Many Troubles, With Boundaries (Psalm 34:19-22)

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. ²⁰He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. ²¹Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. ²²The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned. —Psalm 34:19-22

David begins Psalm 34 praising and exalting the Lord. As the song develops, we hear ample reasons for David’s praise:

1. Deliverance from fear

2. Experiencing radiant hope and confidence

3. Salvation and deliverance from all his troubles

4. Being surrounded and delivered by the angel of the Lord

5. Not lacking any good thing

6. Having the attentiveness of the Lord’s eyes and ears on him

7. Being personally near to the God of heaven

8. Being redeemed and not condemned

   
   

How fitting that praise would continually be in David’s mouth. Yet, mixed with these blessings are the realities of troubles and afflictions. David knew those well. So many were his troubles that David often cried out to the Lord. In seeking God in the midst of his troubles he found refuge, deliverance, and a nearness to God.

We also know by experience troubles and afflictions. They are many. Yet for the righteous, we see in this week’s passage, a deliverance from them all. Verse 20 gives us a clue as to how this works: "He keeps all his bones, not one of them is broken."

Jesus, the perfect righteous lamb was afflicted, despised, smitten, and crushed by God. But God set a limit. There was a boundary established by God that could not be moved: none of His bones would be broken.

The afflictions Jesus experienced were horrendous (see Isaiah 53), and yet the Roman soldiers, tasked with breaking the legs of those crucified to accelerate their deaths, bypassed Jesus. This because a boundary was set: “not one of them is broken” (v. 20).

The righteous also live within the boundaries set by God. They will experience troubles and afflictions, but only that which God allows. Afflictions may cause much of the suffering in this life, including death. Yet, the righteous are assured: deliverance is coming—the redemption of their soul. "…the Lord redeems the life of His servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned (v. 22).

What precious truth, none who take refuge in him will be condemned. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Like David, let us cry out to God in our afflictions and praise Him in our deliverance. Let us magnify and exalt His name together!

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For Reflection

1. Have your afflictions and troubles caused you to cry out to God?

2. Are you seeking Him (v. 4), experiencing Him (v. 8), obeying Him (v. 14)?

3. Do you trust God within the boundaries He has set for you? What does it mean to take refuge in Him?