8. God's Promise to God-Fearing Christians Psalm 34:17-22

Text: “The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth (delivers and continues to deliver) them out of ALL their troubles.”

                                                                                                                  Psalm 34:17.

Good morning, God-fearing Christian!  After teaching us ‘the fear of the Lord’, the Holy Spirit inspires the Psalmist to openly proclaim the Divine deliverance promised to all that will live in godly fear of Almighty Jehovah God.  Verses 17 through to 22 reads as a list of such Divine promises to us ‘His people’, as we endeavour, to the very best of our abilities, to live in the fear and reverence of His Holiness and grace.

Verse 17. “The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them.  Note who is doing the crying out, ‘the righteous’ – all those souls made righteous by faith in the full Atonement Sacrifice of Christ Jesus on Calvary’s Cross.  These are ‘the righteous’, there is no other righteousness recognised by God but the imputed righteousness of Christ Jesus Himself, and because we are made ‘the righteousness of God in Him...’, our regenerate spirits are drawn to Him in sincere prayer for His help in all our troubles.  Praise God, He always hears our cry and delivers us from ALL our troubles.  Glory and praise to the Lamb!

Verse 18.  “The Lord is nigh (near).  Our God is not a Lord God Who sits afar off from us, but One that is always near, especially when we put away our sin that separates us from His Holy Presence.  He promises to be near us when we are ‘broken-hearted’; and to save those of us who are ‘contrite (showing a genuine sense of personal guilt, wholly penitent) in spirit’.  (Isaiah 59:1-2) (1 John 1:7-9)

Verse 19.  “Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.”  “The Lawyer can deliver his client but from strife, the physician can deliver his patient but from sickness, the master can deliver his servant but from bondage, but the Lord delivereth us from all.  As when Moses came to deliver the Israelites, he would not leave a hoof behind him, so when the Lord cometh to deliver the righteous, He will not leave a trouble behind him.  He Who saith, ‘I put away all thine iniquities,’ will also say, ‘I put away all thine infirmities.’”  (Henry Smith 1560-1591)

Verse 20.  “He keepeth all his bones; not one of them is broken.  Eternity will heal all their wounds.  Not a bone of the mystical Body of Christ shall be broken, even as His corporeal frame was preserved intact.  Divine love watches over every believer as it did over Jesus; no fatal injury shall happen to us.  We shall neither be halt nor maimed in the Kingdom, but shall be presented after life’s trials are over without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, being preserved in Christ Jesus and kept by the power of God unto Salvation.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, page 168)

Wow!  What an assurance from the Scriptures of God that we who have been saved are perfectly secured for Eternity!  Even death can merely escort us into God’s Presence, where we are blessed with joy unspeakable.  Hallelujah!  We are SAVED!

“Christ’s bones were in themselves breakable but could not actually be broken by all the violence in the world because God had fore-decreed, ‘A bone of Him shall not be broken,’  So we confess God’s children mortal; but all the power of Devil or man may not, must not, cannot, kill them before their conversion according to God’s election of them to life, which must be fully accomplished.”  (Thomas Fuller 1608-1661)

Verse 21.  “Evil shall slay the wicked; and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.  This verse from Psalm 34, is as much a Divine promise as all the Divine promises that have been expounded thus far in this great Psalm of inspired Scripture.  The entire Psalm is devoted to God’s promise to those of us that ‘fear the Lord’, reverence His Holiness and His Holy Name; worship Him in spirit and it truth. 

‘The wicked’ Defined:  Here in God-breathed Scripture, ‘the wicked’ are clearly defined, and the first characteristic of ‘the wicked’ revealed is his/her hatred of people just as clearly defined as ‘the righteous’.

“The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all the nations that forget God.”  (Psalm 9:17)

“Then shall He (Christ Jesus) say unto also unto them (‘the wicked’) on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into the everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels.”  (Matthew 25:41) 

‘The Righteous’ Defined:  ‘The righteous’ are clearly defined consistently throughout Holy Scripture as those who have been imputed (put to ones account by God’s grace) the total righteousness of Christ Jesus Himself – genuinely born again Christians. 

