Chapters 29
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1 00 - Preface 6:13
H. Spurgeon. Preface The labour of compiling the notes of this volume may be judged of From the fact that, upon my writing to one of the most scholarly men of this age, for a little assistance in my researches upon that well-known Psalm the 103rd, I received a note commencing, quote, I have hunted through my books, and I've been surprised to find that, with the exception of what is universally known, there is so little about Psalm 103, end quote. This most generous-hearted brother had the warmest zeal and love to stimulate his investigations, yet this was the result, and had I repeated the experiment upon other biblical students and changed the psalm, I should, in very few instances, have received any other reply.
Hence, gentle reader, your patience has been exercised in waiting for volume four of the Treasury, and my toil has been correspondingly increased. Here, however, is the volume, as portly as its fellows, and I hope not inferior to any of them. At least, I can honestly say, if it be so, it is not the fault of my endeavours, for I have baited no jot of energy, spared no cost, and withheld no time, though this last has been a very precious commodity with me, and has frequently been snatched from rest which fatigue demanded, and which prudence might have wisely yielded. The book is finished, however, and with it two-thirds of my allotted task, for which may God be praised. I am the more surprised at the general paucity of sermons and comments upon this portion of the Book of Psalms, because it contains some of the more notable compositions, such as Psalms 84, 90, 91, 92, and 103.
These, and some of the others, are so rich That, had several volumes existed illustrating any one of them, it would not have been a matter of wonder. When I have found one sermon upon a passage, it has generally been easy to collect a score upon the same. Preachers evidently run so much in ruts that they leave a large portion of the scriptures without exposition. This suggests many thoughts, which, as they will naturally occur to every thoughtful reader, I need not enlarge upon in a mere preface. But this much may be said, we trust, without giving offence. If the habit of expounding the passages of scripture which are read in public worship should ever become more common, the preparation for doing this, in an interesting and instructive manner, would greatly tend to enlarge the range of texts discussed from the pulpit, and would almost inevitably lead There is no need to repeat acknowledgments of indebtedness which we have made in former volumes.
Let them stand in all their fullness, here as there. I think it right, however, to repeat the intimation that I am not to be understood as endorsing all the passages quoted from other authors. The names are given. and each writer bears his own responsibility. Only one word of self-defence shall further delay the courteous reader. A critic has so greatly mistaken my meaning as to find in the title to the sermon notes a specimen of human vanity. I am amazed at his discovery. I do not pretend to be entirely free from that vice, but no trace of it is discoverable there by my keenest and most conscientious inspection. On the contrary, I called those outlines hints to the village preacher, because I did not think those of them which are my own to be good enough to offer to my brethren in the regular ministry, but hoped that they might aid those good men engaged all the week in business, who are generally, but, I think, incorrectly, called lay preachers.
and are not supposed to have the facilities of time and books which fall to the lot of the regular ministry. I thought this somewhat modest on my part, and did not see how it could be misunderstood. Our village ministers are among the most thoughtful and useful of our brotherhood, and I never dreamed of casting a slur upon them. As, however, I have been misunderstood, I will now, without altering the title, take higher ground, and say that I trust The hints may be useful to any preachers in city or country. For the other day, I met one of the most eminent metropolitan divines, and he most kindly thanked me for having suggested to him by a hint in the treasury a sermon which he hoped had been most acceptable to his congregation, and he remarked that there was no need to be so very bashful about the aforesaid hints.
I have followed his advice. and may now perhaps be misunderstood again. It is a small matter to be unjustly censured, but still I would not even seem to despise brethren in more obscure spheres, for it is the last thing in my heart. For the generous reviews which the former volumes have received on all hands, I am deeply grateful. I commit this fourth volume to the press, praying that it may, according to the Lord's will, Tend to the upbuilding of his church and his own glory. C. H. Spurgeon. Clapham. December 1874. End of Preface.
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2 01 - Psalm 79 17:38
Psalm 79. Title and subject. A psalm of Asaph. A psalm of complaint, such as Jeremiah might have written amid the ruins of the beloved city. It evidently treats of times of invasion, oppression, Asaph was a patriotic poet, and was never more at home than when he rehearsed the history of his nation. Would to God that we had national poets whose song should be of the Lord. Division. From verse 1 to 4, the complaint is poured out. From 5 to 12, prayer is presented. And in the closing verse, praise is promised. Exposition. Verses 1-4 O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance. Thy holy temple have they defiled. They have laid Jerusalem on heaps. The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the Lord.
We are become a reproach to our neighbors. A scorn and derision to them that are round about us. One. O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance. It is the cry of amazement at sacrilegious intrusion, as if the poet were struck with horror. The stranger pollutes thine hallowed courts with his tread. All Canaan is thy land, but thy foes have ravaged it. Thy holy temple have they defiled. Into the inmost sanctuary. They have profanely forced their way, and there behaved themselves arrogantly. Thus the Holy Land, the Holy House, and the Holy City were all polluted by the uncircumcised. It is an unlawful thing when wicked men are found in the church and numbered with her ministry. Then are the tares sown with the wheat, and the poisoned gourds cast into the pot.
They have laid Jerusalem on heaps. After devouring and defiling, they have come to destroying, and have done their work with a cruel completeness. Jerusalem, the beloved city, the joy of the nation, the abode of her God, was totally wrecked. Alas, alas, for Israel! It is sad to see the foe in our own house, but worse to meet him in the house of God. They strike hardest who smite at our religion. The psalmist piles up the agony. He was a suppliant, and he knew how to bring out the strong points of his case. We ought to order our case before the Lord with as much care as if our success depended on our pleading. Men in earthly courts use all their powers to obtain their ends, and so also should we state our case with earnestness and bring forth our strong arguments.
Two. The dead bodies of thy servants have thee given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth. The enemy cared not to bury the dead, and there was not a sufficient number of Israel left alive to perform the funeral rites. Therefore the precious relics of the departed were left to be devoured of vultures and torn by wolves. Beasts on which man could not feed. Fed on him. The flesh of creation's lord became meat for carrying crows and hungry dogs. Dire are the calamities of war, yet have they happened to God's saints and servants. This might well move the heart of the poet, and he did well to appeal to the heart of God by reciting the grievous evil.
Such might have been the lamentation of an early Christian as he thought of the amphitheatre and all its deeds of blood. Note in the two verses how the plea is made to turn upon God's property in the temple and the people. We read, Thine inheritance, Thy temple, Thy servants, and Thy saints. Surely the Lord will defend His own, and will not suffer rampant adversaries to despoil them. Three. Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem. The invaders slew men as if their blood was of no more value than so much water. They poured it forth as lavishly as when the floods deluged the plains. The city of holy peace became a field of blood, and there was none to bury them. The few who survived were afraid to engage in the task.
This was a serious trial and grievous horror. to the Jews, who evinced much care concerning their burials. Has it come to this, that there are none to bury the dead of thy family, O Lord? Can none be found to grant a shovelful of earth with which to cover up? the poor bodies of thy murdered saints. What woe is here? How glad should we be that we live in so quiet an age, when the blast of the trumpet is no more heard in our streets?
We are become a reproach to our neighbors. Those who have escaped the common foe make a mockery of us. They fling our disasters into our face and ask us, where is your God? Pity should be shown to the afflicted, but in too many cases it is not so, for a hard logic argues that those who suffer more than ordinary calamities must have been extraordinary sinners. Neighbours especially are often the reverse of neighbourly. The nearer they dwell, the less they sympathise. It is most pitiable it should be so. A scorn and derision to them that are round about us. To find mirth in others' miseries, and to exult over the ills of others, is worthy only of the devil, and of those whose father he is. Thus the case is stated before the Lord.
And it is a very deplorable one. Asaph was an excellent advocate, for he gave a telling description of calamities which were under his own eyes, and in which he sympathized. But we have a mightier intercessor above, who never ceases to urge our suit before the eternal throne. Verses 5 to 12. How long, Lord! Wilt thou be angry forever? Shall thy jealousy burn like fire? Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name. For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling place. O remember not against us former iniquities. Let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us, for we are brought very low. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name, and deliver us, and purge away our sins.
For thy name's sake. Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? Let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed. Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee. According to the greatness of thy power, preserve thou those that are appointed to die, and render unto our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord. 5. How long, Lord! Will there be no end to these chastisements? They are most sharp and overwhelming. Wilt thou much longer continue them? Wilt thou be angry forever? Is thy mercy gone, so that thou wilt forever smite? Shall thy jealousy burn like fire? There was great cause for the Lord to be jealous, since idols had been set up, and Israel had gone aside from his worship.
But the psalmist begs the Lord not to consume his people utterly as with fire, but to abate their woes. 6. Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee. If thou must smite, look further afield, spare thy children, and strike thy foes. There are lands where thou art in no measure acknowledged. Be pleased to visit these first with thy judgments. And let thine erring Israel have a respite, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name. Hear us, the prayerful, and avenge thyself upon the prayerless. Sometimes providence appears to deal much more severely with the righteous than with the wicked, and this verse is a bold appeal founded upon such an appearance. It, in effect, says, Lord, if thou must empty out the vials of thy wrath, begin with those who have no measure of regard for thee, but are openly up in arms against thee, and be pleased to spare thy people, who are thine notwithstanding all their sins.
7. For they have devoured Jacob. The oppressor would quite eat up the saints if he could. If these lions do not swallow us, It is because the Lord has sent his angel and shut the lion's mouths, and laid waste his dwelling place, or his pasture. The invader left no food for man or beast, but devoured all as the locust. The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. Eight. O remember not against us former iniquities. Sins accumulate against nations. Generations lay up stores of transgressions to be visited upon their successors. Hence this urgent prayer. In Josiah's days, the most earnest repentance was not able to avert the doom which former long years of idolatry had sealed against Judah. Every man has reason to ask for an act of oblivion for his past sins, and every nation should make this a continual prayer.
Let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us, for we are brought very low. Hasten to our rescue, for our nation is hurrying down to destruction, our numbers are diminished, and our condition is deplorable. Observe how penitent sorrow seizes upon the sweeter attributes, and draws her pleas from the tender mercies of God. See, too, how she pleads her own distress, and not her goodness. as a motive for the display of mercy. Let souls who are brought very low find an argument in their abject condition. What can so powerfully appeal to pity as dire affliction? This prayer book version is touchingly expressive.
This supplication befits a sinner's life. We have known seasons when this would have been as good a prayer for our burdened heart as any that human mind could compose. 9. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name. This is masterly pleading. No argument has such force as this. God's glory was tarnished, in the eyes of the heathen, by the defeat of his people and the profanation of his temple. Therefore, His distressed servants implore his aid that his great name may no more be the scorn of blaspheming enemies. And deliver us, and purge away our sins for thy name's sake. Sin, the root of the evil, is seen and confessed. Pardon of sin is sought, as well as removal of chastisement, and both are asked not as matters of right, but as gifts of grace.
God's name is a second time brought into the pleading. Believers will find it their wisdom to use very frequently this noble plea. It is the great gun of the battle, the mightiest weapon in the armory of prayer. 10. Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? Why should those impious mouths be filled with food so sweet to them, but so bitter to us? When the afflictions of God's people become the derision of sinners, and cause them to ridicule religion, we have good ground for expostulation with the Lord. Let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed. Justice is desired that God may be vindicated and feared. It is but meet that those who taunted the people of God Because they smarted under the Lord's rod, should be made themselves also to smart by the same hand.
If any complain of the spirit of this imprecation, we think they do so needlessly, for it is the common feeling of every patriot to desire to see his country's wrongs redressed, and of every Christian to wish a noble vengeance for the church by the overthrow of error. The destruction of Antichrist is the recompense of the blood of the martyrs, and by no means is it to be deprecated, for rather is it one of the most glorious hopes of the latter days. 11. Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee. When thy people cannot sing, and dare not shout aloud, then let their silent sigh ascend into thine ear, and secure for them deliverance. These words are suitable for the afflicted in a great variety of conditions.
Men of experience will know how to adapt them for their own position and to use them in reference to others. According to the greatness of thy power, preserve thou those that are appointed to die. Faith grows while it prays. The appeal to the Lord's tender mercy is here supplemented by another addressed to the divine power. And the petitioner rises from a request for those who are brought low to a prayer for those who are on the verge of death, set apart as victims for the slaughter. How consoling it is to desponding believers to reflect that God can preserve even those who bear the sentence of death in themselves. Men and devils may consign us to perdition, while sickness drags us to the grave, and sorrow sinks us in the dust.
But there is one who can keep our soul alive, aye, and bring it up again from the depths of despair. A lamb shall live between the lion's jaws, if the Lord wills it. Even in the charnel, life shall vanquish death, if God be near. Twelve. And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord. They denied thine existence. Mocked thy power, insulted thy worship, and destroyed thy house. Up, therefore, O Lord, and make them feel to the full that thou art not to be mocked with impunity. Pour into their laps good store of shame. because they dared insult the God of Israel. Recompense them fully, till they have received the perfect number of punishments.
It will be so. The wish of the text will become matter of fact. The Lord will avenge his own elect, though he bear long with them.
Verse 13. So we, thy people and sheep of thy pasture, will give thee thanks forever. We will show forth thy praise to all generations. 13. So we, thy people and sheep of thy pasture, will give thee thanks forever. We will show forth thy praise to all generations. The gratitude of the church is lasting as well as deep. On her tablets are memorials of great deliverances, and as long as she shall exist, her sons will rehearse them with delight. We have a history which will survive all other records, and it is bright in every line with the glory of the Lord. From the direst calamities, God's glory springs. And the dark days of his people become the prelude to unusual displays of the Lord's love and power.
End of Psalm 79.
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3 02 - Psalm 80 25:40
Psalm 80. Title.
To the Chief Musician, upon Shoshanim et duth. For the fourth time, we have a song upon Shoshanim, or the lilies, the former ones being Psalms 45, 60.
Why this title is given, it would be difficult to say in every case, but the delightfully poetical form of the present psalm may well justify the charming title. Eduth signifies testimony. The psalm is a testimony of the church as a lily among thorns. Some interpreters understand the present title to refer to an instrument of six strings. and Schleuzner translates the two words, the hexachord of testimony. It may be that further research will open up to us these dark sayings upon a harp. We shall be content to accept them as evidence that sacred song was not lightly esteemed in the days of old. A psalm of Asaph. A later Asaph, we should suppose, who had the unhappiness to live like the last minstrel.
in evil times. If by the Asaph of David's time this psalm was written in the spirit of prophecy, for it rings of times unknown to David. Division. The psalm divides itself naturally at the refrain, which occurs three times. Turn us again, O God, and so on. Verses 1 to 3 is an opening address to the Lord God of Israel. From 4 to 7 is a lamentation. And from eight to nineteen, the same complaint is repeated, the nation being represented in a beautiful allegory as a vine. It is a mournful psalm, and its lilies are lilies of the valley. Exposition.
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock, Thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up thy strength, and come and save us. Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. One. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel. Hear thou the bleatings of thy suffering flock. The name is full of tenderness, and hence is selected by the troubled psalmist. Broken hearts delight in names of grace. Good old Jacob, delighted to think of God as the Shepherd of Israel, and this verse may refer to his dying expression, From thence is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel. We may be quite sure that he who deigns to be a shepherd to his people will not turn a deaf ear to their complaints, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock.
The people are called here by the name of that renowned son who became a second father to the tribes and kept them alive in Egypt. Possibly they were known to the Egyptians under the name of the family of Joseph. And if so, it seems most natural to call them by that name in this place. The term may, however, refer to the ten tribes of which Manasseh was the acknowledged head. The Lord had of old, in the wilderness, led, guided, shepherded all the tribes. And therefore the appeal is made to him. The Lord's doing in the past are strong grounds for appeal and expectation as to the present and the future. Thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. The Lord's especial presence was revealed upon the mercy seat between the cherubim, and in all our pleadings we should come to the Lord by this way.
Only upon the mercy seat will God reveal his grace. And only there can we hope to commune with him. Let us ever plead the name of Jesus, who is our true mercy seat, to whom we may come boldly, and through whom we may look for a display of the glory of the Lord on our behalf. Our greatest dread is the withdrawal of the Lord's presence, and our brightest hope is the prospect of his return. In the darkest times of Israel, The light of her shepherd's countenance is all she needs. 2. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up thy strength, and come and save us. It is wise to mention the names of the Lord's people in prayer, for they are precious to him. Jesus bears the names of his people on his breastplate.
Just as the mention of the names of his children has power with a father, so is it with the Lord. The three names were near of kin. Ephraim and Manasseh represent Joseph, and it was meet that Benjamin, the other son of the beloved Rachel, should be mentioned in the same breath. These three tribes were wont to march together in the wilderness, following immediately behind the ark. The prayer is that the God of Israel would be mighty on behalf of his people, chasing away their foes and saving his people. O, that in these days the Lord may be pleased to remember every part of his church, and make all her tribes to see his salvation. We would not mention our own denomination only, but lift up a prayer for all the sections of the one church.
Three. Turn us again, O God. It is not so much said, turn our captivity, but turn us. All will come right if we are right. The best turn is not that of circumstances, but of character. When the Lord turns his people, he will soon turn their condition. It needs the Lord himself to do this, for conversion is as divine a work as creation, and those who have been once turned unto God, if they at any time backslide, as much need the Lord to turn them again. The word may be read, Restore us. Verily, it is a choice mercy that he restoreth my soul. And cause thy face to shine. Be favourable to us, smile upon us. This was the High Priest's blessing upon Israel. What the Lord has already given us by our High Priest and Mediator, we may right confidently ask of him.
And we shall be saved. All that is wanted for salvation is the Lord's favour. One glance of his gracious eye would transform Tophet into paradise. No matter how fierce the foe, or dire the captivity, the shining face of God ensures both victory and liberty. This verse is a very useful prayer, since we too often turn aside. Let us often, with our lips and heart, cry, Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. Verses four to seven. O Lord God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people? Thou feedest them with the bread of tears, and givest them tears to drink in great measure. Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbors. And our enemies laugh among themselves.
Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. Four. O Lord God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people? How long shall the smoke of thy wrath drown the smoking incense of our prayers? Prayer would fain enter thy holy place. But thy wrath battles with it and prevents its entrance. That God should be angry with us when sinning seems natural enough, but that he should be angry even with our prayers is a bitter grief. With many a pang may the pleader ask, How long? Commander of all the hosts of thy creatures, able to save thy saints in their extremity, shall they forever cry to thee in vain? 5. Thou feedest them with the bread of tears.
Their meat is seasoned with brine distilled from weeping eyes. Their meals, which were once such pleasant seasons of social merriment, are now like funeral feasts, to which each man contributes his bitter morsel. Thy people ate bread of wheat before, but now they receive from thine own hand no better diet than bread of tears. And givest them tears to drink in great measure. Tears are both their food and their drink, and that without stint. They swallow tierces of tears, and swim in gulfs of grief, and all this by God's own appointment, not because their enemies have them in their power by force of arms, but because their God refuses to interpose. Tear bread. is even more the fruit of the curse than to eat bread in the sweat of one's face, but it shall, by divine love, be turned into a greater blessing by administering to our spiritual health.
6. Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours. Always jealous and malicious, Edom and Moab exulted over Israel's troubles, and then fell to disputing about their share of the spoil. A neighbor's jeer is ever most cutting, especially if a man has been superior to them and claimed to possess more grace. None are so unneighborly as envious neighbors. And our enemies laugh among themselves. They find mirth in our misery, comedy in our tragedy, salt for their wit in the brine of our tears, amusement in our amazement. It is devilish to sport with another's griefs, but it is the constant habit of the world which lieth in the wicked one, to make merry with the saints' tribulations. The seed of the serpent follow their progenitor, and rejoice in evil.
7. Turn us again, O God of hosts. The prayer rises in the form of its address to God. He is here the God of hosts. The more we approach the Lord in prayer and contemplation, the higher will our ideas of him become. Verses 8-19 Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt, thou hast cast out the heathen and planted it, thou preparest room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land. The hills were covered with the shadow of it. And the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars. She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river. Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her? The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it.
Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts. Look down from heaven, and behold and visit this vine. And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself. It is burned with fire, it is cut down. They perish at the rebuke of thy countenance. Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself. So will not we go back from thee. Quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts. Cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. Eight. Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt. There it was, an unfriendly soil. The waters of the Nile watered it not, but were as death to its shoots, while the inhabitants of the land despised it and trampled it down.
Glorious was the right hand of the Lord, when with power and great wonders He removed his pleasant plant in the teeth of those who sought its destruction. Thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it. Seven nations were digged out to make space for the vine of the Lord. The old trees, which long had engrossed the soil, were torn up root and branch. Oaks of Bashan and palm trees of Jericho were displaced for the chosen vine. It was securely placed in its appointed position with divine prudence and wisdom. Small in appearance, very dependent, exceeding weak, and apt to trail on the ground. Yet the vine of Israel was chosen of the Lord, because he knew that, by incessant care and abounding skill, he could make of it a goodly fruit-bearing plant.
9. Thou preparest room before it. The weeds, brambles, and huge stones were cleared. The Amorites and their brethren in iniquity were made to quit the scene. Their forces were routed, their kings slain, their cities captured, and Canaan became like a plot of land made ready for a vineyard, and did cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land. Israel became settled and established as a vine well rooted. And then it began to flourish and to spread on every side. This analogy might be applied to the experience of every believer in Jesus. The Lord has planted us. We are growing downward, rooting roots, and by his grace we are also advancing in manifest enlargement. The same is true of the church in a yet closer degree, for at this moment, through the goodwill of the dresser of the vineyard, Her branches spread far and wide.
Ten. The hills were covered with the shadow of it. Israel dwelt up to the mountain's summits, cultivating every foot of soil. The nation multiplied and became so great that other lands felt its influence, or were shadowed by it. And the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars. The nation itself was so great that even its tribes were powerful and worthy to take rank among the mighty. A more correct rendering describes the cedars as covered with the vine, and we know that in many hands vines climb the trees and cover them. What a vine must that be which ascends the cedars of God and even overtops them? It is a noble picture of the prosperity of the Israelitish people in their best days. In Solomon's time, the little land of Israel occupied a high place among the nations.
There have been times when the Church of God also has been eminently conspicuous, and her power has been felt far and near. 11. She sent out her bows unto the sea. Along the Mediterranean, and perhaps across its waters, Israel's power was felt, and her branches unto the river. On her eastern side she pushed her commerce even to the Euphrates. Those were brave days for Israel, and would have continued had not sin cut them short. When the church pleases the Lord, her influence becomes immense, far beyond the proportion which her numbers or her power would lead us to expect. But alas! When the Lord leaves her, she becomes as worthless, useless, and despised as an untended vine, which is of all plants the most valueless.
Twelve. Why hast thou then broken down her hedges? Thou hast withdrawn protection from her after caring for her with all this care. Wherefore is this, O Lord? A vine unprotected is exposed to every form of injury. None regard it. All prey upon it. Such was Israel when given over to her enemies. Such has the church full often been. So that all they which pass by the way do pluck her. Her cruel neighbors have a pluck at her, and marauding bands, like roaming beasts, must need pick at her. With God no enemy can harm us. Without him None are so weak as to be unable to do us damage. 13. The boar out of the wood doth waste it. Such creatures are famous for rending and devouring vines. Babylon, like a beast from the marshes of the Euphrates, came up and wasted Judah and Israel.
Fierce peoples, comparable to wild swine of the forest, warred with the Jewish nation. Until it was gored and torn, like a vine destroyed by greedy hogs. And the wild beast of the field doth devour it. First one foe, and then another, wreaked vengeance on the nation. Neither did God interpose to chase them away. Ruin followed ruin. The fox devoured the young shoots which had been saved from the damage wrought by the boar. Alas, poor land! How low wast thou brought! An oak or cedar might have been crushed by such ravages, but how canst thou endure it, O weak and tender vine? See what evils follow in the train of sin, and how terrible a thing it is for a people to be forsaken of their God. 14. Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts.
Turn thyself to us. as well as us to thee. Thou hast gone from us because of our sins. Come back to us, for we sigh and cry after thee. Or, if it be too much to ask thee to come, then do at least give us some consideration, and cast an eye upon our griefs. Look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine. Do not close thine eyes. It is thy vine. Do not utterly run away from it, as though it were quite gone from thy mind. Great husbandman, at least note the mischief which the beasts have done, for then it may be thy heart will pity, and thy hand will be outstretched to deliver. 15. And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted. Shall all thy care be lost? Thou hast done so much. Wilt thou lose thy labor?
With thy power and wisdom thou didst great things for thy people. Wilt thou now utterly give them up, and suffer thine enemies to exult in the evil which they delight in, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself? A prayer for the leader whom the Lord had raised up, or for the Messiah whom they expected. Though the vine had been left, Yet one branch had been regarded of the Lord, as if to furnish a scion for another vine. Therefore is the prayer made in this form. Let us pray, O Lord, if he will not in the first instance look upon his church, to look upon the Lord Jesus, and then behold her in mercy for his sake. This is the true art of prayer, to put Christ forward and cry, Him. And then, the sinners see, look through Jesus' wounds on me.
16. It is burned with fire. In broken utterances, the sorrowful singer utters his distress. The vineyard was like a forest which has been set on fire. The choice vines were charred and dead. It is cut down. The cruel axe had hacked after its murderous fashion. Its branches were locked, the trunk was wounded. Desolation reigned supreme. They perish at the rebuke of thy countenance. God's rebuke was to Israel what fire and axe would be to a vine. His favor is life, and his wrath is as messengers of death. One angry glance from Jehovah's eye is sufficient to lay all the vineyards of Ephraim desolate. O Lord, look not thus upon our churches. Rebuke us, but not in anger. 17. Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand.
Let thy power rest on thy true Benjamin, son of thy right hand. Give a commission to some chosen man by whom thou wilt deliver. Honor him, save us, and glorify thyself. There is no doubt here an outlook to the Messiah, for whom believing Jews had learned to look as the Saviour in time of trouble. Upon the Son of Man, whom thou madest strong for thyself. Send forth thy power with him whom thou shalt strengthen to accomplish thy purposes of grace. It pleases God to work for the sons of men by sons of men. By man came death, by man came also the resurrection from the dead. Nations rise or fall largely through the instrumentality of individuals. By a Napoleon, the kingdoms are scourged, and by a Wellington, Nations are saved from the tyrant.
It is by the man, Christ Jesus, that fallen Israel is yet to rise, and indeed through him who deigns to call himself the Son of Man. The world is to be delivered from the dominion of Satan and the curse of sin. O Lord, fulfill thy promise to the man of thy right hand, who participates in thy glory, and give him to see the pleasure of the Lord prospering in his hand. 18. So will not we go back from thee. Under the leadership of one whom God had chosen, the nation would be kept faithful. Grace would work gratitude, and so cement them to their allegiance. It is in Christ that we abide faithful. Because he lives, we live also. There is no hope for our perseverance apart from him. Quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.
If the Lord gives life out of death, his praise is sure to follow. The Lord Jesus is such a leader that in him is life, and the life is the light of men. He is our life. When he visits our souls anew, we shall be revivified, and our praise shall ascend unto the name of the Triune God. 19. Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts. Here we have another advance in the title. And the incommunicable name of Jehovah, the I Am, is introduced. Faith's day grows brighter as the hours roll on, and her prayers grow more full and mighty. Cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. Even we who were so destroyed. No extremity is too great for the power of God. He is able to save at the last point. And that, too, by simply turning his smiling face upon his afflicted.
Men can do little with their arm, but God can do all things with a glance. Oh, to live forever in the light of Jehovah's countenance. End of Psalm 80.
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4 03 - Psalm 81 25:22
Psalm 81. Title.
To the Chief Musician, Upon Gittith. Very little is known of the meaning of this title. We have given the best explanation known to us in connection with Psalm 8 in Volume 1 of this work. If it be intended to indicate a vintage song, it speaks well for the piety of the people for whom it was written. It is to be feared that in few places, even in Christian countries, would holy hymns be thought suitable to be sung in connection with the winepress. When the bells upon the horses shall be holiness unto the Lord, then shall the juice of the grape gush forth to the accompaniment of sacred song. A psalm of Asaph. This poet here again dwells upon the history of his country. His great forty seems to be rehearsing the past in admonitory psalmody.
He is the poet of the history and politics of Israel, a truly national songster, at once pious and patriotic. Divisions. Praise is called for to celebrate some memorable day, perhaps the Passover. Whereupon the deliverance out of Egypt is described. Verses one to seven. Then the Lord gently chides his people for their ingratitude, and pictures their happy estate had they but been obedient to his commands. Exposition. Verses one to seven. Sing aloud unto God our strength. Make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel. The pleasant harp with the psaltery. Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day. For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt, where I heard a language that I understood not. I removed his shoulder from the burden. His hands were delivered from the pots. Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee. I answered thee in the secret place of thunder. I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Silla. I. Sing, in tune and measure, so that the public praise may be in harmony. Sing with joyful notes and sounds melodious. Aloud, for the heartiest praise is due to our good Lord. His acts of love to us speak more loudly than any of our words of gratitude can do. No dullness should ever stupefy our psalmody, or half-heartedness cause it to limp along.
Sing aloud, ye debtors to sovereign grace. Your hearts are profoundly grateful. Let your voices express your thankfulness. Unto God our strength. The Lord was the strength of his people in delivering them out of Egypt with a high hand, and also in sustaining them in the wilderness, placing them in Canaan, preserving them from their foes, and giving them victory. To whom do men give honor, but to those upon whom they rely? Therefore let us sing aloud unto our God, who is our strength and our song. Make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. The God of the nation, the God of their father Jacob, was extolled in gladsome music by the Israelitish people. Let no Christian be silent or slack in praise, for this God is our God.
It is to be regretted that the niceties of modern singing frighten our congregations from joining lustily in the hymns. For our part, we delight in full bursts of praise. and had rather discover the ruggedness of a want of musical training than miss the heartiness of universal congregational song. The gentility which lisps the tune in well-bred whispers, or leaves the singing altogether to the choir, is very like a mockery of worship. The gods of Greece and Rome may be worshipped well enough with classical music, but Jehovah can only be adored with the heart. And that music is the best for his service, which gives the heart most play. Two. Take a psalm. Select a sacred song, and then raise it with your hearty voices.
And bring hither the timbrel. Beat on your tambourines, ye damsels. Let the sound be loud and inspiring. Sound the trumpets, beat the drums. God is not to be served with misery. But with mirthful music, sound ye then the loud timbrel, as of old ye smote it by Israel's dark sea. The pleasant harp with the psaltery. The timbrel for sound must be joined by the harp for sweetness, and this by other stringed instruments for variety. Let the full compass of music be holiness unto the Lord. Three. Blow up the trumpet in the new moon. Announce the sacred month, the beginning of months, when the Lord brought his people out of the house of bondage. Clear and shrill let the summons be which calls all Israel to adore the redeeming Lord.
In the time appointed on our solemn feast day. Obedience is to direct our worship, not whim and sentiment. God's appointment gives a solemnity to rites and times. which no ceremonial pomp or hierarchical ordinance could confer. The Jews not only observed the ordained month, but that part of the month which had been divinely set apart. The Lord's people in the olden time welcomed the times appointed for worship. Let us feel the same exultation, and never speak of the Sabbath as though it could be other than a delight and honourable. Those who plead this passage as authority for their man-appointed feasts and fasts must be moonstruck. We will keep such feasts as the Lord appoints, but not those which Rome or Canterbury may ordain.
Four. For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob. It was a precept binding upon all the tribes, That a sacred season should be set apart to commemorate the Lord's mercy. And truly it was but the Lord's due. He had a right and a claim to such special homage. When it can be proved that the observance of Christmas, Whitsuntide, and other popish festivals was ever instituted by a divine statute, we also will attend to them, but not till then. It is as much our duty to reject the traditions of men as to observe the ordinances of the Lord. We ask concerning every rite and rubric, is this a law of the God of Jacob? And if it be not clearly so, it is of no authority with us who walk in Christian liberty.
5. This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony. The nation is called Joseph. Because in Egypt it would probably be known and spoken of as Joseph's family. And indeed, Joseph was the foster father of the people. The Passover, which is probably here alluded to, was to be a standing memorial of the redemption from Egypt. And everything about it was intended to testify to all ages and all peoples the glory of the Lord in the deliverance of his chosen nation. When he went out through the land of Egypt. Much of Egypt was traversed by the tribes in their Exodus march, and in every place the feast which they had kept during the night of Egypt's visitation would be a testimony for the Lord, who had also himself in the midnight slaughter gone forth through the land of Egypt.
The once afflicted Israelites marched over the land of bondage as victors who trampled down this lane. When I heard a language that I understood not. Surely the connection requires that we accept these words as the language of the Lord. It would be doing great violence to language if the I here should be referred to one person, and the I in the next verse to another. But how can it be imagined that the Lord should speak of a language which he understood not, seeing he knows all things? And no form of speech is incomprehensible to him. The reply is that the Lord here speaks as the God of Israel, identifying himself with his own chosen nation, and calling that an unknown tongue to himself, which was unknown to them.
He had never been adored by psalm or prayer in the tongue of Egypt. The Hebrew was the speech known in his sacred house, and the Egyptian was outlandish and foreign there. In strictest truth, and not merely in figure, might the Lord thus speak, since the wicked customs and idolatrous rights of Egypt were disapproved of by him, and, in that sense, were unknown. Of the wicked, Jesus shall say, I never knew you. And probably in the same sense this expression should be understood, for it may be correctly rendered, A speech I knew not I am hearing. It was among the griefs of Israel that their taskmasters spake an unknown tongue, and they were thus continually reminded that they were strangers in a strange land.
The Lord had pity upon them and emancipated them, and hence it was their bounden duty to maintain inviolate the memorial of the divine goodness. It is no small mercy to be brought out from an ungodly world and separated unto the Lord. 6. I removed his shoulder from the burden. Israel was the drudge and slave of Egypt, but God gave him liberty. It was by God alone that the nation was set free. Other peoples owe their liberties to their own efforts and courage, but Israel received its Magna Carta as a free gift of divine power. Truly may the Lord say of every one of his freedmen, I removed his shoulder from the burden. His hands were delivered from the pots. He was no longer compelled to carry earth and mould it and bake it.
The earth-basket was no more imposed upon the people, nor the tail of bricks exacted, for they came out into the open country where none could exact upon them. How typical all this is of the believers' deliverance from legal bondage! When, through faith, the burden of sin glides into the Saviour's sepulchre, and the servile labours of self-righteousness come to an end for ever. 7. Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee. God heard his people's cries in Egypt and at the Red Sea. This ought to have bound them to him. Since God does not forsake us in our need, we ought never to forsake him at any time. When our hearts wander from God, our answered prayers cry, Shame upon us. I answered thee in the secret place of thunder.
Out of the cloud the Lord sent forth tempest upon the foes of his chosen. That cloud was his secret pavilion. Within it he hung up his weapons of war, his javelins of lightning, his trumpet of thunder. Forth from that pavilion he came, and overthrew the foe that his own elect might be secure. I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. They had proved him and found him faithful. He afterwards proved them in return. Precious things are tested. Therefore Israel's loyalty to her king was put to trial, and alas, it failed lamentably. The God who was adored one day for his goodness was reviled the next, when the people for a moment felt the pangs of hunger and thirst. The story of Israel is only our own history in another shape.
God has heard us, delivered us, liberated us, and too often our unbelief makes the wretched return of mistrust, murmuring, and rebellion. Great is our sin. Great is the mercy of our God. Let us reflect upon both, and pause a while. Selah. Hurried reading is of little benefit. To sit down a while and meditate is very profitable. Verses 8-16 Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee. O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me, there shall no strange God be in thee. Neither shalt thou worship any strange god. I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt. Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. But my people would not hearken to my voice, and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust, and they walked in their own counsels.
O that my people had hearkened unto me! And Israel had walked in my ways. I should soon have subdued their enemies and turned my hand against their adversaries. The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him, but their time should have endured forever. He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat, and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee. Eight. Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee. What, are the people so insensible as to be deaf to their God? So it would seem, for he earnestly asks a hearing. Are we not also at times quite as careless and immovable? O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me. There is much in this, if. How low have they fallen!
Who will not hearken unto God himself. The deaf adder is not more groveling. We are not fond of being upbraided. We had rather avoid sharp and cutting truths. And though the Lord himself rebuke us, we fly from his gentle reproofs. 9. There shall no strange god be in thee. No alien god is to be tolerated in Israel's tents. Neither shalt thou worship any strange god. Where false gods are, their worship is sure to follow. Man is so desperate an idolater that the image is always a strong temptation. While the nests are there, the birds will be eager to return. No other god had done anything for the Jews, and therefore they had no reason for paying homage to any other. To us, the same argument will apply.
We owe all to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The world, the flesh, the devil, none of these have been of any service to us. They are aliens, foreigners, enemies, and it is not for us to bow down before them. Little children, keep yourselves from idols, is our Lord's voice to us, and by the power of his Spirit we would cast out every false god from our hearts. 10. I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt. Thus did Jehovah usually introduce himself to his people. The great deliverance out of Egypt was that claim upon his people's allegiance which he most usually pleaded. If ever people were morally bound to their God, certainly Israel was a thousand times pledged unto Jehovah by his marvelous deeds on their behalf.
In connection with the Exodus. Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. Because he had brought them out of Egypt, he could do great things for them. He had proved his power and his goodwill. It remained only for his people to believe in him and ask large things of him. If their expectations were enlarged to the utmost degree, they could not exceed the bounty of the Lord. Little birds in the nest open their mouths widely enough, and perhaps the parent birds fail to fill them. But it will never be so with our God. His treasures of grace are inexhaustible, deep as our helpless miseries are, and boundless as our sins. The Lord began with his chosen nation upon a great scale, doing great wonders for them.
and offering them vast returns for their faith and love, if they would but be faithful to him. Sad, indeed, was the result of this grand experiment. 11. But my people would not hearken to my voice. His warnings were rejected, his promises forgotten, his precepts disregarded. Though the divine voice proposed nothing but good to them, And that upon an unparalleled scale of liberality, yet they turned aside. And Israel would none of me. They would not consent to his proposals. They walked in direct opposition to his commands. They hankered after the ox-god of Egypt, and their hearts were bewitched by the idols of the nations round about. The same spirit of apostasy is in all our hearts. And if we have not altogether turned aside from the Lord, it is only grace which has prevented us.
12. So I gave them up unto their own hearts lost. No punishment is more just or more severe than this. If men will not be checked, but madly take the bit between their teeth and refuse obedience, who shall wonder if the reins are thrown upon their necks And they are let alone to work out their own destruction. It were better to be given up to lions than to our heart's lusts. And they walked in their own counsels. There was no doubt as to what course they would take, for man is everywhere willful and loves his own way, that way being at all times in direct opposition to God's way. Men deserted of restraining grace, sin with deliberation. They consult and debate and consider, and then elect evil rather than good, with malice aforethought and in cool blood.
It is a remarkable obduracy of rebellion when men not only run into sin through passion, but calmly walk in their own counsels of iniquity. 13. O that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! The condescending love of God expresses itself in painful regrets for Israel's sin and punishment. Such were the laments of Jesus over Jerusalem. Certain doctrinalists find a stumbling stone in such passages and set themselves to explain them away. But to men in sympathy with the divine nature, the words and the emotions are plain enough. A God of mercy cannot see men heaping up sorrow for themselves through their sins without feeling his compassion excited toward them. 14. I should soon have subdued their enemies.
As he did in Egypt overthrow Pharaoh, so would he have baffled every enemy, and turned my hand against their adversaries. He would have smitten them once. and then have dealt them a return blow with the back of his hand. See what we lose by sin. Our enemies find the sharpest weapons against us in the armory of our transgressions. They could never overthrow us if we did not first overthrow ourselves. Sin strips a man of his armor and leaves him naked to his enemies. Our doubts and fears would long ago have been slain, If we had been more faithful to our God, ten thousand evils which afflict us now would have been driven far from us if we had been more jealous of holiness in our walk and conversation.
We ought to consider not only what sin takes from our present stock, but what it prevents our gaining. Reflections will soon show us that sin always costs us dear. If we depart from God, Our inward corruptions are sure to make a rebellion. Satan will assail us, the world will worry us, doubts will annoy us, and all through our own fault. Solomon's departure from God raised up enemies against him, and it will be so with us. But if our ways please the Lord, he will make even our enemies to be at peace with us.
The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him. Though the submission would have been false and flattering, yet the enemies of Israel would have been so humiliated that they would have hastened to make terms with the favored tribes. Our enemies become abashed and cowardly when we, with resolution, walk carefully with the Lord. It is in God's power to keep the fiercest in check, and he will do so. If we have a filial fear, a pious awe of him. But their time should have endured forever. The people would have been firmly established, and their prosperity would have been stable. Nothing confirms a state or a church like holiness. If we be firm in obedience, we shall be firm in happiness.
Righteousness establishes, sin ruins. 16. He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat. Famine would have been an unknown word. They would have been fed on the best of the best food, and have had abundance of it as their every-day diet. And with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee. Luxuries as well as necessaries would be forthcoming. The very rocks of the land would yield abundant and sweet supplies. The bees would store the clefts of the rocks with luscious honey, and so turn the most sterile part of the land to good account. The Lord can do great things for an obedient people. When his people walk in the light of his countenance and maintain unsullied holiness, the joy and consolation which he yields them are beyond conception.
To them the joys of heaven have begun even upon earth. They can sing in the ways of the Lord. The spring of the eternal summer has commenced with them. They are already blessed, and they look for brighter things. This shows us, by contrast, how sad a thing it is for a child of God to sell himself into captivity to sin, and bring his soul into a state of famine by following after another God. O Lord, forever bind us to thyself alone. And keep us faithful unto the end.
End of Psalm 81
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5 04 - Psalm 82 13:48
Psalm 82. Title and subject. A Psalm of Asaph. This poet of the temple here acts as a preacher to the court and to the magistracy. Men who do one thing well are generally equal to another. He who writes good verse. is not unlikely to be able to preach. What preaching it would have been had Milton entered the pulpit or had Virgil been an apostle. Asaph's sermon before the judges is now before us. He speaks very plainly, and his song is rather characterized by strength than by sweetness. We have here a clear proof that all psalms and hymns need not be direct expressions of praise to God. We may, according to the example of this psalm, admonish one another in our songs. Asaph no doubt saw around him much bribery and corruption, and while David punished it with the sword, he resolved to scourge it with a prophetic psalm.
In so doing, the sweet singer was not forsaking his profession as a musician for the Lord, but rather was practically carrying it out in another department. He was praising God when he rebuked the sin which dishonored him, and, if he was not making music, he was hushing discord when he bade rulers dispense justice with impartiality. The psalm is a whole and needs no formal division. Exposition. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty. He judgeth among the gods. How long will ye judge unjustly and accept the persons of the wicked? Scylla. Defend the poor and fatherless. Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy. Rid them out of the hand of the wicked. They know not, neither will they understand.
They walk on in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are out of course. I have said, Ye are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Arise, O God, judge the earth, for thou shalt inherit all nations. I. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty. He is the overlooker who, from his own point of view, sees all that is done by the great ones of the earth. When they sit in state, he stands over them, ready to deal with them if they pervert judgment. Judges shall be judged, and to justices, justice shall be meted out. Our village squires and country magistrates would do well to remember this. Some of them had need to go to school to Asaph till they have mastered this psalm.
Their harsh decisions and strange judgments are made in the presence of him who will surely visit them for every unseemly act, for he has no respect unto the person of any. And is the champion of the poor and needy. A higher authority will criticize the decision of petty sessions, and even the judgments of our most impartial judges will be revised by the High Court of Heaven. He judgeth among the gods. They are gods to other men, but he is God to them. He lends them his name, and this is their authority for acting as judges. But they must take care that they do not misuse the power entrusted to them, for the judge of judges is in session among them. Our puny judges are but puny judges, and their brethren who administer common law will one day be tried by the common law.
This great truth is, upon the whole, well regarded among us in these times, but it was not so in the earlier days of English history, when Geoffreys, and such as he, were an insult to the name of justice. Oriental judges, even now, are frequently, if not generally, amenable to bribes, and in past ages It was very hard to find a ruler who had any notion of justice apart from his own arbitrary will. Such plain teaching as this psalm contains was needful indeed, and he was a bold good man who, in such uncourtly phrases, delivered his own soul. 2. How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? It is indirectly stated, that the magistrates had been unjust and corrupt. They not only excused the wicked, but even decided in their favor against the righteous.
A little of this is too much, a short time too long. Some suitors could get their claims settled at once and in their own favor, while others were wearing out their lives by waiting for an audience, and were robbed by legal process. Because their opponents had the judge's ear. How long were such things to be perpetrated? Would they never remember the great judge and renounce their wickedness? This verse is so grandly stern that one is tempted to say, Surely an Elijah is here. Scylla. This gives the offenders pause for consideration and confession. III. Defend the poor and fatherless. Cease to do evil. Learn to do well. Look not to the interests of the wealthy, whose hands proffer you bribes, but protect the rights of the needy, and especially uphold the claims of orphans, whose property too often becomes a prey.
Do not hunt down the peasant for gathering a few sticks.
Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Even though they can claim from you as judge no more than justice, your pity for their circumstances must not make you hold the scales unfairly. But if you give them no more than justice, at least be sure that you give them that to the full. Suffer not the afflicted to be further afflicted. 4. Deliver the poor and needy. Rid them out of the hand of the wicked. Break the nets of the man-catchers, the legal toils, the bonds, the securities, with which cunning men capture and continue to hold in bondage the poor and the embarrassed. It is a brave thing when a judge can liberate a victim, like a fly from the spider's web, and a horrible case when magistrate and plunderer are in league.
Law has too often been an instrument for vengeance in the hand of unscrupulous men, an instrument as deadly as poison or the dagger. It is for the judge to prevent such villainy. V. They know not, neither will they understand. A wretched plight for a nation to be in when its justices know no justice, and its judges are devoid of judgment. Neither to know his duty, nor to wish to know it, is rather the mark of an incorrigible criminal than of a magistrate. Yet such a stigma was justly set upon the rulers of Israel. They walk on in darkness. They are as reckless as they are ignorant. Being both ignorant and wicked, they yet dare to pursue a path in which knowledge and righteousness are essential.
They go on without hesitation, forgetful of the responsibilities in which they are involved, and the punishment which they are incurring. All the foundations of the earth are out of course. When the dispensers of law have dispensed with justice, settlements are unsettled. Society is unhinged. The whole fabric of the nation is shaken. When injustice is committed in due course of law, the world is indeed out of course. When justice's justice becomes a byword, it is time that justice dealt with justices. Surely it would be well that certain of the great unpaid should be paid off, when day after day their judgments show that they have no judgment. When peasants may be horsewhipped by farmers with impunity, and a pretty bird is thought more precious than poor men, the foundations of the earth are indeed sinking, like rotten piles, unable to bear up the structures built upon them.
Thank God we have, as an almost invariable rule, incorruptible judges. May it always be so. Even our lesser magistrates are in general most worthy men, for which we ought to be grateful to God evermore. 6. I have said, Ye are gods. The greatest honour was thus put upon them. They were delegated gods, clothed for a while with a little of that authority by which the Lord judges among the sons of men. And all of you are children of the Most High. This was their ex officio character, not their moral or spiritual relationship. There must be some government among men, and, as angels are not sent to dispense it, God allows men to rule over men, and endorses their office, so far at least that the prostitution of it becomes an insult to his own prerogatives.
Magistrates would have no right to condemn the guilty. If God had not sanctioned the establishment of government, the administration of law, and the execution of sentences. Here the Spirit speaks most honorably of these offices, even when it censures the officers, and thereby teaches us to render honor to whom honor is due, honor to the office, even if we award censure to the office-bearer. 7. But ye shall die like men. What sarcasm, it seems! Great as the office made the men, they were still but men, and must die. To every judge this verse is a memento mori. He must leave the bench to stand at the bar, and on the way must put off the ermine to put on the shroud, and fall like one of the princes, who were usually the first to die, for battle, sedition, and luxury.
made greater havoc among the great than among any others. Even as princes have often been cut off by sudden and violent deaths, so should the judges be who forget to do justice. Men usually respect the office of a judge and do not conspire to slay him, as they do to kill princes and kings. But injustice withdraws this protection and puts the unjust magistrate In personal danger. How quickly death unrobes the great. What a leveller he is. He is no advocate for liberty, but in promoting equality and fraternity, he is a masterly democrat. Great men die as common men do. As their blood is the same, so the stroke which lets out their life produces the same pains and throes. No places are too high for death's arrows.
He brings down his birds from the tallest trees. It is time that all men considered this. 8. Arise, O God, judge the earth. Come, thou judge of all mankind, put the bad judges to the bar, and end their corruption and baseness. Here is the world's true hope of rescue from the fangs of tyranny. For thou shalt inherit all nations. The time will come when all races of men shall own their god and accept him as their king. There is one who is king by right divine, and he is even now on his way. The last days shall see him enthroned, and all unrighteous potentates broken like potters' vessels by his potent scepter. The second advent is still earth's brightest hope. Come quickly, even so, come, Lord Jesus.
End of Psalm 82
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6 05 - Psalm 83 21:08
Psalm 83 of The Treasury of David, Vol. 4, by C. H. Spurgeon. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by Gillian Hendry. Psalm 83. A Song or Psalm of Asaph. This is the last occasion upon which we shall meet with this eloquent writer. The patriotic poet sings again of wars and dangers imminent. But it is no godless song of a thoughtless nation entering upon war with a light heart. Asaph the seer is well aware of the serious dangers arising from the powerful Confederate nations, but his soul in faith stays itself upon Jehovah, while, as a poet-preacher, he excites his countrymen to prayer by means of this sacred lyric. The Asaph who penned this song was in all probability the person referred to in 2 Chronicles 20, verse 14, for the internal evidence referring the subject of the psalm to the times of Jehoshaphat is overwhelming.
The division in the camp of the Confederate peoples in the wilderness of Tekoa not only broke up their league, but led to a mutual slaughter, which crippled the power of some of the nations for many years after. They thought to destroy Israel and destroyed each other. Division. An appeal to God in a general manner fills the verses from 1 to 4, and then the psalmist enters into details of the League, 5 to 8. This leads to an earnest entreaty for the overthrow of the enemy, 9 to 15, with an expression of desire that God's glory may be promoted thereby. Exposition. Verses 1-4 Keep not thou silence, O God, hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God, for, lo, thine enemies make a tumult, and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.
They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. 1. Keep not thou silence, O God. Man is clamorous, be not thou speechless. He rails and reviles, wilt not thou reply? One word of thine can deliver thy people. Therefore, O Lord, break thy quiet, and let thy voice be heard. Hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. Here the appeal is to El, the Mighty One. He is entreated to act and speak, because his nation suffers and is in great jeopardy. How entirely the psalmist looks to God! He asks not for a leader bold and brave, or for any form of human force, but casts his burden upon the Lord, being well assured that his internal power and Godhead could meet every difficulty of the case.
Two. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult. They are by no means sparing of their words. They are like a hungry pack of dogs, all giving tongues at once. So sure are they of devouring thy people that they already shout over the feast, and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. Confident of conquest, they carry themselves proudly and exalt themselves as if their anticipated victories were already obtained. These enemies of Israel were also God's enemies. and are here described as such by way of adding intensity to the argument of the intercession. The adversaries of the church are usually a noisy and a boastful crew. Their pride is a brass which always sounds, a symbol which is ever tinkling.
Three. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people. Whatever we may do, our enemies use their wits and lay their heads together. In united conclave, they discourse upon the demands and plans of the campaign, using much treachery and serpentine cunning in arranging their schemes. Malice is cold-blooded enough to plot with deliberation, and pride, though it be never wise, is often allied with craft. And consulted against thy hidden ones. Hidden away from all harm are the lords chosen. Their enemies think not so, But hope to smite them. They might as well attempt to destroy the angels before the throne of God. Four. They have said, come and let us cut them off from being a nation. Easier said than done.
Yet it shows how thoroughgoing are the foes of the church. Theirs was the policy of extermination. They laid the axe at the root of the matter. Rome has always loved this method of warfare. And hence she has gloated over the massacre of Bartholomew and the murders of the Inquisition. That the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. They would blot them out of history, as well as out of existence. Evil is intolerant of good. If Israel would let Edom alone, yet Edom cannot be quiet, but seeks, like its ancestor, to kill the chosen of the Lord. Men would be glad to cast the church out of the world, because it rebukes them, and is thus a standing menace to their sinful peace.
Verses 5-8 For they have consulted together with one consent, they are confederate against thee. The tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagarenes, Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, The Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre. Asser also is joined with them. They have holpen the children of Lot. 5. For they have consulted together with one consent. They are hearty and unanimous in their designs. They seem to have but one heart, and that a fierce one, against the chosen people and their God. They are confederate against thee. At the Lord himself they aim through the sight of his saints. They make a covenant and ratify it with blood, resolutely banding themselves together to war with the Mighty One.
VI. The Tabernacles of Edom. Nearest of kin, yet first in enmity. Their sire despised the birthright, and they despise the possessors of it, leaving their rock-built mansions for the tents of war. The Edomites invaded the land of Israel. And the Ishmaelites. A persecuting spirit ran in their blood. They perpetuated the old grudge between the child of the bondwoman and the son of the free woman. Of Moab. Born of incest, but yet a near kinsman. The feud of Moab against Israel was very bitter. Little could righteous lot have dreamed. That his unhallowed seed would be such unrelenting enemies of his uncle Abraham's posterity. and the Hagarenes. Perhaps descendants of Hagar by a second husband. Whoever they may have been, they cast their power into the wrong scale, and with all their might sought the ruin of Israel.
