The phrase “Taste and see that the LORD is good” comes from Psalm 34:8, and it’s more than poetic—it’s a call to experience the goodness of God firsthand. David, in the midst of personal crisis and danger, penned this psalm not as theory but as testimony.
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Psalm 34:8)
This phrase invites us to move beyond intellectual assent or tradition into intimate fellowship with the Lord, where we taste, see, and therefore trust.
The Context of Psalm 34
David wrote this psalm “when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed” (Psalm 34:1). He was running for his life from Saul and had to feign madness before a Philistine king to survive (1 Samuel 21:10–15). Amid such chaos, David still praises God.
The call to “taste and see” comes after verses like:
I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. (Psalm 34:4)
This sets the foundation. David is saying: I cried, He answered. I feared, He delivered. I lacked, He provided. Now you (emphasis added): taste and see.
What Does “Taste” Mean?
The Hebrew word for “taste” is טָעַם (ta’am): it means to perceive or experience something by tasting it, not just knowing about it. It’s the same word used when Jonathan “tasted” honey and his eyes brightened (1 Samuel 14:29). In Scripture, taste is sensory, active, and unmistakable.
You cannot “taste” something by standing at a distance. This is a call to participation in the presence and promises of God, not just observation.
In spiritual terms, this is mirrored in the New Testament when Peter says:
…if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (1 Peter 2:3)
Peter, quoting Psalm 34, uses this to affirm newborn babes in Christ growing by the milk of the Word. The taste is the personal confirmation of the goodness of the Lord through salvation, and the ongoing growth of sanctification.
What Does “See” Mean?
The Hebrew word רָאָה (ra’ah) means to see, perceive, or understand. It’s used throughout Scripture to refer to both physical sight and spiritual insight. So “taste and see” together form a parallelism: one speaks to personal experience, the other to spiritual perception. Together they say: Experience God for yourself and discern His goodness. This is not unique to Psalm 34 as we read in Psalm 27:
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13)
Seeing the Lord’s goodness is a present hope, not just an eternal one.
Who Is the Invitation For?
Psalm 34:9–10 gives the answer:
Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.
The invitation is for the saints, the ones who seek Him, the ones who trust and fear Him. This promise is not for the indifferent nor the casual inquirers. This is for those who come to God hungry, knowing their need. It is exactly what Jesus taught in Matthew 5:6:
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
Jesus, the Fulfillment of “Taste and See”
In the New Covenant, the fulfillment of this invitation is found in the person of Christ.
Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” (John 6:53)
This is not literal cannibalism; it is the full spiritual internalization of who He is. To receive Him by faith is to partake of Him.
As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. (John 6:57)
This is the climax of the invitation: Taste the Bread of Life. Drink the Living Water. Experience the Lord.
My Final Thoughts
“Taste and see” is not for the religious, the lukewarm, or the self-sufficient. It is for the hungry, the humble, and the brokenhearted. It is a deeply personal call (God invites you not to a ritual, not to a system, but to Himself). In a world filled with empty religion and surface-level Christianity, this is the dividing line. If you have tasted of His mercy, you will never be satisfied with anything less. If you have seen His goodness, you cannot unknow it. And once you have trusted in Him, you will know: Blessed is the man who trusts in Him.
So let us echo David’s invitation in this generation: Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good.
Ecclesiastes opens with this introduction:
“The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem” (Ecclesiastes 1:1).
The Hebrew word for Preacher is Qoheleth, meaning one who assembles or speaks before an assembly. The strongest internal and historical evidence points to Solomon as the author. The references to wisdom, wealth, building projects, pleasure, and royal power (Ecclesiastes 1:12–2:11) align unmistakably with Solomon’s life. He identifies himself as “king over Israel in Jerusalem” (1:12), which fits only Solomon before the kingdom divided. The themes of wisdom and folly, labor and reward align with his other writings, especially Proverbs.
This would date the book to the late reign of Solomon, likely around 935 BC, when Solomon was aging and reflecting deeply upon the consequences of his life’s pursuits (some of which were carnal and idolatrous).
Purpose of Ecclesiastes
The central purpose of Ecclesiastes is to confront man’s pursuit of meaning apart from God. Solomon explores everything life “under the sun” has to offer: wisdom, pleasure, labor, wealth, reputation—and finds it all to be “vanity and grasping for the wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14).
It is not a cynical book, but a painfully honest examination of the human condition when disconnected from eternal truth. It shows us the futility of all pursuits apart from God and prepares the heart for the final, ultimate conclusion:
“Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
Structure and Exegetical Overview
The book is both philosophical and poetic, containing personal memoir, proverbial wisdom, and rhetorical questions. It follows a loose chiastic structure with thematic development:
The Vanity of Life (Ecclesiastes 1:1–11)
Solomon opens with the thesis:
“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2).
The Hebrew word hebel (translated vanity) means vapor, breath, or meaningless. It doesn’t suggest that life has no meaning, but that it is transitory, elusive, and unsatisfying without divine purpose. He establishes the repetitive, cyclical nature of life: sunrise, wind, rivers, generations—all things full of labor, yet nothing truly fulfilled (Ecclesiastes 1:3–11).
