Bible Commentaries
Psalms

Preface

Psalms has been called the hymnbook of Israel. The very word psalm is a musical word that comes from a root that means “a song sung to the harp.” Clearly, these psalms were sung by the people of God. This book is a collection of songs and prayers written by many different people of God spanning many centuries. As Jesus finished His Last Supper and prepared to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, He and His disciples sang a hymn, likely Psalms 118.

The majority of psalms were written by David; others were written by Levites whom he put in charge of worship. King Solomon wrote two (72 and 127) and Moses even wrote one (90). It is interesting to note that many psalms have headings that give context or authorship for the psalm, such as Psalms 3, “a Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.” These headings or inscriptions are part of the sacred text inspired by the Holy Spirit. So we can depend upon them as God’s own Word, not a later editor’s best guess.

Each psalm expresses the deep feelings of its composer, and thus taps into the depths of our hearts, our emotions, and our experiences. It is easy to identify with the range of emotions covered in the psalms: frustration and worry, thanksgiving and worship, begging for help or crying out for forgiveness, wondering at God’s Word and His wisdom, anger at God’s enemies, or sheer, jubilant praise. They lead us from our human experiences and struggles to God’s arms.

Introduction To Psalms

One comes to a point in life where they realize that if a detailed study of Psalms is not began now then time may run out to achieve it. A study of the Psalms will leave you a better person. Your character, approach to life, and faith will all be enriched. We learn more about God and his providential work in our lives by studying the Psalms. We gain greater fear of our heavenly Father as we acknowledge his "heavy hand" of chastisement and punishment when we sin (see Psalms 32). We see the value of forgiveness through a meek spirit. We are at times left loathing ourselves due to our dark characteristics past and present. We are made to bow our heads in lowliness before Jehovah God because we see what wretched creatures we are in relationship to his divine expectations (Leviticus 11:44 and 1 Peter 1:15-16). We are, at times, left feeling unworthy of God’s mercy and love (Psalms 38:6-9).

Studying the Psalms awakens our self awareness. We see ourselves for what we really are or what we are not. We are humbled at what we find. Our senses are sharpened so that we identify character flaws and purge them with a passion. We are challenged to be more Christ like. We find that we have never been alone in seeking out God in life. Our inner thoughts as a child are confirmed to be shared with others like David. When we were afraid we had always looked and prayed to God. When things were troublesome we turned to God. When the world around us was collapsing we had always turned to God. As we study the Psalms we gain a friend in David and learn that life can be made into an everyday pleasant experience as long as God is on our side.

A well known commentary writer once said, after completing a first edition to the Psalms, that they must now go back and redo the entire study. The lessons learned had occurred not from the beginning but through time and wading through chapter after chapter. At the start of the study we don’t have the wisdom that we have at the end. It seems to me; however, that if one starts over intending to be more wise from the beginning then those studying chronologically will be robbed of coming to the same conclusions through time and study.

If we were to fully explain the meaning of all the Psalms in one introductory paragraph the reader may feel compelled to walk away from the study. One may not feel the driving need to look into each verse and chapter of the book because the summary gives a satisfying overview. The objective of this introduction to Psalms is, therefore, not to inform you about the overall content of the book but rather to excite you about the content you are about to study. If one takes a casual approach to the Psalms you will miss out on a treasure trove of wisdom. We can make summary statements only when we have studied the whole. I can write the significance of the Psalms only by hard study yet it is I alone who have come to understand the deep meaning of the Psalms. It is like one writing the correct answer to a test because it is what someone told them the answer was. The answer to the question was right yet the one who copied it has little understanding as to how that answer was obtained. If there is little understanding to the answers to life’s questions then one remains simple and unaffected by the guidance of truth. Guidance occurs as you and I look and study truth and apply it to our lives. Never let others do the studying for you. Study yourself and come to the conclusions God intends for you. Wisdom and understanding will be the result of your hard work. Take the time now, if you have not already, to do more than reading the Psalms. Study them to show yourself approved of God!

THE PSALMS AS LITERATURE

The Psalms, whether as a section of our Bible or as an independent book (conveniently named the Psalter), are related to all literature by certain leading characteristics; such as authorship, transmission, multiplication, subject and object; and, like all other books, they have a peculiar history of their own.

The Psalter is obviously a book of Devotion, consisting of prayers and praises addressed to Jehovah the God of Israel, interspersed with personal and national reminiscences intended to promote the spirit of worship.

The Psalter is an ancient book, traceable backwards, through Latin, Greek and Syriac translations to the Hebrew in which it was first written.

The evidence of its antiquity is manifold and conclusive. Hebrew Bibles, containing The Psalms, began to be printed towards the close of the fifteenth century. These were printed from manuscripts, technically called codices, some of which were written centuries before the invention of printing and are still preserved in the great libraries of the world. The exemplars from which existing codices were made, or the exemplars of those exemplars, were the standards from which the Ancient Versions were executed, as is known from the practical identity of the Text in those versions with the Text preserved in existing Hebrew copies. The New Testament itself, which had an independent existence and has come down to us through channels of its own, quotes from the Psalter as an already existing book, partly in its Hebrew form and partly in the Greek translation of it and the rest of the Old Testament known as the Septuagint. The Septuagint was executed, in successive installments, during the interval between about B.C. 200 and the Christian Era.

The measure and kind of agreement between the Greek and the Hebrew clearly attest the priority of the latter; seeing that terms and idioms appear in the Greek which could only have been derived from the Hebrew, such as musical terms not understood by the Greek translators, and idioms native in Hebrew but foreign in Greek, which no Greek originators would have employed. We thus know that the Hebrew Bible is older than the Greek; and can affirm with confidence that the Psalms in particular were in existence at least two or three hundred years before Christ. At this point a new and very peculiar species of evidence comes in, carrying the witness to the antiquity of Hebrew Scriptures some centuries further back. The Hebrew Bible was gradually transliterated out of an old script, allied to the Samaritan, into the present square Hebrew letters. This process of transliteration, beginning about the time of Ezra the Scribe, took centuries to bring to completion. Traces of it can be detected by experts in transcription errors which could only arise by confounding with each other letters which were nearly alike in the old script but not in the new. This peculiar form of transcriptional evidence, accordingly, carries us back to a time considerably antedating that in which the Septuagint Version was brought into existence. The Hebrew Bible must have been extant before it could be transliterated into its present square Hebrew characters: which is as far back as we need at present go, inasmuch as we thus obtain a solid foundation on which further observations, specifically relating to the Psalms, can securely rest.

Some of the observations now to follow apply equally to the Hebrew Bible as a whole as to the Psalter. Others have special or sole reference to the Psalms: hence it is left to the reader to widen out the application as he sees fit, and we can concentrate our attention on the book immediately before us.

Observation 1.—The antiquity of the Psalter has given rise to an interesting and instructive History of Transmission, We have the Psalms in our possession: how did we get them? by what steps have they come down to us? Let us work out the answer in both directions, backwards and forwards: first beginning with the present, and stepping backwards to the point of origin; and then starting with the origin of the Psalms, and coming down to the present time.

a. The Psalms have been translated into English: no matter now by whom.

b. Most English versions of the Psalter have been made from the printed Hebrew Text.

c. This Text is a transcript of previously existing manuscript copies.

d. The copying of ancient Hebrew manuscripts naturally became, in the course of centuries, a fine art, on which various classes of literary artists were engaged.

They included the following,—still, for the present, working our way backwards:—

α. Manuscript correctors, named nakdanim.

β. Manuscript producers, or professional copyists.

γ. Massorites; or “hedgers,” custodians, guardians of the sacred text.

δ. Editors: as Ezra, the sopher or “scribe,” and his successors, the Sopherim.

ε. Authors; as David, Hezekiah, and their associates and helpers in authorship, such as Asaph, Jeduthun and others.

Throwing these now into the reverse or historical order, they stand as follows:—

A. AUTHORS, or original psalm-composers.

B. EDITORS, or authoritative collectors and care-takers.

C. MASSORITES—of whom more anon.

D. COPYISTS, or professional transcribers and multipliers of copies.

E. NAKDANIM, or professional inspectors and correctors of copies when made.

As it is important to have as clear notions as possible of these several functions, which to some extent overlap each other, it will not be superfluous to pass them again, and more deliberately, under review.

A. AUTHORS.—It should be remembered that the author of a psalm might employ an amanuensis to do the actual writing down of a composition at his master’s dictation. Such an amanuensis, when serving a royal author, would naturally be, permanently or for the time, a “king’s scribe”: not an author, but the author’s right-hand; not an editor, with an editor’s right of control and modification, such as was afterwards conceded to the Sopherim as a class, but the mere scribal executor of the composer’s wishes; although it would be too much to say that such king’s scribe had no liberty as to small details, since it may very well have been that, as a confidential servant and a competent penman, he may have paid chief regard to his master’s habits and known wishes, and may occasionally have saved his master from himself—in matters of inadvertence.

Still thinking primarily of the author of a psalm, it should be further remembered that he himself might, after composing a psalm, subsequently edit, modify and adapt his own composition to later circumstances. Indeed, it may be laid down as an axiom, which any good printing-office can verify: That if an author does not edit his own production, then someone else must do it for him. Doubtless, David thus edited some of his own early psalms, so as, for instance, to fit them for his ascension to the throne, or for his bringing up of the ark to Jerusalem; if not, indeed, also for subsequent use by his son Solomon on the anticipated occasion of the dedication of the Temple, for which we know that he otherwise made thoughtful and ample provision.

It is further worth bearing in mind that the author of some psalms may have suggested the composing of others. David, for example, had about him gifted and trusted men, competent and disposed to share the work of authorship along with their royal master. Such a helper in psalm-production would naturally come under classification as “king’s seer,” and such a coadjutor Asaph and other devout singers may well have been.

Hezekiah clearly occupied a unique position as a Joint-Author of psalms: not only composing new psalms to suit new occasions; but overhauling, curtailing, changing and extending old psalms, to adapt them to altered circumstances. It would be foolish to blame him for this; since, as a practical man, he no doubt judged, of certain old psalms preserved in the Royal Library, that they must either be thus renovated, or else be left still in disuse so far as temple-worship was concerned, Besides, as a divinely taught man, he may have been conscious of no disability to render this important service to his own generation; while yet his reverence for his great ancestor may have moved him to retain David’s name over a psalm wherever feasible. It may thus justifiably have come to pass that quite a number of Hezekiah’s adaptations are still superscribed as “by David.”

B. EDITORS.—Passing by the editorship of authors who were, and in so far as they were, their own editors, we come to Editors proper, such as Ezra and his successors. As to Ezra himself, perhaps we shall never know how much, under Divine goodness, we owe it to him that we have any preserved Old Testament at all. Moreover, his Divine commission is so generally accepted, that we are not likely to question the wisdom and authority of what he did, even though to him be largely remitted the question of the formation of the Old Testament canon. It is when we come to his successors, the Sopherim, as a class, that we shall probably be conscious of some serious questioning. Partly owing to our own dullness in grasping the necessities of the case, and partly due to our want of appreciation of our Heavenly Father’s favour in watching over his own Written Word, we may quite possibly be rather surprised—not to say shocked—to learn how broadly and boldly the Sopherim interpreted their commission. However that may be, let us patiently hear what Dr. Ginsburg has to tell us respecting the work of the Sopherim, or line of professional Editors of the Sacred Text:—“In accepting their transliteration of the text into the present square characters, their division of it into separate words, verses and sections, their orally transmitted pronunciation of the consonants, which determines the sense of the Hebrew Scriptures, and their finally fixing the canon of the Old Testament, we already concede to these spiritual guides of the Jewish Church a divine authority which almost amounts to co-authorship." It is clear, then, that we are not unduly exalting the office of the Sopherim, when we name them, distinctively, EDITORS. They were Editors with large editing functions. They were much more than mere copyists or revisers. They were almost co-authors—but not quite.

C. THE MASSORITES.—These “hedged about” the Sacred Text; and, in doing this, occupied a position peculiarly their own, in which they can have no modern successors. They stood between the Sopherim, whose oral decisions they received, and the ordinary professional copyists, on whom it devolved to carry those traditions into effect; as it then further devolved on the Nakdanim or “Massoretic annotators” to revise the codices which the copyists had made, and to see that the accepted traditions of the Sopherim had been scrupulously observed. It is of importance, as conducive to clearness, to bear in mind that the authoritative instructions of the Sopherim were orally handed down. It was the risks that attended this process that called into existence—first the Massorites and then the Nakdanim. The difference between these two classes was this: The Massorites “had to invent the graphic signs, to fix the pronunciation and the sense of the consonantal text, and formulate the Lists, of correct readings in accordance with the authoritative traditions”; but “the functions of the Nakdanim were not to create, but strictly to conserve the Massoretic labours”: much as modern Press Correctors conserve modern Editorial labours! “They”—these Nakdanim—“revised the consonantal text produced by professional copyists (nearly resembling modern Compositors) and furnished it with the Massoretic vowel-signs and accents, as well as with the Massorahs, both Parva and Magna, as transmitted to them by the Massorites." By way of Completeness it may here be added: That in the third century of our era, there were two recensions or standards of the Hebrew Text, known respectively as Eastern and Western, differing slightly from each other; and, further, that in the early part of the tenth century, there were two rival Nakdanim or Massoretic Annotators, named Ben-Asher and Ben-Naphtali, whose recensions differed still less, inasmuch as these worthy men were merely rival punctists. If this last circumstance had been heeded, scholars today would not have loosely asserted that our present Massoretic Text goes no further back than the tenth century—a statement which, though technically correct, yet is practically misleading, All the truth there is in it is: That the present pointing of the Massoretic Text goes no further back than the tenth century, The Massoretic Text itself, in its larger and more substantial features, must have been fixed more than a thousand years earlier, before the Septuagint Version was made.

The present section of our Introduction may be usefully condensed and restfully dismissed by the following approximate dates and divisions of labour:—

The authorship of the Psalms—excepting a very few psalms from the days of Ezra and Nehemiah and one or two from the time of the Maccabees—covered a period of about 300 years; namely from B.C. 1000 to B.C. 700: from David to Hezekiah.

The editing of the Psalms reached through a period of about 350 years: namely from B.C. 450 (Ezra) to B.C. 100.

The labours of the Massorites covered a period of about 800 years; namely, from B.C. 100 to A.D. 700.

Observation 2.—The Psalter is not one Continuous Treatise, but A COLLECTION OF INDIVIDUAL PSALMS. According to the division and enumeration current in the Hebrew, Greek, Latin, English and other Psalters, there are 150 individual psalms. If, however, we accept Dr. Thirtle’s suggestion, that it is only by taking the ancient incorporated Hebrew head-lines, such as “Psalm by David,” and catch-words such as “Bless thou,” “Praise ye Yah,” etc., that we obtain any real and ancient marks of division; and if, as a consequence we amalgamate those between which there are no such dividing signs we still get 139 distinct psalms, It is not the precise number that for the moment attracts our attention, but the broad and undeniable fact that the Psalter is a Collection of Individual Psalms; whose individuality is in many cases so clearly marked by changes of both topic and tone, that a mere listener to several psalms, read continuously without formal notice by the reader of the transitions from one to another, could perceive that several complete wholes were being read in his hearing. The deeper student, who has shut himself up to one psalm at a time for continuous meditation, can strongly confirm this individualisation; even though, in the final result, he gains an ability to sit in judgment on formal blendings and partings, so as to wax bold to pronounce on their’ correctness, judging from internal evidence alone. Brushing aside such exceptions as are thus marked off for special criticism, it remains competent to him to say, that between this psalm and that there is sometimes a difference comparable to that between night and noon; and, even as between the various relieving brightnesses, some of them amount to no more than sudden gleams from openings in a railway tunnel, whereas others are like an emergence from among tunnels and rock into a spacious sunlit plain.

Observation 3.—The Headlines of the Psalms have recently awakened fresh Interest, and their Due Discrimination is leading to Important Results. Confining ourselves to the more obvious Headlines as (at present) grouped together at the commencement of the psalms that have them, we discover in them one, two, three or even four elements: First, a description of the following composition, as a “psalm,” a “song,” a “miktham” or a “maskil”; secondly, a personal name (apparently) of the author, as “by David,” “Asaph,” and others; thirdly, a statement of the occasion when a psalm was written, as “When he fled from Absalom his son”; and fourthly, what looks like a musical or liturgical instruction, as, “To the, Chief Musician,” “upon” such and such an instrument, or “for” such and such a choir, as the case may be. These headings had until quite recently been greatly neglected; some leading reproductions of the Psalms actually appearing entirely without them!

Of late, however, a fresh interest has been awakened in these Headings; so that they no longer are regarded as so much literary incumbrance, seldom trustworthy, and of little or no critical or practical value; but are being investigated with the keenest zest, and are already yielding results which bid fair to revolutionise critical psalm exegesis. This renewed interest is principally due to Dr. Thirtle, who has put forth two books of profound importance: the first on “The Titles of the Psalms,” and the second on “Old Testament Problems.” They concern us here chiefly by the distinction, which their author has seen his way to draw, between the strictly literary titles of the Psalms and the purely musical instructions. The former, he contends, should stand, where they do at present, as superscribed lines; and the latter should be moved into a new position as subscribed lines, generally, if not always, needing merely to be disentangled from the literary lines and placed in each case, by a very easy removal, to the foot of the immediately foregoing psalm, This may seem a very small matter; but on examination is found to lead to far-reaching results, Leaving those results to be (some of them) investigated a little further on, we can now return to our classification of the contents of the Headlines collectively viewed.

First, a description of the kind of composition which follows; as “psalm,” “song,” etc. The primary use of these, Dr. Thirtle submits, was to describe the kind of document thus distinguished from legal and historical manuscripts, ready for placing in the right department of the Royal Library. It was primarily a Librarian’s mark, so attached for the purpose of orderly storage, and speedy reproduction when demanded. It does not especially concern us at present, except perhaps to observe that, when both “psalm” and “song” are inscribed over the same psalm, it becomes an interesting though nice question whether “psalm” was genus and “song” species, or vice-versa.

Secondly, the appearance of what seems to be an author’s name. Dr. Thirtle suggests that the insertion of any of these things in a closely written scroll or tablet was not so easy and obvious an achievement as that it should now be lightly regarded as an afterthought and treated as a phenomenon of no value. Thus admonished, the present writer can only express his gratitude for the hint, and testify that, in paying due regard to it, he has been led to the results he little anticipated, the chief of which is that in no case does the name “David” appear without reason—every psalm thus distinguished is, he believes, either David’s by original composition, or is an adaptation of a psalm, or fragment of a psalm of which David was the author. So confirmed did this impression little by little become as to impel to a narrow and jealous scrutiny in cases where sole Davidic authorship seemed very unlikely; with the result of arriving at the conclusion that David’s co-author Hezekiah, moved by fellowship in suffering, has saved from oblivion some fragments from David’s remorseful pen which no mere “king’s scribe” would have presumed to drag forth to the light, and thus, in short, was originated the clear and confident impression that David’s psalms, read partly in the lines and partly between the lines, contain a species of autobiography which it would have been an unspeakable loss to miss.

Thirdly, as with the author’s name, so with the avowed occasion of writing. Admonished by the respect felt to be due to these avowals of occasion, rather to look for the incidental element so rendered probable, than to look askance, the acknowledgement must again be made, that thereby an intenser interest in the compositions so introduced has uniformly been created. And probably the more frequent finding of David when named, has further conduced to a more frequent finding of Hezekiah when not named. The close scrutiny of internal evidence in the former case has probably led to much fuller and more fruitful finding of the anonymous author in the latter case. Of this, evidence must be sought in the Expositions that follow.

Fourthly, the disentangled musical instructions have been the incidental cause of other most attractive investigations; generally confirmatory of Dr. Thirtle’s conclusions, but in a few instances stimulating fresh departures towards divergent yet sympathetic results. Chief among the confirmed results are (a) That, naturally, the words, “To the Chief Musician” should always go to the foot of the psalm to which they rightly belong. (b) That detailed musical directions, specifying any particular choir to which the rendering of a psalm is assigned, or the air in which a psalm should be rendered should follow and not precede the note of delivery to the care of “The Chief Musician.”’ The observance of this rule has the remarkably happy effect of moving the Chief Musician’s direction—“For the dove of the distant terebinths” to the foot of the psalm (55) containing the wish—“Would that I had pinions like a dove!” (c) Among fresh results, indirectly traceable to Dr. Thirtle’s readjusting discovery; is the provision of bass voices to assist in the musical rendering of Psalms 45 : respecting which Dr. Thirtle himself had expressed the opinion that maidens’ alone could suitably render it,—an opinion which provoked instant dissent, as soon as the requirements of verses 16, 17 of that psalm were considered. Where then, were the needed male voices to come from? The modification of a line in the neighbourhood, whereby a company of authors was converted into a class of singers, ultimately settled this question to entire satisfaction. “The sons of korah” being—as was found on careful examination—a class of singers and not a company of psalm-writers, required to be transposed from the head of Psalms 46 to the foot of Psalms 45, and when so removed,—being, as was further discovered, a class of “patriarchs of song”—were both by voice (presumably) and especially by seniority and sex, admirably fitted to sustain in song the fatherly admonition contained in the specified verses—all the more completely seeing that the proposed moving up of this musical line would bring maidens along with the old men! The steps by which this conclusion was reached may be more suitably indicated in our Chapter III.—The Psalms as a Liturgy.

THE PSALMS AS LYRICS

Inasmuch as Lyrics are a species of poetry, we may perhaps usefully tarry on the genus before we advance to the species. It will be rendering a service to young and inexperienced readers of the Psalms to emphasize the elementary fact that first of all the Psalms are poetry. We can then all the better consider them as lyrical poetry, fitted for song and for instrumental accompaniment.

1. That the Psalms are poetry, will be a familiar thought to all who have observed how much fervour and passion there is in them; and how, as a consequence, they abound in figures of speech. It would be enough to leave this element in their composition to be felt, without being formally recognised, were it not that the untrained reader is apt either to make no allowance for poetical license, or else to give up sober interpretation as hopeless. To save him from such uncertainty and helplessness, it may be serviceable to remind him that a statement may be substantially true even when not literally exact; that figures of speech have a natural meaning of their own, and are current coin in literature; that a poet may be a prophet and teacher with a burden to deliver and solemnly lay on the hearts of those to whom he is sent; and that we cannot with impunity close our ears to his message merely because it is enlivened with metaphors or even clothed in allegory.

At this point we may strike in with a few detailed exemplifications of figurative language to be found in the Psalms: on which, however, we cannot tarry—the young student may safely be left to multiply examples and amplify them for himself.

As to allegory: it is perhaps well that this figure of speech is not much employed in the Psalms, as undoubtedly it may easily be abused by the too luxuriant imagination of the reader. But, if an allegory is “a description of one thing under the image of another,” then it is obvious that we have an allegory in Psalms 80, in which Israel is represented under the image of a Vine. If climax is “a rising like the steps of a ladder or stair,” then we discover a very striking example of this in Psalms 40:1-3. If irony is “a mode of speech conveying the opposite of what is meant,” then instances of this may be seen in 115, 135. “I am like a flourishing olive-tree in the house of God” (Psalms 52:8) being a formal comparison, “they who are planted in the house of Jehovah” is an implied comparison, or a metaphor; and metaphors abound, as where the throat is called a sepulchre (Psalms 5:9), the tongue is termed a weaver’s loom (Psalms 50:19), or righteousness and peace are said to kiss each other (Psalms 85:10). Metonymy, or a change of name, is very frequent; as where Jehovah is termed “a crag,” “a stronghold,” “a rock,” “a shield” (Psalms 18:2). The rather similar figure of synecdoche, by which a part is made to comprehend the whole, is every now and then employed; as where “tongue” stands for the man who wickedly uses it (Psalms 52:4). Of course personification abounds; as where lute and lyre are summoned to awake (Psalms 57:8), or earth is said to be afraid (Psalms 76:8), prayer is described as a worshipper (Psalms 88:13), or the plain is said to exult, the trees of the forest to ring out their joy (Psalms 96:12), and the streams to clap their hands (Psalms 98:8). Of course, also, hyperbole is not infrequent, literally going beyond the truth, exaggeration; as where the joyful psalmist declares that he will awaken the dawn (Psalms 57:8).