Children of Hagar, and all others who dwell around Mount Sinai, which is in Arabia. are of the seed which gendereth to bondage, and hence they hate the seed according to promise. 7. Gebal. Was probably a near neighbor of Edom, though there was a Gebal in the region of Tyre and Sidon. And Ammon and Amalek. Two other hereditary foes of Israel, fierce and remorseless as ravening wolves. In the role of infamy, let these names remain detestably immortalized. How thick they stand! Their name is Legion, for they are many. Alas, poor Israel, how art thou to stand against such a bloody league? Nor is this all. Here comes another tribe of ancient foemen, the Philistines, who once blinded Samson and captured the Ark of the Lord.
And here our old allies become new enemies, the builders of the temple conspiring to pull it down. Even The inhabitants of Tyre. These last were mercenaries who cared not at whose bidding they drew sword, so long as they carved something for their own advantage. True religion has had its quarrel with merchants and craftsmen, and because it has interfered with their gains, they have conspired against it. Eight. Asser is also joined with them. It was then a rising power, anxious for growth. And it thus early distinguished itself for evil. What a motley group they were. A league against Israel is always attractive and gathers whole nations within its bonds. Herod and Pilate are friends, if Jesus is to be crucified.
Romanism and ritualism make common cause against the gospel. They have helpen the children of Lot. All these have come to the aid of Moab and Ammon. Which two nations were among the fiercest in the conspiracy? There were ten to one against Israel, and yet she overcame all her enemies. Her name is not blotted out. But many, nay, most of her adversaries are now a name only. Their power and their excellence are alike gone. Selah. There was good reason for a pause when the nation was in such jeopardy, and yet it needs faith to make a pause. For unbelief is always in a hurry. Verses 9 to 15. Do unto them as unto the Midianites, as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison, which perished at Endor.
They became as dung for the earth. Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeib, yea, all their princes as Ziba, and as Zalmunna, who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession. O my God, make them like a wheel, as they stubble before the wind, as the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire. So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. 9. Do unto them as unto the Midianites. Faith delights to light upon precedents, and quote them before the Lord. In the present instance, Asaph found a very appropriate one, for the nations in both cases were very much the same, and the plight of the Israelites very similar. Yet Midian perished, and the psalmist trusted that Israel's present foes would meet with the like overthrow from the hand of the Lord.
As to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison, the hosts were swept away by the suddenly swollen torrent, and utterly perished. Which was a second instance of divine vengeance upon Confederate enemies of Israel. When God wills it, a brook can be as deadly as a sea. Kishon was as terrible to Jabin as was the Red Sea to Pharaoh. How easily can the Lord smite the enemies of his people? God of Gideon and of Barak, wilt thou not again avenge thine heritage of their bloodthirsty foes? which perished at Endor. There was the center of the carnage, where the heaps of the slain lay thickest. They became as dung for the earth, manuring it with man, making the earth, like Saturn, feed on its own children.
War is cruel, but in this case its avengements were most just. Those who would not give Israel a place above ground are themselves denied a hiding place under the ground. They counted God's people to be as Dung, and they became Dung themselves. Asaph would have the same fate befall other enemies of Israel, and his prayer was a prophecy, for so it happened to them. 11. Make their nobles like Oreb and like Ze'eb. Smite the great ones as well as the common ruck. Suffer not the ringleaders to escape. As Oreb fell at the rock, and Zaeb at the winepress, so do thou mete out vengeance to Zion's foes, wherever thou mayest overtake them. They boastfully compare themselves to ravens and wolves. Let them receive the fate which is due to such wild beasts.
Yea, all their princes as Zebah and as Zalmunna. These were captured and slain by Gideon, despite their claiming to have been anointed to the kingdom. Seba became a sacrifice, and Zalmunna was sent to those shadowy images from which his name is derived. The psalmist, seeing these four culprits hanging in history upon a lofty gallows, earnestly asks that others of a like character may, for truth and righteousness' sake, share their fate. Twelve. Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession? Viewing the temple, and also the dwellings of the tribes, as all belonging to God, these greedy plunderers determined to push out the inhabitants, slay them, and become themselves landlords and tenants of the whole.
These were large words and dark designs, but God could bring them all to nothing. It is in vain for men to say, Let us take, if God does not give. He who robs God's house Will find that he has a property reeking with a curse. It will plague him and his seed forever. Will a man rob God? Let him try it, and he will find it hot and heavy work. 13. O my God, make them like a wheel, like a rolling thing which cannot rest, but is made to move with every breath. Let them have no quiet. May their minds eternally revolve and never come to peace. Blow them away like thistledown, as the stubble before the wind. Scatter them, chase them, drive them to destruction. Every patriot prays thus against the enemies of his country.
He would be no better than a traitor if he did not. 14. As the fire burneth a wood. Long years have strewn the ground with deep deposits of leaves. These, being dried in the sun, are very apt to take fire, and when they do so, the burning is terrific. The underwood and the ferns blaze, the bushes crackle, the great trees kindle, and to their very tops are wrapped in fire, while the ground is all red as a furnace. In this way, O Lord, mete out destruction to thy foes. And bring all of them to an end. The flame setteth the mountains on fire. Up the hillsides the hanging woods glow like a great sacrifice, and the forests on the mountain's crown smoke towards heaven. Even thus, O Lord, do thou conspicuously and terribly overthrow the enemies of thine Israel.
15. So persecute them with thy tempest. And make them afraid with thy storm. The Lord will follow up his enemies, alarm them, and chase them till they are put to a hopeless rout. He did this according to the prayer of the present psalm for his servant Jehoshaphat, and in like manner will he come to the rescue of any or all of his chosen. Verses 16 to 18. Fill their faces with shame. that they may seek thy name, O Lord. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever. Yea, let them be put to shame and perish. That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the Most High over all the earth. 16. Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek thy name, O Lord. Shame has often weaned men from their idols, and set them upon seeking the Lord.
If this was not the happy result, in the present instance, with the Lord's enemies, yet it would be so with his people who were so prone to err. They would be humbled by his mercy and ashamed of themselves because of his grace. And then they would with sincerity return to the earnest worship of Jehovah their God, who had delivered them. 17. Where no good result followed. And the men remained as fierce and obstinate as ever. Justice was invoked to carry out the capital sentence. Let them be confounded and troubled forever. Yea, let them be put to shame and perish. What else could be done with them? It was better that they perished than that Israel should be rooted up. What a terrible doom it will be to the enemies of God to be confounded and troubled forever.
To see all their schemes and hopes defeated, and their bodies and souls full of anguish without end. From such a shameful perishing may our souls be delivered. 18, that men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the Most High over all the earth. Hearing of the Lord's marvelous deeds in defeating such a numerous confederacy, The very heathen would be compelled to acknowledge the greatness of Jehovah. We read in 2 Chronicles 20, verse 30, that the fear of God was on all the neighboring kingdoms when they heard that Jehovah fought against the enemies of Israel. Jehovah is essentially the Most High. He who is self-existent is infinitely above all creatures. All the earth is but his footstool.
The godless race of men disregards this, and yet, at times, the wonderful works of the Lord compel the most unwilling to adore His Majesty. Thus has this soul-stirring lyric risen from the words of complaint to those of adoration. Let us, in our worship, always seek to do the same. National Trouble called out the nation's poet laureate. And well did he discourse at once of her sorrows and prayers and hopes. Sacred literature thus owes much to sorrow and distress. How enriching is the hand of adversity! The following attempt to versify the psalm and tune it to gospel purposes is submitted with great diffidence. O God, be thou no longer still. Thy foes are leagued against thy law. Make bare thine arm on Zion's hill, great captain of our holy war.
As Amalek and Ishmael had war forever with thy seed, so all the hosts of Rome and Hell against thy son their armies lead. Though they're agreed in naught beside, against thy truth they all unite. They rave against the crucified, and hate the gospel's growing might. By Kishon's brook, all Jabin's band, at thy rebuke were swept away. O Lord, display thy mighty hand. A single stroke shall win the day. Come rushing wind, the stubble chase. Come sacred fire, the forests burn. Come, Lord, with all thy conquering grace, rebellious hearts to Jesus turn. That men may know at once that thou, Jehovah, lovest truth right well. And that thy church shall never bow before the boastful gates of hell.
End of Psalm 83.
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7 06 - Psalm 84 22:56
Psalm 84. Title and subject. To the chief musician, Upon Gittith. A psalm for the sons of Korah. This psalm well deserved to be committed to the noblest of the sons of song. No music could be too sweet for its theme. Or too exquisite in sound to match the beauty of its language. Sweeter than the joy of the wine-press, for that is said to be the meaning of the word rendered upon Gittith, is the joy of the holy assemblies of the Lord's house. Not even the favored children of grace, who are like the sons of Korah, can have a richer subject for song than Zion's sacred festivals. It matters little when this psalm was written, or by whom. For our part, it exhales to us a Davidic perfume. It smells of the mountain heather and the lone places of the wilderness where King David must have often lodged during his many wars.
This sacred ode is one of the choicest of the collection. It has a mild radiance about it, entitling it to be called the Pearl of Psalms. If the 23rd be the most popular, the 103rd the most joyful. The 119th, the most deeply experimental. The 51st, the most plaintive. This is one of the most sweet of the Psalms of Peace. Pilgrimages to the Tabernacle were a great feature of Jewish life. In our own country, pilgrimages to the Shrine of Thomas of Canterbury and Our Lady of Walsingham were so general as to affect the entire population, cause the formation of roads, The erection and maintenance of hostelries, and the creation of a special literature. This may help us to understand the influence of pilgrimage upon the ancient Israelites.
Families journeyed together, making bands which grew at each halting place. They camped in sunny glades, sang in unison along the roads, toiled together over the hill and through the slough, and as they went along, stored up happy memories which would never be forgotten. One who was debarred the holy company of the pilgrims and the devout worship of the congregation would find in this psalm fit expression for his mournful spirit. Division. We will make our pauses where the poet or the musician placed them, namely at the Selahs. Exposition. Verses 1-4. How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth. Yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young. Even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house. They will be still praising thee. 1. How amiable! or, how lovely. He does not tell us how lovely they were, because he could not. His expressions show us that his feelings were inexpressible. Lovely to the memory, to the mind, to the heart, to the eye, to the whole soul, are the assemblies of the saints. Earth contains no sight so refreshing to us as the gathering of believers for worship. Those are sorry saints who see nothing amiable. In the services of the Lord's house. Are thy tabernacles? The tabernacle had been pitched in several places, and moreover was divided into several courts and portions.
Hence, probably, the plural number is here used. It was all and altogether lovely to David. Outer court or inner court, he loved every portion of it. Every cord and curtain was dear to him. Even when at a distance he rejoiced to remember the sacred tent where Jehovah revealed himself, and he cried out with exultation when he pictured in fond imagination its sacred services and solemn rites, as he had seen them in bygone times. Because they are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts, therefore are they so dear to thy people. Thy pavilion is the centre of the camp. around which all thy creatures gather, and towards which their eyes are turned, as armies look to the tent of the king. Thou rulest all the companies of creatures with such goodness that all their hosts rejoice in thy dwelling-place, and the bands of thy saints especially hail thee with joyful loyalty as Jehovah of hosts.
2. My song longeth. It pines and faints to meet with the saints in the Lord's house. The desire was deep and insatiable. The very soul of the man was yearning for his God. Yea, even fainteth, as though it could not long hold out, but was exhausted with delay. He had a holy lovesickness upon him, and was wasted with an inward consumption, because he was debarred the worship of the Lord in the appointed place. For the courts of the Lord. To stand once again in those areas which were dedicated to holy adoration was the sole longing of the psalmist. True subjects love the courts of their king. My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. It was God himself that he pined for, the only living and true God.
His whole nature entered into his longing. Even the clay-cold flesh grew warm through the intense action of his fervent spirit. Seldom, indeed, does the flesh incline in the right direction, but in the matter of Sabbath services, our weary body sometimes comes to the assistance of our life. The psalmist declared that he could not remain silent in his desires, but began to cry out for God. and his house. He wept, he sighed, he pleaded for the privilege. Some need to be whipped to church, while here is David crying for it. He needed no clatter of bells from the belfry to ring him in. He carried his bell in his own bosom. Holy appetite is a better call to worship than a full chime. 3. Yea, the sparrow hath found an house.
He envied the sparrows which lived around the house of God, and picked up the stray crumbs in the courts thereof. He only wished that he, too, could frequent the solemn assemblies, and bear away a little of the heavenly food, and the swallow, a nest for herself, where she may lay her young. He envied also the swallows, whose nests were built under the eaves of the priests' houses, who there found a place for their young. As well as for themselves. We rejoice not only in our personal religious opportunities, but in the great blessing of taking our children with us to the sanctuary. The Church of God is a house for us, and a nest for our little ones. Even thine altars, O Lord of hosts! To the very altars these free birds drew near.
None could restrain them, nor would have wished to do so. And David wished to come and go as freely as they did. Mark how he repeats the blessed name of Jehovah of hosts. He found in it a sweetness which helped him to bear his inward hunger. Probably David himself was with the host, and therefore he dwelt with emphasis upon the title which taught him that the Lord was in the tented field, as well as within the holy curtains. My King and my God. Here he utters his loyalty from afar. If he may not tread the courts, yet he loves the king. If an exile, he is not a rebel. When we cannot occupy a seat in God's house, he shall have a seat in our memories and a throne in our hearts. The double my is very precious.
He lays hold upon his God with both his hands, as one resolved not to let him go. 4. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house. Those he esteems to be highly favoured who are constantly engaged in divine worship, the canons, residentiary, yea, the pew-openers, the menials who sweep and dust. To come and go is refreshing, but to abide in the place of prayer must be heaven below. To be the guests of God. Enjoying the hospitalities of heaven, set apart for holy work, screened from a noisy world, and familiar with sacred things. Why, this is surely the choicest heritage a son of man can possess. They will be still praising thee. So near to God, their very life must be adoration. Surely their hearts and tongues never cease from magnifying the Lord.
We fear David here drew rather a picture of what should be than of what is. For those occupied daily with the offices, needful for public worship, are not always amongst the most devout. On the contrary, the nearer the church, the further from God. Yet in a spiritual sense, this is most true. For those children of God, who in spirit abide ever in his house, are also ever full of the praises of God. Communion is the mother of adoration. They fail to praise the Lord who wander far from Him, but those who dwell in Him are always magnifying Him. Selah. In such an occupation as this, we might be content to remain forever. It is worthwhile to pause and meditate upon the prospect of dwelling with God and praising Him throughout eternity.
Verses 5 to 8. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee, in whose heart are the ways of them, who, passing through the valley of Baca, make it a well. The rain also filleth the pools. They go from strength to strength. Every one of them in Zion appeareth before God. O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer. Give ear, O God of Jacob. Scylla. V. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee. Having spoken of the blessedness of those who reside in the house of God, he now speaks of those who are favoured to visit it at appointed seasons, going upon pilgrimage with their devout brethren. He is not, however, indiscriminate in his eulogy, but speaks only of those who heartily attend to the sacred festivals.
The blessedness of sacred worship Belongs not to half-hearted, listless worshippers, but to those who throw all their energies into it. Neither prayer nor praise, nor the hearing of the word, will be pleasant or profitable to persons who have left their hearts behind them. A company of pilgrims who had left their hearts at home would be no better than a caravan of carcasses, quite unfit to blend with living saints in adoring the living God. In whose heart are the ways of them? Or, far better, in whose heart are thy ways? Those who love the ways of God are blessed. When we have God's ways in our hearts, and our heart in his ways, we are what and where we should be, and hence we shall enjoy the divine approval.
6. Who passing through the valley of Baccah make it a well? Traversing joyfully the road to the great assembly, the happy pilgrims found refreshment even in the dreariest part of the road. As around a well men meet and converse cheerfully, being refreshed after their journey, so even in the Vale of Tears, or any other dreary glen, the pilgrims to the skies find sweet solace in brotherly communion, and in anticipation of the general assembly above.
Probably there is here a local illusion, which will never now be deciphered. But the general meaning is clear enough. There are joys of pilgrimage which make men forget the discomforts of the road. The rain also filleth the pools. God gives to his people the supplies they need while traversing the roads which he points out for them. Where there were no natural supplies from below, The pilgrims found an abundant compensation in waters from above, and so also shall all the sacramental host of God's elect. Ways which otherwise would have been deserted from want of accommodation were made into highways abundantly furnished for the travellers' wants, because the great annual pilgrimages led in that direction.
Even so, Christian converse and the joy of united worship Make many duties easy and delightful, which else had been difficult and painful. 7. They go from strength to strength. So far from being wearied, they gather strength as they proceed. Each individual becomes happier, each company becomes more numerous, each holy song more sweet and full. We grow as we advance, if heaven be our goal. If we spend our strength in God's ways, We shall find it increase. Every one of them in Zion appeareth before God. This was the end of the pilgrim's march, the center where all met, the delight of all hearts. Not merely to be in the assembly, but to appear before God, was the object of each devout Israelite.
Would to God it were the sincere desire of all who in these days mingle in our religious gatherings. Unless we realize the presence of God, we have done nothing. The mere gathering together is nothing worth. Eight. O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer. Give me to go up to thy house, or, if I may not do so, yet let my cry be heard. Thou listenest to the united supplications of thy saints, but do not shut out my solitary petition, unworthy though I be. Give ear, O God of Jacob. Though Jehovah of hosts, thou art also the covenant God of solitary pleaders like Jacob. Regard thou, then, my plaintive supplication. I wrestle here alone with thee, while the company of thy people have gone on before me to happier scenes.
And I beseech thee, bless me, for I am resolved to hold thee till thou speak the word of grace into my soul. The repetition of the request for an answer to his prayer denotes his eagerness for a blessing. What a mercy it is that, if we cannot gather with the saints, we can still speak to their master. Selah. A pause was needed after a cry so vehement, a prayer so earnest. Verses 9-12. Behold, O God, our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee. 9. Behold, O God, our shield. Here we have the nation's prayer for David, and the believers' prayer for the son of David.
We also are anointed by the Lord's grace. And our desire is that he will look upon us with an eye of love in Christ Jesus. Our best prayers, when we are in the best place, are for our glorious King, and for the enjoyment of his Father's smile. 10. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. Of course, the psalmist means a thousand days spent elsewhere. Under the most favorable circumstances in which earth's pleasures can be enjoyed, they are not comparable by so much as one in a thousand to the delights of the service of God. To feel His love, to rejoice in the person of the anointed Saviour, to survey the promises and feel the power of the Holy Ghost in applying precious truth to the soul, is a joy which worldlings cannot understand.
but which true believers are ravished with. Even a glimpse at the love of God is better than ages spent in the pleasures of sense. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. The lowest station in connection with the Lord's house is better than the highest position among the godless, only to wait at his threshold and peep within. So as to see Jesus is bliss. To bear burdens and open doors for the Lord is more honor than to reign among the wicked. Every man has his choice, and this is ours. God's worst is better than the devil's best. God's doorstep is a happier rest than downy couches within the pavilions of royal sinners, though we might lie there for a lifetime of luxury.
Note how he calls the tabernacle the house of my God. That's where the sweetness lies. If Jehovah be our God, his house, his altars, his doorstep, all become precious to us. We know by experience that where Jesus is within, the outside of the house is better than the noblest chambers where the Son of God is not to be found.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield. Pilgrims need both, as the weather may be, for the cold would smite them were it not for the sun, and foes are apt to waylay the sacred caravan, and would happily destroy it if it were without a shield. Heavenly pilgrims are not left uncomforted or unprotected. The pilgrim nation found both sun and shield. in that fiery, cloudy pillar, which was the symbol of Jehovah's presence, and the Christian still finds both light and shelter in the Lord his God. A sun for happy days, and a shield for dangerous ones. A sun above, a shield around, a light to show the way, and a shield to ward off its perils. Blessed are they who journey with such a convoy, the sunny and the shady side of life.
Are alike happy to them. The Lord will give grace and glory, both in due time, both as needed, both to the full, both with absolute certainty. The Lord has both grace and glory in infinite abundance. Jesus is the fullness of both, and as his chosen people, we shall receive both as a free gift from the God of our salvation. What more can the Lord give? Grace makes us walk uprightly, and this secures every covenant blessing to us. What a wide promise! Some apparent good may be withheld, but no real good, no, not one. All things are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's. God has all good. There is no good apart from him, and there is no good which he either needs to keep back or will, on any account, refuse us, if we are but ready to receive it.
We must be upright and neither lean to this or that form of evil, and this uprightness must be practical. We must walk in truth and holiness. Then shall we be heirs of all things. And, as we come of age, all things shall be in our actual possession. And meanwhile, according to our capacity for receiving, shall be the measure of the divine bestowal. This is true not of a favoured few, but of all the saints, for evermore. 12. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee. Here is the key of the psalm. The worship is that of faith. And the blessedness is peculiar to believers. No formal worshiper can enter into this secret. A man must know the Lord by the life of real faith, for he can have no true rejoicing in the Lord's worship, his house, his son, or his ways.
Dear reader, how fares it with thy soul?
End of Psalm 84
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8 07 - Psalm 85 31:05
Psalm 85. Title. To the Chief Musician. A psalm for the sons of Korah. There is no need to repeat our observations upon a title which is of so frequent occurrence. The reader is referred to notes placed in the headings of preceding Psalms. Yet it may not be out of place to quote the 49th verse of Nehemiah, chapter 12, quote, Subject and occasion. It is the prayer of a patriot for his afflicted country. in which he pleads the Lord's former mercies, and by faith foresees brighter days. We believe that David wrote it, but many question that assertion. Certain interpreters appear to grudge the psalmist David the authorship of any of the psalms, and refer the sacred songs by wholesale to the times of Hezekiah, Josiah, the captivity, and the Maccabees.
It is remarkable that, as a rule, The more sceptical a writer is, the more resolute is he to have done with David, while the purely evangelical annotators are for the most part content to leave the royal poet in the chair of authorship. The charms of a new theory also operate greatly upon writers who would have nothing at all to say if they did not invent a novel hypothesis and twist the language of the Psalms in order to justify it. The present psalm has, of course, been referred to the captivity. The critics could not resist the temptation to do that, though for our part we see no need to do so. It is true a captivity is mentioned in the first verse, but that does not necessitate the nations having been carried away into exile, since Job's captivity was turned, and yet he had never left his native land.
Moreover, The text speaks of the captivity of Jacob as brought back, but, and it referred to the Babylonian emigration, it would have spoken of Judah, for Jacob, or Israel, as such, did not return. The first verse, in speaking of, quote, the land, end quote, proves that the author was not an exile. Our own belief is that David penned this national hymn, When the land was oppressed by the Philistines, and in the spirit of prophecy, he foretold the peaceful years of his own reign and the repose of the rule of Solomon, the psalm having all along an inner sense of which Jesus and his salvation are the key. The presence of Jesus the Saviour reconciles earth and heaven, and secures to us the golden age, the balmy days of universal peace.
Divisions. In the first four verses, the poet sings of the Lord's former mercies and begs him to remember his people. From five to seven, he pleads the cause of afflicted Israel. And then, having listened to the sacred oracle in verse eight, he publishes joyfully the tidings of future good, nine to 13. Exposition. Verses one to four. Lord. Thou hast been favourable unto thy land. Thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people. Thou hast covered all their sin.
Thou hast taken away all thy wrath. Thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land. The self-existent, all-sufficient Jehovah is addressed. By that name he revealed himself to Moses when his people were in bondage. By that name he is here pleaded with. It is wise to dwell upon that view of the divine character which arouses the sweetest memories of his love. Sweeter still is that dear name of Our Father. with which Christians have learned to commence their prayers. The psalmist speaks of Canaan as the Lord's land, for he chose it for his people, conveyed to it to them by covenant, conquered it by his power, and dwelt in it in mercy.
It was meet, therefore, that he should smile upon a land so peculiarly his own. It is most wise to plead the Lord's union of interest with ourselves. To lash our little boat, as it were, close to his great bark, and experience a sacred community in the tossings of the storm. It is our land that is devastated, but, O Jehovah, it is also thy land. The psalmist dwells upon the Lord's favor to the chosen land, which he had showed in a thousand ways. God's past doings are prophetic of what he will do. Hence the encouraging argument, Thou hast been favourable unto thy land. Therefore deal graciously with it again. Many a time had foes been baffled, pestilence stayed, famine averted, and deliverance vouchsafed because of the Lord's favour.
That same favourable regard is therefore again invoked. With an immutable God, this is powerful reasoning. It is because he changes not, From this example of prayer, let us learn how to order our cause before God. It is clear that Israel was not in exile, or the prayer before us would not have referred to the land, but to the nation. Thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. When downtrodden and oppressed through their sins, the ever-merciful One had looked upon them, changed their sad condition, chased away the invaders, and given to his people rest. This he had done not once nor twice, but times without number. Many a time have we also been brought into sole captivity by our backslidings, but we have not been left therein.
The God who brought Jacob back from Paddan Aram to his father's house has restored us to the enjoyment of holy fellowship. Will he not do the like again? Let us appeal to him with Jacob-like wrestlings, beseeching him to be favourable or sovereignly gracious to us, notwithstanding all our provocations of his love. Let declining churches remember their former history. and with holy confidence plead with the Lord to turn their captivity yet again. Two. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people. Often and often had he done this, pausing to pardon even when his sword was bared to punish. Who is a pardoning God like thee, O Jehovah? Who is so slow to anger, so ready to forgive? Every believer in Jesus enjoys the blessing of pardoned sin, and he should regard this priceless boon as the pledge of all other needed mercies.
He should plead it with God. Lord, hast thou pardoned me, and wilt thou let me perish for lack of grace, or fall into thine enemy's hands for want of help? Thou wilt not thus leave thy work unfinished. Thou hast covered all their sin. All of it, every spot and wrinkle, the veil of love has covered all. Sin has been divinely put out of sight. Hiding it beneath the propitiatory, covering it with the sea of the atonement, blotting it out, making it to cease to be, the Lord has put it so completely away that even his omniscient eye sees it no more. What a miracle is this! To cover up the sun would be easy work compared with the covering up of sin. Not without a covering atonement is sin removed, but by means of the great sacrifice of our Lord Jesus, it is most effectually put away by one act forever.
What a covering does his blood afford! 3. Thou hast taken away all thy wrath. Having removed the sin, The anger is removed also. How often did the long-suffering of God take away from Israel the punishments which had been justly laid upon them? How often also has the Lord's chastising hand been removed from us when our waywardness called for heavier strokes? Thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. Even when judgments had been most severe, The Lord had in mercy stayed his hand. In mid-volley he had restrained his thunder. When ready to destroy, he had averted his face from his purpose of judgment, and allowed mercy to interpose. The Book of Judges is full of illustrations of this, and the psalmist does well to quote them while he intercedes.
Is not our experience equally studied with instances in which judgment has been stayed? What a difference between the fierce anger, which is feared and deprecated here, and the speaking of peace, which is foretold in verse 8. There are many changes in Christian experience, and therefore we must not despair when we are undergoing the drearier portion of the spiritual life, for soon, very soon, it may be transformed into gladness. The Lord can clear the darkest skies, can give us day for night, make drops of sacred sorrow rise to rivers of delight. Four. Turn us, O God of our salvation. This was the main business. Could the erring tribes be rendered penitent, all would be well. It is not that God needs turning from his anger so much as that we need turning from our sin.
Here is the hinge of the whole matter. Our trials frequently arise out of our sins. They will not go till the sins go. We need to be turned from our sins, but only God can turn us. God, the Saviour, must put his hand to the work. It is indeed a main part of our salvation. Conversion is the dawn of salvation. To turn a heart to God. It is a very blessed sight to see a whole people turn unto their God. May the Lord so send forth his converting grace on our land that we may live to see the people flocking to the loving worship of God. as the doves to their coats. And cause thine anger toward us to cease. Make an end of it. Let it no longer burn. When sinners cease to rebel, the Lord ceases to be angry with them.
When they return to him, he returns to them. Yea, he is first in the reconciliation, and turns them when otherwise they would never turn off themselves. May all those who are now enduring the hidings of Jehovah's face seek with deep earnestness to be turned anew unto the Lord, for so shall all their despondencies come to an end. Thus the sweet singer asks for his nation priceless blessings, and quotes the best of arguments. Because the God of Israel has been so rich in favor in bygone years, Therefore he is entreated to reform and restore his backsliding nation. Verses five to seven. Wilt thou be angry with us forever? Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee?
Show us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation. Five. Wilt thou be angry with us forever? See how the psalmist makes bold to plead. We are in time as yet, and not in eternity, and does not time come to an end, and therefore thy wrath? Wilt thou be angry always, as if it were eternity? Is there no boundary to thine indignation? Will thy wrath never have done? And if forever angry, yet wilt thou be angry with us, thy favoured people? The seed of Abraham, thy friend. That our enemies should be always wroth is natural. But wilt thou, our God, be always incensed against us? Every word is an argument. Men in distress never waste words. Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? Shall sons suffer for their fathers' faults?
and punishments become an entailed inheritance. O merciful God, hast thou a mind to spin out thine anger, and make it as long as the ages? Cease thou, as thou hast ceased aforetime, and let grace reign, as it has done in days of yore. When we are under spiritual desertion, we may beg in the like manner that the days of tribulation may be shortened. Lest our spirit should utterly fail beneath the trial. 6. Wilt thou not revive us again? Hope here grows almost confident. She feels sure that the Lord will return in all his power to save. We are dead or dying, faint and feeble. God alone can revive us. He has in other times refreshed his people. He is still the same. He will repeat his love. Will he not?
Why should he not? We appeal to him. Wilt thou not? That thy people may rejoice in thee. Thou lovest to see thy children happy with that best of happiness which centers in thyself. Therefore, revive us, for revival will bring us the utmost joy. The words before us teach us that gratitude has an eye to the giver. Even beyond the gift. Thy people may rejoice in thee. Those who were revived would rejoice not only in the new life, but in the Lord who was the author of it. Joy in the Lord is the ripest fruit of grace. All revivals and renewals lead up to it. By our possession of it, we may estimate our spiritual condition. It is a sure gauge of inward prosperity. A genuine revival without joy in the Lord is as impossible as spring without flowers, or day-dawn without light.
If, either in our own souls or in the hearts of others, we see declension, it becomes us to be much in the use of this prayer. And if, on the other hand, we are enjoying visitations of the Spirit and bedewings of grace, let us abound in holy joy. And make it our constant delight to joy in God. Seven. Show us thy mercy, O Lord. Reveal it to our poor, half-blinded eyes. We cannot see it or believe it by reason of our long woes, but thou canst make it plain to us. Others have beheld it. Lord, show it to us. We have seen thine anger. Lord, let us see thy mercy. Thy prophets have told us of it, but, O Lord, do Thou Thyself display it in this hour of need, and grant us Thy salvation. This includes deliverance from the sin, as well as the chastisement.
It reaches from the depth of their misery to the height of divine love. God's salvation is perfect in kind, comprehensive in extent, and eminent in degree. Grant us this, O Lord, and we have all.
Verses 8 to 13. I will hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace unto his people and to his saints. But let them not turn again to folly. Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him. That glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth are met together. Righteousness and peace Have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good, and our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness shall go before him, and shall set us in the way of his steps.
Having offered earnest intercession for the afflicted but penitent nation, the sacred poet in the true spirit of faith, Awaits a response from the sacred oracle. He pauses in joyful confidence, and then, in ecstatic triumph, he gives utterance to his hopes in the richest form of song. Eight. I will hear what God the Lord will speak. When we believe that God hears us, it is but natural that we should be eager to hear Him. Only from Him can come the word which can speak peace to troubled spirits. The voices of men are feeble in such a case, a plaster far too narrow for the sore. But God's voice is power. He speaks, and it is done. And hence, when we hear him, our distress is ended. Happy is the suppliant who has grace to lie patiently at the Lord's door, and wait until his love shall act according to its old want, and chase all sorrow far away.
For he will speak peace unto his people and to his saints. Even though for a while his voice is stern with merited rebuke, he will not always chide. The Great Father will reassume his natural tone of gentleness and pity. The speaking of peace is the peculiar prerogative of the Lord Jehovah, and deep, lasting, ay, eternal, is the peace he thus creates. Yet not to all does the divine word bring peace, but only to his own people, whom he means to make saints, and those whom he has already made so.
But let them not turn again to folly, for if they do so, his rod will fall upon them again, and their peace will be invaded. Those who would enjoy communion with God must be jealous of themselves. We serve a jealous God, and must needs, therefore, be incessantly vigilant against evil. Backsliders should study this verse with the utmost care. It will console them, and yet warn them. Draw them back to their allegiance, and at the same time inspire them with a wholesome fear of going further astray. To turn again to folly is worse than being foolish for once. It argues willfulness and obstinacy, and it involves the soul in sevenfold sin. There is no fool like the man who will be a fool cost him what it may.
9. Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him. Faith knows that a saving God is always near at hand, but only, for such is the true rendering, to those who fear the Lord and worship him with holy awe. In the Gospel dispensation, this truth is conspicuously illustrated. If, to seeking sinners, salvation is nigh. It is assuredly very nigh to those who have once enjoyed it and have lost its present enjoyment by their folly. They have but to turn unto the Lord, and they shall enjoy it again. We have not to go about by a long round of personal mortifications or spiritual preparations. We may come to the Lord through Jesus Christ, just as we did at the first. And he will again receive us into his loving embrace.
Whether it be a nation under adversity, or a single individual under chastisement, the sweet truth before us is rich with encouragement to repentance and renewed holiness. That glory may dwell in our land. The object of the return of grace will be a permanent establishment of a better state of things, So that gloriously devout worship shall be rendered to God continuously, and a glorious measure of prosperity shall be enjoyed in consequence. Israel was glorious whenever she was faithful. Her dishonour always followed her disloyalty. Believers also live glorious lives when they walk obediently, and they only lose the true glory of their religion when they fall from their steadfastness. In these two verses we have, beneath the veil of the letter, an intimation of the coming of the word of God to the nations in times of deep apostasy and trouble, when faithful hearts would be looking and longing for the promise which had so long tarried.
By his coming, salvation is brought near, and glory, even the glory of the presence of the Lord, tabernacles among men. Of this The succeeding verses speak without obscurity. Ten. Mercy and truth are met together. In answer to prayer, the exalting psalmist sees the attributes of God, confederating to bless the once afflicted nation. Mercy comes hand in hand with truth to fulfill the faithful promise of their gracious God. The people recognize at once the grace and the veracity of Jehovah. He is to them The Lord, whose just severity inflicted the smart, now in pity sends peace to bind up the wound. The people being now made willing to forsake their sins and to follow after righteousness, find peace granted to them at once.
The war drum throbbed no longer, and the battle flags were furled. This appears to be the immediate and primary meaning of these verses. But the inner sense is Christ Jesus, the reconciling Word. In Him, the attributes of God unite in glad unanimity in the salvation of guilty men. They meet and embrace in such a manner as elsewhere inconceivable, either to our just fears God is as true as if he had fulfilled every letter of his threatenings, as righteous as if he had never spoken peace to a sinner's conscience. His love in undiminished splendor shines forth, but no other of his ever-blessed characteristics is eclipsed thereby. It is the custom of modern, quote, thinkers, end quote, to make sport of this representation.
But had they ever been themselves made to feel the weight of sin upon a spiritually awakened conscience, they would cease from their vain ridicule. Their doctrine of atonement has well been described by Dr. Duncan as the admission, quote, that the Lord Jesus Christ did something or other which, somehow or other, was in some way or other connected with man's salvation. This is their substitute for substitution. Our facts are infinitely superior to their dreams, and yet they sneer. It is but natural that natural men should do so. We cannot expect animals to set much store by the discoveries of science. Neither can we hope to see unspiritual men rightly estimate the solution of spiritual problems.
They are far above Meanwhile, it remains for those who rejoice in the great reconciliation to continue both to wonder and adore. 11. Truth shall spring out of the earth. Promises which lie unfulfilled, like buried seeds, shall spring up and yield harvests of joy, and men renewed by grace shall learn to be true to one another and their God. And abhor the falsehood which they loved before. And righteousness shall look down from heaven, as if it threw up the windows and leaned out to gaze upon a penitent people whom it could not have looked upon before without an indignation which would have been fatal to them. This is a delicious scene, earth yielding flowers of truth and heaven shining with stars of holiness, the spheres echoing to each other.
or being mirrors of each other's beauties. Earth, carpeted with truth and canopied with righteousness, shall be a nether heaven. When God looks down in grace, man sends his heart upward in obedience. The person of our adorable Lord Jesus Christ explains this verse most sweetly. In him, truth is found in our humanity. And his deity brings divine righteousness among us. His Spirit's work even now creates a hallowed harmony between his church below and the sovereign righteousness above. And in the latter day, earth shall be universally adorned with every precious virtue, and heaven shall hold intimate intercourse with it. There is a world of meaning in these verses, only needing meditation to draw it out.
Reader. The well is deep, but if thou hast the Spirit, it cannot be said that thou hast nothing to draw with. 12. Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good. Being himself pure goodness, he will readily return from his wrath, and deal out good things to his repenting people. Our evil brings evil upon us, but when we are brought back, To follow that which is good, the Lord abundantly enriches us with good things. Material good will always be bestowed where it can be enjoyed in consistency with spiritual good. And our land shall yield her increase. The curse of barrenness will fly with the curse of sin. When the people yielded what was due to God, the soil would recompense their husbandry. See at this day what sin has done for Palestine, making her gardens a wilderness.
Her wastes are the scars of her iniquities. Nothing but repentance and divine forgiveness will reclaim her desolations. The whole world also shall be bright with the same blessing in the days yet to come. Freed from the curse, the grateful garden gives its fruits in goodly revenue, nor frost. Nor blight, nor mildew fall, nor canker worm, nor caterpillar mar one ripening hope. The clouds drop fatness, the very elements are subject to the prayerful will of those whose pleasure is in union with God's. 13. Righteousness shall go before him, and shall set us in the way of his steps. God's march of right will leave a track. He who smote injustice will also bless injustice, and in both will make his righteousness manifest, so as to affect the hearts and lives of all his people.
Such are the blessings of our Lord's first advent, and such shall be yet more conspicuously the result of his second coming. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
End of Psalm 85.
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9 08 - Psalm 86 33:18
Psalm 86 of The Treasury of David, Vol. 4, by C. H. Spurgeon. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by Gillian Henry. Psalm 86. A Prayer of David. We have here one of the five psalms entitled Tifilas, or Prayers. This psalm consists of praise as well as prayer. But it is in all parts so directly addressed to God that it is most fitly called a prayer. A prayer is nonetheless but all the more a prayer because veins of praise run through it. This psalm would seem to have been especially known as David's prayer, even as the 90th is the prayer of Moses. David composed it, and no doubt often expressed himself in similar language. Both the matter and the wording are suitable to his varied circumstances, and expressive of the different characteristics of his mind.
In many respects, it resembles Psalm 17, which bears the same title, but in other aspects it is very different. The prayers of a good man have a family likeness, but they vary as much as they agree. We may learn from the present psalm that the great saints of old We are accustomed to pray very much in the same fashion as we do. Believers in all ages are of one genus. The name of God occurs very frequently in this psalm. Sometimes it is Jehovah, but more commonly Adonai, which it is believed by many learned scholars was written by the Jewish transcribers instead of the sublimer title because their superstitious dread led them to do so. We, laboring under no such tormenting fear, Rejoice in Jehovah, our God.
It is singular that those who were so afraid of their God that they dared not write his name, had yet so little godly fear that they dared to alter his word. Division. The psalm is irregular in its construction, but may be divided into three portions, each ending with a note of gratitude or of confidence. We shall therefore read from one to seven, and then After another pause, at the end of verse 13, we will continue to the end. Exposition Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me, for I am poor and needy. Preserve my soul, for I am holy. O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee. Be merciful unto me, O Lord, for I cry unto thee daily. Rejoice the soul of thy servant. For unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer, and attend to the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee, for thou wilt answer me.
Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me. In condescension to my littleness, and in pity to my weakness, bow down thine ear, O Lord. When our prayers are lowly by reason of our humility, or feeble by reason of our sickness, or without wing by reason of our despondency, the Lord will bow down to them. The infinitely exalted Jehovah will have respect unto them. Faith, when she has the loftiest name of God on her tongue, And calls him Jehovah, yet dares to ask from him the most tender and condescending acts of love. Great as he is, he loves his children to be bold with him. For I am poor and needy, doubly a son of poverty, because, first, poor and without supply for my needs, and next, needy and so full of wants, though unable to supply them.
Our distress is a forcible reason for our being heard by the Lord God, merciful and gracious. For misery is ever the master argument with mercy. Such reasoning as this would never be adopted by a proud man, and when we hear it repeated in the public congregation by those great ones of the earth who count the peasantry to be little better than the earth they tread upon, it sounds like a mockery of the Most High. Of all despicable sinners, those are the worst, who use the language of spiritual poverty while they think themselves to be rich and increased in goods. 2. Preserve my soul. Let my life be safe from my enemies, and my spiritual nature be secure from their temptations. He feels himself unsafe, except he be covered by the divine protection.
For I am holy. I am set apart for holy uses. Therefore do not let thine enemies commit a sacrilege by injuring or defiling me. I am clear of the crimes laid to my charge, and in that sense innocent. Therefore I beseech thee, do not allow me to suffer from unjust charges. And I am inoffensive, meek, and gentle towards others. Therefore deal mercifully with me as I have dealt with my fellow men. Any of these renderings may explain the text. Perhaps altogether we'll expound it best. It is not self-righteous in good men to plead their innocence as a reason for escaping from the results of sins wrongfully ascribed to them. Penitents do not bedaub themselves with mire for the love of it, or make themselves out to be worse than they are out of compliment to heaven.
No, the humblest saint is not a fool. And he is as well aware of the matters wherein he is clear as of those wherein he must cry, Pecavi. To plead guilty to offences we have never committed is as great a lie as the denial of our real faults. O thou, my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee. Lest any man should suppose that David trusted in his own holiness, he immediately declared his trust in the Lord. And begged to be saved as one who was not holy in the sense of being perfect, but was even yet in need of the very elements of salvation. How sweet is that title, my God, when joined to the other, thy servant. And how sweet is the hope that on this ground we shall be saved, seeing that our God is not like the Amalekites master who left his poor sick servant to perish.
Note how David's poor I am, or rather the I repeated without the am, appeals to the great I am, with that sacred boldness engendered by the necessity which breaks through stone walls, aided by the faith which removes mountains. Three. Be merciful unto me, O Lord. The best of men need mercy, and appeal to mercy. Yea, to nothing else but mercy. They need it for themselves, and crave it eagerly of their God as a personal requisite. For I cry unto thee daily. Is there not a promise that importunity shall prevail? May we not, then, plead our importunity as an argument with God? He who prays every day and all the day, for so the word may mean, May rest assured that the Lord will hear him in the day of his need.
If we cried sometimes to man or other false confidences, we might expect to be referred to them in the hour of our call.
See how David pleaded, first that he was poor and needy. Next, that he was the Lord's set-apart one. Then, that he was God's servant, and had learned to trust in the Lord. And lastly, that he had been taught to pray daily. Surely these are such holy pleadings as any tried believer may employ when wrestling with a prayer-hearing God, and with such weapons the most trembling suppliant may hope to win the day.
Rejoice, the soul of thy servant. Make my heart glad, O my Master, for I count it my honour to call myself again and again thy servant, and I reckon thy favour to be all the wages I could desire. I look for all my happiness in thee only, and therefore, unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. As the heliotrope looks to the sun for its smile. So turn I my heart to thee. Thou art as the brazen serpent to my sick nature, and I lift up my soul's eye to thee, that I may live. I know that the nearer I am to thee, the greater is my joy. Therefore be pleased to draw me nearer, while I am labouring to draw near. It is not easy to lift a soul at all. It needs a strong shoulder at the wheel. When a heart sticks in the miry clay of despondency, it is less easy to lift a soul up to the Lord, for the height is great, as well as the weight oppressive.
But the Lord will take the will for the deed, and come in with a hand of almighty grace to raise his poor servant out of the earth and up to heaven. Five. For thou, Lord, art good and ready to forgive. Good at giving and forgiving, supplying us with his good and removing our evil. Here was the great reason why the psalmist looked to the Lord alone for his joy, because every joy-creating attribute is to be found in perfection in Jehovah alone. Some men, who would be considered good, are so self-exaltingly indignant at the injuries done them by others. that they cannot forgive. But we may rest assured that the better a being is, the more willing he is to forgive, and the best and highest of all is ever ready to blot out the transgressions of his creatures.
And plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. God does not dispense his mercy from a slender store, which perchance may be so impoverished as to give out altogether. But out of a cornucopia he pours forth the infinite riches of his mercy. His goodness flows forth in abounding streams towards those who pray and in adoring worship make mention of his name. David seems to have stood in the cleft of the rock with Moses, and to have heard the name of the Lord proclaimed, even as the great lawgiver did. For in two places in this psalm he almost quotes verbatim, The passages in Exodus, chapter 34, verse 6. The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth.
6. Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer. Even the glory which his Spirit hath beheld did not withdraw him from his prayer, but rather urged him to be more fervent in it. Hence he implores the Lord to hear his requests. Attend to the voice of my supplications. Here are repetitions, but not vain repetitions. When a child cries, it repeats the same note, but it is equally in earnest every time. And so was it with the suppliant here. Not the expression, quote, the voice of my supplications, end quote, as if they were not all voice. But were partly made up of inarticulate noise. Yet amid much that was superfluous, there really was a distinct voice, an inner meaning, a living sense which was the heart's intention.
This he would have the Lord sift out from the chaff, and hear amid the mingled din. May our prayers never be voiceless. May the soul's intent always give them a live core of meaning.
In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee, for thou wilt answer me. A pious resolve backed by a judicious reason. It is useless to cry to those who cannot or will not hear. Once convince men that prayer has no effect upon God, and they will have no more of it. In these busy days, and especially in troublous times, men cannot afford to waste time in entreaties which must be unavailing. Our experience confirms us in the belief that Jehovah, the living God, really does aid those who call upon him, and therefore we pray and mean to pray, not because we are so fascinated by prayer that, for its own sake, we would continue in it if it proved to be mere folly and superstition, as vain philosophers assert, but because we really, indeed, and offer truth.
find it to be a practical and effectual means of obtaining help from God in the hour of need. There can be no reason for praying if there be no expectation of the Lord's answering. Who would make a conscience of pleading with the winds, or find a solace in supplicating the waves? The mercy seat is a mockery if there be no hearing nor answering. David, as the following verses show, believed the Lord to be a living and potent God, and indeed to be God alone. And it was on that account that he resolved in every hour of trouble to call upon him. Verses 8 to 13. Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord. Neither are there any works like unto thy works. All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord.
And shall glorify Thy name. For Thou art great, and doest wondrous things. Thou art God alone. Teach me Thy ways, O Lord. I will walk in Thy truth. Unite my heart to fear Thy name. I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Thy name forevermore. For great is Thy mercy towards me, and Thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell. Eight. Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord. There are gods by delegated office, such as kings and magistrates, but they are as nothing in the presence of Jehovah. There are also gods by the nominations of superstition, but these are vanity itself, and cannot be compared with the living and true God. Even if the heathen idols were gods, none of them in power or even in character, Could be likened unto the self-existent, all-creating God of Israel.
If every imaginary deity could start into actual existence and become really divine, yet would we choose Jehovah to be our God and reject all others? Neither are there any works like unto thy works. What have the false gods ever made or unmade? What miracles have they wrought? When did they divide a sea, or march through a wilderness scattering bread from the skies? O Jehovah, in thy person and in thy works thou art as far above all gods as the heavens are above the nethermost abyss. 9. All nations whom thou hast made. And these include all mankind, since they all come of the first Adam, thy creature. And their lives are all distinct creations of Thine omnipotence. All these shall come, with penitent hearts, in Thine own way, to Thine own self, and worship before Thee, O Lord.
Because Thou art thus above all gods, the people who have been so long deceived shall at last discover Thy greatness, and shall render Thee the worship which is Thy due. Thou hast created them all, and unto thee shall thee all yield homage. This was David's reason for resorting to the Lord in trouble, for he felt that one day all men would acknowledge the Lord to be the only God. It makes us content to be in the minority today, when we are sure that the majority will be with us tomorrow, aye, and that the truth will one day be carried unanimously and heartily. David was not a believer in the theory that the world will grow worse and worse, and that the dispensation will wind up with general darkness and idolatry.
Earth's sun is to go down amid tenfold night, if some of our prophetic brethren are to be believed. Not so do we expect, for we look for a day when the dwellers in all lands shall learn righteousness, shall trust in the Saviour, shall worship The modern notion has greatly damped the zeal of the Church for missions, and the sooner it is shown to be unscriptural, the better for the cause of God. It neither consorts with prophecy, honours God, nor inspires the Church with ardour. Far hence be it driven. 10. For thou art great. He had before said, Thou art good. It is a grand thing when greatness and goodness are united. It is only in the divine being that either of them exists absolutely and essentially.
Happy is it for us that they both exist in the Lord to an equal degree. To be great and not good might lead to tyranny in the king, and for him to be good and not great might involve countless calamities upon his subjects from foreign foes, so that either alternative would be terrible. Let the two be blended, and we have a monarch in whom the nation may rest and rejoice, and doest wondrous things. Being good, he is said to be ready to forgive. Being great, he works wonders. We may blend the two, for there is no wonder so wonderful As the pardon of our transgressions. All that God does or makes has wonder in it. He breathes, and the wind is mystery. He speaks, and the thunder astounds us. Even the commonest daisy is a marvel.
and a pebble enshrines wisdom. Only to fools is anything which God has made uninteresting. The world is a world of wonders. Note that the verb doest is in the present. The Lord is doing wondrous things. They are transpiring before our eyes. Where are they? Look upon the bursting buds of spring, or the maturing fruits of autumn. Gaze on the sky, or skim the sea. Mark the results of providence and the victories of grace. Everywhere, at all times, the great Thoma Church stretches forth his rod of power. Thou art God alone. Alone wast thou God before thy creatures were. Alone in Godhead still art thou, now that thou hast given life to throngs of beings. Alone forever shalt thou be, for none can ever rival thee.
True religion makes no compromises. It does not admit Baal or Dagon to be a God. It is exclusive and monopolizing, claiming for Jehovah nothing less than all. The vaunted liberality of certain professors of modern thought is not to be cultivated by believers in the truth. Philosophic breadth aims at building a pantheon and piles a pandemonium. It is not for us to be helpers in such an evil work. Benevolently intolerant, we would, for the good of mankind, as well as for the glory of God, And his gospel is not to be preached as one of several saving systems, but as the one sole way of salvation. Lies can face each other beneath one common dome, but in the temple of truth. The worship is one and indivisible.
11. Teach me thy way, O Lord. Instruct me thus at all times. Let me live in thy school. But teach me now especially, since I am in trouble and perplexity. Be pleased to show me the way which thy wisdom and mercy have prepared for my escape. Behold, I lay aside all willfulness. And only desire to be informed as to Thy holy and gracious mind. Not my way give me, but Thy way. Teach me. I would follow Thee and not be willful. I will walk in Thy truth. When taught, I will practice what I know. Truth shall not be a mere doctrine or sentiment to me, but a matter of daily life. The true servant of God regulates his walk by his master's will. And hence he never walks deceitfully, for God's way is ever truth.
Providence has a way for us, and it is our wisdom to keep in it. We must not be as the bullock, which needs to be driven and urged forward, because it likes not the road, but be as men who voluntarily go where their trusted friend and helper appoints their path. Unite my heart to fear thy name. Having taught me one way, give me one heart to walk therein, for too often I feel a heart and a heart, two natures contending, two principles struggling for sovereignty. Our minds are apt to be divided between a variety of objects, like trickling streamlets, which waste their force in a hundred runnels. Our great desire should be to have all our life, lads, poured into one channel, And to have that channel directed towards the Lord alone.
A man of divided heart is weak. A man of one object is the man. God, who created the bands of our nature, can draw them together, tighten, strengthen, and fasten them. And so braced and inwardly knit by his uniting grace, we shall be powerful for good, but not otherwise. To fear God is both the beginning, the growth, and the maturity of wisdom. Therefore should we be undividedly given up to it, heart and soul. 12. I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart. When my heart is one, I will give Thee all of it. Praise should never be rendered with less than all our heart and soul and strength. This is the second time in the psalm that David calls the Lord, my God. The first time he was in an agony of prayer, verse 2, and now he is in an ecstasy of praise.
If anything can make a man pray and praise, it is the knowledge that the Lord is his God. And I will glorify thy name forevermore. Into eternity, gratitude will prolong its praise. God has never done blessing us. Let us never have done blessing Him. As He ever gives us grace, let us ever render to Him the glory of it. 13. For great is Thy mercy toward me. Personal experience is ever the master singer. Whatever Thou art to others, to me, Thy mercy is most notable. The psalmist claims to sing among the loudest, because his debt to divine mercy is among the greatest. And thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell. From the direst death and the deepest dishonor, David had been kept by God, for his enemies would have done more than sent him to hell, had they been able.