The Futility of Human Pursuits (Ecclesiastes 1:12–2:26)
Solomon tests every human pursuit:
Wisdom (Ecclesiastes 1:16–18): Even increased knowledge brings grief.
Pleasure (Ecclesiastes 2:1–11): Laughter, wine, projects, music, and women all fail to satisfy.
Labor (Ecclesiastes 2:17–23): Even great success is left to others after death (often to a fool).
Yet God gives to a man who is good in His sight “wisdom and knowledge and joy” (Ecclesiastes 2:26), pointing toward divine grace as the only source of true blessing.
Times and Seasons (Ecclesiastes 3:1–22)
A turning point occurs here with the famous poem: “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” (3:1). This passage expresses God’s absolute control over all of life’s events.
Solomon affirms that “He has made everything beautiful in its time” and “has put eternity in their hearts” (3:11), suggesting man is created to seek eternal meaning. Yet we cannot fully grasp God’s works.
God’s judgment is certain (3:17), and man is accountable for how he lives, even if the timing of justice is unclear.
Social Injustices and the Problem of Evil (Ecclesiastes 4:1–6:12)
Solomon examines oppression, envy, loneliness, and the emptiness of wealth:
“The tears of the oppressed, but they have no comforter” (Ecclesiastes 4:1)
“Two are better than one… a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9–12)
“He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver” (Ecclesiastes 5:10)
He sees that riches without joy, without God, are vain. Even a man with a hundred children and long life but no satisfaction is worse off than a stillborn child (Ecclesiastes 6:3).
Wisdom for Living (Ecclesiastes 7:1–11:6)
This section is proverbial in style and offers wisdom for navigating life’s uncertainties:
“The day of death is better than the day of one’s birth” (Ecclesiastes 7:1)
“Do not be overly righteous, nor be overly wise… Do not be overly wicked” (Ecclesiastes 7:16–17)
“Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten rulers” (Ecclesiastes 7:19)
Solomon teaches moderation, humility, patience, and fear of God. He also warns that the future is uncertain:
“He who observes the wind will not sow” (Ecclesiastes 11:4).
Yet we are to work diligently and trust God with the results.
Remember Your Creator (Ecclesiastes 11:7–12:8)
The final poetic section is a plea to remember God while young, before the days of trouble and old age come (Ecclesiastes 12:1). He uses metaphor to describe the aging body:
“The keepers of the house tremble” (the hands)
“The strong men bow down” (the legs)
“The grinders cease” (the teeth)
“Those that look through the windows grow dim” (the eyes)
It ends with the fading of life:
“Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7).
The Whole Duty of Man (Ecclesiastes 12:9–14)
Solomon now speaks as the wise teacher who has weighed and tested everything. He concludes:
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14)
This is the theological climax of Ecclesiastes. All is vanity without God, but with Him, there is accountability, purpose, and eternal reward.
My Final Thoughts
Ecclesiastes is not nihilism. It’s clarity. It’s the voice of a man who had everything and found it empty apart from the fear of God. It exposes the vanity of a life lived for self and exalts the simplicity and glory of obedience. It teaches that wisdom is better than folly, but both die. Wealth may bring comfort, but never peace. Work may build, but it cannot last. Only that which is grounded in eternal reverence for God remains.
In the end, your greatest wisdom is not found in the abundance of possessions or even earthly success; it is found in fearing God and keeping His commandments. This is not just man’s part. It is man’s all.
The local church is more than just a building, it’s a body of believers, a family gathered in the name of Jesus Christ to worship, learn, and make disciples. But as shepherds and overseers of that body, we are called not only to feed the flock but to protect it. Paul warned the elders of Ephesus in Acts 20:29–30,
“For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.”
The danger was both spiritual and physical. Jesus Himself said in John 10:12–13,
“But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees… The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.”
To protect the church is not unspiritual. It is shepherding. It is love in action.
Does the Bible Forbid Self-Defense?
Not at all.
In Exodus 22:2–3, God gives a clear principle of self-defense:
“If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed.”
The key distinction is intent. If someone threatens life, protecting oneself or others is not murder, it is justice. Jesus even told His disciples in Luke 22:36,
“He who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.”
The sword was not for offense but for protection. Jesus knew that following Him in a hostile world required readiness, not pacifism. Romans 13:4 declares that the governing authorities
“do not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.”
That’s not just about government, it shows the role of force in restraining evil. In protecting the church, we act as watchmen (Ezekiel 33:6).
The Purpose of Church Security
The goal of the church is to gather, worship, and make disciples (Matthew 28:19–20). But we are also commanded in Proverbs 27:12,
“A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself; the simple pass on and are punished.”
Security doesn’t replace trust in God, it complements it with obedience and preparation. Nehemiah 4:9 is the blueprint:
“Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.”
You pray. You prepare. You protect.
Building a Church Security Plan
Surveillance and Monitoring
Install cameras to monitor entrances, hallways, and gathering areas. Have designated team members observe these feeds during services. This provides not only evidence after incidents, but prevention before they occur.
