Saturday, August 17, 2024

Psalm 34:9-10

9          Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints,

                        for those who fear him have no lack!

10        The young lions suffer want and hunger;

                        but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

            “Have you ever considered yourself a saint?” I ask this question quite a bit in Bible and adult instruction classes, and to people when the opportunity arises. The usual answer I receive is, “No” with looks staring down. I get it. Been there.

            No one is a saint on their own. You’re not and I’m not either. We’re far from sainthood since we are sinners. Nevertheless, the Christian is a saint by virtue of his Baptismal faith. In Baptism God does all the work. He delivers the “great exchange” that Christ Jesus secured for us on the cross. God delivers the necessary righteousness to you because of His Son. God delivers the necessary holiness of Christ to you because of His Son. In short, God turns sinners into saints in Baptism because that’s what He enjoys doing and takes pleasure in doing so.

            This is why the Christian fears, or honors and reveres the LORD. But we’re still in this world broken by the consequences of our sins. And we’re still quite capable of giving into temptations and sin, such as the sin of anxiety and fear, as we listen to the narratives of the world and the kingdom of darkness. In doing so, the Christian begins to doubt the sovereignty of God, and worse, that God might not be as powerful as He claims to be. Another side of that afraidness-fear is that “maybe God has abandoned me because of my past and my sins.” NOT TRUE! Here are some words from some of the Early Church Fathers and scholars concerning these verses.

LACKING NOTHING. ARNOBIUS THE YOUNGER: Fear the Lord, all his saints, because the ones fearing him lack nothing—nothing of excellence in the present, nothing of perfection, nothing of future joy. COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 34.³⁵

THE FAITH OF FEAR. AUGUSTINE: There are plenty of people who hesitate to fear the Lord, because they think they may go hungry if they do. They are told, “Do not cheat.” And they protest, “How am I to eat, then? Handicrafts need a little dishonesty to succeed, and business cannot flourish without fraud . . . if I fear God, I will not have enough to live on.” . . . If we entertain thoughts like these we are in danger of being throttled by the noose of scandal. We are seeking on earth food that will perish, and not seeking the true recompense in heaven. We are putting our head into the devil’s noose; it tightens round our throat, and the devil holds us enslaved to wrongdoing. EXPOSITIONS OF THE PSALMS 34.14.³⁶

SUCCESS OF FEAR. DIODORE OF TARSUS: It is not possible for the one who fears God and hopes in him to fail. COMMENTARY ON PSALMS 34.³⁸

34:10 Lacking No Good Thing

THE RICHES GOD GIVES. ARNOBIUS THE YOUNGER: The rich dwell in uncertainty concerning the things the world gives. The riches that God gives do not fail, but they remain because these riches arise in the fear of the Lord. COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 34.³⁹

TRUE WEALTH. BASIL THE GREAT: Wealth is unstable and like a wave accustomed to change hither and thither by the violence of the wind. . . . God himself is absolute Good, and they who seek him will not be without him. HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 16.7 (PS 34)[1]

Rev. Dr. Tim Saleska puts it very pastorally in his commentary on this Psalm:

Don’t think that Yhwh doesn’t intervene in even the humblest life. Don’t think that he no longer hears and answers prayer. Don’t fail to see his extraordinary hand at work even in the ordinary provision of our lives. Learn to fear him as a child (which entails trust and love), because Yhwh loves to give good things to his children. If your heart is broken and your spirit is crushed and your life is full of troubles (34:19–20 [18–19]), remember that Yhwh is near (34:19 [18]); trust him to deliver you from it all (34:19–20, 23 [18–19, 22]). These are important lessons for us to live by.

Contrary to what we are tempted to believe, Yhwh does not always and forever remain behind the scenes, hidden and unavailable. Jesus is Yhwh come to us in the flesh (Philippians 2). As John says: “we have beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14). His physical death and resurrection are mighty deeds done to save his people, like Israel of old. And he promises to come again, just as his disciples saw him depart. And when he does, all his people will see the salvation of our God.^[2]

[1] Blaising, Craig A. and Carmen S. Hardin, eds., Psalms 1–50. ACCS 7. ICCS/Accordance electronic edition, version 2.6. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2008. Old Testament Vol. 7, 263.