His sense of sin also made him feel as if the most overwhelming destruction would have been his portion, had not grace prevented. Therefore does he speak of deliverance from the nethermost abode of lost spirits. There are some alive now who can use this language unfeignedly, and he who pens these lines most humbly confesses that he is one, left to myself to indulge my passions. To rush onward with my natural vehemence, and defy the Lord with recklessness of levity. What a candidate for the lowest abyss should I have made myself by this time! For me, there was but one alternative, great mercy, or the lowest hell. With my whole heart do I sing, great is thy mercy towards me, and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.
The psalmist here again touches a bold and joyful note, but soon he exchanges it for the mournful string. Verses 14-17 O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul, and have not set thee before them. But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me. Give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid. Show me a token for good, that they which hate me may see it and be ashamed, because thou, Lord, hast helpen me and comforted me. 14. O God, the proud are risen against me. They could not let God's poor servant alone. His walk with God.
was as smoke to their eyes, and therefore they determined to destroy him. None hate good men so fiercely as do the high-minded and domineering. And the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul. Unitedly, oppressors sought the good man's life. They hunted in packs, with keen scent and eager foot. In persecuting times, many a saint has used these words in reference to papal bishops and inquisitors, and have not set thee before them. They would not have molested the servant if they had cared one whit for the master. Those who fear not God are not afraid to commit violent and cruel acts. An atheist is a misanthrope. Irreligion is akin to inhumanity. 15. But thou, O Lord. What a contrast!
We get away from the hectorings and blusterings of proud but puny men to the glory and goodness of the Lord. We turn from the boisterous foam of chafing waves to the sea of glass mingled with fire, calm and serene. Art a God full of compassion and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. A truly glorious doxology, in which there is not one redundant word. As we have before observed, it is mainly transcribed from Exodus chapter 34, verse 6. Here is compassion for the weak and sorrowing, grace for the undeserving, long-suffering for the provoking, mercy for the guilty, and truth for the tried. God's love assumes many forms, and is lovely in them all. Into whatsoever state we may be cast, there is a peculiar hue in the light of love which will harmonize with our condition.
Love is one, and yet sevenfold. Its white ray contains the chromatic scale. Are we sorrowful? We find the Lord full of compassion. Are we contending with temptation? His grace comes to our aid. Do we err? He is patient with us. Have we sinned? He is plenteous in mercy. Are we resting on his promise? He will fulfill it with abundant truth. 16. O turn unto me. As though the face of God had been before averted in anger, the suppliant pleads for a return of conscious favor. One turn of God's face will turn all our darkness into day. And have mercy upon me. That is all he asks, for he is lowly in heart. That is all he wants, for mercy answereth all a sinner's needs. Give thy strength unto thy servant.
Guard me with it, that I may serve thee. Guard me with it, that I may not be overcome. When the Lord gives us his own strength, we are sufficient for all emergencies. And have no cause to fear any adversaries. And save the son of thine handmaid. He meant that he was a home-born servant of God. As the sons of slaves were their master's property by their birth, so he gloried in being the son of a woman who herself belonged to the Lord. What others might think a degrading illustration, he uses with delight, to show how intensely he loved the Lord's service. And also as a reason why the Lord should interpose to rescue him, saying that he was no newly purchased servant, but had been in the house from his very birth.
17. Show me a token for good. Let me be assured of thy mercy by being delivered out of trouble, that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed. Some token of thy favour show, some sign which all my foes may see, and filled with blank confusion know my comfort and my help in thee. What bodes good to me shall make them quail and blush. Disappointed and defeated, the foes of the good man would feel ashamed of what they had designed. Because thou, Lord, hast helpen me and comforted me. God doth nothing thy halves. Those whom he helps, he also consoles, and so makes them not merely safe, but joyful. This makes the foes of the righteous exceedingly displeased, but it brings to the Lord double honour.
Lord, deal thou thus with us evermore, so will we glorify thee, world without end. Amen.
End of Psalm 86
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10 09 - Psalm 87 18:27
Psalm 87 of The Treasury of David, Vol. 4 by C. H. Spurgeon. Psalm 87. A psalm or song for the sons of Korah. A sacred hymn and a national lyric. A theocracy blends the religious and the patriotic ideas in one, and in proportion, as nations become Christianized, Their popular songs will become deeply imbued with pious sentiments. Judged by this standard, our own land is far in our ears. This psalm or song was either composed by the sons of Korah or dedicated to them. As they kept the doors of the house of the Lord, they could use this beautiful composition as a psalm within the doors and as a song outside. Subject and Division The song is in honor of Zion, or Jerusalem, and it treats of God's favor to that city among the mountains, the prophecies which made it illustrious, and the honor of being a native of it.
Many conceive that it was written at the founding of David's city of Zion, but does not the mention of Babylon imply a later date? It would seem to have been written after Jerusalem and the temple had been built. and had enjoyed a history of which glorious things could be spoken. Among other marvels of God's love in its later history, it had been untouched by Sennacherib when other cities of Israel and Judah had fallen victims to his cruelty. It was in Hezekiah's reign that Babylon became prominent, when the ambassadors came to congratulate the king concerning his recovery. At that time also, Tyre would be more famous than at any period in David's day. But as we have no information, and the point is not important, we may leave it and proceed to meditate upon the psalm itself.
We have no need to divide so brief a song. Exposition. His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that knew me. Behold Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia. This man was born there. And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her, and the highest himself shall establish her. The Lord shall count when he writeth up the people. that this man was born there. As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there. All my springs are in thee. One. His foundation is in the holy mountains. The psalm begins abruptly.
The poet's heart was full, and it gained vent on a sudden. God's foundation stands forever on the holy mountain towers. Zion's gates Jehovah favors more than Jacob's thousand bowers. Sudden passion is evil, but bursts of holy joy are most precious. God has chosen to found his earthly temple upon the mountains. He might have selected other spots, but it was his pleasure to have his chosen abode upon Zion. His election made the mountains holy. They were by his determination ordained. The foundation of the Church, which is the mystical Jerusalem, is laid in the eternal, immutable, and invincible decrees of Jehovah. He wills that the Church shall be. He settles all arrangements for her calling, salvation, maintenance, and perfection.
And all his attributes, like the mountains round about Jerusalem, lend their strength for her support. Not on the sand of carnal policy, nor in the morass of human kingdoms, as the Lord founded his Church, but on his own power and Godhead, which are pledged for the establishment of his beloved Church, which is to him the chief of all his works. What a theme for meditation is the founding of the Church of God in the ancient covenant engagements of eternity! The abrupt character of this first verse indicates long consideration on the part of the writer, leading up to his bursting forth in wonder and adoration. Well might such a theme cause the heart to glow. Rome stands on her seven hills and has never lacked a poet's tongue to sing her glories.
But more glorious far art thou, O Zion, among the eternal mountains of God. While pen can write or mouth can speak, thy praises shall never lie buried in inglorious silence. Two. The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. The gates are put for the city itself. The love of God is greatest to his own elect nation, descended from his servant Jacob. Yet the central seat of his worship is dearer still. No other supposable comparison could have so fully displayed the favor which Jehovah bore to Jerusalem. He loves Jacob best, and Zion better than the best. At this hour, the mystical teaching of these words is plain. God delights in the prayers and praises of Christian families and individuals, but he has a special eye to the assemblies of the faithful.
And he has a special delight in their devotions in their church capacity. The greatest festivals, when the crowd surrounded the temple gates, were fair in the Lord's eyes. And even such is the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. This should lead each separate believer to identify himself with the Church of God. Where the Lord reveals his love the most. There should each believer most delight to be found. Our own dwellings are very dear to us, but we must not prefer them to the assemblies of the saints. We must say of the church, Here, my best friends, my kindred dwell. Here God, my Saviour, reigns. Three. Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God.
This is true of Jerusalem. Her history, which is the story of the nation of which she is the capital, is full of glorious incidents, and her use and end as the abode of the true God and of his worship was preeminently glorious. Glorious things were taught in her streets and seen in her temples. Glorious things were foretold of her, and she was the type of the most glorious things of all. This is yet more true of the Church. She is founded in grace, but her pinnacles glow with glory. Men may glory in her without being braggarts. She has a lustre about her brow which none can rival. Whatever glorious things the saints may say of the Church in their eulogies, they cannot exceed what prophets have foretold, what angels have sung, or what God himself has declared.
Happy are the tongues which learn to occupy themselves with so excellent a subject. May they be found around our firesides, in our marketplaces, and in all the spots where men most congregate. Never let thy praises cease, O thou Bride of Christ, thou fairest among women, thou in whom the Lord himself hath placed his delight, calling thee by that pearl of names, Hepzibah. For my delight is in her. Since the Lord has chosen thee, and deigns to dwell in thee, O thou city of beauty, none can rival thee. Thou art the eye of the world, the pearl, the queen of all the cities of the universe, the true eternal city, the metropolitan, the mother of us all. The years to come shall unveil thy beauties to the astonished eyes of all peoples.
And the day of thy splendor shall come to its sevenfold noon. Scylla. With the prospect before him of a world converted, and the most implacable foes transformed into friends, it was meet that the psalmist should pause. How could he sing the glories of new-born Tyre and Ethiopia, received with open arms into union with Zion? Until he had taken breath and prepared both voice and heart for so divine a song. Four. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me. This shall be a glorious subject to speak of concerning Zion, that her old foes are new-born and have become her friends, worshipping in the temple of her God, Rahab or Egypt, which oppressed Israel. shall become a sister nation, and Babylon, in which the tribes endured their second great captivity, shall become a fellow worshipper.
Then shall there be mention made in familiar talk of the old enmities forgotten, and the new friendships formed. Some consider that these are the words of God himself, and should be rendered, quote, I will mention Rahab and Babylon as knowing me, end quote. But we feel content with our common version, and attribute the words to the psalmist himself, who anticipates the conversion of the two great rival nations, and speaks of it with exultation. Behold Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia. These also are to bow before the Lord. Philistia shall renounce her ancient hate, Tyre shall not be swallowed up by thoughts of her commerce, and distant Ethiopia This man was born there. The word man is inserted by the translators to the marrying of the sense, which is clear enough when the superfluous word is dropped.
Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia. This was born there. That is, this nation has been born into Zion, regenerated into the church of God. Of the new births of nations we will make mention, for it is at once a great blessing and a great wonder. It is a glorious thing, indeed, when whole nations are born unto God. Mark ye well Philistia's legions, lo, to seek the Lord they come. And within the sacred regions Tyre and Cush have found a home. Many understand the sense of these verses To be that all men are proud of their native country, and so also is the citizen of Zion. So that while of one it is said, he was born in Egypt, and of another, he came from Ethiopia, it would be equally to the honor of others that they were home-born sons of the city of God.
The passage is not so clear that anyone should become dogmatical as to its meaning, but we prefer the interpretation given above. 5. And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her. Not as nations only, but one by one, as individuals, the citizens of the new Jerusalem shall be counted, and their names publicly declared. Man by man will the Lord reckon them, for they are each one precious in his sight. The individual shall not be lost in the mass. But each one shall be of high account. What a patent of nobility is it for a man to have it certified that he was born in Zion. The twice-born are a royal priesthood, the true aristocracy, the imperial race of men. The original, by using the noblest word for man, intimates that many remarkable men will be born in the church, and indeed Every man who is renewed in the image of Christ is an eminent personage, while there are some who, even to the dim eyes of the world, shine forth with a luster of character which cannot but be admitted to be unusual and admirable.
The Church has illustrious names of prophets, apostles, martyrs, confessors, reformers, missionaries, and the like, which bear comparison with the grandest names honoured by the world. Nay, in many respects, far excel them. Zion has no reason to be ashamed of her sons, nor her sons of her. Wisdom is justified of her children. And the Highest himself shall establish her, the only establishment worth having. When the numbers of the faithful are increased by the new birth, the Lord proves himself to be the upbuilder of the church. The Lord alone deserves to wear the title of Defender of the Faith. He is the sole and sufficient patron and protector of the true Church. There is no fear for the Lord's heritage.
His own arm is sufficient to maintain His rights. The highest is higher than all those who are against us, and the good old cause shall triumph over all.
The Lord shall count when he writeth up the people that this man was born there. At the great census which the Lord himself shall take, he will number the nations without exception and make an exact registry of them, whether they were by their natural descent Babylonians or Tyrians or other far-off heathen. May it be our happy lot to be numbered with the Lord's chosen. Both in life and death, in the church role below, and in the church role above. Jehovah's census of His chosen will differ much from ours. He will count many whom we should have disowned, and He will leave out many whom we should have reckoned. His registration is infallible. Let us pray, then, for that adoption and regeneration which will secure us a place among the heaven-born.
It was thought to be a great honour to have one's name written in the golden book of the Republic of Venice. Kings and princes paid dearly for the honour. But the Book of Life confers far rarer dignity upon all whose names are recorded therein. 7. In vision, the psalmist sees the citizens of Zion rejoicing at some sacred festival, and marching in triumphant procession. With vocal and instrumental music. As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there. Where God is, there must be joy. And where the church is increased by numerous conversions, the joy becomes exuberant and finds out ways of displaying itself. Singers and dancers, psalmists and pipers, united their efforts and made a joyful procession to the temple.
Inspired not by Bacchus or by the Castilian fount, but by drafts from the sacred source of all good, of which they each one sing, All my springs are in thee. Did the poet mean that, henceforth, he would find all his joys in Zion, or that to the Lord he would look for all inspiration, comfort, strength, joy, life, and everything? The last is the truest doctrine. Churches have not such all-sufficiency within them that we can afford to look to them for all. But the Lord who founded the church is the eternal source of all our supplies, and looking to him we shall never flag or fail. How truly does all our experience lead us to look to the Lord by faith, and say, All my fresh springs are in thee. The springs of my faith and all my graces, the springs of my life and all my pleasures, the springs of my activity and all its right doings, the springs of my hope and all its heavenly anticipations, all lie in Thee, my Lord.
Without Thy Spirit I should be as a dry well, a mocking cistern, destitute of power to bless myself or others. O Lord. I am assured that I belong to the regenerate whose life is in thee, for I feel that I cannot live without thee. Therefore, with all thy joyful people will I sing thy praises. With joy shall sing the choral train, the minstrels breathe the answering strain. O Zion, Zion, fair I see, the mountains of my bliss in thee.
End of Psalm eighty-seven
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11 10 - Psalm 88 37:12
Psalm 88 of The Treasury of David, Vol. 4, by C. H. Spurgeon. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by Gillian Henry. Psalm 88. A Song or Psalm for the Sons of Korah. This sad complaint reads very little like a song, nor can we conceive how it could be called by a name which denotes a song of praise or triumph. Yet perhaps it was intentionally so called to show how faith glories in tribulations also. Assuredly, if ever there was a song of sorrow and a psalm of sadness, this is one. The sons of Korah, who had often united in chanting jubilant odes, are now bidden to take charge of this mournful, dirge-like hymn. Servants and singers must not be choosers. To the chief musician. He must superintend the singers and see that they do their duty well, for holy sorrow ought to be expressed with quite as much care as the most joyful praise.
Nothing should be slovenly in the Lord's house. It is more difficult to express sorrow fitly than it is to pour forth notes of gladness. Upon Mahalith Lianoth. This is translated by Alexander, quote, concerning afflictive sickness. And if this be correct, it indicates the mental malady which occasioned this plaintive song.
This term has occurred many times before, and the reader will remember that it indicates an instructive or didactic psalm. The sorrows of one saint are lessons to others. Experimental teaching is exceedingly valuable.
This probably informs us as to its authorship. It was written by Heman. But which Heman it would not be easy to determine, though it will not be a very serious mistake if we suppose it to be the man alluded to in 1 Kings 4, verse 31, as the brother of Ethan and one of the five sons of Zerah, 1 Chronicles 2, verse 6, the son of Judah, and hence called the Ezraite. If this be the man, He was famous for his wisdom, and his being in Egypt during the time of Pharaoh's oppression may help to account for the deep bass of his song, and for the antique form of many of the expressions, which are more after the manner of Job than David. There was, however, a Heman in David's day, who was one of the grand trio of chief musicians, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan.
1 Chronicles 15, verse 19. And no one can prove that this was not the composer. The point is of no consequence. Whoever wrote the psalm must have been a man of deep experience, who had done business on the great waters of soul trouble. Subject and Divisions. This psalm is fragmentary, and the only division of any service to us would be that suggested by Albert Barnes, namely, a description of the sick man's sufferings and a prayer for mercy and deliverance . We shall, however, consider each verse separately, and so exhibit the better the incoherence of the author's grief. The reader had better first peruse the psalm as a whole. Exposition. O Lord of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee.
Let my prayer come before thee. Incline thine ear unto my cry, for my soul is full of troubles, and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. I am counted with them that go down into the pit. I am as a man that hath no strength, free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more, and they are cut off from thy hand. Thou hadst laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me. Thou hast made me an abomination unto them. I am shut up, and I cannot come forth. Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction. Lord, I have called daily upon thee. I have stretched out my hands unto thee. Wilt thou show wonders to the dead?
Shall the dead arise and praise thee? Shall Thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave, or Thy faithfulness in destruction? Shall Thy wonders be known in the dark, and Thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? But unto Thee have I cried, O Lord, and in the morning shall my prayer prevent Thee. Lord, why castest Thou off my soul? Why hidest Thou Thy face from me? I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up. While I suffer thy terrors, I am distracted. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me, thy terrors have cut me off. They came round about me daily like water, they compassed me about together. Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness. One. O Lord God of my salvation.
This is a hopeful title by which to address the Lord. And it has about it the only ray of comfortable light which shines throughout the psalm. The writer has salvation. He is sure of that, and God is the sole author of it. While a man can see God as his saviour, it is not altogether midnight with him. While the living God can be spoken of as the life of our salvation, our hope will not quite expire. It is one of the characteristics of true faith That she turns to Jehovah, the saving God, when all other confidences have proved liars unto her. I have cried day and night before thee. His distress had not blown out the sparks of his prayer, but quickened them into a greater ardency, till they burned perpetually like a furnace at full blast.
His prayer was personal. Whoever had not prayed, he had done so. It was intensely earnest. So that it was correctly described as a cry, such as children utter to move the pity of their parents. And it was unceasing. Neither the business of the day nor the weariness of the night had silenced it. Surely such entreaties could not be in vain. Perhaps if Heman's pain had not been incessant, his supplications might have been intermittent. It is a good thing. That sickness will not let us rest if we spend our restlessness in prayer. Day and night are both suitable to prayer. It is no work of darkness. Therefore, let us go with Daniel and pray when men can see us. Yet, since supplication needs no light, let us accompany Jacob and wrestle at Jabbok till the day breaketh.
Evil is transformed to good when it drives us to prayer. One expression of the text is worthy of special note. Before thee is a remarkable intimation that the psalmist's cries had an aim and a direction towards the Lord, and were not the mere clamours of nature, but the groanings of a gracious heart towards Jehovah, the God of salvation. Of what use are arrows shot into the air? The archer's business is to look well at the mark he drives at. Prayers must be directed to heaven with earnest care. So thought Heman. His cries were all meant for the heart of his God. He had no eye to onlookers, as Pharisees have, but all his prayers were before his God. Two. Let my prayer come before thee. Admit it to an audience.
Let it speak with thee. Though it be my prayer, and therefore very imperfect, Yet deny it not, thy gracious consideration. Incline thine ear unto my cry. It is not music, save to the ear of mercy. Yet be not vexed with its discord, though it be but a cry. For it is the most natural expression of my soul's anguish. When my heart speaks, let thine ear hear. There may be obstacles which impede the upward flight of our prayers. Let us entreat the Lord to remove them. And as there may also be offences which prevent the Lord from giving favourable regard to our requests, let us implore him to put these out of the way. He who has prayed day and night cannot bear to lose all his labour. Only those who are indifferent in prayer will be indifferent about the issue of prayer.
Three. For my soul is full of troubles. I am satiated and nauseated with them. Like a vessel full to the brim with vinegar, my heart is filled up with adversity till it can hold no more. He had his house full and his hands full of sorrow, but worse than that, he had his heart full of it. Trouble in the soul is the soul of trouble. A little soul trouble is painful. What must it be to be sated with it? And how much worse still to have your prayers return empty when your soul remains full of grief. And my life draweth nigh unto the grave. He felt as if he must die. Indeed, he thought himself half dead already. All his life was going. His spiritual life declined. His mental life decayed. His bodily life flickered.
He was nearer dead than alive. Some of us can enter into this experience. For many a time have we traversed this valley of death-shade, aye, and dwelt in it by the month together. Really, to die and be with Christ will be a gala day's enjoyment compared with our misery when a worse-than-physical death has cast its dreadful shadow over us. Death would be welcomed as a relief by those whose depressed spirits make their existence a living death. Are good men ever permitted to suffer thus? Indeed they are, and some of them are even all their lifetime subject to bondage. O Lord, be pleased to set free thy prisoners of hope. Let none of thy mourners imagine that a strange thing has happened unto him, but rather rejoice as he sees the footprints of brethren who have trodden this desert before.
Four. I am counted with them that go down into the pit. My weakness is so great that both by myself and others I am considered as good as dead. If those about me have not ordered my coffin, they have at least conversed about my sepulchre, discussed my estate, and reckoned their share of it. Many a man has been buried before he was dead, and the only warning over him has been because he refused to fulfil the greedy expectations of his hypocritical relatives by going down to the pit at once. It has come to this with some afflicted believers that their hungry heirs think they have lived too long. I am as a man that hath no strength. I have but the name to live. My constitution is broken up. I can scarce crawl about my sick room.
My mind is even weaker than my body, and my faith weakest of all. The sons and daughters of sorrow will need but little explanation of these sentences. They are to such tried ones as household words. 5. Free among the dead. Unbound from all that links a man with life, familiar with death's door, a freeman of the city of the sepulchre, I seem no more one of earth's drudges. But begin to anticipate the rest of the tomb. It is a sad case when our only hope lies in the direction of death, our only liberty of spirit amid the congenial horrors of corruption. Like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more. He felt as if he were as utterly forgotten as those whose carcasses are left to rot on the battlefield.
As when a soldier, mortally wounded, bleeds unheeded amid the heaps of slain, and remains to his last expiring groan, unpitied and unsuccored, so did Haman sigh out his soul in loneliest sorrow, feeling as if even God himself had quite forgotten him. How low the spirits of good and brave men will sometimes sink! Under the influence of certain disorders, everything will wear a sombre aspect, And the heart will dive into the profoundest deeps of misery. It is all very well for those who are in robust health and full of spirits to blame those whose lives are sicklied or with the pale cast of melancholy. But the evil is as real as a gaping wound, and all the more hard to bear because it lies so much in the region of the soul that, to the inexperienced, it appears to be a mere matter of fancy and diseased imagination.
Reader, never ridicule the nervous and hypochondriacal. Their pain is real. Though much of the evil lies in the imagination, it is not imaginary. And they are cut off from thy hand. Poor Haman felt as if God himself had put him away, smitten him, and laid him among the corpses of those executed by divine justice. He mourned that the hand of the Lord had gone out against him. And that he was divided from the great author of his life. This is the essence of wormwood. Man's blows are trifles, but God's smitings are terrible to a gracious heart. To feel utterly forsaken of the Lord and cast away, as though hopelessly corrupt, is the very climax of heart desolation. Six. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.
What a collection of forcible metaphors, each one expressive of the utmost grief. Heman compared his forlorn condition to an imprisonment in a subterranean dungeon, to confinement in the realms of the dead, and to a plunge into the abyss. None of the similes are strained. The mind can descend far lower than the body, for there are bottomless pits. The flesh can bear only a certain number of wounds, and no more, but the soul can bleed in ten thousand ways, and die over and over again each hour. It is grievous to the good man to see the Lord whom he loves laying him in the sepulchre of despondency, piling nightshade upon him, putting out all his candles, and heaping over him solid masses of sorrow.
Evil from so good a hand Seems evil indeed. And yet if faith could but be allowed to speak, she would remind the depressed spirit that it is better to fall into the hand of the Lord than into the hands of man. And moreover, she would tell the despondent heart that God never placed a Joseph in a pit without drawing him up again to fill a throne, that he never caused a horror of great darkness to fall upon an Abraham. Without revealing his covenant to him, and never cast even a Jonah into the deeps without preparing the means to land him safely on dry land. Alas, when under deep depression the mind forgets all this, and is only conscious of its unutterable misery. The man sees the lion, but not the honey in its carcass.
He feels the thorns, but he cannot smell the roses which adorn them. He who now feebly expounds these words knows within himself more than he would care or dare to tell of the abysses of inward anguish. He has sailed round the Cape of Storms, and has drifted along by the dreary headlands of despair. He has groaned out with one of old, quote, My bones are pierced in me in the night season, and my sinews take no rest. I go morning without the sun. Terrors are turned upon me. They pursue my soul as the wind." Those who know this bitterness by experience will sympathize, but from others it would be idle to expect pity, nor would their pity be worth the having if it could be obtained. It is an unspeakable consolation that our Lord Jesus knows this experience right well, having, with the exception of the sin of it, felt it all And more than all, in Gethsemane, when he was exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.
7. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me. Dreadful plight this, the worst in which a man can be found. Wrath is heavy in itself. God-wrath is crushing beyond conception. And when that presses hard, the soul is oppressed indeed. The wrath of God is the very hell of hell. And when it weighs upon the conscience, a man feels a torment such as only that of damned spirits can exceed. Joy or peace, or even numbness of indifference, there can be none to one who is loaded with this most tremendous of burdens. And thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves, or all thy breakers. He pictures God's wrath as breaking over him, Like those waves of the sea which swell and rage and dash with fury upon the shore. How could his frail bark hope to survive those cruel breakers, white like the hungry teeth of death?
Seas of affliction seemed to rush in upon him with all the force of omnipotence. He felt himself to be oppressed and afflicted like Israel in Egypt when they cried by reason of their afflictions. It appeared impossible for him to suffer more. He had exhausted the methods of adversity and endured all its waves. So have we imagined, and yet it is not really quite so bad. The worst case might be worse. There are alleviations to every woe. God has other and more terrible waves, which, if he chose to let them forth, would sweep us into the infernal abyss, whence hope has long since been banished. Scylla. There was need to rest. Above the breakers, the swimmer lifts his head and looks around him, breathing for a moment, until the next wave comes.
Even lamentation must have its pauses. Nights are broken up into watches, and even so, morning has its intervals. Such sorrowful music is a great strain both on voices and instruments, and it is well to give the singers the relief of silence for a while. 8. Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me. If ever we need friends, it is in the dreary hour of despondency and the weary time of bodily sickness. Therefore does the sufferer complain, because divine providence had removed his friends. Perhaps his disease was infectious or defiling, so that he was legally separated from his fellow men. Perhaps their fears kept them away. Most friends require but small excuse for turning their backs on the afflicted.
The swallows offer no apology for leaving us to winter by ourselves. Yet it is a piercing pain which arises from the desertion of dear associates. It is a wound which festers and refuses to be healed. Thou hast made me an abomination unto them. They turned from him as though he had become loathsome and contaminating, and this because of something which the Lord had done to him. Therefore he brings his complaint to the prime mover in his trouble. He who is still flattered by the companions of his pleasure can little guess the wretchedness which will be his portion should he become poor or slanderously accused. For then, one by one, The parasites of his prosperity will go their way and leave him to his fate, not without cutting remarks on their part to increase his misery.
Men have not so much power to bless by friendship as to curse by treachery. Earth's poisons are more deadly than her medicines are healing. The mass of men who gather around a man and flatter him are like tame leopards. When they lick his hand, it is well for him to remember that with equal gusto they would drink his blood. Cursed is he that trusteth in man. I am shut up, and I cannot come forth. He was a prisoner in his room, and felt like a leper in the lazaretto, or a condemned criminal in his cell. His mind, too, was bound, as with fetters of iron. He felt no liberty of hope. He could take no flights of joy. When God shuts friends out and shuts us in to pine away alone, it is no wonder if we water our couch with tears.
Nine. Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction. He wept his eyes out. He exhausted the lacrimal glands. He wore away the sight itself. Tears in showers are a blessing, and work are good, but in floods... They become destructive and injurious. Lord, I have called daily upon thee. His tears wetted his prayers, but did not damp their fervour. He prayed still, though no answer came to dry his eyes. Nothing can make a true believer cease praying. It is part of his nature, and pray he must. I have stretched out my hands unto thee. He used the appropriate posture of a supplicant. of his own accord. Men need no posture-maker or master of the ceremonies when they are eagerly pleading for mercy. Nature suggests to them attitudes both natural and correct.
As a little child stretches out its hands to its mother while it cries, so did this afflicted child of God. He prayed all over, his eyes whipped, his voice cried, his hands were outstretched, and his heart broke. This was prayer indeed. 10. Wilt thou show wonders to the dead? Wherefore, then, suffer me to die? While I live, thou canst in me display the glories of thy grace. But when I have passed into the unknown land, how canst thou illustrate in me thy love? If I perish, thou wilt lose a worshipper who both reverenced and, in his own experience, illustrated The wonders of thy character and acts. This is good pleading, and therefore he repeats it. Shall the dead arise and praise thee? He is thinking only of the present and not of the last great day, and he urges that the Lord would have one the less to praise him among the sons of men.
Shades take no part in the choirs of the Sabbath. Ghosts sing no joyous psalms. True, the souls of departed saints render glory to God, but the dejected psalmist thoughts do not mount to heaven, but survey the gloomy grave. He stays on this side of eternity, where in the grave he sees no wonders and hears no songs.
At the mouth of the tomb he sits down to meditate, and then returns to his theme. 11. Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? By tender goodness, who shall testify concerning it in that cold abode where the worm and corruption hold their riot? The living may indict meditations among the tombs, but the dead know nothing, and therefore can declare nothing. Or thy faithfulness in destruction? If the Lord suffered his servant to die before the divine promise was fulfilled, it would be quite impossible for his faithfulness to be proclaimed. The poet is dealing with this life only, and looking at the matter from the point of view afforded by time and the present race of men. If a believer were deserted and permitted to die in despair, there could come no voice from his grave to inform mankind that the Lord had rectified his wrongs and relieved him of his trials.
No songs would leap up from the cold sod to him the truth and goodness of the Lord. But as far as men are concerned, a voice which loved to magnify the grace of God would be silenced, and a loving witness for the Lord removed from the sphere of testimony. 12. Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? If not here permitted to prove the goodness of Jehovah, how could the singer do so in the land of darkness and death-shade? Could his tongue, when turned into a clod, charm the dull, cold ear of death? Is not a living dog better than a dead lion, and a living believer of more value to the cause of God on earth than all the departed put together? And thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness. What shall be told concerning thee in the regions of oblivion?
Where memory and love are lost, and men are alike, unknowing and unknown, forgetful and forgotten, what witness to the divine holiness can be borne? The whole argument amounts to this. If the believer dies unblessed, how will God's honour be preserved? Who will bear witness to his truth and righteousness?
But unto thee have I cried, O Lord. I have continued to pray for help to thee, O Jehovah, the living God, even though thou hast so long delayed to answer. A true-born child of God may be known by his continuing to cry. A hypocrite is great at a spurt, but the genuine believer holds on till he wins his suit. And in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee. He meant to plead on yet, and to increase his earnestness. He intended to be up the times, to anticipate the daylight, and begin to pray before the sun was up. If the Lord is pleased to delay, he has a right to do as he wills, but we must not therefore become tardy in supplication. If we count the Lord slack concerning his promise, we must only be the more eager to outrun him.
Lest sinful sloth on our parts should hinder the blessing. Let prayer and holy hymn perfume the morning air. Before the world with smoke is dim, bestir thy soul to prayer. While flowers are wet with dew, lament thy sins with tears. And ere the sun shines forth anew, tell to thy Lord thy fears. 14. Lord, why casteth thou off my soul? Hast thou not aforetime chosen me? Wilt thou now reject me? Shall thine elect ones become thy reprobates? Dost thou, like changeable men, give a writing of divorcement to those whom thy love has espoused? Can thy beloveds become thy cast-offs? Why hidest thou thy face from me? Wilt thou not so much as look upon me? Canst thou not afford me a solitary smile? Why this severity to one who has in brighter days basked in the light of thy favour?
We may put these questions to the Lord, nay, we ought to do so. It is not undue familiarity, but holy boldness. It may help us to remove the evil which provokes the Lord to jealousy, if we seriously beg him to show us wherefore he contends with us. He cannot act towards us in other than a right and gracious manner. Therefore, for every stroke of his rod, there is a sufficient reason in the judgment of his loving heart. Let us try to learn that reason, and profit by it. 15. I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up. His affliction had now lasted so long that he could hardly remember when it commenced. It seemed to him As if he had been at death's door ever since he was a child. This was no doubt an exaggeration of a depressed spirit.
And yet perhaps Haman may have been born under the cypress, and have been all his days afflicted with some chronic disease or bodily infirmity. There are holy men and women whose lives are a long apprenticeship to patients, and these deserve both our sympathy and our reverence. Our reverence, we have ventured to say, for since the Saviour became the acquaintance of grief, sorrow has become honourable in believers' eyes. A lifelong sickness may, by divine grace, prove to be a lifelong blessing. Better suffer from childhood to old age than be let alone to find pleasure in sin. While I suffer thy terrors, I am distracted. Long use had not blunted the edge of sorrow. God's terrors had not lost their terror.
Rather, had they become more overwhelming, and had driven the man to despair. He was unable to collect his thoughts. He was so tossed about that he could not judge and weigh his own condition in a calm and rational manner. Sickness alone will thus distract the mind, and when a sense of divine anger is added thereto, it is not to be wondered at, If reason finds it hard to hold the reins. How near akin to madness soul depression sometimes may be, it is not our province to decide. But we speak what we do know when we say that a featherweight might be sufficient to turn the scale at times. Thank God, O ye tempted ones, who yet retain your reason. Thank him that the devil himself cannot add that feather.
While the Lord stands by to adjust all things. Even though we have grazed upon the rock of utter distraction, we bless the infinitely gracious steersman, that the vessel is seaworthy yet, and answers to her helm. Tempest tossed from the hour of her launch, even to this hour, yet she mounts the waves and defies the hurricane. 16. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me. What an expression! Fierce wrath! And it is a man of God who feels it. Do we seek an explanation? It seemed so to him, but things are not what they seem. No punitive anger ever falls upon the saved one, for Jesus shields him from it all. But a father's anger may fall upon his dearest child, nonetheless, but all the more because he loves it.
Since Jesus bore my guilt as my substitute, my judge cannot punish me, but my Father can and will correct me. In this sense, the Father may even manifest fierce wrath to his erring child, and under a sense of it, that dear broken-down one may be laid in the dust and covered with wretchedness, and yet for all that, he may be accepted and beloved of the Lord. All the while. Iman represents God's wrath as breaking over him as waves over a wreck. Thy terrors have cut me off. They have made me a marked man. They have made me feel like a leper, separated from the congregation of thy people, and they have caused others to look upon me as no better than dead. Blessed be God, this is the sufferer's idea, and not the very truth.
For the Lord will neither cast off nor cut off his people, but will visit his mourners with choice refreshments. 17. They came round about me daily like water. My troubles and thy chastisements poured in upon me, penetrating everywhere and drowning all. Such is the permeating and pervading power of spiritual distress. There is no shutting it out. It soaps into the soul, like the dew into Gideon's fleece. It sucks the spirit down as the quicksand swallows the ship. It overwhelms it as the deluge submerged the green earth. They compassed me about together. Griefs hemmed him in. He was like the deer in the hunt, where the dogs are all around and at his throat. Poor soul! And yet he was a man greatly beloved of heaven.
18. Lover and friend hast thou put far from me? Even when they are near me bodily, they are so unable to swim with me in such deep waters that they stand like men far away on the shore, while I am buffeted with the billows. But alas, they shun me. The dearest lover of all is afraid of such a distracted one, and those who took counsel with me avoid me now. The Lord Jesus knew the meaning of this in all its wormwood and gall when in his passion. In dreadful loneliness he trod the winepress, and all his garments were disdained with the red blood of those sour grapes. Lonely sorrow falls to the lot of not a few. Let them not repine, but enter herein into close communion with that dearest lover and friend who is never far from his tried ones.
And mine acquaintance into darkness. Or better still, my acquaintance is darkness. I am familiar only with sadness. All else has vanished. I am a child crying alone in the dark. Will the Heavenly Father leave his child there? Here he breaks off, and anything more from us would only spoil the abruptness of the unexpected Phineas.
We have not attempted to interpret this psalm concerning our Lord, but we fully believe that where the members are, the head is to be seen pre-eminently. To have given a double exposition under each verse would have been difficult and confusing. We have therefore left the Messianic references to be pointed out in the notes, where, if God the Holy Ghost be pleased to illustrate the page, we have gathered up more than enough To lead each devout reader to behold Jesus, the man of sorrows and the acquaintance of grief.
End of Psalm 88.
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12 11 - Psalm 89:1-18 35:04
Psalm 89 of The Treasury of David, Vol. 4 by C. H. Spurgeon. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by Gillian Hendry. Psalm 89, Part 1. We have now reached the Majestic Covenant Psalm, which, according to the Jewish arrangement, closes the third book of the Psalms. It is the utterance of a believer in presence of great national disaster. Pleading with his God, urging the grand argument of covenant engagements, and expecting deliverance and help because of the faithfulness of Jehovah. Title. Maschil. This is most fully called a maschil, for it is most instructive. No subject is more important or is so fully the key to all theology as that of the covenant. He who is taught by the Holy Spirit to be clear upon the covenant of grace will be a scribe well instructed in the things of the kingdom.
He whose doctrinal theory is a mingle-mangle of works and grace is scarcely fit to be teacher of babes. Of Ethan the Ezraite, perhaps the same person as Jeduthun, who was a musician in David's reign, was noted for his wisdom in Solomon's days. And probably survived till the troubles of Rehoboam's period. If this be the man, he must have written this psalm in his old age, when troubles were coming thick and heavy upon the dynasty of David and the land of Judah. This is not at all improbable, and there is much in the psalm which looks that way. Division. The sacred poet commences by affirming his belief in the faithfulness of the Lord to his covenant with the house of David, and makes his first pause at verse 4.
He then praises and magnifies the name of the Lord for his power, justice, and mercy. Verses 5 to 14. This leads him to sing of the happiness of the people who have such a God to be their glory and defence. Verses 15 to 18. He rehearses the terms of the covenant at full length with evident delight, verses 19-37, and then mournfully pours out his complaint and petition, verses 38-51, closing the whole with a hearty benediction and a double Amen. May the Holy Spirit greatly bless to us the reading of this most precious psalm of instruction. Exposition. I will sing. I have made a covenant with my chosen. I have sworn unto David my servant. Thy seed will I establish forever, and build up thy throne to all generations.
Said that. 1. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever. A devout resolve, and very commendable, when a man is exercised with great trouble on account of an apparent departure of the Lord from his covenant and promise. Whatever we may observe abroad, or experience in our own persons, we ought still to praise God for his mercies, since they most certainly remain the same. Whether we can perceive them or not. Sense sings but now and then, but faith is an eternal songster. Whether others sing or not, believers must never give over.
In them...
We are not only to believe the Lord's goodness. But to rejoice in it evermore. It is the source of all our joy, and as it cannot be dried up, so the stream ought never to fail to flow or cease to flash in sparkling crystal of song. We have not one but many mercies to rejoice in, and should therefore multiply the expressions of our thankfulness. It is Jehovah who deigns to deal out to us our daily benefits. And he is the all-sufficient and immutable God. Therefore our rejoicing in him must never suffer diminution. By no means let his exchequer of glory be deprived of the continual revenue which we owe to it. Even time itself must not bound our praises. They must leap into eternity. He blesses us with eternal mercies.
Let us sing unto him forever. With my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. The utterances of the present will instruct future generations. What Ethan sung is now a textbook for Christians, and will be so as long as this dispensation shall last. We ought to have an eye to posterity in all that we write, for we are the schoolmasters of succeeding ages. Ethan first spoke with his mouth, That which he recorded with his pen, a worthy example of using both means of communication. The mouth has a warmer manner than the pen, but the pen's speech lives longest, and is heard farther and wider. While reading this psalm, such is the freshness of the style that one seems to hear it gushing from the poet's mouth.
He makes the letters live and talk, or rather sing to us. Note that in this second sentence he speaks of faithfulness, which is the mercy of God's mercies, the brightest jewel in the crown of goodness. The grace of an unfaithful God would be a poor subject for music, but unchangeable love and immutable promises demand everlasting songs. In times of trouble it is the divine faithfulness which the soul hangs upon. This is the bower anchor of the soul, its holdfast and its stay. Because God is and ever will be faithful, we have a theme for song which will not be out of date for future generations. It will never be worn out, never be disproved, never be unnecessary, never be an idle subject, valueless to mankind.
It will also be always desirable to make it known For men are too apt to forget it, or to doubt it, when hard times press upon them. We cannot too much multiply testimonies to the Lord's faithful mercy. If our own generation should not need them, others will. Skeptics are so ready to repeat old doubts and invent new ones that believers should be equally prompt to bring forth evidences both old and new. Whoever may neglect this duty Those who are highly favoured, as Ethan was, should not be backward. 2. For I have said, mercy shall be built up for ever. His heart was persuaded of it, and he had affirmed it as an indisputable truth. He was certain that upon a sure foundation the Lord intended to pile up a glorious palace of goodness, a house of refuge for all people, wherein the Son of David should for ever be glorified.
as a dispenser of heavenly grace. Thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens. This divine edifice, he felt assured, would tower into the skies, and would be turreted with divine faithfulness, even as its foundations were laid in eternal love. God's faithfulness is no thing of earth, for here nothing is firm, and all things savour of the changes of the moon and the fickleness of the sea. Heaven is the birthplace of truth, and there it dwells in eternal vigour. As the blue arch above us remains unimpaired by age, so does the Lord's truth. As in the firmament he hangs his covenant bow, so in the upper heavens the faithfulness of God is enthroned in immutable glory. This Ethan said, and this we may say, come what will, mercy and faithfulness are built up by the eternal builder.
3. I have made a covenant with my chosen. I have sworn unto David, my servant. This was the ground of the psalmist's confidence in God's mercy and truth. For he knew that the Lord had made a covenant of grace with David and his seed. and confirmed it by an oath. Here he quotes the very words of God which were revealed to him by the Holy Spirit and are a condensation of the original covenant in 2 Samuel chapter seven. Well might he write in the former verse, I have said, when he knew that Jehovah had said, I have sworn. David was the Lord's elect, and with him a covenant was made, which ran along in the line of his seed. Until it received a final and never-ending fulfillment in the son of David.
David's house must be royal. As long as there was a scepter in Judah, David's seed must be the only rightful dynasty. The great king of the Jews died with that title above his head in the three current languages of the then known world. And at this day he is owned as king by men of every tongue. The oath sworn to David has not been broken, though the temporal crown is no longer worn, for in the covenant itself his kingdom was spoken of as enduring forever. In Christ Jesus there is a covenant established with all the Lord's chosen, and they are by grace led to be the Lord's servants, and then are ordained kings and priests by Christ Jesus. How sweet it is to see the Lord not only making a covenant, But owning to it in after days, and bearing witness to his own oath.
This ought to be solid ground for faith, and Ethan the Ezraite evidently thought it so. Let the reader and writer both pause over such glorious lines, and sing of the mercies of the Lord, who thus avows the bonds of the covenant, and in so doing gives a renewed pledge of his faithfulness to it. I have, says the Lord, And yet again, I have, as though he himself was nothing loath to dwell upon the theme. We also would lovingly linger over the ipsissima verba of the covenant made with David, reading them carefully and with joy. They are thus recorded in 2 Samuel, chapter 7, verses 12 to 16, quote, And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee.
He shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men. But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee. Thy throne shall be established forever." After reading this, let us remember that the Lord has said to us by his servant Isaiah, I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
Verse 4. Thy seed will I establish forever. David must always have a seed, and truly in Jesus this is fulfilled beyond his hopes. What a seed David has in the multitude which have sprung from him, who was both his son and his Lord! The son of David is the great progenitor, the second Adam, the everlasting father. He sees his seed, and in them beholds of the travail of his soul.
David's dynasty never decays, but on the contrary is evermore consolidated by the great architect of heaven and earth. Jesus is a king as well as a progenitor, and his throne is ever being built up. His kingdom comes. His power extends. Thus runs the covenant, and when the church declines, it is ours to plead it before the ever-faithful God. As the psalmist does in the latter verses of this sacred song. Christ must reign. But why is his name blasphemed and his gospel so despised? The more gracious Christians are, the more will they be moved to jealousy by the sad estate of the Redeemer's cause, and the more will they argue the case with the great covenant maker, crying day and night before him, Thy kingdom come.
It would not be meet to hurry on. Rest, O reader, at the bidding of this Selah, and let each syllable of the covenant ring in thine ears, and then lift up the heart and proceed with the sacred poet to tell forth the praises of the Lord. Verses 5 to 14. And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord, thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints. For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him. O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee, or to thy faithfulness round about thee? Thou rulest the raging of the sea, when the waves thereof arise, Thou stillest them.
Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain. Thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm. The heavens are thine. The earth also is thine. As for the world and the fullness thereof, thou hast founded them. The north and the south, thou hast created them. Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name. Thou hast a mighty arm. Strong is thy hand. 5. And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord. Looking down upon what God had done, and was about to do, in connection with his covenant of grace, all heaven would be filled with adoring wonder. The sun and moon, which had been made tokens of the covenant, The Holy One would praise God for such an extraordinary display of mercy, and the angels and redeemed spirits would sing, as it were, a new song.
Thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints, by which is probably intended the Holy Ones on Earth, so that the whole family in heaven and earth would join in the praise. Earth and heaven are one in admiring and adoring the covenant God. Saints above see most clearly into the heights and depths of divine love. Therefore they praise its wonders. And saints below, being conscious of their many sins and multiplied provocations of the Lord, admire his faithfulness. The heavens broke forth with music at the wonders of mercy contained in the glad tidings concerning Bethlehem, and the saints who came together in the temple magnified the faithfulness of God. at the birth of the son of David.
Since that auspicious day, the General Assembly on high and the sacred congregation below have not ceased to sing unto Jehovah, the Lord that keepeth covenant with his elect. Six for who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? Therefore all heaven worships him, seeing none can equal him. Who among the sons of the mighty? can be likened unto the Lord. Therefore the assemblies of the saints on earth adore him, saying none can rival him. Until we can find one equally worthy to be praised, we will give unto the Lord alone all the homage of our praise. Neither among the sons of the morning nor the sons of the mighty can any peer be found for Jehovah, yea, none that can be mentioned in the same day.
Therefore he is rightly praised. Since the Lord Jesus, both as God and as man, is far above all creatures, he also is to be devoutly worshipped. How full of poetic fire is this verse! How bold is the challenge! How triumphant the holy boasting! The sweet singer dwells upon the name of Jehovah with evident exultation. To him, the God of Israel is God indeed, and God alone. He closely follows The language long before rehearsed by Miriam when she sang, quote, Who is like unto thee, O Jehovah, among the gods? Who is like thee? End quote. His thoughts are evidently flying back to the days of Moses and the marvels of the Red Sea, when God was gloriously known by his incommunicable name. There is a ringing of timbrels in the double question, and a sound as of the twinkling feet of rejoicing maidens.
Have we no poets now? Is there not a man among us who can compose hymns flaming with this spirit? O Spirit of the living God, be thou the inspirer of some masterminds among us. 7. God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints. The holiest tremble in the presence of the thrice-holy one. Their familiarity is seasoned with the profoundest awe. Perfect love. Casts out the fear which hath torment, and works in lieu thereof that other fear which is akin to joy unutterable. How reverent should our worship be! Where angels veil their faces, men should surely bow in lowliest fashion. Sin is akin to presumptuous boldness, but holiness is sister to holy fear, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.
The nearer they are, the more they adore. If mere creatures are struck with awe, the courtiers and favorites of heaven must be yet more reverent in the presence of the great King. God's children are those who most earnestly pray, Hallowed be thy name. Irreverence is rebellion. Thoughts of the covenant of grace tend to create a deeper awe of God. They draw us closer to him. And the more his glories are seen by us in that nearer access, the more humbly we prostrate ourselves before his majesty. 8. O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? Or Jehovah, God of hosts, who is like thee, mighty Yah? Alexander remarks that the infinite superiority of God to men and angels is here expressed, rather than indicated, Here we have the name which displays his self-existence, the title which denotes his dominion over all his creatures, and an adjective which sets forth the power with which he exercises his sovereignty.
Yet this great and terrible God has entered into covenant with men. Who would not reverence him with deepest love? Or to thy faithfulness round about thee? He dwells in faithfulness. It is said to be the girdle of the loins of his only begotten Son, who is the express image of his person. None in all creation is faithful as he is. Even his angels might prove faithless if he left them to themselves, but he cannot lie unto David, or forget to keep his oath. Men often fail in truth because their power is limited. And then they find it easier to break their word than to keep it. But the strong Jehovah is equal to all his engagements, and will assuredly keep them. Unrivaled might and unparalleled truth are wedded in the character of Jehovah.
Blessed be his name that it is so. Nine. Thou rulest the raging of the sea. Always, even in the hour of ocean's maddest fury, The Lord controls it. At the Red Sea, the foaming billows saw their God and stood upright in awe. When the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them. None else can do this. To attempt it would be madness. But the Lord's hush silences the boisterous storm. So did the Lord's anointed calm the storms of Galilee, for he is Lord of all. So also does the great ruler of Providence evermore govern the fickle wills of men, and quiet the tumults of the people. As a mother stills her babe to sleep, so the Lord calms the fury of the sea, the anger of men, the tempest of adversity, the despair of the soul, and the rage of hell.
The Lord sitteth upon the floods. Yea, the Lord sitteth king for ever. And in all his ruling and overruling he has respect unto his covenant. Therefore, although our house be not so with God as our hearts would wish, yet we will rejoice in his covenant, ordered in all things and sure, and delight in him as all our salvation and all our desire. 10. Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces as one that is slain. Egypt was crushed like a corpse beneath the chariot wheels of the destroyer. Its pomp and glory were broken like the limbs of the dead in battle. Egypt was Israel's ancient foe, and its overthrow was a theme to which devout minds constantly reverted, as to a subject fit for their most exalting songs.
We too have seen our rehab broken, our sins overthrown. And we cannot but unite in the ascription of praise unto the Lord. Thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm. Thy strength has strewn thy foes dead upon the plain, or compelled them to flee hither and thither in dismay. Jehovah has overthrown his enemies with his own right arm, unaided and alone. Proud Rahab, swelling in her fury like the sea, was utterly broken and scattered. 11. The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine. All things are alike gods, rebellious earth as well as adoring heaven. Let us not despair of the kingdom of truth. The Lord has not abdicated the throne of earth, or handed it over to the sway of Satan.
As for the world, and the fullness thereof, thou hast founded them. The habitable and cultivated earth, with all its produce, owns the Lord to be both its creator and sustainer, builder and upholder. 12. The north and the south thou hast created them. North and south, opposite poles, agree in this, that Jehovah fashioned them. Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name. That is to say, east and west are equally formed by thee, and therefore give thee praise. Turn to all points of the compass, and behold, the Lord is there. The regions of snow and the gardens of the sun are his dominions. Both the land of the dawning and the home of the setting sun rejoice to own his sway. Tabor was on the west of Jordan, and Hermon on the east.
And it seems natural to consider these two mountains as representatives of the East and West. Cable paraphrases the passage thus, quote, Both Hermon moist and Tabor lone, they wait on thee with glad acclaim, end quote. Thirteen. Thou hast a mighty arm. Omnipotence is thine in smiting or uplifting. Strong is thy hand. Thy power to create and grasp is beyond conception great, and high is thy right hand. Thy skill is incomparable, thy favor ennobling, thy working glorious. The power of God so impressed the psalmist that in many ways he repeated the same thought, and indeed the truth of God's omnipotence is so full of refreshment to gracious hearts that it cannot be too much dwelt upon. Especially when viewed in connection with his mercy and truth, as in the following verse.
14. Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne. They are the basis of the divine government, the sphere within which his sovereignty moves. God, as a sovereign, is never unjust or unwise. He is too holy to be unrighteous, too wise to be mistaken. This is constant matter for joy. He calls these to the front to deal with guilty and changeful man. He makes them, in the person of the Lord Jesus, to be his ambassadors. And so poor, guilty man is enabled to endure the presence of his righteous Lord. If mercy had not paved the way... The coming of God to any man must have been swift destruction. Thus has the poet sung the glories of the covenant God. It was meet that before he poured forth his lament, he should record his praise, lest his sorrow should seem to have withered his faith.
Before we argue our case before the Lord, it is most becoming to acknowledge that we know him to be supremely great and good, whatever may be the appearance of his providence. This is such a course as every wise man will take who desires to have an answer of peace in the day of trouble. Verses 15 to 18. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound. They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of Thy countenance. In Thy name shall they rejoice all the day, and in Thy righteousness shall they be exalted. For Thou art the glory of their strength, and in Thy favour our horn. 15. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound. He is a blessed God of whom the psalmist has been singing, and therefore they are a blessed people who partake of his bounty and know how to exult in his favour.
