May 27 – Rejoicing in Restoration

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Sunday School Lesson

May 27

Rejoicing in Restoration

 

Devotional Reading: Hebrews 7:20-28

Background Scripture: Leviticus 16; Psalm 34; Hebrews 2:5-18

Psalm 34:1-10

A Psalm of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.

 

¹ I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

² My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

³ O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

⁴ I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

⁵ They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

⁶ This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

⁷ The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

⁸ O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

⁹ O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

¹⁰ The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.

Hebrews 2:17, 18

¹⁷ Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

¹⁸ For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Key Verse

O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.—Psalm 34:8

Lesson Aims

After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:

1. Describe the connection between Psalm 34and Hebrews 2:17, 18.
2. Give examples of God’s desire and ability to provide for His people.
3. Encourage one person in the week ahead who feels as though God doesn’t care about his or her suffering.

 

Introduction

1. Father of the Afflicted

A Christian girl soaks her pillow with tears. Her prom date drives away with another girl who won’t refuse him. An unemployed father hangs his head in shame. Christmas won’t seem so merry because he refused to lie for the good of his company. A faithful family spends another night in the shelter. Speaking publicly about one’s Christian faith is not welcomed in their village.

The apostle Paul referred to himself and the other apostles in very unflattering terms, as “the filth of the world” (1 Corinthians 4:13). Through the years, many followers of Jesus have felt much the same. They stuck to their faith whether popular or not. They have proclaimed Christ unswervingly even when it led to abandonment, poverty, and homelessness. This world does not claim them. It does not appreciate their integrity and commitment to purity and truth. But God claims them. He recognizes them as His children, for He is the father of the afflicted.

In the midst of rejection and scornful treatment from the world, it can be hard to sense God’s parental love. We are more likely to feel anger and resentment. In times like these, we can know that the pain is only temporary. We are encouraged by those who have been there and persevered. We can use examples like David and Jesus, who faced affliction, experienced God’s favor, and left behind a powerful witness and testimony.

1. Lesson Background: Psalm 34

Psalm 34, one of many written by David, is an alphabetic acrostic poem. This means that each verse begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, in consecutive order. In English this would mean beginning the first verse with A and beginning the last verse with Z. There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet, thus there are 22 verses in Psalm 34. A more elaborate acrostic is Psalm 119. Its first 8 verses begin with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the second set of 8 verses begin with the second letter, and so on until all 22 letters are used 8 times for a total of 176 verses in the psalm.

Some psalms include a heading that provides the setting. Psalm 34 has such a heading. It mentions a time in David’s life “when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.” This account is in 1 Samuel 21:10-15, when David was fleeing from jealous King Saul, who wanted to kill him. David came to the territory of the king of Gath, but his reputation for killing “ten thousands” of Philistines had preceded him. To avoid suspicion, David acted as if he were insane. The king berated his servants for bringing such a man into his presence, and David was allowed to leave. It was a time of great distress for David, one when he desperately needed God’s help.

The contents of Psalm 34 do not fit neatly into any one category. The first 10 verses contain elements of an individual thanksgiving hymn. The remaining verses contain strong wisdom elements. The verses in our printed text fall within the thanksgiving section.

1. Lesson Background: Hebrews

The two verses from Hebrews come from a different setting altogether. The book of Hebrews was written to Christians from a Jewish background who were suffering their own version of rejection: being ostracized for choosing to follow Jesus as Messiah. The pressure to return to Judaism was intense.

The writer, who is not named in the book, urges them not to do so, lest they abandon all they have received in Christ (example: Hebrews 10:32-39). This is why the word better occurs so often (13 times) in Hebrews: the writer is trying to persuade his readers that what Christ provides through the new covenant is much better than what the old covenant was able to provide. The portion of our printed text from Hebrews 2 is part of the writer’s case for why Jesus is the better (in fact the perfect) high priest.

How to Say It

AbimelechUh-bim-eh-lek.