^[2] Timothy E. Saleska, Psalms 1–50, ed. Christopher W. Mitchell, Concordia Commentary (Saint Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2020), 551–552.

Friday, August 16, 2024

Psalm 34:8

8          Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!

                        Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

            My wife and I love to watch old movies, TV sitcoms, and made for TV movies. One of our favorite TV movie series is Columbo. Remember him? I’m rather surprised, sort of, that so many in the generation after me don’t know who Columbo is! He’s the bumbling, wrinkly-coated homicide detective who comes off very absent-minded. But he’s really quite brilliant, especially when comes to solving crimes.

            I found a cookbook online called Cooking With Columbo. It features a favorite recipe from one of the stars appearing in each episode. Our date nights are selecting an episode to watch while preparing the corresponding recipe. A couple of the recipes were a little weird on paper. But after tasting them—hey, they’re really quite delish!

            Taste and see that the LORD is good! God wants a relationship with each and every person. He wants a relationship with you. God invites us to check Him out. The recipe for God is to trust in Him and Him alone. This trust is found only through faith in Jesus Christ, His only Son who died on the cross for the sins of each and every person. There’s no other way to the Father except through faith in His Son. There’s no other way to eternal life with God in the afterlife except through faith in Christ Jesus. Adding any other ingredient to God’s recipe will only flop because we can’t improve on God’s recipe.

            And yet, when faced with fears in our life, we go seeking after other ingredients to add to God’s already successful recipe. The ingredients we add simply spoil God’s meal.

            Augustine wrote:

Whoever does not trust in the Lord is in a wretched state. But who are they who do not trust in the Lord? Those who trust in themselves. Sometimes, brothers and sisters, there is an even worse condition: think now. There are some who do not even trust in themselves but put their trust in other people . . . . “I’m all right, I’m under the protection of So-and-So.” . . . How ready people are to talk like this, but not to say, “I trust in God, and he will not let you hurt me.” Nor do they say, “I trust in my God, because even if he does give you some license to harm my property, he will give you no power over my soul.” EXPOSITIONS OF THE PSALMS 34.13[1]

            Jerome, an ancient exegete and scholar in the Early Church wrote:

Just as the body dies unless it is given proper food, even so does the soul if it is not given spiritual food. Why am I making such a point of this? Because there are some who insist on saying, I have no need for sacred Scripture; the fear of God is enough for me. That is, therefore, precisely why we affirm that just as there are foods for the body, so there are, likewise, foods for the soul, namely, the sacred Scripture.[2]

            So, what’s on your menu this evening?

[1] Blaising, Craig A. and Carmen S. Hardin, eds., Psalms 1–50. ACCS 7. ICCS/Accordance electronic edition, version 2.6. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2008. Old Testament Vol. 7, 262.

[2] Ibid., 263.

Thursday, August 15, 2024

Psalm 34:6-7

6          This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him

                        and saved him out of all his troubles.

7          The angel of the LORD encamps

                        around those who fear him, and delivers them.

            Which fear surrounds you; the fears that come from the world, or the fear of the LORD? In the Old Testament reading for this week, we hear about Elijah who is running for his life because Jezebel is rather hot under the collar. Elijah just did in 450 of her priests. Do you remember the odds? It was 450 priests of false religion to ONE of Yhwh’s servants, Elijah. God worked His power in front of all the people that day showing that He, and He alone, is the One true and only God.

            Jezebel sends a messenger to Elijah stating that there’s a contract out on him, and that he is going to get slaughtered very soon. This sends Elijah into a panic—and fear!

            However, there was another messenger that came to him, the Angel of the LORD. (The Angel of the LORD is the Second person of the Trinity[1]—Jesus, before He enfleshed Himself and was born in the manger.[2]) This messenger also had a message for Elijah. “Get up and get going. There’s still work to be done. Don’t be afraid.”

            Elijah ate the food and drank the water, and then he lay down again! The Angel of the LORD came back a second time. “Let’s get going. The journey’s long.”