Halfway between figures of speech and lyrical measure stands that largely looming method of speech called parallelism which so abounds in the Psalms as to be worthy of special attention. It may perhaps be most simply explained as the saying of the same thing twice over in parallel ways. This definition, however, must be extended by the further statement, that parallelism includes a similarity of manner in saying different things which distinctly carry forward the thought: perhaps the two phrases, “parallel statements,” and “parallel methods of statement,” cover the ground—at least with sufficient adequacy for the present. A curious thing about Hebrew parallelism is, that, while it is of the greatest service to the expositor—and therefore also to the ordinary reader who takes care to observe and comprehend it—it is the despair of English metrical-versionists, who with one mouth declare that this it is which baffles them in the endeavour to preserve Hebrew parallelism intact under the restraints of English metre and rhyme. Perhaps, however, in the future they may succeed where in the past they have failed.

While we would beware of mapping out more ground than we can usefully cover, we cannot resist the temptation to endeavour to present the whole scheme of the various forms of Hebrew Parallelism in one view; and though we may not have much further use for some of the details, yet this synopsis, it is believed, will serve to refresh the memories of such readers as may have forgotten the distinction e.g., between synonymous and synthetic parallelism—with which technical terms, and others similar, they may meet in the course of the following Expositions.

It may be said at the outset that the key to parallelism is the resolving of the solid Hebrew text into lines. Let any student, who cares to begin here, first look at the closely massed Hebrew text of (say) Bagster’s Polyglot, and then survey the same text (substantially) as set forth in lines in Ginsburg’s Hebrew Bible. He will not only be struck with the difference as attractive to the eye, but will be delighted to perceive what a large contribution has thereby been made towards the perception of the sense of the text. He may not, as he advances in critical culture, always remain satisfied with the length of the lines as set before him,—he may sometimes desire that a word be taken back from one line and attached to the previous, or vice-versa; or he may occasionally prefer that two lines be run on into one, whereas at other times he may prefer that the opposite method of rearrangement be followed by the breaking up of one line into two: all the same, the predominant feeling will be—that a promising start has been made on a path of progress.

Now it is the interrelation of the lines, as thus explained, which reveals different kinds of parallelism. These are due to the operation of the following simple principles; namely—repetition, variation, advancement, adornment, return, contrast, and reply. We must not be tempted to do more than refer to an example of each of these. But first let us see how they work out.

Mere repetition

yields

a. emphatic parallelism

Repetition with variation	”	b. synonymous	”
Mere advance	”	c. synthetic	”
Repetition with advance	”	d. stairlike	”
Repetition with adornment	”	e. emblematic	”
Advance with contrast	”	f. antithetic	”
Advance with return	”	g. introverted	”
Appeal with reply	”	h. responsory	”

EXAMPLES

a. Emphatic—Psalms 118:10-12	e. Emblematic—Psalms 37:1-2, Psalms 63:1
b. Synonymous—Psalms 2:1, Psalms 2:3	f. Antithetic—Psalms 1:6, Psalms 11:5
c. Synthetic—Psalms 2:2	g. Introverted—Psalms 80:10-11
d. Stairlike—Psalms 77:1; Psalms 77:11; Psalms 77:16	h. Responsory—Psalms 115:9-11

2. That the Psalms are lyric poetry will appear as soon as the two features in them are observed—first, that they best appear in measured lines, and secondly that they are intrinsically fitted for song. “Lyric (from the Greek lyra, a lyre)” is “the name given to a certain species of poetry because it was originally accompanied by the music of that instrument. Lyric poetry concerns itself with the thoughts and emotions of the composer’s own mind, and outward things are regarded chiefly as they affect him in any way. Hence it is characterised as subjective, in contradistinction to epic poetry, which is objective. Purely lyrical pieces are, from their nature, shorter than epics. They fall into several divisions, the most typical of which is the song, which is again subdivided into sacred (hymns) and secular (love-songs, war-songs, etc.).” It will be seen from this, that, while most of the Psalms are strictly lyrical, some of them (such as 78, 105, 106), both by reason of their length and from the nature of their contents, approach the epic; though even these are sufficiently regular in their measure and devotional in their setting to cause them to differ but little, save in their length, from lyrical pieces; it being easy to conceive of them as chanted if not sung; whereas, on the other hand, the longest of all the psalms, the 119th, by reason of its intensely subjective character, is not at all an epic; rather is it a lyrical dirge—lyrical, because well measured off into lines and stanzas, and a dirge by reason of the lingering cadence of its lines and the pervading pensiveness of its strains. Call it what we may, it is a wonderful triumph of poetic art. Its very monotony becomes a devotional lullaby, subduing the troubled soul to rest; while at the same time, its microscopic and never-ending variations more and more please as the spirit of the worshipper becomes whetted to perceive their kaleidoscopic beauties.

THE CREATION OF THE PSALMS AS LYRICS

The musical measuring of the Psalms grows upon us as we investigate it: on the one hand throwing us back on the inquiry—How far we are indebted to the experimental sounds of the instrument for suggesting the appropriate words; and, on the other hand, urging us forward to discover, if we can—How far the sounds were fixed, and the words pliable in their adaptation thereto; or the words were fixed, and demanded of the sounds the pliability needful to bring the words well out in song.

A. The Musical Origin of the Psalms.—There is more evidence than has received adequate attention, that but for the LYRE we might never have had LYRICS; in other words, that but for the art of sweeping the strings which we call psallein (“psalming”) we might never have had in our hands the poetic products which we call psalmoi (“psalms”). It is, at least, significant of some profound connection between melody and inspiration, that, when the prophet Elisha was requested to give guidance to the two Kings of Israel and Judah, he felt his need of the service of a minstrel before he could give the desired reply (2 Kings 3:15); and equally suggestive, that when, in a given instance (Psalms 49), the psalmist was being moved to ponder and pronounce upon one of the profounder mysteries of Providence, he should plainly enough indicate that he had more hope of unfolding his “enigma” by the help of his lyre than without its genial aid. And it is not without suggestiveness of a like kind that when the psalmist desired in his joy to awaken the dawn he felt impelled first to summon lute and lyre to awaken that they might assist him in bringing to the birth his rousing songs.

B. The Musical Measurement of the Psalms in relation to Criticism.—The further question, as to the precise relation, in measurement, of sounds and sense, has a newly awakened interest in Biblical Criticism as concentrated on the Psalms. So little is known as to the ancient Temple music, that we have to proceed very cautiously. But the actual question before us assumes the following interesting and practical form: How far was harp playing in the East elastic, in its readiness to adapt itself to lines and stanzas of varying lengths; or how far were stanza and metrical arrangements so rigid and imperative as to warrant our bringing under suspicion—as interpolations and corruptions—such irregularities as made lines and stanzas longer or shorter than usual? From the best information we have been able to procure—including the testimony of a friend who has travelled frequently and extensively in harp-playing countries,—we conclude that harp-playing shows ready elasticity, in accommodating itself to more or fewer words; and, on the whole, we feel ourselves to be justified in concluding that we are not warranted in freely and forcibly expanding or contracting lines and stanzas merely because rigid uniformity in the measures might appear to demand such modifications. In a word, without independent confirmatory evidence, we are not justified in pronouncing present words to be superfluous or absent words to be demanded If a word or a line is found not only in the Hebrew but also in the ancient versions, we ought to be very sure of the imperious character of adverse internal evidence before we omit them; and vice-versa. Subject to these conditions, however, sober criticism need occasion no slavish fears.

C. The Musical Measurement of the Psalms in relation to Metre.—After the setting up of the foregoing land-marks, we need have no hesitation in affirming the existence in the Psalms of the kind of measurement which, notwithstanding any irregularities in it, may best be described by the familiar term Metre. By this is meant, not the rigid metre of English hymns, but the less exact measurement of lines which is based upon the beats of word-groups instead of mere syllables. An example will make the difference clear. The following is taken from Cassell’s Bible Educator, Vol. II, p. 341: “Let us take the opening of the sublime Song of Moses at the end of the Book of Deuteronomy:—

Give-ear, O-ye-heavens, and-I-will-speak;

And-hear, O-earth, the-words-of-my-mouth.

“The hyphens are introduced to mark the phrases which represent one Hebrew term. The twofold symmetry of these lines must strike every ear. The second member is an echo of the first, both in thought and sound. And yet it is not a mere repetition of it. In the opposition of the earth to the sky, in the varied form of the prophet’s appeal, where each term is different and yet makes a true balance to the corresponding term of the preceding line, we get all the charm of freshness and change. The dullest ear will perceive the rise and fall, the wave-like motion, which is essential to musical rhythm. Each sentence is contained in a line and ends with it. In other languages a fixed recurrence of feet or rhymed syllables would mark the conclusion of the verse. Here voice and sense pause together, and the ear is satisfied with this natural cadence, which is doubtless improved in the original by the equality of the words in the two parts of the verse.”

In this example, two things will be observed: First, that the word-group beats are three to a line, rendering this a “trimeter” couplet; and second, that the equivalence of the sense in the two lines makes this a “synonymous” couplet—as to form, “trimeter”; as to sense, “synonymous.” It may be seen in quotations from ancient Church writers in Julian’s Dictionary of Hymnology that the “ancient trimeters” were still famous in sub-apostolic times. It is, in fact, the favorite measure employed in the Psalms; doubtless owing to the prevailing joyousness of the songs of Zion, and the ease with which this simple measure dances along in the expression of sacred gladness. From the “trimeters” as a starting-point, the reader can easily conceive how more stately tetrameters, and more pensive pentameters would be formed by the simple contrivance of running the word-groups into longer lines. It is, for example, partly by the lingering meditativeness of Psalms 119 that any reader can easily see how the second half of Psalms 19 closely follows it,

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PSALMS AS LYRICS

(A) As our subsequent chapters will, in various ways, keep these characteristics well before us, we need not attempt more at present than to observe how far they are indicated by the descriptions which are found in superscribed lines. These may be arranged in the ascending order of their frequency.

(1) Tehillah, “praise”: title of 145—a psalm most worthy of the title, since it is purely and only “praise.” From this, the whole book is named in Heb., Tehillim, “Praises.”

(2) Shiggayon, prob. “a discursive psalm” (title of Psalms 7), from sh-g-h, “to go astray.” According to some: “a reel, a wild passionate song, with rapid changes of rhythm.”—O.G.

(3) Tephillah, “prayer,” occurs 5 times, notably Psalms 90:1.

(4) Mikhtam, possibly “tablet,” 6 times.

(5) Maskil, “instructive psalm,” 13 times.

(6) Shir, “song,” 41 times.

(7) Mizmor, “psalm,” 57 times.

In 8 instances, the double description is prefixed—“a psalm, a song”; and, in 4 examples, the reverse—“a song, a psalm.”

To these descriptive names we may add the catch-words bareki, “bless thou,” which commences 103, 104; and hallelu, “praise ye,” which begins 18 psalms, namely:—105–107; 111–118; 135, 136; and 146–150. These are specified in full, as marking off the so-called “hallelujah” psalms, which we propose to call simply “hallels: selections from which are variously known as “the Egyptian Hallel” (113–118) and “the Great Hallel” (136).

It is obvious, therefore, that, for obtaining a general notion of the Psalms through this channel, the two chief names to consider are shir, “song,” and mizmor, “psalm”: to which can be added the “hallels,” not as bearing a distinctive name, but by reason of their number and importance, and the facility with which they can be grouped. It should be remembered that a large number of psalms have no such descriptive headings.

SONG, Heb. shir, shirah, (Sep. asma): with which compare the verb shir (Sep. aido). The acceptable thing about “song” in this connection is, the clearness with which it connotes gladness; and thereby throws a bright gleam of joy across the entire Book of Psalms. If it were not enough to point to such examples as Psalms 28:7, Psalms 33:3, Psalms 40:3, Psalms 96:1-2, Psalms 137:2-4 to shew that song-singing is at once a natural expression of joy and a signal for its renewed manifestation, we should still have the weighty testimony of the Proverbs (Proverbs 25:20) and the Prophets (Isaiah 30:29, Amos 8:10) to set that simple matter at rest. Hence, because so many of the Psalms are strictly and properly “songs,” we are warranted to expect a large element of thanksgiving, praise and expectation of blessing in the Psalter. It is observable that while we are frequently invited to “sing a new song,” we are never called upon to sing a new psalm. Does this indicate that “songs” were more frequently improvisations than “psalms”; and, that after a song had been written and set to music it then became a psalm? We must not assume from this that a “song,” as such, did not admit of musical accompaniment: the contrary is sufficiently shown by Psalms 21:13, Psalms 33:3, Psalms 68:4; Psalms 68:32, Psalms 105:2; Psalms 137:2-3, cp, Isaiah 23:16, Revelation 14:2-3; Revelation 15:2-3.

PSALM, Heb. mizmor, Sep, psalmos: cp. Heb. verb zimmer and Sep, psallo. “Psalm,” unlike “song,” does not necessarily carry with it the notion of joy, though it frequently does. It may be almost exclusively historical and hortatory: it may even be deeply penitential, and more or less mournful: yea, it may betray unbroken gloom, like 88, which, though a “psalm,” is certainly no “song”; and we are glad by a readjustment of headlines to have been emboldened to remove the anomaly of so designating it. Another difference between “psalm” and “song” is, that whereas the latter does not in itself necessarily imply instrumental accompaniment, the former in “more exact usage” does. Thus Delitzsch says: “As Hupfeld has shown, zimmer, as being a direct onomatopoetic word, signifies, like canere, ‘to make music’ in the widest sense; the more exact usage of the language, however, distinguishes between zimmer and shir as ‘to play’ and ‘to sing.’ With beth (preposition) instrumental, zimmer signifies to sing with a musical accompaniment, and zimrah is occasionally, as in Amos 5:23, directly music, melody. Accordingly mizmor (= ‘psalm) signifies technically, the piece of music, and shir . . . the words of the song” (Com. i 131, 132). Thus also Perowne (on Psalms 47:6-7): “Make melody, or ‘sing and play.’ The word means both to sing and to play. The Sep., rightly, psalate.” Kirkpatrick (Cambridge Bible) (same text): “The verb from which mizmor (= “psalm”) is derived . . . appears originally to have meant to make melody, like the Lat. canere, but came to be applied specially to instrumental music, as distinguished from vocal music. Mizmor then means a piece of music, a song with instrumental accompaniment.” The points of agreement which appear in these extracts should be noted. It is agreed that zimmer originally meant “to make melody,” in the broadest sense; and it is then further agreed, that when zimmer was differentiated from shir, the former meant “to play” and the latter “to sing.” Now it is the especial province of synonyms to differentiate; inasmuch as the broader meanings of words are thereby naturally shared with companion words set side by side with them for the purpose of bringing out the general sense.

It is just at this point that a defect becomes observable in the Revised Version of the Psalms. The difference between shir and zimmer is not clearly and consistently maintained. The two words occur concurrently, as synonyms, in the following places:—Psalms 21:13, Psalms 27:6, Psalms 57:7, Psalms 68:4, Psalms 68:30, Psalms 101:1, Psalms 104:33, Psalms 105:2, Psalms 108:1, Psalms 144:9. The attempt was made by the Revisers, in nine out of these ten instances, to mark the difference between shir and zimmer by translating the former “sing” and the latter “sing praises”; but the attempt must be pronounced feeble in the extreme, inasmuch as “singing” (alone, for shir) in all cases is nothing else than singing PRAISE. SO that, just where it would appear that some addition or some advance ought to be made, no addition or advance is made; and the “yea” which the Revisers have thrown in only reveals how feeble the discrimination was felt to be. In one case, the first named above, (Psalms 21:13), the Revisers’ hearts failed them altogether, and as they could not say, “So will we sing and sing praise thy power,” they dropped the word “sing” altogether out of their rendering of zimmer, and coined a special rendering, to which they have not adhered in any of the nine passages of the like kind which follow. This text should have been rendered: “So will we sing and harp thy power.” And, though the urgency for a clearer distinction is not so keenly felt in all the examples given above, it may safely be affirmed, that in all of them the discrimination should have been maintained.

It is interesting to note the effect of this same discrimination when carried forward into the new Testament—as it clearly ought to be on the strength of the Septuagint, which is therein quoted and in which the Hebrew distinction between shir and zimmer faithfully reappears in their representatives aido and psallo. That effect will be, on the one hand, to make us content with the generic force of psallo in Romans 15:9, 1 Corinthians 14:15 and James 5:13 : whereas, on the other hand, it will compel the affirmation that, according to the established law governing the use of synonyms, the companion nouns—“psalms,” “hymns,” and “spiritual songs”—in Ephesians 5:18 should be properly distinguished from each other; as in verse 19, also, the companion participles “singing” and “playing” should in like manner each receive its restricted or specific sense.

This brief study of shir and zimmer, “song” and “psalm,” will further invest the whole problem of psalm-making and psalm-using with new interest. In particular, the reader will be prepared for the very large part which one “Exposition” has assigned to the voice just where musical accompaniments were most in evidence (150). As to psalm-creation, it is easily conceivable how the lone lyre may have helped some sorrowing penitent to pour out his lament before God, without thought at the time of the public employment of his penitential lay; and just as easily conceivable how, by himself in brighter days or by a sympathetic successor in the service of song, a fragment spotted with the tears of the originator may have been rescued from oblivion and fitted for Temple worship as a psalm. In such cases, the individual would be permitted to sing on throughout the history of his nation, and the nation for centuries be stirred to its depths by the perception, in its public songs, of those touches of nature which make the whole world kin.

3. Not only from the fitness of these lyrics to be sung to musical accompaniment, but also from the instructions conveyed by inscriptions to the Psalms, it may safely be inferred that the Psalms were ultimately intended to form a liturgy for Temple worship. Respecting this Liturgy a few things are of sufficient permanent interest to be worthy of note here: as—

(a) That David was, under Divine guidance, its originator (1 Chronicles 28:11-12; 1 Chronicles 28:19).

(b) That he appointed three leading singers, Asaph, Heman and Ethan (or Jeduthun): all Levites (1 Chronicles 6).

(c) That under these leaders were ranged, in all probability, three choirs—a treble choir under Asaph, a mixed choir under Heman, and a bass choir (also called sheminith—“eighth” = “octave” = “bass”) under Ethan.

(d) That over these leaders and choirs was placed a “chief musician,” the first occupier of which important office was Chenaniah, who “used to give instructions, because skillful was he” (1 Chronicles 15:22; 1 Chronicles 15:27).

(e) That “the sons of Korah” were certainly singers; probably forming the bass choir of Ethan, or as a senior class constituting an important part of the same, whose services were frequently in especial request, as the psalm-inscriptions abundantly show. The evidence of this arises partly from treating korah as an appellative (= “sons of baldness” = “patriarchs of song”) and partly from the fine results obtained by revising and slightly modifying Thirtle’s readjustment of the musical subscriptions as distinct from the literary superscriptions attached to the Psalms.

(f) The revised readjustment above spoken of, when resolutely carried out, yields the following acceptable results:—it brings bass singers along with maidens to the foot of Psalms 45, where both classes are clearly needed; it rids Psalms 49 of any musical instruction, leaving it all the more probable that this sombre, philosophical psalm was intended rather for private use than for Temple-praise; and it brings “responsive dancings” to the foot of one of the few processional psalms (87) and the very one in the text of which “dancers” already appear. To exhibit here all the movements involved in working out these results would be too severe a tax to inflict on general readers; but the results themselves, in their own way, are of no small interest, and may provoke further useful research. (Cp. for “sons of korah” 42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 84, 85, 87, 88).

(g) The highest and most permanent lesson obtained by resolving these sacred lyrics into a liturgy is seen as soon as we confront the practical question as to the part taken by the people in joining in this form of public worship. Considering the limited number of copies of the psalms to be read, chanted, or sung by the Levites obtainable by worshippers in general, it is natural to conclude that the chief part taken by the people was to say “Amen” (Psalms 106:48) to the readings and songs of the priests and of the choirs. That they were sometimes called upon to take a more active part is sufficiently evident from their being actually called upon to join (Psalms 115:9-11, Psalms 135:19-20; and this leads up to the conclusion that the pre-eminent response of the people was that which is appended to every verse of Psalms 136, and the meaning of which is expanded in our exposition of Psalms 150. Here we catch a glimpse of the Hebrew Liturgy at the precise angle, of vision which shows to advantage its fitness to exert its most potent spiritual influence over the Hebrew nation. There are here to be considered—the import of this refrain as singling out the kindness of Jehovah from among all his other perfections; the actual, individual and collective attestation that Jehovah their God was worthy of this pre-eminent praise; and the solemn and memorable circumstances under which they thus proclaimed their undying faith, amid all the solemnities of sacrifice and all the charm and impressiveness of musically accompanied praise. Disobedience and formality might of course invade and counteract even such holy influences, yet the intrinsic fitness of such a liturgy must have been to exert a mighty power over the religious life of the nation by bringing the people into fellowship with a God deemed worthy of such adoration.

THE PSALMS AS A SUMMARY OF SACRED LEARNING

That the Sacred Learning which is summarized in the Book of Psalms is sublimated into Song, detracts but little from its practical utility; for figures of speech have a recognized meaning of their own, and parallelism conduces to ultimate precision when couplets are quoted rather than clauses. A proof-text from the Psalms is generally as effective as one taken from the Law or the Prophets. The temporal and personal colouring may, indeed, in some measure fade from a psalm when held under the microscope of logical analysis, and yet may leave an abiding outline of permanent teaching. Prayers and praises rise on rapid wing to heaven, but their didactic presuppositions are generally clear enough to lead the listener forwards into the learning of theological and psychological lessons which will be found worthy to abide with him as a scholar, after they have by their spiritual influence moved him to become a worshipper. The only question is, how to collect and fix the rays of light radiated from struggling and adoring souls. The simplest method will be, to place in alphabetical order a few leading words which will occasion references to such psalms and verses of psalms as treat of the word or topic named.

If this course should impart to the present chapter something of the unattractive features of index and concordance, this will need no apology when it is remembered that the primary intention of this Introduction is, not to induce the curious to read the Psalms, but to give practical assistance to such as, having many times read them, are at length eager to devote to them patient study.

AGES.—Probably the time has not yet come when, unaided, the English reader can readily perceive and remember the latitude with which the Hebrew word ‘olam is used throughout the O.T. Primarily derived from a stem which simply means what is concealed, this word, when applied to time, comes to denote concealed and so indefinite duration. By the force of modern usage, however, the English phrase “for ever” is apt to carry the ordinary mind beyond this, and when hardened by dogmatic theologians may be put to a strain it will not bear. Hence the present translator is not as yet prepared wholly to forego the circumlocutory rendering “age-abiding” or “to times age-abiding.” Nevertheless he clearly perceives how heavy and cumbrous this translation is apt to become, especially in some connections. Impressed with the practical success of Dr. Weymouth’s phrase, adopted for corresponding use in the N.T., “to the ages,”—this lighter and easier phrase has been cautiously employed in the present translation. The following examples will serve as a specimen of the effect of this idiomatic rendering:—Psalms 5:11, Psalms 9:5-7, Psalms 10:16, Psalms 12:7, Psalms 15:5. The word occurs nearly 150 times throughout the Psalter; Psalms 145:13 is the chief instance in which the word is used in the plural, and definitely hardened into “ages” with “all” prefixed.