CorinthiansKo-rin-thee-unz (th as in thin).

GathGath (a as in bath).

GethsemaneGeth-sem-uh-nee (G as in get).

HerodHair-ud.

JudaismJoo-duh-izz-um or Joo-day-izz-um.

PhilistineFuh-liss-teen or Fill-us-teen.

SinaiSigh-nye or Sigh-nay-eye.

1. Call to Praise

(Psalms 34:1-3)

1. Personal (vv. 1, 2)
2. I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

First to note here is the defining characteristic of Hebrew poetry: parallelism. This means making a statement and then repeating the thought in slightly different words. We should not understand the author to be talking about two different topics. The action of the first half of the verse is the same action in the second half.

David maintains that he has chosen to adopt a posture of continual praise to the Lord. David is not claiming that he lives in a nonstop state of praise. Rather, he is emphasizing that situations of distress and despair (such as the one described in the psalm’s heading) are occasions when God should be blessed and not discarded. This is a powerful thing for a man on the run to say. He is not singing this song from a padded pew in a beautiful sanctuary. He sings a song of praise when others would be tempted to curse their enemies and feel sorry for themselves. David strives to exalt God at all times—even the worst of times.

What Do You Think?

What would our neighbors notice about us if we were committed to praising God at all times?

Points for Your Discussion

In speech and demeanor when times are good

In speech and demeanor when times are hard

At All Times

The lead singer of the popular Christian band Casting Crowns heard back from his doctor after a routine visit for heartburn. Apparently the tests discovered a cancerous tumor on his kidney. After the initial shock, Mark Hall’s deeply ingrained faith in Christ kicked in. “My feelings kept slamming up against something solid in me, and that was the roots of my faith. The fact that I’ve been in the Word for years. The fact that I’ve been following Jesus for years, and the roots of my faith were reminding me: God is who He says He is.”

Though on the run from King Saul, David likewise found the ability to praise God despite his circumstances. To be determined to “bless the Lord at all times” is not denial or escapism; rather, this is the normal response of someone who has been grounded in the Lord and knows that God will be faithful, regardless of difficulties.

When was the last time you praised God while you were in a difficult situation?

—D. C. S.

2. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

David eventually escapes his perilous surroundings, but he doesn’t dwell on his own ingenuity. Instead he directs all glory to God. In addition, he does not keep his rescue to himself. He wants others to know about it. This verse therefore introduces another party who will be present throughout the verses to follow.

The plural Hebrew word translated humble appears also in singular form in verse 6, below. There it is translated “poor”; see commentary on that verse.

1. Public (v. 3)
2. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

More parallelism presents itself as David invites others to join him in praising the Lord. The word magnify appears numerous times in the psalms, and that word causes us to think of magnification or enlargement. Of course, we cannot do anything to “enlarge” God’s status. Neither can we exalt his name in the sense of lifting it any higher than it already is.

What we can do, however, is magnify God and exalt His name in the sense of changing our perspective. Our perspective must always be that He is the transcendent, eternal Creator, Redeemer, and Ruler—and we are not.

What Do You Think?

What practical steps would help our church members to exalt God’s name together?

Points for Your Discussion

During corporate worship

While participating in shared ministries

In group Bible-study settings

Other

1. Caring God

(Psalm 34:4-10)

1. God Delivers (vv. 4-7)

^4a. I sought the Lord, and he heard me.

We begin to see in this verse a repeated poetic pattern. David began this psalm by speaking of himself. Then in verse 3, just considered, he addresses an audience (which may be his band of 400 followers noted in 1 Samuel 22:2). This is evidence of the psalm’s being a communal invitation rather than an individual meditation.

Again the psalmist shares his own testimony and indirectly invites his audience to seek God. The Lord is responsive when His people seek Him out (Jeremiah 29:13).

^4b. And delivered me from all my fears.

