A psalm of David, regarding the time he pretended to be insane in front of Abimelech, who sent him away.
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 him!
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.
Psalm 34 can be read in light of the additional revelation of Psalm 56. Both Psalms have the superscriptions of events that occurred in 1 Samuel 21 when David pretended to be insane to protect himself from what he believed would result in him being captured and put to death.
Just as Saul sinfully responded to David’s popularity, David also reacted wrongly to the danger occasioned by Saul’s murderous intentions. Deception became David’s way of dealing with danger. During this time of fleeing Saul, David headed to the enemy camp of the Philistines. In contemporary terms, David must have thought, “Better Red than dead.” David fled to the Philistines because he didn’t believe God could spare his life any other way. David’s actions were based upon pragmatism rather than on principle. He was willing to make an alliance with Israel’s enemies in order to feel safe and secure. The Philistines who once fled from David, the warrior of Israel (1 Sam. 17:50-52), were now David’s allies to whom he looked for protection from Saul. The sequence of events recorded in 1 Samuel 21 and Psalms 34 and 56 was something like this: Out of fear of Saul, David fled to Gath. He attempted to live in that city without revealing his identify, but was soon discovered (1 Samuel 21:11). When Achish learned of David’s identity and reputation as a soldier, he seized him (superscription, Psalm 56). Under house arrest, David began to ponder his situation and realized he was in grave danger ( 1 Samuel 21:12). David acted as though he was insane and was expelled from Gath. He then looked back upon these events at a point in time and came to understand that he had acted out of the fear of man and not out of the fear of God (Psalm 56:3-4, 10-11). Humbled before God, David wrote Psalm 56 as his confession and vow of trust. Finally, Psalm 34 seems to be penned to praise God for His deliverance (in spite of his deception and sin) and to teach the principles pertaining to the “fear of the Lord” which David had learned through this painful experience. David confessed his sin and expressed his renewed trust in God.
When I read Psalm 34, I understand that it was written by the same man who has acknowledged his sin and is forgiven. The trust of which David speaks in Psalm 34 is that of someone who realizes what obedience to God brings to believers: deliverance from fear, deliverance from our troubles (even the trouble of sinful choices); guards over us; shows us goodness; supplys our needs; listens when we talk to Him; and redeems us.
'Taste and see' does not mean 'checkout God's credentials' but rather it is an invitation to God - more like: 'try this, I know you will like it'.
David learned deception was not the way to escape the troubles of life. In Psalm 34 he wisely provides the obedient path when faced with trial: cry out to Him; trust Him; fear Him (be in awe and revere Him); turn from evil, do good and seek peace; be humble; and serve Him. These are actions of a grateful, obedient heart that has been saved by Jesus Christ.
I often wish I could escape my troubles and the frustrations of daily life - and too often have found myself using deception to try my own means of an escape route. It is never justified. God promises to be close no matter what, to be my source of power, courage, and wisdom - helping me through my problems and troubles. There are times He delivers me from them and times He provides the strength to withstand them. He builds my trust and spiritual character in the toughest problems and troubles.
God is enough.
