Psalm 34

Taste And See The Goodness Of The Lord

When have you experienced the “good of the Lord?” Describe your experience.

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. God’s goodness comes in many different ways, from blessing to moments of transcendence to encounters of human intimacy. Whether we are aware of God’s immediate presence or we recognize his goodness in hindsight, we can always “taste and see” his goodness.

This well known phrase comes from Psalm 34:9a. This psalm combined praise and wisdom literature in an acrostic format (the first letter of each line began with a sequential letter of the Hebrew alphabet; however, one letter in the sequence is missing and two letters are reversed). The psalm began with a note concerning David’s feigning madness before the king of Gath (see 1 Samuel 21:11-16) as a way to defend himself; the psalmist (or scribe) must have thought such antics showed wisdom in the face of danger.

34:2-4 was an invitation to communal praise; the leader extolled the glory of the Lord as a witness to the community, then invited the assembly to join him. 34:5-11 continued this call, but took a turn toward wisdom literature; the call was not to praise but to dependance on God. 34:5, 7-8 provided the personal witness to dependence; 34:6, 9-10 were the imperatives to follow suit. Notice the imperatives contained reasons for dependence. “Look to the Lord” and you will have joy, not shame (34:6). “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord” and receive happiness (34:9). “Fear the Lord” (i.e., be in awe of God) and you will not suffer any lack.

34:12-23 continued the wisdom theme, but this time, in proverbs. Like the imperatives of 34:6, 9-10, 34:12 was a call, but this time to learn wisdom about the fear of the Lord. 34:13 asked a rhetorical question about love of happiness, only to be followed by two proverbs (34:14-15), one to refrain from speaking evil, the other to repent and seek peace. 34:16-23 described the outcome of the proverbs. He would look over the good, but destroy the evil. Such protection did not mean freedom from misery (34:19-21), but did guarantee a safe arrival to the presence of God. (34:21b was quoted in John 19:36 as fulfilled prophecy in his Passion narrative.)

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. The imperative of 34:9a is valid in good times and tough going. Despite the ups and downs of life, God will be there if we are open to his presence. He is there, wait for our company.

34:6, 9-10 described three spiritual attitudes: seek God’s presence, partake in his presence, be in awe of his presence. How have you “looked to the Lord?” How have you “tasted and seen the goodness of the Lord?” How have you “feared the Lord?” What blessings have you received for your efforts?