David doesn’t list specific fears. But judging from the psalm’s superscription, we may surmise that he feared being killed either by King Saul or King Abimelech (see the Lesson Background).

David probably knows of the times when Abraham and Isaac felt threatened by a Philistine king, so both spoke to him deceptively (Genesis 20:2; 26:7). They were found out, but God protected them nonetheless. David has had good reason to fear; yet he has had even better reason not to fear: God can deliver him. And He has done so.

What Do You Think?

How did a time of God’s deliverance from a fearful season prepare you for future challenges?

Points for Your Discussion

Lessons learned about God

Lessons learned about fellow Christians

Lessons learned about yourself

5. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

Although God “maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45), He is especially interested in providing for all of His faithful ones. Abraham and Isaac revealed character flaws in speaking deceptively. God knew what was going on, of course (see Genesis 20:3-7), but He was merciful.

God’s people have hope as long as they look unto him. That hope is not rooted in their own worthiness, but in the worth that God attributes to them. Though disdained by the world, they have no reason to be ashamed. By contrast, David prays in Psalm 40:14 that those who intend to harm him “be ashamed and confounded together.”

6. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

This verse may seem redundant in light of verse 4. One suggestion is that its function is to maintain the acrostic structure of the psalm as a whole (see the Lesson Background).

Even so, there seems to be one point of additional emphasis. Notice that the verse begins with the specific this poor man. That means David is talking about himself, thus identifying with the poverty of his audience. The word poor is the singular version of the plural word translated “humble” in verse 2, above. David himself is from a lowly background. He was watching his father’s sheep when the prophet Samuel came to Bethlehem seeking one of Jesse’s sons to anoint as the next king of Israel (1 Samuel 16:11). No one considered David, the youngest, as a possible candidate. No one, that is, except God.

7. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

The language of this verse presumes a more military context. The angel of the Lord forms a protective perimeter around those who fear God. Fear is a term of reverence and respect for God. The passage is reminiscent of Joshua 5:13-15 where Joshua encounters the captain of the Lord’s army. Joshua wants to know whose side the angel is on. The angel refuses to pick sides; God’s angel simply fights for or against whomever God says. If we want God to fight for us, we must fear Him. Only then can we be confident that He will deliver us. The Lord’s protection may not take a visible form (compare 2 Kings 6:15-17), but it is there.

1. God Provides (vv. 8-10)
2. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

In verse 3, above, David has invited listeners to join in magnifying the Lord. Now he invites them to enter into a personal relationship of trust in God and to experience Him firsthand.

If life is likened to a choice of banquets, we can picture several hosts who beckon us to eat at their respective tables. Some offer us wealth and privilege. Others offer us friendship in idolatry. Those meals may please our palate for a brief moment, but in the end they make us sick. David invites us to eat at the Lord’s table, for only He truly satisfies. Peter uses similar language when he encourages believers to crave the milk of God’s Word, “if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious” (1 Peter 2:2, 3; contrast Hebrews 6:4-6).

The state of being blessed that is experienced by those who trust God is one of sustained satisfaction and contentment. The Psalms begin with this same word (Psalm 1:1).

9. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

Proverbs 9:10 teaches that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Fearing God includes believing that what He says is true. When He says that certain actions will yield certain negative consequences, we must believe Him. In other words, we should fear what God says we should fear.

Corresponding with that is the understanding that we should not fear what God says we should not fear. There are many commands throughout Scripture that instruct us in that regard (example: Matthew 10:28). If we live as God desires, we have nothing to fear because He created us and knows what is in our best interests. He knows all our needs and will provide for them (compare Matthew 6:25-34).

10. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.

David in his day knows as well as we do in ours that lions stand at the top of the land-animal food chain. They are quite skilled at acquiring food, and David has had personal experience in protecting sheep from them (1 Samuel 17:34-37). They are extremely self-sufficient. But they can and do suffer hunger at times in spite of that self-sufficiency. Yet in David’s experience, those who seek the Lordwill lack for nothing they need. David said the same thing more famously in Psalm 23:1: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

What Do You Think?

