By Jeremy Bell
This is my personal study on Psalm 34 according to my motif analysis, further highlighted in my book, Psalms in Motif Visualization. I have taken the elements of the analysis of the Psalm and grouped them together. So, the entirety of the Psalm will be posted, but in a different order. My hope is to share insights as to what the author intended to convey. This is a theologically sound practice, though good theology does not rely on one observation point alone. Take time to read the Psalm, pray on it, and test it in scripture to gain a good understanding of what God is saying through the author.
Therapy
There are many reasons why a person might need therapy. Grief, anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, relationship issues, and other mental health issues. Religious people might even suggest troubling spirits as a reason. There are different ways to help and treat these issues but one thing that is a must for therapy is relationship. In the relationship there are goals for the patient. Music therapy is a real therapeutic system. Recently, a congresswoman from Arizona, Gabby Giffords, was shot in the head causing brain damage. Music therapy was used to engage her auditory experience, to regain her speech. The auditory experience uses emotion, memory, rhythm, and memory in ways that nonmusical language does not.
Saul and Some Troubling Signs
In the Bible, Israel’s first king, Saul, suffered. To some he likely appeared to be going insane, he clearly had mental health issues. To Samuel, the prophet that anointed him king, and Saul’s servants Saul was suffering from an evil spirit. Saul had not known this before because the spirit of God was with him, but the Spirit left. His servants suggested that a talented harp player would help him feel better. Saul agreed, they found David and Saul was indeed soothed. David would play for him regularly to help him with the evil spirit that was troubling him.
Over time Saul would increase in his troubles and he became convinced he should kill David. David fled with the help of Saul’s son, Jonathan, and found a priest. The priest helped him by giving him the sword of Goliath. David continued to Gath, the hometown of Goliath. The servants of the king of Gath recognized him and David got scared. So, he pretended to be insane with mental health issues. It worked and they left him alone and David moved on, running for his life. He later wrote about this experience in a song. With perspective and thought, he wrote Psalm 34, therapeutically dealing with these events.
My analysis shows this Psalm to be in verse form. A verse is one idea that still has a breakdown of pattern, but those patterns are contained in one idea. I have identified 3 distinct sections, or elements to the verse. These sections are much like the sections of a piece of music, each related, but distributed in a pattern throughout the Psalm. 3 elements in 1 verse.
Here is Psalm 34 in grouped motif form.
[ Psalm 34 ]
I will bless Yahweh at all times.
His praise will always be in my mouth.
Oh magnify Yahweh with me.
Let’s exalt his name together.
Yahweh’s angel encamps around those who fear him,
and delivers them.
Oh fear Yahweh, you his saints,
for there is no lack with those who fear him.
Yahweh’s eyes are toward the righteous.
His ears listen to their cry.
The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears,
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
Evil shall kill the wicked.
Those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
None of those who take refuge in him shall be condemned.
My soul shall boast in Yahweh.
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
They looked to him, and were radiant.
Their faces shall never be covered with shame.
Oh taste and see that Yahweh is good.
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Come, you children, listen to me.
I will teach you the fear of Yahweh.
Who is someone who desires life,
and loves many days, that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil,
and your lips from speaking lies.
Yahweh’s face is against those who do evil,
to cut off their memory from the earth.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but Yahweh delivers him out of them all.
Yahweh redeems the soul of his servants.
I sought Yahweh, and he answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears.
This poor man cried, and Yahweh heard him,
and saved him out of all his troubles.
The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger,
but those who seek Yahweh shall not lack any good thing.
Depart from evil, and do good.
Seek peace, and pursue it.
Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart,
and saves those who have a crushed spirit.
He protects all of his bones.
Not one of them is broken.
Mental Health Issues
Mental health issues were no joke to David. He suffered a lot of traumas and he witnessed them. David knew trauma needed help, needed to be dealt with. He used the gift God gave him, music, to get through trauma. He journaled, wrote songs, and used that gift to help his king, Saul. All the while, he knew who it was who gave him that gift and delivered him from all things. David was righteous and David was regularly plagued with trouble and unanswered questions. When he says the righteous cry, it is not out of some religious prayer.
The righteous are the humble, the needy, the pathetic. They are children before God and God makes them righteous. The Psalmist writes about never being put to shame and everlasting joy, Those are coming, and we know it. But they are not here yet, we still have trouble, even mental health issues. But the holy spirit that God placed inside of His people hears and responds with perspective and love. God has delivered before, and He will again. God has healed and helped before, and He will again.
Trials experienced now mature and grow His people to be a people that will magnify His glory. That magnification now is to shine a light in the darkness so that the lost will be saved, those who need help get help. It all points to one day living in perfect light and magnifying His glory in perfect joy. This is why we can be content in all circumstances; it is why a righteous person can rejoice and sing. This is living in The Nature of Joy.
Resources and Notes
All scripture in this article is from the WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE (WEB). The World English Bible (WEB) is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Holy Bible. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament.
For more related to this blog, check out my post on Practical Life Strategy Steps Created in Root Cause Abundance.
This is a reliable translation, but it is always good to read other translations as well. Biblegateway.com has a multitude of translations to read from. It is a great resource.
Another great resource is Biblehub.com. There are multiple translations, commentaries, and so much more. Great research can be done on this platform.
One more I use regularly is Gotquestions.org. This is a great site to answer questions and find threads of related questions.
There are many resources. The key is that God wants relationship directly with you, the individual. His primary source for revealing who He is and growing in intimacy is His word, the scriptures. Don’t just read for instruction. Analyze and read for understanding. Explore, ask questions, and be transformed in Jesus every moment you possibly can. There is no dispute this is a key desire of God. People are brough to the Father, in the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit. This… This is the Nature of Joy.
Jeremy is an author, musician, and business intelligence manager. His mission is to equip and encourage those in Christ, to equip and encourage others in Christ. Jesus, Christ, is the Nature of Joy and melody of the heart. Jeremy unites business analytics (business intelligence), songs, and Scripture for Christian living in the power of the Holy Spirit.