ANOINTED.—The Heb. word mashiah (“messiah,” “christ,” “anointed”) occurs 10 times in the Psalms (namely in Psalms 2:2, Psalms 18:50, Psalms 20:6, Psalms 28:8, Psalms 84:9, Psalms 89:38; Psalms 89:51, Psalms 105:15, Psalms 132:10; Psalms 132:17); and about 30 times elsewhere in the O.T. Christos (“christ”) is its uniform Greek (Septuagint) representative. Broadly it (or its verb) is used of priests (Leviticus 4:3; Leviticus 4:5; Leviticus 4:16), prophets (1 Kings 19:16), and kings (1 Kings 1:34); and therefore it is not surprising that it should be especially employed of David and the heirs with him of the covenant of kingship announced by the prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 7). In several of the above references in the Psalter, the primary allusion is to the holder of the typical messiahship for the time being (as in Psalms 84:9), although in some cases the allusion is couched in such terms as to point onwards to THE Messiah ultimately to come in David’s line. Outside the Psalter, one of the most beautiful and pathetic references to a typical Messiah is found in Lamentations 4:20. In one of the above instances (Psalms 105:15) the term “messiah” in the plural is used of the patriarchs, simply to signify their consecration to the office of speaking for God and to show the inviolability of their persons. The reference to The Messiah himself in Psalms 2:2 is plain from the scope of the psalm. There are many references to the Messiah in the Psalms where this particular official name is not mentioned.

EARTH.—“The earth” (Heb. erez) figures in the Psalms more largely than do “the heavens”; but does not severely tax the expositor. Still there are some interesting points about it demanding careful consideration: the chief of which is, whether the original word should be rendered “earth” or “land.” It all depends on the extent of the outlook; which may generally be gathered from the scope of the context, or from particular terms therein. The importance of the right determination may be seen in 37, in which the alternative “earth” “or land” is maintained throughout, and in the Exp. of 100, where conflicting considerations are weighed. The earth is regarded as resting on primeval waters (Psalms 24:1, Psalms 136:6), to which poetic allusions may possibly be found (in Psalms 40:2). Nevertheless it is firmly and abidingly founded (Psalms 104:5); though not beyond the possibility of destruction or change (Psalms 102:25-26). Perhaps with allusion to its primeval emergence from the wild waters of chaos it is said to have been “born” (Psalms 90:2), and to this event dramatic reference is probably made (Psalms 104:6; Psalms 104:8). Jehovah visits the earth with his bountiful showers (Psalms 65:9); and, indeed, it is full of his goodness (Psalms 33:5, Psalms 104:13; Psalms 104:24). To be wholly of earth is, however, a matter of reproach (Psalms 10:18); and a prevailing tendency to earth may be ground for lamentation (Psalms 44:25; cp. Psalms 119:25). As contrasted with its “lower parts” (doubtless synonymous with Hades, Psalms 63:9), the earth’s surface is styled “the land of the living” (Psalms 116:9, Psalms 142:5). In a picture of surpassing beauty, Truth is depicted as springing like a vigorous growth out of earth (Psalms 85:11): surely a prophetic word.

The World (Heb. tebhel: “perh. as orig. productive”—O.G.) forms an excellent synonym for “the earth.” It is to be found as follows:—Psalms 9:8, Psalms 18:15, Psalms 19:4, Psalms 24:1, Psalms 33:8, Psalms 50:12, Psalms 77:18, Psalms 89:11, Psalms 90:2, Psalms 96:10; Psalms 96:13, Psalms 97:4, Psalms 98:7; Psalms 98:9.

HADES.—This word occurs 16 times in the following version of the Psalms; namely, Psalms 6:5, Psalms 9:17, Psalms 16:10, Psalms 18:5, Psalms 30:3, Psalms 31:17, Psalms 49:14; Psalms 49:14-15, Psalms 55:5, Psalms 86:13, Psalms 88:3, Psalms 89:48, Psalms 116:3, Psalms 139:8, Psalms 141:7. It always stands for the Heb. sheol, a word which is found 65 times in the O.T., and of which in the Septuagint, hades is the Greek representative. Besides these 65 examples of the word in the O.T., there are 10 more in the N.T. in which “hades” occurs, in its own right, in the Greek original, still in the same sense as sheol in the Hebrew Bible. The great gain of employing the same word throughout the English Bible—whether as a translation or as a reproduction of an original word—is, that it brings into line, to the English eye and ear, all the direct allusions by name to the subject of Hades; and, in all reason, 75 examples ought to enable every English student to judge for himself what Hades in the Bible means—whether place or state or both, and whether the same now as it ever has been, or more or less changed by the coming of the Messiah.

“Hades” is the under-world considered as the realm of the dead. It includes the grave (Psalms 49:14, Psalms 141:7), but is wider, and deeper: wider, inasmuch as it embraces such dead as have received no burial (Genesis 37:33-34, Jonah 2:2); and deeper, in that it is set in contrast with the heavens for height (Job 11:8, Amos 9:2). It is so far synonymous with both “death” and the “grave” that it may frequently be employed for either without serious change of meaning (e.g., Psalms 6:5); and yet some things are affirmed of “hades” which cannot well be spoken of mere death or the grave—as, for example, “hades” has for inhabitants “shades” or “ghosts” (Heb. repha’im) (Job 25:6, Proverbs 2:18; Proverbs 9:18; Proverbs 21:16, Isaiah 14:9; Isaiah 26:14; Isaiah 26:19, Psalms 88:10), and is divisible into lower and higher (Deuteronomy 32:22, Psalms 86:13), the lower hades being in one case pointedly expressed as “the well of the pit” (Psalms 55:23). It is undeniable that, before the coming of the Messiah, “hades” was invested with deep gloom, and caused, even in the minds of the godly, strong aversion, leading to earnest prayers to be saved from it and devout thanks for deliverance from the immediate prospect of entering it (Psalms 18:4-6, Psalms 30:3, Psalms 116:1-6). Not always, it is true, was this aversion felt; and, in one remarkable case, Job (Job 14:13) is heard crying out:—

Oh that in hades thou wouldst hide me!

That thou wouldst keep me secret, until the turn of thine anger!

That thou wouldst set for me a fixed time and remember me!

Notwithstanding such occasional sighing for “hades” as a relief,—not without some hope of deliverance,—the description of hades given by Dr. Driver in his Parallel Psalter (Glossary I., “sheol”) is scarcely too strong, when he says:—“The inhabitants of which pass a dim and shadowy existence, unworthy of the name of life, cut off from the memory and protecting help of God (Psalms 88:5), and where the voice of praise is for ever hushed (Psalms 6:5; Psalms 30:9; Psalms 88:10-12; Psalms 115:17, Is. 38:18).” At the same time it should be remembered, as against the extreme view that death ends all, that the very existence of such a place or state as hades is one of extreme significance, It seems expressly to wait some future development,

Turning now to the list of passages in the Psalms in which the “hades” is mentioned, and at once dismissing those in which the word appears as a mere synonym of “death” and “the grave,” and so serve more for general impressiveness than for specific teaching,—what do we find?

Doubtless we may gather up several incidental lessons; such as the graphic way in which the bones of the hastily buried, or the unburied, are described in the last passage in the list as lying scattered about the mouth of hades—which sustains the position that hades includes the grave; and such as the basis furnished, by the existence of a lower hades and the well of the pit (Psalms 55:15; Psalms 55:23), for the teaching of our Lord (in Luke 16), that whatever may be the measure of unconsciousness generally experienced by the selfish and unsaved dead, yet that it is possible they may be aroused to an acute consciousness of pain and to remorseful memories and apprehensions. Rising, however, far above these incidental lessons, is the prospect opened up by at least two of these hadean passages in the Psalms of a Divine Victory over hades. One of these (Psalms 49:15) is indeed general and theocratic rather than messianic; but it is positive in terms and highly inspiring: “God will do for me what with all your wealth ye rich men cannot do for yourselves, far less for each other: he will ransom my soul—my entire personality: out of the hand of Hades will he take me, as Enoch was taken according to the startling story in Genesis.” On the whole this sudden outburst of promise looks towards transformation without dying rather than to actual resurrection. The other and earlier passage (Psalms 16:10) just as strongly makes for resurrection after dying, inasmuch as the flesh so rests securely, that, although the body of the speaker should enter hades, yet should he not be abandoned to hades. This was either fulfilled in David or in one of David’s line for whom prophetically he spake. Jesus of Nazareth, rising from the dead and ascending to the Father’s right-hand, has, in beginning and pledge, abolished death and revolutionised hades: of the dwellers in which he has become Lord (Romans 14:9) and of the keys of which he has taken possession (Revelation 1:18).

HEART.—“All scholars know that the Hebrew word commonly rendered ‘heart’ is used very largely to denote not so much the seat of the emotions as the seat of thought.” So proclaims the Preface to the Standard American Revision; but there is still need of insistence in making more widely known among Bible readers this far-reaching fact, inasmuch as misapplications of Scripture are extensively prevalent, based on the erroneous assumption that, as in popular speech, so in the Bible, a strong contrast may be assumed to exist between the “heart” and the “head.” The mischief done by this single error is enormous, seeing that the disparagement thereby cast upon the “understanding” in matters of religion is often pushed to such an extreme as to exaggerate the emotional element not only to an unscriptural but to a practically dangerous degree. Nevertheless, let the emotions receive their due; and let the article “Reins,” below, be well considered.

HEAVENS.—“The heavens” (Heb. shammayim) hold a conspicuous place in the Psalms. Always plural in the Hebrew, probably owing to the primary conception of “height,” and so “height above height,” and generally “the heights,” the word has in it enough of amplitude to include varying degrees of elevation; such as that in which winds blow (Psalms 78:26) and birds fly (Psalms 8:8, Psalms 79:2) and that in which moon, stars (Psalms 8:3) and sun (Psalms 19:4) appear; until it includes the dwelling-place of Jehovah himself (Psalms 115:3; cp. 1 Kings 8:30 ff.). The elevation of “the heavens” above the earth is sometimes expressed (Psalms 103:11) and often implied (Psalms 14:2 = Psalms 53:2, Psalms 102:19). “The heavens” were made by Jehovah (Psalms 33:6, Psalms 96:5, Psalms 115:15, Psalms 121:2, Psalms 124:8, Psalms 134:3, Psalms 136:5, Psalms 146:6); and accordingly he is above them (Psalms 57:5; Psalms 57:11 = Psalms 118:5 and Psalms 113:6) and so, in fact or in prayer, is his “glory” (Psalms 113:4, Psalms 148:13). In some sense, Jehovah has reserved “the heavens” to himself, in contrast to the earth as the assigned portion of the sons of men (Psalms 115:16); in some sense also, as would seem, man’s dominion over the earth is to be used as a means of uplifting Jehovah’s glory above “the heavens” (Psalms 8:1 Exp.). Notwithstanding Jehovah’s omniscience (Psalms 139:7-10) and his peculiar rule in Zion (Psalms 99:1-2), his throne is emphatically in “the heavens” (Psalms 2:4, Psalms 11:4, Psalms 103:19, Psalms 123:1): there his attendants wait upon him, and from thence his messengers go forth (Psalms 103:20-21). The heavens were made with understanding (Psalms 136:5), are ancient (Psalms 68:33—though Del. thinks this text refers to “primeval” heavens, “in their origin reaching further back than the terrestrial heavens of the second and fourth days of creation”), are holy (Psalms 20:6; cp. Matthew 6:10), and are enduring (Psalms 89:29), although they may ultimately perish (Psalms 102:26—in view of which cp. Isaiah 65:17). This brief survey invests with deepened interest the gathering of all things in heaven and earth under one head (Ephesians 1:10), and their reconciliation (Colossians 1:20), as also the prospect of a practical descent of heaven to earth (Revelation 21:3-4).

The Skies (or “fleecy clouds”—Heb. shahakim) are an interesting synonym of “the heavens,” chiefly because used to exalt man’s conceptions of the Divine Government: see—Psalms 18:11, Psalms 35:5, Psalms 57:10, Psalms 68:34, Psalms 77:17, Psalms 78:23, Psalms 89:6; Psalms 89:37, Psalms 108:4.

HOW HAPPY.—It is worthy of note that the first word in the Psalter is a word expressive of emotion, being “an exclamation: O the blessedness of so and so”—Del. “A less solemn expression than Blessed, without any explicit reference to God. To Heb. word is often rendered Happy in the A.V. (as Psalms 127:5; Psalms 144:15; Psalms 144:15; Psalms 146:1, Deuteronomy 33:29, Job 5:17, Proverbs 3:13; Proverbs 14:21; Proverbs 16:20; Proverbs 28:14); and it ought for distinctness to be so rendered always”—Dr. It occurs in the Psalter 26 times:—Psalms 1:1, Psalms 2:12, Psalms 32:1-2, Psalms 33:12, Psalms 34:8, Psalms 40:4, Psalms 41:1, Psalms 65:4, Psalms 84:4-5; Psalms 84:12, Psalms 89:15, Psalms 94:12, Psalms 106:3, Psalms 112:1, Psalms 119:1-2, Psalms 127:5, Psalms 128:1-2, Psalms 137:8-9, Psalms 144:15; Psalms 144:15, Psalms 146:5.

HUMBLE (D).—A man may be outwardly humbled without becoming inwardly humble: which suggests how great a difference in moral value may exist between two words nearly identical in form. Just about as great a difference in meaning is found between the two Hebrew words ‘anaw and ‘ani, the former, according to Dr. Driver, is used “of one who humbles or submits himself voluntarily, esp. under the hand of God,” and the latter signifies “one humbled involuntarily by external circumstances.” Instead of going so far afield as to call the latter “poor,” with Driver and others, the venture is made in the following translation to trust to the addition of the letter “d,” which is quite significant to careful readers, and closely imitates the slender difference between the two Hebrew forms, at the same time it is well adapted to keep in mind the additional circumstance, well set forth by Driver when he further says: “nevertheless they do not differ greatly in application, especially in the Psalms, both being designations of the pious servants of Jehovah, the one term describing them from the point of view of their external condition, the other from that of their mental character or disposition.” Incidentally, a lesson in various readings and in the inevitable risks of transmission, may be gleaned from the following initial examples of one of these words, which must show the dullest scholar how the inevitable happens in a case depending on the length of a down stroke, no miracle intervening to prevent it: namely, Psalms 9:12; Psalms 9:18, Psalms 10:12; Psalms 10:17. Moreover the decided difference in sense even where there is no diversity of application, will instruct learners to be careful how they read.

JEHOVAH.—The employment of this English form of the Memorial name (Exodus 3:18) in the present version of the Psalter does not arise from any misgiving as to the more correct pronunciation, as being Yahweh; but solely from practical evidence personally selected of the desirability of keeping in touch with the public ear and eye in a matter of this kind, in which the principal thing is the easy recognition of the Divine name intended; as to the meaning of which every reader can continue to judge according to the evidence before him. If the persistent use of the form Yahweh, only had the effect of keeping the English reader in mind of the almost certain significance of this gracious name as equivalent to “The Becoming One,” then the price of novelty and difficulty of recognition would not be too great to pay. But as the chief evidence of the significance of the name consists not nearly so much in its pronunciation as in the completeness with which it meets all requirements—especially as explaining how the Memorial name was fitted to become such, and to be the pre-eminent covenant name that it confessedly is, it has been thought desirable to fall back on the form of the name more familiar (while perfectly acceptable) to the general Bible-reading public. For a more complete statement of the derivation and meaning of this name, reference may be made to the present writer’s “Emphasised Bible,” Introduction, Chapter IV. See further “General Reflections” at the close of Psalms 92-99 and “Exposition” of 102.

KINDNESS.—It will appear incredible to such as have chiefly regarded Jehovah as revealed in the terrors of Sinai or through his judgments on his enemies, that the noun for “kindness” occurs 127 times in the Psalms alone, generally as attributed to himself as one of his own attributes. Yet this is strictly correct. If “loving kindness” is in form simplified to “kindness” in order to bring it into line with the adjective “kind,” and if we are content to conclude that “mercy,” when needed (as it so often is), is involved in “kindness,” and so consistently render the one Hebrew word hesedh by the one English word “kindness” thereby securing uniformity,—then all the impressiveness and significance of the constant recurrence of the word “kindness” throughout these “Songs of Zion” will be realised. No student worthy of the name will deem it superfluous that all the occurrences of this consoling and inspiring word are here set forth for convenient reference at any moment:—Psalms 5:7, Psalms 6:4, Psalms 13:5, Psalms 17:7, Psalms 18:50, Psalms 21:7, Psalms 23:6, Psalms 25:6-7; Psalms 25:10, Psalms 26:3, Psalms 31:6; Psalms 31:16; Psalms 31:21, Psalms 32:10, Psalms 33:5; Psalms 33:18; Psalms 33:22, Psalms 36:5; Psalms 36:7; Psalms 36:10, Psalms 40:10-11, Psalms 42:8, Psalms 44:26, Psalms 48:9, Psalms 51:1, Psalms 52:7-8, Psalms 57:3; Psalms 57:10, Psalms 59:10; Psalms 59:16-17, Psalms 61:7, Psalms 62:12, Psalms 63:3, Psalms 66:20, Psalms 69:13; Psalms 69:16, Psalms 77:8, Psalms 85:7; Psalms 85:10, Psalms 86:5; Psalms 86:13; Psalms 86:15, Psalms 88:11, Psalms 89:1-2; Psalms 89:14; Psalms 89:24; Psalms 89:28; Psalms 89:33; Psalms 89:49, Psalms 90:14, Psalms 92:2, Psalms 94:18, Psalms 98:3, Psalms 100:5, Psalms 101:1, Psalms 103:4; Psalms 103:8; Psalms 103:11; Psalms 103:17, Psalms 106:1; Psalms 106:7; Psalms 106:45, Psalms 107:1; Psalms 107:8; Psalms 107:15; Psalms 107:21; Psalms 107:31; Psalms 107:43, Psalms 108:4, Psalms 109:12; Psalms 109:16; Psalms 109:21; Psalms 109:26, Psalms 115:1, Psalms 117:2, Psalms 118:1-4; Psalms 118:29, Psalms 119:41; Psalms 119:64; Psalms 119:76; Psalms 119:88; Psalms 119:124; Psalms 119:149; Psalms 119:159, Psalms 130:7, Psalms 136:1-26, Psalms 138:2-3, Psalms 141:5, Psalms 143:8; Psalms 143:12, Psalms 144:2, Psalms 145:8, Psalms 147:11. To observe the companion words with which this term is frequently and significantly paired, will add an additional interest to the study hereby furnished.

Men of kindness may be regarded by some as an awkward circumlocution for representing the companion word hasidh, closely related to the abstract noun hesedh, “kindness”; but in a version so literal as the present, and under pressure of the great desirability of revealing the relation between the two Hebrew words, some awkwardness may be forgiven. Among the various translations which have been put forward to represent hasidh, none could be more acceptable than the familiar term “godly” provided that term could be relied upon to suggest likeness to God in respect of his attribute of kindness. In any case, it seems extremely desirable to keep this suggestion well in evidence by the most effective means within our reach. Even then the precise phase of relationship between the men of kindness and the God of kindness would remain undetermined: whether as descriptive of such as are the especial objects of Jehovah’s kindness, or of those who are honoured to be the representatives and reflectors of that kindness among men. Judging from the fact that some critics regard the word as of passive and others as of active formation, and that the evidence of usage leans about equally in either direction,—the probability is, that hasidh is a middle term which has absorbed into itself both of these delightful conceptions, and so signifies those who at one and the same time receive and reflect the kindness of God. It is all the more desirable that a happy term should be found, already possessed of this amount of flexibility or by consent invested therewith, because of the evidence, which though slight seems sufficient, to show that the Levites, as a tribe, were the abiding official representatives of the kindness of Jehovah; and that from this appropriation the term was further used to denote the entire class of Ideal Israelites. The primary grounds for thinking of the Levites in this connection are discovered in the significant application of the term to Levi himself in Deuteronomy 33:8, in the facility with which in Psalms 132:9; Psalms 132:16 the term would specify an especial class to accompany “priests” (which would naturally be Levites), and in the original calling of the tribe of Levi to be the representatives of all their brethren of the remaining tribes. With these elementary probabilities floating in the careful reader’s mind, it is believed that he will be glad for a second series of references to be appended in which the hasidhim or men of kindness are mentioned in the Psalms:—Psalms 4:3, Psalms 12:1, Psalms 16:10, Psalms 18:25, Psalms 30:4, Psalms 31:23, Psalms 32:6, Psalms 37:28, Psalms 43:1, Psalms 50:5, Psalms 52:9, Psalms 79:2, Psalms 85:8, Psalms 86:2, Psalms 89:19, Psalms 97:10, Psalms 116:15, Psalms 132:9; Psalms 132:16, Psalms 145:10; Psalms 145:17, Psalms 148:14, Psalms 149:1; Psalms 149:5; Psalms 149:9.

KINGDOM.—The Psalms are peculiarly rich in instruction as to the Coming Kingdom of God upon earth. The reader who will study in succession Psalms 2, 45, 72, 92-99, , 110,—first independently of the author’s expositions, for the purpose of maturing a judgment of his own,—and then entering into a comparison with the views set forth by the writer of these Studies,—will probably not feel any need of an extended summary in this chapter. The chief things to bear in mind as preliminaries to a profitable investigation are: First, a clear apprehension of the vast difference between the physical and moral spheres of the Divine Government, in that, within the former realm, God speaks and it is done without fail, disobedience being an impossibility; whereas, within the latter—the moral—realm, the promulgation of Jehovah’s will is always in fact, even if not in form, an appeal to created wills, calling for but not compelling obedience; and, second, that in point of fact Jehovah is always and unchangeably the absolutely rightful ruler of all the universe. There is always an abiding reign of God—whether of right in the moral world or of effectuating force in the natural world—which never begins, never lapses, never ends. Jehovah never abdicates the throne of his own essential supremacy. In regard of this, his reign never waits, never comes, never goes. The more clearly this is seen and the more firmly it is held, the more constant will be the perception that where undeniably such movements and changes are predicated, there some especial phase or form or manifestation of the Divine Kingdom must be intended. Thus David’s throne, David’s reign, David’s Kingdom must be some conditioned form of Jehovah’s own reign. So with the Messiah’s Kingdom—whether considered as a continuation of David’s or as its antitype—it must always be Jehovah’s absolute reign only as conditioned and modified by the intervention of the Messiah, The only other caution which needs to be borne in mind, is formally treated of in the following exposition of Psalms 2, where it is pointed out that, according to the evidence undeniably present in the sacred text, Messiah’s reign will combine the two principles of suasion and force. It only remains to add, that a careful discrimination between the Church and the Kingdom which has been scrupulously maintained throughout the following Expositions (cp. 45, 87, 102, 105), appears strongly to make for the awakening conclusion, that a goodly number of the Psalms are emphatically Songs of Messiah’s Coming Kingdom which await the fulfillment of the necessary conditions to render them in deed and in truth fitted in all their length and breadth to be sung throughout the whole ransomed earth (cp. e.g. 66 & 92–99 and General Reflections). To see that only then can they be sung with conscious fitness of self-appropriation, is to discover exactly how they can even now be sung by faith.

REINS,—The Heb. kelayoth, “as seat of emotion and affection” (O.G.), has by no means received the attention from Bible readers which it deserves. The “reins” were “regarded by the Hebrews as the springs of feeling: hence, when it is said of God that He trieth (or seeth) the ‘hearts and reins’ it implies that he is cognisant of man’s emotions and affections, not less than of his thoughts”—Dr. The word for “reins” is found in the following places in the Psalms: Psalms 7:9; Psalms 16:7; Psalms 26:2; Psalms 73:21; Psalms 139:13, with which Job 19:27, Proverbs 23:16, Jeremiah 11:20; Jeremiah 12:2; Jeremiah 17:10; Jeremiah 22:12 may be usefully compared. See also “Heart.”

