WEEK 3 ● Day 1
READ PSALM 34
The interesting thing about the psalms of David, particularly as we look at them in light of what was going on in his life as he wrote them, is that he wasn’t afraid to bring every kind of emotion before God. Last week, we saw him wrestling with trust in the face of fear, and this week, we’re going to look at a psalm he wrote on the other side of that same story in 1 Samuel 21. And we’re going to discover more of David’s heart as he moves toward God in the midst of a terrifying time. Let’s read this week’s psalm so we can start digging in:
1 I bless GOD every chance I get;
my lungs expand with his praise.
2 I live and breathe GOD;
if things aren’t going well, hear this and be happy:
3 Join me in spreading the news;
together let’s get the word out.
4 GOD met me more than halfway,
he freed me from my anxious fears.
5 Look at him; give him your warmest smile.
Never hide your feelings from him.
6 When I was desperate, I called out,
and GOD got me out of a tight spot.
7 GOD’s angel sets up a circle
of protection around us while we pray.
8 Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see —
how good GOD is.
Blessed are you who run to him.
9 Worship GOD if you want the best;
worship opens doors to all his goodness.
10 Young lions on the prowl get hungry,
but GOD-seekers are full of God.
11 Come, children, listen closely;
I’ll give you a lesson in GOD worship.
12 Who out there has a lust for life?
Can’t wait each day to come upon beauty?
13 Guard your tongue from profanity,
and no more lying through your teeth.
14 Turn your back on sin; do something good.
Embrace peace —don’t let it get away!
15 GOD keeps an eye on his friends,
his ears pick up every moan and groan.
16 GOD won’t put up with rebels;
he’ll cull them from the pack.
17 Is anyone crying for help? GOD is listening,
ready to rescue you.
18 If your heart is broken, you’ll find GOD right there;
if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.
19 Disciples so often get into trouble;
still, GOD is there every time.
20 He’s your bodyguard, shielding every bone;
not even a finger gets broken.
21 The wicked commit slow suicide;
they waste their lives hating the good.
22 GOD pays for each slave’s freedom;
no one who runs to him loses out.
1. What do you think just happened? Why might David be pouring out so much praise to his heavenly Father?
This praise sounds a lot like it comes from relief, doesn’t it? I picture David running off after being released from King Achish’s guards, maybe galloping away on a horse as fast as the animal’s legs will take him. Once he’s a safe distance away from Gath, perhaps he pauses to water his exhausted steed, finds a shady spot nearby to rest and catch his breath, and pens this prayer to his God, who protects him.
2. Reread verse 6, recalling our study from last week. What do you think of this verse?
When David called out, God answered and got him out of a tight spot. (Hmm . . . maybe God really did encourage him to pretend he was insane. Who knows?) Personally, I’d like to know more about this verse. Hopefully you do too! My ESV translates it as
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
David is obviously referring to himself here when he mentions the poor man, but what does he mean by “poor”? Let’s head to the BLB, click on Interlinear, and tap on the Hebrew word for poor, עָנִי or ‘aniy (pronounced ah-nee).
3. What words are listed as definitions?
Okay, that makes sense. I kind of wish they’d just translated that word as needy, weak, or afflicted in the first place. The folks who translate our Bibles don’t always use the words that make the most sense to us personally. That’s why it’s so important to take the time to dive in a little deeper into the Greek (New Testament) and Hebrew (Old Testament). (Otherwise I would have thought maybe David was talking about not having much money in his pocketbook!)
Let’s keep going. “The LORD heard him,” it says. Sigh. We could spend an entire study on this phrase alone. Sometimes it feels like the Lord doesn’t hear us. As if our words fly out into the universe without Him catching them. So let’s wrestle with David’s assertion here. What does the Bible actually tell us about God hearing us?
If you have a Bible with a concordance (a list of words, themes, and topics, which appears toward the back of the Bible), look there for the word hears or hearing. You should see several verses spreading from Old to New Testament. If you’re using a digital Bible, google Bible verses about God hearing us or what the Bible says about God hearing us, or something along those lines.
4. Choose one or two verses that you find and write them out:
Do the verses you looked up help you understand what David is saying in Psalm 34? I want to single out a specific verse I came across in my search because the wording both provides some more insight . . . and is a little confusing.
We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.
5. Why might this verse seem a little strange and confusing?
What exactly is a sinner? According to Dictionary.com, this is the definition:
[sin-er] noun
a person who sins; transgressor.[1]
Okay, lame. Didn’t those dictionary people have a teacher who told them you can’t use the word in its definition?
6. Let’s research the word transgress (verb form of transgressor) instead. Look up the definition and write it here:
All right, sure. “To violate a law, command, moral code, etc.; offend; sin.”[2] Makes sense. It’s essentially what I thought the word meant, and what you probably thought too.
But here’s the natural next question: If we’re all sinners (and even the best of us still are), does that mean God actually does not listen to us and this whole thing is a farce? From time to time, I hear people say that the Bible contradicts itself and therefore cannot be true. This could easily be seen as one of those moments.
But guess what? This verse actually makes perfect sense as we dig into it. The Bible doesn’t contradict itself at all here. Things still a little foggy? Let’s keep going.
7. Head to the BLB and look up this verse (John 9:31), clicking on Interlinear. Tap on the Greek word for sinners, hamartōlos (ἁμαρτωλός, pronounced ha-mar-tō-los). Now hold on a second, because we’re going to scroll down past where we typically land. Continue down to the section that says Thayer’s Greek Lexicon. Write down the portions written in bold:
Does this make more sense? This verse is talking about someone who is devoted to sin, someone who is not free from sin. As in, a person who maybe doesn’t love Jesus quite yet . . . or isn’t ready to live into the freedom He gives. A person who is acting in a way opposite from how we are called to live will not be heard by our heavenly Father because they don’t have a relationship with Him.
Hopefully that clears up any confusion with that verse. Remember, God does hear us. And He does care. That’s why, in this psalm, David is praising God: because He heard him.
All right, let’s head back and look at the second part of Psalm 34:6:
When I was desperate, I called out,
and GOD got me out of a tight spot.
This time when we click on the Interlinear and tap on the Hebrew word heard (shama‘; שָׁמַע, pronounced shah-mah), we’re going to scroll way down again. Like the New Testament has Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, the Old Testament has the Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon. This time, I’m adding it here to show you the whole entry for this verse:[3]
At first glance, it looks overwhelming, I know. I get it. But don’t let your eyes glaze over quite yet. Think of this as sort of a word search.
In a brightly colored pen (so it stands out from all this black text), circle or underline anything that sticks out to you in reference to God hearing us. Then come back when you’re done.
. . . Finished? Yay; great!
Okay, so something that stuck out to me right away was the seventh line down when it says “to attend.” When I read that, I immediately think that God not only hears but listens in a way that He knows what to do next. He puts my request or whatever I’m praying about into motion.
Further down, under the first “(2),” I see that yes indeed —I was right! “To understand things heard” means having an understanding heart.
And even further, it says “to be regarded, to be cared for . . . to be heard and answered.”[4]
That is what we learn from David’s words in this psalm: God does hear our cries. He listens to every word we utter aloud and to each one whispered in the deepest recesses of our heart. And not only does He do so but He answers them with a yes, no, or wait, putting into motion events and circumstances —even when we don’t realize His answer has begun.
As we wrap up the day, let’s go to God in prayer. Share with Him any frustration about feeling like He isn’t listening to your petitions and pleas. Or thank Him for His faithfulness, that though you hear nothing but silence, you know He is still by your side, working behind the scenes on your behalf.
Amen.