1:7). To fear God is to respond to Him in obedience.¹⁸ God cares for His people more than the rest of His creation (Psalm 8:5-8). Other texts use the argument that if God cares for His creation, He will care for mankind (Psalm 104:14-15) and especially for His own people (Matthew 6:29-30).¹⁶ We must test Him and fear Him, for there is no want to them that fear him.¹³ You say you belong to the Lord, but do not fear Him? To fear the Lord means to show deep respect and honor to Him. We demonstrate true reverence by our humble attitude and genuine worship. Reverence was shown by Abraham (Genesis 17:2-4), Moses (Exodus 3:5-6), and the Israelities (Exodus 19:16-24). Their reactions to God’s presence varied, but all deeply respected Him.³³

Psalm 34:10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

Shall not want also appears in the context of Jehovah’s role as a shepherd in Psalm 23:1. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”¹⁶ Jehovah will not allow His faithful servants to starve, nor to lack in any of the necessities of life.¹³ What are we to do in our need? Seek the LORD. “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you” (Matt. 6:33). Even the strongest creatures can starve to death – The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger – when left to themselves, but those who put God first will be satisfied with him.³¹ They that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. At first we may question David’s statement, because we seem to lack many good things. This is not a blanket promise that all Christians will have everything they want. Instead, this is David’s praise for God’s goodness – all those who call upon God in their need will be answered, sometimes in unexpected ways.³³

Psalm 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

The reference to eyes in relation to Jehovah’s watchful care of His people is similar to the singular form in 32:8 “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” and in 33:18 “Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy.”²⁸ His open ears describe His attentiveness to their prayers.¹⁶ The righteous, those who trust the Lord and submit to his kingdom agenda, receive His full attention. His eyes see them, his ears hear them.⁴⁷ The eyes and the ears of the Lord are always open to those who live righteously, and no righteous act ever escapes God’s eye.¹³

Psalm 34:16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

The face of the LORD: In contrast to the beauty of the Lord’s face for those who trust in Him (11:7; 17:15), His face is set against those who oppose Him by doing evil.²⁸ To cut off the remembrance of someone is another way to describe annihilation.¹⁶ As it turns out, those who do what is evil also receive God’s attention. But, in their case, he sets his face against them in order to wipe their memory from the earth.⁴⁷ God is never indifferent to the deeds of sinful men.¹³

Psalm 34:17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

The LORD rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord does not hear the cry of the proud; but when we live righteously and humbly, He is always near in friendship to receive (hear our prayers) and console us.¹³

Psalm 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Broken heart and contrite spirit further develop the image of oppression, although the emphasis in these terms is on internal suffering. Jehovah is nigh (near in place, time, or relationship)²⁴ those who are broken and humble (Psalm 51:17) as opposed to those who have a “stony heart” (Ezek. 11:19; 36:26).¹⁶ He grants them His presence.⁴⁷ Broken hearts are only broken in this life. Literally, the contrite spirit is the beaten-out spirit (Hebrew daká). It implies a spirit that has been hammered and is in a state of submission to whatever God has for it.¹³ The Lord is close to the broken hearted. Do you avoid God when you’re feeling down because you feel like you’re useless to Him? The Lord knows that this is when you need Him the most, and He wants to comfort you. His strength and courage are always available to those who come to Him.² We often wish we could escape troubles – the pain of grief, loss, sorrow, and failure; or even the small daily frustrations that constantly wear us down. God promises to be “close to the brokenhearted,” to be our source of power, courage, and wisdom, helping us through our problems. When trouble strikes, don’t get frustrated with God. Instead, admit that you need God’s help and thank Him for being by your side.³³