RIGHTEOUSNESS.—“Righteousness” is not only the love and practice of what is right—which may be distinguished as ethical; and the rightful righting of such as have been in the wrong—which may be named evangelical; but also the righting of the wronged by the punishment of those who have injured them—and this for convenience we term vindicatory righteousness, a species of righteousness which—as towards those in whose behalf it is wrought—is synonymous with “kindness” and “salvation”; and which figures largely in the prophets, especially Isaiah and in the Psalms. From Isaiah may be selected, as good examples, Isaiah 48:18 and Isaiah 62:1; and, in the Psalms, the following places may be consulted:—Psalms 22:31, Psalms 24:5, Psalms 31:1, Psalms 33:5, Psalms 35:28, Psalms 36:6; Psalms 36:10, Psalms 40:9-10, Psalms 48:10, Psalms 65:5, Psalms 71:15, Psalms 85:10-11, Psalms 94:14-15, Psalms 98:2-3, Psalms 103:6; Psalms 103:17, Psalms 111:7-8, Psalms 119:40; Psalms 119:137-138; Psalms 119:142, Psalms 132:9; Psalms 132:16 (cp. 2 Chronicles 6:41), Psalms 143:1; Psalms 143:11, Psalms 145:7; Psalms 145:17.

In such connections as the above the word “judgment” itself assumes the meaning of vindication: Psalms 1:5, Psalms 35:23, Psalms 72:4, Psalms 103:6, Psalms 140:12, cp. Isaiah 40:27; Isaiah 49:4.

SELAH.—The precise significance of this word must be said to be still uncertain. That it generally implies a pause may safely be asserted; though the object of the pause remains obscure. That it practically serves as a musical Nota bene, and by an interlude of musical instruments makes impressive the fact or sentiment just uttered, is with some eminent scholars a favourite theory. The most ingenious and probable conclusion, drawn from actual usage, is that suggested by Dr. Bullinger in “Things to Come”; namely, that it virtually says: “Such being the case then note what follows;” and, to suggest as much without dogmatically affirming it, the symbolic device has here been adopted of a double “fist” with fingers pointing both ways, which may at least hold the place until more conclusive evidence has been secured. That the word is chiefly confined to old psalms suggests the doubt whether it was not originally a mere copyist’s acknowledgement of some peculiarity in his exemplar now wholly and hopelessly lost in obscurity.

SOUL.—If the convenience of translators were the chief thing to be considered, it could be wished they might rely on the English word “soul” as the uniform rendering of the Hebrew word nephesh, and leave it to the English reader to discriminate between the divergent shades of meaning involved in the various usages. Whether “soul” stand for “principle of life” (as in Psalms 7:3) or as “principle or organ of feeling” (as in Psalms 6:3) the observant reader could soon judge; and he might not be long before waking up to the fact that, as Dr. Driver beautifully expresses it, “soul” is frequently used “as a pathetic circumlocution for the personal pronoun, esp. where it is desired to represent a person as vividly conscious of some emotion or experience whether pleasurable or painful, Psalms 3:1 (‘that say of my soul’—‘that say of me,’ but of ‘me’ represented as keenly sensible of what is said), Psalms 11:1, Psalms 25:13 (‘his soul’= he himself, but depicting him as keenly sensible of the enjoyment described).” But when nephesh is freely used to convey the motion of desire, appetite or greed, then it seems desirable for a translation to say so plainly; since “Aha, our soul!” (Psalms 35:25), “Give me not over to the soul of my enemies” (Psalms 27:12), are scarcely intelligible to the untrained English reader. It may be doubted whether Driver has given quite enough prominence to the simple idea of personality as filling the word “soul,” though undoubtedly he recognises it. See our Exposition of Psalms 16:10; and cp. Ezekiel 18:4. Apart from any nice shades of meaning in the word “soul,” the broad psychological fact remains that by means of it a man is solicited to exercise his marvellous capacity of projecting himself from himself, to view himself from without himself, and to address himself in the language of expostulation and exhortation; of which Psalms 42:5; Psalms 42:11, Psalms 43:5 and Psalms 103:1-2; Psalms 103:22 (see Expositions) are memorable examples.

THE PSALMS AS A STIMULUS TO HOLY LIVING

Holy Living is here regarded as something more than righteous conduct; just as being is more than doing, and holiness goes beyond righteousness. Correct conduct in all its forms is necessarily included, but holy living has in it the vitality and the bloom which spring from communion with a holy God. To such living, the Psalms are, by experience, found to supply a mighty stimulus.

That they should do so, lies in the very nature of things. Not only do they emphasise character in a remarkably varied and persistently recurring way, but they set the sympathetic soul in pursuit of character by moving the deepest springs of desire and endeavour. They bring the soul into contact with God, in the highest and most spiritual acts of adoration, praise and prayer. To use the Psalms devoutly, is to come into the presence-chamber of the All-Holy. One has only to consider the proportion of direct address to Deity which the Psalms contain, to perceive the extent to which the man who sincerely uses them commits himself to sentiments of penitence, confidence, adoration, love, desire; so as to place himself under moral compulsion either to mean what he says, or to desist from saying it,—unless he would recklessly embark on the repugnant course of daring hypocrisy.

It is not meant that a man cannot respectfully listen to prayers and praises in which he is not for the present prepared to commit himself by voluntary personal undertaking. Yet still, setting callous formalism aside as downright iniquity and mockery, the compelling power of devout compositions,—especially when voiced by worshippers believed to be sincere,—must ever be either sympathetically to join, or candidly to dissent and refrain. Supposing, however, the beginnings of faith and desire to be present in ever so feeble a degree, and the inclination be indulged to join in the devout utterance of the Psalms—then, what is the nature of the influence under which a man’s mind consents to come? It must be—to become holy.

Is God himself holy? And is he, in psalms like these, directly addressed? To the first of these two vital questions an affirmative answer is here assumed—without argument. To the second, some fresh emphasis is sought to be given. At this point the appeal of necessity lies to experience. Thousands—myriads—now living—can attest that, to the best of their judgment when turned towards the witness of their own consciousness, there is such a thing as speaking directly to the Omniscient, in perfect confidence of being heard of Him. There is such a thing as communion with God. There is such a thing as doing that which these holy psalms are evermore doing. And it is a part of this consciousness that thereby is let in upon the worshipper’s soul the mightiest stimulus to become—what the God addressed is—holy.

Nothing further claims admission into this Chapter, save to strengthen what has already, in brief, been expressed.

It is conceivable that the importance which the Psalter attaches to human character, should be obscured by the incidental nature of its enforcement and especially by the surpassing energy with which the influences fitted to bear on character are concentrated on the worshipper’s mind. In other words, the grand mission of the psalmists seems to be, rather to display and illustrate the character which Jehovah already bears, than to enforce the character which his adorers are called upon to work out. Their songs of set purpose glorify God: incidentally, they educate man.

But their educative influence, when concentrated, is very strong. The first psalm—introductory to the whole collection—is devoted to character. The fifteenth, dramatically extols character: so does the twenty-fourth, with still more brilliant scenic energy. The fifty-first, with bitter tears for failure, exactingly enforces character—thorough, pure, influential, The seventy-second, in a quite unexpected way, extols character as exemplified in the person of its ideal King; and, out of many to name but one more, the extremely dramatic one-hundred-and eighteenth in a remarkable manner sets character on the highest conceivable pedestal by opening the gate of Jehovah only to the righteous. If behind these direct and indirect encomiums on good character there be massed the strongly disapproving reflections with which the Psalter abounds on men of the stamp of Cush and Doeg and Ahithophel—to name no more of the throng of the cunning, the double-tongued, the ungrateful, the impious—it will in candour be confessed that the mighty moral influence of the Psalms is in favour of the noble, the trusty, the devout, the merciful, the God-like. And even if the execration of the Psalter on the perfidious and vile are sometimes carried to what in ourselves would be a culpable and un-Christ-like excess which we whole-heartedly deplore, nevertheless they reveal a passion for righteousness which, when refined, is of incalculable moral value.

We have alluded to the larger freedom of the Psalter in displaying the character of God than in prescribing the attributes needful to constitute godly men. And this, indeed, is one of the crowning glories of the Psalms. They extol God with a will. They are never tired of praising Him. They delight to effloresce on this ever-welcome theme. For example, they pile up epithets of delight and satisfaction in Jehovah (as witness Psalms 18:1-3; Psalms 144:1-2); they echo and re-echo his most gracious Divine Name, (Psalms 146:5-10); by the aid of a simple pronoun of reference, they unfurl clause after clause in his praise (Psalms 103:3-5); they begrudge not to exhaust the whole alphabet to initial his sole doings and perfections (Psalms 111, 145).

Not as a feeble, doubtful God, do the psalmists extol Jehovah. His character, in their esteem, is weighted with wisdom: it is nerved with moral energy. Their God is a good hater: he detests cruel men, and he abhors hypocrites. His pity does not blind his judgment. He searches men through and through, and sees them as they are. Those who have loved and served him, and walked in his ways, and then, alas! have sinned against him, are not here seen easily commending themselves to be received back into Divine favour. No! their repentance has to go down to the springs of their life; and their restoration has to be a re-creation. Not otherwise can they have given back to them the joys of Jehovah’s salvation.

When restored, or as already serving God with loyalty, they not only adore him, but they think of his presence with a holy passion of desire to be admitted thereinto. The very- blaze of holiness warms their craving to be with him. It was, then, not without amplest warrant that we said at the beginning of this chapter that the stimplating power of the Psalms to move to holy living is grounded in the very nature of things. Educatively, that is what the Psalms mean: “Be ye holy, for I am holy.”

It would not be frank—it would not be honest—in a Christian—to say that the Psalms perfectly meet every want. In truth, they create a demand for more than they supply. To express this abstract assertion in concrete form suggested by the Psalms themselves, how remarkable a thing it is that, whereas it is foretold of David (Psalms 89:26) that he should do the very thing which Christians are always doing, namely call God “Father!”, yet he never once does it. He well-nigh says this in hundreds of instances: adoration, admiration, affection, fond comparison—these are ever springing to his lips, ever drawing forth from his lyre the sweetest of sounds; and yet his inspired lips never well-over with the one decisive child’s word in recognition of his Father. There is no “Abba Father” in the Psalms! Where direct address is so conspicuously dominant, where terms of direct address are so various and abundant, from “Shield” to “Sun,” from “Shepherd” to “King,”—the omission is symptomatic. The Spirit of Sonship had not been bestowed: the Son himself had not arrived: the relationship itself, though founded and figured, had not been personally perfected; and so the adequate channel of utterance was not in existence:—hence the lack. But the Son—of David and of God—has come at length, personally realised the endearing relationship, received first for himself and then for us the Spirit of Sonship, and so—now—we cannot desist from the outcry for the utterance of which our inmost heart years, as, to David’s Shield, Sun, Shepherd, King, even to Jehovah, we cry, “Abba! oh Father!” Henceforth the holiness of the Psalms acquires in our esteem a refinement of moral beauty it never before possessed, because now we view it as illumined by a Messianic light; and we are moved to its pursuit by a charm and a power which we gratefully acknowledge as reaching us through the mediation through the death, resurrection and ascension into heavenly glory, of David’s Son and Lord.

DESCRIPTIVE TITLES OF THE INDIVIDUAL PSALMS

PSALM

1.. The Righteous Man and the Lawless contrasted.

2. The Messiah’s Reign in Zion Assured,

3. Conspiracy, Confidence, Courage and Victory. Chief Conspirator left unnamed!

4. The Ideal Levite’s Evening Prayer.

5. A Morning Prayer for Deliverance from Conspirators.

6. A Prayer for Deliverance from Sickness and Death,

7. One Wrongfully Accused commits his Vindication to the Righteous Judge of all the Earth.

8. Jehovah’s Majesty Exalted by means of Man’s Dominion.

9. 10. The Kingship of Jehovah in Zion finally triumphant over a League between the Nations and the Lawless One.

11. Faith’s Brave Answer to the Counsels of Fear.

12. General Corruption, evidenced by Sins of the Tongue, impels to Prayer, and calls forth a Divine Answer.

13. A sorely-tried Believer in Jehovah Expostulates, Entreats, and ultimately Exults.

14. A vile Person’s Testimony to Prevalent Wickedness, when Confirmed by Jehovah, occasions Warning and Prayer.

15. The Approved Citizen-Guest of Jehovah.

16. An Ideal Israelite’s Triumph over Death.

17. One who is Righteous Prays, in Great Trouble, for Divine Deliverance and Manifestation.

18. David’s Song of Deliverance.

19. Greater than the Glory of God in the Heavens, is the Grace of Jehovah in the Law.

20. To Prayer for a King in Distress, a Favourable Answer is Confidently Awaited.

21. Thanks for the King’s Victory, and Confidence of Further Triumphs.

22. The Voice of a Forsaken Sufferer—Loudly Lamenting his Lot, Minutely Describing his Pain and Shame, without Reproaching God or Accusing Himself—is Suddenly Silenced (in Death); and then as suddenly is heard in a Strain of Triumph, in which Other Voices join, All celebrating the Praises of Jehovah as Sovereign Lord.

23. The All-Sufficiency of Jehovah.

24. The Admission of Worshippers into the Presence of the Previously Admitted King.

25. An Alphabetical Psalm of Supplication.

26. An Ideal Levite’s Prayer for Vindication by the Prolongation of his Life.

27. Trust and Prayer in the Hour of Danger.

28. Prayer turned into Praise.

29. Glory in the Temple and in the Tempest: Jehovah’s Kingship of Judgment in the Past, and of Blessing in the Future.

30. A Song of Joy on Recovery from Sickness.

31. Fellowship in Suffering and Salvation.

32. 33. Felicitations to the Forgiven, and Examples of the Songs that they Sing.

34. An Alphabetical Psalm of Praise and Instruction.

35. Prayers against Open and Concealed Enemies, followed by Promises of Praise.

36. Oracles False and True, Prompting Prayer and Praise.

37. An Alphabetical Exhortation to Patience in Well-doing.

38. Prayer for Deliverance from Disease and from Enemies.

39. The Lament and Prayer of a Divinely-Stricken-One.

40. Three Stirring Reminiscences of King David’s History.

41. Regretting that Enemies and Friends should Meanly Rejoice in his Sickness, the Psalmist nevertheless Perseveres in Prayer for Pardon and Recovery.

42. 43. A Debarred Worshipper Mastering his Sorrow.

44. Israel Suffers for God.

45. A Royal Marriage.

46. Trust in God, Joyfully Maintained in Face of Peril, Speedily Rewarded.

47. Israel Invites the Nations to Rejoice in the Universal Kingship of her God.

48. Jehovah Worthy to be Praised in his Holy City, whose History Rebounds to the Honour of her Shepherd-King, who will yet Lead Israel against Death.

49. Death and Redemption: Oppressed Saints Comforted, and Oppressors Rebuked.

50. Judgment on Israel Pronounced amid the solemnities of an Audible and Visible Divine Manifestation.

51. The Prayer of a Penitent.

52. Doeg the Edomite Denounced.

53. A Vile Person’s Witness to Prevalent Wickedness, when Confirmed by Jehovah, occasions Warning and Prayer.

54. A Prayer prompted by the Hostile Action of the Ziphites.

55. A Bitter Complaint of the Treachery of an Intimate Friend.

56. A Song composed by David in Captivity.

57. A Reminiscence of David’s Early Troubles when Pursued by Saul, subsequently adapted to Brighter Times.

58. A Significant Warning to Corrupt Judges.

59. The Beleagured Psalmist Prays for Rescue and Avenging.

60. An Outcry of Anguish, Expostulation, and Entreaty, under a Severe Reverse.

61. The Psalmist, in Banishment, Prays for Restoration.

62. Restful Resolution, Exposing the Treacherous and Encouraging the Timorous, traces both Power and Kindness to God the Judge of All.

63. A Banished Soul, Athirst for God, Anticipates Satisfaction and Vindication.

64. A Prayer against the Evil Tongues of Conspirators, who are Destroyed by their Own Weapon.

65. Israel’s Temple-Song of Praise, on behalf of Herself and All Nations, chiefly in Grateful Acknowledgement of Seedtime and Harvest.

66. An Invitation to All the Earth to join in Israel’s Song of Praise.

67. Prayer for Blessing on Israel as a Means of Blessing to all Nations.

68. Glimpses of Jehovah’s Visible Reign over Israel and the Nations.

69. Pictures of Distress and Outcries for Deliverance, followed by Imprecations on Cruel Enemies, and by promises of Praise.

70. 71. Prayer not to be forsaken in Old Age.

72. A People’s Prayer for a Perfect King.

73. Temptation, arising from the Prosperity of the Lawless, Triumphantly Overcome.

74. Ruthless Injuries to the Sanctuary and Oppression in the Land by an Enemy, call forth Expostulation with God for his Quiescence.

75. A Song, enshrining an Oracular Assurance of Equitable Judgment by the Judge of the Earth.

76. A Song of Triumph over a Divinely Smitten Foe.

77. Comfort in Distress obtained by the Study of a Song.

78. A Didactic Poem, Counselling the Reunion of the Tribes.

79. Invasion, Desecration, Demolition, Massacre and Derision call forth Lamentation, Expostulation, Petition and Pleading; and the Hope of Deliverance evokes a Promise of Perpetual Praise.

80. Prayer for the Flock and Vine of Israel.

81. A Mission-Song to be Sung to the Northern Tribes.

82. The Judgment of Unjust Judges.

83. An Appeal to God for Deliverance from an Impending Invasion.

84. The Longing of a Levite for the Habitations of Jehovah in Zion, with Inspiring Memories of a Past Pilgrimage and Exultant Joy in Renewed Service.

85. Praise, Prayer, and Prophecy lead up to the Reconciliation of Earth and Heaven.

86. Prayer of a Tried and Faithful Servant of Jehovah.

87. The Glorious Destiny of Zion as the Metropolis of the Nations.

88. The Anguished Cry of One Smitten and Forsaken.

89. The Covenant with David Contrasted with the Present Dishonour of David’s Heir.

90. A Prayer against the Dominion of Death.

91. A Personal Application of the Foregoing Psalm.

92––97. A Service of Song for a Sabbath-Day.

92. Personal Song—Probably by a King.

93. Jehovah Proclaimed King.

94. Prayer for Vengeance on the Lawless.

95. Invitation—“O Come!” “Come In!” Warning—“Harden not your Hearts!”

96. The Land called upon to Sing to Jehovah, and to Proclaim his Kingship to the Nations.

97. Third Proclamation—Decisive Results, by way of Joy, Fear, Conviction, Shame, Homage, Thanks, Exhortation and Triumph.

98. 99. A shorter Service of Song (for a Sabbath Day).

100. Invitation to all the Earth to come In before Jehovah and Worship.

101. A King’s Resolve to have a Pure House and Court and Royal City.

102. The Prayer of a Humbled One brings a Three-fold Answer of Peace.

103. Bless Jehovah, for he is Worthy.

104. A Creation Hymn.

105. Hymn of Praise to Jehovah for giving Israel a Covenant-Land in which to observe his Law.

106. Humbled Israel Confessing her Sins as a Nation.

107. Examples of Men’s Straits, leading to Prayer; and of Jehovah’s Deliverances, calling for Praise.

108. Two Fragments of Earlier Psalms.

109. David, Rehearsing how his Enemies Cursed him, refers his Cause to Jehovah.

110. A Revelation—through David—to his Lord the Messiah.

111. Alphabetical Psalm in Praise of Jehovah.

112. Alphabetical Psalm in Praise of the Man who Revereth Jehovah.

113. A Song of Sublime Simplicity: reaching its Climax by Rejoicing with a Glad Mother.

114.A Passover Song.

115. Not for her own Glory, but for his, Israel moves herself to trust in Jehovah to show his superiority to Idols.

116. Individual Thanks for Deliverance from Peril of Death.

117. All Nations invited to Join in Israel’s Tribute of Praise.

118. The Passover “Hosanna” Song.

119. Jehovah’s Will in relation to Human Character and Conduct, as celebrated in Twenty-Two Alphabetical Stanzas, and by the aid of Eight Comprehensive Synonyms.

120. Peace versus War: First Step-Song.

121. Jehovah the true Helper and Keeper of Israel: Second Step-Song.

122. The Tribes Welcomed to the Passover: Third Step-Song.

123. The King’s Response to the Injunction to Lift up his Eyes as High as Heaven: Fourth Step-Song.

124. Sudden and Complete Deliverance acknowledged as Jehovah’s own Work: Fifth Step-Song.

125. Trust in Jehovah encouraged in presence of the Invader: Sixth Step-Song.

126. The Invader Gone—The First Sowing Begun: Seventh Step-Song.

127. In Relief of Domestic and Civic Anxiety: Eighth Step-Song.

128. A Happy Home and a Prosperous Commonwealth: Ninth Step-Song.

129. Israel’s Thanks for Past Deliverances, and Prayer for Continued Vindication: Tenth Step-Song.

130.Ransomed out of the Depths: Eleventh Step-Song.

131. The Sinking of Self in Seeking Israel’s Welfare: Twelfth Step-Song.

132. The Davidic Dynasty Humbled and Exalted: Thirteenth Step-Song.

133. Brethren in Fellowship—a Charming Spectacle: Fourteenth Step-Song.

134. The Night-Service in the Temple: Fifteenth Step-Song.

135. A Call to Temple Worship.

136. A Second Call to Temple Worship, with Responses inserted.

137. A Returned Levite’s Memories of Babylon, Apostrophe to Jerusalem, and Imprecations on Edom and Babylon.

138. A King’s Public Thanks for Advancement in Royal Dignity.

139. An Individual submits himself to Jehovah’s All-Searching Eye.

140. Deliverance from Slanderous and Violent Enemies, Implored and Expected.

141. A Temptation to Conspiracy Shunned.

142. Loud Outcries in a Cave Succeed Guarded Petitions at Court.

143. Continued Concealment in a Cave—its Griefs and its Gains.

144. From David’s Psalms are selected Strains by one of his sons—emboldening him to plead for Deliverance from Foreigners.

An Appendix anticipates Happy Times.

145. An Alphabetical Psalm in Praise of Jehovah’s Greatness, Goodness, and Righteousness.

146. Twelve Reasons for Trusting in Jehovah.

147. Praise for the Restoration of Jerusalem, and for Israel’s pre-eminence: with Grateful Recognition of Rain and of Spring.

148. Praise Invoked from all Creation.

149. A New Song for Israel, which others may NOT Sing.

150. An Expansion and Enforcement of the Public Reader’s Invitation to the People to join in the Responses in the Temple Worship.

DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD: STUDIES IN THE PSALMS

This introductory lesson will provide an overview of the Psalms and their purpose, and will feature a study of Psalms 1, to illustrate the major goals we have when studying the Psalms in the church today, and to show us how the Psalms can help us in our relationship with God.

Overview/Background of the Psalms

The Psalms, unlike most books of the Bible, were collected over the course of many years of Israel’s history, and include writings by numerous different authors. They served many uses for the Jewish nation, but were especially seen as a collection of divinely inspired songs and prayers that could be used for worship in a number of settings. A basic understanding of how the book came to be, and of how it was used historically, can give us a little direction with which to begin our own study of the Psalms.

Most books of the Bible were written by one particular writer, as that person was inspired by the Holy Spirit. But in the Psalms, we have a collection of similar writings by a number of different authors from differing time periods. These individually inspired writings were then collected over a period of years by God’s people, and organized into the Psalms. They all share some of the same obvious characteristics, such as the poetic nature and format of the writing, the topical material, and the goal or theme of the compositions.

A large number of the Psalms are connected to the era of King David. No fewer than 73 are attributed to David personally, and another 12 to Asaph, his director of music (see 1 Chronicles 16:4-6). Others may have come from this era as well. Certainly, all of the Psalms reflect in some way the values exemplified by "the man after God’s own heart", whose relationship with God is in many ways the ideal for those who want to know God more personally.