“For He (God the Father) hath made Him Who knew no sin (God the Son) to be sin for us (‘His people’); that we (the elect of God) might be made the righteousness of God in Him (Jesus Christ).”  (2 Corinthians 5:21) (My paraphrase)

Apart from such Divinely imputed righteousness, there is none righteous, no not one. (Romans 3:10-18)  (Isaiah 64:6)

In verse 21 of Psalm 34 therefore, God has promised that ‘evil shall slay the wicked; and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.’  The terrible fulfilment of this Divine promise shall be pronounced on the day of God’s judgement for ‘the wicked’, the ‘unjust’ – who have practiced no fear of the Lord God, and detested those of us who have been imputed the righteousness of Christ Himself through God’s grace, by His gift of believing/trusting faith.  (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Verse 22.  “The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants; and NONE of them that trust (believeth) in Him shall be desolate.”  This is God’s promise to those who fear Him.

Thought:  “The fear of the Lord IS the beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”  Fear the Lord in this, the day of His grace, be forever SAVED!

7. Teaching the Fear of the Lord Psalm 34:11-16

 Text: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

Proverbs 22:6.

          “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and hymns and Spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.”

                                                                                                       Colossians 3:16-17.

Good morning, God-fearing  Christian Teacher!  What a wonderful, God-given privilege we have to be entrusted with teaching our children the fear of the Lord; how to know the Lord God; how to receive Christ Jesus as Saviour; how to live lives that will please Him and be assured of His constant Presence and His peace.  Such a blessing, to be entrusted with the Spiritual welfare of our children.  Hallelujah!

“Come ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.” (Psalm 34:11)

Verse 11.  “Come ye children.  When God had created the Heavens and the earth, the first thing He did was to adorn the world with light and separate it from the darkness.  Happy is that child on whom the light of saving knowledge begins to dawn early.  God, in the law, required the firstborn, and the first-fruits, so He doth still our first days, to be offered to Him.”  (Nathanael Hardy 1618-1670)

Teaching our children to grow in the fear and admonition of the Living Lord God Jehovah is the finest act a Christian parent can undertake.  Our children are the future Church, and they need to know true Christian belief from false religious error.

“David, in this latter part of the Psalm, undertakes to teach children; though a man of war and anointed to be king, he did not think it below him: though now he had his head so full of cares, and his hands of business, yet he could find heart and time to give good counsel to young people from his own experience.”  (Matthew Henry 1662-1714)

Children and young adults today, in this increasingly apostate, secular, humanist, 21^st Century, just will not easily sit still for a moment and really listen to wise Spiritual instruction.  The advent of the internet and social media interaction seems to give them the false illusion that they know more than their parents/elders, and so often despise our sincere instruction on vital Spiritual matters. 

To really learn, one must first learn to listen.  “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

Matthew Henry teaches us what God expects from ‘His people’:

"Observe 1. What He expects from them, ‘Hearken unto Me, leave your play, lay by your toys, and hear what I have to say to you; not only give Me the hearing, but observe and obey Me’.

“Observe 2.  What He undertakes to teach them, ‘The fear of the Lord’, inclusive of all the duties of religion.” (Matthew Henry 1662-1714)  (Treasury of David, page 167)

“David was a famous musician, a statesman, a soldier, but he doth not say to his children, ‘I will teach you to play upon the harp, or to handle the sword or spear, or draw the bow,’ or ‘I will teach you the maxims of state policy,’, but ‘I will teach you the fear of the Lord’, which is better than all arts and sciences, better than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.  This is it which we should be solicitous both to learn ourselves and teach our children.” (Matthew Henry 1662-1714)  (Treasury of David, page 167)

David, and in later history Matthew Henry, both knew how utterly vital it is to have our children instructed in the fear of the Living Lord God Jehovah.  Each knew deep in their hearts that true wisdom is found only in such a godly fear and reverence.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.  My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: for they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.”  (Proverbs 1:7-9)

Fearing God, means to reverence Him, and to bow down before Him in sincere reverent worship and adoration.  It has nothing to do with dread – unless one is coming before our Holy Lord God with hidden sin in one’s heart.  To fear the Living Lord God is to fear nothing else – knowing that He is our Lord Protector.

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: but verily (truly) God hath heard me; He hath attended to the voice of my prayer.  Blessed (blessed with blessings) be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me.” 

(Psalm 66:18-20)

Verses 12 to 16 of Psalm 34 break down into easy to understand concepts what it means to ‘fear the Lord’, and to fellowship with Him in obedience of His truth.

Verse 14.”Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace and pursue it.  We must not merely depart from evil and sin; we must also do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

True good is done when we seek to do the will of the Lord God as revealed to us in His written Word, the Bible (KJV).  When we seek to do God’s good will, we are blessed with his peace and assured of His constant fellowship.  Who or what can harm us if we are walking in the close company of the Living Lord God Himself?