Praise is a peculiarly joyful sound, and blessed are those who are familiar with its strains. The covenant promises have also a sound beyond measure precious, and they are highly favoured who understand their meaning and recognise their own personal interest in them. There may also be a reference here to the blowing of trumpets and other gladsome noises which attended the worship of Jehovah, who, unlike the gods of the heathen, was not adored by the shrieks of wretched victims or the yells and outcries of terror-stricken crowds. but by the joyful shouts of his happy people. They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. For them it is joy enough that Jehovah is favorable to them. All day long this contents them and enables them with vigor to pursue their pilgrimage.
Only a covenant God could look with favor upon men, and those who have known him in that relationship learn to rejoice in him, yea, to walk with him in fellowship. and to continue in communion with him. If we give God our ear and hear the joyful sound, he will show us his face and make us glad. While the sun shines, men walk without stumbling as to their feet, and when the Lord smiles on us, we live without grief as to our souls. 16. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day, and good cause they have for so doing. For to the soul which, in Christ Jesus, has entered into covenant with God, every attribute is a fountain of delight. There is no hour in the day, and no day in our life, in which we may not rejoice in the name, person, and character of the Lord.
We need no other reason for rejoicing. As philosophers could make merry without music, so can we rejoice without carnal comforts. The Lord All-Sufficient is an all-sufficient source of joy. And in thy righteousness shall they be exalted. By the Lord's righteous dealings, the saints are uplifted in due time, however great may have been the oppression and the depression from which they may have suffered. In the righteousness which the covenant supplies, which is entirely of the Lord, believers are set on high, in a secure and blessed position. So that they are full of sacred happiness. If God were unjust, or if he regarded us as being without righteousness, we must be filled with misery. But as neither of these things are so, we are exalted indeed, and would extol the name of the Lord.
17. For thou art the glory of their strength. Surely in the Lord Jehovah have we both righteousness and strength. He is our beauty and glory. When we are strong in Him, as well as our comfort and sustenance when we tremble because of conscious weakness in ourselves. No man whom the Lord makes strong may dare to glory in himself. He must ascribe all honour to the Lord alone. We have neither strength nor beauty apart from Him. And in thy favour our horn shall be exalted. By the use of the word our. The psalmist identifies himself with the blessed people, and this indicates how much sweeter it is to sing in the first person than concerning others. May we have grace to claim a place among those in covenant with God, in Christ Jesus, for then a sense of divine favor will make us also bold and joyous.
A creature full of strength and courage lifts up its horn. And so also does a believer become potent, valiant, and daring. The horn was an eastern ornament worn by men and women, or at least is so at this day, and by the uplifting of this, the wearer showed himself to be in good spirits and in a confident frame of mind. We wear no such outward vanities, but our inward soul is adorned and made bravely triumphant when the favour of God is felt by us. Worldly men need outward prosperity to make them lift up their heads, but the saints find more than enough encouragement in the secret love of God. 18. For the Lord is our defence. Whoever else may defend us, he is our ultimate defender and shield.
And the Holy One of Israel is our King. He who protects should govern. Our defender should be acknowledged as our king. Kings are called the shields of nations, and the God of Israel is both our ruler and our defence. Another sense may be that Israel's defender and king was of the Lord, belonging to him and sent by him, even the protectors of the land being themselves protected by the Lord. The title, the Holy One of Israel, is peculiarly delightful to the renewed heart. God is one. We worship none beside. He is holiness itself, the only being who can be called the Holy One. And in his perfection of character, we see the most excellent reason for our faith. He who is holy cannot break his promises or act unjustly concerning his oath and covenant.
Moreover, he is the Holy One of Israel, being specially the God of his own elect. Ours by peculiar ties, ours for ever and ever. Who among the saints will not rejoice in the God of election? Are they not indeed a people greatly blessed, who can call this God their God for ever and ever?
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13 12 - Psalm 89:19-52 45:56
Psalm 89, Part 2, of The Treasury of David, Volume 4, by C. H. Spurgeon. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by Gillian Henry. Psalm 89, part two, verses 19 to 37. Then thou spakest in vision to thy Holy One, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty. I have exalted one chosen out of the people. I have found David my servant. With my holy oil have I anointed him. With whom my hand shall be established, mine arm also shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not exact upon him, nor the son of wickedness afflict him. And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him. But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers. He shall cry unto me, Thou art my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation. Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven. If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments, if they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments, then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless, my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established forever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah. 19. Then thou spakest in vision to thy Holy One. The psalmist returns to a consideration of the covenant made with David. The Holy One here meant May be either David or Nathan the prophet, but most probably the latter. For it was to him that the word of the Lord came by night. 2 Samuel chapter 7 verses 4 and 5. God condescends to employ his gracious ministers to be the means of communication between himself and his favored ones. Even to King David, the covenant was revealed by Nathan the prophet.
Thus the Lord puts honor upon his ministers. I have laid help upon one that is mighty. The Lord had made David a mighty man of valor, and now he covenants to make him the helper and defender of the Jewish state. In a far fuller sense, the Lord Jesus is essentially and immeasurably mighty, and on him the salvation of his people rests by divine appointment, while his success is secured by divine strength being engaged to be with him. Let us lay our faith where God has laid our help. I have exalted one chosen out of the people. David was God's elect, elect out of the people, as one of themselves, and elect to the highest position in the state. In his extraction, election, and exaltation, he was an eminent type of the Lord Jesus, who is the man of the people, the chosen of God, and the king of his church.
Whom God exalts, let us exalt. Woe unto those who despise him! They are guilty of contempt of court before the Lord of hosts, as well as of rejecting the Son of God. 20. I have found David my servant. David was discovered by the Lord among the sheepfolds, and recognized as a man of gracious spirit, full of faith and courage, and therefore fit to be leader in Israel. With my holy oil have I anointed him. By the hand of Samuel, David was anointed to be king long before he ascended the throne. The verse must also be expounded of the Prince Emmanuel. He became the servant of the Lord for our sakes, the Father having found for us in his person a mighty deliverer. Therefore upon him rested the Spirit without measure, to qualify him for all the offices of love.
We have not a Saviour self-appointed and unqualified, but one sent of God and divinely endowed for His work. Our Saviour Jesus is also the Lord's Christ, or anointed. The oil with which He is anointed is God's own oil and holy oil. He is divinely endowed with the Spirit of holiness. Twenty-one. With whom my hand shall be established. The almightiness of God abides permanently with Jesus in his work as Redeemer and Ruler of his people.
The fullness of divine power shall attend him. This covenant promise ought to be urged in prayer before the Lord, for the great lack of the Church at this time is power. We have everything except the divine energy. And we must never rest content until we see it in full operation among us. Jesus must be among us, and then there will be no lack of force in any of our church agencies. 22. The enemy shall not exact upon him. He shall not be vexed and persecuted as a helpless debtor by an extortionate creditor, nor the son of wickedness afflict him. Graceless men shall no longer make his life a burden. David had in his earlier history been hunted by Saul like a partridge on the mountains, and though he had striven in all things to act justly towards Saul because he was the Lord's anointed, yet Saul was never content with his displays of loyalty, but persecuted him relentlessly.
The covenant, therefore, engaged that his life of hardship and oppression Should come to an end forever. It did so in David's own person, and more remarkably still, in the life of Solomon his son. Who does not in all this see a type of the Lord Jesus, who though he was once seized for our debts, and also evil entreated by the ungodly, is now so exalted that he can never be exacted upon any more? Neither can the fiercest of his enemies vex him again. No Judas can now betray him to death. No Pilate can deliver him to be crucified. Satan cannot tempt him, and our sins cannot burden him. 23. And I will beat down his foes before his face, crushing them and their plans. God himself thus fights the battles of his Son, and effectually overturns his foes.
and plague them that hate him, or smite his haters. May none of us learn the terror of this threatening, which is surely being fulfilled upon all those unbelievers who have rejected the Son of God and died in the hardness of their hearts. The prophecy is also having another fulfillment in the overthrow of systems of error and the vexation caused to their promoters. There is no such plague to bad men. 24. But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him. These were the two attributes of which the psalmist began to sing in the first verse of the psalm, doubtless because he saw them to be the most prominent in the covenant which he was about to plead with God. To David and his seed, God was gracious and faithful, and though through their sin The literal kingdom lost all its glory, and the dynasty became obscure.
Yet the line remained unbroken, and more than all its former glory was restored by the enthronization of him who is Prince of the kings of the earth, with whom the Lord's mercy and faithfulness remain forever. All who are in Jesus should rejoice, for they shall prove in their own experience the faithful mercy of the Lord. And in my name.
Gloriously does the Lord Jesus lift up his head, raised to the highest place of honour by the mandate of the Father. David and Solomon, in their dignity, were but faint types of the Lord Jesus, who is far above all principalities and powers. The fullest exaltation of the horn of Jesus is yet to come in that millennial period which is hastening on. I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers. He shall reach far beyond the little rivers which stand for boundaries in Palestine. He shall, by his power, embrace all lands from sea to sea. He shall lave his hand in the ocean, and his right hand in earth's mightiest streams. As monarchs hold in their hands a globe to set forth their dominion over the earth, he shall grasp The far more unconquerable sea, and be Lord of all.
This power is to be given him of the Lord, and is to be abiding. So we understand the words, I will set. The verse has in it a voice of good cheer concerning sailors and all dwellers on the waters. The hand of Jesus is over them, and as he found his first apostles by the sea, so we trust he still finds earnest disciples there. Twenty-six. He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father. David's seed would be a praying race, and so in the main they were, and when they were not, they smarted for it. The Lord Jesus was preeminent in prayer, and his favorite mode of address was, Father. Never was there a son more filial in his cries than the firstborn among the brethren. God had one son without sin. But he never had a son who lived without prayer.
My God! So our Lord called his Father when upon the cross, and the rock of my salvation. It was to his Father that he turned for help when in sore anguish in Gethsemane, and to him he committed his spirit in the article of death. In this filial crying, the true sons should imitate him. This is the common language of the elect family. Adoption, reverence, trust must all speak in their turns, and will do if we are heirs according to promise. To say to God, Thou art my Father, is more than learning and talent can teach us. The new birth is essential to this. Reader, ask thou the nature of a child and the spirit of one who can cry, Abba, Father. 27. Also I will make him my firstborn. Among the kings, the seed of David were to be most favoured and indulged with most love and paternal regard from God.
But in Jesus we see this in the highest degree verified, for he has preeminence in all things, inasmuch as, by inheritance, he has a more glorious name than any other, and is higher than the kings of the earth. Who can rival heaven's firstborn? The double portion and the government belong to him. Kings are honored when they honor him, and those who honor him are kings. In the millennial glory it shall be seen what the covenant stores up for the once despised son of David. But even now faith sees him exalted as King of kings and Lord of lords. Lo, we bow before thee, thou heir of all things. Our sheaves do obeisance to thy sheaf. All thy mother's children call thee blessed. Thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise.
Jesus is no servant of princes, nor would he have his bride, the church, degrade herself by bowing before kings and eating the bread of a pensioner at their hands. He and his kingdom are higher than the kings of the earth. Let the great ones of the earth be wise and submit to him, for he is Lord, and he is the governor among the nations. 28. My mercy will I keep for him evermore. The kings of David's line needed mercy, and mercy prevented their house from utterly perishing until the son of Mary came. He needs no mercy for himself, but he is a representative man. And the mercy of God is required for those who are in him, for such mercy is kept forever. And my covenant shall stand fast with him.
With Jesus, the covenant is ratified both by blood of sacrifice and by oath of God. It cannot be cancelled or altered, but is an eternal verity, resting upon the veracity of one who cannot lie. What exaltation fills our hearts? 29. His seed also will I make to endure forever. David's seed lives on in the person of the Lord Jesus, and the seed of Jesus in the persons of believers. Saints are a race that neither death nor hell can kill. Rome and its priests, with their inquisition and other infernal cruelties, have labored to exterminate the covenant seed. But vain is their rage, their efforts vain. As long as God lives, his people must live. And his throne as the days of heaven. Jesus reigns on, and will reign, till the skies shall fall, yea, and when the heavens shall pass away with a great noise.
And the elements shall melt with fervent heat, his throne shall stand. What a blessed covenant is this! Some commentators talk of conditions, but we fail to see any. The promises are as absolute as they can possibly be, and if any conditions as to the conduct of the favoured individuals can be conceived, they are disposed of in the succeeding verses.
If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments. It was possible, terribly possible, that David's posterity might wander from the Lord. Indeed, they did so. But what then? Was the mercy of God to pass away from David's seed? Far from it. So, too, the seed of the son of David are apt to start aside. But are they therefore cast away? Not a single word gives liberty for such an idea, but the very reverse. Expositors, in their fear of Calvinistic doctrine, shake off the fear of adding to the word of God, or else they would not have spent their time in talking about the conditions of this absolutely unconditional covenant. 31. If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments. The dreadful if.
is suggested again, and the sad case is stated in other forms. But if it should be so, what then? Death and rejection? Ah, no. Blessed be God, no. If their sin be negative or positive, if it be forsaking or profanation, if either judgments or commandments or both be violated, yet there is not a word as to final destruction, but the very reverse. Legalism will import its ifs, but the Lord slays the ifs as fast as they rise. Eternal shalls and wills make glorious havoc among the ifs and buts. Thirty-two. Then will I visit their transgression with the rod. Not with the sword, not with death and destruction, but still with a smarting, tingling, painful rod. Saints must smart if they sin. God will see to that.
He hates sin too much not to visit it, and he loves his saints too well not to chasten them. God never plays with his rod. He lays it well home to his children. He visits them with it in their houses, bodies, and hearts, and makes them know that he is grieved with their ways. He smites home and chastens their iniquity with stripes. The rod is a covenant blessing, and is meant to be used. As sin is so frequent, the rod never rests long together. In God's family, the rod is not spared, or the children would be spoiled. And a glorious nevertheless, too. Nevertheless. O glorious, fear-killing sentence! This crowns the covenant with exceeding glory. Mercy may seem to depart from the Lord's chosen, but it shall never altogether do so.
Jesus still enjoys the divine favour, and we are in him, and therefore, under the most trying circumstances, the Lord's loving-kindness to each one of his chosen will endure the strain. If the covenant could be made void by our sins, it would have been void long ere this, and if renewed, its tenure would not be worth an hour's purchase if it had remained dependent upon us. God may leave his people, and they may thereby suffer much and fall very low, but utterly and altogether he never can remove his love from them, for that would be to cast a reflection upon his own truth. And this he will never allow, for he adds, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. Man fails in all points, but God in none. To be faithful is one of the eternal characteristics of God, in which he always places a great part of his glory.
His truth is one of his peculiar treasures and crown jewels, and he will never endure that it should be tarnished in any degree. This passage sweetly assures us that the heirs of glory shall not be utterly cast off. Let those deny the safety of the saints who choose to do so. We have not so learned Christ. We believe in the gospel rod, but not in the penal sword for the adopted sons. 34. My covenant will I not break. It is his own covenant. He devised it, drew up the draught of it. and voluntarily entered into it. He therefore thinks much of it. It is not a man's covenant, but the Lord claims it as his own. It is an evil thing among men for one to be a covenant-breaker, and such an opprobrious epithet shall never be applicable to the Most High.
Nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Alterations and afterthoughts belong to short-sighted beings. We meet with unexpected events which operate upon them to change their minds. But the Lord who sees everything from the beginning has no such reason for shifting his ground. He is, besides, immutable in his nature and designs, and cannot change in heart, and therefore not in promise. A word once given is sacred. Once let a promise pass our lips. And honesty forbids that we should recall it, unless indeed the thing promised be impossible or wicked, neither of which can happen with the promises of God. How consoling it is to see the Lord thus resolute! He, in the words before us, virtually reasserts his covenant and rehearses his engagements.
This he does at such length and with such reiteration. that it is evident he takes pleasure in that most ancient and solemn contract. If it were conceivable that he had repented of it, he would not be found dwelling upon it and repeating it with renewed emphasis. 35. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. Because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself. And by that peculiar attribute which is his highest glory, being the subject of threefold adoration by all the hosts of heaven. God here pledges the crown of his kingdom, the excellent beauty of his person, the essence of his nature. He does as good as say that, if he ceases to be true to his covenant, he will have forfeited his holy character.
What more can he say? In what stronger language can he express his unalterable adherence to the truth of his promise? An oath is the end of all strife. It ought to be the end of all doubt on our part. We cannot imagine that God could lie. Yet he puts it so that if the covenant were not kept by him, he would regard it as a lie. Here is ground for strong confidence. May our faith be of such a nature As these assurances will warrant. 36. His seed shall endure forever. David's line in the person of Jesus is an endless one, and the race of Jesus, as represented in successive generations of believers, shows no sign of failure. No power, human or satanic, can break the Christian succession. As saints die, others shall rise up to fill their places.
So that till the last day, the day of doom, Jesus shall have a seed to serve him. And his throne as the sun before me. In our Lord Jesus, the dynasty of David remains upon the throne. Jesus has never abdicated, nor gone into banishment. He reigns, and must reign, so long as the sun continues to shine upon the earth. A seed and a throne. are the two great promises of the covenant, and they are as important to us as to our Lord Jesus himself. For we are the seed who must endure forever, and we are protected and ennobled by that king whose royalties are to last forever. 37. It shall be established forever as the moon. The kingdom may wax and wane to mortal eyes. But it shall still abide as long as the moon walks in her silver beauty, and as a faithful witness in heaven.
The most stable part of the universe is selected as a type of Messiah's kingdom, and both sun and moon are made to be symbols of its long endurance. Whatever else there is in the sky which faithfully witnesses to the unbending course of nature is also called upon to be a sign of the Lord's truth. When heaven and earth witness, and the Lord himself swears, there remains no excuse for doubting, and faith joyfully reposes in confident expectation.
Verses 38-51 But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed. Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant, thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground. Thou hast broken down all his hedges, thou hast brought his strongholds to ruin. All that pass by the way spoil him, he is a reproach to his neighbours. Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries, thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice. Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, and hast not made him to stand in the battle. Thou hast made his glory to cease. And cast his throne down to the ground. The days of his youth thou hast shortened. Thou hast covered him with shame. How long, Lord!
Wilt thou hide thyself forever? Shall thy wrath burn like fire? Remember how short my time is. Wherefore hast thou made all men in vain? What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah. Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swearest unto David in thy truth? Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants, how I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people, wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O Lord, wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed. Blessed be the Lord for evermore. Amen and Amen. 38. But thou hast cast off and abhorred. The Lord had promised not to cast off the seed of David, and yet it looked as if he had done so, and that, too, in the most angry manner, as if he loathed the person of the king.
God's actions may appear to us to be the reverse of his promises. And then our best course is to come before him in prayer, and put the matter before him, just as it strikes our apprehension. We are allowed to do this, for this holy and inspired man did so unrebuked. But we must do it humbly and in faith. There hast been wrath with thine anointed. He deserves the wrath, doubtless. But the psalmist's point is that this appeared to him to conflict with the gracious covenant. He puts the matter plainly, and makes bold with the Lord, and the Lord loves to have his servants so do. It shows that they believe his engagements to be matters of fact. 39. Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant.
The dispensations of providence looked as if there had been a disannulling of the sacred compact, though indeed it was not so. Thou hast profaned his crown. by casting it to the ground. The king had been subject to such sorrow and shame that his diadem had been, as it were, taken from his head, dashed on the earth, and rolled in the mire. He was a theocratic monarch, and the lord who gave him his crown took it from him and treated it with contempt, at least so it seemed. In these sad days also we may utter the same plaint. For Jesus is not acknowledged in many of the churches, and usurpers have profaned his crown. When we hear of kings and queens set up as heads of the church, and a priest styled the vicar of Christ, while parliaments and courts take upon themselves to legislate for the church of God, we may bitterly lament that things should come to so wretched a pass.
Few are there. Who will acknowledge the crown rights of King Jesus? The very subject is considered to be out of date. O Lord, how long? 40. Thou hast broken down all his hedges. He was no longer sheltered from the slanderous assaults of contemptuous tongues. The awe which should guard the royal name had ceased to separate him from his fellows. The divinity which doth hedge a king. Had departed. Hitherto the royal family had been like a vine within an enclosure, but the wall was now laid low, and the vine was unprotected. It is sorrowfully true that in many places the enclosures of the church have been destroyed. The line of demarcation between the church and the world has almost vanished, and godless men fill the sacred offices.
Alas, O Lord God! Shall it be always so? Shall the true vine be deserted by thee, thou great husbandman? Set up the boundaries again, and keep thy church as a vineyard reserved for thyself. Thou hast brought his strongholds to ruin. The forts of the land were in the possession of the enemy, and were dismantled. The defences of the kingdom were overthrown. Thus has it happened that precious truths which were the bulwarks of the church, have been assailed by heresy, and the citadels of sound doctrine have been abandoned to the foe. O God, how canst thou suffer this? As the God of truth, wilt thou not arise and tread down falsehood? Forty-one. All that pass by the way spoil him. Idle passers-by who have nothing else to do must needs have a pluck at this vine.
And they do it without difficulty, since the hedges are gone. Woe is the day when every petty reasoner has an argument against religion, and men in their cups are fluent with objections against the gospel of Jesus. Although Jesus on the cross is nothing to them, and they pass him by without inquiring into what he has done for them, yet they can loiter as long as you will. If there be but the hope of driving another nail into his hands and helping to crucify the Lord afresh, they will not touch him with the finger of faith, but they pluck at him with the hand of malice. He is a reproach to his neighbors. David's successors had unneighborly neighbors, who were a reproach to good fellowship because they were so ready to reproach their neighbor.
The Jews were much taunted by the surrounding Gentiles when at any time they fell into trouble. At this time the people of God, who follow the Lord fully, are subject to a thousand reproaches, and some of them of the most bitter kind. These reproaches are really the reproaches of Christ, and at bottom are meant for him. Shall it always be so? Shall he who deserves to be universally adored Be subject to general scorn. Where then, O God, is thy faithfulness to thy covenant? 42. Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries. Thou hast done it. Thou who hast sworn to give him help and victory, thou hast instead thereof sided with his enemies, and lent them thy strength, so that they have gained the supremacy.
Thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice. They are boasting over him, and are glorying in his defeat, and this is done by thyself. O God, how is this? Where is the covenant? Hast thou forgotten thine own pledges and promises? 43. Also turned the edge of his sword. When he goes to war, he is as unsuccessful as though his sword refused to cut. And gave way like a sword of lead. His weapons fail him. And has not made him to stand in the battle. His heart fails him as well as his sword. He wavers. He falls. This has happened even to naturally brave men. A terrible dread has unmanned them. At this present, the church has few swords of true Jerusalem metal. Her sons are pliable. Her ministers yield to pressure.
We need men whose edge cannot be turned, firm for truth, keen against error, sharp towards sin, cutting their way into men's hearts. Courage and decision are more needed now than ever, for charity towards heresy is the fashionable vice, and indifference to all truth, under the name of liberal-mindedness, is the crowning virtue of the age. The Lord send us men of the school of Elias, or at least of Luther and Knox. 44. Thou hast made his glory to cease. The brightness of his reign and the prosperity of his house are gone. His fame is tarnished, his honour disgraced. And cast his throne down to the ground. He has lost his power to govern at home or to conquer abroad. This happened to kings of David's line, and more grievous to tell, it is happening in these days to the visible kingdom of the Lord Jesus.
Where are the glories of Pentecost? Where is the majesty of the Reformation? Where does his kingdom come among the sons of men? Woe is unto us, for the glory has departed, and the gospel throne of Jesus is hidden from our eyes. The days of his youth hast thou shortened. The time of the king's energy was brief. He grew feeble before his time. Thou hast covered him with shame. Shame was heaped upon him because of his premature decay and his failure in arms. This was very grievous to the writer of this psalm, who was evidently a most loyal adherent of the house of David. In this our day, We have to bemoan the lack of vigour in religion. The heroic days of Christianity are over. Her raven locks are sprinkled with untimely grey.
Is this according to the covenant? Can this be as the Lord has promised? Let us plead with the righteous judge of all the earth, and beseech him to fulfil his word wherein he has promised that those who wait upon him shall renew their strength.
The interceding poet takes breath amid his lament, and then turns from describing the sorrows of the kingdom to pleading with the Lord. 46. How long, Lord! The appeal is to Jehovah, and the argument is the length of the affliction endured. Chastisement with a rod is not a lengthened matter. Therefore he appeals to God to cut short the time of tribulation. Wilt thou hide thyself for ever? Hast thou not promised to appear for thy servant? Wilt thou then for ever forsake him? Shall thy wrath burn like fire? Shall it go on and on evermore till it utterly consume its object? Be pleased to set a bound. How far wilt thou go? Wilt thou burn up the throne which thou hast sworn to perpetuate? Even thus, we would entreat the Lord to remember the cause of Christ in these days.
Can he be so angry with his church as to leave her much longer? How far will he suffer things to go? Shall truth die out, and saints exist no more? How long will he leave matters to take their course? Surely he must interpose soon, for if he do not, true religion will be utterly consumed, as it were, with fire. 47. Remember how short my time is. If so brief, do not make it altogether bitter. If thine anger burn on, it will outlast this mortal life, and then there will be no time for thy mercy to restore me. Some expositors ascribe these words, and all the preceding verses, to the state of the Lord Jesus in the days of his humiliation, and this gives an instructive meaning. But we prefer to continue our reference all through to the Church, which is the seed of the Lord Jesus, even as the succeeding kings were the seed of David.
We, having transgressed, are made to feel the rod, but we pray the Lord not to continue his stripes, lest our whole life be passed in misery. Wherefore hast thou made all men in vain? If the Lord do not shine upon his work, we live for nothing. We count it no longer life if his cause does not prosper. We live if the king lives, but not else. Everything is vanity if religion be vanity. If the kingdom of heaven should fail, everything is a failure. Creation is a blot, providence an error, and our own existence a hell. If the faithfulness of God can fail, and his covenant of grace can be dissolved, if the gospel system can be disproved, nothing remains for us, or any other of the sons of men, which can render existence worth the having.
48. What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? All must die. None of our race can answer to the question he have propounded except in the negative. There is none that can claim to elude the arrows of death. Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Neither by strength, wisdom, nor virtue can any man escape the common doom, for to the dust return we must. Since then we must all die. Do not make this life all wretchedness. By smiting us so long, O Lord. Thy Son, our covenant head, died, and so also shall we. Let us not be so deserted of thee in this brief span that we shall be quite unable to testify to thy faithfulness. Make us not feel that we have lived in vain. Thus the brevity of life and the certainty of death are turned into pleas with the Most High.
Selah. Here we rest again, and proceed to further pleadings. 49. Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swearest unto David in thy truth? Here he comes to grand pleading, hand-to-hand work with the covenant angel. We may remind the Lord of his first deeds of love, his former love to his church, his former favor to ourselves. Then may we plead his oath, and beg him to remember that he has sworn to bless his chosen. And we may wrestle hard also by urging upon him his own character, and laying hold upon his inviolable truth. When things look black, we may bring forth our strong reasons, and debate the case with our condescending God, who has himself said, Come now, and let us reason together.
50. Remember, Lord, the reproach of Thy servants. By reason of their great troubles, they were made a mock-off by ungodly men, and hence the Lord's pity is entreated. Will a father stand by and see his children insulted? The psalmist entreats the Lord to compassionate the wretchedness brought upon his servants by the taunts of their adversaries, who jested at them on account of their sufferings. How I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people. The psalmist himself laid the scorn of the great and the proud to heart. He felt as if all the reproaches which vexed his nation were centred in himself, and therefore, in sacred sympathy with the people, he poured out his heart. We ought to weep with those that weep.
Reproach brought upon the saints and their cause. Ought to burden us. If we can hear Christ blasphemed and see his servants insulted and remain unmoved, we have not the true Israelite spirit. Our grief at the griefs of the Lord's people may be pleaded in prayer, and it will be acceptable argument. There is one interpretation of this verse which must not be passed over. The original is, Remember my bearing in my bosom. And this may be understood as a pleading of the Church that the Lord would remember her because she was yet to be the mother of many nations, according to the prophecy of Psalm 77. She was, as it were, ready to give birth to nations, but how could they be born if she herself died in the meanwhile?
The Church is the hope of the world. Should she expire? The nations would never come to the birth of regeneration, but must abide in death. 51. Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O Lord? Here is another forcible point. The scoffers are the Lord's enemies as well as ours, and their reproach falls upon him as well as upon us. Therefore we cry for the Lord's interposition. When Jehovah's own name is in the quarrel. Surely he will arise. Wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine Anointed, tracking him and finding occasion to blaspheme at every turn, not only watching his words and actions, but even his harmless steps. Neither Christ nor his Church can please the world. Whichever way we turn, scoffers will rail.
Does this verse refer to the oft-repeated sarcasm? Where is the promise of his coming? Is the reproach aimed at the delays of the Messiah, those long-expected footfalls which as yet are unheard? O Lord, how long shall this threadbare taunt continue? How long? How long? Come, for creation groans, impatient of thy stay, worn out with these long years of ill, these ages of delay. Come in thy glorious might, come with the iron rod, scattering thy foes before thy face, most mighty Son of God. 52. Blessed be the Lord for evermore. He ends where he began. He has sailed round the world and reached port again. Let us bless God before we pray, and while we pray, and when we have done praying, for he always deserves it of us.
If we cannot understand him, we will not distrust him. When his ways are beyond our judgment, we will not be so foolish as to judge. Yet we shall do so if we consider his dealings to be unkind or unfaithful. He is, he must be, he shall be, forever our blessed God. Amen and Amen. All our hearts say so. So be it, Lord. We wish it over and over again. Be thou blessed evermore.
End of Psalm 89
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14 13 - Psalm 90 37:12
Psalm 90. A Prayer of Moses, the Man of God. Many attempts have been made to prove that Moses did not write this psalm, but we remain unmoved in the conviction that he did so. The condition of Israel in the wilderness is so pre-eminently illustrative of each verse, and the terms, expressions, and words are so similar to many in the Pentateuch that the difficulties suggested are, to our mind, light as air, in comparison with the internal evidence in favour of its mosaic origin. Moses was mighty in words as well as deed, and this psalm we believe to be one of his weighty utterances, worthy to stand side by side Moses was peculiarly a man of God and God's man, chosen of God, inspired of God, honoured of God, and faithful to God in all his house.
He well deserved the name which is here given him. The psalm is called a prayer, for the closing petitions enter into its essence, and the preceding verses are a meditation preparatory to the supplication. Men of God are sure to be men of prayer. This was not the only prayer of Moses. Indeed it is but a specimen of the manner in which the seer of Horeb was wont to commune with heaven, and intercede for the good of Israel. This is the oldest of the Psalms, and stands between two books of Psalms as a composition unique in its grandeur, and alone in its sublime antiquity. Many generations of mourners have listened to this psalm. When standing around the open grave, and have been consoled thereby, even when they have not perceived its special application to Israel in the wilderness, and have failed to remember the far higher ground upon which believers now stand.
Subject and Division Moses sings of the frailty of man and the shortness of life, contrasting therewith the eternity of God, and founding thereon earnest appeals for compassion. The only division which will be useful separates the contemplation from the prayer . There is indeed no need to make even this break, for the unity is well preserved throughout. Exposition, verses 1-11. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world. Even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God. Thou turnest man to destruction, and sayest, Return, ye children of men. For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
Thou carryest them away as with a flood. They are as a sleep. In the morning they are like grass which groweth up. In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up. In the evening it is cut down and withereth. For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled. Thou hast set our iniquities before us, our secret sins, in the light of thy countenance. For all our days are passed away in thy wrath. We spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of our years are threescore years and ten, and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, Yet is their strength labor and sorrow, for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? Even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. We must consider the whole psalm as written for the tribes in the desert, and then we shall see the primary meaning of each verse. Moses, in effect, says, Wanderers though we be in the howling wilderness, yet we find a home in thee, even as our forefathers did when they came out of Ur of the Chaldees and dwelt in tents among the Canaanites. To the saints, the Lord Jehovah, the self-existent God, stands, instead of mansion and roof-tree. He shelters, comforts, protects, preserves, and cherishes all his own. Foxes have holes, And the birds of the air have nests. But the saints dwell in their God, and have always done so in all ages. Not in the tabernacle or the temple do we dwell, but in God himself.
And this we have always done, since there was a church in the world. We have not shifted our abode. Kings' palaces have vanished beneath the crumbling hand of time. They have been burned with fire, and buried beneath mountains of ruins. But the imperial race of heaven has never lost its regal habitation. Go to the Palatine, and see how the Caesars are forgotten of the halls which echoed to their despotic mandates, and resounded with the plaudits of the nations over which they ruled. And then look upward, and see in the ever-living Jehovah the divine home of the faithful, untouched by so much as the finger of decay. Where dwelt our fathers? A hundred generations since, there dwell we still. It is of New Testament saints that the Holy Ghost has said, quote, He that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in God, and God in him, end quote.
It was a divine mouth which said, quote, Abide in me, end quote, and then added, quote, He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, end quote. It is most sweet. To speak with the Lord as Moses did, saying, quote, Lord, thou art our dwelling place, end quote. And it is wise to draw from the Lord's eternal condescensions, reasons for expecting present and future mercies, as the psalmist did in the next psalm, wherein he describes the safety of those who dwell in God. Two. Before the mountains were brought forth. Before those elder giants had struggled forth from nature's womb as her dread firstborn, the Lord was glorious and self-sufficient. Mountains to him, though whore with the snows of ages, are but new-born babes, young things, whose birth was but yesterday, mere novelties of an hour.
Or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world. Here, too, the allusion is to a birth. Earth was born but the other day, and her solid land was delivered from the flood but a short while ago. Even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God, or, Thou art, O God. God was when nothing else was. He was God when the earth was not a world but a chaos, when mountains were not upheaved, and the generation of the heavens and the earth had not commenced. In this Eternal One there is a safe abode for the successive generations of men. If God Himself were of yesterday, He would not be a suitable refuge for mortal men. If He could change and cease to be God, He would be but an uncertain dwelling place for His people.
The eternal existence of God is here mentioned to set forth, by contrast, the brevity of human life. 3. Thou turnest man to destruction.
Man's body is resolved into its elements, and is as though it had been crushed and ground to powder. And saist, return, ye children of men. That is, return even to the dust out of which you were taken. The frailty of man is thus forcibly set forth. God creates him out of the dust, and back to dust he goes at the word of his Creator. God resolves. A word created, and a word destroys. Observe how the action of God is recognized. Man is not said to die because of the decree of fate, or the action of inevitable law. But the Lord is made the agent of all. His hand turns, and his voice speaks. Without these, we should not die. No power on earth or hell could kill us. An angel's arm. Can't save me from the grave.
Myriads of angels can't confine me there. 4. For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past. A thousand years! This is a long stretch of time. How much may be crowded into it? The rise and fall of empires, the glory and obliteration of dynasties, the beginning and the end of elaborate systems of human philosophy. and countless events, all important to household and individual, which elude the pens of historians. Yet this period, which might even be called the limit of modern history, and is in human language almost identical with an indefinite length of time, is to the Lord as nothing, even as time already gone. A moment yet to come is longer than yesterday when it is past, for that no longer exists at all.
Yet such is a Hiliad to the Eternal. In comparison with eternity, the most lengthened reaches of time are mere points. There is, in fact, no possible comparison between them. And as a watch in the night, a time which is no sooner come than gone, there is scarce time enough in a thousand years for the angels to change watches. When their millennium of service is almost over, It seems as though the watch were newly set. We are dreaming through the long night of time, but God is ever keeping watch, and a thousand years are as nothing to him. A host of days and nights must be combined to make up a thousand years to us, but to God that space of time does not make up a whole night, but only a brief portion of it.
If a thousand years be to God as a single night watch, what must be the lifetime of the eternal? Five. Thou carryest them away as with a flood. As when a torrent rushes down the riverbed and bears all before it, so does the Lord bear away by death the succeeding generations of men. As the hurricane sweeps the clouds from the sky, so time removes the children of men. They are as a sleep. Before God, men must appear as unreal as the dreams of the night, the phantoms of sleep. Not only are our plans and devices like a sleep, but we ourselves are such. We are such stuff as dreams are made of. In the morning they are like grass which groweth up. As grass is green in the morning and hay at night, so men are changed from health to corruption in a few hours.
We are not cedars or oaks, but only poor grass. 6. In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up, Blooming with abounding beauty, till the meadows are all besprent with gems. The grass has a golden hour, even as man, in his youth, has a heyday of flowery glory. In the evening it is cut down, and withereth. The scythe ends the blossoming of the field flowers, and the dews at night weep their fall. Here is the history of the grass. Sown, grown, blown, moan, gone. And the history of man is not much more. Natural decay would put an end both to us and the grass in due time. Few, however, are left to experience the full result of age, for death comes with his scythe. And removes our life in the midst of its verdure.
How great a change in how short a time! The morning saw the blooming, and the evening sees the withering. 7. This mortality is not accidental, neither was it inevitable in the original of our nature, but sin has provoked the Lord to anger, and therefore thus we die. For we are consumed by thine anger. This is the scythe which mows. and the scorching heat which withers. This was specially the case in reference to the people in the wilderness, whose lives were cut short by justice on account of their wherewardness. They failed not by a natural decline, but through their lives. It must have been a very mournful sight to Moses to see the whole nation melt away during the forty years of their pilgrimage, till none remained of all that came out of Egypt.
As God's favor is life, so his anger is death. As well might grass grow in an oven, as men flourish when the Lord is wroth with them. And by thy wrath are we troubled, or terror-stricken. A sense of divine anger confounded them, so that they lived as men who knew that they were doomed. This is true of us in a measure, but not altogether. For now that immortality and life are brought to light by the gospel, death has changed its aspect, and, to believers in Jesus, it is no more a judicial execution. Anger and wrath are the sting of death, and in these believers have no share. Love and mercy now conduct us to glory by the way of the tomb. It is not seemly to read these words at a Christian's funeral without words of explanation.
And a distinct endeavor to show how little they belong to believers in Jesus, and how far we are privileged beyond those with whom he was not well pleased, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness. To apply an ode written by the leader of the legal dispensation under circumstances of peculiar judgment in reference to a people under penal censure, to those who fall asleep in Jesus, seems to be the height of blundering. We may learn much from it, but we ought not to misapply it by taking to ourselves, as the beloved of the Lord, that which was chiefly true of those to whom God had sworn in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest. When, however, a soul is under conviction of sin, the language of this psalm is highly appropriate to his case, and will naturally suggest itself to the distracted mind.
No fire consumes, like God's anger, And no anguish so troubles the heart as his wrath. Blessed be that dear substitute, who bore that we might never bear his father's righteous ire. 8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee. Hence these tears. Sin, seen by God, must work death. It is only by the covering blood of atonement that life comes to any of us. When God was overthrowing the tribes in the wilderness, he had their iniquities before him, and therefore dealt with them in severity. He could not have their iniquities before him and not smite them. Are secret sins in the light of thy countenance? There are no secrets before God. He unearths man's hidden things and exposes them to the light.
There can be no more powerful luminary than the face of God. Yet in that strong light, The Lord set the hidden sins of Israel. Sunlight can never be compared with the light of him who made the sun, of whom it is written, quote, God is light, and in him is no darkness at all, end quote. If, by his countenance, is here meant his love and favor, it is not possible for the heinousness of sin to be more clearly manifested than when it is seen to involve ingratitude. How can we grieve so good a God? The children of Israel had been brought out of Egypt with a high hand, fed in the wilderness with a liberal hand, and guided with a tender hand, and their sins were peculiarly atrocious. We too Having been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, and saved by abounding grace, we'll be verily guilty if we forsake the Lord.
What manner of persons ought we to be? How ought we to pray for cleansing from secret faults? It is to us a wellspring of delights to remember that our sins, as believers, are now cast behind the Lord's back, and shall never be brought to light again. Therefore we live, because The guilt being removed, the death penalty is removed also. 9. For all our days are passed away in thy wrath. Justice shortened the days of rebellious Israel. Each halting place became a graveyard. They marked their march by the tombs they left behind them. Because of the penal sentence, their days were dried up and their lives wasted away. We spend our years as a tale that is told. Yea, not their days only, but their years, flew by them like a thought, swift as a meditation, rapid and idle as a gossip story.
The first sentence is not intended for believers to quote as though it applied to themselves. For our days are all past amid the lovingkindness of the Lord, even as David says in the 23rd Psalm, "...surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."
Neither is the life of the gracious man unsubstantial as the storyteller's tale. He lives in Jesus. He has the divine spirit within him, and to him life is real, life is earnest. The simile only holds good if we consider that a holy life is rich in interest, full of wonders, checkered with many changes, yet as easily ordered by providence as the improvisatore arranges the details of the story with which he beguiles the hour. Our lives are illustrations of heavenly goodness, parables of divine wisdom, poems of sacred thought, and records of infinite love. Happy are we whose lives are such tales. 10. The days of our years are threescore years and ten. Moses himself lived longer than this, but his was the exception, not the rule.
In his day, life had come to be very much the same in duration as it is with us. This is brevity itself compared with the men of the elder time. It is nothing, when contrasted with eternity. Yet is life long enough for virtue and piety, and all too long for vice and blasphemy. Moses here, in the original, writes in a disconnected manner, as if he would set forth the utter insignificance of man's hurried existence. His words may be rendered, the days of our years, in them seventy years. As much as to say, the days of our years? What about them? Are they worth mentioning? The account is utterly insignificant. Their full tale is but seventy. And if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow.
The unusual strength which overleaps the bound of threescore and ten only lands the aged man in a region where life is a weariness and a woe. The strength of old age, its very prime and pride, are but labor and sorrow. What must its weakness be? What panting for breath? What toiling to move? What a failing of the senses? What a crushing sense of weakness? The evil days are come, and the years wherein a man cries, I have no pleasure in them. The grasshopper has become a burden, and desire faileth. Such is old age, yet mellowed by hallowed experience, and solaced by immortal hopes. The latter days of aged Christians are not so much to be pitied as envied. The sun is setting, and the heat of the day is over, but sweet is the calm and cool of the eventide, and the fair day melts away not into a dark and dreary night, but into a glorious, unclouded, eternal day.
The mortal fades to make room for the immortal. The old man falls asleep. To wake up in the region of perennial youth. For it is soon cut off, and we fly away. The cable is broken, and the vessel sails upon the sea of eternity. The chain is snapped, and the eagle mounts to its native air above the clouds. Moses mourned for men as he thus sung, and well he might, as all his comrades fell at his side. His words are more nearly rendered. He drives us fast. And we fly away. As the quails were blown along by the strong west wind, so are men hurried before the tempests of death. To us, however, as believers, the winds are favorable. They bear us as the gales bear the swallows away from the wintry realms, to lands where everlasting spring abides, and never-withering flowers.
Who wishes it to be otherwise? Wherefore should we linger here? What has this poor world to offer us that we should tarry on its shores? Away, away! This is not our rest. Heavenward, ho! Let the Lord's winds drive fast, if so he ordains, for they waft us the more swiftly to himself and our own dear country. 11. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? Moses saw men dying all around him. He lived among funerals. And was overwhelmed at the terrible results of the divine displeasure. He felt that none could measure the might of the Lord's wrath. Even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. Good men dread that wrath beyond conception, but they never ascribe too much terror to it. Bad men are dreadfully convulsed when they awake to a sense of it, but their horror is not greater than it had need be.
For it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God. Holy Scripture, when it depicts God's wrath against sin, never uses a hyperbole. It would be impossible to exaggerate it. Whatever feelings of pious awe and holy trembling may move the tender heart, it is never too much moved. Apart from other considerations, the great truth of the divine anger, when most powerfully felt. never impresses the mind with a solemnity in excess of the legitimate result of such a contemplation. What the power of God's anger is in hell, and what it would be on earth were it not in mercy restrained, no man living can rightly conceive. Modern thinkers rail at Milton and Dante, Bunyan and Baxter, for their terrible imagery.
But the truth is that no vision of poet or denunciation of holy seer can ever reach to the dread height of this great argument, much less go beyond it. The wrath to come has its horrors rather diminished than enhanced in description by the dark lines of human fancy. It baffles words. It leaves imagination far behind. Beware ye that forget God, lest he tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. God is terrible out of his holy places. Remember Sodom and Gomorrah. Remember Korah and his company. Mark well the graves of lust in the wilderness. Nay, rather bethink ye of the place where their worm dieth not, and their fire is not quenched. Who is able to stand against this justly angry God? Who will dare to rush upon the bosses of his buckler, or tempt the edge of his sword?
Be it ours to submit ourselves as dying sinners to this eternal God, who can, even at this moment, command us to the dust, and thence to hell.
Verses 12 to 17. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Return, O Lord, how long? And let it repent thee concerning thy servants. O satisfy us early with thy mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish thou the work of our hands upon us. Yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. 12. So teach us to number our days. Instruct us to set store by time, mourning for that time past wherein we have wrought the will of the flesh, using diligently the time present, which is the accepted hour and the day of salvation, and reckoning the time which lieth in the future, to be too uncertain to allow us safely to delay any gracious work or prayer.
Numeration is a child's exercise in arithmetic, but in order to number their days aright. The best of men need the Lord's teaching. We are more anxious to count the stars than our days, and yet the latter is by far more practical. That we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Men are led by reflections upon the brevity of time to give their earnest attention to eternal things. They become humble as they look into the grave which is so soon to be their bed. Their passions cool in the presence of mortality. And they yield themselves up to the dictates of unerring wisdom. But this is only the case when the Lord Himself is the teacher. He alone can teach to real and lasting profit. Thus Moses prayed that the dispensations of justice might be sanctified in mercy.
The law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, when the Lord Himself speaks by the law. It is most meet that the heart, which will so soon cease to beat, Should, while it moves, be regulated by wisdom's hand. A short life should be wisely spent. We have not enough time at our disposal to justify us in misspending a single quarter of an hour. Neither 13. Return, O Lord, how long? Come in mercy to us again. Do not leave us to perish. Suffer not our lives to be both brief and bitter. Thou hast said to us, Brethren, ye children of men. And now we humbly cry to thee, Return, thou preserver of men. Thy presence alone can reconcile us to this transient existence. Turn thou unto us. As sin drives God from us.
So repentance cries to the Lord to return to us. When men are under chastisement, they are allowed to expostulate and ask, how long? Our fault in these times is not too great boldness with God, but too much backwardness in pleading with him. And let it repent thee concerning thy servants. Thus Moses acknowledges the Israelites to be God's servants still. They had rebelled. But they had not utterly forsaken the Lord. They owned their obligations to obey His will, and pleaded them as a reason for pity. Will not a man spare his own servants? Though God smote Israel, yet they were His people, and He had never disowned them. Therefore is He entreated to deal favourably with them. If they might not see the promised land, yet He is begged to cheer them on the road with His mercy.
The prayer is like others which came from the meek lawgiver when he boldly pleaded with God for the nation. It is Moses-like. He here speaks with the Lord as a man speaketh with his friend. 14. O satisfy us early with thy mercy. Since they must die, and die so soon, the psalmist pleads for speedy mercy upon himself and his brethren. Good men know how to turn the darkest trials into arguments at the throne of grace. He who has but the heart to pray need never be without pleas in prayer. The only satisfying food for the Lord's people is the favour of God. This Moses earnestly seeks for, and as the manna fell in the morning, he beseeches the Lord to send at once his satisfying favour, that all through the little day of life they may be filled therewith.
Are we so soon to die? Then, Lord, do not starve us while we live. Satisfy us at once, we pray Thee. Our day is short, and the night hastens on. O give us in the early morning of our days to be satisfied with Thy favour, that all through our little day we may be happy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Being filled with divine love. Their brief life on earth would become a joyful festival, and would continue so as long as it lasted. When the Lord refreshes us with his presence, our joy is such that no man can take it from us. Apprehensions of speedy death are not able to distress those who enjoy the present favour of God. Though they know that the night cometh, they see nothing to fear in it, but continue to live while they live, triumphing in the present favour of God.
and leaving the future in his loving hands. Since the whole generation which came out of Egypt had been doomed to die in the wilderness, they would naturally feel despondent, and therefore their great leader seeks for them that blessing which, beyond all others, consoles the heart, namely, the presence and favour of the Lord. 15. Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. None can gladden the heart as thou canst, O Lord. Therefore, as thou hast made us sad, be pleased to make us glad. Fill the other scale. Proportion thy dispensations. Give us the lamb, since thou hast sent us the bitter herbs. Make our days as long as our nights.
The prayer is original, childlike, and full of meaning. It is, moreover, based upon a great principle in providential goodness. Great trial enables us to bear great joy, and may be regarded as the herald of extraordinary grace. God's dealings are according to scale. Small lives are small throughout, and great histories are great both in sorrow and happiness. Where there are high hills, there are also deep valleys. As God provides the sea for Leviathan, So does he find a pool for the minnow. In the sea, all things are in fit proportion for the mighty monster, while in the little brook, all things befit the tiny fish. If we have fierce afflictions, we may look for overflowing delights, and our faith may boldly ask for them.
God, who is great in justice when he chastens, will not be little in mercy when he blesses. He will be great all through. Let us appeal to him with unstaggering faith. 16. Let thy work appear unto thy servants. See how he dwells upon that word, servants. It is as far as the law can go, and Moses goes to the full length permitted him. Henceforth, Jesus calls us not servants, but friends. And if we are wise, we shall make full use of our wider liberty. Moses asks for displays of divine power, and providence conspicuously wrought, that all the people might be cheered thereby. They could find no solace in their own faulty works, but in the work of God they would find comfort. And Thy glory unto their children.
While their sons were growing up around them, they desired to see some outshinings of the promised glory gleaming upon them. Their sons were to inherit the land which had been given them by covenant, and therefore they sought on their behalf some tokens of the coming good, some morning donnings of the approaching noon-day. How eagerly do good men plead for their children! They can bear very much personal affliction if they may but be sure that their children will know the glory of God, and thereby be led to serve Him. We are content with the work If our children may but see the glory which will result from it, we sow joyfully if they may reap. 17. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, even upon us who must not see thy glory in the land of Canaan.
It shall suffice us if in our characters the holiness of God is reflected, and if over all our camp the lovely excellences of our God shall cast a sacred beauty. Sanctification should be the daily object of our petitions. And establish thou the work of our hands upon us. Yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. Let what we do be done in truth, and last, when we are in the grave. May the work of the present generation minister permanently to the building up of the nation. Good men are anxious not to work in vain. They know that without the Lord they can do nothing, and therefore they cry to him for help in the work, for acceptance of their efforts, and for the establishment of their designs.
The church as a whole earnestly desires that the hand of the Lord may so work with the hand of his people, that a substantial, yea, an eternal, edifice to the praise and glory of God may be the result. We come and go, but the Lord's work abides. We are content to die so long as Jesus lives and his kingdom grows. Since the Lord abides forever the same, we trust our work in his hands and feel that, since it is far more his work than ours, he will secure it immortality. When we have withered like grass, our holy service, like gold, silver, and precious stones, will survive the fire.
End of Psalm 90
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15 14 - Psalm 91 38:02
Psalm 91. This psalm is without a title, and we have no means of ascertaining either the name of its writer or the date of its composition, with certainty. The Jewish doctors consider that, when the author's name is not mentioned, We may assign the psalm to the last-named writer, and if so, this is another psalm of Moses, the man of God. Many expressions here used are similar to those of Moses in Deuteronomy, and the internal evidence from the peculiar idioms would point towards him as the composer. The continued lives of Joshua and Caleb, who followed the Lord fully, make remarkably apt illustrations of this psalm. For these reasons, it is by no means improbable that this psalm may have been written by Moses, but we dare not dogmatize.
If David's pen was used in giving us this matchless ode, we cannot believe, as some do, that he thus commemorated the plague which devastated Jerusalem on account of his numbering people. For him, then, to sing of himself as saying, quote, the reward of the wicked, end quote, would be clean contrary to his declaration, quote, I have sinned, but these sheep, what have they done, end quote. And the absence of any allusion to the sacrifice upon Zion could not be in any way accounted for, since David's repentance would inevitably have led him to dwell upon the atoning sacrifice and the sprinkling of blood by the hyssop. In the whole collection here, there is not a more cheering psalm. Its tone is elevated and sustained throughout.
Faith is at its best, and speaks nobly. A German physician was wont to speak of it as the best preservative in times of cholera, and in truth, it is a heavenly medicine against plague and pest. He who can live in its spirit will be fearless, even if once again London should become a Lazar house.
Division. On this occasion, we shall follow the divisions which our translators have placed at the head of the psalm, for they are pithy and suggestive. 1. The state of the godly. 3. Their safety. 9. Their habitation. 11. Their servants. 14. Their friend, with the effects of them all. Exposition. Verses 1-2. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God. In Him will I trust. One. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High. The blessings here promised are not for all believers, but for those who live in close fellowship with God. Every child of God looks towards the inner sanctuary and the mercy seat, yet all do not dwell in the most holy place.
