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INTRODUCTION
Psalm 34:8 “O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes
refuge in Him!“
ILLUS: It is always great to meet Christians around the world. We visited a blessed church
in Jamaica. Bulletin of Ocho Rios Baptist Church.
The Context:
- Superscription of Psalm 34 - A song of David when he was on the run from King Saul and
lived with Achish (Abimelech is title) the King of Gath 1 Sam. 21:10-15; Gen.
26:1. Gath one of the 5 cities of the Philistines.
- During this time he pretended to be mad. Spurgeon wrote that this psalm was probably
written not at the time of the event, but afterwards to commemorate the event and
David speaks only of the greatness of God not of his exploits: “David played the
fool with singular dexterity, but he was not so real a fool as to sing of his own
exploits of folly.” Instead he sings of God’s faithfulness.
- This is a alphabetical Psalm as Psalm 25 is also. 22 letters, all are Consonants.
Psalm 119 the sections are alphabetical.
- Two divisions in this Psalm vs. 1-10 are a Song. Verses 11-22 are a Sermon.
READ 34:1-10
The Content:
- We have 5 senses: hearing, touching, smelling, tasting and seeing. The use of the
senses help us experience life around us. Very important.
- New Century: “Examine and see how good the Lord is, happy is the person who
trusts in him.”
- In the literal translations, David mentions “O taste and see”
- In this text tasting and seeing are together. Listed specifically.
- “taste” - try the flavor of anything
ILLUS: We tasted Jerk Chicken, didn’t taste goat (tastes like lamb/turkey) I
enjoy the taste of beef and pork, oranges and apples, bread and peanut butter.
Sugar and chocolate.
- “see” - perceive, understand, comprehend
ILLUS: Brochure of the motel, but nothing takes place of real seeing.
- These two senses together enhances both, especially tasting enhances seeing.
ILLUS: David’s best friend was Jonathan, the son of Saul. Tasting and seeing
together may come from when Jonathan was hungry in 1 Samuel 14:27 when Jonathan
“put the end of his staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the
honeycomb, and put his hands to his mouth, and his eyes brightened” 29
“See now, how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this
honey.” This was when Saul made the rash vow that no one should eat,
cursed was any man, and Jonathan had not heard the order, and when he did he was
highly critical of it. But tasting brightened his eyes.
- To taste and see that the Lord is good - is to personally be changed and even revived
in the Lord. When you experience Him, You find Him meeting your needs and satisfying
your longings.
ILLUS: Just as food can revive our weary bodies and we can see better, when I get
tired and weary I get something to snack on or drink so I can be revived (as I
write this I need something, I have the post-travel weariness setting in today, so
I ate Cheetos and drank orange juice.)
- When we by faith taste God, He can revive our weary souls so we can
see His goodness clearer, sharper, more beautiful, in full reality.
- A commentator stated: “Our senses help our understandings; we cannot by the most
rational discourse perceive what the sweetness of honey is; taste it and you shall
perceive it.” (Spurgeon, Richard Alleine, in “Heaven Opened,” 1665)
- Those who trust by tasting and seeing the Lord, will experience genuine happiness.
“Blessed” = “happiness”
- Psalm 84:12 “O LORD of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You!”
Psalm 112:1 “Praise the LORD! How blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who
greatly delights in His commandments.”
- Adam Clark: “Apply to him by faith and prayer; plead his promises, he will
fulfill them; and you shall know in consequence, that the Lord is good.”
- David needed protection from the Lord, and He found it in the Lord. In this Psalm he
thus passes that lesson on. God is trustworthy. Vs. 1-7
- Truth is truth regardless if we experience it, but truth is truth to us when we
experience it. And our testimony can encourage others to experience the truth for
themselves also. David has done that for us.
- Nelson Study Bible: The center of biblical mission in the Old Testament is found in
the words taste and see. The task of Israel was to attract the
nations to their God. For their faithfulness to Him, God had promised to bless them
abundantly, and when the nations saw this blessing they would see that the living God
was with them. In the midst of a world of gods who were not gods or even good at all,
there was one living God, and He was altogether good - Psalm 100:5 “For the
Lord is good, His lovingkindness is everlasting,, and His faithfulness to all
generations.”
ILLUS: Today, no other religion offers a good God. They offer gods (who
aren’t gods) who appear to be terrifying, demanding, unknowable,
fatalistic.
- v. 9 Fear is a call to awe, wonder, worship, and reverence (Prov. 1:7). To fear God is
to respond to Him in piety and obedience. Not to be terrified of Him as a harsh
uncaring ruler with a big stick ready to pound you. Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is
my shepherd I shall not want.”
CONCLUSION
2007 has been interesting. I sure trust you all can believe and boast in this verse. Let us
trust God for 2008. Only God knows what lies ahead, but we can plan seeking His will and
wisdom and glory. These next 8 days will be interesting - annual meeting preps, planning for
the year. I claim this verse.
“O taste and see that the Lord is good, how blessed is the man who takes refuge in
Him.”
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