            Psalm 34:7 tells us that the Angel of the LORD encamps around those who honor and revere Him. “Encamp” is a military term. The Angel of the LORD is always on duty. He’s always alert. God never slumbers nor sleeps. He’s with His people 24/7/365. He works on Christmas and Easter, and He never takes union breaks.

            Satan seeks to instill fear in the lives of people, especially God’s people. The messengers of the world speak doom and gloom. The message of Jesus is “Do not fear.” In fact, there are 365 times in the Bible that tell us that we should not be afraid. How many days are there in the year? 365 days—one “don’t fear” for each day of the year.

            What are you afraid of? What causes you to panic? Remember that the Angel of the LORD is with you and fights for you.

[1] Timothy E. Saleska, Psalms 1–50, ed. Christopher W. Mitchell, Concordia Commentary (Saint Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2020), 546.; Hans-Joachim Kraus, A Continental Commentary: Theology of the Psalms (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1992), 48–49.

[2] There are many different appearances of the Angel of the LORD in the Old Testament. These are called Christophanies because God is revealing, or manifesting, His Christ to people. The final Christophany takes place in the manger, and His name is Jesus.

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

Psalm 34:4-5

4          I sought the LORD, and he answered me

                        and delivered me from all my fears.

5          Those who look to him are radiant,

                        and their faces shall never be ashamed.

            The title of this Psalm reminds of King David’s situation (see pages 3-4 above).

1Samuel 21:10   And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances,

             ‘Saul has struck down his thousands,

                        and David his ten thousands’?”

12        And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”

            By pretending madness and insanity David secured his release and escaped. However, David realized that it was not he himself who worked this out but rather Yhwh worked this out for him. I sought the LORD, and He answered me. It was God’s deliverance that brought about his salvation that day.

            God didn’t answer David because of his royal status. David is one of the humble, the lowly, one of “the bottom of the heap” guys. He is in the same boat as all the others of God’s people, just like you and me.
            David does not promote a “name it and claim it” theology. Sometimes God will deliver and, for reasons unknown to us, He may not deliver us in the way we would want Him to. However, God never abandons His people.

            The fear of the LORD is seeking, and that seeking is found in the cross of Jesus. Indeed, there are many things in this world that move us to fear. Death and dying are at the top of the list for many people. The ultimate and final deliverance comes when Jesus returns and finishes what He has already started. The ultimate deliverance is from the powers of sin, death and damnation, and the devil himself, which Jesus took care of on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. In Baptism God made a promise to you that He will be with you always—no matter what situation you might find yourself in. Those who look to Jesus will never be put to shame, and that means you.

Psalm 34:1

1          I will bless the LORD at all times;

                        his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

            What are some of the things in your life that bring you joy? What are some of the things in your life that give you strength? David writes, “I will bless the LORD.” Indeed, we give thanks to God for these things.

            But what about in difficult times? What about those situations and events that weaken us rather than strengthen us; are we to bless the LORD then? And those times that bring afraidness into our lives; we’re supposed to bless God then too? The answer is yes. We are to bless the LORD at all times.

This is a message for the afflicted, for those who are at the bottom of the heap.[1] The word “bless” ḇrḵhere means “to declare God to be the source of the special power.”[2] Kraus writes:

A distinctive feature of the Psalms is the fact that they speak of the blessing of Yahweh in such a way that Yahweh is the recipient, the object of human “blessing.” For example, Psalm 34 begins with the statement, “I will bless the Lord at all times” (Ps. 34:1*). … What does this mean concretely? Horst explained the significance as follows: “To recognize someone in every form of his power and of his innate majesty” (1947–1948, p. 31). … Whoever “blesses” Yahweh praises and honors his sovereign might.^[3]

            It’s easy to bless Yhwh when things are going swimmingly well. The Christian also blesses Yhwh when things are not going so swimmingly.