What life-lessons have you learned about God’s provision?

Points for Your Discussion

In regard to your faith

In regard to God’s character

In regard to your fellow believers

Other

III. Compassionate Savior

(Hebrews 2:17, 18)

1. He Relates to Us (v. 17)
2. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

Psalm 34 focuses on God’s desire and ability to provide for those in need. David experienced this and eagerly invites his followers to trust the Lord in a similar fashion. But one might reasonably ask how God can know what we really need since He himself has never needed anything (Psalm 50:9-13). One might respond by pointing out that since God created us, of course He knows what we need. As a car designer knows what it takes to keep an automobile running, so also God knows what we need to flourish.

Even so, it is particularly reasonable to ask how God knows what it is like to suffer oppression. No one can oppress God. His greatest enemies tremble before Him. He may know what our bodies need on a biological level, but how can He relate to us on an emotional level? How could He identify with being afflicted?

The author of Hebrews provides a most convincing reply. When God became flesh in Jesus, He entered personally into all the frailty of human existence. In the flesh, He suffered hunger, poverty, neglect, betrayal, torture, and a horrendous death. What God knew to be true as the all-knowing God, He experienced as a vulnerable human.

That experience qualified Jesus to be the perfect high priest to mediate between humanity and God. Like us, He experienced temptation; unlike us, He remained faithful and did not sin (Hebrews 4:15). Thus Jesus could become the perfect sacrifice for our sins, unlike the high priests of the old covenant, who had to offer sacrifices for their own sins (7:26, 27).

God then raised Jesus from the dead. Now, having ascended into Heaven, Jesus intercedes on our behalf (Hebrews 7:25). Though our sin separates us from God, Jesus has provided reconciliation with God by taking the punishment for our sins upon himself at the cross.

What Do You Think?

How should a Christian’s life change when becoming fully convinced that Jesus is the merciful and faithful high priest?

Points for Your Discussion

Regarding prayer interactions with God

Regarding interactions with other believers

Regarding interactions with unbelievers

1. He Supports Us (v. 18)
2. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Some might suggest that Jesus cannot relate to our spiritual poverty because He himself never sinned. The writer of Hebrews disagrees with this kind of reasoning. One does not have to sin to relate to sinners. It is enough that Jesus was “in all points tempted like as we are” (Hebrews 4:15). He faced a period of severe temptation following His baptism (Matthew 3:13-4:11). The spiritual warfare that occurred during that experience must have been intense to a degree we cannot fathom. Jesus also wrestled in Gethsemane with carrying out the Father’s plan for Him to drink the bitter cup of suffering just ahead. But Jesus fully surrendered to His Father’s will (Matthew 26:39).

By overcoming temptation, Jesus became someone who is able to succour (help) those who are tempted. That, of course, includes us all.

One Who Can Relate

Jordan Rogers has a responsible position as a brand manager at a company that produces athletic apparel. But his ability to perform at this level wouldn’t have been possible without Christ’s intervention over the power of heroin. In an “I Am Second” video, Jordan shares how Christ helped him overcome the temptation of a raging drug habit, resulting in 13 years of sobriety.

Jordan first experimented with heroin at age 15, and by the time he was in his early 20s he was a full-blown addict. In reference to his ever-worsening addiction, Jordan says, “I had this black hole in my soul and just wanted to change the way I felt.” His attempted solution was to get high in as many new and different ways as possible.

Jordan hit rock bottom when he found himself in a jail cell. There he thought to himself, “This is not what I was made for. I absolutely deserve to be here, but I don’t belong here.” As two of his cell mates argued over a roll of toilet paper, Jordan cried out to God: “Whoever You are, whatever You are . . . I need help.”