Greeting and Identifying
Place greeters at each entrance (not just to shake hands, but to look people in the eye). Pay attention to:
If someone raises concern, don’t accuse — engage. Have a security team member start a warm, casual conversation to assess mental state and demeanor. Proverbs 20:5 says,
“Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.”
Controlled Access and Entry Flow
Designate a single point of entry. All other doors should remain locked from the outside. This gives you control of who enters and how they move through the building. Train your ushers and security to guide flow clearly and calmly.
Armed Security and Firearms
It is lawful and biblical for trained, responsible men (and women, if necessary) to carry weapons for protection. Psalm 144:1 says,
“Blessed be the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle.”
Each person who carries should:
Be legally permitted to carry concealed
Practice regularly at the range
Understand the use-of-force laws in your state
Know how to de-escalate before drawing their weapon
Assign specific roles: someone watches the door, someone monitors cameras, someone roams, and someone is prepared to respond.
Communication and Hand Signals
Verbal shouting creates panic. Quiet, discreet hand signals help your team coordinate without alarming the congregation. Examples include:
Two fingers raised = Call police
Hand behind ear = Need backup
Thumbs up = All clear
Circular finger = Escort someone out
Rehearse these signals regularly and include drills as part of your church’s operations, just like you would for fire or tornado safety.
Spiritual Ministry First
Never forget: the person acting strange may need deliverance, not punishment. Jude 1:22–23 commands,
“And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.”
Be firm but gentle. Bold but compassionate. Make the goal not just safety, but redemption when possible.
Additional Advice
Partner with local law enforcement and invite them to assess your security plan.
Make sure every child area is secured and only accessible by approved individuals.
Run background checks on all volunteers in security, children’s ministry, and greeters.
Rotate team members and keep them accountable in both spirit and skill.
Have emergency kits available: medical kits, defibrillators, and clear evacuation routes.
My Final Thoughts
Church security is not fear, it is stewardship. We are not panicked; we are prepared. We do not put our faith in weapons or tactics, but we also do not ignore wisdom in the name of faith.
Proverbs 21:31 says,
“The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is of the Lord.”
So prepare the horse. Train your men. Watch your doors. But trust in God. Let our churches be havens of peace, guarded by faithful watchmen, armed in spirit and wisdom, prepared to protect, but always looking to save.
Jesus is in Jerusalem, days before the crucifixion. He’s confronting the religious leaders, chief priests and elders, who questioned His authority. Instead of answering directly, He gives them a series of parables, each exposing their spiritual blindness. One of those parables is about two sons. He says in Matthew 21:28–30,
“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go.”
The Message in the Parable
Jesus asks,
“Which of the two did the will of his father?” (Matthew 21:31).
They rightly answer, “The first.”
The first son represents those who at first reject God’s will, sinners, tax collectors, harlots, but later repent and obey. The second son represents the religious elite of Israel who profess obedience but do not follow through with true submission to God’s will. Jesus then declares in Matthew 21:31-32, “
Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.”
Why Jesus Taught This Parable
Jesus is directly rebuking the religious leaders for their hypocrisy. Isaiah 29:13 matches this perfectly:
“These people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me.”
They had an outward appearance of obedience (like the second son), but inwardly, they were rebellious. Jesus is exposing their pretense. In contrast, the sinners who repented under John’s preaching (the first son) are commended. They initially resisted, but when confronted with the truth, they turned to God. Ezekiel 18:21 backs this up:
“But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.”
Israel and the Gentiles
This parable speaks deeply to the state of Israel and the Gentiles. Israel was the chosen people (Deuteronomy 7:6–8), entrusted with the Law and the covenants (Romans 3:1–2; 9:4–5). They professed to know God (Titus 1:16), but many rejected the Son and refused to believe in John’s message or Christ Himself.
Meanwhile, the Gentiles, who were once alienated (Ephesians 2:12), began to enter the Kingdom through faith, just like the first son. Paul explains this in Romans 9:30–31:
“What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness… But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness.”
Romans 11 gives further explanation that Israel’s current rejection is partial and temporary, allowing the fullness of the Gentiles to come in. But God will keep His covenant with Israel (Romans 11:25–27).
Repentance Over Profession
One of the clearest themes in this parable is that repentance matters more than mere profession. Luke 13:3 makes this unmistakable:
“I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
Jesus is not impressed with words. He’s looking for obedience, as James 1:22 says,
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
This echoes the message throughout the Old Testament: God desires obedience more than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22) and brokenness over ritual (Psalm 51:17).
My Final Thoughts
The Parable of the Two Sons is not about mere moralism; it is a spiritual x-ray. It exposes the heart. One son talked back but repented. The other son talked right but disobeyed. It reminds us that God sees beyond the lips—He sees the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). It also calls out to Israel and the Church today. Has the Church become like the second son, religious in form but empty in obedience? And has Israel, though once rebellious, still destined to be restored?
The parable is also very personal. It asks us: which son are we? Have we said “yes” to God but failed to act? Or did we once rebel, but now have repented and followed? It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish.