TEXT : Psa 34:1  A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psa 34:2  My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. Psa 34:3  O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. Psa 34:4  I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

 

THEME : DELIVERANCE FROM FEAR

 

We must always rejoice whenever we are delivered from danger by the Hand of our Most Merciful God. Moreover, we should have a memorial to represent such deliverances. This Psalm [34] is David's memorial of an undeserved rescue. His escape if [forever] recorded for us her in this Psalm. Thus, the Chinese proverb - "the palest ink is better than the best memory," is brought to light as the Holy Spirit prompts David to record his deliverance from Abimelech. David's written record has served the Church more than it ever served him. The reason is that we can learn to believe in the LORD the same way David did, and like David, be delivered from all our fears.

 

David writes as the Spirit of the LORD moves him to give this Psalm a title - "A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed." Thus, with one proverbial stroke of the pen, David forever states his gratitude to God, and his strange behavior before Abimelech - for all to read. [1Sa 21:10  And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and wen t to Achish the king of Gath. 1Sa 21:11  And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? 1Sa 21:12  And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 1Sa 21:13  And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.]

 

Charles Spurgeon reflects on this title and its significance and connotation.

 

"A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed of this transaction, which reflects no credit upon David's memory, we have a brief account in 1Sa_21:1-15. Although the gratitude of the Psalmist prompted him thankfully to record the goodness of the Lord in vouchsafing an undeserved deliverance, yet he weaves none of the incidents of the escape into the narrative, but dwells only on the grand fact of his being heard in the hour of peril. We may learn from his example not to parade our sins before others, as certain vainglorious professors are wont to do who seem as proud of their sins as old Greenwich pensioners of their battles and their wounds. David played the fool with singular dexterity, but he was not so real a fool as to sing of his own exploits of folly. In the original, the title does not teach us that the Psalmist composed this poem at the time of his escape from Achish, the king or Abimelech of Gath, but that it is intended to commemorate that event, and was suggested by it. It is well to mark our mercies with well carved memorials. God deserves our best handiwork. David in view of the special peril from which he was rescued, was at great pains with this Psalm, and wrote it with considerable regularity, in almost exact accordance with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This is the second alphabetical Psalm, the twenty-fifth being the first." [C.H. SPURGEON]

 

As Spurgeon notes, this Psalm is an acrostic. That is, each verse begins with a letter of the H ebrew alphabet. This was a common practice in ancient times to make memorization easier. Keep in mind, for many centuries various cultures - including the Jews, passed their history and traditions down orally.  Thus, until the Bible was put in written form, memorization played a vital role in the Jewish community. Without it, there could be no recollection of the Word of God to write. For instance, Moses, the first Author of the first five Books of the Bible, goes back to [before] the world was created. He also records God order of creation as well as the design of God in creating Man. In order for the Jews to record Scripture, of which they were God's stewards, there were methods of memorizing such as the acrostic Psalm.

 

Adam Clarke suggests something interesting concerning David's behavior before Abimelech. According to Clarke, David was subject to seizures of an epileptic sort. I am unaware of any Biblical evidence for this claim. However, it is an interesting view of [why] David acted the way he did. I say this because David is a courageous man. Still, David does have lapses of judgment at times. Therefore, there is no reason t o come to David's aid in offering an "excuse" for his strange foaming, thrashing, and whipping about before Abimelech, unless he was epileptic as Clarke suggests.

 

"Of the occasion of this Psalm, as stated here, I have given my opinion in the notes on 1Sa_21:1-15, to which I have nothing to add. On the whole I prefer the view taken of it by the Septuagint, which intimates that "David fell into an epileptic fit; that he frothed at the mouth, fell against the doorposts, and gave such unequivocal evidences of being subject to epileptic fits, and during the time his intellect became so much impaired, that Achish Abimelech dismissed him from his court." This saves the character of David; and if it cannot be vindicated in this way, then let it fall under reproach as to this thing; for hypocrisy, deceit, and falsehood, can never be right in the sight of God, whatever men may ingeniously say to excuse them." [ADAM CLARKE]

 

Returning to the acrostic natu re of this Psalm, and of the other Psalms written with the same method, Dr. William Binnie states his opinion. That is, he [wishes] all of them were translated in the same manner in English. However, the problem is the structure of the Hebrew alphabet and our English alphabet. The difference being, Hebrew has 22 letters, while ours has 26. Hebrew has no vowels and the English alphabet of course, does.

 

"(This Psalm is alphabetical). The Alphabetical Psalms, the psalmi abcedarii, as the Latin fathers called them, are nine in number; and I cannot help thinking it is a pity that, except in the single instance of the hundred and nineteenth, no hint of their existence should have been suffered to appear in our authorised version. I will not take it upon me to affirm, with Ewald, that no version is faithful in which the acrostic is suppressed; but I do think that the existence of such a remarkable style of composition ought to be indicated in one way or another, and that some useful purposes are served by its being actually reproduced in the translation. No doubt there are difficulties in the way. The Hebrew Alphabet differs widely from any of those now = employed in Europe. Besides differences of a more fundamental kind, the Hebrew has only twenty-two letters for our twenty-six; and of the twenty-two a considerable number have no fellows in ours. An exact reproduction of a Hebrew acrostic in an English version is therefore impossible." [William Binnie, D.D.]

 

TRUTH FOR TODAY : "GOD WILL FREE THOSE WHO CALL ON HIM FROM ALL THEIR FEARS!"

 

To bless the LORD "at all times," is the goal of the mature Christian. Through the good times and the bad, to bless the LORD is the signal indication of [true] faith in God's sovereign and providential care. John Bradford, the English Reformer, was burned at the stake on July 1, 1555 along with John Leaf. Bradford was about 45 at the time. John Leaf was only 19. Imprisoned by Queen Mary Tudor ["Bloody Mary"] Bradford is best known for a statement he made during his imprisonment when he saw a criminal heading toward execution. "There, but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford," he uttered, contemplating the sight. We know the phrase as -  "There, but for the grace of God, go I." Still, he did go to his own execution for the sole reason that he was a Protestant.

 

On the day of his execution with John Leaf, before the fagots were lit and the wood he was tied to were engulfed in flames, he turned to the young Leaf and said - ""Be of good comfort brother; for we shall have a merry supper with the Lord this night!" Concerning this virtue of " blessing the LORD at all times," Samuel Clarke states - "Mr. Bradford, martyr, speaking of Queen Mary, at whose cruel mercy he then lay, said - "If the queen be pleased to release me, I will thank her; if she will imprison me, I will thank her; if she will burn me, I will thank her, etc. So saith a believing soul: Let God do with me what he will, I will be thankful." - [Samuel Clarke's "Mirrour." ] This, no doubt, is the evidence of a Christian with a full and true trust in God. This is the aim of every Christian.

 

However, David records his blessing of God in relation to seeking Him, finding Him, and being delivered from [all] his fears. No doubt, we will rejoice and bless the LORD at all times as well, since our experience will be like David's, when He sets us free from all fear. That is, when we are delivered from ALL our fears. Moreover, since it is recorded in God's Word, we must conclude that it is possible to be "fearless" [in the sense of overcoming anxiety or fear in our life; not never being tempted by it]. Without contradiction, a life emptied of the ravages tha t fear brings, is an engaging and attractive thought. Further, the Bible holds out that very possibility - that is, deliverance from all fear, for all who will seek God like David.

 

Under the ordinary understanding that David purposely behaved as a lunatic before Abimelech, we see how our prayers need not be "perfect" for God to be gracious to us. Peter, sinking quickly into the tempestuous waters of the Sea of Galilee as he walked on the water to meet the LORD who called him out of the boat, simply cried - "LORD save me!" Then, the Bible records Jesus reached out His hand and pulled him up asking - "Wherefore didst thou doubt?" Thus, we must seek the LORD no matter how clumsy may be our attempt.

 

"I sought the Lord, and he heard me." It must have been in a very confused manner that David prayed, and there must have been much of self-sufficiency in his prayer, or he would not have resorted to methods of such dubious moral ity as pretending to be mad and behaving as a lunatic; yet his poor limping prayer had an acceptance and brought him succour: the more reason for them celebrating the abounding mercy of the Lord. We may seek God even when we have sinned. If sin could blockade the mercy-seat it would be all over with us, but the mercy is that there are gifts even for the rebellious, and an advocate for men who sin. "And delivered me from all my fears." God makes a perfect work of it. He clears away both our fears and their causes, all of them without exception. Glory be to his name, prayer sweeps the field, slays all the enemies and even buries their bones. Note the egoism of this verse and of those preceding it; we need not blush to speak of ourselves when in so doing we honestly aim at glorifying God, and not at exalting ourselves. Some are foolishly squeamish upon this point, but they should remember that when modesty robs God it is most immodest. [C.H. SPURGEON]

 

To seek the LORD is the wisest choice anyone can make. He is the only One who can save completely. He is also the only One who can free a person from ALL their fears!