Boasting in the Lord

Mike Johnson

     (Psalm 34:2)      

 David probably wrote Psalm 34 during the time he was fleeing from King Saul.  During this time, he was facing great adversity.  Yet, despite this, he declares in verse 2,   “My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad.”

Today, people frequently use the word “boast” negatively.  This use is not the case with the Hebrew word (halal) found here.  The definition of this term is “to praise, celebrate, glory, sing (praise), boast” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words).  Most translations render it as “boast” in verse 2, but “praise” is the typical translation in many passages.  Thus, the Psalmist is simply saying he would praise the Lord!

People who receive God’s mercy and deliverance should be willing to share this news with others.  Such was the case with David.  When he “boasted” in the Lord (2b), it says certain ones (the humble) would hear his praise and be glad.  The implication is that those who lacked humility would not listen and be glad.

Jesus illustrates this concept in the “Parable of the Sower” (Mt. 13:1-33).  A farmer sowed seed (the Word of God – Lk. 8:11) on four soil types.  Only on the good soil did the seed grow and yield a good crop.  The reason cited (Lk. 8:15) is that the person represented by the good ground had a “noble and good heart,” so the disposition of the hearer made the difference.

The book of Acts shows this concept as well.  In Acts 2, Peter preached the first gospel message to the people on the day of Pentecost.  He preached to the Jews about Christ and His resurrection, and he even accused His hearers of having killed the son of God.  How did they respond?  They were “cut to the heart” and asked what they needed to do to obtain salvation.  Later, Stephen preached the same basic message to the Jewish leaders (Acts 7). In contrast, they responded by stoning him to death (vs. 54-60).  What was the difference?  It was the hearts of the hearers. Attitude is critical.

In verse 3, David speaks to the humble, saying, “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.”  We should praise God and encourage others to do the same.  Those humble will “hear and be glad!”