The Point The Passage The Bible Meets Life The Setting


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The Point God provides for those who choose to live under His care.

The Passage Psalm 34:4-14

The Bible Meets Life Who wouldn’t want to experience “the good life”? One survey found that 33 percent of people described the good life as either the experience of pleasure or the lack of unpleasant experiences.1 According to these findings, life is good when everything is pleasant and pleasurable; it’s good when we’re content. One night a thunderstorm shook our house, sending our 3-year-old son into our bedroom. For our son that night, contentment came in the form of his father. “Daddy, can I sleep in here tonight?” Many nights when he was afraid, he’d make this request and then place a sleeping bag on the floor next to our bed. Before my son would drift off to sleep, though, he would want me to hang my arm over the side of the bed. When I asked why, he said, “Just so I’ll know you’re there.” In the same way, God responds to our needs. David penned Psalm 34 because he knew this truth: whatever our needs—physical, emotional, or spiritual—our Father in heaven responds and provides. Just as my son found what he needed when he knew I was right by his side, our Heavenly Father promises to be by our side as well.

The Setting Psalm 34 praises the Lord for His deliverance of those who fear and trust in Him. It is associated with David’s seeking refuge with the Philistine king Achish of Gath (the name Abimelech is believed to be referring to Achish) when David fled from the court of King Saul (1 Samuel 21:10-15). David’s reputation for slaying Philistines preceded him, and when David feared for his life, he feigned insanity before the king in order to escape. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE © 2015 LifeWay

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What does the Bible say?

Psalm 34:4-14 (HCSB) Angel of the Lord (v. 7)—This angel is the messenger of God, who protects the righteous. In the Old Testament, at times he appears to be distinct from God while at other times he appears to be the Lord Himself. Fear (v. 11)—In this context, fear (of the Lord) is a positive reverence for God demonstrated by turning from and avoiding evil to walk with God in loving obedience.

4 I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces will never be ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him from all his troubles. 7 The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them. 8 Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him! 9 You who are His holy ones, fear Yahweh, for those who fear Him lack nothing. 10 Young lions lack food and go hungry, but those who seek the Lord will not lack any

good thing. 11 Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 Who is the man who delights in life, loving a long life to enjoy what is good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. 14 Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it.

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SESSION 3 © 2015 LifeWay

THE POINT

God provides for those who choose to live under His care.

GET INTO THE STUDY

10 minutes

DISCUSS: Invite your group members

Notes

to turn their attention to the image at the bottom of page 29 of the Personal Study

TIP: Vary the order of activities in your group. If you typically pray first, do that last. Do you make announcements at the beginning of the study? If so, make them at the end.

Guide (PSG). Ask: “How would you define ‘the good life’?” ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): Before your group meets, ask your members to snap a picture or two with their cell phones of something that depicts “the good life.” Place group members into small groups to share their pictures. RECAP THE PSG (PAGE 30): One night a thunderstorm shook our house, sending our 3-year-old son into our bedroom. For our son that night, contentment came in the form of his father. “Daddy, can I sleep in here tonight?” Many nights when he was afraid, he’d make this request and then place a sleeping bag on the floor next to our bed. Before my son would drift off to sleep, though, he would want me to hang my arm over the side of the bed. When I asked why, he said, “Just so I’ll know you’re there.” SAY: “In the same way, God responds to our needs. David penned Psalm 34 because he knew this truth: whatever our needs, our Father in heaven responds and provides.” ENHANCEMENT: Bring your group’s attention to Pack Item #5, “Psalm 34:4” poster, as you discuss The Point. GUIDE: Call the group’s attention to The Point on page 30 of the PSG: “God provides for those who choose to live under His care.” PRAY: Transition into the Bible study by praying for those who are facing a significant need in life right now. Pray specifically for God’s Word to replace worry with hope. 1. Ryan T. Howell, “How Do People Define the ‘Good Life’?” Can’t Buy Happiness? Money, personality, and well-being [online blog], 1 August 2013 [cited 16 October 2014]. Available from the Internet: http://www. psychologytoday.com/blog/cant-buy-happiness/201308/how-do-people-define-the-good-life

Display Pack Item #3 for an overview of the Book of Psalms. Display Pack Item #5 to communicate the session topic. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

© 2015 LifeWay

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10 minutes

STUDY THE BIBLE Psalm 34:4-7

Notes

4

I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my

fears. 5 Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces will never be ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him from all his troubles. 7 The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them. READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Psalm 34:4-7.