 St. Augustine writes:

When are you to “bless the Lord?” When he showers blessings on you? When earthly goods are plentiful? When you have a plethora of grain, oil, wine, gold, silver, slaves, livestock; while your mortal body remains healthy, uninjured and free from disease; while everything that is born on your estate is growing well, and nothing is snatched away by untimely death; while every kind of happiness floods your home and you have all you want in profusion? Is it only then that you are to bless the Lord? No, but “at all times.” So you are to bless him equally when from time to time, or because the Lord God wishes to discipline you, these good things let you down or are taken from you, when there are fewer births or the already-born slip away. These things happen, and their consequence is poverty, need, hardship, disappointment and temptation. But you sang, “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall be in my mouth always,” so when the Lord gives you these good things, bless him, and when he takes them away, bless him. He it is who gives, and he it is who takes away, but he does not take himself away from anyone who blesses him. EXPOSITIONS OF THE PSALMS 34.3[4]

Even in hardships or times of fear, the Christian praises the LORD from whence comes our strength and courage.

[1] J.A. Motyer, The Psalms, ed. D. A Carson et al., New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition. Accordance electronic ed. (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1994), 505.

[2]   HALOT, s.v. “ברך_{,” 1:160.}

^[3] Hans-Joachim Kraus, A Continental Commentary: Theology of the Psalms (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1992), 70–71.

[4] Blaising, Craig A. and Carmen S. Hardin, eds., Psalms 1–50. ACCS 7. ICCS/Accordance electronic edition, version 2.6. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2008. 259.

Psalm 34:2-3

2          My soul makes its boast in the LORD;

                        let the humble hear and be glad.

3          Oh, magnify[1] the LORD with me,

                        and let us exalt his name together!

            We are to boast AND be humble? Aren’t these two traits diametrically opposed to each other? Well, yes and no.

            David speaks about his boast in Yhwh and invites the humble to do the same. David is not encouraging prideful boasting. Rather his boasting is couched in humility. He knows and has experienced deliverance from the hand of Yhwh.[2] Without the LORD David would have been toast and he knows this.

            David now invites the poor and the needy to join together with him in exalting God. The poor and needy are not used as economic terms. In fact, the poor and the needy have nothing at all to do with someone’s socio-economic situation. I’ve met some very wealthy people who are “poor and needy.” On the other side of the coin, I’ve met people who are very poor economically who do not meet the Biblical definition of “poor and needy” because there’s not an ounce of humility coursing through their heart.

            The poor and needy are those who seek life, and life is found only in the source of life—Yhwh. Kraus writes:

Since life—not in its immanent power, but as the gift of Yahweh, life in the presence of Israel’s God—was for the people of the Old Testament the highest good, they prayed for and waited expectantly for “long life” as the most precious gift and the most marvelous blessing (Ps. 21:4*; 61:6*; 91:16*; 133:3*). Decisive, however, is the direction of one’s life, its openness to Yahweh.^[3]

Dr. Martin Luther writes:

 Let them hear is set here in an absolute sense, for the haughty and wrathful want to be heard and not hear, but it is characteristic of the gentle to hear and receive the Word in patience. And therefore, as hearing and, consequently, training belongs only to the gentle, so also rejoicing. So the psalmist says in Ps. 122:1: “I was glad when they said to me.” But those people want to rejoice at what they themselves say. They do not want to be taught, but they want to teach; they seek to be masters and rabbis, but not disciples (cf. Matt. 23:7–8). So the Jews stopped their ears against Stephen in Acts 7:57 and against Paul in Acts 22:22.

Therefore the attribute “meek” is noteworthy, because they are patient to hear, they are blessed and made joyful. The others, however, refuse to let anyone tell them anything, as the Germans express it. Because they rely too much on their own prudence, they fall into evil.^[4]

[1]  “’Magnify’ (גדלו), or ‘make great’; in one sense, it is impossible to conceive of mankind making God great. God is already great, without any human help. Yet the essence of praise is the acknowledgment and public declaration of God’s greatness; such praise does not change the divine essence, but creates awareness of God’s greatness in the perception of others. And, as an expression of awareness, it is also a personal acknowledgment of divine majesty and glory.” Peter C. Craigie, Psalms *1–50, vol. 19 of Word Biblical Commentary. Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1983), 279.

[2] Ringgren, TDOT, s.v. “הלל הִלּוּלִים תְּהִלָּה,” 3:409-410.

^[3] Hans-Joachim Kraus, A Continental Commentary: Theology of the Psalms (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1992), 164.

^[4] Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 10: First Lectures on the Psalms I: Psalms 1-75, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, electronic ed., vol. 10 (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1999), 160.