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Take A Closer Look
Text: Psalm 34: 1-10
A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelecha; who drove him away, and he departed.
1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. 3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. 5 They looked unto him, and were lightenedb: and their faces were not ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. 8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. 9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. 10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. [1]
My focus is verse 5: 5 They looked unto him, and were lightenedb: and their faces were not ashamed.
The New Century version says it like this:
| 5 Those who go to him for help are happy, and they are never disgraced. |
God is calling His people to take a closer look at Him. Jesus Christ must become the main focus of our lives as never before. When we look to Him we find the satisfaction we have been looking for.
David wrote this psalm during the time when Saul had a warrant out for David. Saul despised David. David fled for his life. Jonathan had done his best to encourage David and he comes to Ahimelech the priest.
I Samuel 21 describes David’s encounter with Amimelech the priest and how that David was able to overcome: CHAPTER 21
1 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelecha the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? 2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place. 3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is presentb. 4 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. 5 And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctifiedc this day in the vessel. 6 So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away. 7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul. 8 And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste. 9 And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me. [2]
I reiterate what the priest said to David:
9 And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod:
The priest told David to Behold his trophy! The priest was telling David to take a closer look at a past victory! Why? Because Ahimelech understood that if he could get David to dwell on victory, then it would build his faith enough for the task.
David understood that he needed the right tools to do a good job. When he saw Goliath’s sword, he did not even hesitate to take it for his own use.
What is often missing in many lives is seeing the kingdom of God as being the most important stuff, and acting upon that principal.
David suffered to act upon what he knew to be true, yet he sought God in spite of every bit of opposition to do so.
It is time to take a closer look, not just at what we believe, but into the face of whom we believe in! If we will behold Him, we will worship Him, and if we will worship Him, we will adore Him, and if we will adore Him, we will appreciate Him and if we will appreciate Him, He will raise us up to effective heights that will last for eternity.
We will not go where we did not first gaze in awe.
If you want to go somewhere in God, you must be willing to look at that place so hard and long that no price is too high to pay in your spirit.
If we must sacrifice time, money, friends, leisure, hobbies, just to be able to get there, then go for it! The destiny is worth the journey!
The funnest vacations are the ones where you know your destination and when you get there you have something to do. You took the time to look at the map of where you were going.
When we look into the face of Jesus Christ, we find our destiny. It is into His presence that we must journey. Gaze into His eyes until you make your way into the depths of His soul – He will not turn you away, not ever!
God is calling His children everywhere to take a closer look at what He has to offer and God is calling everyday unbelievers to take a second look at Him so that they might now believe.
In John 20, the disciples excitedly told Thomas how that Jesus had appeared to them, but in verse 25, Thomas said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
Thomas declared that he would not believe unless he could see some evidence!
What did Jesus say? Did Jesus say, “Sorry Thomas, you just don’t have the faith?” No! Here is what happened:
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
What was Jesus doing? He was telling him to take a closer look!
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
a Abimelech: or, Achish
b were lightened: or, they flowed unto him
[1] The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 . Logos Research Systems, Inc.: Oak Harbor, WA
b were lightened: or, they flowed unto him
a Ahimelech: also called, called Ahiah
b present: Heb. found
c yea…: or, especially when this day there is other sanctified in the vessel
[2] The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 . Logos Research Systems, Inc.: Oak Harbor, WA
[3] The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 . Logos Research Systems, Inc.: Oak Harbor, WA