Since the book of Psalms was assembled over the course of time, there were points in Israel’s ancient history when the collection of Psalms was shorter than it is now. There are actually five collections, or Books, of Psalms, which in a general way give us an indication of how they were historically collected. The 5 books are respectively: Book One, Psalms 1-41; Book Two, Psalms 42-72; Book Three, Psalms 73-89; Book Four, Psalms 90-106; Book Five, Psalms 107-150. (Take a look at the first Psalm in each of these books, and you will see a heading above that Psalm, indicating a new book.) While there are a few stylistic characteristics that can sometimes be generally associated with particular books, in practical study there is no real significance to the division into books, aside from its usefulness in helping us understand the historical collection of the Psalms. It is unknown exactly when the Psalms were assembled in their now final form, other than that it is certain they existed in this form before the creation of the Septuagint in the 3rd century BC. At some point early in the collection process, Psalms 1 was selected as the most suitable introductory Psalm, and given a place before the rest. Psalms 1 has no specific title or author listed. Most Psalms do, and especially those in Books One and Two.

Technical notes: (1) the numbering of the Psalms is slightly different in many of the ancient manuscripts, since at times some of the present Psalms were combined. For example, Psalms 9/10 and 42/43 were often written as one Psalm. Note that the second of each of these pairs has no heading or author in the actual text; (2) The Hebrew text, and the usage by ancient Jews and Christians alike, generally considered the brief headings and authors’ names to be as inspired as the rest of the text; (3) Modern 2 "scholars" have concocted many speculative theories about other books of the Bible being pieced together as were the Psalms, but such theories deny and discredit the work of the Holy Spirit. The multiple authorship of the Psalms, however, is attested to in the Bible itself, and is in fact an important feature of the book; (4) Many Psalms have a description such as "miktam", "maskil", or "shiggaion". These are musical terms whose meaning is now lost to us. One that is fairly certain is the occasional use of the term "Selah" in the text of a Psalm, which probably referred to a musical interlude for the purpose of meditation. If you are interested in these more technical aspects of the Psalms, see me or refer to the sources listed, since we will not spend much class time on most of these topics.

The collection of Psalms was used by the Jewish Nation as an inspired collection of prayers and songs, especially useful for worship, both formal and informal. Some Psalms became associated with particular holidays or occasions. Many were designed to be performed with musical accompaniment, while others were more likely read or sung without instrumentation. Most of the Psalms had an inspirational and instructive value of their own, irrespective of the particular occasion on which they were used. So today, we find the Psalms to be suitable for inspiration and instruction in a great variety of contexts. They have furnished material for many Christian songs, and even for popular songs. We see the Psalms on plaques and other decorations in addition to their use as reading and study material.

The earliest Christians, both Jews and Gentiles, often used the Psalms in similar ways. The Psalms also furnished material for many early hymns of a definite Christian nature. In addition, many of the writers of the New Testament saw in the Psalms some values and themes that were not fully realized until the coming of Christ. A few Psalms are even explicitly Messianic, and are so used and interpreted both by the inspired writers of the New Testament and by later generations of Christian writers. The Messianic perspectives in the Psalms are meant to be something different from the predictive Messianic teachings of prophecy; they are meant also to emphasize the personal aspects of Jesus’ redemptive mission, and to illuminate those aspects of his ministry that we may not always fully appreciate.

Goals & Principles in Studying the Psalms

The Psalms are part of the Bible’s "Wisdom Literature", or Poetic Literature, which deals much more personally with our relationship with God than do books of history, the prophets, or the epistles. (The Jews called books like Psalms, Proverbs, Job, and others simply "The Writings".) Further, each individual Psalm can be considered a complete study in itself. We shall review just a few of the consequences of these characteristics that can help us in our study. For a more detailed discussion of the general principles involved in studying the Psalms (and other parts of the Bible), an excellent beginning source is How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding the Bible by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart.

The Psalms, as well as the other books that are more poetical in nature, are meant to play a particular role in our relationship with God. This is true of other portions of the Bible as well. For example, the historical books give us factual background and practical examples to follow, and the epistles give us direct instruction which almost always is meant to be followed literally by the church in any era. When studying the Psalms, we are looking at some very personal aspects of our relationship with God. We see how to express our positive emotions and how to deal with our negative emotions. We see David and other godly persons both praising God and wrestling with their doubts. We find many examples of personal thoughts expressed between a believer and God, which can help us in similar circumstances. The Psalms thus can do two things for us. They can teach us about the ways that God views our emotions, our doubts, our 3 struggles, and the like, and they can also help us to handle such things in a godly and positive way.

When studying any book in the Bible, context is important. In studying the Psalms, context plays a somewhat different role than it does in other books. Each Psalm can be studied as more of an individual unit or self-contained study than can other parts of the Bible. (I realize that it is very popular to pull verses out of context from other parts of the Bible as well, but it is a dangerous practice.) For this reason, Psalms particularly lend themselves to topical study. But it is also to keep any Scripture in context. In studying a Psalm, there are usually just two key things to remember. First, many of the Psalms do have a personal or historical context, as indicated by the headings some of them bear. When that is the case, it is important to keep that in mind when interpreting the Psalm. More importantly, the Psalms have an overall context, and are part of the Bible as a whole. There is nothing in the Psalms that contradicts any other part of the Bible, if understood properly.

The key to a proper interpretive emphasis in Psalms is to keep the focus on the personal. They are not meant to give doctrinal teachings or points. A well-known example of the importance of this comes from Psalms 51:5, wherein the writer says, "Surely I have been a sinner from birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." There are some commentators who use this verse to teach that a newborn infant carries a burden of "original sin", and thus must be baptized. Read in context, it is an expression of how deeply convicted David has become of a horrible sin he committed. (Note the heading to Psalms 51, giving us the occasion.) It is a deliberately exaggerated expression of his anguish and his realization of what he has done, and was never meant to be taken literally. Some other obvious examples would be in the book of Job, in which Job’s three friends express many erroneous opinions about God. They are recorded in the Bible to contrast this kind of human error with the truth about God that is revealed later in the book.

When reading the Psalms, we should be looking for a few basic things. What is the main theme of the Psalms? That is, what feeling or emotion is being expressed (positive or negative), or, what situation does the writer find himself in? Our tentative topic lists will give you an idea of some of the more common topics addressed in the Psalms. It is then always a good idea to try to relate to the writer’s own feelings. Can we identify with his doubts or struggles? Can we remember moments when we too broke into praise or thanksgiving to God? Then, we want to look for the things God teaches to the writer about this main topic, and of course how we also can learn from them. This is the appropriate emphasis in studying Psalms, which will both prevent us from getting off-track and will enable us to get the most out of these beautiful prayers and songs.

Psalms 1 : The Introduction to the Book of Psalms

Psalms 1 was intended to serve as a suitable preface to the rest of the Psalms, and it brings out the most basic themes that are examined from various perspectives in most of the other Psalms. We shall survey Psalms 1 as an introductory study to the others that we shall study in more detail in the coming weeks. This week, our primary goal is to bring out some ideas that we shall keep in mind, not to cover all the details. So when studying this Psalm, we may deliberately bring up more questions than we can answer!

Psalms 1:1-2 tells us about delighting in God and in his Word:

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel

of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in

the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of

the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

We see right away the ideal for our lives that God gives us, and the Psalmists will tell us about. The ideal human life is spent following God, seeking his will in all things, and devoting oneself to the study and fulfillment of God’s Word. In studying the Psalms, we will see this goal both upheld and explained. What exactly does it mean to be "blessed"? Is this a promise that we shall have everything we want if we follow God, or is there a deeper meaning to it? Further, how does one "delight in the law of the Lord?" Clearly, this does not mean to promote a love of legalism, but something more spiritual and personal.

The next verse (Psalms 1:3) tells us that faith leads to life and fruitfulness:

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season and whose

leaf does not wither.

Whatever he does prospers.

Note the images in this verse, which are intended to suggest life and growth: tree, water, and fruit are typical and common ways of suggesting the life lived by a follower of God, and the growth and fruitfulness that accompany faithful living. Many Psalms that we shall study will both emphasize this and will explore what it means. Christians are often frustrated when their faithful efforts seem to be unappreciated or unproductive, and it can strengthen our faith and give us perseverance to have a deeper understanding of the life found in Christ.

Finally, Psalms 1:4-6 teach us that, while the ungodly have much to fear, God takes care of and protects his own:

Not so the wicked!

They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the

judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of

the righteous. For the Lord watches over

the way of the righteous, but the way

of the wicked will perish.

These verses in part echo the first part of the Psalm, assuring us of the benefits of a faithful life, and they also indicate the risks and dangers involved in rejecting the way of God. Again, we will need to ask ourselves what exactly this teaches, since there are clearly many ungodly and sinful persons who experience positive things in their lives, at least in the short run.

In addition to that, these verses teach us another idea that is prominent in the Psalms. Note that the fate of the sinner is described, and the fate of the righteous is also indicated, but there is no reference to the fate of the one who tries to be middle-of-the-road. Each human simply must decide whether he or she wants to follow God whole-heartedly or not at all. This will be stressed in many of the Psalms, as it is so many times elsewhere in the Bible. The definition and implications of this are among the many things we will hope to learn more about.

Survey of Types of Psalms

See the General Introduction for a more complete description of the kinds of topics we plan to study in our class. Here is the basic list:

Psalms of Faith & Trust (Examples: 3, 11, 16, 23, 42)

Psalms of Praise to God (Examples: 96, 97, 98, 148, 149, 150)

Celebrating God as Creator (Examples: 8, 19, 33, 104)

Prayers For God’s Help or Deliverance (Examples: 40, 55, 70, 77, 90, 142)

Psalms of Penitence (Examples: 38, 51)

Delighting in God’s Word (Survey of Psalms 119)

The Struggle Between Good & Evil (Examples: 36, 37, 73) God & His People (Examples: 78, 89, 105, 106, 114)

Messianic Psalms (Examples: 2, 22, 110)

Psalms of Thanksgiving & Victory (Examples: 9, 18, 20, 21, 30, 34, 65, 68)

The Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120 through 134)

Sources & References

Of the many possible sources for studying the Psalms, the following are particularly recommended. Each one has different strengths and its own perspective. If you would like to do further study on your own and would like to know what books may be especially helpful, just let me know

Frank Gaebelein (editor), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 5: Psalms - Song of Songs

Derek Kidner, Psalms, Volumes 1 & 2 (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries)

James L. Mays, Psalms (Interpretation Commentary)

Charles H. Spurgeon, Spurgeon on the Psalms (also published as The Treasury of David)

John T. Willis, Insights From the Psalms (3 volumes), ACU

- Mark W. Garner, March 2000

The Person God Blesses and The Way of the Wicked

Psalms 1:1-6

Brent Kercheville

The Person God Blesses

Blessed

Many times the word “blessed” is understood to mean “happy.” Generally speaking this definition is true except that by saying “happy,” we misunderstand what the writer is saying. The writer is not saying that if you do all of these things, you will be happy. The psalmist is not talking about our feelings or emotions. He is going far beyond that.

“Blessed” means to have a fullness of life. Another way to say this would be “a deep sense of peace, contentment, and satisfaction in life.” The writer is not talking about always having a feeling of happiness, because we will all experience things in life that will cause pain, sorrow, and sadness. But the writer is telling us that we can find fullness in our lives. Therefore, “blessed is the man” who will do the things that he says.

What the blessed one does not do (Psalms 1:1)

The psalmist begins by describing what the blessed person does not do. He says there are three things that a blessed person will not do: walk in the counsel of the ungodly, stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.

The person that is blessed in this life will not accept the advice of those who are ungodly. We sometimes commit the error of looking to the ungodly and thinking that since many seem to be prosperous that we need to solicit their advice. But what real, practical advice can the ungodly give to those who are followers of God? The ungodly have different values, different goals, different standards, and different concerns than what we are supposed to have. The blessed do not heed the advice of the ungodly.

Further, the one that is blessed does not stand in the way of sinners. There is a path that sinners are walking down. Matthew 7:13 says, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.” The one who is blessed by God will not find himself standing on the path of sinners that leads to destruction. Once we see we are standing on that road, we need to quickly get ourselves off that road and turn around before it is too late.

Finally, the one that is blessed by God is someone who does not sit in the seat of mockers or scornful. To sit with them suggests that you are one with them. You have fellowship with the mockers and have taken your seat with them. Clearly, those who are mockers of God will not be blessed by God.

Before we leave this verse we need to see the progression that the psalmist is describing. I believe the psalmist is describing to us the nature of sin and the schemes of the devil. Notice that first the person is walking in the proximity of the ungodly. But then the person stops, and is now standing with the sinners. Before he knows it, he has taken his seat with them.

Notice also the downward progression of those that we befriend. First, it simply begins with the ungodly. They may not be bad people so much, but they are without God. Soon that turns into being with those that are sinners until we are with those who are completely rebellious and hardhearted against God, the mockers and the scornful.

How did this all begin? Notice in Psalms 1:1 we see the person was listening to the counsel of the ungodly. But by heeding that counsel, the person is now on the same path to destruction as the sinners. Finally, the person has become one of them and has strapped on his seatbelt, seated in the way to destruction. We can rationalize and tell ourselves that it is just the counsel of the ungodly. But such an action not only leads us down the wrong path, it also means that we will not have a blessed life by God.

What the blessed one does (Psalms 1:2)

After describing what the blessed one does not do, now the psalmist describes for us what the one who is blessed by God is doing. First, the writer tells us that the one who is blessed delights in the law of the Lord. The blessed take pleasure in the law of the Lord.

Now this may be a rather unusual statement at first glance. How is it possible to delight and take pleasure in laws? Generally speaking, we think of laws as rules that prevent us and limit us from doing things. We usually have a negative outlook toward laws. However, we need to see that the laws of God are for our benefit. The laws of God are given to increase goodness in our lives so that we will live a blessed life. God’s commands are given so that we can maximize our lives, not so that we will be miserable and limited from what we want.

How can we delight in the law of the Lord? The psalmist tells us in the rest of the verse. He says, “on his law he meditates day and night.” The scriptures are always on his mind. Meditation is something that we usually make fun of and reject because it sounds like it requires going up to the top of some mountain, sitting down, crossing our legs, holding up our hands in a strange position, and making funny sounds.

But to mediate is to have a focused mind. It is not some sort of new age hocus-pocus. God is telling us that we need to have a focused mind on Him and on His words. Our minds are not to be centered on the things of the world, the lusts of the eyes, the pride of the world, or the possessions to obtain. Our minds are to be thinking about godly things. Paul said in Philippians 4:8, “whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things.” Those that are blessed by God are ones who focus their minds on God.

It should be no strange coincidence to us that if we meditate on God’s law, we will delight and take pleasure from His word. Further, when we are meditating on God’s law, we will avoid the pitfalls that we read about in verse 1 that would cause us to be on the path to destruction. The psalmist has already revealed the great benefits for us to undertake this meditation. However, the psalmist is going to describe for us the end result of these things in Psalms 1:3.

The end result (Psalms 1:3)

When we are not casting our lot with the sinners, but are meditating on the laws of God, then the psalmist tells us that we are like a tree planted by the streams of waters. This is a common illustration used in the Old Testament to describe the strength that we will receive from the Lord. Isaiah, in prophesying to wicked Jerusalem , said in Isaiah 1:30 , “For you will be like an oak whose leaf fades away or as a garden that has no water.” This was a pronouncement of judgment upon Jerusalem . For the oak’s leaf to fade suggests that it is dying, and for a garden to not have water suggests that it is dried out and fruitless.

Here we see that the blessed one is like a tree by the streams of waters. Jeremiah gives a similar image in Jeremiah 17:7-8, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD And whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit.” The waters will not dry up, but will continue to give its needed water for sustenance. Further, the tree is planted. The tree will not be uprooted or tumble over. The tree is firmly planted by God. We are anchored down and cannot be moved. The writer of Proverbs said it like this, “A man is not established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous cannot be moved” (Proverbs 12:3). We will be anchored down to handle any difficulties that can come along. The winds may roar, the waters may rise, and the ground may move, but he is like a tree firmly planted that will not be shaken.

Further, the blessed one is a fruitful person to the Lord. To bear fruit is to be a person that is useful to God. Jesus said in John 15 that those who do not bear fruit do not abide in Him. Fruit is the natural product of a healthy plant. In the same way, fruit is also a natural product of a healthy Christian. Jesus said that those who have a good heart will bear fruit, some thirty, some sixty, and some one hundred fold (Mark 4:20 ). If we are not bearing fruit, then there is a very good chance that we have not been planted and blessed by God. We are more likely in one of the three categories the psalmist listed in Psalms 1:1.

The psalmist also says that the leaf does not wither. This image continues to show us the strength that is given to us by God. A plant that is withering is not strong, but suffering. The plant is unable to stand against the scorching sun and other earthly elements. When the droughts of life come along, we will still stand strong and will not wither away. God will continue to be that stream of water to us to give us strength. Notice that strength comes to us by meditating on the law of the Lord (Psalms 1:2). Too many times the hard times come and we stop meditating on God and His word and we become weak. Most of the time we do not understand why we are withering under the trial, but it is usually because we have lost our focus on God. We have turned our focus to the trial and have not kept our eyes on God. Keep your eyes on God and you will not wither in the drought.

Finally, the psalmist says that “whatever he does prospers.” We should know from the tone of this psalm that the writer is not teaching that when we do these things we will be prosperous in physical things. This is not teaching that we will be wealthy or accumulate possessions. If we think such, then we are not focused upon God as the psalmist as commanded. I believe the prosperity is endurance. Just as the tree will be able to endure all the disasters that may come because it is firmly planted by waters, so we will also be able to endure.

After hurricane Andrew, I had taken a trip to the Florida Keys . On the way down I saw a tree that looked like stumps and toothpicks after the great storm had come through. A couple of years ago I was able to go back to the Keys and all of those trees had grown back up to their greatness of before. Jesus used the same analogy in John 15 when he said that the branches that do not bear fruit he cuts off, but those that bear fruit are pruned (John 15:2). There is going to be pruning and cutting that will come, but those planted by God will continue to prosper and endure.

The Way of the Wicked

Immediate result of the wicked (Psalms 1:4)

All of these great things that we have described that the blessed have hope in from Psalms 1:3 are not true for the wicked. The wicked are not planted by streams of waters, are not fruitful, do wither, and do not prosper. When the trouble comes, the wicked do not understand, are not anchored down, and therefore do not endure.

This imagery is more clearly seen in the rest of Psalms 1:4. “They are like chaff that the wind blows away.” They are not firmly rooted and they simply blow away. But, the psalmist literally says that the chaff are driven away or thrust out. This is a picture of harshness and severity. The wicked will not simply come to their natural end. The wicked will be driven out by the Lord. They cannot and will not endure.

The use of chaff to describe the wicked is also very common throughout the scriptures. Most notable is probably in Matthew 3:12 , “His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” The chaff will be driven out and burned. There is not a good ending to the ungodly.

Final result of the wicked (Psalms 1:5)

The psalmist further tells us that “the wicked will not stand in the judgment.” The wicked are not going to be given a forum before the Lord for which they will be able to plead their case. They are not going to be able to present their arguments before God and successfully make their way into heaven. The wicked will not be able to stand at all before the fury and wrath of the judgment of the Lord. Every knee will bow and every mouth will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Romans 14:11 ).

Nor will the sinners be able to mix themselves in with the assembly of the righteous. They are not going to get in with the assembly of the righteous and be able to walk their way into heaven. Sinners will not be able to even stand among the righteous on the day of judgment. The sheep will be separated from the goats (Matthew 25:32-33) and only those who are the Lord’s will be with Him.

Final reminders (Psalms 1:6)

With these end results in mind, the psalmist now concludes with a reminder in Psalms 1:6. First, “the Lord watches over the way of the righteous.” Do not think that God is not seeing what is taking place to His righteous people and that justice will not come. The Lord is watching over our paths and will straighten out all that is crooked in the end. Literally, the psalmist is saying that God knows our ways. It is an intimate relationship that the righteous have with the Lord. We also need to note the implied opposite, which is that the wicked are not watched over by the Lord. The Lord is not watching over and protecting the wicked. The wicked do not have an intimate relationship with God. They are on their own path, walking alone to the pits of destruction.

Thus, the rest of Psalms 1:6, “but the way of the wicked will perish.” It is ludicrous for the people of God to look at the way of the unrighteous and think that they will prosper. We should not look at the things that they are doing longingly, surmising that they are getting away with their evil deeds. They will be judged and they will perish. They will not endure. Let us notice again the implied opposite, which is that the righteous will not perish. As Jesus said in Matthew 13:43, “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

Conclusion:

Surrender to God daily. Every day we must arise and make the choice that we want to be the righteous ones who will be before God and have an intimate relationship with Him. Every day we are presented with choices as to who is number one in our lives. Will I choose to do the things I want to do or what God wants me to do? We must surrender our will to God so that He can plant us by the streams of living waters.

Spend time with God daily. The psalmist has told us that the ones who live the blessed life are those who meditate on God’s laws day and night. We must focus our minds on God and spend time with Him every day. Relationships do not last when time is not spent together. Spend time talking to Him, reading His words, and thinking about the goodness of God.

Separate from defilement daily. We have also been told that to live the blessed life we must separate ourselves from the ungodly. We cannot heed the advice of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor take our seat with those that are rebellious against God. Keeping ourselves from these things will enhance our lives and grow us closer and stronger to the Lord.

There is only one person who perfectly did these things. Jesus Christ showed us the way. It is not our friends or even the other heroes of faith. Jesus has shown us how to enter through the narrow gate. There are two roads to choose from. One road is the easy path that many are traveling on, but its end is destruction. The other road is more difficult. No one is denying the difficulty of the road. And because of the difficulty, not many are traveling on it. But it is the right road to be on and its end is prosperity and an intimacy with God. Choose who you will serve today. Choose to follow Jesus that leads to life.

PSALM ONE

EXPOSITION

This Psalm is a commendation of the godly life. It opens with an expression of admiration for the man who lives that life: which it proceeds to describe in a simple and engaging manner, by telling us what such a man avoids—what he delights in—and what he resembles. He avoids the downward course by not beginning it; he delights in Jehovah’s law, and shows his pleasure in it by diligent study; and he thereby resembles a tree planted in a spot where it is well-watered. Each of these points is enlarged sufficiently to make it impressive. The man described avoids three things: he walks not in the counsel of the lawless—that is, he does not take the advice of those who care not how they live; he stands not in the way of sinners—in other words, he declines bad men as his companions; and he sits not in the seat of scoffers—he refuses to form one of a circle who spend their time and wit in ridiculing religion. The things to be avoided are thus presented in the form of a double climax: worse and worse companions, and more and more submission to their influence. The unprincipled may prepare you for the immoral, and the immoral for the contemptuous: you may take bad advice, then seek bad company, and at last scoff at all goodness. Happy the man who does none of these things! Thrice happy he who has not begun to do them!

But life cannot thrive on negations. He that would hate wickedness must love goodness. Now, as the law, or instruction, of Jehovah, the holy and loving God, affords guidance to a good and holy life, it follows that he who would shun evil will take so much pleasure in divine guidance that he will look out for it, learn it, linger over it. The laws of nature he will revere and observe: the laws of revelation he will welcome and obey. If he is so happy as to know Christ, he will find in him the spirit and sum of all law (1 Corinthians 9:21). Christ will be the law of his being. As The Christ rejoiced that Jehovah’s “law of righteousness was enshrined in his deepest affections” (Psalms 40:8), so will Christ’s follower make it his greatest joy to do his Master’s will, The newspaper, the novel, will be less highly esteemed than the Bible. He may be compelled, or find it serviceable, to consult the first; he may be able to choose and utilise the second; but it is to the third that his mind will gravitate, from the third that he will store his memory, in the third that he will discover his songs of immortal hope; and though—not being an Oriental—he may not be heard literally soliloquising out of the Holy Scriptures, yet will he count every day lost in which he does not gain clearer insight into its wisdom, and will feel every wakeful night-hour soothed which lights up any of its great and precious promises.

