The Lord protects the believer
Psalm 34 has a beautiful structure and sets out what you must do (and what you must not do) and the Lord’s response to it. It also contains a very powerful prophecy that has already been fulfilled.
Background: who is Abimelech?
- One of the main characters in this psalm is Abimelech, and the psalm refers to the events in 1 Samuel 21:13.
- Abimelech is a title used for the Philistine kings, just like Pharaoh in Genesis and Caesar in the New Testament. In this case the name Abimelech refers to Achish.
- For other examples where the title Abimelech is used, see Genesis 20:2 and Judges 9:1. What were the names of the persons referred to here by the title?
The wisdom of this psalm
- Praise (verse 1) is the first thing you can do in difficult circumstances. We often complain first when things go wrong.
- The focus must always be on God and not on people and our circumstances (verse 2).
- We must exalt the Name of the Lord at all times (verse 3).
What I must do, and the Lord’s response
For the next few verses, let us look at what a person must do, and what the result is:
| My action (what I must do) | God’s response |
|---|---|
| I sought the Lord (verse 4) | He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. |
| They looked to Him (verse 5) | They were delivered from their circumstances and were not ashamed. |
| This poor man cried out (verse 6) | The Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. |
| Fear the Lord (verse 7) | He protects you and delivers you. |
| Live close to the Lord (verse 8) | You will be blessed. The word means “three times happy”. See 2 Peter 2:3. |
| Fear the Lord (verse 9) | You will lack nothing. |
| Seek the Lord (verse 10) | You will not lack any good thing. |
Listen to David, because he wants to teach you about the fear of the Lord (verse 11). See Proverbs 1:7; 9:10. Who accepts the invitation? (Verses 12 to 14) His advice is the following:
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| The Lord focuses on the righteous and He listens to them. See 1 Peter 3:12; but the Lord does not focus on the evildoers. | |
| The righteous cry out (verse 17) | The Lord hears them and delivers them out of all their troubles. |
| Are you broken-hearted (verse 18)? See Ps 51:17; 147:3; and Luke 4:18 | The Lord is near you and He delivers you. |
| You will have adversity in this life (see John 16:33), but (verse 19) | The Lord delivers you out of all your adversity. |
| Here is a prophecy (verse 20) that has already been fulfilled. See John 19:36. | |
| The fate of the unbelievers (verse 21). | |
| Take refuge in the Lord (verse 22) | He redeems your soul and you will not be condemned (receive punishment). |
Note: the Afrikaans Bible numbers the psalm’s heading as verse 1, so its verse numbers run one ahead of most English translations. The English verse numbers above follow the common English versification.
The bond between the Old and New Testament
This psalm clearly shows the inseparable bond between the Old and New Testament. We see the prophecy of the death of Jesus Christ. John therefore quotes from this psalm (verse 20). The writer of Hebrews also quotes the psalm (verse 14). Peter quotes it in great detail as practical advice for his readers.
Reflection
What do you learn from this psalm? What does it mean for you?