They run to it at times and enjoy occasional approaches, but they do not habitually reside in the mysterious presence. Those who, through rich grace, obtain unusual and continuous communion with God so as to abide in Christ and Christ in them. Become possessors of rare and special benefits, which are missed by those who follow afar off, and grieve the Holy Spirit of God. Into the secret place those only come who know the love of God in Christ Jesus, and those only dwell there to whom to live is Christ. To them the veil is rent, the mercy seat is revealed, the covering cherubs are manifest, and the awful glory of the Most High is apparent. These, like Simeon, have the Holy Ghost upon them, and, like Anna, they depart not from the temple.
They are the courtiers of the great king, the valiant men who keep watch around the bed of Solomon, the virgin souls who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. Elect out of the elect they have attained unto the first three, and shall walk with their lord in white, for they are worthy. Sitting down in the Auguste Presence Chamber, where shines the mystic light of the Shekinah, they know what it is to be raised up together, and to be made to sit together with Christ in the heavenlies, and of them it is truly said that their conversation is in heaven. Special grace like theirs brings with it special immunity. Outer-court worshippers little know what belongs to the inner sanctuary. Or surely they would press on until the place of nearness and divine familiarity became theirs.
Those who are the Lord's constant guests shall find that he will never suffer any to be injured within his gates. He has eaten the covenant salt with them and is pledged for their protection. Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. The omnipotent Lord will shield all those who dwell with him. They shall remain under his care. As guests under the protection of their host. In the most holy place, the wings of the cherubim were the most conspicuous objects, and they probably suggested to the psalmist the expression here employed. Those who commune with God are safe with him. No evil can reach them, for the outstretched wings of his power and love cover them from all harm. This protection is constant.
They abide under it, and it is all-sufficient. For it is the shadow of the Almighty, whose omnipotence will surely screen them from all attack. No shelter can be imagined at all comparable to the protection of Jehovah's own shadow. The Almighty himself is where his shadow is, and hence those who dwell in his secret place are shielded by himself. What a shade in the day of noxious heat! What a refuge in the hour of deadly storm! Communion with God is safety. The more closely we cling to our Almighty Father, the more confident may we be. Two. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress. To take up a general truth and make it our own by personal faith is the highest wisdom. It is but poor comfort to say, the Lord is our refuge, but to say He is my refuge.
is the essence of consolation. Those who believe should also speak. I will say. For such bold avowals honor God, and lead others to seek the same confidence. Men are apt enough to proclaim their doubts, and even to boast of them. Indeed, there is a party nowadays of the most audacious pretenders to culture and thought, who glory in casting suspicion upon everything. Hence it becomes the duty of all true believers To speak out and testify with calm courage to their own well-grounded reliance upon their God. Let others say what they will, be it ours to say of the Lord, He is our refuge. But what we say, we must prove by our actions. We must fly to the Lord for shelter, and not to an arm of flesh.
The bird flies away to the thicket, and the fox hastens to its hole. Every creature uses its refuge in the hour of danger. And even so, in all peril or fear of peril, let us flee unto Jehovah, the eternal protector of his own. Let us, when we are secure in the Lord, rejoice that our position is unassailable, for he is our fortress as well as our refuge. No moat, portcullis, drawbridge, wall, battlement and donjon could make us so secure. As we are when the attributes of the Lord of Hosts environ us around. Behold, this day the Lord is to us instead of walls and bulwarks. Our ramparts defy the leaguered hosts of hell. Foes in flesh and foes in ghostly guise are alike balked of their prey when the Lord of Hosts stands between us and their fury, and all other evil forces are turned aside.
Walls. As if it were not enough to call the Lord his refuge and fortress, he adds, quote, Now he can say no more. My God means all, and more than all, that heart can conceive by way of security. It was most meet that he should say, in him will I trust. Since, to deny faith to such a one were willful wickedness and wanton insult. He who dwells in an impregnable fortress naturally trusts in it. And shall not he who dwells in God feel himself well at ease, and repose his soul in safety? O that we more fully carried out the psalmist's resolve! We have trusted in God. Let us trust him still. He has never failed us. Why, then, should we suspect him? To trust in man is natural to fallen nature. To trust in God should be as natural to regenerated nature.
Where there is every reason and warrant for faith, we ought to place our confidence without hesitancy or wavering. Dear reader, pray for grace to say, in him will I trust. Verses three to eight. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust. His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
3. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler. Assuredly, no subtle plot shall succeed against one who has the eyes of God watching for his defence. We are foolish and weak as poor little birds, and are very apt to be lured to our destruction by cunning foes. But if we dwell near to God, he will see to it that the most skilful deceiver shall not entrap us. Satan the fowler who betrays unguarded souls a thousand ways shall be foiled in the case of the man whose high and honourable condition consists in residence within the holy place of the Most High. And from the noisome pestilence. He who is a spirit can protect us from evil spirits. He who is mysterious can rescue us from mysterious dangers.
He who is immortal can redeem us from mortal sickness. There is a deadly pestilence of error. We are safe from that if we dwell in communion with the God of truth. There is a fatal pestilence of sin. We shall not be infected by it. If we abide with the thrice Holy One. There is also a pestilence of disease, and even from that calamity our faith shall win immunity, if it be of that high order which abides in God. Walks on in calm serenity, and ventures all things for duty's sake. Faith, by cheering the heart, keeps it free from the fear which, in times of pestilence, kills more than the plague itself. It will not in all cases ward off disease and death, but where the man is such as the first verse describes, it will assuredly render him immortal where others die.
If all the saints are not so sheltered, it is because they have not all such a close abiding with God, and consequently not such confidence in the promise. Such special faith is not given to all, for there are diversities in the measure of faith. It is not of all believers that the psalmist sings, but only of those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High. Too many among us are weak in faith, and, in fact, place more reliance in a phial or a globule than in the Lord and giver of life. And if we die of pestilence as others die, it is because we acted like others and did not in patience possess our souls. The great mercy is that, in such a case, our deaths are blessed, and it is well with us, for we are forever with the Lord.
Pestilence to the saints shall not be noisome, but the messenger of heaven. Four. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust. A wonderful expression. Had it been invented by an uninspired man, it would have verged upon blasphemy. For who should dare to apply such words to the infinite Jehovah? But as he himself authorized, yea, dictated the language, we have here a transcendent condescension, such as it becomes us to admire and adore. Doth the Lord speak of his feathers, as though he likened himself to a bird? Who will not see herein a matchless love, a divine tenderness, which should both woo and win our confidence? Even as a hen covereth her chickens, so doth the Lord protect the souls which dwell in him.
Let us cower down beneath him for comfort and for safety. Hawks in the sky and snares in the field are equally harmless when we nestle so near the Lord. His truth, his true promise, and his faithfulness to his promise, shall be thy shield and buckler. Double armor has he who relies upon the Lord. He bears a shield and wears an all-surrounding coat of mail. Such is the force of the word buckler. To quench fiery darts, the truth is a most effectual shield, and to blunt all swords, it is an equally effectual coat of mail. Let us go forth to battle thus harnessed for the war, and we shall be safe in the thickest of the fight. It has been so, and so shall it be, till we reach the land of peace, and there, among the helmed cherubim and sworded seraphim, we will wear no other ornament.
His truth shall still be our shield and buckler. 5. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night. Such frail creatures are we that both by night and by day we are in danger, and so sinful are we. that in either season we may be readily carried away by fear. The promise before us secures the favorite of heaven both from danger and from the fear of it. Night is the congenial hour of horrors, when alarms walk abroad like beasts of prey or ghouls from among the tombs. Our fears turn the sweet reason of repose into one of dread, and though angels are abroad and fill our chambers, We dream of demons and dire visitants from hell. Blessed is that communion with God which renders us impervious to midnight frights and horrors born of darkness.
Not to be afraid is in itself an unspeakable blessing, since for every suffering which we endure from real injury, we are tormented by a thousand griefs which arise from fear only. The shadow of the Almighty removes all gloom from the shadow of night. Once covered by the divine wing, we care not what winged terrors may fly abroad in the earth, nor for the arrows that flyeth by day. Cunning foes lie in ambuscade, and aim the deadly shaft at our hearts, but we do not fear them, and have no cause to do so. That arrow is not made which can destroy the righteous. For the Lord hath said, No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper. In times of great danger, those who have made the Lord their refuge, and therefore have refused to use the carnal weapon, have been singularly preserved.
The annals of the Quakers bear good evidence to this. Yet probably the main thought is that from the cowardly attacks of crafty malice, those who walk by faith shall be protected, from cunning heresies they shall be preserved, and in sudden temptations they shall be secured from harm. Day has its perils as well as night. Arrows more deadly than those poisoned by the Indian are flying noiselessly through the air, and we shall be their victims unless we find both shield and buckler in our God. O believer, dwell under the shadow of the Lord, and none of the archers shall destroy thee. They may shoot at thee and wound thee grievously, but thy bow shall abide in strength. When Satan's quiver shall be empty, thou shalt remain uninjured by his craft and cruelty.
Yea, his broken darts shall be to thee as trophies of the truth and power of the Lord thy God. 6. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness. It is shrouded in mystery as to its cause and cure. It marches on, unseen of men, slaying with hidden weapons. Like an enemy stabbing in the dark. Yet those who dwell in God are not afraid of it. Nothing is more alarming than the assassin's plot, for he may at any moment steal in upon a man and lay him low at a stroke. And such is the plague in the days of its power. None can promise themselves freedom from it for an hour in any place in the infected city. It enters a house men know not how, and its very breath is mortal. Yet those choice souls who dwell in God shall live above fear in the most plague-stricken places.
They shall not be afraid of the plagues which in the darkness walk, nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. Famine may starve, or bloody war devour, earthquake may overturn, and tempest may smite. But amid all, the man who has sought the mercy seat and is sheltered beneath the wings which overshadow it, shall abide in perfect peace. Days of horror and nights of terror are for other men. His days and nights are alike spent with God, and therefore pass away in sacred quiet. His peace is not a thing of times and seasons. It does not rise and set with the sun, nor does it depend upon the healthiness of the atmosphere or the security of the country. Upon the child of the Lord's own heart, pestilence has no destroying power, and calamity no wasting influence.
Pestilence walks in darkness, but he dwells in light. Destruction wastes at noonday, but upon him another sun has risen, whose beams bring restoration. Remember that the voice which saith, Thou shalt not fear, is that of God himself. Who hereby pledges his word for the safety of those who abide under his shadow, nay, not for their safety only, but for their serenity. So far shall they be from being injured that they shall not even be made to fear the ills which are around them, since the Lord protects them. He, his shadowy plumes outspread, with his wing, shall fence thy head, and his truth around thee wield. 7. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand. So terribly may the plague rage among men, that the bills of mortality may become very heavy, and continue to grow ten times heavier still.
Yet shall such as this psalm speaks of Survive the scythe of death. It shall not come nigh thee. It shall be so near as to be at thy side, and yet not nigh enough to touch thee. Like a fire it shall burn all around, yet shall not the smell of it pass upon thee. How true is this of the plague of moral evil, of heresy, and of backsliding! Whole nations are infected, yet the man who communes with God is not affected by the contagion. He holds the truth when falsehood is all the fashion. Professors all around him are plague-smitten. The church is wasted. The very life of religion decays. But in the same place and time, in fellowship with God, the believer renews his youth, and his soul knows no sickness.
In a measure, this also is true of physical evil. The Lord still puts a difference between Israel and Egypt in the day of his plagues. Sennacherib's army is blasted, but Jerusalem is in health. Our God, his chosen people, saves, amongst the dead, amidst the graves. Eight. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. The sight shall reveal both the justice and the mercy of God. In them that perish, the severity of God will be manifest, and in the believers' escape, the richness of divine goodness will be apparent. Joshua and Caleb verified this promise. The Puritan preachers during the Plague of London must have been much impressed with this verse as they came out of their hiding places to proclaim mercy and judgment to the dissolute age which was so sorely visited with the pest.
The sight of God's judgments softens the heart, excites a solemn awe, creates gratitude, and so stirs up the deepest kind of adoration. It is such a sight as none of us would wish to see, and yet, if we did see it, we might thus be lifted up to the very noblest style of manhood. Let us but watch Providence, and we shall find ourselves living in a school where examples of the ultimate reward of sin are very plentiful. One case may not be judged alone, lest we misjudge, but instances of divine visitation will be plentiful in the memory of any attentive observer of men and things. From all these put together, we may fairly draw conclusions, and unless we shut our eyes to that which is self-evident, we shall soon perceive that there is, after all, a moral ruler over the sons of men, who sooner or later Verses 9 and 10.
9 and 10. Before expounding these verses, I cannot refrain from recording a personal incident illustrating their power to soothe the heart. When they are applied by the Holy Spirit. In the year 1854, when I had scarcely been in London twelve months, the neighbourhood in which I laboured was visited by Asiatic cholera, and my congregation suffered from its inroads. Family after family summoned me to the bedside of the smitten, and almost every day I was called to visit the grave. I gave myself up with youthful ardour to the visitation of the sick. And was sent for from all corners of the district by persons of all ranks and religions. I became weary in body and sick at heart. My friends seemed falling one by one, and I felt or fancied that I was sickening like those around me.
A little more work and weeping would have laid me low among the rest. I felt that my burden was heavier than I could bear, and I was ready to sink under it. As God would have it, I was returning mournfully home from a funeral, when my curiosity led me to read a paper which was wafered up in a shoemaker's window in the Dover Road. It did not look like a trade announcement, nor was it, for it bore in a good, bold handwriting these words, quote, End quote. The effect upon my heart was immediate. Faith appropriated the passage as her own. I felt secure, refreshed, girt with immortality. I went on with my visitation of the dying in a calm and peaceful spirit. I felt no fear of evil, and I suffered no harm.
The providence which moved the tradesman to place those verses in his window I gratefully acknowledge. And in the remembrance of its marvelous power, I adore the Lord my God. The psalmist in these verses assures the man who dwells in God that he shall be secure. Though faith claims no merit of its own, yet the Lord rewards it wherever he sees it. He who makes God his refuge shall find him a refuge. He who dwells in God shall find his dwelling protected. We must make the Lord our habitation by choosing him for our trust and rest, and then we shall receive immunity from harm. No evil shall touch us personally, and no stroke of judgment shall assail our household. The dwelling here intended by the original was only a tent, yet the frail covering would prove to be a sufficient shelter from harm of all sorts.
It matters little whether our abode Be a gypsy's hut or a monarch's palace, if the soul has made the most high its habitation. Get into God, and you dwell in all good, and ill is banished far away. It is not because we are perfect or highly esteemed among men that we can hope for shelter in the day of evil, but because our refuge is the eternal God, and our faith has learned to hide beneath his sheltering wing. For this no ill thy cause shall daunt, no scourge thy tabernacle haunt. It is impossible that any ill should happen to the man who is beloved of the Lord. The most crushing calamities can only shorten his journey and hasten him to his reward. Ill to him is no ill, but only good in a mysterious form.
Losses enrich him. Sickness is his medicine. Reproach is his honour. Death is his gain. No evil, in the strict sense of the word, can happen to him, for everything is overruled for good. Happy is he who is in such a case. He is secure where others are in peril. He lives where others die. Verses 11-13. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder. The young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. 11. For he shall give his angels charge over thee. Not one guardian angel, as some fondly dream, but all the angels are here alluded to. They are the bodyguard of the princes of the blood imperial of heaven, and they have received commission from their lord and ours to watch carefully over all the interests of the faithful.
When men have a charge, they become doubly careful, and therefore the angels are represented as bidden by God himself to see to it that the elect are secured. It is down in the marching orders of the hosts of heaven. That they take special note of the people who dwell in God. It is not to be wondered at that the servants are bidden to be careful of the comfort of their master's guests. And we may be quite sure that when they are specially charged by the Lord himself, they will carefully discharge the duty imposed upon them. To keep thee in all thy ways. To be a bodyguard, a garrison to the body, soul and spirit of the saint. The limit of this protection, in all thy ways, is yet no limit to the heart which is right with God.
It is not the way of the believer to go out of his way. He keeps in the way, and then the angels keep him. The protection here promised is exceeding broad as to place, for it refers to all our ways. And what do we wish for more? How angels thus keep us, we cannot tell. Whether they repel demons, counteract spiritual plots, or even ward off the subtler physical forces of disease, we do not know. Perhaps we shall one day stand amazed at the multiplied services which the unseen bands have rendered to us. Twelve. They, that is the angels, God's own angels, shall cheerfully become our servitors. They shall bear thee up in their hands. As nurses carry little children with careful love, so shall those glorious spirits upbear each individual believer.
Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Even minor ills they ward off. It is most desirable that we should not stumble, but as the way is rough, it is most gracious on the Lord's part. If we cannot have the way smoothed, it answers every purpose if we have angels to bear us up in their hands. Since the greatest ills may arise out of little accidents, it shows the wisdom of the Lord that from the smaller evils we are protected. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder. Over force and fraud shalt thou march victoriously. Bold opponents and treacherous adversaries shall alike be trodden down. When our shoes are iron and brass, lions and adders are easily enough crushed beneath our heel. The young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
The strongest foe in power, and the most mysterious in cunning. Shall be conquered by the man of God. Not only from stones in the way, but from serpents also shall we be safe. To men who dwell in God, the most evil forces become harmless. They wear a charmed life and defy the deadliest ills. Their feet come into contact with the worst of foes. Even Satan himself nibbles at their heel. But in Christ Jesus, They have the assured hope of bruising Satan under their feet shortly. The people of God are the real George and the Dragon, the true Lion Kings and Serpent Tamers. Their dominion over the powers of darkness makes them cry, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy word. Verses 14 to 16.
Because he hath set his love upon me. Therefore will I deliver him. I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation. 14. Here we have the Lord himself speaking of his own Chosen One, because he hath set his love upon me. Therefore will I deliver him. Not because he deserves to be thus kept, but because, with all his imperfections, he does love his God. Therefore, not the angels of God only, but the God of angels himself, will come to his rescue in all perilous times, and will effectually deliver him. When the heart is enamoured of the Lord, all taken up with him, and intensely attached to him.
The Lord will recognize the sacred flame and preserve the man who bears it in his bosom. It is love, love set upon God, which is the distinguishing mark of those whom the Lord secures from ill. I will set him on high because he hath known my name. The man has known the attributes of God so as to trust in him, and then, by experience, has arrived at a yet deeper knowledge. This shall be regarded by the Lord as a pledge of His grace, and He will set the owner of it above danger or fear, where he shall dwell in peace and joy. None abide in intimate fellowship with God unless they possess a warm affection towards God and an intelligent trust in Him. These gifts of grace are precious in Jehovah's eyes, and wherever He sees them, He smiles upon them.
How elevated is the standing which the Lord gives to the believer! We ought to covet it right earnestly. If we climb on high, it may be dangerous, but if God sets us there, it is glorious. 15. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him. He will have need to pray, he will be led to pray aright, and the answer shall surely come. Saints are first called off God. And then they call upon God. Such calls as theirs always obtain answers. Not without prayer will the blessings come to the most favored, but by means of prayer they shall receive all good things. I will be with him in trouble, or I am with him in trouble. Heirs of heaven are conscious of a special divine presence in times of severe trial.
God is always near in sympathy and in power to help his tried ones. I will deliver him and honour him. The man honours God, and God honours him. Believers are not delivered or preserved in a way which lowers them and makes them feel themselves degraded. Far from it. The Lord's salvation bestows honour upon those it delivers. God first gives us conquering grace. and then rewards us for it. 16. With long life will I satisfy him. The man described in this psalm fills out the measure of his days, and whether he dies young or old, he is quite satisfied with life, and is content to leave it. He shall rise from life's banquet as a man who has had enough, and would not have more, even if he could. And show him my salvation.
The full sight of divine grace shall be his closing vision. He shall look from Ammanah and Lebanon, not with destruction before him black as night, but with salvation bright as noonday, smiling upon him, he shall enter into his rest.
End of Psalm 91
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16 15 - Psalm 92 29:57
Psalm 92 Title A psalm or song for the Sabbath day. This admirable composition is both a psalm and a song, full of equal measures of solemnity and joy, and it was intended to be sung upon the day of rest. The subject is the praise of God. Praise is sabbatic work, the joyful occupation of resting hearts. Since a true Sabbath can only be found in God, it is wise to meditate upon Him on the Sabbath day. The style is worthy of the theme and of the day. Its inspiration is from the fount of every blessing. David spake as the Spirit gave him utterance. In the Church of Christ at this hour, No psalm is more frequently sung upon the Lord's Day than the present. The delightful version of Dr. Watts is familiar to us all.
Sweet is the work, my God, my King, to praise thy name, give thanks, and sing, to show thy love by morning light, and talk of all thy truth at night. The Sabbath was set apart for adoring the Lord in his finished work of creation. Hence the suitableness of this psalm. Christians may take even a higher flight, for they celebrate complete redemption. No one acquainted with David's style will hesitate to ascribe to him the authorship of this divine hymn. The ravings of the rabbis who speak of its being composed by Adam only need to be mentioned to be dismissed. Adam in Paradise had neither harps to play upon nor wicked men to contend with. Exposition Verses 1-4. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High, to show forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night, upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery, upon the harp with a solemn sound.
For Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through Thy work. I will triumph in the works of Thy hands. 1. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, or Jehovah. It is good ethically, for it is the Lord's right. It is good emotionally, for it is pleasant to the heart. It is good practically, for it leads others to render the same homage. When duty and pleasure combine, who will be backward? To give thanks to God is but a small return for the great benefits wherewith he daily loadeth us. Yet, as he by his Spirit calls it a good thing, we must not despise it or neglect it. We thank men when they oblige us. How much more ought we to bless the Lord when he benefits us? Devout praise is always good. It is never out of season, never superfluous.
But it is especially suitable to the Sabbath. A Sabbath without thanksgiving is a Sabbath profaned. And to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High. It is good to give thanks in the form of vocal song. Nature itself teaches us thus to express our gratitude to God. Do not the birds sing, and the brooks warble as they flow? To give his gratitude a tongue is wise in man. Silent worship is sweet, but vocal worship is sweeter. To deny the tongue. The privilege of uttering the praises of God involves an unnatural strain upon the most commendable promptings of our renewed manhood. And it is a problem to us how the members of the Society of Friends can deprive themselves of so noble, so natural, so inspiring a part of sacred worship.
Good as they are, they miss one good thing when they decline to sing praises unto the name of the Lord. Our personal experience has confirmed us in the belief that it is good to sing unto the Lord. We have often felt like Luther when he said, quote, come, let us sing a psalm and drive away the devil, end quote. Two. To show forth thy lovingkindness in the morning. The day should begin with praise. No hour is too early for holy song. Lovingkindness is a most appropriate theme. for those dewy hours when morn is sowing all the earth with orient pearl. Eagerly and promptly should we magnify the Lord. We leave unpleasant tasks as long as we can, but our hearts are so engrossed with the added And God Himself.
Seems then to make distribution of the day's manna, which tastes most sweetly, if gathered ere the sun is hot. It seems most meet that if our hearts and harps have been silent through the shades of night, we should be eager again to take our places among the chosen choir, who ceaselessly hymn the Eternal One. And thy faithfulness every night. No hour is too late for praise. The end of the day must not be the end of gratitude. When nature seems in silent contemplation to adore its maker, it ill-becomes the children of God to refrain their thanksgiving. Evening is the time for retrospect. Memory is busy with the experience of the day. Hence the appropriate theme for song is the divine faithfulness, of which another day has furnished fresh evidences.
When darkness has settled down o'er all things, a shade immense, then there comes over wise men a congenial meditative spirit, and it is most fitting that they should take an expanded view of the truth and goodness of Jehovah. This sacred shade and solitude, what is it? Tis the felt presence of the Deity. Every night, clouded or clear, moonlit or dark. Calm or tempestuous is alike suitable for a song upon the faithfulness of God, since in all seasons and under all circumstances it abides the same and is the mainstay of the believer's consolation. Shame on us that we are so backward in magnifying the Lord, who in the daytime scatters bounteous love, and in the night season walks his rounds of watching care.
Upon an instrument of ten strings. With the fullest range of music, uttering before God with the full compass of melody the richest emotions of his soul. And upon the psaltery. Thus giving variety to praise. The psalmist felt that every sweet-sounding instrument should be consecrated to God. George Herbert and Martin Luther aided their private devotions by instrumental music. And whatever may have been the differences of opinion in the Christian Church as to the performance of instrumental music in public, we have met with no objection to its personal and private use. Upon the harp with a solemn sound, or upon meditation with a harp. As much as to say, my meditative soul is, after all, the best instrument, and the harp's dulcet tones come in to aid my thoughts.
It is blessed work when hand and tongue work together in the heavenly occupation of praise. Strings and voices, hands and hearts, in the concert bear your parts. All that breathe your God adore. Praise him, praise him evermore. It is, however, much to be feared that attention to the mere mechanism of music, noting keys and strings, bars and crotchets, 4. For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work. It was natural for the psalmist to sing, because he was glad, and to sing unto the Lord, because his gladness was caused by a contemplation of the divine work. If we consider either creation or providence, we shall find overflowing reasons for joy. But when we come to review the work of redemption, gladness knows no bounds, but feels that she must praise the Lord with all her might.
There are times when, in the contemplation of redeeming love, we feel that if we did not sing, we must die. Silence would be as horrible to us as if we were gagged by inquisitors or stifled by murderers. I will triumph in the works of thy hands. I cannot help it. I must and I will rejoice in the Lord, even as one who has won the victory and has divided great spoil. In the first sentence of this verse, he expresses the unity of God's work, and in the second... The variety of his works. In both, there is reason for gladness and triumph. When God reveals his work to a man and performs a work in his soul, he makes his heart glad most effectually, and then the natural consequence is continual praise.
Verses five and six. O Lord, how great are thy works, and thy thoughts are very deep. A British man knoweth not, neither doth a fool understand this. V. O Lord, how great are thy works! He is lost in wonder. He utters an exclamation of amazement. How vast! How stupendous are the doings of Jehovah! Great for number, extent, and glory and design are all the creations of the Infinite One. And thy thoughts are very deep. The Lord's plans are as marvellous as his acts. His designs are as profound as his doings are vast. Creation is immeasurable, and the wisdom displayed in it unsearchable. Some men think, but cannot work, and others are mere drudges working without thought. In the eternal, the conception and the execution go together.
Providence is inexhaustible, and the divine decrees which originate it are inscrutable. Redemption is grand beyond conception, and the thoughts of love which planned it are infinite. Man is superficial. God is inscrutable. Man is shallow. God is deep. Dive as we may. We shall never fathom the mysterious plan or exhaust the boundless wisdom of the all-comprehending mind of the Lord. We stand by the fathomless sea of divine wisdom and exclaim with holy awe, O the depth! 6. A British man knoweth not, neither doth a fool understand this. In this and the following verses, the effect of the psalm is heightened by contrast. The shadows are thrown in to bring out the lights more prominently. What a stoop from the preceding verse, from the saint to the brute, from the worshipper to the boor, from the psalmist to the fool!
Yet, alas, the character described here is no uncommon one. The boorish or boorish man, for such is almost the very Hebrew word, sees nothing in nature, and, if it be pointed out to him, His foolish mind will not comprehend it. He may be a philosopher, and yet be such a brutish being that he will not own the existence of a maker for the ten thousand matchless creations around him which were, even upon their surface, the evidences of profound design. The unbelieving heart, that it boasts as it will, does not know, and with all its parade of intellect it does not understand. A man must either be a saint or a brute. He has no other choice. His type must be the adoring seraph or the ungrateful swine.
So far from paying respect to great thinkers who will not own the glory or being of God, we ought to regard them as comparable to the beasts which perish, only vastly lower than mere brutes, because their degrading condition is of their own choosing. O God, how sorrowful a thing it is that men whom thou hast largely gifted and made in thine own image should so brutify themselves that they will neither see nor understand what thou hast made so clear. Well might an eccentric writer say, God made man a little lower than the angels at first, and he has been trying to get lower ever since. Verses seven to nine. When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish, it is that they shall be destroyed forever.
But thou, Lord, art most high for evermore. For, lo, thine enemies, O Lord, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish. All the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. Seven. When the wicked spring as the grass, in abundance and apparent strength, Hastening on their progress like verdant plants which come to perfection in a day. And when all the workers of iniquity do flourish, flowering in their prime and pride, their pomp and their prosperity, it is that they shall be destroyed forever. They grow to die. They blossom to be blasted. They flower for a short space to wither without end. Greatness and glory are to them but the prelude of their overthrow. Little does their opposition matter. The Lord reigns on, as if they had never blasphemed him.
As a mountain abides the same, though the meadows at its feet bloom or wither, even so the Most High is unaffected by the fleeting mortals who dare oppose him. They shall soon vanish forever from among the living. But as for the wicked... How can our minds endure the contemplation of their doom forever? Destruction forever? Is a portion far too terrible for the mind to realize? I hath not seen, nor ear heard, the full terror of the wrath to come. Eight. But thou, Lord, art most high forevermore. This is the middle verse of the psalm, and the great fact which this Sabbath song is meant to illustrate. God is at once the highest and most enduring of all beings. Others rise to fall, but He is the Most High to eternity.
Glory be to His name! How great a God we worship! Who would not fear thee, O thou High Eternal One? The ungodly are destroyed forever, and God is Most High forever. Evil is cast down. And the Holy One reigns supreme eternally. 9. For lo, thine enemies, O Lord! It is a wonder full of instruction and warning. Observe it, O ye sons of men. For lo, thine enemies shall perish. They shall cease from among men. They shall be known no more. In that the thing is spoken twice, it is confirmed by the Lord. It shall surely be. And that speedily. All the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. Their forces shall be dispersed, their hopes broken, and themselves driven hither and thither, like chaff before the tempest.
They shall scatter like timid sheep pursued by the lion. They will not have the courage to remain in arms, nor the unity to abide in confederacy. The grass cannot resist the scythe. But falls in withering ranks. Even so are the ungodly cut down and swept away in process of time, while the Lord, whom they despised, sits unmoved upon the throne of his infinite dominion. Terrible as this fact is, no true-hearted man would wish to have it otherwise. Treason against the great monarch of the universe ought not to go unpunished. Such wanton wickedness richly merits the severest doom. Verses 10 and 11. But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of a unicorn. I shall be anointed with fresh oil. Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me.
10. But my horn shalt thou exalt Like the horn of a unicorn. The believer rejoices that he shall not be suffered to perish, but shall be strengthened and enabled to triumph over his enemies by the divine aid. The unicorn may have been some gigantic ox or buffalo, now unknown, and perhaps extinct. Among the ancients, it was the favorite symbol of unconquerable power. The psalmist adopts it as his emblem. Faith takes delight in foreseeing the mercy of the Lord, and sings of what he will do as well as of what he has done. I shall be anointed with fresh oil. Strengthening shall be attended with refreshment and honour. As guests were anointed at feasts with perfumed unduance, so shall the saints be cheered and delighted by fresh outpourings of divine grace.
And for this reason, Observe the contrast between the happiness of the British people and the joy of the righteous. The British men grow with a sort of vegetable vigour of their own. But the righteous are dealt with by the Lord himself, and all the good which they receive comes directly from his own right hand, and so is doubly precious in their esteem. The psalmist speaks in the first person. And it should be a matter of prayer with the reader that he may be enabled to do the same. 11. Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies. The words, my desire, inserted by the translators, had far better have been left out. He does not say what he should see concerning his enemies. He leaves that blank.
And we have no right to fill in the vacant space. with words which look vindictive. He would see that which would be for God's glory, and that which would be eminently right and just. And mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me. Here again the words, my desire, are not inspired, and are a needless and perhaps a false interpolation. The good man is quite silent as to what he expected to hear. He knew that what he should hear would vindicate his faith in his God, and he was content to leave his cruel foes in God's hands without an expression concerning his own desire one way or the other. It is always best to leave Scripture as we find it. The broken sense of inspiration is better let alone than pieced out with additions of a translator's own invention.
It is like repairing pure gold with tinsel. Or a mosaic of gems with painted wood. The holy psalmist had seen the beginning of the ungodly, and expected to see their end. He felt sure that God would right all wrongs, and clear his providence from the charge of favouring the unjust. This confidence he here expresses, and sits down contentedly to wait the issues of the future. Verses 12 to 15. The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree. He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age. They shall be fat and flourishing. To show that the Lord is upright, he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
Twelve. The song now contrasts the condition of the righteous with that of the graceless. The wicked spring as the grass, but the righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, whose growth may not be so rapid, but whose endurance for centuries is in fine contrast with the transitory verdure of the meadow. When we see a noble palm standing erect, sending all its strength upward in one bold column, And growing amid the dearth and drought of the desert, we have a fine picture of the godly man who, in his uprightness, aims alone at the glory of God, and, independent of outward circumstances, is made by divine grace to live and thrive where all things else perish. The text tells us not only what the righteous is, but what he shall be.
Come what may, the good man shall flourish. And flourish after the noblest manner. He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. This is another noble and long-lived tree. As the days of a tree are the days of my people, saith the Lord. On the summit of the mountain, unsheltered from the blast, the cedar waves its mighty branches in perpetual verdure, and so the truly godly man, under all adversities, retains the joy of his soul. and continues to make progress in the divine life. Grass, which makes hay for oxen, is a good enough emblem for the unregenerate. But cedars, which build the temple of the Lord, are none too excellent to set forth the heirs of heaven. 13. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.
In the courtyards of oriental houses, trees were planted, And being thoroughly screened, they would be likely to bring forth their fruit to perfection in trying seasons. Even so, those who by grace are brought into communion with the Lord shall be likened to trees planted in the Lord's house, and shall find it good to their souls. No heart has so much joy as that which abides in the Lord Jesus. Fellowship with the stem begets fertility in the branches. If a man abide in Christ, he brings forth much fruit. Those professors who are rooted to the world do not flourish. Those who send forth their roots into the marshes of frivolous pleasure cannot be in a vigorous condition. But those who dwell in habitual fellowship with God shall become men of full growth, rich in grace, happy in experience, mighty in influence, honored.
Much depends upon the soil in which a tree is planted. Everything in our case depends upon our abiding in the Lord Jesus and deriving all our supplies from him. If we ever really grow in the courts of the Lord's house, we must be planted there, for no tree grows in God's garden self-sown. Once planted off the Lord, we shall never be rooted up. But in his courts we shall take root downward, and bring forth fruit upward to his glory forever. 14. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age. Nature decays, but grace thrives. Fruit, as far as nature is concerned, belongs to days of vigour. But in the garden of grace, when plants are weak in themselves, they become strong in the Lord. And abound in fruit acceptable with God.
Happy they who can sing this Sabbath psalm, enjoying the rest which breathes through every verse of it. No fear as to the future can distress them, for their evil days, when the strong man faileth, are the subject of a gracious promise, and therefore they await them with quiet expectancy. Aged believers possess a ripe experience. And by their mellow tempers and sweet testimonies, they feed many. Even if bedridden, they bear the fruit of patience. If poor and obscure, their lowly and contented spirit becomes the admiration of those who know how to appreciate modest worth. Grace does not leave the saint when the keepers of the house do tremble. The promise is still sure, though the eyes can no longer read it.
The bread of heaven is fed upon when the grinders fail, and the voice of the spirit in the soul is still melodious when the daughters of music are brought low. Blessed be the Lord for this, because even to hoar hares he is the I am who made his people. He therefore bears and carries them. They shall be fat and flourishing. They do not drag out a wretched, starveling existence. But are like trees full of sap, which bear luxuriant foliage. God does not pinch his poor servants and diminish their consolations when their infirmities grow upon them. Rather does he see to it that they shall renew their strength, for their mouths shall be satisfied with his own good things. Such a one as Paul the aged would not ask our pity, but invite our sympathetic gratitude.
However feeble his outward man may be, his inner man is so renewed day by day that we may well envy his perennial peace. 15. This mercy to the aged proves the faithfulness of their God and leads them to show that the Lord is upright by their cheerful testimony to his ceaseless goodness. We do not serve a master who will run back from his promise. Whoever else may defraud us, he never will. Every aged Christian is a letter of commendation to the immutable fidelity of Jehovah. He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. Here is the psalmist's own seal and sign manual. Still was he building upon his God, and still was the Lord a firm foundation for his trust, for shelter. For defence, for indwelling, for foundation, God is our rock.
Hitherto he has been to us all that he said he would be, and we may be doubly sure that he will abide the same, even unto the end. He has tried us, but he has never allowed us to be tempted above what we are able to bear. He has delayed our reward, but he has never been unrighteous to forget our work of faith. and labor of love. He is a friend without fault, a helper without fail. Whatever he may do with us, he is always in the right. His dispensations have no flaw in them. No, not the most minute. He is true and righteous altogether, and so we weave the end of the psalm with its beginning, and make a coronet of it for the head of our beloved. It is a good thing to sing praises unto the Lord, for he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
End of Psalm 92.
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17 16 - Psalm 93 12:55
Psalm 93. Of The Treasury of David, Volume 4. By C. H. Spurgeon. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by Gillian Henry. Psalm 93. This brief psalm is without title or name of author, but its subject is obvious enough, being stated in the very first line. It is the psalm of omnipotent sovereignty. Jehovah, despite all opposition. Reigns supreme. Possibly, at the time this sacred ode was written, the nation was in danger from its enemies, and the hopes of the people of God were encouraged by remembering that the Lord was still King. What sweeter and surer consolation could they desire? Exposition, verses 1 to 5. The Lord reigneth. He is clothed with majesty. The Lord is clothed with strength.
Wherewith he hath girded himself, the world also established that it cannot be moved. Thy throne is established of old. Thou art from everlasting. The floods have lifted up, O Lord. The floods have lifted up their voice. The floods lift up their waves. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. Thy testimonies are very sure. Holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, for ever. 1. The Lord reigneth, or Jehovah reigns. Whatever opposition may arise, his throne is unmoved. He has reigned, does reign, and will reign for ever and ever. Whatever turmoil and rebellion there may be beneath the clouds, the eternal King sits above all in supreme serenity, and everywhere He is really master.
Let his foes rage as they may. All things are ordered according to his eternal purposes, and his will is done. In the verse before us, it would seem as if the Lord had for a while appeared to vacate the throne, but on a sudden he puts on his regal apparel and ascends his lofty seat, while his happy people proclaim him with new joy, shouting, The Lord reigneth. What can give greater joy to a loyal subject than a sight of the king and his beauty? Let us repeat the proclamation, the Lord reigneth, whispering it in the ears of the desponding, and publishing it in the face of the foe. He is clothed with majesty, not with emblems of majesty, but with majesty itself. Everything which surrounds him is majestic.
His is not the semblance. But the reality of sovereignty. In nature, providence, and salvation, the Lord is infinite in majesty. Happy are the people among whom the Lord appears in all the glory of His grace, conquering their enemies, and subduing all things unto Himself. Then indeed is He seen to be clothed with majesty. The Lord is clothed with strength. His garments of glory are not his only array. He wears strength also as his girdle. He is always strong, but sometimes he displays his power in a special manner, and may therefore be said to be clothed with it. Just as he is always majestic, essentially, but yet there are seasons when he reveals his glory, and so wears his majesty, or shows himself in it.
May the Lord appear in his church in our day. in manifest majesty and might, saving sinners, slaying errors, and honoring his own name. O for a day of the Son of Man, in which the King immortal and Almighty shall stand upon his glorious high throne, to be feared in the great congregation, and admired by all them that believe. Wherewith he hath girded himself. As men gird up their loins for running or working, So the Lord appears in the eyes of his people to be preparing for action, girt with his omnipotence. Strength always dwells in the Lord Jehovah, but he hides his power full often until, in answer to his children's cries, he puts on strength, assumes the throne, and defends his own. It should be a constant theme for prayer that in our day the reign of the Lord may be conspicuous, and his power displayed in his church and on her behalf.
Thy kingdom come should be our daily prayer. That the Lord Jesus does actually reign should be our daily praise. The world also established that it cannot be moved. Because Jehovah reigns, terrestrial things for a while are stable. We could not be sure of anything if we were not sure that he has dominion. When he withdraws his manifest presence from among men, all things are out of order. Blasphemers rave, persecutors rage, the profane grow bold, and the licentious increase in wantonness. But when the divine power and glory are again manifested, order is restored, and the poor, distracted world is at peace again. Society would be the football of the basest of mankind. if God did not establish it, and even the globe itself would fly through space, like thistledown across the common, if the Lord did not hold it in its appointed orbit.
That there is any stability, either in the world or in the Church, is the Lord's doings, and he is to be adored for it. Atheism is the mother of anarchy. The reigning power of God, exhibited in true religion, is the only security for the human commonwealth. A belief in God is the foundation and cornerstone of a well-ordered state. Two. Thy throne is established of old. Though thou mayest just now appear in more conspicuous sovereignty, yet thine is no upstart sovereignty. In the most ancient times thy dominion was secure, yea, before time was, thy throne was set up. We often hear of ancient dynasties, but what are they when compared with the Lord? Are they not as the bubble on the breaker, born an instant ago, and gone as soon as seen?
Thou art from everlasting. The Lord himself is eternal. Let the believer rejoice that the government under which he dwells has an immortal ruler at its head, has existed from all eternity, And will flourish when all created things shall have forever passed away. Vain are the rebellions of mortals. The kingdom of God is not shaken. 3. The floods have lifted up, O Lord. Men have raged like angry waves of the sea, but vain has been their tumult. Observe that the psalmist turns to the Lord when he sees the billows fall and hears the breakers roar. He does not waste his breath by talking to the waves or to violent men, but, like Hezekiah, he spreads the blasphemies of the wicked before the Lord. The floods have lifted up their voice.
The floods lift up their waves. These repetitions are needed for the sake both of the poetry and the music, but they also suggest the frequency and the violence of wicked assaults upon the government of God. And the repeated defeats which they sustain. Sometimes men are furious in words. They lift up their voice. And at other times they rise to acts of violence. They lift up their waves. But the Lord has control over them in either case. The ungodly are all foam and fury, noise and bluster during their little hour. And then the tide turns, or the storm is hushed. 4. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters. The utmost of their power is to him but a sound, and he can readily master it.
Therefore he calls it a noise by way of contempt. When men combine to overthrow the kingdom of Jesus, plot secretly. And by and by rage openly. The Lord thinks no more of it than of so much noise upon the sea beach. Jehovah, the self-existent and omnipotent, cares not for the opposition of dying men, however many or mighty they may be. Loud the stormy billows spoke. Loud the billows raised their cry. Fierce the stormy billows broke, sounding to the echoing sky. Strong the breakers tossing high, stronger is Jehovah's might. True thy words, and sanctity well becomes thy temple bright.
Yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. When the storm raises Atlantic billows and drives them on with terrific force, the Lord is still able to restrain them. And so also, when impious men are haughty and full of rage, The Lord is able to subdue them and overrule their malice. Kings or mobs, emperors or savages, all are in the Lord's hands, and he can forbid their touching a hair of the heads of his saints. 5. Thy testimonies are very sure. As in Providence the throne of God is fixed beyond all risk, so in Revelation his truth is beyond all question. Other teachings are uncertain, but the revelations of heaven are infallible. As the rocks remain unmoved amidst the tumult of the sea, so does divine truth resist all the currents of men's opinion and the storms of human controversy.
They are not only sure, but very sure. Glory be to God, we have not been deluded by a cunningly devised fable. Our faith is grounded. Upon the eternal truth of the Most High, holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, forever. Truth changes not in its doctrines, which are very sure, nor holiness in its precepts, which are incorruptible. The teaching and the character of God are both unaltered. God has not admitted evil to dwell with him. He will not tolerate it in his house. He is eternally its enemy. And is forever the sworn friend of holiness. The church must remain unchanged, and forever be holiness unto the Lord. Yea, her King will preserve her undefiled by the intruder's foot. Sacred unto the Lord is the church of Jesus Christ, and so shall she be kept evermore.
Jehovah reigns is the first word and the main doctrine of the psalm, and holiness is the final result. A due esteem for the great King will lead us to adopt a behaviour becoming his royal presence. Divine sovereignty both confirms the promises as sure testimonies and enforces the precepts as seemly and becoming in the presence of so great a Lord. The whole psalm is most impressive and is calculated to comfort the distressed, confirm the timorous, and assist the devout. O thou who art so great and gracious a king, reign over us forever. We do not desire to question or restrain thy power. Such is thy character that we rejoice to see thee exercise the rights of an absolute monarch. All power is in thy hands, and we rejoice to have it so.
Hosanna! Hosanna!
End of Psalm 93
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18 17 - Psalm 94 35:46
Psalm 94 Subject The writer sees evildoers in power and smarts under their oppressions. His sense of the divine sovereignty, of which he had been singing in the previous psalm, leads him to appeal to God as the great judge of the earth. This he does with much vehemence and importunity, evidently tingling under the lash of the oppressor. Confident in God's existence and assured of his personal observation of the doings of men, the psalmist rebukes his atheistic adversaries and proclaims his triumph in his God. He also interprets the severe dispensation of providence to be in very deed most instructive chastisements. And so he counts those happy who endure them. The psalm is another pathetic form of the old enigma, Wherefore do the wicked prosper?
It is another instance of a good man, perplexed by the prosperity of the ungodly, cheering his heart by remembering that there is, after all, a king in heaven, by whom all things are overruled for good. Divisions. In the first seven verses, The psalmist utters his complaint against wicked oppressors. From 8 to 11, he reasons against their sceptical notion that God did not notice the actions of men. He then shows that the Lord does bless his people and will deliver them, though for a while they may be chastened. 12 to 15. He again pleads for help in verse 16 and declares his entire dependence upon God for preservation. Yet a third time urges his plaint, 20 and 21, and then concludes with the confident assurance that his enemies and all other wicked men would certainly be made to reap the due reward of their deeds.
Yea, the Lord our God shall cut them off.
Exposition, verses 1 to 7. O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth, O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, show thyself. Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth. Render a reward to the proud. Lord, how long shall the wicked triumph? How long shall they utter and speak hard things, and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves? They break in pieces thy people, O Lord, and afflict thine heritage. They slay the widow and the stranger. and murder the fatherless. Yet they say, The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. One. O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth, O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, show thyself. Or, God of retributions, Jehovah, God of retributions, shine forth.
A very natural prayer when innocence is trampled down. and wickedness exalted on high. If the execution of justice be a right thing, and who can deny the fact, then it must be a very proper thing to desire it, not out of private revenge, in which case a man would hardly dare to appeal to God, but out of sympathy with right, and pity for those who are made wrongfully to suffer. Who can see a nation enslaved, or even an individual, downtrodden? without crying to the Lord to arise and vindicate the righteous cause. The toleration of injustice is here attributed to the Lord's being hidden, and it is implied that the bare sight of him will suffice to alarm the tyrants into ceasing their oppressions.
God has but to show himself, and the good cause wins the day. He comes, he sees, he conquers. Truly, in these evil days, we need a manifest display of his power, for the ancient enemies of God and man are again struggling for the mastery, and, if they gain it, woe unto the saints of God. Two. Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth. Ascend thy judgment seat, and be acknowledged as the ruler of men. And moreover. Raise thyself, as men do, who are about to strike with all their might. For the abounding sin of mankind requires a heavy blow from thy hand. Render a reward to the proud. Give them measure for measure, a fair retaliation, blow for blow. The proud look down upon the gracious poor, and strike them from above, as a giant might hurl down blows upon his adversary.
After the same manner, O Lord, lift up thyself, and return a recompense upon the proud, and let them know that thou art far more above them than they can be above the meanest of their fellow-men. The psalmist thus invokes the retributions of justice in plain speech, and his request is precisely that which patient innocence puts up in silence when her looks of anguish appeal to heaven. 3. Lord, how long shall the wicked triumph? Shall wrong forever rule? Are slavery, robbery, tyranny never to cease? Since there is certainly a just God in heaven, armed with almighty power, surely there must be, sooner or later, an end to the ascendancy of evil. Innocents must one day find a defender. This How Long of the text is the bitter plaint of all the righteous in all ages, and expresses wonder caused by that great enigma of providence, the existence and predominance of evil.
The sound How Long is very akin to howling, as if it were one of the saddest of all the utterances in which misery bemoans itself. Many a time has this bitter complaint been heard in the dungeons of the Inquisition, at the whipping posts of slavery, and in the prisons of oppression. In due time, God will publish his reply, but the full end is not yet. Four. How long shall they utter and speak hard things? The ungodly are not content with deeds of injustice, but they add hard speeches, boasting. Will the Lord forever endure this? Will he leave his own children much longer to be the prey of their enemies? Will not the insolent speeches of his adversaries and theirs at last provoke his justice to interfere?
Words often wound more than swords. They are as hard to the heart as stones to the flesh. And these are poured forth by the ungodly in redundance, for such is the force of the word translated utter. And they use them so commonly that they become their common speech. They utter and speak them. Will this always be endured? And all the workers of iniquity boast themselves. They even soliloquize and talk to themselves and of themselves. In arrogance of spirit, as if they were doing some good deed when they crush the poor and needy, and spit their spite on gracious men. It is the nature of workers of iniquity to boast, just as it is a characteristic of good men to be humble. Will their boasts always be suffered by the great judge, whose ear hears all that they say?
Long, very long, have they had the platform to themselves. And loud, very loud, have been their blasphemies of God, and their railings at his saints. Will not the day soon come when the threatened heritage of shame and everlasting contempt shall be meted out to them? Thus the oppressed plead with their Lord, and shall not God avenge his own elect? Will he not speak out of heaven to the enemy, and say, Why persecutest thou me? Five. They break in pieces thy people, O Lord, grinding them with oppression, crushing them with contempt. Yet the men they break in pieces are God's own people, and they are persecuted because they are so. This is a strong plea for the divine interposition, and afflict thine heritage, causing them sorrowful humiliation and deep depression of heart.
The term, thine heritage, marks out the election of the saints, God's peculiar interest and delight in them, his covenant relation, of longstanding, to them and their fathers. This also is a storehouse of arguments with their faithful God. Will he not defend his own? Will a man lose his inheritance, or permit it to be contemptuously despoiled? Those who are ground down and trampled on. 6. They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless. They deal most arrogantly with those who are the most evident objects of compassion. The law of God especially commends these poor ones to the kindness of good men. And it is peculiar wickedness which singles them out to be the victims, not only of fraud, but of murder.
Must not such inhuman conduct as this provoke the Lord? Shall the tears of widows, the groans of strangers, and the blood of orphans be poured forth in vain? As surely as there is a God in heaven, he will visit those who perpetrate such crimes, though he bear long with them. He will yet take vengeance, and that speedily. 7. Yet they say, The Lord shall not see. This was the reason of their arrogance, and the climax of their wickedness. They were blindly wicked because they dreamed of a blind God. When men believe that the eyes of God are dim, there is no reason to wonder that they give full license to their brutal passions. The persons mentioned above Not only cherished an infidel unbelief, but dared to avow it, uttering the monstrous doctrine that God is too far away to take notice of the actions of men.
Neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. Abominable blasphemy and transparent falseness. If God has actually become his people's God and proved his care for them by a thousand acts of grace, how dare the ungodly assert There is no limit to the proud man's profanity. Reason itself cannot restrain him. He has broken through the bounds of common sense. Jacob's God heard him at the brook Chabok. Jacob's God led him and kept him all his life long, and said concerning him and his family, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. And yet these brutish ones, Surely, in such unbelievers is fulfilled the saying of the wise, that those whom the Lord means to destroy, he leaves to the madness of their corrupt hearts.
Verses eight to 11. Understand, ye British among the people, and ye fools, when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see? He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? He that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know? The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity. Eight. Understand, ye British among the people. They said that God did not note, and now, using the same word in the original, The psalmist calls on the wicked to note, and have regard to the truth. He designates them as boors, boorish, swinish men, and well was the term deserved, and he bids them understand or consider if they can. They thought themselves to be wise, and indeed the only men of wit in the world, but he calls them boors among the people.
Wicked men are fools, and the more they know, The more foolish they become. No fool like a learned fool is a true proverb. When a man has done with God, he has done with his manhood, and has fallen to the level of the ox and the ass, yea, beneath them. For the ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib. Instead of being humbled in the presence of scientific infidels, we ought to pity them. They affect to look down upon us. But we have far more cause to look down upon them. And ye fools, when will ye be wise? Is it not high time? Ye know the ways of folly. What profit have ye in them? Have ye no relics of reason left, no shreds of sense? If, as yet, there lingers in your minds a gleam of intelligence, hearken to argument, and consider the questions now about to be proposed to you.
9. He that planteth the ear, shall he not hear? He fashioned that marvellous organ, and fixed it in the most convenient place, near to the brain. And is he deaf himself? Is he capable of such design and invention, and yet can he not discern what is done in the world which he made? He made you hear. Can he not himself hear? Unanswerable question. It overwhelms the skeptic and covers him with confusion. He that formed the eye, shall he not see? He gives us vision. Is it conceivable that he has no sight himself? With skillful hand he fashioned the optic nerve and the eyeball and all its curious mechanism, and it surpasses all conception that he can himself be unable to observe the doings of his creatures.
If there be a God, he must be a personal, intelligent being, and no limit can be set to his knowledge. 10. He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? He reproves whole nations. Can he not reprove individuals? All history shows that he visits national sin with national judgment. And can he not deal with single persons? The question which follows is equally full of force, and is asked with a degree of warmth, which checks the speaker and causes the inquiry to remain incomplete. It begins, He that teacheth man knowledge. And then it comes to a pause, which the translators have supplied with the words, Shall not he know? But no such words are in the original, where the sentence comes to an abrupt end.