God is able to come alongside and help those who are being tempted (1 Corinthians 10:13). The Lord used a mentor who entered Jordan’s life, showed him the love of Christ, and helped him find recovery and freedom from temptation. Remember: the Jesus you take to someone this week is the Jesus who suffered the temptations that the one you help does.

—D. C. S.

Conclusion

1. Son of David

From a genealogical perspective, Jesus was clearly a descendant of David. We can trace his ancestry using the genealogies of Matthew 1 and Luke 3. But when we read Hebrews alongside Psalm 34, we see Jesus linked with David in a different way. David suffered oppression. He had to escape the wrath of one, possibly two, jealous kings. Not only did he trust God for deliverance, but he encouraged others to do the same.

Jesus too faced oppression. The paranoid King Herod tried to kill the infant Jesus. Religious and secular authorities eventually succeeded in putting Him to death. But Jesus was not someone who obsessed about the injustices surrounding His trial and execution. Rather, He used His experience to identify with us in the many forms of affliction that beset us in a fallen world. His perfect example of faithfulness even in the face of death encourages us to hold fast. Though the world may appear to get the best of us, the God who vindicated Jesus by raising Him from the grave will raise us too; and we will reign victorious with Him!

1. Prayer

Heavenly Father, we are humbled by Your concern for us. We are so small in the grand scheme of things! Yet You love us beyond our ability to comprehend. We thank You for delivering us from the evil that surrounds us and the evil that lies within us. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

1. Thought to Remember

“Taste and see that the Lord is good.”—Psalm 34:8

 

 

KID’S CORNER

God Will Send Angels to Help Us

May 27, 2018

Psalms 34:1-10 & Hebrews 2:17-18

 

Psalms 34:1-10 & Hebrews 2:17-18

(Psalms 34:1) A Psalm of David when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed.

In 1 Samuel 21:10-22:1, we learn how David, in the process of fearfully fleeing King Saul, went to Gath. When he heard the servants of Achish say, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, ‘Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?” he became afraid, pretended to be insane, fled Gath, and escaped to the cave of Abdullam. Many scholars believe Abimelek or Abimelech means King.

I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

“I will bless” or “I will extol” the LORD have similar meanings. David says he will exalt, praise, commend, and thank the LORD. He will repeat and remind himself about the true God’s care and love for him by stating truths about the LORD: by naming attributes of God’s character, nature, and power. To bless someone will make them happy: to bless the LORD will make God and the one exalting the LORD happy. David will do this “at all times;” in happy, peaceful times and in fearful, troubled times. Blessing and extoling the LORD “at all times” will increase our confidence and faith in the LORD no matter what our situation. When praising the LORD, we express our trust in the LORD, and He will lift our spirits and encourage us. Notice: David did not say, “His praise will always be in my mind;” rather, “His praise will always be on my lips or in my mouth.” Our praising God begins in our minds, but the more we think of God and how the Almighty God, the Creator of the universe, loves us and sent His Son to save us and meet all our real needs, the more words of praise burst forth from our mouths in exalted words of praise to God for others to hear as well. The more we think about God in Jesus Christ, the more we are ready to glorify and honor God with our words whenever given the opportunity.

(Psalms 34:2) My soul will make its boast in the LORD; The humble will hear it and rejoice.

Rather than “glory in” the LORD, to “boast in” the LORD is the preferred translation. However, boasting about the LORD does not mean bragging about and exaggerating what God has done or drawing attention to any supposed favoritism God has for us above others. When our soul boasts in the LORD, our boasting and desire to glorify the LORD comes forth sincerely, truthfully, and lovingly from our inner being; our boasting comes from what we have experienced directly and indirectly from the God’s loving care of us. The “humble” and the “afflicted” will rejoice and be glad when they hear honest praises of God coming forth from our lips; they will be encouraged to trust in the LORD; they will have confidence in what God can do when they learn what God has done. The humble will praise God and rejoice in the LORD with us.

(Psalms 34:3) O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.

