Why would anyone write the following verse

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Why would anyone write the following verse?

• 18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and
  saves those who are crushed in
  spirit.

2
Psalm 34
Psalm 34

• Of David. When he pretended to be insane before
  Abimelech, who drove him away, and he
  left.

3
Timeline

• Jonathan tells David Saul wants to
  kill him--I Samuel 20.
• David goes to Ahimelech, the priest, for food and
  a sword--I Samuel 211-9.
• David flees from Saul to Achish, king of Gath, a
  Philistine ruler--v. 10.
• The king is told who David is--v. 11.
• So to keep from being killed, David pretends to
  be insane --vv. 12-15.

4
David and his Academy Award winning
performance--vv. 10-13
I Samuel

• 12 David took these words to heart and was
  very much afraid of Achish (Abimelech) king of
  Gath. 13 So he pretended to be insane in their
  presence and while he was in their hands he
  acted like a madman, making marks on
  the doors of the gate and letting saliva
  run down his beard.

5
David escapes to a lonely cave -- I Samuel
2114-221
I Samuel

• 14 Achish said to his servants, "Look at the
  man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? 15 Am
  I so short of madmen that you have to bring this
  fellow here to carry on like this in front of me?
  Must this man come into my house? 221 David
  left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam.

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What does Davids experience say to us?

• Most likely, while David was alone in the cave
  of Adullam, he wrote Psalm 34--an
  acrostic of the Hebrew alphabet.
• Therefore, this experience gives us instruction
  and hope for our troubles--the caves of
  our lives!!

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Psalm 34

• For David, holy bread Goliaths
  sword were not enough, he was still
  fearful.
• For us, our wisdom is not enough, we need
  help for the caves of our fear for our
  broken hearts, loneliness, separation,
  stress, poverty, weakness, etc.
• Where should we begin?

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Oh magnify the Lord with mePsalm 341-4 (King
James)
Psalm 34

• I will bless the Lord at all times.
• His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
• My soul shall make her boast in Thee oh Lord, the
  humble shall hear thereof and be glad.
• Oh magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His
  name together.
• I sought the Lord and He heard me, and delivered
  me from all my fears.

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1. Praise and prayer --vv. 1-4 (We must do
these together)
Psalm 34

• 1 I will extol the LORD at all times
  his praise will always be on my lips. 2
  My soul will boast in the LORD let the afflicted
  hear and rejoice. 3 Glorify the LORD with me
  let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the
  LORD, and he answered me he delivered me from
  all my fears.

10
1. Praise and prayer --vv. 4-7 (continued)
Psalm 34

• 4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me he
  delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who
  look to him are radiant their faces are never
  covered with shame. 6 This poor man called, and
  the LORD heard him he saved him out of all his
  troubles. 7 The angel of the LORD encamps
  around those who fear him, and he delivers
  them.

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1. Praise and prayer --vv. 1-4 (continued)
Psalm 34

• Benefits
• Answers to our prayers--v. 4a
• Deliverance from all our fears for those of
  us who fear Him--vv. 4b,7
• Radiance, no shame--v. 5
• God hears us and saves us out of
  trouble--v. 6

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2. Patient perspectives
--vv. 8-10
As we wait for the answer to our prayers, we need
Psalm 34

• 8 Taste and see that the LORD is good blessed
  is the man who takes refuge in him. 9 Fear the
  LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack
  nothing. 10 The lions may grow weak and
  hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good
  thing.

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Perspectives that need patience

• If we taste of the experiences, even the troubles
  God will take us through, ULTIMATELY WE WILL FIND
  IT WILL BE GOOD--v. 8a Rom. 828
• If we take refuge in God, WE WILL BE
  BLESSED/receive a blessing--v. 8b
• If we fear and seek the Lord, WE ARE PROMISED WE
  WILL LACK NO GOOD THING--vv. 9-10

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Principle of Life Context
Needed Patient Perspective

• We cant accurately interpret the present until
  the future is the past--see James 57-11.
• It is not just what is happening
• It is not just what has happened
• We need the context of the future --what will
  happen, before we can interpret the present
  circumstances of our lives.

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3. Pass on the principles --vv.
11-14 (What are we learning?)
As we begin to receive the answer, we are
responsible to
Psalm 34

• 11 Come, my children, listen to me I will
  teach you the fear of the LORD. 12 Whoever of
  you loves life and desires to see many good days,
  13 keep your tongue from evil and your lips
  from speaking lies. 14 Turn from evil
  and do good seek peace and pursue it.

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How do we fear the Lord?How can we live a long
life?(see verses 11-12)
Here is what we might want to proclaim
Psalm 34

• Begin by thinking and speaking the truth--no
  lies live in the truth--v. 11
• Turn from evil--v. 14a
• Do good--v. 14b
• Pursue peace--v. 14b
• Review
  3. Pass on the
  Principles--vv. 11-14

Must be done together (Eph. 422-24)
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4. Practice His presence --vv. 7,15-18
Psalm 34

• 7 The angel of the LORD encamps
  around those who fear him...15 The eyes
  of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears
  are attentive to their cry 16 the face of the
  LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the
  memory of them from the earth. 17 The
  righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them he
  delivers them from all their troubles. 18 The
  LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves
  those who are crushed in spirit.

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5. Proclaim His promises --vv. 19-22
Psalm 34

• 19 A righteous man may have many troubles, but
  the LORD delivers him from them all 20 he
  protects all his bones, not one of them will be
  broken. 21 Evil will slay the wicked the foes
  of the righteous will be condemned. 22 The
  LORD redeems his
  servants no one will be
  condemned who takes
  refuge in him.

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Summary of Psalm 34

• 1. Praise and Prayer--vv. 4-7
• 2. Patient Perspectives--vv. 8-10
• 3. Pass on the Principles--vv. 11-14
• 4. Practice His Presence--vv. 7,15-18
• 5. Proclaim His Promises--vv. 19-22

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CONCLUSION

• We all need Safe Places--I Samuel 221a
• We all need Still Times--Psalm 34
• We all need Special Friends--I Samuel 22 1b
  David left Gath and escaped to the cave of
  Adullam. When his brothers and his father's
  household heard about it, they went down to him
  there. 2 All those who were in distress or in
  debt or discontented gathered around him, and he
  became their leader. About four hundred men were
  with him.

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What do these safe places, still
times and special friends do for
us?

• They prepare us for what is ahead,
  e.g., David to be king our ministry.
• They can save us from our fears, weaknesses,
  propensities to sin--Ps. 34.
• They knock off the rough edges, so our lives will
  be like smooth stones.
• Psalm 34 shows us how we become smooth stones,
  ready for whatever is ahead in our lives--I
  Samuel 1740.