“This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” Psalm 34:6-7
It is reasonable to assume that “This poor man” refers to the Psalmist himself. But may also be a prophetic reference to the encounter Jesus would have with the blind man as He and is disciples were traveling to Jericho.
“Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging. 36 And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. 37 So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. 38 And he cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” So, Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, 41 saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.” Then Jesus said to him, ‘Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.’ ” Luke 18:35-42
The message in both cases is that God hears the cries of the poor and needy, and He delivers them. God does not invade our freewill to do what is best for us, if we do not ask for it. But if we ask, we will receive all that is according to His will. And His will is that we prosper and be in health even as our souls prosper.
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” 3 John 2
When I was wondering aimlessly in the world estranged from God, doing my own thing and falling deeper and deeper into sin, led by the death-inspired worldly perspective, telling me that all that mattered was my pleasure, my feelings, my knowledge and experience even though all of it was killing me and I knew there had to be a better way.
Still, I was fortunate, because I had Goldy parents who had raised me to know God and to know His Word. The fear of God was seeded in my heart at a very young age. But when I became an adult, I wanted all the benefits of life without the God who made it. I ran away from many of the life principles my parents taught me in order to seek what pleased me. But it all came to naught and I found myself empty, alone and with no real hope for the future. In that low place I cried out to the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all the failures, fears and wrongs of my past.
And He will do the same for anyone who cries out to Him for help.
“For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:12
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of the Lord is submission to His authority, power, dominion and rule, over all that He created. The humble acknowledgement of God’s righteous judgment and wrath against all sin is good sense. The wages of sin is death. That should be a deterrent to all who desire to commit sin. But men still willfully and boldly sin, inspired by the devil’s lies to them, convincing them that they can get away with it, just as the first man, Adam and Eve, were convinced by the serpent that they wouldn’t die, even though God told them they would. And they did, and through them death came to all creation.
But now through Jesus Christ, life has been restored and made available to whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord. Out of Godly fear and reverence we acknowledge God above all things, and doing so, we become surrounded by the angel of the Lord, who delivers us from all the works of darkness and death.
It is widely held by many Biblical scholars that “the Angel of The LORD” is a reference to the pre-incarnate presence of Jesus Christ. So then, the psalmist is saying that Jesus encamps all around those who fear Him and He delivers them.
This is most certainly the case for us who have put our trust in Him for salvation. The LORD and the angel of the LORD are the same, JESUS CHRIST. The Son who hears, The Spirit who surrounds and delivers, and the Word who indwells in us is Savior, Deliverer and Restorer of Life and that more abundantly.