To “magnify” the LORD seems to be the preferred translation in this verse. When we magnify something, we do not change it; we make it easier for others to see and understand the object. As we teach in a Bible or Sunday school class, we can become like a magnifying glass for our students. We can make it easier for people to learn about God, to understand how reasonable God’s actions and words are, and what it means to follow Jesus. When we “magnify the LORD,” we tell the truth about the LORD and make the attributes and character of the LORD easier for others to see and understand so they can know, and not doubt, that the LORD can be trusted to do all things right and well. When we “glorify the LORD,” we also tell the truth about the LORD: we worship, exalt, and adore the LORD for being the true God and our God. David invites those who read or hear his psalm or hymn to magnify and glorify the LORD along with him, to take the truth about God into our minds and hearts as he had done and express our thoughts in words of praise to God for others to hear as well.

(Psalms 34:4) I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.

After inviting others to praise the LORD with him, David told those listening what he had done and how the LORD had responded to him. When he sought the LORD, the LORD answered him and helped him. In this way, David glorified and magnified the LORD for others to hear. He encouraged them to understand that if they sought the LORD; then the LORD would hear and answer them too. Notice: after God delivered David from his fears, he could think clearly; then, he thought of a way to leave Gath without a fight and flee to the cave of Abdullam. Sometimes the first and perhaps most important thing we need is God’s deliverance from ALL our fears, because our thinking of future possibilities and problems can give us more things to fear and cause us to think less clearly. As David dis, we can pray for the LORD to deliver us from ALL our fears and help us think clearly.

(Psalms 34:5) They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be ashamed.

David encouraged people to look to God at all times, even in times of trouble, because the LORD would so encourage them and deliver them from all their fears that others would be able to see the result of God’s work even in their faces and behavior. Even under persecution and other trials, they will not be ashamed of God, they will not be ashamed of themselves, and God will so transform their expressions that they will not look ashamed to others but look joyful — even radiant.

(Psalms 34:6) This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him And saved him out of all his troubles.

This “poor man” was David himself. In 1 Samuel 21, we learn that David fled from Saul alone, hungry, and unarmed. He had to beg a priest for bread and a sword to survive. When he called to the LORD, the LORD led him to the priest, Ahimelech, who met his immediate need of bread and gave him Goliath’s sword. Then, when he fled to the cave of Abdullam, the LORD saved him out of all his troubles and sent others to help him. David continued to have troubles in the future, but by reminding himself of all the LORD had done for him, he magnified the LORD. As he glorified the LORD, the LORD gave him courage and wisdom to face his future troubles. He knew from experience that the LORD would deliver him from all his fears and save him in times of trouble. By saying these things about the LORD and exalting Him, David not only encouraged himself, but also those who heard his testimony. He encouraged those who could remember how God had helped them in similar situations. Others would come to believe in the LORD and be able to say these things from their future experiences.

(Psalms 34:7) The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.

When David glorified and magnified the LORD, he stated facts about God’s presence with His people and one way the LORD delivers His people in distress. The “angel of the LORD” David speaks of may be the Lord Jesus prior to His incarnation and birth. Or, “the angel of the LORD” may be an angel, a guardian angel, that the LORD sends His people when they are in need. For example, the LORD sent an angel to save the prophet Daniel. In Daniel 6:22, Daniel told the king, “My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.” In Hebrews 1:14, we are told that the LORD will send angels to help His people: “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” In Colossians 1:27, we learn this blessed truth regarding the presence of Jesus Christ with and within Christians: “Christ in you [is] the hope of glory.” In summary, those who look to God as truly revealed in the Bible will know all that the LORD can do; they will reverence the LORD, and the LORD will deliver them. God abides with His people, and “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalms 46:1).

(Psalms 34:8) O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

A parent might encourage a small child to taste a good food that is new to them. David asked those new to the truth about the LORD, or who doubt the truth about the LORD, to turn to the LORD and “taste” or “try out” believing in the LORD as the Bible has described God and revealed His words. Then, they should ask the LORD for help. If they would do this, David believed they would discover that the LORD is good. If they would take refuge in the true God, the LORD would shelter and protect them. David knew that the LORD would bless (make radiant, make happy, make glad) everyone who believed in and reverenced the LORD as he did.