ALTERNATE QUESTION: When has God responded to your needs?

DISCUSS: Question 2 on page 32 of the PSG: “What emotions do you feel when you read these verses?” RECAP THE PSG (PAGE 32): David began Psalm 34 with praise to God—and He invited us to join him in proclaiming God’s greatness. Verses 4-7 show us why God’s greatness was on David’s mind: Whatever the need was, God was there and met that need. When we …

God…

seek the Lord

answers and delivers (v. 4)

look to the Lord

fills us with His joy (v. 5)

cry to the Lord

hears and saves us (v. 6)

fear the Lord

encamps around us (v. 7)

RECAP THE PSG (PAGE 32): God doesn’t just provide what we need; He gives us Himself! Throughout the Old Testament, appearances of the “Angel of the Lord” indicate the presence of God (Genesis 16:10-13; 22:11; Judges 13:3-23). In Psalms 34 and 35, the Angel of the Lord defends the righteous. God is not an elusive Deity we have to search far and wide to find; rather, He “encamps around those who fear Him.” He is always near.

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SESSION 3 © 2015 LifeWay

THE POINT

God provides for those who chose to live under His care.

Psalm 34:4-7 Commentary God responds when we call to Him. King David wrote Psalm 34 in response to the Lord delivering him from King Achish [AY kish] of Gath (see 1 Samuel 21). The king’s name in the subheading is Abimelech [uh BIM uh lek], not Achish. The name Abimelech is believed to be referring to Achish. “Abimelech” means “my father is king.” The best explanation is that “Abimelech” was a title for Philistine kings much like “Pharaoh” for the Egyptians. Verses 4 through 7 follow an a-b-a-b poetic pattern, making these verses conducive to congregational singing. Verse 4: In verses 4 and 6, David testified how the Lord heard his prayer and delivered him from his terrifying ordeal. These two verses parallel in both meaning and structure. “I sought the LORD” means that David prayed with desperate earnestness. The idea of seeking the Lord brackets everything in verses 4 through 10. The Lord responded in two ways according to David. God answered and delivered David. Terror had overtaken David when he was taken to King Achish, but the Lord rescued him from all his fears. Verse 5: David next encouraged all believers that what the Lord did for him was (and is) available to each of them. “Look” means to intently fix one’s gaze. Looking to the Lord, or keeping oneself spiritually focused on the Lord, implies trust in His ability to deliver from trouble. Verse 6: In verse 4, David had spoken in the first person, “I sought.” This time he spoke in the third person, “This poor man cried.” “Poor” is not a reference to financial poverty; rather, it is an admission of David’s helplessness in facing his fears and troubles apart from the Lord’s intervention. The phrase “and the LORD heard him” is parallel to “and He answered me” in verse 4. The fears and troubles probably refer not only to his calamity before King Achish, but to subsequent times of distress in his life as well. Verse 7: Those who “fear Him” in verse 7 are the same people who “look to Him” in verse 5. Again David alternated from personal testimony to encouragement for all who will call on the Lord in time of need. The word “fear” is a different Hebrew word than “fears” in verse 4. “Fears,” in that verse, means terrors—the kind of fears that cause one to be panic stricken. But the Hebrew term translated “fear” in this verse means a humble reverence for the Lord. It is a positive fear. See Proverbs 1:7. David declared that the Angel of the Lord encircles his army around those who fear the Lord. In Psalms 34 and 35 the Angel of the Lord is mentioned as one who defends the righteous. In Old Testament passages in which he appears, the Angel of the Lord sometimes appears to be a separate individual distinct from God, while at other times he appears to be the Lord Himself.

