Psalm 34: Taste and see!

Psalm 34   
A psalm of David, regarding the time he pretended to be insane in front of Abimelech, who sent him away. (New Living Translation) 
 1 I will praise the LORD at all times.  I will constantly speak his praises.
 2 I will boast only in the LORD; let all who are helpless take heart.
 3 Come, let us tell of the LORD’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.
 4 I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.
 5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
 6 In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; he saved me from all my troubles.
 7 For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.
 8 Taste and see that the LORD is good.  Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in God!
 9 Fear the LORD, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need.
 10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the LORD will lack no good thing.
 11 Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the LORD.
 12 Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous?
 13 Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies!
 14 Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
 15 The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help.
 16 But the LORD turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth.
 17 The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.
 18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
 19 The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time.
 20 For the LORD protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken!
 21 Calamity will surely overtake the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
 22 But the LORD will redeem those who serve him. No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

Context:  The immediate context of the writing of Psalm 34 is referred to in the psalm subtitle, “A psalm of David, regarding the time he pretended to be insane in front of Abimelech, who sent him away.”   This subtitle is a reference to an episode you can find at 1 Samuel 22:10-22:1.  Although the passage in 1 Samuel refers to King Achish, most commentators do not consider this to be a contradiction.  Abimelech, which means “father of the king” in Hebrew, may simply be a royal title in the land of Philistia.   In reality, the exact circumstances of the writing of the psalm are not nearly as important as knowing that David was in a very difficult and dangerous situation and he believed with all of the heart, that God was his instrument of deliverance.  That gives him the strength to write this psalm, and others, with integrity and to live the life he had been given to live. 

Like Psalm 145/Great is the Lord which we looked on August 8, Psalm 34 is a Hebrew acrostic poem.  Remember that an acrostic begins each line with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet and aids the hearer with memorization.  Because we are not reading in Hebrew we cannot discern from reading that this poetic technique has been used.  

Psalm 34 is considered to be a Song or Thanksgiving or Deliverance.  For sure, David is praising God for protecting him from a dangerous situation and delivering him to safety.  David puts his trust in God.  This psalm of David follows common themes found in the book of Psalms accompanied by a couple of directional shifts.

In verses 1-8, we find praise and thanksgiving for an act of deliverance and for the God who delivers.

In verse 9 we sense a shift as to psalmist calls us to “fear” of the Lord.   Fear in the context of the psalms means reverence, rather than terror.  We come before God in awe for who God is and what God does.  As we come to God in awe and reverence and fear, we respond in gratitude with obedience and righteousness.

Around verse 15, we sense another shift.  We come full circle back to suffering and deliverance.   The psalmist does not shy away from the reality that good people do suffer.  In verse 19, he clearly associates the righteous person with suffering (troubles) from which God rescues.   Perhaps as we listen to David’s experience, we find that if we pay attention to God through good times, bad times and all the times in between, we will be led to safety.

Going Deeper:  At the very beginning of Psalm 34, we hear the psalmist declare, “I will praise the Lord at ALL times.”   Of course, this is David’s reflection … after he has been rescued!   Yet Paul, who also suffered much, also exhorts us to "Always be joyful.  Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.  I sometimes find this difficult. 

• Is there a difference between praising God at all times and being thankful in all circumstances?
• If yes, can you describe that difference?
• Do you find it easy or hard to "be thankful" in all circumstances?   
• Why do you think you feel that way?  
• What kind of situations is it difficult for you to thank God for?   
• Is it easier to be thankful and praise God when looking back?

Personally, I believe that God is always with us in all of our circumstances to comfort us and give us peace.  That is why I praise God!   However, I’ve often wondered if being thankful in all circumstances is too simplistic for real life and the difficulties too many people face.  I’ve often wondered exactly how much suffering one has done when exhorting people to this incredibly difficult challenge.  Has your child died ... at the hands of a murderer?   Have you suffered physical or sexual abuse for years on end?   And what about those who pray to God and are not cured or changed or rescued.   Questions abound!  Was there something wrong with them?   Had they not approached God appropriately?  Was there something wrong with their prayers?   Was God on break … not listening … not caring? 

• Do you believe God is responsible for all circumstances?  
• How does one approach God when one wants something very desperately?  
• Does desperation make a difference to God?   How?
• Do you believe God answers all prayers?  
• Or does God only answer the prayers of the persistent?  the faithful?  
• What do you do with prayers that seem to go unanswered?

“Taste and see that the Lord is Good!”   Verse 8 is the most famous and unique line in Psalm 34.    What is the psalmist calling us to do exactly when he says, “Taste and see.” 

• How do we “taste” God?  The Hebrew word ta`am {taw-am'} which is translated taste, can also mean “perceive” which is very complementary to the word see.  Together these words can mean experience.  The psalmist has experienced the goodness of God in his time of need and calls upon all of us in the world to experience the God who listens, who cares, who provides, and who loves us.   
• How would you explain this “taste and see” experience of God?  
• Have you ever felt moved by this image of God?   
• Remember when Jesus entertained the disciples and offered them the Passover meal, he changed the symbolism of this holy act ... One Bread, One Body.
• When he says, “Do this in remembrance of me” is this a form of “taste and see” theology?   

The second part of that verse is “Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in God!”

• What does it mean for you to take refuge in God?   
• What is your part in this relationship?  
• What is God’s part?
• How does this help you to praise God at all times and be thankful in all circumstances?

Pondering:  Read this contemporary translation of Psalm 100 from The Message by Eugene Peterson.  This Psalm is a brief but powerful psalm of praise and thanksgiving, much like the 1st 8 verses of Psalm 34.     

1-2 On your feet now—applaud GOD!
Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence.
 3 Know this: GOD is God, and God, GOD.  He made us; we didn't make him.
We're his people, his well-tended sheep.
 4 Enter with the password: "Thank you!"  Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
Thank him. Worship him.
 5 For GOD is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever.

Lectio=As you read Psalm 100 a second time, listen to the words with the ear of your heart.   Read the words slowly.  Repeat them again and again, allowing the words to linger on your tongue, savoring their beauty ...

Meditatio=Prayerfully listen as you read until a small portion of the psalm (a word or a thought or a phrase) begins to draw you deep within.  Turn your “portion” over and over in your mind and consider what God may be inviting you to think or feel or do or be … Write down what Spirit has given you so you can remember.  Stay with your “portion” and commit it to memory as your thought for the day …

Praying:   
Oratio=Spend some time in prayer responding to God’s invitation … allow prayers of confession, petition, intercession, thanksgiving, praise, or ... to emerge in this time you are spending with God.

Contemplatio=When you runs out of words to say, simply rest in the presence of God, lingering with God in loving companionship … Amen!

Take this link to a youtube arrangement of One Bread, One Body ... one of my favorite communion hymns!