As if the inference were too natural to need to be stated, and the writer had lost patience with the British men with whom he had argued. The earnest believer often feels as if he could say, go to. You are not worth arguing with. If you are reasonable men, these things would be too obvious to need to be stated in your hearing. I forbear. Man's knowledge comes from God. Science, in its first principles, was taught to our progenitor, Adam, and all after advances have been due to divine aid. Does not the author and revealer of all knowledge himself know? 11. Whether men admit or deny that God knows, one thing is here declared, namely that, the Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.
Not, their words alone are heard. and their works seen, but he reads the secret motions of their minds. For men themselves are not hard to be discerned of him. Before his glance, they themselves are but vanity. It is in the Lord's esteem no great matter to know the thoughts of such transparent pieces of vanity as mankind are. He sums them up in a moment as poor vain things. This is the sense of the original. But that given in the authorised version is also true. The thoughts, the best part, the most spiritual portion of man's nature, even these are vanity itself, and nothing better. Poor man! And yet such a creature as this boasts, plays a monarch, tyrannises over his fellow worms, and defies his god.
Madness is mingled with human vanity. Like smoke with the fog, to make it fouler, but not more substantial than it would have been alone. How foolish are those who think that God does not know their actions, when the truth is that their vain thoughts are all perceived by Him. How absurd to make nothing of God, when in fact we ourselves are as nothing in His sight. Verses 12 to 15. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law, that thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the Lord will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. But judgment shall return unto righteousness, and all the upright in heart shall follow it.
Twelve. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord. The psalmist's mind is growing quiet. He no longer complains to God or argues with men, but tunes his harp to softer melodies. For his faith perceives that, with the most afflicted believer, all is well. Though he may not feel blessed while smarting under the rod of chastisement, yet blessed he is. He is precious in God's sight. The psalmist calls the chastened one a man, in the best sense, using the Hebrew word which implies strength. He is a man indeed, who is under the teaching and training of the Lord. The book and the rod, the law and the chastening, go together. And are made doubly useful by being found in connection. Affliction without the word is a furnace for the metal, but there is no flux to aid the purifying.
The word of God supplies that need and makes the fiery trial effectual. After all, the blessing of God belongs far rather to those who suffer under the divine hand than to those who make others suffer. Better far to lie and cry out as a man under the hand of our Heavenly Father than to roar and rave as a brute and to bring down upon oneself a death-blow from the destroyer of evil. The afflicted believer is under tuition. He is in training for something higher and better, and all that he meets with is working out his highest good. Therefore is he a blessed man. However much his outward circumstances may argue the reverse. 13. That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.
The chastening hand and instructive book are sanctified to us, so that we learn to rest in the Lord. We see that his end is our everlasting benefit, and therefore abide quiet. The mighty hunter is preparing the pit for the British ones. They are prowling about at this time and tearing the sheep, but they will soon be captured and destroyed. Therefore the people of the Lord learn to rest in days of adversity and tarry the leisure of their God. Wicked men may not yet be ripe for punishment. nor punishment ready for them. Hell is a prepared place for a prepared people. As days of grace ripen saints for glory, so days of wantonness help sinners to rot into the corruption of eternal destruction. 14.
For the Lord will not cast off his people. He may cast them down, but he never can cast them off. During fierce persecutions, The saints have been apt to think that the Lord had left his own sheep, and given them over to the wolf. But it has never been so, nor shall it ever be, for the Lord will not withdraw his love, neither will he forsake his inheritance. For a time he may leave his own with the design of benefiting them thereby, yet never can he utterly desert them. He may chasten and correct, but he never can neglect. May in faithfulness reprove, but he ne'er can cease to love. 15. But judgment shall return unto righteousness. The great judge will come, the reign of righteousness will commence, the course of affairs will yet be turned into the right channel, and then all the godly will rejoice.
The chariot of right will be drawn in triumph through our streets. And all the upright in heart shall follow it, as in gladsome procession. A delightful hope is here expressed in poetic imagery of much beauty. The government of the world has been for a while in the hands of those who have used it for the basest and most vicious ends. But the cry of prayer will bring back righteousness to the throne, and then every upright heart will have its portion of joy. Verse 16. Who will rise up for me against the evildoers, or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? Notwithstanding the psalmist's persuasion that all would be well eventually, he could not at the time perceive anyone who would stand side by side with him in opposing evil.
No champion of the right was forthcoming. The faithful failed from among men. This also is a bitter trial and a sore evil under the sun, yet it has its purpose, for it drives the heart still more completely to the Lord, compelling it to rest alone in Him. If we could find friends elsewhere, it may be our God would not be so dear to us. But when, after calling upon heaven and earth to help, we meet with no succour but such as comes from the eternal arm. We are led to prize our God, and rest upon him with undivided trust. Never is the soul safer or more at rest than when, all other helpers failing, she leans upon the Lord alone. The verse before us is an appropriate cry, now that the church sees error invading her on all sides, while faithful ministers are few, and fewer still are bold enough to stand up.
and defy the enemies of truth. Where are our Luthers and our Calvins? A false charity has enfeebled the most of the valiant men of Israel. One John Knox would be worth a mint at this hour, but where is he? Our grand consolation is that the God of Knox and Luther is yet with us, and in due time will call out his chosen champions.
Verses 17-19. Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence. When I said, My foot slippeth, thy mercy, O Lord, held me up. In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul. 17. Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence. Without Jehovah's help, the psalmist declares that he should have died outright and gone into the silent land, where no more testimonies can be borne for the living God. Or he may mean that he would not have had a word to speak against his enemies, but would have been wrapped in speechless shame. Blessed be God, we are not left to that condition yet, for the Almighty Lord is still the helper of all those who look to him.
Our inmost soul is bowed down when we see the victories of the Lord's enemies. We cannot brook it. We cover our mouths in confusion. But he will yet arise and avenge his own cause. Therefore have we hope. 18. When I said, My foot slippeth, is slipping even now, I perceived my danger and cried out in horror, and then At the very moment of my extremity came the needed help. Thy mercy, O Lord, held me up. Often enough is this the case. We feel our weakness and see our danger, and in fear and trembling we cry out. At such times nothing can help us but mercy. We can make no appeal to any fancied merit, for we feel that it is our inbred sin. which makes our feet so ready to fail us. Our joy is that mercy endureth forever, and is always at hand to pluck us out of the danger and hold us up, where else we should fall to our destruction.
Ten thousand times has this verse been true in relation to some of us, and especially to the writer of this comment. The danger was imminent. It was upon us. We were going. The peril was apparent. We saw it. And were aghast at the sight. Our own heart was failing, and we concluded that it was all over with us. But then came the Almighty interposition. We did not fall. We were held up by an unseen hand. The devices of the enemy were frustrated, and we sang for joy. O faithful keeper of our souls, be thou extolled for ever and ever. We will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in our mouths. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me. When I am tossed to and fro with various reasonings, distractions, questionings, and forebodings, I will fly to my true rest.
For thy comforts delight my soul. From my sinful thoughts, my vain thoughts, my sorrowful thoughts, my griefs, my cares, My conflicts, I will hasten to the Lord. He has divine comforts, and these will not only console, but actually delight me. How sweet are the comforts of the Spirit! Who can muse upon eternal love, immutable purposes, covenant promises, finished redemption, the risen Savior, his union with his people, the coming glory, and such like themes? Without feeling his heart leaping with joy. The little world within is, like the great world without, full of confusion and strife. But when Jesus enters it and whispers, Peace be unto you, there is a calm, yea, a rapture of bliss. Let us turn away from the mournful contemplation of the oppression of man and the present predominance of the wicked.
to the sanctuary of pure rest, which is found in the God of all comfort. Verses 20 and 21. Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law? They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood. 20. Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee? Such thrones there are, and they plead, a right divine. But their claim is groundless, a fraud upon mankind, and a blasphemy of heaven. God enters into no alliance with unjust authority. He gives no sanction to unrighteous legislation, which frameth mischief by a law. They legalize robbery and violence, and then plead that it is the law of the land. And so indeed it may be, but it is a wickedness for all that.
With great care, men prepare enactments intended to put down all protests, so as to render wrongdoing a permanent institution. But one element is necessary to true conservatism, namely righteousness. And lacking that, all their arrangements of the holders of power must come to an end. And all their decrees must, in process of time, be wiped out of the statute-book. Nothing can last forever but impartial right. No injustice can be permanent, for God will not set his seal upon it, nor have any fellowship with it. And therefore down it must come, and happy shall be the day which sees it fall. Twenty one. They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous. So many are there of them that they crowd their assemblies and carry their hard measures with enthusiasm.
They are the popular party and are eager to put down the saints. In council and in action, they are unanimous. Their one resolve is to hold their own tyrannical position and put down the godly party and condemn. The innocent blood. They are great at slander and false accusation, nor do they stick at murder. No crime is too great for them, if only they can trample on the servants of the Lord. This description is historically true in reference to persecuting times. It has been fulfilled in England, and may be again if popery is to advance in future time at the same rate as in the past few years. The dominant sect has the law on its side, and boasts that it is the national church. But the law which establishes and endows one religion rather than another is radically an injustice.
God has no fellowship with it, and therefore the synagogue of ritualism will yet be a stench in the nostrils of all sane men. What evil times are in store for us, it is not for us to prophesy. It is ours to leave the matter in the hands of him who cannot be in fellowship with an oppressive system, and will not always endure to be insulted to his face by popish idols and their priests. But the Lord is my defence, and my God is the rock of my refuge, and he shall bring upon them their own iniquity. And shall cut them off in their own wickedness. Yea, the Lord our God shall cut them off. 22. Let the wicked gather as they may. The psalmist is not afraid, but sweetly sings, The Lord is my defence, and my God is the rock of my refuge.
Firm as a rock is Jehovah's love, and there do we betake ourselves for shelter. In him, even in him alone. We find safety. Let the world rage as it may. We ask not aid from man, but are content to flee into the bosom of omnipotence. 23. The natural result of oppression is the destruction of the despot. His own iniquities crush him ere long. Providence arranges retaliations as remarkable as they are just. High crimes, in the end, bring on heavy judgments. to sweep away evil men from off the face of the earth. Yea, God himself interposes in a special manner and cuts short the career of tyrants while they are in the very midst of their crimes. Wicked men are often arrested by the perseverance of divine justice, red-handed, with the evidences of their guilt upon them.
He shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness. While the stolen bread is in their mouths, wrath slays them. While the ill-gotten wedge of gold is yet in their tent, judgment overtakes them. God himself conspicuously visits them and reveals his own power in their overthrow. Yea, the Lord our God shall cut them off. Here, then, the matter ends. Faith reads the present in the light of the future and ends her song. without a trembling note. End of Psalm 94
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19 18 - Psalm 95 28:29
Psalm 95. This psalm has no title, and all we know of its authorship is that Paul quotes it as, In David. It is true that this may merely signify that it is to be found in the collection known as David's Psalms. But if such were the Apostle's meaning, it would have been more natural for him to have written, saying, in the Psalms. We therefore incline to the belief that David was the actual author of this poem. It is, in its original, a truly Hebrew song, directed both in its exhortation and warning to the Jewish people. But we have the warrant of the Holy Spirit in the epistle to the Hebrews for using its appeals and entreaties when pleading with Gentile believers. It is a psalm of invitation to worship.
It has about it a ring like that of the church bells, and like the bells it sounds both merrily and solemnly, at first ringing out a lively peal and then dropping into a funeral knoll, as if tolling at the funeral of the generation which perished in the wilderness. We will call it the psalm of the provocation. Division. It would be correct as to the sense To divide this psalm into an invitation and a warning, so as to commence the second part with the last clause of verse 7. But upon the whole, it may be more convenient to regard verse 6 as the beating heart of the psalm, as Hengstenberg calls it, and make the division at the end of verse 5. Thus it will form, one, an invitation with reasons, and two, an invitation with warnings.
Exposition, verses 1 to 5. O come, let us sing unto the Lord. Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise. Verse 1. And his hands formed the dry land. One. O come, let us sing unto the Lord. Other nations sing unto their gods. Let us sing unto Jehovah. We love him. We admire him. We reverence him. Let us express our feelings with the choicest sounds, using our noblest faculty for its noblest end. It is well thus to urge others to magnify the Lord. But we must be careful to set a worthy example ourselves, so that we may be able not only to cry, come, but also to add, let us sing, because we are singing ourselves.
It is to be feared that very much, even of religious singing, is not unto the Lord, but unto the ear of the congregation. Above all things, we must, in our service of song, take care that all we offer is with the heart's sincerest Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. With holy enthusiasm, let us sing, making a sound which shall indicate our earnestness. With abounding joy, let us lift up our voices, actuated by that happy and peaceful spirit which trustful love is sure to foster. As the children of Israel sang for joy, The author of this song had in his mind's eye the rock, the tabernacle, the Red Sea, and the mountains of Sinai, and he alludes to them all in this first part of his hymn.
God is our abiding, immutable, and mighty rock, and in him we find deliverance and safety. Therefore it becomes us to praise him with heart and with voice from day to day, and especially should we delight to do this when we assemble as his people for public worship. Come, let us to the Lord sing out with trumpet voice and choral shout. Two. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving. Here is probably a reference to the peculiar presence of God in the Holy of Holies above the mercy seat. And also to the glory which shone forth out of the cloud which rested above the tabernacle. Everywhere God is present, but there is a peculiar presence of grace and glory into which men should never come without the profoundest reverence.
We may make bold to come before the immediate presence of the Lord, for the voice of the Holy Ghost in this psalm invites us, and when we do draw near to him, we should remember his great goodness to us. And cheerfully confess it. Our worship should have reference to the past as well as to the future. If we do not bless the Lord for what we have already received, how can we reasonably look for more? We are permitted to bring our petitions, and therefore we are in honour bound to bring our thanksgivings. And make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. We should shout as exultingly as those do who triumph in war, and as solemnly as those whose utterance is a psalm. It is not always easy to unite enthusiasm with reverence, and it is a frequent fault to destroy one of these qualities while straining after the other.
The perfection of singing is that which unites joy with gravity, exultation with humility, fervency with sobriety. The invitation given in the first verse is thus repeated in the second, with the addition of directions, which indicate more fully the intent of the writer. One can imagine David in earnest tones persuading his people to go up with him to the worship of Jehovah, with sound of harp and hymn, and holy delight. The gladsomeness of his exhortation is noteworthy. The noise is to be joyful. This quality he insists upon twice. It is to be feared that this is too much overlooked in ordinary services. People are so impressed with the idea that they ought to be serious, that they put on the aspect of misery, and quite forget that joy is as much a characteristic of true worship as solemnity itself.
Three. For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods. No doubt the surrounding nations imagined Jehovah to be a merely local deity, the god of a small nation, and therefore one of the inferior deities. The psalmist utterly repudiate such an idea. Idolaters tolerated gods many and lords many, giving to each a certain measure of respect. The monotheism of the Jews was not content with this concession. It rightly claimed for Jehovah the chief place and the supreme power. He is great, for he is all in all. He is a great king above all other powers and dignitaries, whether angels or princes, for they owe their existence to him. As for the idol gods, they are not worthy to be mentioned.
This verse and the following supply some of the reasons for worship drawn from the being, greatness, and sovereign dominion of the Lord.
In his hand are the deep places of the earth. He is the god of the valleys and the hills, the caverns and the peaks, far down where miners sink their shafts, deeper yet where lie the secret oceans by which springs are fed, and deepest of all in the unknown abyss, where rage and flame the huge central fires of earth. There Jehovah's power is felt, and all things are under the dominion of his hand. As princes hold the mimic globe in their hands, so does the Lord in very deed hold the earth. When Israel drank of the crystal fount which welled up from the great deep, below the smitten rock, the people knew that in the Lord's hands were the deep places of the earth. The strength of the hills is his also.
When Sinai was altogether on a smoke, the tribes learned that Jehovah was God of the hills, as well as of the valleys. Everywhere, and at all times, is this true. The Lord rules upon the high places of the earth in lonely majesty. The vast foundations, the gigantic spurs, the incalculable masses, the untrodden heights of the mountains, are all the Lord's. These are his fastnesses and treasure houses, where he stores the tempest and the rain. Whence also he pours the ice torrents and looses the avalanches. The granite peaks and adamantine eguils are his, and his the precipices and the beetling crags. Strength is the main thought which strikes the mind when gazing on those vast ramparts of cliff which front the raging sea, or peer into the azure sky, piercing the clouds.
But it is to the devout mind the strength of God. Hints of omnipotence are given by those stern rocks which brave the fury of the elements. and, like walls of brass, defy the assaults of nature in her wildest rage. 5. The Sea is His. This was seen to be true at the Red Sea when the waters saw their god and obediently stood aside to open a pathway for his people. It was not Edom's Sea, though it was red, nor Egypt's Sea, though it washed her shores. The Lord on high reigned supreme over the flood. As king, forever and ever. So is it with the broad ocean, whether known as Atlantic or Pacific, Mediterranean or Arctic. No man can map it out and say, "'Tis mine." The illimitable acreage of waters knows no other Lord but God alone.
Jehovah rules the waves. Far down in vast abysses, where no eye of man has gazed, or foot of diver has descended, He is sole proprietor. Every rolling billow and foaming wave owns him for monarch. Neptune is but a phantom. The Lord is God of Ocean. And he made it. Hence his right and sovereignty. He scooped the unfathomed channel and poured forth the overflowing flood. Seas were not fashioned by chance, nor their shores marked out by the imaginary finger of fate. God made the main, and every creek and bay and current and far-sounding tide owns the great Maker's hand. All hail, creator and controller of the sea. Let those who fly in the swift ships across the wonder realm of waters worship thee alone.
And his hands formed the dry land. Whether fertile field or sandy waste, he made all that men call terra firma. lifting it from the floods and fencing it from the overflowing waters. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. He bade the isles upraise their heads. He levelled the vast plains, upreared the table-lands, cast up the undulating hills, and piled the massive Alps. As the potter moulds his clay, so did Jehovah, with his hands, fashion the habitable parts of the earth. Come ye then who dwell in this fair world, and worship him who is conspicuous, where'er ye tread. Count it all as the floor of a temple, where the footprints of the present deity are visible before your eyes, if ye do but care to see.
The argument is overpowering, if the heart be right. The command to adore is alike the inference of reason and the impulse of faith.
Verses 6-11 O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker, for he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness, when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways, unto whom I swear in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest. 6. Here the exhortation to worship is renewed and backed with a motive which, to Israel of old and to Christians now, is especially powerful.
For both the Israel after the flesh and the Israel of faith may be described as the people of his pasture. And by both he is called our God. O come, let us worship and bow down. The adoration is to be humble. The joyful noise is to be accompanied with lowliest reverence. We are to worship in such style that the bowing down shall indicate that we count ourselves to be as nothing in the presence of the all-glorious Lord. Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. As suppliants must we come, joyful but not presumptuous, familiar as children before a father, yet reverential as creatures before their maker. Posture is not everything, yet is it something. Prayer is heard when knees cannot bend, but it is seemly that an adoring heart should show its awe by prostrating the body and bending the knee.
7. For He is our God. Here is the master reason for worship. Jehovah has entered into covenant with us, and from all the world beside has chosen us to be his own elect. If others refuse him homage, we at least will render it cheerfully. He is ours and our God. Ours, therefore will we love him. Our God, therefore will we worship him. Happy is that man who can sincerely believe That this sentence is true in reference to himself. And we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. As he belongs to us, so do we belong to him. My beloved is mine, and I am his. And we are his as the people whom he daily feeds and protects. Our pastures are not ours, but his. We draw all our supplies from his stores.
We are his even as sheep belong to the shepherd, and his hand is our rule, our guidance, our government, our succour, our source of supply. Israel was led through the desert, and we are led through this life by that great shepherd of the sheep. The hand which cleft the sea and brought water from the rock is still with us, working equal wonders. Can we refuse to worship and bow down?
But what is this warning which follows? Alas, it was sorrowfully needed by the Lord's ancient people, and is not one whit the less required by ourselves. The favoured nation grew deaf to their Lord's command, and proved not to be truly his sheep, of whom it is written, My sheep, hear my voice. Will this turn out to be our character also? God forbid. Today, if ye will hear his voice. Dreadful if. Many would not hear. They put off the claims of love, and provoked their God. Today, in the hour of grace, in the day of mercy, we are tried as to whether we have an ear for the voice of our Creator. Nothing is said of tomorrow. He limiteth a certain day. He presses for immediate attention. For our own sakes, he asks instantaneous obedience.
Shall we yield it? The Holy Ghost saith, to-day. Will we grieve him by delay? 8. Harden not your heart. If ye will hear, learn to fear also. The sea and the land obey him. Do not prove more obstinate than they. Yield to his love, who round you now the bands of a man would cast. We cannot soften our hearts, but we can harden them, and the consequences will be fatal. Today is too good a day to be profaned by the hardening of our hearts against our own mercies. While mercy reigns, let not obduracy rebel, as in the provocation and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness, or like Meribah, like the day of Massah in the wilderness. Be not wilfully, wantonly, repeatedly, obstinately rebellious.
Let the example of that unhappy generation serve as a beacon to you. Do not repeat the offences which have already, more than enough, provoked the Lord. God remembers men's sins, and the more memorably so when they are committed by a favoured people against frequent warnings in defiance of terrible judgments, and in the midst of superlative mercies. Such sins write their record in marble. Reader, this verse is for you. For you, even if you can say, He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, do not seek to turn aside the edge of the warning. Thou hast good need of it. Give good heed to it. 9. When your fathers tempted me. As far as they could do so, they tempted God to change his usual way and to do their sinful bidding.
And though he cannot be tempted of evil and will never yield to wicked requests, yet their intent was the same, and their guilt was none the less. God's way is perfect, and when we would have him alter it to please us, we are guilty of tempting him. And the fact that we do so in vain, while it magnifies the Lord's holiness, by no means excuses our guilt. We are in most danger of this sin in times of need, for then it is that we are apt to fall into unbelief, and to demand a change in those arrangements of providence which are the transcript of perfect holiness and infinite wisdom. Not to acquiesce in the will of God is virtually to tempt him to alter his plans. To suit our imperfect views of how the universe should be governed.
Proved me. They put the Lord to needless tests, demanding new miracles, fresh interpositions, and renewed tokens of his presence. Do not we also peevishly require frequent signs of the Lord's love, other than those which every hour supplies? Are we not prone to demand specialities? With the alternative secretly offered in our hearts that if they do not come at our bidding, we will disbelieve. True, the Lord is very condescending and frequently grants us marvellous evidences of his power, but we ought not to require them. Steady faith is due to one who is so constantly kind. After so many proofs of his love, we are ungrateful to wish to prove him again. If we were forever testing the love of our wife or husband, and remained unconvinced after years of faithfulness, we should wear out the utmost human patience.
Friendship only flourishes in the atmosphere of confidence. Suspicion is deadly to it. Shall the Lord God, true and immutable, Be day after day suspected by his own people. Will not this provoke him to anger? And saw my work. They tested him again and again throughout forty years, though each time his work was conclusive evidence of his faithfulness. Nothing could convince them for long. They saw his wonders wrought, and then his praises they sung, but soon his works of power forgot. And murmured with their tongue. Now they believe his word, while rocks with rivers flow. Now with their lusts provoke the Lord, and he reduce them low. Fickleness is bound up in the heart of man. Unbelief is our besetting sin.
We must forever be seeing, or we waver in our believing. This is no mean offence, and will bring with it no small punishment.
Forty years long was I grieved with this generation. The impression upon the divine mind is most vivid. He sees them before him now, and calls them this generation. He does not leave his prophets to upbraid the sin, but himself utters the complaint, and declares that he was grieved, nauseated, and disgusted. It is no small thing which can grieve our long-suffering God To the extent which the Hebrew word here indicates. And if we reflect a moment, we shall see the abundant provocation given. For no one who values his veracity can endure to be suspected, mistrusted, and belied, when there is no ground for it, but, on the contrary, the most overwhelming reason for confidence. To such base treatment was the tender shepherd of Israel exposed, not for a day or a month.
but for forty years at a stretch, and that not by here and there an unbeliever, but by a whole nation, in which only two men were found so thoroughly believing as to be exempted from the doom which at last was pronounced upon all the rest. Which shall we most wonder at, the cruel insolence of man, or the tender patience of the Lord? Which shall leave the deepest impression on our minds, The sin or the punishment, unbelief, or the barring of the gates of Jehovah's rest against the unbelievers. And said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways. Their heart was obstinately and constantly at fault. It was not their head which erred, but their very heart was perverse.
Love which appealed to their affections. Could not convert them. The heart is the mainspring of the man, and if it be not in order, the entire nature is thrown out of gear. If sin were only skin deep, it might be a slight matter, but since it has defiled the soul, the case is bad indeed. Taught as they were by Jehovah himself in lessons illustrated by miracles, which came to them daily in the manna from heaven and the water from the flinty rock. They ought to have learned something, and it was a foul shame that they remained obstinately ignorant, and would not know the ways of God. Wanderers in body, they were also wanderers in heart, and the plain providential goodness of their God remained to their blinded minds as great a maze as those twisting paths by which he led them through the wilderness.
Are we better than they? Are we not quite as apt to misrepresent the dealings of the Lord? Have we suffered and enjoyed so many things in vain? With many it is even so. Forty years of providential wisdom, yea, and even a longer period of experience, have failed to teach them serenity of assurance and firmness of reliance. There is ground for much searching of heart concerning this. Many treat unbelief as a minor fault. They even regard it rather as an infirmity than a crime. But the Lord thinketh not so. Faith is Jehovah's due, especially from those who claim to be the people of his pasture, and yet more emphatically from those whose long life has been crowded with evidences of his goodness. Unbelief insults one of the dearest attributes of deity.
It does so needlessly and without the slightest ground. And in defiance of all sufficient arguments, weighty with the eloquence of love. Let us, in reading this psalm, examine ourselves, and lay these things to heart. 11. Unto whom I swore in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest. There can be no rest to an unbelieving heart. If manna and miracles could not satisfy Israel, Neither would they have been content with the land which flowed with milk and honey. Canaan was to be the typical resting-place of God, where his ark should abide, and the ordinances of religion should be established. The Lord had for forty years borne with the ill-manners of the generation which came out of Egypt, and it was but right that he should resolve to have no more of them.
Was it not enough that they had revolted all along that marvelous wilderness march? Should they be allowed to make new Massas and Meribahs in the Promised Land itself? Jehovah would not have it so. He not only said, but swore, that into his rest they should not come. And that oath excluded every one of them. Their carcasses fell in the wilderness. Solemn warning this to all who leave the way of faith for paths of petulant murmuring and mistrust. The rebels of old could not enter in because of unbelief. Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of us should even seem to come short of it. One blessed inference from this psalm must not be forgotten. It is clear that there is a rest of God.
And that some must enter into it. But they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. The unbelievers could not enter, but we which have believed do enter into rest. Let us enjoy it and praise the Lord for it forever. Ours is the true sabbatic rest. It is ours to rest from our own works, as God did from his. While we do so, let us come into his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. End of Psalm 95.
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20 19 - Psalm 96 27:57
Psalm 96 Subject. This psalm is evidently taken from that sacred song which was composed by David at the time when the ark of God was set in the midst of the tent which David had prepared for it. And they offered burnt sacrifice and peace offerings before God. See the sixteenth chapter of the first book of the Chronicles. The former part of that sacred song was probably omitted in this place because it referred to Israel, and the design of the Holy Ghost in this psalm was to give forth a song for the Gentiles, a triumphant hymn wherewith to celebrate the conversion of the nations to Jehovah in gospel times. It follows fitly upon the last psalm, which describes the obstinacy of Israel and the consequent taking of the gospel from them, that it might be preached among the nations who would receive it, and in due time be fully won to Christ by its power.
It thus makes a pair with the 95th psalm. It is a grand missionary hymn, and it is a wonder that Jews can read it and yet remain exclusive. If blindness in part... Had not happened unto Israel, they might have seen long ago, and would now see, that their God always had designs of love for all the families of men, and never intended that his grace and his covenant should relate only to the seed of Abraham after the flesh. We do not wonder that the large-hearted David rejoiced and danced before the ark, while he saw in vision all the earth turning from idols to the one living and true God. Had Michal, Saul's daughter, only been able to enter into his delight, she would not have reproached him. And if the Jews at this day could only be enlarged in heart to feel sympathy with all mankind, they also would sing for joy at the great prophecy that all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.
Divisions. We will make none, for the song is one and indivisible, a garment of praise without seam. Woven from the top throughout. Exposition. O sing unto the Lord a new song. Sing unto the Lord all the earth. Sing unto the Lord, bless his name. Show forth his salvation from the earth. He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols. But the Lord made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before him. Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people. Give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name. Bring an offering, and come into his courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Fear before him all the earth.
Say among the heathen. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad. Let the sea roar, and the fullness of the earth be glad. Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein. Then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord. For he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness. And the people with his truth. One. O sing unto the Lord a new song. New joys are filling the hearts of men, for the glad tidings of blessing to all people are proclaimed. Therefore let them sing a new song. Angels inaugurated the new dispensation with new songs, and shall not we take up the strain? The song is for Jehovah alone. The hymns which chanted the praises of Jupiter and Neptune Vishnu and Shiva are hushed forever.
Bacchanelian shouts are silenced. Lascivious sonnets are no more. Unto the one only God all music is to be dedicated. Morning is over, and the time of the singing of hearts has come. No dismal rites are celebrated. No bloody sacrifices of human beings are presented. No cutting with knives and outcries of lamentation are presented by deluded votaries. Joy is in the ascendant, and singing has become the universal expression of love, the fitting voice of reverent adoration. Men are made new creatures, and their song is new also. The names of Baalim are no more on their lips. The wanton music of Ashtaroth ceeth. The foolish ditty and the cruel war-song are alike forgotten. The song is holy, heavenly, pure, and pleasant.
The psalmist speaks as if he would lead the strain and be the chief musician. He invites, he incites, he persuades to sacred worship, and cries with all his heart, O sing unto Jehovah a new song. Sing unto the Lord all the earth. National jealousies are dead. A Jew invites the Gentiles to adore, and joins with them, so that all the earth may lift up one common psalm. As with one heart and voice unto Jehovah, who hath visited it with his salvation. No corner of the world is to be discordant, no race of heathen to be dumb. All the earth Jehovah made, and all the earth must sing to him. As the sun shines on all lands, so are all lands to delight in the light of the sun of righteousness. A pluribus unum, out of many one song shall come forth.
The multitudinous languages of the sons of Adam who were scattered at Babel will blend in the same song when the people are gathered at Zion. Nor men alone, but the earth itself, is to praise its maker. Made subject to vanity for a while by a sad necessity, the creation itself also is to be delivered from the bondage of corruption and brought into the glorious liberty of the children of God. So that sea and forest, field and flood, are to be joyful before the Lord. Is this a dream? Then let us dream again. Blessed are the eyes which shall see the kingdom, and the ears which shall hear its songs. Hasten thine advent, good Lord. Yea, send forth speedily the rod of thy strength out of Zion, that the nations may bow before the Lord and his anointed.
Two. Sing unto the Lord, bless his name. Thrice is the name of the Lord repeated, and not without meaning. Is it not unto the three-one Lord that the enlightened nations will sing? Unitarianism is the religion of units. It is too cold to warm the world to worship. The sacred fire of adoration only burns with vehement flame where the Trinity is believed in and beloved. In other ways, besides singing, the blessed Lord is to be blessed. His name, his fame, his character, his revealed word and will are to be delighted in and remembered with perpetual thanksgiving. We may well bless him who so divinely blesses us. At the very mention of his name, it is meet to say, let him be blessed forever. Show forth his salvation from day to day.
The Gospel is the clearest revelation of Himself. Salvation outshines creation and providence. Therefore, let our praises overflow in that direction. Let us proclaim the glad tidings, and do so continually, never ceasing the blissful testimony. It is ever new, ever suitable, ever sure, ever perfect. Therefore, let us show it forth continually until He come, both by words and deeds. By songs and sermons, by sacred baptism, and by the Holy Supper, by books and by speech, by Sabbath services and weekday worship. Every day brings us deeper experience of our saving God. Each day shows us anew how deeply men need his salvation. Each day reveals the power of the gospel. Each day the Spirit arrives with the sons of men.
Therefore, never pausing. Be it ours to tell out the glorious message of free grace. Let those do this who know for themselves what his salvation means. They can bear witness that there is salvation in none other, and that in him salvation to the uttermost is to be found. Let them show it forth till the echo flies around the spacious earth, and all the armies of the sky unite. 3. Declare His glory among the heathen. His salvation is His glory. The word of the gospel glorifies Him, and this should be published far and wide, till the remotest nations of the earth have known it. England has spent much blood and treasure to keep up her own prestige among barbarians. When will she be equally anxious to maintain the honour of her religion, the glory of her Lord?
It is to be feared that too often the name of the Lord Jesus has been dishonoured among the heathen by the vices and cruelties of those who call themselves Christians. May this fact excite true believers to greater diligence in causing the gospel to be proclaimed as with a trumpet in all quarters of the habitable globe. His wonders among all people. The Gospel is a mass of wonders. Its history is full of wonders, and it is in itself far more marvelous than miracles themselves. In the person of His Son, the Lord has displayed wonders of love, wisdom, grace, and power. All glory be unto His name. Who can refuse to tell out the story of redeeming grace and dying love? All the nations need to hear of God's marvellous works, and a really living, self-denying church would solemnly resolve that, right speedily, they all shall hear thereof.
The tribes which are dying out are not to be excluded from gospel teaching any more than the great growing families, which, like the fat kind of Pharaoh, are eating up other races. Red Indians, as well as Anglo-Saxons, 4. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised. He is no petty deity, presiding, as the heathen imagined their gods to do, over some one nation, or one department of nature. Jehovah is great in power and dominion. Great in mind and act. Nothing mean or narrow can be found in him or his acts. In all things he is infinite. Praise should be proportionate to its object. Therefore let it be infinite when rendered unto the Lord. We cannot praise too much, too often, too zealously, too carefully, too joyfully.
He deserves that nothing in his worship should be little. But all the honour rendered unto him should be given in largeness of heart, with the utmost zeal for his glory. He is to be feared above all gods. Other gods have been worshipped at great cost, and with much fervour, by their blinded votaries. But Jehovah should be adored with far greater reverence. Even if the graven images had been gods. They could not have borne comparison for an instant with the God of Israel, and therefore his worship should be far more zealous than any which has been rendered to them. He is to be feared, for there is cause to fear. Dread of other gods is mere superstition. Awe of the Lord is pure religion. Holy fear is the beginning of the graces, and yet it is the accompaniment of their highest range.
Fear of God is the blush upon the face of holiness, enhancing its beauty. Five. For all the gods of the nations are idols. Mere images of wood and stone, vanities, nothings. But the Lord made the heavens. The reality of his Godhead is proved by his works, and foremost among these, the psalmist mentions that matchless piece of architecture which casts its arch over every man's head, whose lamps are the light of all mankind, whose rains and dew fall upon the fields of every people, and whence the Lord, in voice of thunder, is heard speaking to every creature. The idol gods have no existence, but our God is the author of all existences. They are mere earthly vanities, while he is not only heavenly, but made the heavens.
This is mentioned as an argument for Jehovah's universal praise. Who can be worshipped but He? Since none can rival Him, let Him be adored alone. 6. Honour and majesty are before Him. Men can but mimic these things. Their pompous pageants are but the pretense of greatness. Honour and majesty are with Him, and with Him alone. In the presence of Jehovah, Real glory and sovereignty abide, as constant attendance. Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. In him are combined all that is mighty and lovely, powerful and resplendent. We have seen rugged strength devoid of beauty. We have also seen elegance without strength. The union of the two is greatly to be admired. Do we desire to see the sublime and beautiful at one glance?
Then we must look to the eternal throne. In the Chronicles we read strength and gladness, and the two renderings do not disagree in sense, for, in the highest degree, in this instance, it is true that a thing of beauty is a joy forever. Not an outward show or parade of costly robes does the glory of God consist. Such things are tricks of state with which the ignorant are dazzled. Holiness, justice, wisdom. These are the splendors of Jehovah's courts. These the jewels and the gold, the regalia and the pomp of the courts of heaven. 7. The first six verses commenced with an exhortation to sing, three times repeated, with the name of the Lord thrice mentioned. Here we meet with the expression, give unto the Lord, used in the same triple manner.
This is after the manner of those poets whose flaming sonnets have best won the ear of the people. They reiterate choice words till they penetrate the soul and fire the heart. The invocation of the sweet singer is still addressed to all mankind, to whom he speaks as ye kindreds of the people. Divided into tribes and families, we are called in our courses and ordered to appear before him and ascribe to him all honour. All worship be to God only is the motto of one of our city companies, and it may well be the motto of all the families upon earth. Family worship is peculiarly pleasing unto him who is the God of all the families of Israel. Give unto the Lord glory and strength, that is to say, recognize the glory and power of Jehovah, and ascribe them unto him in your solemn hymns.
Who is glorious but the Lord? Who is strong, save our God? Ye great nations who count yourselves both famous and mighty, cease your both things. Ye monarchs who are styled imperial and puissant, humble yourselves in the dust before the only potentate. Glory and strength are nowhere to be found save with the Lord. All others possess but the semblance thereof. Well did Massillon declare, God alone is great. 8. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name. But who can do that to the full? Can all the nations of the earth put together, discharge the mighty debt? All conceivable honor is due to our Creator, Preserver, Benefactor, and Redeemer. And however much of zealous homage we may offer to him, We cannot give him more than his due.
If we cannot bring in the full revenue which he justly claims, at least let us not fail from want of honest endeavour. Bring an offering, and come into his courts. Come with an unbloody sacrifice. Atonement for sin having been made, it only remains to bring thank offerings, and let not these be forgotten. To him who gives us all. We ought gladly to give our grateful tithe. When assembling for public worship, we should make a point of bringing with us a contribution to his cause. According to that ancient word, none of you shall appear before me empty. The time will come when, from all ranks and all nations, the Lord will receive gifts when they gather together for his worship. O long-expected day begin!
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. This is the only beauty which he cares for in our public services, and it is one for which no other can compensate. Beauty of architecture and apparel he does not regard. Moral and spiritual beauty is that in which his soul delighteth. Worship must not be rendered to God in a slovenly, sinful, superficial manner. We must be reverent, sincere, earnest, and pure in heart, both in our prayers and praises. Purity is the white linen of the Lord's choristers. Righteousness is the comely garment of his priests. Holiness is the royal apparel of his servitors. Fear before him all the earth. Tremble is the word in the original, and it expresses the profoundest awe.
just as the word worship does, which would be more accurately translated by bow down. Even the bodily frame would be moved to trembling and prostration if men were thoroughly conscious of the power and glory of Jehovah. Men of the world ridiculed the Quakers for trembling when under the power of the Holy Spirit. Had they been able to discern the majesty of the Eternal, they would have quaked also. There is a sacred trembling which is quite consistent with joy. The heart may even quiver with an awful excess of delight. The sight of the king, in his beauty, caused no alarm to John and Patmos, and yet it made him fall at his feet, as dead. O to behold him and worship him with prostate awe and sacred fear.
X. Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth. This is the gladdest news which can be carried to them. The Lord Jehovah, in the person of his Son, has assumed the throne, and taken to himself his great power. Tell this out among the heathen, and let the heathen themselves, being converted, repeat the same rejoicingly. The dominion of Jehovah Jesus is not irksome. His rule is fraught with untold blessings. His yoke is easy, and his burden is light. The world also shall be established, that it shall not be moved. Society is safe where God is king. No revolutions shall convulse his empire. No invasions shall disturb his kingdom. A settled government is essential to national prosperity. The reign of the God of truth and righteousness will promote this to the highest degree.
Sin has shaken the world. The reign of Jesus will set it fast again. upon sure foundations. He shall judge the people righteously. This is the best method for establishing society on a secure basis, and this is the greatest source of joy to oppressed nations. Iniquity makes the dynasties of tyrants fall. Equity causes the throne of Jesus to stand. He will impartially rule over Jew and Gentile, prince and peasant, and this will bring happiness to those who are now the victims of the despot's arbitrary will. 11. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad. Above and below, let the joy be manifested. Let the angels who have stood in amaze at the wickedness of men now rejoice over their repentance and restoration to favour, and let men themselves express their pleasure in seeing their true prince set upon his throne.
The Book of Creation has two covers, and on each of these let the glory of the Lord be emblazoned in letters of joy. Let the sea roar and the fullness thereof. Let it be no more a troubled sea, wailing over shipwrecked mariners, and rehearsing the griefs of widows and orphans, but let it adopt a cheerful note, and rejoice in the kingdom of the Lord. Let it thunder out the name of the Lord, When its tides are at its full, and let all its teeming life express the utmost joy, because the Lord reigneth even in the depth of the sea. In common with the rest of the creation, the sea has groaned and travailed until now. Is not the time close at hand in which its hollow murmur shall be exchanged for an outburst of joy?
Will not every billow soon flash forth the praises of him who once trod the sea? Waft, waft, ye winds his story, and you, ye waters, roll, till, like a sea of glory, it spreads from pole to pole. 12. Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein. Let the cultivated plains praise the Lord. Peace enables their owner to plough and sow and reap, without fear of the rapine of invaders, and therefore, in glad notes, They applaud him whose empire is peace. Both men and creatures that graze the plain, and the crops themselves, are represented as swelling the praises of Jehovah. And the figure is both bold and warranted. For the day shall come when every inhabited root of ground shall yield its song, and every farmstead shall contain a church.
Then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice. He does not say, Let them rejoice, but they shall do so. The faith of the psalmist turns itself from the expression of desire to the fully assured prediction of the event. Groves have in old times stood shuddering at the horrid orgies which have been performed within their shade. The time shall come when they shall sing for joy because of the holy worship, the sounds of which they shall hear. The bush is the stronghold of savage men and robbers. But it shall be sanctified to retirement and devotion. Perhaps the psalmist was thinking of the birds. So Ceeble must have supposed. For he versifies the passage thus. Field exults and meadow fair, with each bud and blossom there.
In the lonely woodlands now chants aloud each rustling bough. 13. Before the Lord, for he cometh. Even now he is near. His advent should therefore be the cause of immediate rejoicing. Already are we in his presence. Let us worship him with delight. For he cometh to judge the earth, to rule it with discretion, not to tax it and control it by force, as kings often do, but to preside as magistrates do, whose business it is to see justice carried out between man and man. All the world will be under the jurisdiction of this great judge, and before his bar all will be summoned to appear. At this moment he is on the road, and the hour of his coming draweth nigh. His great assize is proclaimed. Hear ye not the trumpets?
His foot is on the threshold. He shall judge the world with righteousness. His essential rectitude will determine all causes and cases, There will be no bribery and corruption there. Neither can error or failure be found in his decisions. And the people with his truth, or rather, the nations in faithfulness. Honesty, veracity, integrity will rule upon his judgment seat. No nation shall be favored there, and none be made to suffer through prejudice. The black man shall be tried by the same law as his white master. The aboriginal shall have justice executed for him against his civilized exterminator. The crushed and hunted bushman shall have space to appeal against the boar who slaughtered his tribe.
And the South Sea islander shall gain attention to his piteous plaint against the treacherous wretch who kidnapped him from his home. There shall be true judgment given without fear or favor. In all this, let the nations be glad. and the universe rejoice. In closing, let us ourselves join in the song. Since the whole universe is to be clothed with smiles, shall not we be glad? As John Howe observes, quote, Shall we not partake in this common dutiful joy and fall into concert with the adoring loyal chorus? Will we cut ourselves off from this gladsome obsequious throng? And what should put a pleasant face and aspect upon the whole world, shall it only leave our faces covered with clouds and a mournful sadness?
End of Psalm 96.
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21 20 - Psalm 97 23:59
Psalm 97 Subject As the last psalm sung the praises of the Lord in connection with the proclamation of the gospel among the Gentiles, so this appears to foreshadow the mighty workings of the Holy Ghost in subduing the colossal systems of error. Across the sea to maritime regions, a voice cries for rejoicing at the reign of Jesus. The sacred fire descends. Like lightning, the gospel flames forth. Difficulties vanish. And all the nations see the glory of God. The idols are confounded. The church rejoices. Verse 8. The Lord is exalted. Verse 9. The psalm closes with an exhortation to holy steadfastness under the persecution which would follow, and bids the saints rejoice that their path is bright and their reward glorious and certain.
Modern critics, always intent upon ascribing the psalms to anybody rather than David, count themselves successful in dating this psalm further on than the captivity. Because it contains passages similar to those which occur in the later prophets. But we venture to assert that it is quite as probable that the prophets adopted the language of David as that some unknown writer borrowed from them. One psalm in this series is said to be in David, and we believe that the rest are in the same place and by the same author. The matter is not important. And we only mention it because it seems to be the pride of certain critics to set up new theories, and there are readers who imagine this to be a sure proof of prodigious learning.
We do not believe that their theories are worth the paper they are written upon. Division. The psalm divides itself into four portions, each containing three verses. The coming of the Lord is described, one to three. Its effect upon the earth is declared, four to six, and then its influence upon the heathen and the people of God. The last part contains both exhortation and encouragement, urging to holiness and inculcating happiness. Exposition, verses one to three. The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice, let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. Clouds and darkness are round about him. Righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.
One. The Lord reigneth. This is the watchword of the psalm. Jehovah reigns. It is also the essence of the gospel proclamation and the foundation of the gospel kingdom. Jesus has come, and all power is given unto him in heaven and in earth. Therefore men are bidden to yield him. Let the earth rejoice, for there is cause for joy. Other rains have produced injustice, oppression, bloodshed, terror. The rain of the infinitely gracious Jehovah is the hope of mankind, and when they all yield to it, the race will have its paradise restored. The very globe itself may well be glad. That its Maker and liege Lord has come to his own, and the whole race of man may also be glad, since to every willing subject Jesus brings untold blessings.
Let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. To the ancient Israelites, all places beyond the seas were isles, and the phrase is equivalent to all lands which are reached by ships. It is remarkable, however, that upon actual islands Some of the greatest victories of the cross have been achieved. Our own favoured land is a case in point, and not less so the islands of Polynesia and the Kingdom of Madagascar. Islands are very numerous. May they all become holy islands and isles of saints. Then will they all be fortunate islands and true Formosas. Many a land owes its peace to the sea. If it had not been isolated, it would have been desolated, and therefore the inhabitants should praise the Lord who has motied them about, and given them a defence more available than bars of brass.
Jesus deserves to be Lord of the Isles, and to have his praises sounded along every sea-beaten shore. Amen. So let it be. 2. Clouds and darkness are round about him. So the Lord revealed himself at Sinai. So must he ever surround his essential deity when he shows himself to the sons of men, or his excessive glory would destroy them. Every revelation of God must also be an obfylation. There must be a veiling of his infinite splendor if anything is to be seen by finite beings. It is often thus with the Lord in Providence. When working out designs of unmingled love, He conceals the purpose of His grace, that it may be the more clearly discovered at the end. It is the glory of God to conceal a thing.
Around the history of His church, dark clouds of persecution hover, and an awful gloom at times settles down. Still the Lord is there, and though men for a while see not the bright light in the clouds, it bursts forth in due season. This passage should teach us the impertinence of attempting to pry into the essence of the Godhead, the vanity of all endeavours to understand the mystery of the Trinity in unity, the arrogance of arraigning the Most High before the bar of human reason, the folly of dictating to the Eternal One the manner in which He should proceed. Wisdom veils her face. And adores the mercy which conceals the divine purpose. Folly rushes in and perishes, blinded first, and by and by consumed by the blaze of glory.
Righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. There he abides. He never departs from strict justice and right. His throne is fixed upon the rock of eternal holiness. Righteousness is his immutable attribute, and judgment marks his every act. What though we cannot see or understand what he doeth, yet we are sure that he will do no wrong to us or any of his creatures. Is not this enough to make us rejoice in him and adore him? Divine sovereignty is never tyrannical. Jehovah is an autocrat but not a despot. Absolute power is safe. In the hands of him who cannot err, or act unrighteously. When the roll of the decrees and the books of the divine providence shall be opened, no eye shall there discern one word that should be blotted out, one syllable of error, one line of injustice, one letter of unholiness.
Of none but the Lord of all can this be said. Three. A fire goeth before him. Like an advance guard clearing the way, so was it at Sinai, so must it be. The very being of God is power, consuming all opposition. Omnipotence is a devouring flame which burneth up his enemies round about. God is long-suffering, but when he comes forth to judgment, he will make short work with the unrighteous. They will be as chaff before the flame. Reading this verse in reference to the coming of Jesus and the descent of the Spirit, we are reminded of the tongues of fire and of the power which attended the gospel, so that all opposition was speedily overcome. Even now, where the gospel is preached in faith and in the power of the Spirit, it burns its own way, irresistibly destroying falsehood, superstition, unbelief, sin, indifference, and hardness of heart.
In it the Lord reigneth, and because of it let the earth rejoice. Verses four to six. His lightnings enlightened the world. The earth saw and trembled. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory. Four. His lightnings enlightened the world. In times of tempest, the whole of nature is lighted up with a lurid glare. Even the light of the sun itself seems dim compared with the blaze of lightning. If such are the common lights of nature, what must be the glories of the Godhead itself? When God draws aside the curtain for a moment, how astonished are the nations. The light compels them to cover their eyes and bow their heads in solemn awe.
Jesus, in the Gospel, lights up the earth with such a blaze of truth and grace as was never seen or even imagined before. In apostolic times, the word flashed from one end of the heavens to the other. No part of the civilized globe was left unilluminated. The earth saw and trembled. In God's presence, the solid earth quakes. Astonished by his glory, it is convulsed with fear. To the advent of our Lord and the setting up of his kingdom among men, these words are also most applicable. Nothing ever caused such a shaking and commotion as the proclamation of the gospel. Nothing was more majestic than its course. It turned the world upside down, levelled the mountains, and filled up the valleys. Jesus came, he saw, he conquered.
When the Holy Ghost rested upon his servants, Their course was like that of a mighty storm. The truth flashed with the force and speed of a thunderbolt, and philosophers and priests, princes and people, were utterly confounded and altogether powerless to withstand it. It shall be so again. Faith even now sets the world on fire and rocks the nations to and fro. 5. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord. Inanimate nature knows its Creator and worships Him in its own fashion. States and kingdoms which stand out upon the world like mountains are utterly dissolved when He decrees their end. Systems as ancient and firmly rooted as the hills pass away when He does but look upon them. In the Pentecostal era and its subsequent age, this was seen on all hands.
Heathenism yielded at the glance of Jehovah Jesus. And the tyrannies based upon it dissolved like melted wax. At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. His dominion is universal, and his power is everywhere felt. Men cannot move the hills. With difficulty do they climb them. With incredible toil do they pierce their way through their fastnesses. But it is not so with the Lord. His presence makes a clear pathway. Obstacles disappear. A highway is made, and that not by his hand, as though it cost him pains, but by his mere presence. For power goes forth from him with a word or a glance. O for the presence of the Lord after this sort with his church at this hour! It is our one and only need.
With it the mountains of difficulty would flee away, and all obstacles would disappear. O, that thou wouldest rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence, O Lord. In the little world of our nature, the presence of Jesus in reigning power is as a fire to consume our lusts and melt our souls to obedience. Sometimes we doubt the presence of the Lord within, for he is concealed with clouds. But we are again assured that he is within us, When his light shines in and fills us with holy fear, while at the same time the warmth of grace softens us to penitence, resignation, and obedience, even as wax becomes soft in the presence of fire. 6. The heavens declare his righteousness.
It is as conspicuous as if written across the skies, both the celestial and the terrestrial globes shine in its light. It is the manner of the inspired poets to picture the whole creation as in sympathy with the glory of God. And indeed, it is not mere poetry, for a great truth underlies it. The whole creation has been made to groan through man's sin, and it is yet to share in the joy of his restoration. And all the people see his glory. The glorious gospel became so well known and widely promulgated That it seemed to be proclaimed by every star, and published by the very skies themselves. Therefore all races of men became acquainted with it, and were made to see the exceeding glory of the grace of God, which is resplendent therein.
May it come to pass ere long that, by a revival of the old missionary ardour, the glad tidings may yet be carried to every tribe of Adam's race, and once again all flesh may see the glory of Jehovah. It must be so. Therefore let us rejoice before the Lord.
Verses seven to nine. Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols. Worship him, all ye gods. Zion heard and was glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O Lord. For thou, Lord, art high above all the earth. Thou art exalted far above all gods. 7. Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols. They shall be so. Shame shall cover their faces. They shall blush to think of their former besotted boastings. When a man gravely worships what has been engraved by a man's hand, and puts his trust in a mere nothing and nonentity. He is indeed brutish, and when he is converted from such absurdity, he may well be ashamed.
A man who worships an image is but the image of a man. His senses must have left him. He who boasts of an idol makes an idol boast. Worship him, all ye gods. Bow down yourselves, ye fancied gods. Let Jove do homage to Jehovah. Let Thor lay down his hammer at the foot of the cross, and Juggernaut remove his blood-stained car out of the road of Emmanuel. If the false gods are thus bidden to worship the coming Lord, how much more shall they adore him who are godlike creatures in heaven, even the angelic spirits? Paul quotes this passage as the voice of God to angels when he sent his Son into the world. All powers are bound to recognize the chief power. Since they derive their only rightful authority from the Lord, they should be careful to acknowledge His superiority at all times by the most reverent adoration.