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE © 2015 LifeWay

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10 minutes

STUDY THE BIBLE Psalm 34:8-10

Notes 8

Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the man who takes refuge

in Him! 9 You who are His holy ones, fear Yahweh, for those who fear Him lack nothing. 10 Young lions lack food and go hungry, but those who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing. READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Psalm 34:8-10. SAY: “Everyone wants to find contentment in life, but culture has put its own spin on what that fulfillment should look like.” DISCUSS: Question 3 on page 33 of the PSG: “How can we intentionally taste the goodness of God?” SUMMARIZE: David encouraged fellow believers to taste the goodness of the Lord for themselves. ]]

They were to taste by seeking the Lord in prayer, by looking to the Lord, and by fearing the Lord.

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If they did this, they would see for themselves God’s goodness and they would “not lack any good thing.”

ALTERNATE QUESTION: How do we incorporate the fear of God into our daily lives?

DISCUSS: Question 4 on page 34 of the PSG: “How do we reconcile these promises with the suffering of God’s people?” SUMMARIZE: We should remember two important things concerning this verse. 1. First, “any good thing” here refers to those things God provides for our benefit. Since He desires for us to grow in holiness, His definition of what is “good” for us may differ from our own definition. 2. Second, while God does provide, it is not necessarily done on our schedule or in the way we always want. However, the good things He ultimately provides are far better than the things we hope for or expect. TRANSITION: So, how do we experience for ourselves the promises given here? The next verses explore our role.

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SESSION 3 © 2015 LifeWay

THE POINT

God provides for those who choose to live under His care.

Psalm 34:8-10 Commentary Satisfaction and goodness are ultimately found in God alone. Verse 8: Next, David encouraged fellow believers to taste the goodness of the Lord for themselves. He wanted them to experience the Lord in the same way he himself had experienced the Lord (see Hebrews 6:5; 1 Peter 2:3). How were they to accomplish this tasting? They were to taste by seeking the Lord in prayer, by looking to the Lord, and by fearing the Lord. The encouragement to taste is paired with a promised outcome. They would see for themselves that “the LORD is good.” That which is good is beneficial for life. Evil is that which harms or destroys life. That the Lord is good is evident because everything He creates and everything He gives is good (Genesis 1:4,10,18,21,25,31; James 1:17). The person who takes refuge in the Lord for safety is described as “happy.” The Hebrew word for “happy” is also translated “blessed.” Those who walk in right relationship with the Lord experience the joys of His goodness. Those who take refuge (trust) in the Lord are blessed. Verse 9: David’s first imperative was to taste. His second imperative was to fear Yahweh. He emphasized this command by placing “fear Yahweh” at the start of the sentence in the Hebrew, and “fear Him” at the close of the sentence. The actual word order of the sentence is “Fear Yahweh, you His holy ones, for they lack nothing who fear Him.” In this case, “holy ones” are the people of God, saints. For the saints, the command to fear Yahweh is coupled with a promised outcome. They will “lack nothing.” They will receive good from the Lord. In times of need, the Lord provides for and delivers those who call on Him. Verse 10: David stressed the importance of relying on the Lord, not on oneself. Even strong, young lions experience the lack of food and go hungry. Just as this is true for the lions, it is also true for the person who refuses to turn to the Lord for help. But those who seek the Lord “will not lack any good thing.” Two points need to be made about this verse. First, “any good thing” here refers to those things God provides for our benefit. Such provision will always be in accordance with His will and purposes for our lives, chief among which is to grow in holiness as we are conformed to the image of Christ through His grace and the work of the Holy Spirit. Second, we need to remember that while God does provide, it is not necessarily done on our schedule or in the way we always want. We are to trust Him because the good things He ultimately provides are far better than the things we hope for or expect.

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE © 2015 LifeWay

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10 minutes

STUDY THE BIBLE Psalm 34:11-14

Notes

11

Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 Who is

the man who delights in life, loving a long life to enjoy what is good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. 14 Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it. ALTERNATE QUESTION: How do we help one another seek the good life of God’s provision?