References: Spring 2024, March 3, 2024 – May 19, 2024

(CWB) – Commentary on the Whole Bible by Matthew Henry – Marshall, Morgan & Scott, Ltd. Copyright © 1960. Copyright 1961 by Zondervan Publishing House – Grand Rapids, Michigan. 49506
(CWB#2) – Commentary practical and explanatory on the Whole Bible by Rev. Robert Jamieson, Rev. A.R. Fausset, Rev. David Brown by Zondervan Publishing House – Grand Rapids, Michigan. 49506
(ESVSB) – The English Standard Version Study Bible, Personal size. Copyright © 2008 by Crossway. Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway.
(ETB) – Explore The Book by J Sidlow Baxter. Copyright © 1960 by J. Sidlow Baxter. Published 1960 by Zondervan Publishing House – Grand Rapids, Michigan.
(HISB) – The Holman Illustrated Study Bible – The Holman Illustrated Study Bible Copyright © 2006 by Holman Bible Publishers. The Holman Christian Standard Bible Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers.
(HRTB) He Reads Truth Bible Copyright © 2019 by Holman Bible Publishers Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved. Based on the Christian Standard Bible Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.
(IMO) – On occasion, with the prayerful guidance of the Holy Spirit, I will make comments of my own, based on my understanding of the events. I will indicate such times with – In My O
(KJBC) – The King James Bible Commentary, Copyright © 1999 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. ©1983 by Old-Time Gospel Hour. Scripture quotations are from the Open Bible, King James version, © 1975 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
(KJSB) – The King James Study Bible, (previously published as The Liberty Annotated Study Bible and as The Annotated Study Bible, King James Version) © 1988 by Liberty University.
(LESB) Life Essentials Study Bible Copyright © 2019 by Holman Bible Publishers Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved. Based on the Christian Standard Bible Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.
(NCBD) – The Nelson’s Compact Bible Dictionary Copyright © 2004 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. with Scripture Quotations from the New King James Version of the Bible Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, 1990 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
(NIDNTT) – The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology Copyright © 1967, 1969, 1971 by Theologisher Verlag Rolf Brockhaus, Wuppertal. English Language edition Volume 1 Copyright © 1975, 1986, The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.A. and The Paternoster Press, Ltd. Exeter, Devon, U.K.
(NIVBTSB) – The New International Version Biblical Theology Study Bible Copyright © 2018 by The Zondervan Corporation. Text from the Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. previously published as The New International Version Zondervan Study Bible.
(NIVCBSB) – The New International Version Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible Copyright © 2016 by The Zondervan Corporation text from the Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. published by the Zondervan Corporation.
(NIVJSB) – The New International Version Jeremiah Study Bible, Copyright © 2016 by David Jeremiah, Inc. Using the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan.
(NIVLASB) – The New International Version Life Application Study Bible, Hardcover Edition. Copyright © 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton Il. 60189. Hardcover editions are published by Tyndale house.
(NIVMEB) – The New International Version Ministry Essentials Bible, Copyright © 2014 by Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLC. Based on The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
(NIVSB) – The New International Version Study Bible Copyright © 1985 by the Zondervan Corporation text from the Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by the New York International Bible Society.®
(NIVSB #2) – The New International Version Study Bible Copyright © 1985, 1995, 2002, 2008, 2011, 2020 by Zondervan Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546, USA. text from the Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.®
(NIVZSB) – The New International Version Zondervan Study Bible Copyright © 2015 by the Zondervan Corporation. Text from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
(NKJVBGTCB) – The New King James Version Billy Graham Training Center Bible © 2004 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. with Scripture Quotations from the New King James Version of the Bible Copyright © 1982, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
(NKJVSB) – Holman Study Bible, New King James Version Edition Copyright © 2013 by Holman Bible Publishers Nashville, Tn. Text from the New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
(QNBD) – Quick Notes Bible Dictionary based on text from the King James Version of the Bible and cross referenced with the NIV and NRSV Bibles. Copyright © 1998 by George W. Knight and Rayburn W. Ray.
(SEC) – Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with Dictionaries of the Hebrew Bible and the Greek Testament words. Copyright © 1890 by James Strong. Based on the King James Version of the Bible.
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(THBC) – Today’s Handbook of Bible Characters Copyright © 1979 by E.M. Blaiklock, published by Bethany House Publishers.
(TMEB) – The Ministry Essential Bible © 2014 by Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLC P.O. Box 3473 Peabody, Massachusetts 01961-3473.
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