Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!1
What a graphic picture! Can we actually taste and see the goodness of the LORD? Is there a prerequisite or posture that we should have to sense his goodness? Who are those favored to experience his goodness?
David enumerates the qualities for us; e.g., the humble2—for they are willing to listen and so hear from God and are gladdened; the poor man3—perhaps destitute, brought low, surrendered, whose only recourse is to cry out to the LORD in faith, and so is heard and saved from his troubles; the brokenhearted and the crushed in spirit4—the LORD is near them and saves them; those who fear him5—the LORD actually delights on those that fear him and instructs his angel to encamp around them and he delivers them; his saints6—his chosen ones, sanctified by his Living Word7; those who seek the LORD8—knowing their identity they have the confidence to approach the throne of grace and lack no good thing; the children9—what do children have? Perhaps they listen and are teachable; the righteous10—The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.11 When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.12
Pause! Is there anyone actually righteous before a Holy God? With Abraham righteousness was imputed to him because he believed the LORD.13 In the NT, Paul declares that we are all under sin and quotes the Psalms, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”14 David acknowledges that the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.15 If we are incensed by the evil that abounds, and rightfully so, we need not fret. Leave room for the wrath of God.16 Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.17
The righteous are so not out of their own efforts but through the grace of God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.18 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.19 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.20
Notes:
1. Psalm 34:8
2. Psalm 34:2
3. Psalm 34:6
4. Psalm 34:18
5. Psalm 34:7, 9, 11
6. Psalm 34:9
7. John 17:17
8. Psalm 34:10
9. Psalm 34:11
10. Psalm 34:15
11. Ibid.
12. Psalm 34:17
13. Genesis 15:6
14. Romans 3:9-12
15. Psalm 34:16
16. Romans 12:19
17. Psalm 34:21
18. 2 Corinthians 5:21
19. Ephesians 2:8-10
20. 2 Corinthians 5:17
