Psalm 34
Taste and See
The big idea
A man who has just escaped by pretending to be insane writes an invitation to test God's goodness experimentally.
Context you need before you preach it
The superscription ties this psalm to David feigning madness before Abimelech to escape (1 Samuel 21). That setting matters enormously: this is not serene piety written in comfort, but praise composed in the aftermath of a humiliating, desperate escape.
It is an acrostic, which gives it a deliberate, catechetical feel — this is a psalm built to be taught and memorised.
The outline
Praise decided in advance
vv. 1–3"At all times" and "continually" are commitments, not descriptions of mood. Praise here is a policy.
The testimony: I sought, he answered
vv. 4–7Personal and specific. Note verse 5 — "they looked to him and were radiant" — and the shift from "I" to "they" as testimony becomes invitation.
Taste and see
vv. 8–10An invitation to experiment rather than to agree. You cannot know the taste of something by having it described.
The teaching section
vv. 11–22"Come, children, listen to me." It turns into instruction — including the honest admission that the righteous have many afflictions.
Application
- Praise as a decision made ahead of the circumstances rather than a response to them.
- Taste and see is an invitation to try God rather than to be convinced about him. Give people something specific to try this week.
- Verse 19 is unusually honest: many afflictions, and deliverance. Both halves.
Where preachers go wrong on this text
- Ignoring the superscription. The setting is what makes this psalm credible.
- Quoting verse 19 in half. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous" is the first clause and it should not be skipped to reach the second.
- Preaching "taste and see" as a call to intellectual assent, which is the one thing the metaphor rules out.
Other ways to structure it
The outline above is one defensible reading, not the only one. If it does not fit the congregation in front of you, these are legitimate alternatives:
- Preach it against its 1 Samuel 21 backstory, reading the narrative first.
- Preach verses 11–22 as a standalone wisdom sermon on the fear of the Lord.
- Preach verse 18 alone — "near to those who have a broken heart" — for a congregation in grief.
Illustrations that fit this text
Frequently asked questions
What does "taste and see that the Lord is good" mean?
It is an invitation to first-hand experience rather than to agreement. You cannot get the taste of something from a description, and the psalm is arguing that the same is true of God's goodness — it has to be risked and tried before it can be known.
You have preached this passage before
Probably more than once, and the earlier version had a line in it you would want back. Transcribe your sermons and every text you have ever preached becomes searchable by reference — $19/month for as many as you preach, and the first one is free.
More from Psalms
Preaching resources for Psalms — themes, famous chapters, and background for the whole book.