(Psalms 34:9) O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want.

Job feared the LORD, and from Job’s suffering we know that good people sometimes lack or lose what they have and physically need; but though Job’s suffering was severe, Job’s lack was temporary, and the LORD restored him. David’s lack of food and protection was temporary, and when he thought about all the LORD had done and continued to do for him, he concluded that he lacked nothing, and he glorified the LORD. From the Apostle Paul, we gain more insight into our troubles as Christians, in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, we learn, “For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.” God’s “holy people” are those God has set apart or consecrated for His purposes. In Exodus 19:6, God told the Israelites, “be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” God called and separated the Israelites from the nations to be a kingdom of priests for the benefit of all the nations. As Christians, Christ has called us to be God’s holy people and to declare His praises for all to hear for the benefit of others and ourselves. In 1 Peter 2:9, we read, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” If we will live according to our calling as Christians and truly reverence God, we will lack nothing of lasting value, and we will look forward to receiving from Christ what cannot be seen now.

(Psalms 34:10) The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.

As noted above, the angel of the LORD saved Daniel from the Lion’s den. Our adversaries may seek to devour us, but the angel of the LORD is always with us. In 1 Peter 5:8, Peter warns us to “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” If we seek the LORD to be with the LORD “at all times,” as Christians we will live daily with the understanding that Jesus Christ abides within us and no matter what happens to us in this world we will lack no good thing.

(Hebrews 2:17) Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

Jesus, personally and by experience in this world, fully understands our human condition, our temptations, and our situation. Though He is the eternal, holy, almighty Son of God, he had to be made like us; so, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus is fully human and fully God. After He died on the cross for our sins, and was buried, He rose and ascended into heaven where He now sits at the right hand of God the Father; there He is our merciful and faithful high priest and is always interceding for us. Christians are a kingdom of priests, a royal priesthood in service to God, and Jesus is our High Priest in service to God. Because we love Jesus, we do what He, our King and High Priest, commands us, and He is ever ready to forgive us and help us.

(Hebrews 2:18) For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.

Jesus suffered when the world, the flesh, and the devil tempted Him, and He knows what we experience when the world, the flesh, and the devil tempt us. In Ephesians 6:12, the Apostle Paul described our struggles, and Jesus faced these same struggles: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Jesus understands our problems, and He is able to completely understand the source of all our trials and temptations; and beyond understanding, Jesus will help us. When we are tempted, we can flee to Him for help and He is an ever-present help in time of trouble.

 

God Will Send Angels to Help Us

May 27, 2018

Psalms 34:1-10 & Hebrews 2:17-18

 

 “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him” (Psalms 34:8).

Before David became King of Israel, King Saul wanted to kill him; so, David had to flee from King Saul with no food to eat and no sword to defend himself. First, he went to a priest for bread, who also gave him Goliath’s sword. Next, he fled to a Philistine town for protection, where he began to fear they would kill him, so he pretended to be insane and fled from there. Then, he sought to hide in a cave where family and friends came and gathered around him. Despite hunger, hardships, and death threats all during this time, David continued to glorify and magnify the LORD. As he sought the LORD’s help, he sang, “I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips” (Psalm 34:1). The LORD answered David’s cries for help, delivered him from all his fears, and saved him out of all his troubles. David’s psalm invites all who are afflicted to bless and rejoice in the LORD; furthermore, David assures all who praise and seek the LORD, “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them” (Psalms 34:7). Based on what they have experienced or heard, especially the afflicted, some may doubt that the LORD is good. Knowing this, David also sang, “Taste and see that the LORD is good!” David’s many psalms and the whole Bible encourage people to just “taste” or “begin to examine” some of the facts about God; many have tasted and discovered that the LORD is good and know He sent His angel to deliver them in times of trouble.