His best life, thus thrives. He is like a well-planted tree—transplanted that it might be well-planted. He comes directly under the care of the Divine Husbandman, whose well-planned and well-watched irrigation keeps him constantly supplied with the waters of life through the channels of appropriate means coducive of spiritual growth and fruitfulness. Seasonable fruit is the glory of fruit-bearing trees: learning and liveliness in youth, steady work and sturdy endurance in middle life, patience and serene hope in old age as the better-land draws near—these are the fruits to be looked for in the garden of Jehovah. Everything is beautiful in its season (Ecclesiastes 3:11): yea, even the leaf that does not wither: the ornamental as well as the useful has place, and the ornamental conceals and shields the useful, as the leaf does the fruit; and so even beauty is not to be despised—especially that of modesty; even the leaf that hides the fruit may help its growth. But, as a man is better than a sheep (Matthew 12:12), so also is a man better than a “tree”: no tree being fit adequately to symbolise a “man, made in the image of God” (James 3:9). Therefore the psalmist, returning from the manlike tree to the tree-like man, and leaving the tree behind, as unable to bear the weight of such a clause as whatsoever he doeth, says of the man with his multifarious capacities, of the man under Divine culture, who soliloquises day and night in the law of Jehovah,—And whatsoever he doeth prospereth; and so it does, sooner or later: if not during “the night when Weeping has come to lodge,” then “in the morning when Jubilation” appears (Psalms 30:5): then shall we be made “glad according to the years Jehovah had humbled us—the years we had seen misfortune”; and discover that, after all, “the work of our hands had been established upon us” (Psalms 90:15).

Not so the lawless: very much “not so”! Surprise, therefore, need not be felt that the Septuagint repeats the negative, both for feeling and for filling out the line: “Not so the ungodly, not so”; even though it must be confessed that the half line in Hebrew is still more effective, and more symmetrically answers to the half-line at the commencement of the psalm, But rather as chaff which the wind driveth away—as of no worth and no further account. For this cause shall the lawless not rise in the vindication; and, from the Old Testament, scarcely could we learn that they will rise at all: certainly not in the vindication, a well-sustained rendering, which anticipates the distinction made by our Lord when he spake of “the resurrection of the righteous” (Luke 14:14). Sinners shall not enter the congregation of the righteous: whose way, life, character will NOT vanish, but continue evermore. For Jehovah doth acknowledge—know, approve, perpetuate—the way of the righteous; but the way of the lawless shall vanish—like a track lost in the waste, where no footsteps can make a path. “Only the way of the righteous is derek olam (“a way age-abiding”) (Psalms 139:24), a way that issues in eternal life”—Del.

This psalm(Psalms 1:1-6) and the next(Psalms 2:1-12) are anonymous, and without any superscribed or subscribed lines. They are admirably adapted for the purpose they were manifestly intended to serve: namely, as introductory to the whole Book of Psalms—the former penned from a purely ethical point of view, and the latter from a national, Davidic, and Messianic standpoint. One or both of these psalms may have been placed here by Ezra; but each may have been first brought into use as introductory to a smaller and earlier collection. Though probably placed here by Ezra, this first psalm was almost certainly composed by Hezekiah, whose spirit it breathes—as may be seen by a comparison if it with the latter half of Psalms 19 and the whole of Psalms 119,—a conclusion confirmed by the fact that it was expanded by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 17:8) and therefore must have already been in existence.

Lesson One: Introduction Via Psalm 1

This introductory lesson will provide an overview of the Psalms and their purpose, and will feature a study of Psalms 1, to illustrate the major goals we have when studying the Psalms in the church today, and to show us how the Psalms can help us in our relationship with God.

Overview/Background of the Psalms

The Psalms, unlike most books of the Bible, were collected over the course of many years of Israel’s history, and include writings by numerous different authors. They served many uses for the Jewish nation, but were especially seen as a collection of divinely inspired songs and prayers that could be used for worship in a number of settings. A basic understanding of how the book came to be, and of how it was used historically, can give us a little direction with which to begin our own study of the Psalms.

Most books of the Bible were written by one particular writer, as that person was inspired by the Holy Spirit. But in the Psalms, we have a collection of similar writings by a number of different authors from differing time periods. These individually inspired writings were then collected over a period of years by God’s people, and organized into the Psalms. They all share some of the same obvious characteristics, such as the poetic nature and format of the writing, the topical material, and the goal or theme of the compositions.

A large number of the Psalms are connected to the era of King David. No fewer than 73 are attributed to David personally, and another 12 to Asaph, his director of music (see 1 Chronicles 16:4-6). Others may have come from this era as well. Certainly, all of the Psalms reflect in some way the values exemplified by "the man after God’s own heart", whose relationship with God is in many ways the ideal for those who want to know God more personally.

Since the book of Psalms was assembled over the course of time, there were points in Israel’s ancient history when the collection of Psalms was shorter than it is now. There are actually five collections, or Books, of Psalms, which in a general way give us an indication of how they were historically collected. The 5 books are respectively: Book One, Psalms 1-41; Book Two, Psalms 42-72; Book Three, Psalms 73-89; Book Four, Psalms 90-106; Book Five, Psalms 107-150. (Take a look at the first Psalm in each of these books, and you will see a heading above that Psalm, indicating a new book.) While there are a few stylistic characteristics that can sometimes be generally associated with particular books, in practical study there is no real significance to the division into books, aside from its usefulness in helping us understand the historical collection of the Psalms. It is unknown exactly when the Psalms were assembled in their now final form, other than that it is certain they existed in this form before the creation of the Septuagint in the 3rd century BC. At some point early in the collection process, Psalms 1 was selected as the most suitable introductory Psalm, and given a place before the rest. Psalms 1 has no specific title or author listed. Most Psalms do, and especially those in Books One and Two.

Technical notes: (1) the numbering of the Psalms is slightly different in many of the ancient manuscripts, since at times some of the present Psalms were combined. For example, Psalms 9/10 and 42/43 were often written as one Psalm. Note that the second of each of these pairs has no heading or author in the actual text; (2) The Hebrew text, and the usage by ancient Jews and Christians alike, generally considered the brief headings and authors’ names to be as inspired as the rest of the text; (3) Modern "scholars" have concocted many speculative theories about other books of the Bible being pieced together as were the Psalms, but such theories deny and discredit the work of the Holy Spirit. The multiple authorship of the Psalms, however, is attested to in the Bible itself, and is in fact an important feature of the book; (4) Many Psalms have a description such as "miktam", "maskil", or "shiggaion". These are musical terms whose meaning is now lost to us. One that is fairly certain is the occasional use of the term "Selah" in the text of a Psalm, which probably referred to a musical interlude for the purpose of meditation. If you are interested in these more technical aspects of the Psalms, see me or refer to the sources listed, since we will not spend much class time on most of these topics.

The collection of Psalms was used by the Jewish Nation as an inspired collection of prayers and songs, especially useful for worship, both formal and informal. Some Psalms became associated with particular holidays or occasions. Many were designed to be performed with musical accompaniment, while others were more likely read or sung without instrumentation. Most of the Psalms had an inspirational and instructive value of their own, irrespective of the particular occasion on which they were used. So today, we find the Psalms to be suitable for inspiration and instruction in a great variety of contexts. They have furnished material for many Christian songs, and even for popular songs. We see the Psalms on plaques and other decorations in addition to their use as reading and study material.

The earliest Christians, both Jews and Gentiles, often used the Psalms in similar ways. The Psalms also furnished material for many early hymns of a definite Christian nature. In addition, many of the writers of the New Testament saw in the Psalms some values and themes that were not fully realized until the coming of Christ. A few Psalms are even explicitly Messianic, and are so used and interpreted both by the inspired writers of the New Testament and by later generations of Christian writers. The Messianic perspectives in the Psalms are meant to be something different from the predictive Messianic teachings of prophecy; they are meant also to emphasize the personal aspects of Jesus’ redemptive mission, and to illuminate those aspects of his ministry that we may not always fully appreciate.

Goals & Principles in Studying the Psalms

The Psalms are part of the Bible’s "Wisdom Literature", or Poetic Literature, which deals much more personally with our relationship with God than do books of history, the prophets, or the epistles. (The Jews called books like Psalms, Proverbs, Job, and others simply "The Writings".) Further, each individual Psalm can be considered a complete study in itself. We shall review just a few of the consequences of these characteristics that can help us in our study. For a more detailed discussion of the general principles involved in studying the Psalms (and other parts of the Bible), an excellent beginning source is How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding the Bible by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart.

The Psalms, as well as the other books that are more poetical in nature, are meant to play a particular role in our relationship with God. This is true of other portions of the Bible as well. For example, the historical books give us factual background and practical examples to follow, and the epistles give us direct instruction which almost always is meant to be followed literally by the church in any era. When studying the Psalms, we are looking at some very personal aspects of our relationship with God. We see how to express our positive emotions and how to deal with our negative emotions. We see David and other godly persons both praising God and wrestling with their doubts. We find many examples of personal thoughts expressed between a believer and God, which can help us in similar circumstances. The Psalms thus can do two things for us. They can teach us about the ways that God views our emotions, our doubts, our struggles, and the like, and they can also help us to handle such things in a godly and positive way.

When studying any book in the Bible, context is important. In studying the Psalms, context plays a somewhat different role than it does in other books. Each Psalm can be studied as more of an individual unit or self-contained study than can other parts of the Bible. (I realize that it is very popular to pull verses out of context from other parts of the Bible as well, but it is a dangerous practice.) For this reason, Psalms particularly lend themselves to topical study. But it is also to keep any Scripture in context. In studying a Psalm, there are usually just two key things to remember. First, many of the Psalms do have a personal or historical context, as indicated by the headings some of them bear. When that is the case, it is important to keep that in mind when interpreting the Psalm. More importantly, the Psalms have an overall context, and are part of the Bible as a whole. There is nothing in the Psalms that contradicts any other part of the Bible, if understood properly.

The key to a proper interpretive emphasis in Psalms is to keep the focus on the personal. They are not meant to give doctrinal teachings or points. A well-known example of the importance of this comes from Psalms 51:5, wherein the writer says, "Surely I have been a sinner from birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." There are some commentators who use this verse to teach that a newborn infant carries a burden of "original sin", and thus must be baptized. Read in context, it is an expression of how deeply convicted David has become of a horrible sin he committed. (Note the heading to Psalms 51, giving us the occasion.) It is a deliberately exaggerated expression of his anguish and his realization of what he has done, and was never meant to be taken literally. Some other obvious examples would be in the book of Job, in which Job’s three friends express many erroneous opinions about God. They are recorded in the Bible to contrast this kind of human error with the truth about God that is revealed later in the book.

When reading the Psalms, we should be looking for a few basic things. What is the main theme of the Psalms? That is, what feeling or emotion is being expressed (positive or negative), or, what situation does the writer find himself in? Our tentative topic lists will give you an idea of some of the more common topics addressed in the Psalms. It is then always a good idea to try to relate to the writer’s own feelings. Can we identify with his doubts or struggles? Can we remember moments when we too broke into praise or thanksgiving to God? Then, we want to look for the things God teaches to the writer about this main topic, and of course how we also can learn from them. This is the appropriate emphasis in studying Psalms, which will both prevent us from getting off-track and will enable us to get the most out of these beautiful prayers and songs.

Psalms 1 : The Introduction to the Book of Psalms

Psalms 1 was intended to serve as a suitable preface to the rest of the Psalms, and it brings out the most basic themes that are examined from various perspectives in most of the other Psalms. We shall survey Psalms 1 as an introductory study to the others that we shall study in more detail in the coming weeks. This week, our primary goal is to bring out some ideas that we shall keep in mind, not to cover all the details. So when studying this Psalm, we may deliberately bring up more questions than we can answer!

Psalms 1:1-2 tells us about delighting in God and in his Word: Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

We see right away the ideal for our lives that God gives us, and the Psalmists will tell us about. The ideal human life is spent following God, seeking his will in all things, and devoting oneself to the study and fulfillment of God’s Word. In studying the Psalms, we will see this goal both upheld and explained. What exactly does it mean to be "blessed"? Is this a promise that we shall have everything we want if we follow God, or is there a deeper meaning to it? Further, how does one "delight in the law of the Lord?" Clearly, this does not mean to promote a love of legalism, but something more spiritual and personal.

The next verse (Psalms 1:3) tells us that faith leads to life and fruitfulness:

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither.

Whatever he does prospers.

Note the images in this verse, which are intended to suggest life and growth: tree, water, and fruit are typical and common ways of suggesting the life lived by a follower of God, and the growth and fruitfulness that accompany faithful living. Many Psalms that we shall study will both emphasize this and will explore what it means. Christians are often frustrated when their faithful efforts seem to be unappreciated or unproductive, and it can strengthen our faith and give us perseverance to have a deeper understanding of the life found in Christ.

Finally, Psalms 1:4-6 teach us that, while the ungodly have much to fear, God takes care of and protects his own:

Not so the wicked!

They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

These verses in part echo the first part of the Psalm, assuring us of the benefits of a faithful life, and they also indicate the risks and dangers involved in rejecting the way of God. Again, we will need to ask ourselves what exactly this teaches, since there are clearly many ungodly and sinful persons who experience positive things in their lives, at least in the short run.

In addition to that, these verses teach us another idea that is prominent in the Psalms. Note that the fate of the sinner is described, and the fate of the righteous is also indicated, but there is no reference to the fate of the one who tries to be middle-of-the-road. Each human simply must decide whether he or she wants to follow God whole-heartedly or not at all. This will be stressed in many of the Psalms, as it is so many times elsewhere in the Bible. The definition and implications of this are among the many things we will hope to learn more about.

Survey of Types of Psalms

See the General Introduction for a more complete description of the kinds of topics we plan to study in our class. Here is the basic list:

Psalms of Faith & Trust (Examples: 3, 11, 16, 23, 42)

Psalms of Praise to God (Examples: 96, 97, 98, 148, 149, 150)

Celebrating God as Creator (Examples: 8, 19, 33, 104)

Prayers For God’s Help or Deliverance (Examples: 40, 55, 70, 77, 90, 142)

Psalms of Penitence (Examples: 38, 51)

Delighting in God’s Word (Survey of Psalms 119)

The Struggle Between Good & Evil (Examples: 36, 37, 73)

God & His People (Examples: 78, 89, 105, 106, 114)

Messianic Psalms (Examples: 2, 22, 110)

Psalms of Thanksgiving & Victory (Examples: 9, 18, 20, 21, 30, 34, 65, 68)

The Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120 through 134)

Sources & References

Of the many possible sources for studying the Psalms, the following are particularly recommended. Each one has different strengths and its own perspective. If you would like to do further study on your own and would like to know what books may be especially helpful, just let me know.

Frank Gaebelein (editor), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 5: Psalms - Song of Songs

Derek Kidner, Psalms, Volumes 1 & 2 (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries)

James L. Mays, Psalms (Interpretation Commentary)

Charles H. Spurgeon, Spurgeon on the Psalms (also published as The Treasury of David)

John T. Willis, Insights From the Psalms (3 volumes), ACU

- Mark W. Garner, March 2000

I Have Set My King On Zion

Psalms 2:1-12

By Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

As we begin I would like for you to consider that there is a lack of a superscription for the second psalm. The compiler of the psalms chose not to record for us the writer of this psalm or the situation under which it was written. The Jews considered this psalm to be written by David, as well as the first century Christians (Acts 4:25 ). Since the disciples declare that David wrote the psalm, I believe that this should remove all doubt as to who is the author of the psalm. There is great debate concerning this psalm as to whether it is messianic or not. Further debate stems as to how much of the psalm refers to the Messiah and how much refers to the writer of the psalm. The reason for the debate comes from liberal scholars and commentators who cannot accept that Old Testament writers could write about future events concerning the Messiah, and not only about personal situations.

We need to understand that there are two types of messianic psalms: direct and indirect. Direct messianic psalms are those that are not referring to the writer whatsoever, but are prophesying of future things, particularly of the Christ. Indirect messianic psalms are those that have a duality, in which the writer is describing his own personal situation, while also typifying things the future Christ would go through. Liberal scholars do not believe it is possible that David or any of the other psalmists could have possibly written direct psalms of prophecy of the Messiah. Instead, these scholars force the reading to apply to the writer and then show that this was a type of the Christ to come. But I want to deny the premise these scholars advance upon the religious community. Why is it so difficult to believe that David prophesied of things to come concerning the Messiah? Why must David have needed to personally experience these things and then merely stand as a type? Turn to Acts 2:25-31. Here we read of Peter’s sermon, and in this particular passage Peter is quoting David. I think it is important to note the scripture in Acts 2:30 where it reads, “Therefore, being a prophet….” Peter readily and clearly declares David to be a prophet. Further in Acts 2:31, “he, foreseeing this….” Again, Peter declares that David was able to foresee that the Messiah would resurrect and spoke clearly in his psalms of such. Writers and scholars have tried to apply these words to one of the earthly kings that rules in Israel or Judah , but have been very unsuccessful. These words do not fit any king that would rule on the earth. The simple understanding of this psalm is that this is a direct messianic psalm in which David is exclusively prophesying of the Christ. I believe this must be our understanding of this psalm. Throughout the psalm we will see many Messianic references. This is further proven by the fact that this psalm is one of the most quoted by New Testament writers and applied to Jesus. Clearly the stage is set before us. David, as a prophet of God, now writes concerning the coming of the Messiah.

Concerning the Nations (Psalms 2:1-3)

The message

David begins the psalm in a description concerning the world nations by asking a question. “Why do the nations rage?” The word “rage” literally means “to assemble tumultuously,” which some translations have as a marginal reading. The word can also mean “to conspire,” as the NIV has as its translation. The second question is similar to the first, “Why do the people plot a vain thing?” As we are reading this psalm we are left with two natural questions in our minds: “What are the people plotting?” and “Why is their plotting vain?” The answers to our questions are found in Psalms 2:2. The kings and rulers of the earth are plotting against God. They are gathering together to make their stand against God and against His anointed. Here we already see a reference to the Messiah, called “His Anointed.” Further, we are given a glimpse at the outcome of the psalm before we have hardly begun with the clue, “in vain.” The nations are plotting in vain to stand against the Lord and His anointed. In verse 3 we read the words of the nations who declare that they are trying to break free from God’s rule. They do not want to be under the power of God and in submission to Him. They want to break the bonds and cast away the cords which tie them to the Lord. This is a general description concerning the world: heathen nations. The nations are always going against God, are always in defiance, and always trying to make their break from the Lord.

NT application

This part of the psalm is quoted by the disciples in Acts 4:25-26. Recall the context of Acts 4 where Peter and John have been put in prison, questioned by the Sanhedrin, and released. Peter and John gather the disciples and tell them all that has happened to them. In Acts 4:24 we read the beginning of the disciples’ prayer. In the midst of the prayer, they quote Psalms 2:1-2. Notice who the apostles stated were the ones who plotted and stood against God. In Acts 4:27 we read, “both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles….” These would certainly be expected. These sinful, heathen Gentiles were the ones who conspired together and stood against the Lord and His anointed. But finish reading the verse. Acts 4:27 also says, “…with the Gentiles and the people of Israel , were gathered together.” Not only are the heathen nations described as the nations who raged against the Lord and His anointed, but so is the nation of Israel . The people of Israel , the ones who were to be looking for and preaching concerning the Messiah, were actually part of the ones gathering together to stand against the Lord’s anointed. All of these, Herod, Pilate, the Gentiles, and the Jews, plotted in the death of Jesus Christ. All of them participated in standing against the Lord. Now God the Father will respond to the nations conspiring against Him.

God the Father Speaks (Psalms 2:4-6)

God’s reaction

What is God’s reaction to the nations conspiring against Him and His anointed? Is God concerned? Is God worried? No, God laughs at what the people try to plot. The Lord scoffs and holds in derision those who would try to plot against the plans of God. Plotting against the Lord is vain and foolish. Further, God rebukes those who plot against Him in His anger and in His wrath. Not only does the Lord scoff at those who would dare to go up against Him, but now those very ones will stand in the face of the fiery wrath of the Lord. In Psalms 2:6 we see that it does not matter what man may try to plot against the Lord and His anointed, God’s purpose will still come to pass. In Psalms 2:6 we read, “I have installed my King on Zion , my holy hill.” Notice that this is written in the past tense as if the setting of the King on His holy hill has already taken place. This is the certainty of the Lord’s plan. It cannot be changed or ruined even if man tries to thwart the plans of God.

Application

There is certain application for us from these words of God. How foolish men are when they think they can go against the Lord! How ridiculous it is for anyone to think that they will be able to stand against the Lord! However, men and nations take their stand against the Lord all the time. Those who think they are the people of God can also find themselves taking their stand against God. Remember, we saw that the people of Israel were also named as those who stood against the Lord and His anointed. When we choose not to obey our Father, then we have taken our stand against Him. The Lord laughs at our big schemes and devious plans. He knows what man is doing and will not be prevented by His own creation. Further, the wrath of God stands against those who stand against Him.

The Anointed Speaks (Psalms 2:7-9)

The words of the anointed

Now we read the Lord’s anointed speaking. In Psalms 2:7 we see that He is going to proclaim the decree which the Lord gave. Here is what the Lord said to His anointed one: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You.” As we ought to know, this is not describing the Messiah being physically born by the Father. John 1:1 tells us that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Messiah is also eternal. The New Testament writers give us their explanation of what it means for the Father to say to His anointed, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You.” There are many places in the scriptures where we read the Father saying to Jesus, “You are My Son.” Such instances occur at Jesus’ baptism and at the transfiguration. But there are three places where we see the New Testament writers quote, “today I have begotten You.” These are the passages we want to focus upon to understand the meaning of the Father saying these words to His anointed.

Acts 13:33 says, “God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.’” Notice that it is the resurrection of Jesus that is promised in the Father saying to the anointed, “today I have begotten You.” It was not at Christ’s baptism, nor at His incarnation that He was begotten. It was when Jesus subjected himself to all things, even to the point of death that he learned obedience and was therefore begotten by the Father in resurrection (Philippians 2:8; Hebrews 5:8).

Hebrews 5:5 also has the same quotation from our psalm. Notice that the writer of Hebrews ties together the timing of Jesus becoming our High Priest and the statement by the Lord, “Today I have begotten You.” When did Jesus become our High Priest? At His death and resurrection, just as the writer goes on to point out in Hebrews 5:7-10.

The quotation is also found in Hebrews 1:5. In this passage the question is asked, “To which of the angels did He ever say: you are My Son, today I have begotten You?” At what point did these things take place? If you back up to Hebrews 5:3-4, the writer of Hebrews tells us that it was when Jesus purged our sins and sat down at the right hand of God. Again, we are told it was at Christ’s resurrection. This was when the anointed received the inheritance of the Lord and began to rule. And this is the point of Psalms 2:8-9.

In Psalms 2:8, the anointed describes more of what the Father said to Him. “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.” This was the promise of the Father to His Son. When Jesus would live His life and give it as a perfect sacrifice and then resurrect, Jesus would sit on the throne and rule. This is what we just saw the writer of Hebrews describe. Paul said the same thing in 1 Corinthians 15:25 that Christ is reigning until all the enemies are put under His feet. I think we better understand the temptation that Satan was providing to Jesus in Matthew 4:8-10. Satan takes Jesus up to a very high mountain and shows Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Satan offers these things to Jesus if He will bow down and worship him. Satan is offering Jesus a way out of the suffering. Jesus is tempted to have these things without going through the humiliation and suffering of the cross. This is what Satan’s offer was all about. Yet, for us, Jesus rejected the temptation to become our Savior.

