The Lord's Attentive Presence: Protection for the Brokenhearted
The Lord watches the righteous and stays close to the brokenhearted, delivering them from all their troubles and ensuring they will never be condemned.
Psalms 34:15–22 (BSB)
15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.
16 But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to wipe out all memory of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears; He delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all.
20 He protects all his bones; not one of them will be broken.
21 Evil will slay the wicked, and the haters of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems His servants, and none who take refuge in Him will be condemned.
What is the big idea of Psalms 34:15–22?
The Lord watches the righteous and stays close to the brokenhearted, delivering them from all their troubles and ensuring they will never be condemned.
How does Psalms 34:15–22 point to Christ?
Jesus Christ is the Righteous One whose bones were not broken and who was 'crushed' for our iniquities; because He was condemned in our place, we are redeemed and will never be condemned if we take refuge in Him.
Authorial Intent
To conclude the acrostic with a definitive statement on divine justice, contrasting God's compassionate attentiveness to the righteous and brokenhearted with His judicial opposition to the wicked.
Chapter: Psalm 34
Taste and See the LORD's Goodness in Fear and Refuge
Those who seek, fear, and take refuge in the LORD can praise Him continually because He hears the afflicted, draws near to the brokenhearted, delivers the righteous, and redeems His servants from condemnation.