8. Zion heard and was glad. While the heathen are confounded, the people of God are made to triumph, for they love to see their God exalted. The day shall come when the literal Zion It did so at the first, when the apostles dwelt at Jerusalem, and the good days will come back again. And the daughters of Judah rejoiced. Each individual believer is glad when he sees false systems broken up and idol gods broken down. The judgments of the Lord afford unalloyed delight.
In the first ages of Christianity, the believing Israel rejoiced to see Christ's kingdom victorious among the heathen. And even yet, though for a while turning aside, the daughters of Judah will sympathize in the widespread reign of Jehovah their God through the gospel of his dear Son. As the women of Judah went forth to meet David in the dance, Singing his victory over the Philistine, so shall they chant the triumphs of David's son and lord. 9. For thou, Lord, art high above all the earth, and therefore do we rejoice to see the idols abolished, and to see all mankind bending at thy throne. There is but one God, there cannot be another, and he is, and ever must be, over all. Thou art exalted far above all gods.
As much as all is exalted above nothing, and perfection above folly. Jehovah is not alone high over Judea, but over all the earth. Nor is he exalted over men only, but over everything that can be called God. The days are on their way when all men shall discern this truth, and shall render unto the Lord the glory which is due alone to him. Verses 10 to 12. Ye that love the Lord hate evil. He preserveth the souls of his saints. He delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. 10. Ye that love the Lord hate evil. For he hates it, his fire consumes it, his lightnings blast it.
His presence shakes it out of its place, and his glory confounds all the lovers of it. We cannot love God without hating that which he hates. We are not only to avoid evil and to refuse to countenance it, but we must be in arms against it and bear towards it a hearty indignation. He preserveth the souls of his saints. Therefore they need not be afraid of proclaiming war. The saints are the safe ones. They have been saved and shall be saved. God keeps those who keep his law. Those who love the Lord shall see his love manifested to them in their preservation from their enemies. And as they keep far from evil, so shall evil be kept far from them. He delivereth them out of the hands of the wicked.
It is not consistent with the glory of his name to give over to the power of his foes those whom his grace has made his friends. He may leave the bodies of his persecuted saints in the hand of the wicked, but not their souls. These are very dear to him, and he preserves them safe in his bosom. This foretells for the church a season of battling with the powers of darkness, but the Lord will preserve it and bring it forth to the light. 11. Light is sown for the righteous. All along their pathway it is strewn. Their night is almost over, their day is coming. The morning, already advancing with rosy steps, is sowing the earth with orient pearls. The full harvest of delight is not yet ours, but it is sown for us, it is springing, it will yet appear in fullness.
This is only for those who are right before the Lord in his own righteousness. For all others, the blackness of darkness is reserved. And gladness for the upright in heart. Gladness is not only for one righteous man in the singular, but for the whole company of the upright, even as the apostle, after speaking of the crown of life laid up for himself, immediately amended his speech by adding, quote, and not for me only. End quote. The upright ought to be glad. They have cause to be glad. Yea, and they shall be glad. Those who are right-hearted shall also be glad-hearted. Right leads to light. In the furrows of integrity lie the seas of happiness, which shall develop into a harvest of bliss. God has lightning for sinners, and light for saints.
The Gospel of Jesus, wherever it goes, sows the whole earth with joy for believers, for these are the men who are righteous before the Lord. 12. Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous. The psalmist had bidden the earth rejoice, and here he turns to the excellent of the earth and bids them lead the song. If all others fail to praise the Lord, the godly must not. To them God is peculiarly revealed, by them he should be specially adored. And give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness, which is the harmony of all his attributes, the superlative wholeness of his character. This is a terror to the wicked, and a cause of thanksgiving to the gracious. To remember that Jehovah is holy is becoming in those who dwell in his courts.
To give thanks in consequence of that remembrance is the sure index of their fitness to abide in his presence. In reference to the triumphs of the Gospel, this text teaches us to rejoice greatly in its purifying effect. It is the death of sin and the life of virtue. An unholy Gospel is no Gospel. The holiness of the religion of Jesus is its glory. It is that which makes it glad tidings. Since, while man is left in his sins, no bliss can be his portion. Salvation from sin is the priceless gift of the thrice holy God. Therefore, let us magnify him forever and ever. He will fill the world with holiness, and so with happiness. Therefore, let us glory in his holy name, world without end. Amen. End of Psalm 97
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22 21 - Psalm 98 20:22
H. Spurgeon. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by Gillian Henry. Psalm 98. Title and Subject. This sacred ode, which bears simply the title of a psalm, follows fitly upon the last, and is evidently an integral part of the series of royal psalms. If 97 describe the publication of the Gospel, and so the setting up of the Kingdom of Heaven, the present psalm is a kind of coronation hymn, officially proclaiming the conquering Messiah as monarch over the nations, with a blast of trumpets, clapping of hands, and celebration of triumphs. It is a singularly bold and lively song. The critics have fully established the fact that similar expressions occur in Isaiah. But we see no force in the inference that therefore it was written by him.
On this principle, half the books in the English language might be attributed to Shakespeare. The fact is that these associated psalms make up a mosaic in which each one of them has an appropriate place and is necessary to the completeness of the whole, and therefore we believe them to be each and all the work of one and the same mind. Paul, if we understand him aright, Ascribes Psalm 95 to David, and as we believe that the same writer must have written the whole group, we ascribe this also to the son of Jesse. However that may be, the song is worthy to rank among the most devout and soul-stirring of sacred lyrics. Division. We have here three stanzas of three verses each. In the first, one to three, the subject of praise is announced.
In the second, four to six, The manner of that praise is prescribed, and in the third, seven to nine, the universal extent of it is proclaimed. Exposition, verses one to three. O sing unto the Lord a new song, for he hath done marvellous things. His right hand and his holy arm hath gotten him the victory. The Lord hath made known his salvation. His righteousness hath he openly showed in the sight of the heathen. He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our Lord. One. O sing unto the Lord a new song, for he hath done marvellous things. We had a new song before, Psalm 96, because the Lord was coming, but now we have another new song because he has come and seen and conquered.
Jesus, our King, has lived a marvellous life, died a marvellous death, risen by a marvellous resurrection, and ascended marvellously into heaven. By His divine power He has sent forth the Holy Spirit doing marvels, and by that sacred energy His disciples have also wrought marvellous things and astonished all the earth. Idols have fallen, superstitions have withered, systems of error have fled. And empires of cruelty have perished. For all this he deserves the highest praise. His acts have proved his deity. Jesus is Jehovah, and therefore we sing unto him as the Lord. His right hand and his holy arm hath gotten him the victory. Not by the aid of others, but by his own unweaponed hand, his marvellous conquests have been achieved.
Sin, death, and hell.
The victories of Jesus among men are all the more wonderful because they are accomplished by means to all appearance most inadequate. They are due not to physical, but to moral power, the energy of goodness, justice, truth. In a word, to the power of his holy arm. His holy influence has been the sole cause of success. Jesus never stoops to use policy or brute force. His unsullied perfections secure to him a real and lasting victory over all the powers of evil, and that victory will be gained as dexterously and easily as when a warrior strikes his adversary with his right hand and stretches him prone upon the earth. Glory be unto the conqueror. Let new songs be chanted to his praise. Stirred by contemplating his triumphs, our pen could not forbear to praise him in the following hymn.
Forth to the battle rides our king. He climbs his conquering car. He fits his arrows to the string, and smites his foes afar. Convictions pierce the stoutest hearts. They bleed, they faint, they die. Slain by Emmanuel's well-aimed darts. In helpless heaps they lie. Behold, he bears his two-edged sword and deals almighty blows. His all-revealing killing word, twixt joints and marrow, goes. And on a raid in robes of grace, he rides the trampled plain, with pity beaming from his face, and mercy in his train. Mighty to save he now appears, mighty to raise the dead, mighty to stanch the bleeding wound and lift the fallen head. Victor alike in love and arms, myriads before him bend. Such are the conqueror's matchless charms, each foe becomes his friend.
They crown him on the battlefield of all the nation's king. With trumpets and with cornets loud, they make the welkin ring. The salvation which Jesus has accomplished is wrought out with wonderful wisdom. Hence it is ascribed to his right hand. It meets the requirements of justice, hence we read of his holy arm. It is his own unaided work, hence all the glory is ascribed to him. And it is marvellous beyond degree, hence it deserves a new song. 2. The Lord hath made known his salvation. By the coming of Jesus, and by the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, by whose power the gospel was preached among the Gentiles. The Lord is to be praised not only for effecting human salvation, but also for making it known, for man would never have discovered it for himself, nay, not so much as one single soul would ever have found out for himself the way of mercy through a mediator.
In every case, it is a divine revelation to the mind and heart. In God's own light, his light is seen. He must reveal his Son in us. This word, righteousness, is the favourite word of the apostle of the Gentiles. He loves to dwell on the Lord's method of making man righteous, and vindicating divine justice by the atoning blood. What songs ought we to render who belong to a once-heathen race? For that blessed gospel This is no close secret. It is clearly taught in Scripture, and has been plainly preached among the nations. What was hidden in the types is openly showed in the Gospel. 3. He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel. To them Jesus came in the flesh, and to them was the gospel first preached.
And though they counted themselves unworthy of eternal life, yet the covenant was not broken, for the true Israel were called into fellowship, and still remain so. The mercy which endureth forever, and the fidelity which cannot forget a promise, secure to the chosen seed the salvation long ago guaranteed by the covenant of grace. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God, not to Abraham's seed alone after the flesh, but to the elect among all nations, as grace being given. Therefore let the whole Church of God sing unto him a new song. It was no small blessing or little miracle that throughout all lands the Gospel should be published in so short a time, with such singular success.
Pentecost deserves a new song as well as the Passion and the Resurrection. Let our hearts exult as we remember it. Our God, our own, forever blessed God, has been honoured by those who once bowed down before dumb idols. His salvation has not only been heard of, but seen among all people. It has been experienced as well as explained. His Son is the actual Redeemer of a multitude out of all nations. Verses 4-6 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all the earth. Make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the Lord with the harp and the voice of a psalm. With trumpets and sound of cornet, make a joyful noise before the Lord the King. In these three verses, we are taught how to praise the Lord.
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth. Every tongue must applaud, and that with the vigour which joy of heart alone can arouse to action. As men shout when they welcome a king, so must we. Loud hosannas, full of happiness, must be lifted up. If ever men shout for joy, it should be when the Lord comes among them in the proclamation of his gospel reign. John Wesley said to his people, Sing lustily and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead or half asleep, but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan."
Make a loud noise and rejoice and sing praise, or burst forth and sing and play. Let every form of exultation be used. Every kind of music pressed into the service till the accumulated praise causes the skies to echo the joyful tumult. There is no fear of our being too hearty in magnifying the God of our salvation. Only we must take care that the song comes from the heart. Otherwise the music is nothing but a noise in his ears, whether it be caused by human throats or organ pipes or far resounding trumpets. Loud, let our hearts ring out the honours of our conquering Saviour. With all our might, let us extol the Lord who has vanquished all our enemies and led our captivity captive. He will do this best, who is most in love with Jesus.
I've found the pearl of greatest price. My heart doth sing for joy, and sing I must, a Christ I have. Oh, what a Christ have I! Sing unto the Lord with the harp. Skill in music should not be desecrated to the world's evil mirth. It should aid the private devotions of the saint. And then, like George Herbert, he will sing, My God, my God, my music shall find thee, and every string shall have his attribute to sing. Martin Luther was thus wont to praise the Lord, whom he loved so well. God's praises should be performed in the best possible manner, but their sweetness mainly lies in spiritual qualities. The concords of faith and repentance, the harmonies of obedience and love, are true music in the ear of the Most High, and better please him than heaving bellows taught to blow, though managed by the noblest master of human minstrelsy.
With the harp. A very sweet instrument of music. The repetition of the word is highly poetical, and shows that the daintiest expressions of poetry are none too rich for the praise of God. His worship should be plain, but not uncouth. If we can compass elegancies of expression, there are occasions upon which they will be most appropriate. God, who accepts the unlettered ditty of a ploughman, does not reject the smooth verse of a cooper. Or the sublime strains of a Milton. All repetitions are not vain repetitions. In sacred song there should be graceful repeats. They render the sense emphatic, and help to fire the soul. Even preachers do not amiss when they dwell on a word, and sound it out again and again, till dull ears feel its emphasis.
And the voice of a psalm, or with a musical voice. as distinguished from common speech. Our voice has in it many modulations. There is the voice of conversation, the voice of complaint, the voice of pleading, the voice of command, and there ought to be with each of us the voice of a psalm. Man's voice is at its best when it sings the best words in the best spirit to the best of beings. Love and war must not monopolize the lyric muse. The love of God and the conquests of Emmanuel, should win to themselves man's sweetest strains. Do we sing enough unto the Lord? May not the birds of the air rebuke our sullen and ungrateful silence? 6. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise. God's worship should be heartily loud.
The far-resounding trump and horn well symbolize the power which should be put forth in praise. Before the Lord, the King. On coronation days, and when beloved monarchs ride abroad, the people shout and the trumpets sound till the walls ring again. Shall men be more enthusiastic for their earthly princes than for the divine King? Is there no royalty left among the subjects of the blessed and only potentate? King Jehovah is his name, and there is none like it. Have we no joyful noise for him? Let but the reigning power of Jesus be felt in the soul, and we shall cast aside that chill mutter, drowned by the peeling organ, which is now so commonly the substitute for earnest congregational singing.
Say, if your hearts are tuned to sing, is there a subject greater? Harmony all its strains may bring, but Jesus' name is sweeter. Who of his love doth once partake? He evermore rejoices. Melody in our hearts we make, melody with our voices.
Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands, let the hills be joyful together before the Lord. For he cometh to judge the earth, with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.
Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof. Even its thunders will not be too grand for such a theme. Handel, in some of his sublime choruses, would have been glad of its aid to express his lofty conceptions, and assuredly the inspired psalmist did well to call in such infinite uproar. The sea is his. Let it praise its maker. Within and upon its bosom it bears a wealth of goodness. Why should it be denied a place in the orchestra of nature? Its deep base will excellently suit the mystery of the divine glory. The world and they that dwell therein. The land should be in harmony with the ocean. Its mountains and plains, cities and villages, should prolong the voice of Jubilee which welcomes the Lord of all.
Nothing can be more sublime than this verse. The muses of Parnassus cannot rival the Muse of Zion. The Castilian fount Never sparkled like that fount of every blessing to which sacred bards are wont to ascribe their inspiration. Yet no song is equal to the majesty of the theme when Jehovah, the King, is to be extolled. Eight. Let the floods clap their hands. The rolling rivers, the tidal estuaries, the roaring cataracts, are here summoned to pay their homage and to clap their hands. As men do when they greet their sovereigns with acclamation. Let the hills be joyful together, or in concert with the floods. Silent, as are the mighty mountains, let them forget themselves and burst forth into a sublime uproariousness of mirth, such as the poet described when he wrote those vivid lines.
Far along, from peak to peak, the rattling crags among, leaps the live thunder. Not from one lone cloud, but every mountain now hath found a tongue, and Jura answers, through her misty shroud, back to the joyous Alps, who call to her aloud. Nine. Before the Lord, for he cometh to judge the earth. Stiller music, such as made the stars twinkle with their soft, kind eyes, suited his first coming at Bethlehem. But his second advent calls for trumpets. For he is a judge, and for all earth's acclamations, for he has put on his royal splendor. The rule of Christ is the joy of nature. All things bless his throne, yea, and the very coming of it. As the dawn sets the earth weeping for joy at the rising of the sun, till the dewdrops stand in her eyes, so should the approach of Jesus' universal reign make all creation glad.
With righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity. This is the joy of it. No tyrant and no weakling is he to oppress the good or to indulge the vain. His law is good, his action right, his government the embodiment of justice. If ever there was a thing to rejoice in upon this poor, travailing earth, it is the coming of such a deliverer. The ascension to the universal throne of such a governor. All hail, Jesus. All hail. Our soul faints with delight at the sound of thine approaching chariots, and can only cry, come quickly, even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus. Ceebles' version of the last four verses is so truly beautiful that we cannot deny our readers the luxury of perusing it.
Ring out with horn and trumpet ring in shouts before the Lord the King. Let ocean with his fullness swing in restless unison. Earth's round and all the dwellers there, the mighty floods the burden bear, and clap the hand in coral air join every mountain lone. Tell out before the Lord that he is come the judge of earth to be, to judge the world in equity, do right to realm and throne.
End of Psalm 98.
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23 22 - Psalm 99 22:47
Psalm 99 of The Treasury of David, Vol. 4, by C. H. Spurgeon. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by Gillian Henry. Psalm 99. This may be called the Sanctus, or the Holy, Holy, Holy Psalm, for the word holy is the conclusion and the refrain of its three main divisions. Its subject is the holiness of the divine government. It seems to us to declare the holiness of Jehovah himself in verses 1, 2, 3. It mentions the equity of the king whom the Lord had appointed as an illustration of the Lord's love of holiness. Or more probably, it describes the Lord as himself the king in verses 4 and 5. And it then sets forth the severely righteous character of God's dealings with those favoured persons It is a hymn fitted for the cherubim who surround the throne, who are mentioned in verse 1.
It is a psalm most fitting for saints who dwell in Zion, the holy city, and especially worthy to be reverently sung by all who, like David the king, Moses the lawgiver, Aaron the priest, or Samuel the seer, are honoured.
Exposition. Verses 1-3. The Lord reigneth. Let the people tremble. He sitteth between the cherubims. Let the earth be moved. The Lord is great in Zion, and he is high above all the people. Let them praise thy great and terrible name, for it is holy. 1. The Lord reigneth. One of the most joyous utterances which ever leaped from mortal lip. The overthrow of the reign of evil, and the setting up of Jehovah's kingdom of goodness, justice, and truth, is worthy to be hymned again and again, as we have it here for the third time in the Psalms. Let the people tremble. Let the chosen people feel a solemn yet joyful awe, which shall thrill their whole manhood. Saints quiver with devout emotion. And sinners quiver with terror when the rule of Jehovah is fully perceived and felt.
It is not a light or trifling matter. It is a truth which, above all others, should stir the depths of our nature. He sitteth between the cherubims. In grandeur of sublime glory, yet in nearness of mediatorial condescension, Jehovah revealed himself above the mercy seat, whereon stood the likeness of those flaming ones. who gaze upon his glory and for ever cry, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts. The Lord reigning on that throne of grace, which is sprinkled with atoning blood and veiled with the covering wings of mediatorial love, is above all other revelations wonderful, and fitted to excite emotion among all mankind. Hence it is added, let the earth be moved, not merely the people, But the whole earth should feel a movement of adoring awe when it is known that, on the mercy seat, God sits as universal monarch.
The pomp of heaven surrounds him, and is symbolized by the outstretched wings of waiting cherubs. Let not the earth be less moved to adoration. Rather, let all her tribes bow before his infinite majesty. Yea, let the solid earth itself, with reverent tremor, acknowledge his presence. 2. The Lord is great in Zion. Of old, the temple's sacred hill was the centre of the worship of the great king, and the place where his grandeur was most clearly beheld. His church is now his favoured palace, where his greatness is displayed, acknowledged, and adored. He there unveils his attributes, and commands the lowliest homage. The ignorant forget him, the wicked despise him, the atheistical oppose him. But among his own chosen he is great beyond comparison.
He is great in the esteem of the gracious, great in his acts of mercy, and really great in himself, great in mercy, power, wisdom, justice, and glory. And he is high above all the people, towering above their highest thoughts and loftiest conceptions. The highest are not high to him, yet, blessed be his name, The lowliest are not despised by him. In such a God we rejoice. His greatness and loftiness are exceedingly delightful in our esteem. The more he is honoured and exalted in the hearts of men, the more exultant are his people. If Israel delighted in Saul because he was head and shoulders above the people, how much more should we exalt in our God and King, who is as high above us as the heavens are above the earth.
3. Let them praise thy great and terrible name. Let all the dwellers in Zion and all the nations upon the earth praise the Lord, or acknowledge thankfully the goodness of his divine nature, albeit that there is so much in it which must inspire their awe. Under the most terrible aspect, the Lord is still to be praised. Many profess to admire the milder beams of the sun of righteousness. But burn with rebellion against its more flaming radiance. So it ought not to be. We are bound to praise a terrible God, and worship him who casts the wicked down to hell. Did not Israel praise him who overthrew Pharaoh and his hosts in the Red Sea? For his mercy endureth forever. The terrible avenger is to be praised, as well as the loving Redeemer.
Against this, the sympathy of man's evil heart with sin rebels. It cries out for an effeminate God, in whom pity has strangled justice. The well-instructed servants of Jehovah praise him in all the aspects of his character, whether terrible or tender. Grace, streaming from the mercy seat, can alone work in us this admirable frame of mind. For it is holy, or he is holy. In him is no flaw or fault, excess or deficiency. Error or iniquity. He is wholly excellent, and is therefore called holy. In his words, thoughts, acts, and revelations, as well as in himself, he is perfection itself. O come, let us worship, and bow down before him. Verses four and five. The king's strength also loveth judgment.
Thou dost establish equity. Thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool, for he is holy. 4. The king's strength also loveth judgment. God is the king, the mercy seat is his throne, and the sceptre which he sways is holy like himself. His power never exerts itself tyrannically. He is a sovereign, and he is absolute in his government. But his might delights in right, his forces used for just purposes only. Men in these days are continually arraigning the Lord's government and setting up to judge whether he does right or not. But saintly men in the olden time were of another mind. They were sure that what the Lord did was just, and instead of calling him to account, they humbly submitted themselves to his will.
Rejoicing in the firm persuasion that with his whole omnipotence God was pledged to promote righteousness and work justice among all his creatures. Thou dost establish equity. Not a court of equity merely, but equity itself thou dost set up, and that not for a time or upon an occasion, but as an established institution, stable as thy throne. Not even for the sake of mercy does the Lord remove or injure the equity of his moral government. Both in providence and in grace, he is careful to conserve the immaculate purity of his justice. Most kingdoms have an establishment of some kind, and generally it is inequitable. Here we have an establishment which is equity itself. The Lord our God demolishes every system of injustice, and right alone is made to stand.
Thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob. Justice is not merely established, but executed in God's kingdom. The laws are carried out. The executive is as righteous as the legislative. Herein let all the oppressed, yea, and all who love that which is right, find large occasion for praise. Other nations, under their despots, were the victims and the perpetrators of grievous wrong. But when the tribes were faithful to the Lord, they enjoyed an upright government within their own borders, and acted with integrity towards their neighbors. That kingcraft which delights in cunning, favoritism, and brute force, is as opposite to the divine kingship as darkness to light. The palace of Jehovah is no robber's fortress nor despot's castle.
Built on dungeons, with stones carved by slaves, and cemented with the blood of toiling serfs. The annals of most human governments have been written in the tears of the downtrodden and the curses of the oppressed. The chronicles of the Lord's kingdom are of another sort. Truth shines in each line, goodness in every syllable, and justice in every letter. Glory be to the name of the King, whose gentle glory beams. 5. Exalt ye the Lord our God. If no others adore him, let his own people render to him the most ardent worship. Infinite condescension makes him stoop to be called our God, and truth and faithfulness bind him to maintain that covenant relationship. And surely we, to whom by grace he so lovingly gives himself, He shines upon us from under the veiling wings of cherubim and above the seat of mercy.
Therefore let us come and worship at his footstool. When he reveals himself in Christ Jesus as our reconciled God, who allows us to approach even to his throne, it becomes us to unite earnestness and humility, joy and adoration. And while we exalt him, Frustrate ourselves in the dust before him. Do we need to be thus excited to worship? How much ought we to blush for such backwardness? It ought to be our daily delight to magnify so good and great a God, for he is holy. A second time the note rings out, and as the ark, which was the divine footstool, has just been mentioned, the voice seems to sound forth from the cherubim where the Lord sitteth. Who continually do cry, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth.
Holiness is the harmony of all the virtues. The Lord has not one glorious attribute alone, or in excess, but all glories are in Him as a whole. This is the crown of His honour, and the honour of His crown. His power is not His choicest jewel, nor His sovereignty, but His holiness. In this all-comprehensive moral excellence he would have his creatures take delight, and when they do so, their delight is evidence that their hearts have been renewed, and they themselves have been made partakers of his holiness. The gods of the heathen were, according to their own votaries, lustful, cruel, and brutish. Their only claim to reverence lay in their supposed potency over human destinies. Who would not far rather adore Jehovah, whose character is unsullied purity, unswerving justice, unbending truth, unbounded love?
In a word, perfect holiness.
Verses six to nine. Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name, they called upon the Lord, and he answered them. He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar. They kept his testimonies and the ordinance that he gave them. Thou answeredst them, O Lord our God. Thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions. Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy hill, for the Lord our God is holy. Six, Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name. Though not ordained to the typical priesthood, Moses was a true priest, even as Melchizedek had been before him. God had ever had a priesthood beside and above that of the law.
The three holy men here mentioned all stood in his courts and saw his holiness, each one after his own order. Moses saw the Lord in flaming fire, revealing his perfect law. Aaron full often watched the sacred fire. Devour the sin offering. And Samuel witnessed the judgment of the Lord on Eli's house because of the error of his way. These each one stood in the gap when the wrath of God broke forth because His Holiness had been insulted, and acting as intercessors, they screened the nation from the great and terrible God, who otherwise would in a dreadful manner have executed judgment in Jacob. Let these men Or such as these, lead us in our worship, and let us approach the Lord at the mercy seat as they did, for he is as accessible to us as to them.
They made it their life's business to call upon him in prayer, and by so doing brought down innumerable blessings upon themselves and others. Does not the Lord call us also to come up into the mount with Moses, and to enter the most holy place with Aaron? Do we not hear him call us by our name, as he did Samuel? And do we not answer, Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth? They called upon the Lord, and he answered them. Not in vain were their prayers, but being a holy God, he was true to his promises, and hearkened to them from off the mercy seat. Here is reason for praise, for answers to the petitions of some. are proofs of God's readiness to hear others. These three men asked large things, they pleaded for a whole nation, and they stayed great plagues, and turned away fiery wrath.
Who would not exercise himself in adoring so great and merciful a God? If he were unholy, he would be false to his word, and refuse his people's cries. This, then, is recorded for our joy and for his glory, that holy men of old were not suffered to pray in vain. 7. He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar. We have had mention of the ark and the Shekinah, and now of the fiery cloudy pillar, which was another visible token of the presence of God in the midst of Israel. Responses came to Moses and Aaron out of that glorious overshadowing cloud. And though Samuel saw it not, yet to him also came the mystic voice, which was wont to thunder forth from that divine canopy. Men have had converse with God.
Let men therefore speak to God in return. He has told us things to come. Let us in return confess the sins which are past. He has revealed his mind to us. Let us then pour out our hearts before him. They kept his testimonies. When others turned aside, they were faithful. In their hearts they laid up his word, and in their lives they obeyed it. When he spake to them, they obeyed his will, and therefore, when they spake to him, he yielded to their desires. This keeping of the divine testimonies is a virtue all too rare in these our days. Men run after their own views and opinions. and make light of the truth of God. Hence it is that they fail in prayer, and scoffers have even dared to say that prayer avails not at all.
May the good Lord bring back his people to reverence his word, and then will he also have respect unto the voice of their cry. and the ordinance that he gave them. His practical precept they observed, as well as his doctrinal instruction. Ordinances are not to be trifled with, or testimonies will also be despised. And the converse is also true. A light estimate of inspired dogma is sure to end in neglect of moral virtues. To Moses, Aaron, and Samuel, special and personal charges were committed, and they were all true to their trust, for they stood in awe of the Lord their God, and worshipped him with their whole souls. They were very different men, and had each one a work to do peculiar to himself.
Yet because each was a man of prayer, they were all preserved in their integrity, fulfilled their office, and blessed their generation. Lord, teach us, like Moses, to hold up our hands in prayer and conquer Amalek, like Aaron, to wave the censer between the living and the dead till the plague is stayed, and like Samuel, to say to a guilty people, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you. If thou wilt make us mighty with thee in prayer, we shall also be kept faithful before thee in the service which thou hast laid upon us. Eight. Thou answeredst them, O Lord our God. A sweet title and a cheering fact. Our covenant God, in a very special manner, He forgave the sinners, but he slew their sins.
Some apply this verse to Moses, Aaron, and Samuel, and remind us that each of these fell into a fault and received chastisement. Of Samuel they assert that, for having set up his sons as his successors, He was compelled to submit to the anointing of Saul as king, which was a great grief to him. This is, to our mind, a very doubtful statement, and leads us to abandon the interpretation altogether. We believe that the passage refers to the nation which was spared through the intercession of these three holy men, but yet was severely chastened for its transgressions. In answer to the cry of Moses, the tribes lived on. But the then existing generation could not enter Canaan. Aaron's golden calf was broken, though the fire of the Lord did not consume the people.
And Israel smarted under the harsh government of Saul, though at Samuel's request its murmurings against the theocratic rule of their father's God was not visited with pestilence or famine. So to forgive sin, as at the same time to express abhorrence of it, is the peculiar glory of God, and is best seen in the atonement of our Lord Jesus. Reader, are you a believer? Then your sin is forgiven you. But so surely, as you are a child of God, the rod of paternal discipline will be laid upon you if your walk be not close with God. You only have I known. of all the nations of the earth. Therefore I will punish you for your iniquities. 9. Exalt the Lord our God. A second time the delightful title of Jehovah our God is used, and it is quickly followed by a third.
The psalm is Trinitarian in its whole structure. In each of his sacred persons, the Lord is the God of his people. The Father is ours. The Son is ours. And the Holy Spirit is ours. Let us exalt him with all our ransomed powers. And worship at his holy hill. Where he appoints his temple, let us resort. No spot of ground is now fenced about as peculiarly holy, or to be regarded as more sacred than another. Yet his visible church is his chosen hill, and there would we be found. Numbered with his people, and unite with them in worship. For the Lord our God is holy. Again this devout description is repeated and made the climax of the song. O for hearts made pure within, so that we may rightly perceive and worthily praise the infinite perfection of the triune Lord.
End of Psalm 99
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24 23 - Psalm 100 12:05
Psalm 100. Title. A psalm of praise, or rather, of thanksgiving. This is the only psalm bearing this precise inscription. It is all ablaze with grateful adoration, and has for this reason been a great favourite with the people of God. Ever since it was written. Let us sing the Old Hundredth is one of the everyday expressions of the Christian Church, and will be so while men exist whose hearts are loyal to the great King. Nothing can be more sublime, this side heaven, than the singing of this noble psalm by a vast congregation. Watts' paraphrase beginning, before Jehovah's awful throne, and the Scotch, all people that on earth do dwell. Are both noble versions, and even Tate and Brady rise beyond themselves when they sing, With one consent let all the earth to God their cheerful voices raise.
In this divine lyric we sing with gladness the creating power and goodness of the Lord, even as before, with trembling, we adored his holiness. Exposition. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord, He is God. It is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves. We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endureth to all generations. 1. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. This is a repetition of the fourth verse of Psalm 98.
The original word signifies a glad shout, such as loyal subjects give when their king appears among them. Our happy God should be worshipped by a happy people. A cheerful spirit is in keeping with his nature, his acts, and the gratitude which we should cherish for his mercies. In every land Jehovah's goodness is seen, therefore in every land should he be praised. Never will the world be in its proper condition till with one unanimous shout it adores the only God. O ye nations, how long will ye blindly reject him? Your golden age will never arrive till ye with all your hearts revere him. 2. Serve the Lord with gladness. Glad homage pay with awful mirth. He is our Lord, and therefore he is to be served.
He is our gracious Lord, and therefore to be served with joy. The invitation to worship here given is not a melancholy one, as though adoration were a funeral solemnity, but a cheery, gladsome exhortation, as though we were bidden to a marriage feast. Come before his presence with singing. We ought in worship to realize the presence of God, and by an effort of the mind to approach Him. This is an act which must, to every rightly instructed heart, be one of great solemnity, but, at the same time, it must not be performed in the servility of fear. And therefore we come before Him, not with weepings and wailings, but with psalms and hymns, singing as it is a joyful and at the same time A devout exercise should be a constant form of approach to God.
The measured, harmonious, arty utterance of praise by a congregation of really devout persons is not merely decorous, but delightful, and is a fit anticipation of the worship of heaven, where praise has absorbed prayer and becomes the sole mode of adoration. How a certain society of brethren Can find it in their hearts to forbid singing in public worship is a riddle which we cannot solve. We feel inclined to say with Dr. Watts, let those refuse to sing who never knew our God, but favorites of the heavenly King must speak his praise abroad. Three. Know that the Lord, he is God. Our worship must be intelligent. We ought to know whom we worship and why. Man know thyself is a wise aphorism. Yet to know our God is truer wisdom, and it is very questionable whether a man can know himself until he knows his God.
Jehovah is God in the fullest, most absolute and most exclusive sense. He is God alone. To know him in that character, and prove our knowledge by obedience, trust, submission, zeal, and love, is an attainment which only grace can bestow. Only those who practically recognize his Godhead are at all likely to offer acceptable praise. It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves. Shall not the creature reverence its maker? Some men live as if they made themselves. They call themselves self-made men, and they adore their supposed creators. But Christians recognize the origin of their being and their well-being, and take no honor to themselves, either for being or for being what they are. Neither in our first or second creation dare we put so much as a finger upon the glory, for it is the sole right and property of the Almighty.
To disclaim honour for ourselves is as necessary a part of true reverence as to ascribe glory to the Lord. Non nobis domine will forever remain the true believer's confession. Of late, philosophy has laboured hard to prove that all things have been developed from atoms, or have, in other words, made themselves. If this theory shall ever find believers, There will certainly remain no reason for accusing the superstitious of credulity, for the amount of credence necessary to accept this dogma of skepticism is a thousand-fold greater than that which is required even by an absurd belief in winking Madonnas and smiling Bambinos. For our part, we find it far more easy to believe that the Lord made us than that we were developed by a long chain.
of natural selections from floating atoms which fashioned themselves. We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. It is our honour to have been chosen from all the world besides, to be his own people, and our privilege to be therefore guided by his wisdom, tended by his care, and fed by his bounty. Sheep gather around their shepherd and look up to him, in the same manner Let us gather around the great shepherd of mankind. The avowal of our relation to God is in itself praise. When we recount his goodness, we are rendering to him the best adoration. Our songs require none of the inventions of fictions. The bare facts are enough. The simple narration of the mercies of the Lord is more astonishing than the productions of imagination.
That we are the sheep of his pasture is a plain truth, and at the same time the very essence of poetry. Four. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving. To the occurrence of the word thanksgiving in this place, the psalm probably owes its title. In all our public service, the rendering of thanks must abound. It is like the incense of the temple which filled the whole house with smoke. Expiatory sacrifices are ended, but those of gratitude will never be out of date. So long as we are receivers of mercy, we must be givers of thanks. Mercy permits us to enter his gates. Let us praise that mercy. What better subject for our thoughts in God's own house than the Lord of the house? And into his courts with praise.
Into whatever court of the Lord you may enter, let your admission be the subject of praise. Thanks be to God, the innermost court is now open to believers, and we enter into that which is within the veil. It is incumbent upon us that we acknowledge the high privilege by our songs. Be thankful unto him. Let the praise be in your heart as well as on your tongue. And let it all be for him to whom it belongs. And bless his name. He blessed you. Bless him in return. Bless his name, his character, his person. Whatever he does, be sure that you bless him for it. Bless him when he takes away, as well as when he gives. Bless him as long as you live, under all circumstances. Bless him in all his attributes.
5. For the Lord is good. This sums up his character and contains a mass of reasons for praise. He is good, gracious, kind, bountiful, loving. Yea, God is love. He who does not praise the good is not good himself. The kind of praise inculcated in the psalm, namely that of joy and gladness. is most fitly urged upon us by an argument from the goodness of God. His mercy is everlasting. God is not mere justice, stern and cold. He has bowels of compassion, and wills not the sinner's death. Towards his own people, mercy is still more conspicuously displayed. It has been theirs from all eternity, and shall be theirs, world without end. Everlasting mercy is a glorious theme for sacred song, and his truth endureth to all generations.
No fickle being is he promising and forgetting. He has entered into covenant with his people, and he will never revoke it, nor alter the thing that has gone out of his lips. As our fathers found him faithful, so will our sons, and their seed forever. A changeable God would be a terror to the righteous. They would have no sure anchorage, and amid a changing world, they would be driven to and fro in perpetual fear of shipwreck. It were well if the truth of divine faithfulness were more fully remembered by some theologians. It would overturn their belief in the final fall of believers, and teach them a more consolatory system. Our heart leaps for joy as we bow before one Resting on his sure word, we feel that joy which is here commanded, and in the strength of it, we come into his presence even now, and speak good of his name.
End of Psalm 100
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25 24 - Psalm 101 18:22
Psalm 101. Psalm 101. A Psalm of David. This is just such a psalm as the man after God's own heart would compose when he was about to become king in Israel. It is David all over, straightforward, resolute, devout. There is no trace of policy or vacillation. The Lord has appointed him to be king, and he knows it. Therefore he purposes in all things to behave as becomes a monarch whom the Lord himself has chosen. If we call this the psalm of pious resolutions, we shall perhaps remember it all the more readily. After songs of praise, a psalm of practice not only makes variety, but comes in most fittingly. We never praise the Lord better than when we do those things which are pleasing in His sight.
Exposition, verses 1 to 8. I will sing of mercy and judgment unto thee, O Lord, will I sing. I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes. I hate the work of them that turn aside. It shall not cleave to me. A froward heart shall depart from me. I will not know a wicked person. Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off. Him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer. Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me. He that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house.
He that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight. I will early destroy all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the Lord. One. I will sing of mercy and judgment. He would extol both the love and the severity, the sweets and the bitters, which the Lord had mingled in his experience. He would admire the justice and the goodness of the Lord. Such a song would fitly lead up to godly resolutions as to his own conduct. For that which we admire in our superiors, we naturally endeavour to imitate. Mercy and judgment would temper the administration of David because he had adoringly perceived them in the dispensations of his God. Everything, in God's dealings with us, may fitly become the theme of song.
And we have not viewed it aright until we feel we can sing about it. We ought as much to bless the Lord for the judgment with which he chastens our sin as for the mercy with which he forgives it. There is as much love in the blows of his hand as in the kisses of his mouth. Upon a retrospect of their lives, instructed saints scarcely know which to be most grateful for, the comforts which have cheered them. or the afflictions which have purged them. Unto thee, O Lord, will I sing. Jehovah shall have all our praise. The secondary agents of either the mercy or the judgment must hold a very subordinate place in our memory, and the Lord alone must be hymned by our heart. Our souls' soul-worship must be the lauding of the Lord.
The psalmist forsakes the minor key. Which was soon to rule him in the 102nd Psalm, and resolves that, come what may, he will sing, and sing to the Lord too, whatever others might do. Two. I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. To be holy is to be wise. A perfect way is a wise way. David's resolve was excellent, but his practice did not fully tally with it. Alas, he was not always wise or perfect, but it was well that it was in his heart. A king had need be both sage and pure, and, if he be not so in intent when he comes to the throne, his after-conduct will be a sad example to his people. He who does not even resolve to do well is likely to do very ill. Householders, employers, and especially ministers should pray for both wisdom and holiness, for they will need them both.
O, when wilt thou come unto me? An ejaculation, but not an interruption. He feels the need not merely of divine help, but also of the divine presence, that so he may be instructed and sanctified and made fit for the discharge of his high vocation. David longed for a more special and effectual visitation from the Lord. Before he began his reign. If God be with us, we shall neither err in judgment nor transgress in character. His presence brings us both wisdom and holiness. Away from God, we are away from safety. Good men are so sensible of infirmity that they cry for help from God, so full of prayer that they cry at all seasons, so intense in their desires that they cry with sighs and groanings.
Piety must begin at home. Our first duties are those within our own abode. We must have a perfect heart at home, or we cannot keep a perfect way abroad. Notice that these words are a part of a song. And that there is no music like the harmony of a gracious life, no psalm so sweet as the daily practice of holiness. Reader, how fares it with your family? Do you sing in the choir and sing in the chamber? Are you a saint abroad and a devil at home? For shame! What we are at home, that we are indeed. He cannot be a good king whose palace is the haunt of vice, nor he a true saint. 3. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes. I will neither delight in it, aim at it, or endure it. If I have wickedness brought before me by others, I will turn away from it.
I will not gaze upon it with pleasure. The psalmist is very sweeping in his resolve. He declines the least, the most reputable, the most customary form of evil. No wicked thing. Not only shall it not dwell in his heart, but not even before his eyes. For what fascinates the eye is very apt to gain admission into the heart, even as Eve's apple first pleased her sight, and then prevailed over her mind and hand. I hate the work of them that turn aside. He was warmly against it. He did not view it with indifference, but with utter scorn and abhorrence. Hatred of sin is a good sentinel for the door of virtue. There are persons in courts who walk in a very crooked way, leaving the high road of integrity, and these, by shortcuts and twists and turns, are often supposed to accomplish work for their masters which simple, honest hearts are not competent to undertake.
But David would not employ such. He would pay no secret service money. He loathed the practices of men who deviate from righteousness. He was of the same mind as the dying statesman who said, quote, corruption wins not more than honesty, end quote. It is greatly to be deplored that in after years he did not keep himself clear in this matter in every case, though in the main he did. But what would he have been if he had not commenced with this resolve, but had followed the usual crooked policy of oriental princes? How much do we all need divine keeping? We are no more perfect than David. Nay, we fall far short of him in many things. And, like him, we shall find need to write a psalm of penitence very soon after our psalm of good resolution.
It shall not cleave to me. I will disown their ways. I will not imitate their policy. Like dirt, it may fall upon me, but I will wash it off and never rest till I am rid of it. Sin, like pitch, is very apt to stick. In the course of our family history, crooked things will turn up, for we are all imperfect, and some of those around us are far from being what they should be. It must, therefore, be one great object of our care to disentangle ourselves, to keep clear of transgression and of all that comes of it. This cannot be done unless the Lord both comes to us and abides with us evermore. 4. A froward heart shall depart from me. He refers both to himself and to those round about him. He would neither be crooked in heart himself, Nor employ persons of evil character in his house.
If he found such in his court, he would chase them away. He who begins with his own heart begins at the fountainhead, and is not likely to tolerate evil companions. We cannot turn out of our family all whose hearts are evil, but we can keep them out of our confidence and let them see that we do not approve of their ways. I will not know a wicked person. He shall not be my intimate, my bosom friend. I must know him as a man, or I could not discern his character. But if I know him to be wicked, I will not know him any further. And with his evil I will have no communion. To know, in scripture, means more than mere perception. It includes fellowship, and in that sense it is here used. Princes must disown those who disown righteousness.
If they know the wicked, They will soon be known as wicked themselves. V. Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off. He had known so bitterly the miseries caused by slanderers that he intended to deal severely with such vipers when he came into power, not to revenge his own ills, but to prevent others from suffering as he had done. To give one's neighbour a stab in the dark is one of the most atrocious of crimes. and cannot be too heartily reprobated. Yet such as are guilty of it often find patronage in high places, and are considered to be men of penetration, trusty ones who have a keen eye, and take care to keep their lords well posted up. King David would lop the goodly tree of his state of all such superfluous boughs.
Him that hath a high look and a proud heart will not I suffer. Proud, domineering, supercilious gentlemen who looked down upon the poor as though they were so many worms crawling in the earth beneath their feet. The psalmist could not bear. The sight of them made him suffer, and therefore he would not suffer them. Great men often affect aristocratic airs and haughty manners. David therefore resolved that none should be great in his palace but those who had more grace and more sense than to indulge in such abominable vanity. Proud men are generally hard, and therefore very unfit for office. Persons of high looks provoke enmity and discontent, and the fewer of such people about a court, the better for the stability of a throne.
If all slanderers were now cut off, and all the proud banished, it is to be feared that the next census would declare a very sensible diminution of the population. VI. Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me. He would seek them out, engage their services, take care of them, and promote them to honour. This is a noble occupation for a king, and one which will repay him infinitely better than listening to the soft nothings of flatterers. It would be greatly for the profit of us all if we chose our servants rather by their piety than by their cleverness. He who gets a faithful servant gets a treasure, and he ought to do anything sooner than part with him. Those who are not faithful to God will not be likely to be faithful to men.
If we are faithful ourselves, we shall not care to have those about us who cannot speak the truth or fulfill their promises. We shall not be satisfied until all the members of our family are upright in character. He that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me. What I wish myself to be, that I desire my servant to be. Employers are, to a great degree, responsible for their servants, and it is customary to blame a master if he retains in his service persons of notorious character. Therefore, lest we become partakers of other men's sins, we shall do well to decline the services of bad characters. A good master does well to choose a good servant. He may take a prodigal into his house for the sinner's good, but if he consults his own, he will look in another quarter.
Wicked nurses have great influence for evil over the minds of little children, and ungodly servants often injure the morals of the older members of the family, and therefore great care should be exercised that godly servants should be employed as far as possible. Even irreligious men 7. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house. He had power to choose his courtiers, and he meant to exercise it. Deceit amongst most Orientals is reckoned to be a virtue, and is only censured when it is not sufficiently cunning, and therefore comes to be found out. It was therefore all the more remarkable that David should have so determinedly set his face against it. He could not tell what a deceitful man might be doing, what plots he might be contriving, what mischief he might be brewing, and therefore he resolved that he would, at any rate, keep him out of his house, that his palace might not become a den of villainy.
Cheats in the market are bad enough, but deceivers at our own table we cannot bear. He that telleth lies should not tarry in my sight. He would not have a liar within sight or hearing. He loathed the mention of him. Grace makes men truthful, and creates in them an utter horror of everything approaching to falsehood. If David would not have a liar in his sight, much less will the Lord. Neither he that loves, nor he who makes a lie shall be admitted into heaven. Liars are obnoxious enough on earth. The saints shall not be worried with them in another world. 8. I will early destroy all the wicked of the land. At the very outset of his government, he would promptly deal out justice to the worthless.
He would leave them no rest, but make them leave their wickedness or feel the lash of the law. The righteous magistrate beareth not the sword in vain. To favour sin is to discourage virtue. Undue leniency to the bad is unkindness to the good. When our Lord comes in judgment, this verse will be fulfilled on a large scale. Till then, he sinks the judge in the Saviour, and bids men leave their sins and find pardon. Under the Gospel, we also are bidden to suffer long and to be kind, even to the unthankful and the evil. But the office of the magistrate is of another kind, and he must have a sterner eye to justice than would be proper in private persons. Is he not to be a terror to evildoers? That I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the Lord.
Jerusalem was to be a holy city, and the psalmist meant to be doubly careful in purging it from ungodly men. Judgment must begin at the house of God. Jesus reserves his scourge of small cords for sinners inside the temple. How pure ought the church to be, and how diligently should all those who hold office therein labour to keep out and chase out men of unclean lives. Honourable offices involve serious responsibilities. To trifle with them will bring our own souls into guilt and injure beyond calculation the souls of others. Lord, come to us, that we, in our several positions in life, may walk before thee with perfect hearts.
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26 25 - Psalm 102:1-11 21:49
Psalm 102, Part 1, of The Treasury of David, Volume 4, by C. H. Spurgeon. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by Gillian Henry. Psalm, one hundred and two. Subject. This is a patriot's lament over his country's distress. He arrays himself in the griefs of his nation, as in a garment of sackcloth, and casts her dust and ashes upon his head. as the ensigns and causes of his sorrow. He has his own private woes and personal enemies. He is, moreover, so reflected in body by sickness. But the miseries of his people cause him a far more bitter anguish, and this he pours out in an earnest, pathetic lamentation. Not, however, without hope does the patriot mourn. He has faith in God, and looks for the resurrection of the nation through the omnipotent favor of the Lord.
This causes him to walk among the ruins of Jerusalem, and to say with hopeful spirit, No, Zion, thou shalt never perish. The sun is not set forever. Brighter days are in store for thee. It is in vain to inquire into the precise point of Israel's history, which thus stirred a patriot's soul. For many a time was the land oppressed, and at any of her sad seasons this song and prayer would have been a most natural and appropriate utterance.
This psalm is a prayer far more in spirit than in words. The formal petitions are few, but a strong stream of supplication runs from beginning to end, and, like an undercurrent, finds its way heavenward through the moanings of grief and confessions of faith. which make up the major part of the psalm. It is a prayer of the afflicted, or of a sufferer, and it bears the mark of its parentage. As it is recorded of Jabez that, quote, his mother bore him with sorrow, and quote, so may we say of this psalm. Yet as Rachel's Benoni, or child of sorrow, was also her Benjamin, or son of her right hand, so is this psalm, It is scarcely correct to call it a penitential psalm, for the sorrow of it is rather of one suffering than sinning.
It has its own bitterness, and it is not the same as that of the fifty-first. The sufferer is afflicted more for others than for himself, more for Zion and the house of the Lord than for his own house, when he is overwhelmed. The best of men are not always able to stem the torrent of sorrow. Even when Jesus is on board, the vessel may fill with water and begin to sink, and poureth out his complaint before the Lord. When a cup is overwhelmed or turned bottom over, all that is in it is naturally poured out. Great trouble removes the heart from all reserve and causes the soul to flow out without restraint. It is well when that which is in the soul is such as may be poured out in the presence of God, and this is only the case where the heart has been renewed by divine grace.
The word rendered complaint has in it none of the idea of fault-finding or repining, but should rather be rendered moaning, the expression of pain, not of rebellion. To help the memory, we will call this psalm The Patriot's Plaint. Division. In the first part of the psalm, from one to eleven, the moaning monopolizes every verse. The lamentation is unceasing. Sorrow rules the hour. The second portion, from twelve to twenty-eight, has a vision of better things, a view of the gracious Lord, and his eternal existence and care for his people. And therefore it is interspersed with sunlight as well as shaded by the cloud. And it ends up, right gloriously, with calm confidence for the future, and sweet restfulness in the Lord.
The whole composition may be compared to a day which, opening with wind and rain, clears up at noon, and is warm with the sun, continues fine with intervening showers, and finally closes with a brilliant sunset. Exposition. Verses 1 to 11. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto thee. Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble. Incline thine ear unto me. In the day when I call, answer me speedily. For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as a hearth. My heart is smitten and withered like grass, so that I forget to eat my bread. By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bones cleave to my skin. I am like a pelican of the wilderness. I am like an owl of the desert.
I watch, and am as a sparrow, alone upon the housetop. Mine enemies reproach me all the day, and they that are mad against me are sworn against me. For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping, because of thine indignation and thy wrath. For thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down. My days are like a shadow that declineth, and I am withered like grass. 1. Hear my prayer, O Lord, or O Jehovah. Sincere suppliants are not content with praying for praying's sake. They desire really to reach the ear and heart of the great God. It is a great relief, in time of distress, to acquaint others with our trouble. We are eased by their hearing our lamentation. But it is the sweetest solace of all to have God himself as a sympathizing listener to our plaint.
That he is such is no dream or fiction, but an assured fact. It would be the direst of all our woes if we could be indisputably convinced that with God there is neither hearing nor answering. He who could argue us into so dreary a belief would do us no better service than if he had read us our death warrants. Better die than be denied the mercy seat. As well be atheists at once, And let my cry come unto thee. When sorrow rises to such a height that words become too weak a medium of expression, and prayer is intensified into a cry, then the heart is even more urgent to have audience with the Lord. If our cries do not enter within the veil and reach to the living God, we may as well cease from prayer at once.
For it is idle to cry to the winds. But, blessed be God, the philosophy which suggests such a hideous idea is disproved by the facts of everyday experience, since thousands of the saints can declare, Verily, God hath heard us. 2. Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble. Do not seem as if thou didst not see me, or wouldst not own me. Smile now at any rate. Reserve thy frowns for another time when I can bear them better, if indeed I can ever bear them. But now, in my heavy distress, favor me with looks of compassion. Incline thine ear unto me. Bow thy greatness to my weakness. If, because of sin, thy face is turned away, at least let me have a side view of thee. Lend me thine ear.
If I may not see thine eye, turn thyself to me again if my sin has turned thee away. Give to thine ear an inclination to my prayers. In the day when I call, answer me speedily, because the case is urgent and my soul little able to wait. We may ask to have answers to prayer as soon as possible, but we may not complain of the Lord if he should think it more wise to delay. We have permission to request and to use importunity, but no right to dictate or to be petulant. If it be important that the deliverance should arrive at once, we are quite right in making an early time a point of our entreaty, for God is as willing to grant us a favour now as tomorrow, and he is not slack concerning his promise.
It is a proverb concerning favours from human hands that He gives twice who gives quickly, because a gift is enhanced in value by arriving in a time of urgent necessity. And we may be sure that our heavenly patron will grant us the best gifts in the best manner, granting us grace to help in time of need. When answers come upon the heels of our prayers, they are all the more striking, more consoling, and more encouraging. In these two verses, The psalmist has gathered up a variety of expressions, all to the same effect. In them all, he entreats an audience and answer of the Lord, and the whole may be regarded as a sort of preface to the prayer which follows. Three. For my days are consumed like smoke.