Christ crushes the enemies

Turning our attention back to Psalms 2:9 we read more of what the Father said to the anointed. The anointed will rule the nations with an iron scepter and dash them (his enemies, as seen in Psalms 2:1) into pieces. This imagery is also seen many times in the New Testament, most notably in the book of Revelation. In Revelation 19:15 we read, “Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” Here is a picture of the victorious Christ going out with His armies and destroying the enemies of God and His people. Revelation 12:5 says, “She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.” Here is another image used to show the power of Christ that Satan would try to crush. Finally, notice Revelation 2:26-27, “And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations–He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’–as I also have received from My Father;” If we read this carefully we will see the promise given to us. Christ is ruling with a rod of iron and dashing into pieces all the enemies. When we hold fast to the Lord, then we will also overcome our enemies, just as Jesus did. What a great promise to His children.

Heed the Warning (Psalms 2:10-12)

Be wise

As we return to the psalm, the final three verses are now a warning to all the people. The psalmist says to be wise and be warned. This is the outcome of standing against the Lord: enduring the Lord’s wrath and receiving a crushing from the Anointed Son. Wisdom would tell us to heed the one who rules and not to disobey. The outcome is clearly seen. The choice is ours to make.

Serve

The second point made by the psalmist is to serve. But notice how we are to serve: with fear. Further, we are to rejoice, but notice how: in trembling. We must serve with these realities in mind. While we can have great rejoicing in being children of God, we must always remember that the wrath of God still exists. We must remember that Christ will crush His enemies. We must make sure we are on the right side and not found to be an enemy of the Lord. We must become a servant in the court of our King, Jesus Christ, or else we are the enemy.

Kiss the Son

Finally, the psalmist says to kiss the Son. This is an act of homage and reverence, as kissing the hand of a king. So we are to have reverence for who He is. It is important that we never lose sight of our position before the king. We are simply the servants who can be quickly removed. We do not deserve to be in His court, but are in His presence by His gracious kindness and mercy. Those who will not pay homage and will not serve him will face the Lord’s anger and be destroyed. God will destroy those who go down their own path and refuse to walk in the way of the Lord. Psalms 2:12 also reminds us of the fierce anger of the Lord. The psalm then concludes with a description of the blessed. Remember when we studied Psalm 1 that the word “blessed” means “a fullness and deep peace and joy in life.” Blessed are those who find refuge in the Lord. Those who put their trust in God will find hope and salvation offered from the Father and His anointed.

PSALM 2

EXPOSITION

This psalm is obviously and confessedly Messianic. The word messiah of course means “anointed”—whether applied to David, Hezekiah, or Jesus of Nazareth. On what level this psalm is Messianic, whether on the lower or the higher level, remains to be seen; but Messianic it is, on its surface and down into its deepest depths. To ascertain its scope it must be carefully and correctly interpreted; and this at once raises the whole question of the Interpretation of Prophecy in general, and the exegesis of Messianic Prophecy in particular.

It is here assumed that much Scripture prophecy is typical, and therefore indirect; that is to say, that it first points to a type as foreshadowing some person or thing greater than itself. But it is not here assumed that there is no such thing as direct prediction, going straight to its mark without the intervention of a type: we do not know that, and must not take it for granted.

To apply these principles to this first Messianic psalm: let us by all means give preference to the supposition that this psalm is typically prophetic; and see whether that hypothesis will carry us satisfactorily through the whole psalm, doing justice to all its leading statements: statements in any case poetical, but not necessarily extravagant,—save, it may be, apparently so, when intended to go beyond the type to the antitype.

Now the most striking thing in this psalm is the concerted opposition of certain enemies to Jehovah and his Anointed One; and, next to that, the unique way in which that opposition is overthrown—by counter Divine Proclamation. Who is Jehovah’s Anointed One? It is David, or Hezekiah, or Jesus of Nazareth? Whoever he is, Divine Sonship as well as Messiahship is attributed to him. Whoever he is, his destiny includes the dominion of the world.

Doubtless, David in his time and degree was Jehovah’s Anointed One; but will the language of the psalm, as a whole, apply to him and find reasonable satisfaction in him? Or, if not in him, then in Hezekiah, or in both combined? But if the two combined—with any other scion of the royal house added to them—still fail to satisfy the outlook of the psalm,—then on what principle are we to be restrained from applying to Jesus of Nazareth the whole psalm, provided we can fairly show that it has been, or is now being, or will certainly yet be exhaustively fulfilled in him?

In point of fact, these two famous Hebrew monarchs do fit the terms of the psalm remarkably well—up to a point; and then completely fail to satisfy them. Both David and Hezekiah were triumphantly enthroned in Zion; both had enemies who were set aside or overthrown; and both had extensive dominion. Moreover, in a very singular way, both these kings answer to the statement, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee. For the “day” referred to can scarcely be an ordinary birthday; seeing that, save in high ceremonial, it is not customary solemnly to accost children on the day of their birth. Hence the probability is, that the “day” alluded to here is the day on which something took place comparable to a birth, so as to make such a speech appropriate. Now, certainly it might look rather magniloquent to say of David, that on the day when Nathan the prophet (2 Samuel 7) revealed to him the royal destiny of his descendants, to whom He—Jehovah—would become a “Father,”—that, on that very day, Jehovah virtually said, “Thou art my son! this day, by my supreme decree, have I begotten thee to this sonly, regal office.” It may; and yet there is something remarkable in it. Still more remarkable, when the representation is transferred to Hezekiah, who was raised up from the very gates of death to be more firmly than ever seated as king on Jehovah’s holy mountain. This, in all candour, must be confessed, even though we hesitate to say with Thirtle, O.T.P. 142: “The new life that was given to Hezekiah, simultaneously with the discomfiture of the Assyrian host, justifies these remarkable words—words of resurrection.” They are indeed words typical of resurrection!

But, with all this frankly admitted, it must be maintained that these and other incidents in the Davidic House are simply beggared by the language of the psalm. It is questionable whether the opening scene of the psalm found more than a partial realisation in either of the lives we have so far been considering; but, in any case, neither David nor Hezekiah asked and received universal dominion—which, however, is writ large on the psalm, and cannot be erased by any legitimate plea of poetic license. Besides, we shall probably do well to guard against bulking out and hardening the type in order to make it as large as the language, fairly interpreted, appears to indicate: in other words we must beware of assuming that the Spirit of Prophecy could not easily carry away the psalmist’s mind far beyond any type that was within range of his vision. Let us use types as helps and not as hindrances. We need have no craving to add to the letters of the typical alphabet; but the free Spirit of God may well be expected sometimes to combine those letters in unprecedented forms, and so spell out revelations which’ have never before been divulged.

If these things are so, then we must beware of inferring that because a clearly foretold event did not happen in the type, therefore it will not be fulfilled in the antitype; or that, seeing it is attenuated to mere shadow in the type, therefore it has no further significance. For example, the appearance of the semblance of a New Birth which we have detected in the life of David, and the still more striking semblance of a New Birth easily seen in the sickness and recovery of Hezekiah, should not blind us to the comparative feebleness of the fulfillment on either of these lines. David himself was not declared Jehovah’s Son by Nathan the prophet: neither did David, that we know of, ever say to Jehovah, in the gushing tide of the spirit of adoption, “Abba! Father!” It was, indeed, foretold that he should so address the Most High (Psalms 89:26); but we have no record that he ever actually did so. In like manner, there are circumstances which obviously enfeeble the fulfillment of the psalm in Hezekiah, who, for example, was Jehovah’s king in Zion for years before he passed under the shadow of death and resurrection: and who greatly as he loved Jehovah,—as he had much reason to love him,—yet never ventured to call him his Father, so far as the records show.

To go back from the centre of the psalm to its beginning, and remarking that it opens with the unmasking of a conspiracy between kings and nations against Jehovah and his Anointed,—why should we close our eyes to the plain fact, that the Assyrian invasion was not such a conspiracy, but merely one of the ordinary doings of an Oriental despot? Then, turning in the other direction from the centre of the psalm, and glancing forward to the iron sceptre that was to dash enemies to pieces like potters’ vessels,—ought we not to be quite sure of our ground before—even under guise of high-flown poetry—we conclude such absoluteness of rule to have been here encouraged in either David or Hezekiah?

On all hands, then, we see abounding indications that a Greater than either David or Hezekiah is here. And therefore we point with confidence to that Greater One as the Hero of this psalm. The conspiracy of the Nations—though it may have been often attempted—has not yet been brought to a head; and, although the Heir to the Throne has appeared, and been saluted as Divine Son on the day of his literal Resurrection (Acts 13:30-32), yet has he not at present been installed on Jehovah’s holy mount of Zion. When he is brought forth from his hiding-place in heaven (Colossians 3:3, Acts 3:21) then the kings and judges of the earth will need show all their prudence; for, assuredly, the iron scepture that will appear in his hand will be no meaningless symbol, but will stand for what it naturally means,—absolute, resistless physical force, which is far more fittingly entrusted to immortal hands than to mortal. Yes! this psalm is Messianic; but on the higher level. The astounding pledge already given by the literal resurrection of the Messiah from the dead, assures us that in due time the entire psalm, in all its length and breadth, will be amply fulfilled, not as mere grandiloquent speech, but in commensurate and therefore amazing facts.

We are indebted to Delitzsch for calling attention to the obvious but much overlooked circumstance, that those kings and counsellors who are discovered in rebellion when the psalm opens, have already come under obligation to Jehovah and to his Anointed One. They are already under the restraints of duty to Jehovah and to his Christ; since it is under those restraints that they turn restive, against those restraints that they rebel.

There is food for thought here. Indeed, we are so impressed with the possibility of framing out of this element in the psalm an eirenicon which may be welcomed by expositors who have differed among themselves as to the character and incidence of the Messiah’s predicted kingdom, that we pause here just long enough to remind ourselves that, although Prophecy (if it have any definiteness in its inception) cannot need to await fulfillment before it takes on a reliable meaning, yet may most naturally and legitimately assume a clearer and yet clearer intention as fulfillment advances.

To apply this thought: It follows that, if Jesus of Nazareth is the Anointed One of this psalm; and if the day of his resurrection was the day of his being begotten to their Heirship of the Davidic dynasty; then it may be reasonably anticipated that, whether fulfillment has lingered or has greatly advanced since Jesus rose from the dead,—at least we ought to begin to see our way more and more clearly as to how to interpret the Messianic Prophecies as a class.

It is just at this point that Delitzsch’s simple and obvious reminder flashes like a beacon-light across the troubled waters of Messianic Interpretation. The movements of our labouring oar are facilitated by the following encouraging considerations:—Since this psalm was written (a) other similar ones have been penned, such as—notably—that strictly cognate psalm, the 110th, which may be expected to throw light on this; (b) a part fulfillment of this psalm has confessedly been witnessed in the Messiah’s Resurrection, and in the broad facts consequent on that outstanding event, such as his ascension to the right hand of God. (c) The notorious negative fact arrests our attention, that no one imagines that the Risen Messiah is now in any special sense reigning in and from Mount Zion in Palestine. Is it too much to hope that, by advancing on these lines, substantial progress in Messianic exegesis may be made?

(a) The very first helpful suggestion actually comes from Psalms 110. There we discover a link missing from this second psalm—that is, if we have but opened our eyes to miss it here, Clear as a sunbeam, it is written in Psalms 2 that Jehovah’s derision of the rebels there revealed simply consists in the announcement of an accomplished fact; which accomplished fact constitutes such a counter-movement to the conspiracy as to reduce it to ridicule—that, in a word, is how Jehovah in heaven laughs at this conspiracy: he has already taken a step which nullifies all the counsels of the grave men, all the stand of kings, all the gathering of the nations; he has already installed his King on Zion his holy mountain! The implication is: That Zion’s King will make decisive work with the conspirators! And the further implication is: That the rebels little dreamed how Heaven was prepared to deride their plot. And yet all the while, beforehand, these selfsame conspirators had been bound by the bands and cords of obligation to Jehovah and his Anointed One! How can this be explained?

Quite easily—taking Psalms 110 as our guide. It will be seen from our Exposition of that psalm, that we conclude its natural meaning to be, that the elevation of the Messiah to Jehovah’s right hand in heaven out of the midst of his enemies, and his session above, run on until he descends to his centre of subduing activity on Mount Zion. That explains everything; inasmuch as the seat of honour at Jehovah’s right hand is not a mere seat of honour, but a heavenly enthronement; David’s lord is seated at Jehovah’s right hand as jointly regnant with him. He is, as he himself expresses it (Revelation 3:21), sitting during all this waiting interval (Hebrews 10:13) on his Father’s throne. That fact unlocks the difficulty which just now appeared in the 2nd psalm. It is during the joint session of the Son with the Father in heaven that these kings, senators and nations were brought under those obligations to Jehovah and his Anointed One from which they ultimately desire to break loose.

All of which presents the current proclamation of the Gospel in a light which, if not new, is more widely illuminative than it has been deemed heretofore. It thus appears that the appointed current proclamation of “the Gospel of the Kingdom” of which we read in Matthew 24:14, not only serves as a testimony that earth’s rightful King is coming, but by its intrinsic force, as news of salvation to men, binds kings, senators and nations with “bonds” and “cords” from which they can by no means escape. Men may hear the Gospel or they may forbear; but they can never be quite the same as if they had not heard it. These kings and nations must have heard the Gospel; they must have heard the story of Crucified Love and of Death-Vanquishing Power; and been admonished to amend their ways, and their laws—to reign in righteousness—to undo heavy burdens—to educate their subjects for the Immortal Life. As the result of Antichrist’s seductions, however, they grow tired of these restraints, and they rebel. The conspiracy into which they enter comes to a head before the Divine Installation of a King in Zion is known. The announcement of that startling fact—that is how Jehovah will laugh at them. Well may they be admonished to beware, and show their prudence.

The discerning will not fail to perceive how essential a part is played in the above interpretation by the assumption that, in the Psalms, Zion means Zion—the earthly Zion, a part of and frequently synonymous with the historical city Jerusalem. It is on the strength of this assumption that, in the second psalm, it could be supposed that the same rebels as were aware of the Messiah’s heavenly reign on the throne of the Father, and so had come under allegiance to Jehovah and his Anointed,—in that sense and to that degree,—were at the same time and up to that moment unaware that Jehovah had now recently installed his Christ on his holy hill of Zion. It is the absolute difference between the two enthronements which renders it possible for men to have been rendering nominal homage to the one, and yet be in absolute ignorance of the other. It is the sudden announcement of the earthly enthronement, which renders their conspiracy an object of Divine derision. Accustomed to do as they pleased in governing or misgoverning their subjects, fearless of eternal issues to be tried before an invisible throne, they are suddenly confronted by a counter Divine movement, evidently and utterly subversive of their rebellious schemes, with the prospect of their being called to account by this newly installed monarch who wields an iron scepture and holds a commission where necessary to dash his enemies in pieces like a potter’s vessel. In like manner, the same assumption—that Zion in the Old Testament means the earthly Zion—is vital to our exegesis of Psalms 110. It is that, and that only, which resolves Psalms 2:1 of that psalm into an invitation to the Messiah to come out of the midst of his earthly enemies; and Psalms 2:2 into a commission to return into their midst, for the purpose of demanding their submission.

Under these circumstances, it is manifestly desirable that each reader should confront this question for himself, and if possible once for all settle it:—Is the Zion of the Psalms practically identical with the historical city of Jerusalem? The highest court of appeal is the usage of the name in the very book we are seeking to interpret. The name “Zion” occurs in the following places in the Psalter, namely:—Psalms 2:6, Psalms 9:11; Psalms 9:14, Psalms 14:7, Psalms 20:2, Psalms 48:2; Psalms 48:11-12, Psalms 50:2, Psalms 51:18, Psalms 53:6, Psalms 65:1, Psalms 69:35, Psalms 74:2, Psalms 76:2, Psalms 78:68, Psalms 84:7, Psalms 87:2; Psalms 87:5, Psalms 97:8, Psalms 99:2, Psalms 102:13; Psalms 102:16; Psalms 102:21, Psalms 110:2, Psalms 125:1, Psalms 126:1, Psalms 128:5, Psalms 129:5, Psalms 132:13, Psalms 133:3, Psalms 134:3, Psalms 135:21, Psalms 137:1; Psalms 137:3, Psalms 146:10, Psalms 147:12, Psalms 149:2. It would be unreasonable to expect that all these examples should be demonstrative as to the point at issue: it will suffice, to render the appeal conclusive, that (a) there should be no instances where plainly “Zion” cannot be identical with the earthly Jerusalem; and (b) that there should be a large number in which an alleged reference to a heavenly Zion would bring the Holy Scriptures into ridicule. This reference to a “heavenly” Jerusalem is suggested by a few allusions in the New Testament which name a Jerusalem which is so distinguished: as to which it is obvious to remark that the very term “heavenly” presupposes and earthly Jerusalem to which a contrastive allusion is made; and further that such qualifying term is never found in the Old Testament. The Psalms, in particular, know nothing of a Zion or a Jerusalem in heaven. It would seem like an insult to readers of ordinary intelligence to remind them of such decisive phrases as “Go about Zion,” “wherein thou didst make thy habitation,” “and his lair in Zion hath been placed,” “Zion heard and was glad,” “Thou wilt arise and have compassion upon Zion,” “Jehovah hath built up Zion,’ “turned the fortunes of Zion.” Plainly it is the earthly Zion that is intended; and it is fearlessly submitted that there is nothing demonstrative on the other side.

It will conduce to perfect fairness of exegesis, and at the same, time lead on to a becoming conclusion to our present study, to call attention to an attractive hortatory element in this psalm which it would be a misfortune to overlook. There is a gracious, subduing light which falls back on the earlier portions of the psalm from the closing stanza, in which the poet is led to fill the part of a kindly monitor. In the opening verses the mutterings of enemies are heard; then comes Jehovah’s counter-proclamation in tones of thunder, alarming in the last degree; the terror naturally caused by such a warning of wrath is seen to be abundantly justified when the Son rehearses his commission, which includes stern rule, in some cases at least issuing in utter destruction. Now, although it would be a very hasty exegesis to infer that none of the Son’s enemies will relent, or relenting and suing for mercy will notwithstanding be destroyed; yet it is most acceptable to perceive in the poet’s mind a yearning for the salvation of those who have been seen in imminent danger of rushing on to ruin. For that is clearly the spirit at work in the entire conclusion of the psalm; and when the peculiar perils of kings and senators are remembered—with few or none above them to represent and enforce Divine claims—it is especially grateful to us to recognise the wooing note which is directly addressed to them, entreating them to show prudence and accept of admonition. It reminds us of our own Scripture which assures us that God willeth all men to be saved—even though they are such as are “in eminent station.” wielding authority over us. But the Divine Father is, as our own Scriptures assure us, jealous of any withholding of worshipful honour from the Son of his Love; and we are therefore predisposed to value at its highest rendering the pointed appeal of Jehovah that such honour be accorded; and, moreover, to interpret the wrath looming against such as withhold it as the Father’s wrath; and the refuge into which they are pronounced happy who flee as the refuge which, according to the whole tenor of the Psalms, Jehovah is ready to become to all who seek refuge in Him.

Quietness Amid Troubles

Psalms 3:1-8

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Psalms 3 has been considered a psalm of “firsts” in many ways. The third psalm is the first that is ascribed to David. Though we noted the New Testament writers ascribed the second psalm to David, this is the first superscription within the psalm that speaks of David. This is also the first psalm that is related to an event in David’s life. In particular, the event surrounding the writing of this psalm is the fleeing from his son Absalom. The third psalm is also the first psalm of lament. Finally, this is also the first psalm that contains the word “selah.” In consideration of the word “selah,” we cannot state with absolute precision as to the meaning of this word. The general consensus is that this word probably meant for there to be a break or pause in the music. Others say that the word means to increase the volume and lift up the strain. Some suggest that the word is a direction to change the music to a higher pitch. In any event, it seems that this is simply musical notation or a marker and should not cause us to be distraught over the precise meaning of the word.

Next, we want to consider the background for the writing of this psalm. The account of David fleeing from his son Absalom is found in 2 Samuel 15-17. Absalom had stolen the hearts of the people away from David and created a conspiracy to usurp the throne. Absalom had sent spies throughout the tribes to bring support for his cause. Further, Absalom had taken control of some of the armies of Israel . The coup was so sudden that David, with a few of his trusted counselors, fled Jerusalem to preserve their lives. The scene is interesting in 2 Samuel 15:30, “So David went up by the Ascent of the Mount of Olives , and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went up.” We see some of the sorrow and anguish that David experienced since he had been run out of town by his own son. With this background in mind, let us read the third psalm.

Psalm 3

Psalms 3:1-2

As the psalm opens, we are reading about the problems of David. David begins with an exclamation to the Lord concerning the great number of his enemies and foes. The enemies of David have risen up against him. Things are so bad for this man who is after God’s own heart that many of the people are saying to him that God will not deliver him. We are able to read one instance of a person cursing David in 2 Samuel 16:6-8. As David is fleeing, he passes through the town of Bahurim . A man named Shimai comes out cursing David and says in 2 Samuel 16:7-8, “Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man, you scoundrel! The Lord has brought upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the Lord has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are caught in your own evil, because you are a bloodthirsty man!” This is just one instance of the many that David describes who are saying that God is not going to deliver him. How depressing when those around us are suggesting that we are getting what we deserve! How difficult to hear people say that God is not going to help us out of our turmoil! This is certainly a unique situation, one that I do not believe any of us can say we have fully endured. I do not suppose that we have had the trial of running for our physical lives from the hands of our own children. However, I believe all of us can relate to the feelings that everywhere we turn, there are foes who are rising up against us. We have enemies on a more contemporary level. We have foes that stand against us at our place of work, with our families, and against our governments. There are times when we are put to the point of distress. During times of distress, David leaves us a good example: express your grief to God. We have the right to bring our grief and our turmoil before God. Thus David begins this psalm “O Lord” in his call to God concerning his difficult circumstance. God desires that we bring our problems to Him. Hebrews 4:16 tells us that we can go before the throne of grace to receive help in our time of need. David’s first reaction is correct and we ought to emulate that in our lives. When trouble comes, turn to God. When problems appear on every side, turn to the Lord. Make this our first response.

Psalms 3:3-4

David now speaks of the confidence that he has in the Lord. How is it possible as David is surrounded by his enemies that he is able to turn in confidence to the Lord? It seems clear that David is no longer focusing upon the woes he is facing, but now is focusing upon God. This was the fundamental difference in Numbers 13:31-33 in regard to the twelve spies. Why did ten say that they could not conquer the land? Because they were focusing on the enemies. Why did the two say that they could conquer the land? They were focusing on the power of God. Therefore David expresses three great things that God was for David.

You are a shield. First, David says that the Lord is his shield. In the midst of trouble, David has something to protect him, a shield. Shields do not carry as much imagery for us today with our modern warfare, but this was a necessary piece of defense when going to battle. The shield was for protection from whatever the enemy threw at you. Further, we need to see that the Lord’s shield is such that it fully surrounds the person of God. With the shield of God, there are no parts that are left exposed. Thus, David says that the Lord is a shield all around him. We know that we have to put on the shield of faith which can quench the fiery darts of Satan (Ephesians 6). But we may not have considered that our shield is also effective against our enemies. Our shield is effective in the midst of trials. We will not suffer utter ruin with the Lord as our shield. While the physical body may suffer and we may lose things near and important to us, we cannot lose that which is of utmost importance: God. Romans 8:39 tells us that there is absolutely nothing that can separate us from the love of Christ. We are protected. We have a shield.

