Psalm 34:1-22 Text: v3
O magnify the Lord with me. Let us exalt His name together.
David’s behaviour before Abimelech (occasion/Psalm: title) was little for David to be proud of
Feigned himself as a madman and so escaped with a fool’s pardon
We might say of David: How are the mighty fallen!
Was probably fitting that he should feign himself as mentally unstable
in that his flight into the land/Philistines was an act of spiritual
madness, although we should not be too harsh on David
Consider thyself lest thou also be tempted (Galatians 6:1)
David attributes his escape to the goodness/God
This is doubtless true
In this case, God overruled so much to effect the escape
He overruled the hatred of the Philistines that would have exacted
avenge for the earlier defeat/death of their great champion, Goliath
He overruled David’s madness in going down to Philistines
He could have abandoned David there and let him try and make his own way home – if possible!
All this was not lost on David who raised his voice in this Psalm/praise
CHS said of God using David’s ploy to effect a deliverance:
Though the hook was rusty, yet God sent the fish, and we thank him for it
But David does not praise God alone – this text invites us all to
the praise service – and is much wider than the original
circumstances
3 main thoughts:
1) THE FOCUS IN THE TEXT:
Exalt His name
A/ Focus in the text because it is the focus of the whole Bible
1st Answer in the WCF S/C really is a noble answer to a great question:
Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him for ever
B/ Man is not on earth to make money or to feather his own bed etc.,
Not on earth to indulge himself in every pleasure that passes his door
He is on earth to glorify God who is His Creator and Judge
We are here to exalt God’s name and set it on high
B/ In exalting God’s name as exhorted, we are exalting God Himself
The name stands for the Person who bears it and all His attributes
Therefore when we exalt God’s name we exalt:
[i] The fact that He is a holy and just God
If He were a tyrant, then we could not exalt His name at all
Can we exalt the name of Hitler?
Is a Heil Hitler! appropriate?
No! Hitler was a mass murderer – possibly the wickedest man who ever lived
But we cannot so indict God all whose ways are holy and just and true
[ii] The fact that He is a merciful, loving, gracious and good God:
What depth remains in John 3:16 even though we are most familiar with it
It causes us to praise His name
We are deeply wounded and horrified when we hear His name blasphemed
This is the name that we have come to love so much
In this name (and no other) we have our salvation
We have come to realise our lost estate because of sin and we are so thankful that the Offended One has provided a way/salvation
How can we sit silent when we ought to broadcasting the glory of this saving name to the highest rafters?
[iii] The fact that He is a wise God:
We cannot explain the reasoning behind some of His acts
It is not for us to reason why…
But we refuse to think that our puny little minds are capable of
deciding the wisdom of what God decides to do at a particular time
Thus Job worshipped (Exalted Jehovah’s name) and said: Job 1:21
even in the most harrowing/circumstances because He knew: God was a
wise God
C/ David did not seek therefore the exaltation of his own name
Perhaps the circumstances of the writing (title) helped keep him in check
But by/large David was a spiritual man and he did not seek his own glory
Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD, and he said, Who am
I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me
hitherto?
But he ever sought to exalt the name of the Lord
2) THE FELLOWSHIP IN THE TEXT:
“with me…together”
A/ In our last reference (2 Samuel 7:18) we have David sitting alone before the Lord and exalting the Lord’s name
Good exercise – engaged in when the closet door is closed for prayer
But we are also called to the corporate worship/God with others
From earliest times, Christians met together to pray/praise God
B/ Several benefits in doing so:
[i] Corporate voices denote agreement that God is to be praised
Lack should not stop the lonely saint, but its presence is welcome
[ii] Exciting when our spiritual experiences are shared by others
We are compassed about by such a great cloud/witnesses (Hebrews 12:1)
[iii] Such a cry/fellowship around exalting God’s name will
encourage both the waverer and any who have not yet wavered but may be
tempted/do so
Even the greatest saint may become sluggish in this/any spiritual matter
This is why the Bible often calls us to worship both by precept/example
No reflection upon the greatness/God but a commentary on our dullness
We are therefore to exhort one another daily (Hebrews 3:13) and such
exhortation will include (among other things) a call to praise
God’s name
[iv] When we praise God’s name together is that one might remember things that the other forgets and vice versa
Even the youngest saint may say something in his simplicity that will
greatly encourage the older saint: A little child shall lead them
C/ If we are going to invite others to so come to this holy work, let
us ensure: our praising/God is pure/entire, lest we cause another to
stumble
[i] Let us ensure that it is Scriptural in content and mode
Let us praise God in the singing of Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs
Let us make melody in our hearts unto God (Ephesians 5:19)
[ii] Let us ensure that we sing with the understanding also (1 Corinthians 14:15)
It is of no profit to engage the company of another to praise God with
you and exalt His name if the proposed worship lies beyond your
intellect
No spiritual act can be built on a platform of ignorance
Let us not offer strange fire unto God
C/ This fellowship cuts across denominational boundaries within the Evangelical people of God
Whatever our secondary differences may be – we can still praise God together in a Scriptural fashion
Seen in the fact that the hymns/our hymnbooks are inter denominational
Newton was an Anglican – Wesley was a Methodist etc.,
If we can sign each others hymns – then we can sing them together
as long as there is no compromise involved from other matters
3) THE FEELING IN THE TEXT:
“O!”
A/ Psalmist seems to cry out on this one
His own heart is bubbling up with praise to God and he seeks to engage others to join him in his act of holy devotion
It comes from the very depths of his heart and is full of feeling
B/ We see this spirit in the experience of the two on the Road/Emmaus?
Through the opening up/Bible to them (for true worship is in
spirit/truth) their own hearts burned within them – gone from
spiritual dullness to being aflame in the praise/God
They could not simply keep their knowledge to themselves
And so, even in the lateness/darkness of the night, returned: Jerusalem
To do what? Induce the others to praise/exalt the Lord’s name together
C/ Such was the feeling/now dominated Psalmist’s heart re:
exalting God’s name – He wrote:
I will sing unto the LORD
as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.
(Psalm 104:33)
D/ It is very appropriate esp. in a prayer meeting that we take time to
praise God
Opening petition/Lord’s Prayer: Hallowed be Thy name
THE END