My grief has made life unsubstantial to me. I seem to be but a puff of vapour which has nothing in it, and is soon dissipated. The metaphor is very admirably chosen, for, to the unhappy, life seems not merely to be frail, but to be surrounded by so much that is darkening, defiling, blinding, and depressing, that, sitting down in despair, they compare themselves to men wandering in a dense fog, and themselves so dried up thereby that they are little better than pillars of smoke. When our days have neither light of joy nor fire of energy in them, but become as a smoking flax, which dies out ignobly in darkness. Then have we cause enough to appeal to the Lord that he would not utterly quench us.
And my bones are burned as an hearth. He became as dry as the hearth on which a wood fire has burned out, or as spent ashes in which scarcely a trace of fire can be found. His soul was ready to be blown away as smoke. And his body seemed likely to remain as the bare hearth when the last comforting ember is quenched. How often has our piety appeared to us to be in this condition? We have had to question its reality, and fear that it never was anything more than a smoke. We have had the most convincing evidence of its weakness, for we could not derive even the smallest comfort from it. Any more than a chilled traveller can derive from the cold hearth on which a fire had burned long ago. Soul trouble experienced in our own heart will help us to interpret the language here employed, and church troubles may help us also, if unhappily we have been called to endure them.
The psalmist was moved to grief by a view of national calamities, and these so wrought upon his patriotic soul That he was wasted with anxiety, his spirits were dried up, and his very life was ready to expire. There is hope for any country which owns such a sun. No nation can die while true hearts are ready to die for it. Four. My heart is smitten. Like a plant parched by the fierce heat of a tropical sun, and withered like grass, which dries up. When once the scythe has laid it low, the psalmist's heart was as a wilted, withered flower, a burned-up mass of what once was verdure. His energy, beauty, freshness, and joy were utterly gone through the wasting influence of his anguish. So that I forgot to eat my bread, or because I forget to eat my bread.
Grief often destroys the appetite, and the neglect of food tends further to injure the constitution and create a yet deeper sinking of spirit. As the smitten flower no longer drinks in the dew or draws up nutriment from the soil, so a heart parched with intense grief often refuses consolation for itself and nourishment for the bodily frame, and descends at a doubly rapid rate into weakness, despondency, and dismay. The case here described is by no means rare. We have frequently met with individuals so disordered by sorrow that their memory has failed them even upon such pressing matters as their meals. And we must confess that we have passed through the same condition ourselves. One sharp pang has filled the soul, monopolized the mind, and driven everything else into the background, so that such common matters as eating and drinking have been utterly despised.
And the appointed hours of refreshment have gone by unheeded, leaving no manifest faintness of body, but an increased weariness of heart. V. By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bones cleave to my skin. He became emaciated with sorrow. He had groaned himself down to a living skeleton, and so, in his bodily appearance, was the more like the smoke-dried, withered, burnt-up things It will be a very long time before the distresses of the Church of God make some Christians shrivel into anatomies, but this good man was so moved with sympathy for Zion's ills that he was wasted down to skin and bone. 6. I am like a pelican of the wilderness, a mournful and even hideous object, the very image of desolation.
I am like an owl of the desert, loving solitude, moping among ruins, hooting discordantly. The psalmist likens himself to two birds which were commonly used as emblems of gloom and wretchedness. On other occasions he had been as the eagle, but the griefs of his people had pulled him down. The brightness was gone from his eye, and the beauty from his person. He seemed to himself to be as a melancholy bird. Sitting among the fallen palaces and prostrate temples of his native land. Should not we also lament when the ways of Zion mourn, and her strength languishes? Were there more of this holy sorrow, we should soon see the Lord returning to build up his church. It is ill for men to be playing the peacock with worldly pride, when the ills of the times should make them as mournful as a pelican.
And it is a terrible thing to see men flocking like vultures to devour the prey of a decaying church, when they ought rather to be lamenting among her ruins, like the owl. Seven. I watch, and am like a sparrow, alone upon the housetop. I keep a solitary vigil as the lone sentry of my nation. My fellows are too selfish, too careless, to care for the beloved land. The psalmist compared himself to a bird, a bird when it had lost its mate or its young, or is for some other reason made to mope alone in a solitary place. Probably he did not refer to the cheerful sparrow of our own land, but if he did, the illustration would not be out of place, for the sparrow is happy in company. And if it were alone, the sole one of its species in the neighborhood, there can be little doubt that it would become very miserable, and sit and pine away.
He who has felt himself to be so weak and inconsiderable as to have no more power over his times than a sparrow over a city, has also, when bowed down with despondency concerning the evils of the age, sat himself down in utter wretchedness to lament the ills which he could not heal. Christians of an earnest, watchful kind often find themselves among those who have no sympathy with them. Even in the church, they look in vain for kindred spirits. Then do they persevere in their prayers and labours, but feel themselves to be as lonely as the poor bird which looks from the ridge of the roof and meets with no friendly greeting from any of its kind. Eight. Mine enemies reproach me all the day. Their rage was unrelenting and unceasing, and vented itself in taunts and insults.
The psalmist's patriotism and his griefs were both made the subjects of their sport. Pointing to the saddest state of his people, they would ask him, where is your God? and exult over him, because their false gods were in the ascendant. Reproach cuts like a razor, and when it is continued from hour to hour, and repeated all the day and every day, It makes life itself undesirable. And they that are mad against me are sworn against me. They were so furious that they bound themselves by oath to destroy him, and used his name as their usual execration, a word to curse by, the synonym of abhorrence and contempt. What with inward sorrows and outward persecutions, he was in as ill a plight as may well be conceived.
9. For I have eaten ashes like bread. He had so frequently cast ashes upon his head in token of mourning that they had mixed with his ordinary food, and grated between his teeth when he ate his daily bread. One while he forgot to eat, and then the fit changed, and he ate with such a hunger that even ashes were devoured. Grief has strange moods and tenses. And mingled my drink with weeping. His drink became as nauseous as his meat, for copious showers of tears had made it brackish. This is a telling description of all-saturating, all-embittering sadness. And this was the portion of one of the best of men, and that for no fault of his own, but because of his love to the Lord's people. If we too are called to mourn.
Let us not be amazed by the fiery trial, as though some strange thing had happened unto us. Both in meat and drink we have sinned. It is not therefore wonderful if in both we are made to mourn. 10. Because of thine indignation and thy wrath, for thou hast lifted me up and cast me down. A sense of the divine wrath which had been manifested in the overthrow of the chosen nation and their sad captivity, led the psalmist into the greatest distress. He felt like a sere leaf, caught up by a hurricane, and carried right away, or the spray of the sea, which is dashed upwards, that it might be scattered and dissolved. Our translation gives the idea of a vessel uplifted in order that it may be dashed to the earth with all the greater violence and the more completely broken in pieces.
Or, to change the figure, it reminds us of a wrestler whom his opponent catches up, that he may give him a more desperate fall. The first interpretation which we have given is, however, more fully in accordance with the original, and sets forth the utter helplessness which the writer felt, and the sense of overpowering terror which bore him along in a rush of tumultuous grief which he could not withstand.
My days are like a shadow that declineth. His days were but a shadow at best, but now they seem to be like a shadow which was passing away. A shadow is insubstantial enough. How feeble a thing must a declining shadow be. No expression could more forcibly set forth his extreme feebleness. And I am withered like grass. He was like grass, blasted by a parching wind. There are times when, through depression of spirit, a man feels as if all life were gone from him, and existence had become merely a breathing death. Heartbreak has a marvellously withering influence over our entire system. Our flesh, at its best, is but as grass. And when it is wounded with sharp sorrows, its beauty fades, and it becomes a shrivelled, dried, uncomely thing.
End of Psalm 1002.
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27 26 - Psalm 102:12-28 29:02
Psalm 102, Part 2, of The Treasury of David, Volume 4, by C. H. Spurgeon. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by Gillian Henry. Psalm 102, Verses 12 to 28. But thou, O Lord, shalt endure forever, and thy remembrance unto all generations. Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Sion. For the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof. So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory. When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come, and the people which shall be created Verse 1.
Share the name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem, when the people are gathered together and the kingdoms to serve the Lord. He weakened my strength in the way. He shortened my days. I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days. Thy years are throughout all generations. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure. Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment, as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee. 12. Now the writer's mind is turned away from his personal and relative troubles to the true source of all consolation, namely the Lord himself, and his gracious purposes towards his own people.
But thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever. I perish, but thou wilt not. My nation has become almost extinct, but thou art altogether unchanged. The original has the word, sit. Thou, Jehovah, to eternity shall sit. That is to say, thou reignest on. Thy throne is still secure even when thy chosen city lies in ruins, and thy peculiar people are carried into captivity. The sovereignty of God in all things is an unfailing ground for consolation. He rules and reigns whatever happens, and therefore all is well. Firm as his throne, his promise stands, and he can well secure what I've committed to his hands till the decisive hour. And thy remembrance unto all generations. Men will forget me, but as for thee, O God, The constant tokens of thy presence will keep the race of men in mind of thee from age to age.
What God is now, he always will be, that which our forefathers told us of the Lord, we find to be true at this present time, and what our experience enables us to record will be confirmed by our children and their children's children. All things else are vanishing like smoke and withering like grass. But over all the one eternal, immutable light shines on, and will shine on, when all these shadows have declined into nothingness.
Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion. He firmly believed, and boldly prophesied, that apparent inaction on God's part would turn to effective working. Others might remain sluggish in the matter, But the Lord would most surely bestir himself. Zion had been chosen of old, highly favoured, gloriously inhabited, and wondrously preserved, and therefore by the memory of her past mercies it was certain that mercy would again be showed to her. God will not always leave his church in a low condition. He may for a while hide himself from her in chastisement, to make her see her nakedness and poverty. apart from himself. But in love he must return to her, and stand up in her defence, to work her welfare.
For the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. Divine decree has appointed a season for blessing the church, and when that period has arrived, blessed she shall be. There was an appointed time for the Jews in Babylon, and when the weeks were fulfilled, No bolts nor bars could longer imprison the ransomed of the Lord. When the time came for the walls to rise, stone by stone, no Tobiah or Sambalat could stay the work, for the Lord himself had arisen, and who can restrain the hand of the Almighty? When God's own time has come, neither Rome, nor the devil, nor persecutors, nor atheists can prevent the kingdom of Christ from extending its bounds. It is God's work to do it. He must arise. He will do it, but he has his own appointed season, and meanwhile we must, with holy anxiety and believing expectation, wait upon him.
14. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof. They delight in her so greatly that even her rubbish is dear to them. It was a good omen for Jerusalem. When the captives began to feel a homesickness and began to sigh after her. We may expect the modern Jews to be restored to their own land when the love of their country begins to sway them and casts out the love of gain. To the Church of God, no token can be more full of hope than to see the members thereof deeply interested in all that concerns her. No prosperity is likely to rest upon a church when carelessness about ordinances Enterprises and services is manifest. But when even the least and lowest matter connected with the Lord's work is carefully attended to, we may be sure that the set time to favour Zion is come.
The poorest Church member, the most grievous backslider, the most ignorant convert, should be precious in our sight, because forming a part, although possibly a very feeble part, of the New Jerusalem. If we do not care about the prosperity of the Church to which we belong, need we wonder if the blessing of the Lord is withheld? 15. So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord. Mercy within the Church is soon perceived by those without. When a candle is lit in the house, it shines through the window. When Zion rejoices in her God, the heathen begin to reverence his name. For they hear of the wonders of his power, and are impressed thereby. And all the kings of the earth thy glory. The restoration of Jerusalem was a marvel among the princes who heard of it, and its ultimate resurrection in days yet to come will be one of the prodigies of history.
A church quickened by divine power is so striking an object in current history that it cannot escape notice. Rulers cannot ignore it. It affects the legislature and forces from the great ones of the earth a recognition of the divine working. O, that we might see in our days such a revival of religion that our senators and princes might be compelled to pay homage to the Lord and own his glorious grace. This cannot be till the saints are better edified and more fully builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. Internal prosperity is the true source of the Church's external influence. 16. When the Lord shall build up Zion, He shall appear in His glory. As kings display their skill and power and wealth in the erection of their capitals, so would the Lord reveal the splendour of His attributes in the restoration of Zion, and so will He now glorify Himself in the edification of His Church.
Never is the Lord more honorable in the eyes of his saints than when he prospers the church. To add converts to her, to train these for holy service, to instruct, illuminate, and sanctify the brotherhood, to bind all together in the bonds of Christian love, and to fill the whole body with the energy of the Holy Spirit, this is to build up Zion. Other builders do but puff her up, and their wood But what the Lord builds is surely and well done, and redounds to His glory. Truly, when we see the Church in a low state and mark the folly, helplessness and indifference of those who profess to be her builders, and on the other hand, the energy, craft and influence of those opposed to her. We are fully prepared to own that it will be a glorious work of omnipotent grace should she ever rise to her pristine grandeur and purity.
17. He will regard the prayer of the destitute. Only the poorest of the people were left to sigh and cry among the ruins of the beloved city. As for the rest, they were strangers in a strange land, and far away from the holy place. Yet the prayers of the captives and the forlorn offscurrings of the land would be heard of the Lord, who does not hear men because of the amount of money they possess or the breadth of the acres which they call their own, but in mercy listens most readily to the cry of the greatest need, and not despise their prayer. When great kings are building their palaces, It is not reasonable to expect them to turn aside and listen to every beggar who pleads with them. Yet when the Lord builds up Zion and appears in his robes of glory, he makes a point of listening to every petition of the poor and needy.
He will not treat their pleas with contempt. He will incline his ear to hear, his heart to consider, and his hand to help. What comfort is here for those who account themselves to be utterly destitute? Their abject want is here met with a most condescending promise. It is worthwhile to be destitute to be thus assured of the divine regard. 18. This shall be written for the generation to come. A note shall be made of it, for there will be destitute ones in future generations. The poor shall never cease out of the land. And it will make glad their eyes to read the story of the Lord's mercy to the needy in former times. Registers of divine kindness ought to be made and preserved. We write down in history the calamities of nations.
Wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes are recorded. How much rather, then, should we set up memorials of the Lord's loving kindness? Those who have in their own souls endured spiritual destitution. And have been delivered out of it cannot forget it. They are bound to tell others of it, and especially to instruct their children in the goodness of the Lord. And the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. The psalmist here intends to say that the rebuilding of Jerusalem would be a fact in history for which the Lord would be praised from age to age. Revivals of religion not only cause great joy to those who are immediately concerned in them, but they give encouragement and delight to the people of God long after, and are indeed perpetual incentives to adoration throughout the Church of God.
This verse teaches us that we ought to have an eye to posterity, and especially should we endeavour to perpetuate the memory of God's love to His Church and to His poor people, so that young people Sad as the psalmist was when he wrote the dreary portions of this complaint, he was not so absorbed in his own sorrow or so distracted by the national calamity as to forget the claims of coming generations. This, indeed, is a clear proof that he was not without hope for his people. For he who is making arrangements for the good of a future generation has not yet despaired of his nation. The praise of God should be the great object of all that we do, and to secure him a revenue of glory both from the present and the future is the noblest aim of intelligent beings.
Verses 19 and 20. For he hath looked down from the heights of his sanctuary, or Weaned from the high place of his holiness. From heaven did the Lord behold the earth. Looking out like a watcher from his tower, what was the object of this weaning from the battlements of heaven? Why this intent gaze upon the race of men? The answer is full of astounding mercy. The Lord does not look upon mankind to note their grandees, to observe the doings of their nobles.
Now, the groans of those in prison, so far from being musical, are very horrible to hear, yet God bends to hear them. Those who are bound for death are usually ill-company, yet Jehovah deigns to stoop from his greatness to relieve their extreme distress and break their chains. This he does by providential rescues, by restoring health to the dying, and by finding food for the famishing. And spiritually, this deed of grace is accomplished by sovereign grace, which delivers us by pardon from the sentence of sin, and by the sweetness of the promise from the deadly despair which a sense of sin had created within us. Well, may those of us praise the Lord who were once the children of death. but are now brought into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
The Jews in captivity were in Heman's time appointed to death, but their God found a way of escape for them, and they joyfully kept the feast of Purim in memorial thereof. Let all souls that have been set free from the crafty malice of the old dragon with even greater gratitude magnify the Lord of infinite compassion. 21. To declare the name of the Lord in Zion and His praise in Jerusalem. Great mercy displayed to those greatly in need of it is the plainest method of revealing the attributes of the Most High. Actions speak more loudly than words. Deeds of grace are a revelation even more impressive than the most tender promises. Jerusalem restored, the church re-edified. Responding souls encouraged, and all other manifestations of Jehovah's power to bless, are so many manifestos and proclamations put up upon the walls of Zion to publish the character and glory of the great God.
Every day's experience should be to us a new gazette of love, a court circular from heaven, a daily dispatch from the headquarters of grace. We are bound to inform our fellow Christians of all this, making them helpers in our praise, as they hear of the goodness which we have experienced. While God's mercies speak so eloquently, we ought not to be dumb. To communicate to others what God has done for us personally and for the Church at large is so evidently our duty that we ought not to need urging to fulfil it. God has ever an eye to the glory of His grace in all that He does, and we ought not willfully to defraud Him of the revenue of His praise. 22. When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.
The great work of restoring ruined Zion is to be spoken of in those golden ages when the heathen nations shall be converted unto God. Even those glorious times will not be able to despise that grand event which, like the passage of Israel through the Red Sea, will never be eclipsed and never cease to awaken the enthusiasm of the chosen people. Happy will the day be when all nations shall unite in the sole worship of Jehovah. Then shall the histories of the olden times be read with adoring wonder, and the hand of the Lord shall be seen as having ever rested upon the sacramental host of his elect. Then shall shouts of exulting praise ascend to heaven in honor of him who loosed the captives, delivered the condemned, raised up the desolations of ages, and made out of stones and rubbish a temple for his worship.
Twenty-three. He weakened my strength in the way. Here the psalmist comes down again to the mournful string. And poured forth his personal complaint. His sorrow had cast down his spirit, and even caused weakness in his bodily frame, so that he was like a pilgrim who limped along the road and was ready to lie down and die. He shortened my days. Though he had bright hopes for Jerusalem, he feared that he should have departed this life long before those visions had become realities. He felt that he was pining away. And would be a short-lived man. Perhaps this may be our lot, and it will materially help us to be content with it, if we are persuaded that the grandest of all interests is safe, and the good old cause secure in the hands of the Lord.
24. I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days. He betook himself to prayer. What better remedy is there for heart-sickness and depression? We may lawfully ask for recovery from sickness, and may hope to be heard. Good men should not dread death, but they are not forbidden to love life. For many reasons, the man who has the best hope of heaven may nevertheless think it desirable to continue here a little longer for the sake of his family, his work, the Church of God, and even the glory of God itself. Some read the passage, Take me not up. Let me not descend like disappearing smoke. Do not whirl me away like Elijah in a chariot of fire. For as yet I have only seen half my days, and that a sorrowful half.
Give me to live till the blustering morning shall have softened into a bright afternoon of happier existence. Thy years are throughout all generations. Thou livest, Lord. Let me live also. A fullness of existence is with thee. Let me partake therein. Not the contrast between himself, pining and ready to expire, and his God, living on in the fullness of strength forever and ever. This contrast is full of consolatory power to the man whose heart is stayed upon the Lord. Blessed be his name, he faileth not, and therefore our hope shall not fail us, neither will we despair for ourselves or for his church. 25. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth. Creation is no new work with God, and therefore to create Jerusalem, a praise in the earth, will not be difficult to him.
Long ere the holy city was laid in ruins, The Lord made a world out of nothing, and it will be no labour to him to raise the walls from their heaps and replace the stones in their courses. We can neither continue our own existence nor give being to others, but the Lord not only is, but he is the maker of all things that are. Hence, when our affairs are at the very lowest ebb, we are not at all despairing, because the Almighty and Eternal Lord And the heavens are the work of thine hands. Thou canst therefore not merely lay the foundations of Zion, but complete its roof, even as thou hast arched in the world with its ceiling of blue. The loftiest stories of thine earthly palace shall be piled on high without difficulty when thou dost undertake the building thereof, since thou art architect of the stars.
And the spheres in which they move. When a great labor is to be performed, it is eminently reassuring to contemplate the power of him who has undertaken to accomplish it. And when our own strength is exhausted, it is supremely cheering to see the unfailing energy which is still engaged on our behalf. XXVI. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure. The power which made them shall dissolve them, even as the city of thy love was destroyed at thy command. Yet neither the ruined city nor the ruined earth can make a change in thee, reverse thy purpose, or diminish thy glory. Thou standest when all things fall. Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment. As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed.
Time impairs all things. The fashion becomes obsolete and passes away. The visible creation, which is like the garment of the invisible God, is waxing old and wearing out. And our great king is not so poor that he must always wear the same robes. He will ere long fold up the worlds and put them aside as worn-out vestures, and he will array himself in new attire. Making a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. How readily will all this be done? Thou shalt change them, and they shall be changed. As in the creation, so in the restoration, omnipotence shall work its way without hindrance. 27. But thou art the same, or thou art he. As a man remains the same when he has changed his clothing, so is the Lord evermore the unchanging one, though his works in creation may be changed, and the operations of his providence may vary.
When heaven and earth shall flee away from the dread presence of the great Judge, he will be unaltered by the terrible confusion, and the world in conflagration will effect no change in him. Even so, The psalmist remembered that when Israel was vanquished, her capital destroyed, and her temple levelled with the ground, her God remained the same self-existent, all-sufficient being, and would restore his people, even as he will restore the heavens and the earth, bestowing at the same time a new glory never known before. The doctrine of the immutability of God should be more considered than it is, for the neglect of it Tinges the theology of many religious teachers, and makes them utter many things of which they would have seen the absurdity long ago if they had remembered the divine declaration, I am God, I change not.
Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. And thy years shall have no end. God lives on. No decay can happen to him, or destruction overtake him. What a joy this is! We may lose our dearest earthly friends, but not our heavenly friend. Men's days are often suddenly cut short, and at the longest they are but few. But the years of the right hand of the Most High cannot be counted, for they have neither first nor last, beginning nor end. O my soul, rejoice thou in the Lord always, since he is always the same.
The psalmist had, early in the psalm, looked forward to a future generation, and here he speaks with confidence that such a race would arise and be preserved and blessed of God. Some read it as a prayer, let the sons of thy servants abide. Anyway, it is full of good cheer to us. We may plead for the Lord's favour to our seed. And we may expect that the cause of God and truth will revive in future generations. Let us hope that those who are to succeed us will not be so stubborn, unbelieving, and erring as we have been. If the church has been diminished and brought low by the lukewarmness of the present race, let us entreat the Lord to raise up a better order of men, whose zeal and obedience shall win and hold a long prosperity.
May our own dear ones be among the better generation who shall continue in the Lord's ways, obedient to the end. And their seed shall be established before thee. God does not neglect the children of his servants. It is the rule that Abraham's Isaac should be the Lord's, that Isaac's Jacob should be beloved of the Most High, and that Jacob's Joseph Grace is not hereditary, yet God loves to be served by the same family time out of mind, even as many great landowners feel a pleasure in having the same families as tenants upon their estates, from generation to generation. Here is Zion's hope. Her sons will build her up. Her offspring will restore her former glories. We may therefore not only for our own sakes, but also out of love to the Church of God, daily pray that our sons and daughters may be saved, and kept by divine grace even unto the end, established before the Lord.
We have thus passed through the cloud, and in the next psalm we shall bask in the sunshine. Such is the checkered experience of the believer. Paul in the seventh of Romans And so, from the moaning of the 102nd Psalm, we now advance to the songs and dancing of the 103rd, blessing the Lord that, though weeping may endure for a night, joy cometh in the morning.
End of Psalm 102 Part 2
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28 27 - Psalm 103:1-5 18:18
Psalm 103. Title. A Psalm of David. Doubtless by David, it is in his own style when at its best, and we should attribute it to his later years when he had a higher sense of the preciousness of pardon. His clear sense of the frailty of life indicates his weaker years, as also does the very fullness of his praiseful gratitude. As in the lofty Alps, some peaks rise above all others, so among even the inspired psalms there are heights of song which overtop the rest. This 103rd Psalm has ever seemed to us to be the Monte Rosa. of the divine chain of mountains of praise, glowing with a ruddier light than any of the rest. It is as the apple tree among the trees of the wood, and its golden fruit has a flavour such as no fruit ever bears unless it has been ripened in the full sunshine of mercy.
It is man's reply to the benedictions of his God, his song on the mount, answering to his Redeemer's sermon on the mount. Nebuchadnezzar adored his idol with flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, and David, in far nobler style, awakens all the melodies of heaven and earth in honour of the one only living and true God. Our attempt at exposition is commenced under an impressive sense of the utter impossibility of doing justice to so sublime a composition. We call upon our soul, And all that is within us, to aid in a pleasurable task. But alas, our soul is finite, and our all of mental faculty far too little for the enterprise. There is too much in the psalm.
Divisions. First, the psalmist sings of personal mercies which he had himself received.
Then he magnifies the attributes of Jehovah, as displayed in his dealings with his people. And he closes by calling upon all the creatures in the universe to adore the Lord and join with himself in blessing Jehovah, the ever gracious. Exposition, verses 1 to 5. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me. Bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. 1. Bless the Lord, O my soul. Soul music is the very soul of music.
The psalmist strikes the best keynote when he begins with stirring up his inmost self to magnify the Lord. He soliloquizes, holds self-communion, and exhorts himself, as though he felt that dullness would all too soon steal over his faculties, as indeed it will over us all, unless we are diligently on the watch. Jehovah is worthy to be praised by us in that highest style of adoration which is intended by the term, Bless. All Thy works praise Thee, O God, but Thy saints shall bless Thee. Our very life and essential self should be engrossed with this delightful service, and each one of us should arouse his own heart to the engagement. Let others forbear if they can. Bless the Lord, O my soul. Let others murmur, but do thou bless.
Let others bless themselves and their idols, but do thou bless the Lord. Let others use only their tongues, but, as for me, I will cry, Bless the Lord, O my soul. And all that is within me, bless his holy name. Many are our faculties, emotions, and capacities, but God has given them all to us. And they ought all to join in chorus to his praise. Half-hearted, ill-conceived, unintelligent praises are not such as we should render to our loving Lord. If the law of justice demanded all our heart and soul and mind for the Creator, much more may the law of gratitude put in a comprehensive claim for the homage of our whole being to the God of grace. It is instructive to note how the psalmist dwells upon the holy name of God, as if his holiness were dearest to him, or perhaps because the holiness, or wholeness, of God was to his mind the grandest motive for rendering to him the homage of his nature in its wholeness.
Babes may praise the divine goodness, but fathers in grace magnify his holiness. By the name. We understand the revealed character of God, and assuredly those songs which are suggested not by our fallible reasoning and imperfect observation, but by unerring inspiration, should more than any others arouse all our consecrated powers. 2. Bless the Lord, O my soul. He is in real earnest, and again calls upon himself to arise. Had he been very sleepy before? Or was he now doubly sensible of the importance, the imperative necessity of adoration? Certainly he uses no vain repetitions, for the Holy Spirit guides his pen, and thus he shows us that we have need, again and again, to bestow ourselves when we are about to worship God, for it would be shameful to offer him anything less than the utmost our souls can render.
These first verses are a tuning of the harp, a screwing up of the loosened strings that not a note may fail in the sacred harmony. And forget not all his benefits. Not so much as one of the divine dealings should be forgotten. They are all really beneficial to us, all worthy of himself, and all subjects for praise. Memory is very treacherous about the best things. By a strange perversity engendered by the fall, it treasures up the refuse of the past and permits priceless treasures to lie neglected. It is tenacious of grievances and holds benefits all too loosely. It needs spurring to its duty, though that duty ought to be its delight. Observe that he calls all that is within him to remember all the Lord's benefits.
For our task, our energies should be suitably called out. God's all cannot be praised with less than our all. Reader, have we not cause enough at this time to bless him who blesses us? Come, let us read our diaries, and see if there be not choice favours recorded there, for which we have rendered no grateful return. Remember how the Persian king, when he could not sleep, read his chronicles of the empire. and discovered that one who had saved his life had never been rewarded. How quickly did he do him honor? The Lord has saved us with a great salvation. Shall we render no recompense? The name of In Great is one of the most shameful that a man can wear. Surely we cannot be content to run the risk of such a brand.
Let us awake, then, and with intense enthusiasm bless Jehovah.
Here David begins his list of blessings received, which he rehearses as themes and arguments for praise. He selects a few of the choicest pearls from the casket of divine love, threads them on the string of memory, and hangs them about the neck of gratitude. Pardoned sin is, in our experience, one of the choicest boons of grace. One of the earliest gifts of mercy. In fact, the needful preparation for enjoying all that follows it. Till iniquity is forgiven, healing, redemption, and satisfaction are unknown blessings. Forgiveness is first in the order of our spiritual experience, and in some respects, first in value. The pardon granted is a present one. Forgiveth. It is continual, for he still forgiveth.
It is divine, for God gives it. It is far-reaching, for it removes all our sins. It takes in omissions as well as commissions, for both these are inequities. And it is most effectual, for it is as real as the healing and the rest of the mercies with which it is placed. Who healeth all thy diseases? When the cause is gone, namely iniquity, the effect ceases. Sickness of body and soul came into the world by sin, and as sin is eradicated, diseases bodily, mental, and spiritual will vanish, till the inhabitant shall no more say, I am sick. Many-sided is the character of our Heavenly Father, for, having forgiven as a judge, He then cures as a physician. He is all things to us, as our needs call for him, and our infirmities do but reveal him in new characters.
In him is only good, in me is only ill. My ill but draws his goodness forth, and me he loveth still. God gives efficacy to medicine for the body, and his grace sanctifies the soul. Spiritually, we are daily under his care, and he visits us as the surgeon does his patient. Healing still, for that is the exact word, each malady as it arises. No disease of our souls baffles his skill. He goes on healing all, and he will do so till the last trace of taint has gone from our nature. The two alls of this verse are further reasons for all that is within us. Praising the Lord. The two blessings of this verse the psalmist was personally enjoying. He sang not of others, but of himself, or rather, of his Lord, who was daily forgiving and healing him.
He must have known that it was so, or he could not have sung of it. He had no doubt about it. He felt in his soul that it was so, and therefore he bade his pardoned and restored soul. Bless the Lord with all its might. 4. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction? By purchase and by power, the Lord redeems us from the spiritual death into which we had fallen, and from the eternal death which would have been its consequence. Had not the death penalty of sin been removed, our forgiveness and healing would have been incomplete portions of salvation, fragments only. And but of small value. But the removal of the guilt and power of sin is fitly attended by the reversal of the sentence of death which had been passed upon us.
Glory be to our great substitute who delivered us from going down into the pit by giving himself to be our ransom. Redemption will ever constitute one of the sweetest notes in the believer's grateful song. Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies? Our Lord does nothing by halves. He will not stay his hand till he has gone to the uttermost with his people. Cleansing, healing, redemption are not enough. He must needs make them kings and crown them, and the crown must be far more precious than if it were made of corruptible things, such as silver and gold. It is studied with gems of grace, and lined with the velvet of lovingkindness. It is decked with the jewels of mercy, but made soft for the head to wear by a lining of tenderness.
Who is like unto thee, O Lord? God himself crowns the princes of his family, for their best things come from him directly and distinctly. They do not earn the crown, for it is of mercy. Not of merit. They feel their own unworthiness of it. Therefore he deals with tenderness. But he is resolved to bless them, and therefore he is ever crowning them, always surrounding their brows with coronets of mercy and compassion. He always crowns the edifice which he commences, and where he gives pardon, he gives acceptance too. Since thou wast precious in my sight, Thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee. Our sin deprived us of all our honors. A bill of attainder was issued against us as traitors.
But he who removed the sentence of death by redeeming us from destruction, restores to us more than all our former honors by crowning us anew. Shall God crown us, and shall not we crown him? Up, my soul! And cast thy crown at his feet, and in lowliest reverence worship him, who has so greatly exalted thee as to lift thee from the dunghill, and set thee among princes. 5. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, or rather, filling with good thy soul? No man is ever filled to satisfaction but a believer, and only God himself can satisfy even him. Many a worldling is satiated, but not one is satisfied. God satisfies the very soul of man, his noblest part, his ornament and glory. And of consequence, he satisfies his mouth, however hungry and craving it might otherwise be.
Soul satisfaction loudly calls for soul praise. And when the mouth is filled with good, it is bound to speak good of him who filled it. Our good Lord bestows really good things, not vain toys and idle pleasures, and these he is always giving, so that from moment to moment he is satisfying our soul with good. Shall we not be still praising him? If we never cease to bless him till he ceases to bless us, our employment will be eternal. So that thy youth is renewed, Like the eagle's. Renewal of strength, amounting to a grant of a new lease of life, was granted to the psalmist. He was so restored to his former self that he grew young again and looked as vigorous as an eagle, whose eye can gaze upon the sun and whose wing can mount above the storm.
Our version refers to the annual molting of the eagle, after which it looks fresh and young. But the original does not appear to allude to any such fact of natural history, but simply to describe the diseased one as so healed and strengthened that he became as full of energy as the bird which is strongest of the feathered race, most fearless, most majestic, and most soaring. He who sat moping with the owl in the last psalm, here flies on high with the eagle. The Lord works marvellous changes in us. And we learn by such experiences to bless his holy name. To grow from a sparrow to an eagle, and leave the wilderness of the pelican to mount among the stars, is enough to make any man cry, Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Thus is the endless chain of grace complete. Sin is forgiven, its power subdued, and its penalty averted. Then we are honoured, supplied. And our very nature renovated, till we are as new-born children in the household of God. O Lord, we must bless thee, and we will. As thou dost withhold nothing from us, so we would not keep back from thy praise one solitary power of our nature, but with all our heart and soul and strength praise thy holy name. End of Psalm 103 Part One
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29 28 - Psalm 103:6-22 35:45
Psalm 103, verses 6-19 The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him, as far as the east is from the west. So far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are dust.
As for man, his days are as grass, as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children, to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom ruleth over all. 6. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. Our own personal obligations must not absorb our song. We must also magnify the Lord for his goodness to others. He does not leave the poor and needy to perish at the hands of their enemies, but interposes on their behalf, for he is the executor of the poor and the executioner of the cruel.
When his people were in Egypt, he heard their groanings and brought them forth. But he overthrew Pharaoh in the Red Sea. Men's injustice shall receive retribution at the hand of God. Mercy to his saints demands vengeance on their persecutors, and he will repay it. No blood of martyrs shall be shed in vain. No groans of confessors in prison shall be left without inquisition being made concerning them. All wrongs shall be righted. All the oppressed shall be avenged. Justice may at times leave the courts of man, but it abides upon the tribunal of God. For this every right-minded person will bless God. Were he careless of his creatures good, did he neglect the administration of justice? Did he suffer high-handed oppressors finally to escape?
We should have greater reason for trembling than rejoicing. It is not so, however, for our God is a God of justice. And by him actions are weighed. He will mete out his portion to the proud, and make the tyrant bite the dust. Yea, often he visits the haughty persecutor, even in this life, so that the Lord is known by the judgments which he executeth. 7. He made known his ways unto Moses. Moses was made to see the manner in which the Lord deals with men. He saw this at each of the three periods of his life, in the court, in retirement, and at the head of the tribes of Israel. To him the Lord gave specially clear manifestations of his dispensations and modes of ruling among mankind, granting to him to see more of God than had before been seen by mortal man, while he communed with him upon the mount.
His Acts Unto the Children of Israel They saw less than Moses, for they beheld the deeds of God without understanding his method therein. Yet this was much, very much, and might have been more if they had not been so perverse. The stint was not in the revelation, but in the hardness of their hearts. It is a great act of sovereign grace and condescending love when the Lord reveals himself to any people. And they ought to appreciate the distinguished favor shown to them. We, as believers in Jesus, know the Lord's ways of covenant grace, and we have, by experience, been made to see his acts of mercy towards us. How heartily ought we to praise our divine teacher, the Holy Spirit, who has made these things known to us!
For had it not been for him, we should have continued in darkness unto this day. Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Why hast thou made us of the election who have obtained it, while the rest are blinded? Observe how prominent is the personality of God in all this gracious teaching. He made known. He did not leave Moses to discover truth for himself, but became his instructor. What should we ever know if he did not make it known? God alone can reveal Himself. If Moses needed the Lord to make him known, how much more do we, who are so much inferior to the great lawgiver? 8. The Lord is merciful and gracious. Those with whom He deals are sinners. However much He favours them, they are guilty.
And need mercy at his hands. Nor is he slow to compassionate their lost estate, or reluctant by his grace to lift them out of it. Mercy pardons sin. Grace bestows favor. In both the Lord abounds. This is that way of his which he made known to Moses. Exodus chapter 34 verse 6. And in that way He will abide as long as the age of grace shall last, and men are yet in this life. He who executeth righteousness and judgment yet delighteth in mercy. Slow to anger. He can be angry and can deal out righteous indignation upon the guilty, but it is his strange work. He lingers long with loving pauses. Tarrying by the way to give space for repentance and opportunity for accepting his mercy. Thus deals he with the greatest sinners, and with his own children much more so.
Towards them his anger is short-lived and never reaches into eternity, and when it is shown in fatherly chastisements, he does not afflict willingly, but soon pities their sorrows. From this We should learn to be ourselves slow to anger. If the Lord is long-suffering under our great provocations, how much more ought we to endure the errors of our brethren? And plenteous in mercy, rich in it, quick in it, overflowing with it, and so had he need to be, or we should soon be consumed. He is God and not man. Or our sins would soon drown his love. Yet above the mountains of our sins the floods of his mercy rise. Plentious grace with thee is found, grace to cover all my sin. Let the healing streams abound, make and keep me pure within.
All the world tastes of his sparing mercy. Those who hear the gospel partake of his inviting mercy. The saints live by his saving mercy, are preserved by his upholding mercy, and cheered by his consoling mercy, and will enter heaven through his infinite and everlasting mercy. Let grace abounding be our hourly song in the house of our pilgrimage. Let those who feel that they live upon it glorify the plenteous fountain from which it so spontaneously flows.
He will not always chide. He will sometimes, for he cannot endure that his people should harbour sin in their hearts, but not forever will he chasten them. As soon as they turn to him and forsake their evil ways, he will end the quarrel. He might find constant cause for striving with us, for we have always something in us which is contrary to his holy mind. But he refrains himself. It will be profitable for any one of us, who may be at this time out of conscious fellowship with the Lord, to inquire at his hands the reason for his anger, saying, Show me wherefore thou contendest with me. For he is easily entreated off, and soon ceaseth from his wrath. When his children turn from their sins, he soon turns from his chidings.
Neither will he keep his anger forever. He bears no grudges. The Lord would not have his people harbour resentments, and in his own course of action he sets them a grand example. When the Lord has chastened his child, he has done with his anger. He is not punishing as a judge, else might his wrath burn on. But he is acting as a father, and therefore, after a few blows, he ends the matter. And presses his beloved one to his bosom as if nothing had happened. Or, if the offence lies too deep in the offender's nature to be thus overcome, he continues to correct, but he never ceases to love. And he does not suffer his anger with his people to pass into the next world, but receives his erring child into his glory.
10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins. Nor rewarded us, according to our iniquities. Else had Israel perished outright, and we also had long ago been consigned to the lowest hell. We ought to praise the Lord for what he has not done, as well as for what he has wrought for us. Even the negative side deserves our adoring gratitude. Up to this moment, at our very worst estate, we have never suffered as we deserved to suffer. Our daily lot has not been apportioned upon the rule of what we merited, but on the far different measure of undeserved kindness. Shall we not bless the Lord? Every power of our being might have been rent with anguish, instead of which we are all in the enjoyment of comparative happiness, and many of us are exceedingly favored with inward joy.
Let then every faculty Yea, all that is within us, bless his holy name. 11. Far as the heaven is high above the world, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. Boundless in extent towards his chosen is the mercy of the Lord. It is no more to be measured than the height of heaven, or the heaven of heavens. Like the height of the heaven is the original language. Which implies other points of comparison besides extent, and suggests sublimity, grandeur, and glory. As the lofty heavens canopy the earth, water it with dews and rains, enlighten it with sun, moon, and stars, and look down upon it with unceasing watchfulness. Even so, the Lord's mercy from above covers all His chosen, enriches them, embraces them, and stands forever.
The idea of our version is a very noble one, for who shall tell how exceeding great is the height of heaven? Who can reach the first of the fixed stars? And who can measure the utmost bounds of the starry universe? Yet so great is his mercy! O that great little word, so! All this mercy is for them that fear him. There must be a humble, hearty reverence of his authority, or we cannot taste of his grace. Godly fear is one of the first products of the divine life in us. It is the beginning of wisdom. Yet it fully ensures to its possessor all the benefits of divine mercy, and is indeed, here and elsewhere, employed to set forth the whole of true religion. May a true child of God is full of filial fear, and yet at the same time stands trembling as to his acceptance with God.
This trembling is groundless, but it is infinitely to be preferred to that base-born presumption which incites men to boast of their adoption and consequent security when all the while they are in the gall of bitterness. Those who are presuming upon the infinite extent of divine mercy should here be led to consider that Although it is wide as the horizon and high as the stars, yet it is only meant for them that fear the Lord. And as for obstinate rebels, they shall have justice without mercy measured out to them. Twelve. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. O glorious verse! No word even upon the inspired page can excel it. Sin is removed from us by a miracle of love.
What a load to move! And yet it is removed so far that the distance is incalculable. Fly as far as the wing of imagination can bear you, and if you journey through space eastward, you are further from the west at every beat of your wing. If sin be removed so far, then we may be sure that the scent, the trace, the very memory of it, Must be entirely gone. If this be the distance of its removal, there is no shade of fear of its ever being brought back again. Even Satan himself could not achieve such a task. Our sins are gone. Jesus has borne them away, far as the place of sunrise is removed from yonder west, where the sun sinks when his day's journey is done. So far were our sins carried by our scapegoat nineteen centuries ago.
And now, if they be sought for, they shall not be found. Yea, they shall not be, saith the Lord. Come, my soul, awaken thyself thoroughly, and glorify the Lord for this richest of blessings. Hallelujah! The Lord alone could remove sin at all, and he has done it in a godlike fashion, making a final sweep of all our transgressions.
Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. To those who truly reverence his holy name, the Lord is a father and acts as such. These he pities, for in the very best of men the Lord sees much to pity, and when they are at their best state, they still need his compassion. This should check every propensity to pride. Though at the same time, it should yield us the richest comfort. Fathers feel for their children, especially when they are in pain. They would like to suffer in their stead. Their sighs and groans cut them to the quick. Thus sensitive towards us is our Heavenly Father. We do not adore a God of stone, but the living God, who is tenderness itself. He is at this moment compassionating us.
For the word is in the present tense. This pity never fails to flow, and we never cease to need it. 14. For he knoweth our frame. He knows how we are made, for he made us. Our make and build, our constitution and temperament, our prevailing infirmity and most besetting temptation, he well perceives, for he searches our inmost nature. He remembereth. That we are dust. Made of dust, dust still, and ready to return to dust. We have sometimes heard of the Iron Duke and of iron constitutions, but the words are soon belied, for the Iron Duke is dissolved, and other men of like vigour are following to the grave, where dust to dust is an appropriate requiem. We too often forget that we are dust. and try our minds and bodies unduly by excessive mental and bodily exertion.
We are also too little mindful of the infirmities of others, and impose upon them burdens grievous to be borne. But our Heavenly Father never overloads us, and never fails to give us strength equal to our day, because He always takes our frailty into account when He is apportioning to us our lot. Blessed be His holy name. 15. As for man, his days are as grass. He lives on the grass, and lives like the grass. Corn is but educated grass, and man who feeds on it partakes of its nature. The grass lives, grows, flowers, falls beneath the scythe, dries up, and is removed from the field. Read this sentence over again, and you will find it, The History of Man. If he lives out his little day, he is cut down at last, and it is far more likely that he will wither before he comes to maturity, or be plucked away on a sudden long before he has fulfilled his time.
As a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. He has a beauty and a comeliness, even as the meadows have. When they are yellow with the king cups. But alas, how short-lived! No sooner come than gone. A flash of loveliness, and no more. Man is not even like a flower in the conservatory or in the sheltered garden border. He grows best according to nature, as the field flower does. And like the unprotected beautifier of the pasture, he runs a thousand risks of coming to a speedy end. A large congregation in many-coloured attire always reminds us of a meadow bright with many hues, and the comparison becomes sadly true when we reflect that as the grass and its goodliness soon pass away, even so will those we gaze upon, and all their visible beauty.
Thus, too, must it be with all that comes of the flesh, even its greatest excellencies and natural virtues, for That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and therefore is but as grass, which withers if but a breath of wind assails it. Happy are they who, born from above, have in them an incorruptible seed, which liveth and abideth for ever. 16. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone. Only a little wind is needed, not even a scythe is demanded. A breath can do it, for the flower is so frail. If one sharp wind sweep o'er the field, it withers in an hour. How small a portion of deleterious gas suffices to create a deadly fever, which no art of man can stay. No need of sword or bullet. A puff of foul air is deadlier far, and fails not to lay low the healthiest and most stalwart son of man.
And the place thereof shall know it no more. The flower blooms no more. It may have a successor, but as for itself, its leaves are scattered, and its perfume will never again sweeten the evening air. Man also dies and is gone, gone from his old haunts, his dear home, and his daily labours, never to return. As far as this world is concerned, he is as though he ne'er had been. The sun rises, the moon increases or wanes, summer and winter run their round, the rivers flow, and all things continue in their courses as though they missed him not. So little a figure does he make in the affairs of nature. Perhaps a friend will note that he is gone, and say, one morn I missed him on the accustomed hill, along the heath and near his favourite tree.
Another came. Nor yet beside the rill, nor up the lawn, nor at the wood was he. But when the Dirge's dew are silent, beyond a mound of earth, and perhaps a crumbling stone, how small will be the memorial of our existence upon this busy scene? True, there are more enduring memories, and an existence of another kind coeval with eternity. But these belong. Not to our flesh, which is but grass, but to a higher life, in which we rise to close fellowship with the Eternal. 17. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him. Blessed but! How vast the contrast between the fading flower and the everlasting God! How wonderful that His mercy should link our frailty. From old eternity, the Lord viewed his people as objects of mercy, and as such chose them to become partakers of his grace.
The doctrine of eternal election is most delightful to those who have light to see it, and love wherewith to accept it. It is a theme for deepest thought and highest joy. The too everlasting is equally precious. Never will those who fear him find that either their sins or their needs have exhausted the great deep of his grace. The main question is, do we fear him? If we are lifting up to heaven the eye of filial fear, the gaze of paternal love is never removed from us, and it never will be world without end. And his righteousness unto children's children. Mercy to those with whom the Lord makes a covenant is guaranteed by righteousness. It is because He is just that He never revokes a promise or fails to fulfil it.
Our believing sons and their seed forever will find the word of the Lord the same. To them will He display His grace and bless them even as He has blessed us. Let us sing, then, for posterity. The past commands our praise. And the future invites it. For our descendants let us sing as well as pray. If Abraham rejoiced concerning his seed, so also may the godly, for instead of the fathers shall be the children. And as the last psalm told us in its concluding verse, quote, the children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee, end quote. 18. Children of the righteous are not, however, promised the Lord's mercy without stipulation, and this verse completes the statement of the last by adding, The parents must be obedient, and the children too.
We are here bidden to abide by the covenant, and those who run off to any other confidence than the finished work of Jesus. are not among those who obey this precept. Those with whom the covenant is really made stand firm to it, and having begun in the spirit, they do not seek to be made perfect in the flesh. The truly godly keep the Lord's commands carefully. They remember. They observe them practically, to do them. Moreover, they do not pick and choose, but remember his commandments as such, without exalting one above another. as their own pleasure or convenience may dictate. May our offspring be a thoughtful, careful, observant race, eager to know the will of the Lord, and prompt to follow it fully.
Then will His mercy enrich and honour them from generation to generation. This verse also suggests praise, for who would wish the Lord to smile on those who will not regard his ways, that were to encourage vice. From the manner in which some men unguardedly preach the covenant, one might infer that God would bless a certain set of men however they might live, and however they might neglect his laws. But the word teaches not so. The covenant is not legal, but it is holy. It is all of grace, from first to last. Yet it is no panderer to sin. On the contrary, one of its greatest promises is Its general aim is the sanctifying of a people unto God, zealous for good works, and all its gifts and operations work in that direction.
Faith keeps the covenant by looking alone to Jesus, while at the same time, by earnest obedience, it remembers the Lord's commandments to do them.
The Lord has prepared his throne in the heavens. Here is a grand burst of song produced by a view of the boundless power and glorious sovereignty of Jehovah. His throne is fixed, for that is the word. It is established, settled, immovable. He sits on no precarious throne, nor borrows leave to be. About his government there is no alarm, no disorder, no perturbation. No hurrying to and fro in expedience, no surprises to be met, or unexpected catastrophes to be warded off. All is prepared and fixed, and he himself has prepared and fixed it. He is no delegated sovereign for whom a throne is set up by another. He is an autocrat, and his dominion arises from himself, and is sustained by his own innate power.
This matchless sovereignty is the pledge of our security, the pillar upon which our confidence may safely lean. And his kingdom ruleth over all. Over the whole universe he stretches his scepter. He now reigns universally. He always has done so, and he always will. To us the world may seem rent with anarchy, but he brings order out of confusion. The warring elements are marching beneath his banner when they most wildly rush onward in furious tempest. Great and small, intelligent and material, willing and unwilling, fierce or gentle, all, all, are under his sway. His is the only universal monarchy. He is the blessed and only potentate, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. A clear view of his ever-active and everywhere supreme providence is one of the most delightful of spiritual gifts.
He who has it cannot do otherwise than bless the Lord with all his soul. Thus has the sweet singer hymned the various attributes of the Lord as seen in nature, grace, and providence, and now he gathers up all his energies for one final outburst of adoration, in which he would have all unite. Since all are subjects of the great King. Verses 20 to 22. Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts, ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul. 20. Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength. Finding his work of praise growing upon his hands, he calls upon the firstborn sons of light to speak the praises of the Lord, as well they may, for as Milton says, they best can tell.
Dwelling nearer to that prepared throne than we as yet have leave to climb, they see in nearer vision the glory which we would adore. To them is given an exceeding might of intellect and voice and force, which they delight to use in sacred services for him. Let them now turn all their strength into that solemn song which we would send up to the third heaven. To him who gave angelic strength, let all angelic strength be given. They are his angels, and therefore they are not loath to ring out his praises. That do his commandments. Hearkening unto the voice of his word. We are bidden to do these commandments, and alas, we fail. Let those unfallen spirits, whose bliss it is never to have transgressed, give to the Lord the glory of their holiness.
They hearken for yet more commands, obeying as much by reverent listening as by energetic action. And in this, they teach us how the heavenly will should evermore be done. Yet even for this surpassing excellence, let them take no praise, but render all to him who has made and kept them what they are. O, that we could hear them chant the high praises of God, as did the shepherds on that greatest of all birth-knights. When such music sweet their hearts and ears did greet, as never was by mortal finger struck, divinely warbled voice. Answering the stringed noise, as well their souls in blissful rapture took. The air, such pleasure loth to lose, with thousand echoes still prolongs each heavenly close.
Our glad heart anticipates the hour when we shall hear them harping in loud and solemn guise, and all to the sole praise of God. 21. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts. To whatever race of creatures ye may belong, for ye are all his troops, and he is the generalissimo of all your armies. The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatever passeth through the paths of the sea, should all unite in praising their Creator, after the best of their ability. Ye ministers of his that do his pleasure. In whatever way ye serve him, bless him as ye serve. The psalmist would have every servant in the Lord's palace unite with him, and all at once sing out the praises of the Lord. We have attached a new sense to the word ministers in these latter days, and so narrowed it down to those who serve in word and doctrine.
Yet no true minister would wish to alter it, for we are, above all men, bound to be the Lord's servants. And we would, beyond all other ministering intelligences or forces, desire to bless the glorious Lord. 22. Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Here is a trinity of blessing for the thrice-blessed God, and each one of the three blessings is an enlargement upon that which went before. This is the most comprehensive of all. For what can be a wider call than to all in all places? See how finite man can awaken unbounded praise. Man is but little, yet, placing his hands upon the keys of the great organ of the universe, he wakes it to thunders of adoration. Redeemed man is the voice of nature, the priest in the temple of creation, the presenter in the worship of the universe.
O, that all the Lord's works on earth were delivered from the vanity to which they were made subject, and brought into the glorious liberty of the children of God! The time is hastening on, and will most surely come. Then will all the Lord's works bless him indeed. The immutable promise is ripening. The sure mercy is on its way. Hasten, you winged hours. Bless the Lord, O my soul. He closes on his keynote. He cannot be content to call on others without taking his own part, nor because others sing more loudly and perfectly will he be content to be set aside. O my soul, come home to thyself and to thy God, and let the little world within thee keep time and tune to the spheres which are ringing out Jehovah's praise.
O infinitely blessed Lord, favor us with this highest blessing of being forever and ever wholly engrossed in blessing thee.
End of Psalm 103. Part 2. End of The Treasury of David. Volume 4. By C. H. Spurgeon.