Verse 11. "Come ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord." David in this latter part of the Psalm undertakes to teach children. Though a man of war and anointed to be king, he did not think such a task below him. Though now he has had his head so full of cares, and his hands so full of business, yet he could find heart and time to give good counsel to young people from his own experience. Observe what he undertakes to teach them: "the fear of the Lord." David was a famous musician, a statesman, and a soldier, but he does not say to his children: I will teach you to play upon the harp, or to handle the sword and spear and draw the bow, or I will teach you maxims of state policy, but, " I will teach you the fear of the Lord."
Mathew Henry
Verse 11. "… the fear of the Lord." Let this, therefore, good children, be your principal care and study – "the fear of the Lord." What shall it avail you to be cunning in Tully, Virgil, Homer, and other profane writers, if you be unskilful in God's Book? To have learned Greek and Latin, if you learn not with it the Language of Canaan? To have knowledge of the creature when you are ignorant of the Creator? To have learned how you might live a while here, but to have neglected to learn how you might live eternally hereafter?
"David's Instructor" by Thomas Gataker.
Verse I3. "Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile." Guard with careful diligence that dangerous member, the tongue, lest it utter evil. Men cannot spit forth poison without some of the venom burning their own flesh. Deceit must be very earnestly avoided by the man who desires happiness. A crafty schemer lives like a spy in the enemy's camp, in constant fear of exposure and execution. Clean and honest conversation – by keeping the conscience at ease – promotes happiness; but lying and wicked talk stuffs our pillow with thorns, and makes life a constant whirl of fear and shame.
C.H. Spurgeon.
Verse I4. "Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it." We are bid, not only to "depart from evil," but also to "do good." It will be a poor plea at last to offer to the Lord ….
"Lord, I kept myself from being spotted with gross sin: I did no hurt." But, what good is there in thee? It is not enough for the servant of the vineyard that he does no harm there; he does not break the trees, or destroy the hedges: if he does not work in the vineyard he loses his pay. It is not enough for us to say at the last day, we have done no hurt, we have lived in no gross sin: but what good have we done in the vineyard? Where is the grace we have received? If we cannot show this, we shall lose our pay and miss our salvation.
T.Watson.
Verse 14. "Seek peace, and pursue it." The most desirable things are not the easiest to obtain. What is more lovely to the imagination than the tranquillity of peace? But this great blessing does not voluntarily present itself; it must be sought. Even when sought it often eludes the grasp; it flies away, and must be persued.
Dr. Waterland.
Verse 18. "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart." We are apt to overlook men in proportion as they are humbled beneath us; but God regards them in that proportion. Vessels of honour are made of that clay which is "broken" into the smallest parts.
George Horns.
Verse 19. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivereth him out of them all." The lawyer can only deliver his client from strife. The physician can only deliver his patient from sickness. The master can only deliver his servant from bondage. But, the Lord delivereth us from ALL. As when Moses came to deliver the Israelites from Egypt, he would not leave a hoof behind him: so, when the Lord comes to deliver the righteous, he will not leave a trouble behind him, for "the Lord delivereth him out of them all."
Henry Smith.
Verse 20. "He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken." The Passover Lamb prefigured Christ, because not one of its bones was broken, and so it was with Him, as He hung upon a cross. But, not only that; it also prefigured Christ's Church - the spiritual body of Christ, because not one "bone" of that body will ever suffer loss either. This is our song of rejoicing "He carefully his bones doth keep, Whatever can befall; That not so much as one of them can broken be at all."
Andrew Bonar.
This Page Title – Gleanings in the Psalms – Psalm 34 (Concluded) The Wicket Gate Magazine "A Continuing Witness". Internet Edition number 73 – placed on line July 2008 Magazine web address – www.wicketgate.co.uk |