Commentary - Psalm 34:4-7

Bird's-eye view

This section of Psalm 34 is a glorious testimony that moves from the personal to the corporate. David begins with his own experience of crying out to God and being delivered (v. 4), and then immediately broadens the principle to include all who would do the same (v. 5). This is the nature of true testimony. It is not a cul-de-sac of personal experience, but rather a highway that invites everyone else to travel on it. The pattern is simple and profound: the humble and afflicted cry out, God hears, and God delivers. This deliverance is not partial, but comprehensive, and it is accomplished by none other than the Angel of Yahweh Himself, who sets up a military encampment around the saints.

The movement here is from fear to radiance, from trouble to salvation, from being surrounded by enemies to being surrounded by God. This is the gospel in miniature. We are the poor man, Christ is the one who hears and saves, and the result is a life lived without shame, under the constant protection of our covenant Lord.

Outline

Commentary

Verse 4

I inquired of Yahweh, and He answered me, And delivered me from all that I dread.

The Christian life begins with an inquiry. David sought the Lord. He did not sit back passively, waiting for something to happen. He prayed. He asked. He sought. This is the condition that God has placed upon His blessings, that we are to ask for them. And the promise attached to this condition is absolute. When we inquire of Yahweh, He answers. Our God is not the mute idol of the pagans. He is the living God, and prayer is a genuine conversation. Notice the progression: David sought, God answered, and God delivered. The answer from God was not simply a collection of comforting words, but rather a mighty act of deliverance. And what was he delivered from? Not just his troubles, but from his fears. "From all that I dread." God gets to the root of the problem. The external circumstance is one thing, but the internal terror is another. God saves us from both. He is a thorough Savior, and He saves to the uttermost.

Verse 5

They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be humiliated.

David's personal testimony in verse 4 immediately becomes the ground for a corporate invitation. The "I" becomes a "they." This is what you do with a testimony. You turn it into a gospel invitation. "Look what the Lord did for me, and He will do the same for you." The action here is simple: "They looked to Him." This is the essence of faith. It is to turn your gaze away from your fears, away from your troubles, away from yourself, and to fix your eyes upon God. And what is the result? They "were radiant." The Hebrew word has the sense of being lit up, of shining. When we look to the Lord, we begin to reflect His glory. Our faces, once etched with fear and worry, become bright with a joy that is not of this world. This is the opposite of the downcast countenance of the worldling. And the promise is that their faces will never be humiliated, or put to shame. In this world, the saints may be reviled, but on the last day, they will be vindicated. God will not allow those who trust in Him to be ultimately ashamed.

Verse 6

This poor man called out, and Yahweh heard him And saved him out of all his troubles.

David returns to the specific example, but he universalizes it by referring to himself in the third person as "this poor man." The word for poor here is ani, which means afflicted, humble, or lowly. This is the posture required for salvation. God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. It is the man who knows he is spiritually bankrupt who cries out for help. And when that man cries out, Yahweh hears. The cry of the afflicted has a special place in the ear of God. He is attentive to the prayers of those who have no other hope. And the result is, once again, a complete salvation. He "saved him out of all his troubles." God does not do things by halves. He does not rescue us from some of our troubles, leaving us to handle the rest. He is the God of total salvation. This is a picture of our salvation in Christ. We were the poor man, spiritually destitute, and we cried out, and God in His mercy heard us and saved us from all our sin and misery.

Verse 7

The angel of Yahweh encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.

Here we are introduced to the agent of this divine protection. It is the "angel of Yahweh." When you encounter this figure in the Old Testament, you are not dealing with a created angel like Michael or Gabriel. The Angel of the Lord speaks as God, accepts worship, and is identified with God. This is a theophany, a pre-incarnate appearance of the second person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ. And what is He doing? He "encamps around" His people. This is military language. Our Lord is a warrior, and He has established a fortified perimeter around His saints. He is not watching from a distance; He has set up camp right here with us. The protection is for "those who fear Him." This is not a servile, cringing fear, but rather the covenantal awe, reverence, and loving obedience that defines a true believer. And the Angel's purpose in setting up this camp is active, not passive. He "rescues them." He delivers them. He is our Captain, our Defender, and our Rescuer. The same one who died for us now lives to defend us, and His defense is absolute.

Application

The pattern laid out in these verses is the bedrock of the Christian life. We are to be a people who constantly inquire of the Lord. Prayer is not an emergency measure; it is our vital breath. When we find ourselves gripped by fear, the answer is not introspection or distraction, but rather to look to Him. When we do, we find our faces lit up with a joy that the world cannot give and cannot take away.

We must also cultivate the heart of "this poor man." Humility is not an option; it is the only posture in which we can receive grace. We must recognize our complete dependence upon God for everything. And as we live this life of humble, prayerful dependence, we can have full assurance of God's constant, active, and personal protection. The Lord Jesus Himself has set up a guard around you. He is your rescuer. Therefore, do not give way to fear. Inquire of the Lord, look to Him, and trust in His mighty salvation.