DISCUSS: Question 5 on page 35 of the PSG: “Since God is our Provider, what is our responsibility in experiencing His provision?” READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Psalm 34:11-14. RECAP THE PSG (PAGE 35): What does it look like to seek and fear the Lord? The psalmist highlighted three actions that are a part of fearing the Lord. 1. Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. To fear the Lord we first must acknowledge He is just, right, and holy; and that acknowledgement will be reflected in our desire to be just, right, and holy even as He is. One way we do that is through our speech. 2. Turn away from evil and do what is good. A holy lifestyle is not just about avoiding evil; it is also about doing good. 3. Seek peace and pursue it. We won’t always live in trouble-free, peaceful relationships or situations, but as Christ-followers we are to pursue peace. DO: Instruct group members to complete the activity on page 34 of the PSG on their own. If time allows, call on volunteers to share their responses. Our Refuge: Circle the phrase(s) from Psalm 34:4-8 that gives you a sense of God’s provision and care. 4 I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces will never be ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him from all his troubles. 7 The Angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them. 8 Taste and see that the LORD is good. How happy is the man who takes refuge

in Him! SAY: “Psalm 34 gives us this promise: God is with us, providing for our needs.”

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SESSION 3 © 2015 LifeWay

THE POINT

God provides for those who choose to live under His care.

Psalm 34:11-14 Commentary Those who respond with holiness and reverence experience God’s provision. Verse 11: In verses 4 through 10, David used personal testimony and open invitation to encourage God’s people to seek the Lord. David changed his approach in the second half of the psalm. Here, and through the rest of the psalm, David took up the role of a teacher instructing (spiritual) children. Solomon, one of David’s sons, would later employ this role in the Book of Proverbs. As teacher, David’s first command was “Come.” He wanted them to make themselves available to him for instruction. His second command was that they should “listen to me.” “Listen” does not mean merely to hear what David had to say. “Listen” means to respond with obedience to what is heard. The two commands are followed by a promise, “I will teach you the fear of the LORD.” Verse 12: But, before David began to teach the fear of the Lord, he asked a critical question, “Who is the man who delights in life?” This could be rephrased as “Are you the kind of person who delights in life?” “Are you the kind of person who knows what good truly is—and enjoys it?” If so, David said, allow me to teach you the key to the good life. Let me teach you to fear the Lord. Verse 13: David taught that fearing the Lord involves refraining from speaking evil, or controlling one’s words. “Keep” literally means to “stand guard over.” The idea behind “keep” is expanded by “turn away from” in verse 14. The idea is to stand guard over one’s own tongue so that one can repel or turn away any evil words one is tempted to speak. The application is more specific. Those who fear the Lord must stand guard over their lips in order to turn away any “deceitful speech.” Verse 14: David expanded the thought of turning away from evil words to include turning away from evil deeds. The truthfulness of this principle is confirmed in Proverbs. Listen to the echo of David’s teaching: “Fear the LORD and turn away from evil” (Proverbs 3:7); “to fear the LORD is to hate evil” (8:13); “one turns from evil by the fear of the LORD” (16:6). Evil actions are incompatible with the fear of the Lord. Fearing the Lord involves more than just not speaking evil and not doing evil. David presented another aspect to the fear of the Lord. Those who fear the Lord should do what is good (Matthew 7:24; James 4:17). These two aspects together form the definition of repentance. To repent, one must turn away from sin and turn to God to do the good that pleases God. To do this, however, one must take the first step in learning to fear the Lord—repentance combined with placing one’s faith in Jesus Christ, which brings salvation.

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE © 2015 LifeWay

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5 minutes

LIVE IT OUT SAY: “How will you choose to live under God’s provision and care?”

Notes

GUIDE: Lead group members to consider the responses to the Bible study listed on page 36 of the PSG. ]]

Evaluate your own definition of “the good life.” Is it grounded in biblical truth or influenced by the latest marketing campaign? Each morning this week, ask God to show you more of His goodness that day.

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Ask a trusted Christian friend to pray for a specific need you currently have. Pray for two weeks and then get together to discuss what you learned.

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Gain a deeper appreciation of what provision looks like by volunteering in a homeless shelter, soup kitchen, or other place where needs are presented and met. As you do this, consider the promises God has given to us.

Wrap It Up
 SAY: “Who really wants to travel the uncertain roads of life on their own? God’s design is that we wouldn’t have to. Living under God’s care and provision and living like Jesus—now that’s the good life.”

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SESSION 3 © 2015 LifeWay