Psalm 34, from the Lectionary ... some thoughts ...
It begins with a blessing, a blessing of the LORD, a blessing to be uttered, contemplated, thought about, "at all times."
If read in isolation from the rest of the Psalm, one might be given to a particular kind of spirituality that lives in dreamy lands and exulted places, far away from the maddening crowd, lost in wonder and lost in praise ... or something like that.
Which, sometimes, is very attractive, as the maddening crowd is just that - maddening. Who doesn't want some escape now and then?
But the Psalm presses on, relentlessly, taking the reader into the world, even as the reader blesses the LORD. The upward gaze, to the LORD, is very quickly matched by a searing awareness of the surrounding world and its times.
vs. 4 - a hint of hard times for the writer, and, yes, the LORD's deliverance.
vs. 6 - "the poor soul" it says - again, hinting at spiritual poverty, harsh times, troubles, and, yes, again, deliverance.
vs. 7 - "angels encamped around," as guardians of the reader, needed guardians, in times of distress, and, yes, again, the note of deliverance.
The Psalm presses on with notes of deliverance and provision. The phrase, "fear of the LORD" occurs - that strange and powerful image of devotion, dedication, allegiance, awe and mystery. To fear the LORD is to cleanse the soul of all other fears, imagined or real ... to set the self before the majesty of sovereign love, a love that will never ever let the reader go; a majesty unto whom all hearts are open, and to whom all belong, with provisions of mercy, without question.
vs. 11 - teaching others ... and the hint of what is to come, "keep your tongue from evil" ... and if one wonders what "evil" may be, the writer clarifies, and speaks of "deceit."
vs. 14 - "depart from evil," that is, an evil tongue (to read the Book of James right now might be appropriate), and all the deceit that characterizes evil ... with then the positive note: "do good," and "seek peace" (which is the opposite of deceit, and then, not only "seek," but pursue ... run after it, don't let it get away, pursue until caught, full-out effort, full speed ahead.
vs 16 - evildoers (those who rely upon deceit to further their own interests) do not fare well ultimately.
vs. 18 - the LORD is near to the broken hearted and those crushed in spirit ... reality ... REALITY ... broken and crushed for good reason, because of the evil, the deceiver, the topsy-turvy times, when evil has its day.
vs. 19 - no laughing matter, no momentary glitch ... "many are the afflictions of the righteous," but rescue is at hand.
vs. 21 - death is given to the wicked, and "those who hate the righteous" ... and why do the wicked hate the righteous? Because the righteous remind the wicked of how wrong they are with their deceit, with their self-serving ways, their lies and corruption. As long as there are good and decent people who love the LORD and pay attention to the needs of others, the wicked will always gnash their teeth (Psalm 37.12) and be angry.
vs. 22 - the final note of the Psalm, deliverance, redemption, great promise for those who take refuge in the LORD, who stand by truth and love, social awareness of the poor; people who are willing to be broken and crushed by the trials of the times, not just personal trials, but the trials of a weary land gone berserk, which happened a good many time in Israel's story.
And so much of this, a hint of what is to come in the preaching of Jesus, his beatitudes, his life, his cross and death ... and the ultimate and final word, deliverance!
Such things, considered at "all times," is what it means to bless the LORD.
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