 

Thinking Further

God Will Send Angels to Help Us

May 27, 2018

Psalms 34:1-10 & Hebrews 2:17-18

Name ____________________________

 

1. When are we to bless and praise the LORD?

 

2. What are some of the ways we can exalt the name of the LORD together?

 

3. What happened when David sought the LORD? What can happen when we seek the LORD?

 

4. What did David say the angel of the LORD can do? What did David say we can do?

 

5. From our lesson, what did Jesus do and what did He become?

 

Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further

1. When are we to bless and praise the LORD? At all times!
2. What are some of the ways we can exalt the name of the LORD together? In public worship we can sing hymns and songs that remind us of the many truths about God that are revealed in the Bible. In Bible study classes, we can pray for one another and remind one another of God’s loving power demonstrated in Jesus Christ. We can tell one another what God has done for us and we can rejoice with one another when we hear about the work of God in one another’s lives today. When we preach or teach, we can keep the focus on God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the truths in God’s Word.
3. What happened when David sought the LORD? What can happen when we seek the LORD? The LORD answered him and delivered him from all His fears. The LORD will answer us and deliver us from all our fears. Our faces will be radiant and never covered with shame.
4. What did David say the angel of the LORD can do? What did David say we can do? Camp around those who fear the LORD and deliver them. Fear the LORD, taste and see that the LORD is good, and take refuge in the LORD.
5. From our lesson, what did Jesus do and what did He become? He was made like us, fully a human being in every way. He made a sacrifice of atonement for people. He suffered when He was tempted. [Because He rose from the dead,] He is a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God and He is able to help those who are being tempted

 

Word Search

God Will Send Angels to Help Us

May 27, 2018

Psalms 34:1-10 & Hebrews 2:17-18

Name ____________________________

 

E Q Z G S N K A Y A K T W I G

T P D T A U G L O R I F Y D F

S D O W E I S Z G B C Q E Z Y

A E O F R W K E W Q T L A X E

T R G J T H S Q J D I Z B M B

N E C S O U G H T V G V W J V

F W A P H Z L B E D N K Q L A

A S L N T C W R P I J S G J G

I N L H I U E S X V T L X Y O

T A E G W D A L G A N S K R P

H G D X C V K S E D J T P V O

F T O G E T H E R M F M C U L

U K J D J A F Y X O I N J O A

L P Y F I N G A M C P B R Q U

R V X M W L W Y Z I Y D A N P

 

LORD

Taste

Good

David

Abimelech

Glorify

Magnify

Exalt

Together

Faithful

Sought

Answered

Delivered

Called

Saved

 

 

True and False Test

God Will Send Angels to Help Us

May 27, 2018

Psalms 34:1-10 & Hebrews 2:17-18

Name ____________________________

1. Because he was afraid, David pretended to be insane in the presence of a Philistine king, and he helped him recover his sanity. True or False
2. Reading or singing the Psalms can help the afflicted hear and rejoice. True or False
3. When we magnify the LORD, we also glorify the LORD. True or False
4. When David sought the LORD, the LORD delivered him from all his fears. True or False
5. When sinners feel ashamed, they should flee from the presence of the LORD. True or False
6. When David called to the LORD, the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. True or False
7. When David composed his Psalm, he wanted others to join him in exalting the name of the LORD. True or False
8. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. True or False
9. Jesus Christ is a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God. True or False
10. Jesus Christ is able to help those who are being tempted. True or False

 

True and False Test Answers

Psalms 34:1-10 & Hebrews 2:17-18

 

1. False
2. True
3. True
4. True
5. False
6. True
7. True
8. True
9. True

10.True

 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we are humbled by Your concern for us. We are so small in the grand scheme of things! Yet You love us beyond our ability to comprehend. We thank You for delivering us from the evil that surrounds us and the evil that lies within us. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.