"Magnify the Lord" is my Advent-Christmas teaching series at Valley this year. I'm working with Mary's song in Luke 1:46-55 and David's song in Psalm 34.Because both texts include the words, "magnify the Lord," it's common for them to be coupled together. But if you live with both songs for awhile, thoughtfully reading them over and over, you see increasingly that they have much more in common than a shared phrase. They share a common hope, a common confidence in God's character, and a common conviction about God's redemptive purposes in the world.
One of the ways I'm trying to expand my appreciation and understanding of these songs is to search out the thoughts and ideas of others. I'm reading articles, listening to sermons, comparing translations, and studying commentaries. Sometimes the sources are very old, and others are very new. Some are more academic while others are more devotional. In every case, I find these explorations to be a helpful and thought-provoking exercise. Yesterday, for instance, I came across some verse-by-verse comments on Psalm 34 by Charles Spurgeon, the well-known 19th century Baptist preacher. Here is what he had to say about verses one through four:1. I bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
- "Others may do what they please, and murmur, and complain, and be
filled with dread and apprehension of the future; but I will bless the
Lord at all times. I can always see something for which I ought to bless
him. I can always see some good which will come out of blessing him.
Therefore will I bless him at all times. And this," says the Psalmist, "I
will not only do in my heart, but I will do it with my tongue. His praise
shall continually be in my mouth," that others may hear it, that others
may begin to praise him, too, for murmuring is contagious, and so, thank
God, is praise; and one man may learn from another--take the catchword
and the keyword out of another man's mouth, and then begin to praise God
with him. "His praise shall continually be in my mouth." What a blessed
mouthful! If some people had God's praises in their mouths, they would
not so often have fault-finding with their fellow-men.
"If half the breath thus vainly spent" in finding fault with our
fellow-Christians were spent in prayer and praise, how much happier, how
much richer, we should be spiritually! "His praise shall continually be
in my mouth."
- Boasting is generally annoying. Even those that boast themselves
cannot endure that other people should boast. But there is one kind of
boasting that even the humble can bear to hear--nay they are glad to hear
it. "The humble shall hear thereof, and be glad." That must be boasting
in God--a holy glorying and extolling the Most High with words sought out
with care that might magnify his blessed name. You will never exaggerate
when you speak good things of God. It is not possible to do so. Try, dear
brethren, and even boast in the Lord. There are many poor, trembling,
doubting, humble souls that can hardly tell whether they are the Lord's
people or not, and are half afraid whether they shall be delivered in the
hour of trouble, that will become comforted when they hear you boasting.
"The humble shall hear thereof, and be glad." "Why," says the humble
soul, "God that helped that man can help me. He that brought him up
through the deep waters, and landed him safely, can also take me through
the river and through the sea, and give me final deliverance. My soul
shall make her boast in the Lord. The humble shall hear thereof, and be
glad."
- He cannot do enough of it himself. He wants others to come in and
help him. First, he charges his own heart with the weighty and blessed
business of praising God, and then he invites all around to unite with
him in the sacred effort. "Magnify the Lord with me. Let us exalt his
name together."
- That was David's testimony. That is mine. Brother, that is yours.
Is it not? Sister, is not that yours too? Well, if you have such a blessed
testimony, be sure to bear it. Often do you whisper it in the mourner's
ear, "I sought the Lord, and he heard me." Tell it in the scoffer's ear.
When he says, "There is no God," and that prayer is useless, say to him,
"I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears."
It is a pity that such a sweet encouraging profitable testimony should be
kept back. Be sure at all proper times to make it known. But it is not
merely ourselves. There are others who can speak well of God.
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