Thought:  Let us live in God’s light and teach our children to do likewise.  Amen.

6. Fear God - Want Nothing! Psalm 34:9-10

Text:  “O fear the Lord, ye His saints; for there is no want to them that fear Him.” 

Psalm 34:9.

 “The Lord is MY Shepherd; I shall not want (I.e. lack).”

Psalm 23:1.

Good morning, Divinely cared for Christian!  By God’s Sovereign grace, you and the author have come to fear the Lord - to reverence His Holiness, His goodness; His love; His great Salvation in Christ Jesus; and His saving and keeping power. 

Because we fear the Lord, we fear nothing else.  If God the Father has loved you and I so much that He gave us His only begotten Son to suffer and die upon a cruel Cross, to forgive us our sins and to redeem us by the shedding of His Own precious Blood - how can He withhold any other good and lawful gift from us?  Hallelujah!  We shall never want!  We have God’s own faithful promise in this matter.  What a gracious Lord God!

“He (God the Father) that spared not His Own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”  (Romans 8:32)

Read again this great verse from the book of Romans; realise the depth of its Divine meaning for every soul that is ‘born again’ in Christ.  Wow!  What love!

Question:  What is, was, and shall always be the first Treasure of Heaven? 

Answer:  The Lord Jesus Christ. He is, “..the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last…He that liveth, and was dead; and behold, (He is) alive for evermore.  Amen…”   (Revelation 1:11;17-18)

Divine Logic:  If God the Father has already given sinners - just like you and me - His only begotten Son, the first Treasure of Heaven; ’shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?’ That is, all things legally necessary to meet our daily needs?  Of course He will!  Praise God for such Divine grace to the most undeserving sinners such as we!

“O fear the Lord, ye His saints; for there is no want to them that fear Him.”  (Psalm 34:9)

“The Lord is MY Shepherd; I shall not want (I.e. lack any good thing).”   (Psalm 23:1)

Those of us who ’fear the Lord’ - who view the Lord God at all times with complete reverence, and desire to be obedient to His will - study His Word to show ourselves approved of Him.  Thus, being approved of Him, we continually seek to magnify and exalt His Holy, Sovereign and truly gracious Name.  Therefore, as a consequence, we are recipients of His promise that we shall always have Him graciously provide for our every need.  We who reverence and worship the Lord God will always be in His care. Hallelujah!  Thanks be to God, amen!

“But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 4:19)  Do we truly believe this promise?  I hope so.

Verse 10.  “But they that seek the Lord shall not want (lack) any good thing.  There shall be no silver lacking in Benjamin’s sack while Joseph has it to throw in.  Grace is not such a beggarly visitant as will not pay its own way.  When the best of Beings (the Lord God) is adored, the best of blessings are enjoyed.”  (William Secker 1660)

The confusion arises in the believer’s heart and mind, when at once he/she becomes confused as to what are his/her ‘needs’ and what are in fact merely ‘greeds’.  God only promises to supply our needs, yet always gives in abundance.

“Take a survey of Heaven and earth and all things therein, and whatsoever upon sure ground appears good, ask it confidently of Christ; His love will not deny it.  If it were good for you that there were no sin, no Devil, no affliction, no destruction, the love of Christ would instantly abolish these. Nay, if the possession of all the kingdoms of the world were absolutely good for any saint, the love of Christ would instantly crown him monarch of them.”  (David Clarkson 1622-1686)

‘Poverty‘, in the Western Hemisphere at least, should be viewed realistically as ‘relative poverty’ - you have a TV that is bigger than my TV; you own your own house, while I merely rent mine; you have a large income, while I am on State Pension, etc.  This is ‘relative poverty’, wanting something better than what one already possesses.

True ‘poverty’, in the physical sense, is mainly confined to Third World countries - where children are still starving to death, dying from basic disease through lack of proper medical facilitation and care; are mal-nourished, living in squalid conditions; with unsanitary washing and toilet facilities; and lacking proper food and clothing.

Christian countries, countries that have been exposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Salvation in Him, and whose basic laws have been formulated in accordance to the Ten Commandments - have prospered consistently throughout history.  This is an observable fact.  

Scripture is thus proven to be truth -   “O fear the Lord, ye His saints; for there is no want to them that fear Him…they that seek the Lord shall not want (lack) any good thing. ”

Thought:  When Christians sincerely, and in reverent fear, pray, ‘Give us this day our daily bread…’, the Lord God Whom we revere, says ‘Thou shall not want.’