No Broken Bones – Psalm 34

This is one of the few psalms we have that gives us a historical setting in explanation of its origin.  David had experienced the deliverance of God from death.  As often, David’s experience as an anointed one in Israel foreshadows an experience of the Anointed one, Messiah.  It thus becomes a Messianic psalm, a typico-prophetical messianic psalm.

Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.  My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.  Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!

I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.  Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.  This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.  The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!  Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!  Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!  The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.  What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?  Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.  Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.  The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.  When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.  The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

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

When David was fleeing Saul he had the idea to finally leave Israel altogether and seek support from the Philistines.  He came to king Achish of Gath (Abimelech was his official title) but realized Achish suspected his loyalty was feigned. He would have killed David if David hadn’t pretended to be insane (1 Samuel 21:10-15).  David credits Yahweh (the Angel of Yahweh) with giving him this way of escape and asserts that the protection of Yahweh is available to all who are righteous by way of trusting Him and dealing lovingly with God’s people.  He does not deny that the righteous will have many afflictions, but he believes there will be a deliverance of some kind from them all.  The righteous will never be condemned.

David is exaggerating when he says the righteous will not have a single bone broken, but Jesus, as the ultimate righteous one, while being afflicted on the cross, was spared any broken bones when he neared death, being pierced with a spear instead to make sure that he was already dead.  It was common practice by the Romans to break the crucified’s legs so his death would be hastened but Jesus seemed to have already died.  Jesus was the perfect sacrifice (Exodus 12:46) without blemish.