You are my glory. Some translations capitalize the word “my” suggesting that the glory is referring to the Lord, and thus David is giving the Lord the name, “My glory.” However, I do not believe this to be the case. Remember that the translators are “supposing” when they capitalize pronouns in reference to God. The original manuscripts do not have such notations. I believe David is saying that the Lord is his glory. Though David is suffering the loss of the kingdom at this point, he still finds his glory in the Lord. David is suffering ridicule and cursings by his very subjects. But David does not find his glory in the words of man. True glory is only found in the Lord. We worry far too much about the glory of man and do not care enough about the glory of God. We can be so concerned about what others are saying and what others think about us. But these things amount to nothing. The glory of God is all that matters, and it is what can and must sustain us.

You lift up my head. David now describes what God is able to do for the downcast. This is a picture of being in utter despair such that one’s head hangs low. We all know what that feeling is when we simply hang our head and sigh. But God can lift up our heads. Hebrews 12:3-4 says, “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.” We must remember that while our sufferings are difficult, they truly are small. We have not resisted to bloodshed. We have not suffered for the name of Christ as we see Christ and his first century disciples suffering. It is a momentary affliction. I have personally endured difficult times when my parents divorced. I had a lot of suffering in high school concerning all the issues and realities that it brought. It changed how life would be for all the days that I will know. But I realize that even though this stripped me away from my father and means that there are problems every time I return to California and I have issues with trying to have equal visitation, these things do not matter when compared to the sufferings of Christ. I must always remain focused that I have not and will not endure more than what Christ has endured for me. I must be ready to face the challenge every day. One of the reasons that David gives for having confidence in the face of his foes is that the Lord is answering his prayers. David knows that his cries are being heard by the Lord and that he will receive an answer. This is true confidence and trust in the Lord. To know that though invisible, God is listening and will respond. David has complete faith in God to rescue him.

Psalms 3:5-6

In the midst of all this trouble and fleeing for his life, David says that he is able to lie down and sleep. Though there are the tens of thousands that have drawn up against David, he is still able to lie down and sleep. How is that possible? When we are in the midst of turmoil, sleep is often the thing that alludes us. We lie awake at night, tossing and turning, as we ponder the problems that we are dealing with. For David, we would expect anxiety and worry to seize him during this time. Anxiety for his own life, sorrow for his son who has driven him out, and many other things would be running through David’s mind. David says that these things are possible because the Lord sustains him. In a very subtle way, we are reading about the confidence that David placed in the Lord to bring him through to the next day. David had confidence that he could go to sleep and God would bring him to another day.

But it is not just about having protection while he slept. David says that the Lord sustains him. This is not a commonly used word in our language today. However, we understand the meaning when we see this word in light of a word that we use more frequently, “sustenance.” When we speak of sustenance, we are usually talking about the things that keep us alive, like food and water. While on the run, it is the Lord that is giving the sustenance to David. The Lord is what is keeping David going. The ability to see the Lord as the one who sustains us through difficulties and will pull us through to the other side is so important for the Christian. We must always have the knowledge that God is in control and will bring about what needs to be done in our lives. David, in so many instances, would not kill Saul because Saul was the Lord’s anointed, though David was running for his life from him. Why didn’t David just take matters into his own hands? He had the firm belief and confidence that God would work all of these things out. And now, here, in this situation as well. Absalom his son has seized the throne. But David had confidence that the Lord’s will would be accomplished. If David was to remain king on the throne, then that is what would happen. God would do it. If this was not God’s plan, then David would go along with that as well. This is an important characteristic to be one who is a person after God’s own heart. We must be people who are fully trusting in what God is doing in our lives. The willingness to accept the circumstances and know that the end result will be a place that God will have us to be. I am fairly certain that if it were not for the divorce in my family, I would not have found my wife whom I love, I would not be in Florida , and I would not be preaching. Through turmoil, God had a direction and purpose laid out for me. We must always trust in the Lord, for He will sustain us.

Psalms 3:7-8

David concludes his psalm with the cry for deliverance. There is a cry of confidence as he asks for deliverance, for Psalms 3:4 states that he knows God is answering his prayer. The words of David actually appear to be a cry of war. Recall that during the wilderness wandering of the children of Israel , the people would be led by a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. When it was time to stop, the cloud would stop and rest upon the ark of the covenant. When it was time to walk, the cloud would rise up from the ark and lead the people. Notice Numbers 10:35, “Then it came about when the ark set out that Moses said, ‘Rise up, O Lord! And let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You.’” David is requesting a call to action and victory of the Lord. Rise up and scatter the enemies! This was the cry of the Israelites as they marched to the promised land. David uses this language here as a call for God leading the way to victory and deliverance. In these verses, not only do we see a cry for deliverance, but we also see a cry for justice. David says “break the teeth of the wicked.” Those who stand against the Lord’s plan will be broken by God. Those who will be an enemy of the Lord will by struck down by the Lord. David asks for that to happen now to his enemies. David concludes his psalm by noting that deliverance and salvation only come from the Lord. There is no other place to turn to if we desire to have deliverance from what we are enduring. Salvation and deliverance belong to the Lord. Then David prays for the people, desiring God’s blessing to be upon them as well. David is not only concerned about his own well-being, but he is also desiring good and righteousness to be with the people of God. Thus concludes the third psalm.

Final Lessons

Focus upward

In the midst of problems and troubles, the first place to turn is to the Lord. It is time to immediately stop all that we are doing and pray to the Lord. These are the first two words of the psalm, “O Lord.” Turn our attention to the Lord and tell him what is going on. Notice that David describes what his situation is to the Lord. We also need to express what we are enduring and the help we seek to God as well. When it seemed that everyone stood against him and the people declared that it would not be possible for the Lord to deliver him now, David turned to the Lord for deliverance and salvation. We make a faulty move when our first step is not to embrace the Lord and draw closer to Him.

Focus outward

Further, in the midst of problems we are not allowed to become self-centered people. This is usually the route that we take when we are suffering. We no longer pay attention to anyone else because we are wrapped up in our own troubles. But David’s prayer is not all about himself. He is also praying for the interests of God’s people in the middle of this turmoil. Remember the turmoil that the people of Israel are enduring as David is made to flee and Absalom has seized the throne. David remembers his people and prays for their blessing. We must make sure that we continue to be outward looking people, even in the midst of troubles. It is easy to become consumed in our own problems and wallow in the mire of self-pity. But our Lord did not teach us to seek the interests of others before ourselves if we do not have our own troubles. If he had, we would never have to fulfill this command, because each of us will always have troubles to one degree or another. Instead of focusing on ourselves, focus on God and focus upon helping and serving others. Seeing other people’s troubles and helping them not only will take our minds off our own mess, but will also make us realize that we may not being doing so badly after all.

Focus on the outcome

Finally, we also need to look at the bigger picture and see the final outcome. Though things seemed to be the darkest for David at this time, he looked to the end result for confidence. He had trust that God would deliver him from his enemies. We also need to try our best to pull ourselves out of the depths of the situation and see that there is an outcome that we can endure. There is deliverance that can be found in the Lord. The Lord demands our trust in Him and will test us to see if we are people after God’s own heart. Have confidence that the Lord will provide.

PSALM 4

EXPOSITION

This is the first psalm ascribed to David, and it well sustains Thirtle’s theory of the joint-authorship of the Psalter; which maintains that Hezekiah freely utilised the work of his famous ancestor David, adapting it to the service of the Temple in his own day; but taking care, while himself remaining anonymous, to do homage to David whenever any material portion of a psalm had come down from the father of Hebrew Psalmody. To start with the assumption that this psalm was not at all from David, is not only to pay wanton disregard to the literary headline embodying a tradition which has come down from time immemorial, but is to miss the exquisite fitness between David’s known circumstances and all the earlier portion of this psalm. On the other hand, to infer that David must have composed the whole of the psalm as it now stands, is to bring ourselves into trouble before we reach the end. With David in mind as author, all is well up to the stirring outcry which opens Psalms 3:7; but then we get into perplexity; for the next line either announces a sudden victory (surely!) in which case it is incredible that no anxiety for the safety of Absalom should have been betrayed; or (with ki as “For”) it brings up past deliverances as a plea for present rescue, of which allusion the language contains no trace, and it is extremely unlikely, to say the least, that the writer would come so near to the contradiction of pleading, “O save! for thou hast saved!” without inserting some little word determining the accomplished salvation to the past. This perplexity is removed the instant we detect here Hezekiah’s adapting hand; since every line of the final stanza suits the overthrow of the Assyrians. David, in no case, could very well have written, “Thou has smitten all my foes,” without adding, “heretofore;” whereas Hezekiah, on receiving news of Sennacherib’s overthrow, could write in the conviction that he had no other enemies to fear; and, moreover, if there is any fitness in the word “lawless” (cp. Psalms 1:1, note) to point to foreigners, then that is the very work Hezekiah would be likely to employ.

Thus released from all embarrassment respecting authorship, we are in a position to appreciate to the full the encouraging, yea even inspiring, spectacle of lofty confidence with which the lately fallen but now spiritually restored monarch—the hero of so many triumphs and the singer of so many songs—now faces the sore chastisements which confront him in the thorny path of discipline which he must henceforth for a long time tread. God has had mercy upon him; has restored to him the joys of his salvation; has renewed to him the gift of his ennobling Spirit. He is inwardly a new man: has had granted to him Divine healing. Hence he is now again a strong man. He can by faith behold Jehovah about him as a shield. He stands erect: his Divine Supporter has lifted up his head. The God whose ark he has dutifully sent back to Jerusalem is already, as by angels’ mouths, sending him answers of peace from his holy mountain. And, thus sustained, he soundly sleeps; and, refreshed, rises without fear to confront the myriads of Israel who have been led astray into rebellion.

We can imagine Hezekiah’s muse poising itself on that outburst of supplication from the pen of his ancestor, Arise, Jehovah! save me O my God!—lingering over it, as still most suitable to himself ere yet Assyria’s power in the land was broken; and perhaps wondering how much of the original closing stanza could be saved from oblivion: when further uncertainty was obviated by the decisive rebuke of the great Eastern Power; and two good lines remain to weave into his own climax. David first and then Hezekiah would be ready to own—

To Jehovah belongeth salvation;

and both alike—nobly caring for the flock of Jehovah’s pasturing—would be prepared, with a full heart, to exclaim—

On thy people be thy blessing!

Thus we need not deny ourselves the pleasure of repeating the delightful words in which Ewald and Delitzsch unite to honour David:—

“As in olden times, he still bears his people upon a loving, interceding heart. He commiserates those who have been led astray, without being angry with them. Distinctions vanish altogether from his mind when he prays for the nation as a whole. The one concluding expression of the psalm—remarks Ewald—throws a bright light into the depths of his noble soul.”

Resolving Personal Conflicts

Psalms 4:1-8

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

As you turn to Psalms 4, I would like for you to consider a little background concerning this psalm. Many have termed Psalms 3, 4 as morning and evening psalms. The reason for this designation is that in the third psalm we read “I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.” In the fourth psalm we read “in peace I will both lie down and sleep.” Therefore, some have suggested Psalms 3 as useful for when one arises from sleep and Psalms 4 when one goes to sleep. Further, some have made a connection between Psalms 3, 4 to the point of suggesting that the fourth psalm is a continuation of the third psalm. However, this connection seems to be arbitrary and merely the speculation of scholars. Further, the appeals that we read in Psalms 4 do not fit with the scene of David running for his life from Absalom. We will notice this to be the case when we begin the study of the text. The heading we are given is that this psalm was to be given to the director of music to be played upon stringed instruments. This is merely the notation of how the psalm was to be when used in worship. The inscription does not describe a connection to the previous psalm. The only connection that we are given is that the author is the same, who is David.

Appeal to God (Psalms 4:1)

Calling to God

David begins with a declaration to the Lord to answer his prayer. This is not a selfish demand that David is placing upon the Lord. It is the cry of confidence that the Lord will respond to the requests he is making. As we look at the psalm we are able to see that David is writing this psalm because of some trouble in his life. However, it does not appear to be the trouble like we read about in the third psalm. In the third psalm we read David pleads for physical deliverance. However, in this psalm, the trouble David is experiencing is more on a personal level. We have a conflict between persons, and David is in need of resolution of these personal problems. Therefore David begins to fix the personal conflicts through prayer. David immediately turns to the Lord and asks Him to answer him.

This first verse (Psalms 4:1) is the foundation of the movement of the psalm. The foundation upon which David makes his appeal is that he has full confidence that God will answer him. This is fundamental to our faith and is an anchor for us in our lives. If we are unsure whether God will answer our prayer, then we have no hope nor reason for faith. To have doubt in prayer destroys the very groundwork for growing and building up in Jesus Christ. According to James 1:6-8, the person that asks the Lord doubting cannot suppose to receive anything from the Lord. We have reason for confidence that the Lord will answer our prayers. James concludes his letter by saying that the prayer of the righteous is powerful and avails much (James 5:16 ). Jesus repeatedly taught His disciples to continue in prayer, for the Father wants to give to His children (Luke 18:1-8; Matthew 6; Mark 11:24 ). Thus, we must begin with a confidence that the Lord desires to answer our prayers.

Three Appeals to God

–Appeal for relief. David begins his appeals to the Lord by first asking for relief. You may remember the old Rolaids commercial that asked the question, “How do you spell relief.” The answer was the spelling of Rolaids, R-O-L-A-I-D-S. These antacids are advertised as the real solution to bad heartburn. We can see also how David spelled relief from the problems of personal conflicts: P-R-A-Y-E-R-S. David found relief through his prayers to the Lord. Prayer is the real solution to personal troubles. We so often begin at the wrong place when resolving personal problems. We think that we are following the plan of the scriptures by going to the person and trying to talk it out or we bring in other people to help to mediate the conflict. But these are not the first things to do. The first thing that must always take place is prayer. In Matthew 7:3-5 Jesus gave the warning about looking at the speck in another’s eye and not removing the log that is in our own eye. Remember the admonition in Matthew 7:5 : “Hypocrites, first take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” How can we get our own log out first? Only through talking to the Lord. In the midst of personal conflicts we can believe that we are so right, and yet we are the one who is wrong and fail to see the big log of problems in ourselves that may be causing these conflicts. It is sad how often we think problems are everyone else’s fault and that we are not the cause. To make sure we are not the cause, we need to humbly open our hearts before God for an examination. The appeal for relief begins in prayer.

–Appeal for mercy. David requests that the Lord show favor and pity upon him while he is enduring the conflicts. We must pray for mercy for ourselves because of how we may have caused the problems to grow worse. We must pray for mercy for the one who it seems to us is causing the problems in our lives. We must pray for mercy so that God will intervene and help us in our situation. We all need mercy and before we start asking for judgments, let us also remember that we have not been perfect ourselves.

–Appeal for righteousness. David then makes an appeal for righteousness. David makes this appeal at the beginning “answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness.” There is always the ability for us to pray to God for Him to act out of His righteousness. When there is wrongdoing and evil that is being done, we can pray for things to be made right. But notice carefully that the description of righteousness is not given to God in this verse, though He is righteous. David describes his own righteousness. David makes his appeal based upon his innocence. This is not a power struggle between two evils. David, after searching his heart, is praying for an answer and help because he has been innocent and justified in the things he has done. Thus we began our study that we must always consider ourselves before we consider the acts of others. David proclaims his innocence before the Lord.

Appeal to the Enemies (Psalms 4:2-5)

The problem (Psalms 4:2)

David now turns his appeal to those who are the cause of his problems and conflicts. In verse 2 we see the problem verbalized more clearly. There are two problems that David addresses that his enemies are involved in which have caused these conflicts. First, David says that they are turning his honor into shame. This is a personal attack upon David. David is dealing with his reputation and his dignity being turned into shame and disgrace. I do not believe that any of us are exempt from enduring such attacks. From time to time there are those who call into question our motives and our reputation. Those who are against David are seeking to destroy his reputation in an effort to destroy the person. How were they doing this? They were destroying his reputation by loving vain words and seeking after lies. This is the second cause of the conflicts that David is involved in. These enemies of David are more interested in spreading lies and rumors about him than in honoring him for who he is as king and the righteousness he is performing. How bad it is when our reputations are ruined by our own foolish acts! How much worse it is when our reputations are destroyed based upon lies and empty words! Now we are exposed to the heart of the problem. David is not being attacked as we saw in the last psalm when Absalom went to war against him. David is being attacked with words concerning his reputation. Perhaps this is the worst attack of all that we can endure.

We need to see the pure evil of heart that is required for one to try to destroy one’s reputation through lies and empty words. Further, we need to see the devastating effects that such an assault has upon a person. How dare anyone participate in such evil acts! Christians are some of the most susceptible to this problem because we have a trust with one another through which we have opened ourselves up. When we use the information that we know about one another to hurt and destroy another intentionally or unintentionally, we have committed the gravest of sins. We better never dare say a slanderous word against another person. If Michael the archangel would not slander the devil, then we better not dare consider such words against another of God’s creation (Judges 1:9).

Know this: you will be targeted because of godliness

Instead of flying into a fit of rage or taking a victim mentality and having a pity party, David now is going to do what he can to take care of this situation. David says that there is something that he and his enemies must know and remember. We must know that the Lord has set apart the godly for Himself. Why is this useful knowledge? Those who are set apart will be targets because of their godliness. Peter made mention of this in 1 Peter 4:4, “In regard to this, they are surprised that you don’t plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation–and they slander you.” Before we get overly worked up about the personal problems that we are involved in, we must remember that we are going to endure these things because of our righteousness. In fact, following in the footsteps of Jesus will lead others to slander us. Consider the amount of slander Jesus and Paul endured because of their righteous acts! We must know that because we are set apart and God hears us that we will be slandered.

Act: be angry and do not sin

David now states that for all “be angry and do not sin.” This is an important principle that Paul would reiterate in Ephesians 4:26. I believe we see David making a two-fold admonition. First, we must understand this principle as David applied it to his enemies. David tells his enemies that they may be angry at him and his relationship as king and his relationship with God. But that is not a reason to plunge themselves into sins. David teaches them to offer sacrifices of righteousness and to put their trust in the Lord. Instead of having people jealous and angry about what we have going for us, we can help point people in the right direction. Tell them what they can do to have the same successes. How is it that I am growing in knowledge in the scriptures? Only through hours and hours of study, not by any intellect or magical pills. You too can have the same knowledge through the study of God’s word. David is telling his enemies that they can be blessed as well if they will put their trust in the Lord. This reminds me of God’s words to Cain, who had been angry toward Abel because his brother’s sacrifice was accepted while his was not. What was the thrust of God’s words? You can do the same thing as your brother. Offer right sacrifices and put your trust in the Lord and you will be accepted also. We can help people overcome so they can also enjoy the blessings of God.

But I also believe that this statement “be angry and do not sin” can also be applied to the one who has been wronged. Though we are in the middle of conflict with people falsely slandering us, we do not have the right to commit sin ourselves. We cannot have a reactionary attitude that because this person did something, I will do something to him. While we can be angry at the evil that is being perpetrated against us, we cannot allow that to lead us to sin. Consider the example of Jesus who, though falsely accused and slandered, did not retaliate. He accepted His condemnation though it was false. We must live according to this example though we suffer through personal conflicts.

Appeal to Self (Psalms 4:6-8)

Let the light of the Lord’s face shine upon you

In Psalms 4:6 we see that there are many who say, “who will show us good?” The word “any” or “some” is not in the original manuscripts and can lead us to a false understanding of this passage if we are not careful. What I believe we are reading is the pity party that some people throw for themselves when this kind of personal adversity comes along. Some people will claim that there is no one who will show them good. They believe that everyone is against them and that everyone is out to harm them. But David issues a reminder to those who feel this way. “Let the light of your face shine upon us.” Instead of focusing on what our enemies are saying against us, we must focus our attention upon using our time for the Lord. We can spend the rest of our lives answering our critics, working to change public opinion, and trying to please those who slander us. But we will be unsuccessful. We will always have someone who has an unwarranted bad attitude toward us. Our own proverbs say that those who try to please everyone please no one. Instead, we need to focus on pleasing God and let God take care of the rest. Look at how God has shed His light upon us. Count the blessings that He has given us today. Look for the good things that God is doing in our lives to help overcome those who slander us.

Joy in our heart

One of the things we need to look at is the joy that God has given us. It is so easy to lose sight of the joy and pleasures of being a child of God. David makes a comparison between the joy the child of God has in the Lord and what the ungodly have in their grain and wine. The joy that God puts into our hearts from serving Him is greater than the joy from the pleasures of this life.

I wonder if we agree with that statement. Do we find more pleasure in the spiritual things of God than the physical pleasures of this world? If we answer no, then we have not changed ourselves to be in the likeness of God and are still clinging to the old man of sin. Why are the pleasures of the earth not as great as the pleasures of God? I believe there is one obvious answer: duration. Name any pleasure that you receive in physical things, whether they are sinful or not, and consider how long your pleasure lasts in such things. For a time we receive joy in eating, but it is lost. For a time we have joy in our purchases like our new cars, but they become mundane. Everything of this earth has passing joy and pleasure. Only the spiritual things of God continue to have a lasting joy and pleasure. We must make an effort to retrain and renew our minds to seek after the pleasures of God, and we will find that it is these pleasures that will give our lives meaning. To teach someone you know and see him become a Christian is one of the greatest joys I have experienced that is unmatched and unrivaled. The joy of discovering another precious truth from God’s word that I had not known before and had found on my own gives me great joy. These are the types of things that you and I can find true joy in if we will train ourselves in these things.

Peace from the Lord

David finally mentions the peace that we have in our Lord. When the world does not make sense and things seem to spiral out of our control, we can still have peace to lie down and sleep because of our confidence in the Lord. I believe this psalm has now come full circle. David began this psalm with the confidence in the Lord to answer his prayer. We have seen a multitude of emotions that will be experienced when enduring such personal conflicts. Yet, in the end, we can still lay down and rest because God gives us inner peace. While the outer may be full of conflicts, we can still have inner peace. Philippians 4:7 says, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Colossians 3:15 says, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” The godly have a security that others do not have. The tranquility we need is not going to be found in self-help books, Dr. Phil and other pop psychology television shows, or even in those who are close to us. The peace that passes understanding that will guard our hearts comes from God alone. Despite the turmoil, God is still with you and will help see you through the situation.

Conclusion:

I hope we see that how David handled the adversity of the slander of his enemies is not how people today would tell us to take care of the problem. People today will tell us to take things into our own hands, to strike with retribution, or any of a myriad of things to do. But David shows us how to handle this adversity. Prayer and knowledge goes a long way in serving the Lord. Turn to God first in prayer. Turn inwardly and make sure that we are living righteously and innocently. Expect to be targeted by others because we are godly. See the light of God’s face through the joy and peace He brings to us which is greater than our conflicts.

PSALM 4

EXPOSITION

The presumption is that David wrote this psalm, and that he intended it for evening worship; but on what occasion did he write it, and for whom? Did he write it for himself, when yet fleeing from Absalom, as some suppose; or did he write it for a Levite for ordinary evening worship, as the subscribed line suggests?

It is perhaps not an unnatural supposition that as David wrote the previous psalm, which, in fact, whether so intended or not, comes out well as a morning prayer; therefore he wrote this psalm also as an evening prayer, soon after, under similar circumstances, in fact while yet fleeing from before his rebellious son. Now while the grounds for such a conclusion are very slight, still, if the contents of the psalm had decidedly favoured it, we might have accepted it:—but do they? It is submitted that they do not; and the more obviously that this psalm on its own merits is fitted for evening worship, the more is that circumstance alone sufficient to account for its position here, quite apart from the precise circumstances that gave it birth.

Is it likely that David would compare his escape from Jerusalem to a deliverance from a narrow place into one of more ample room (Psalms 4:1)? Is it likely that he would imply that Absalom’s partizans were composed of the great men of the nation (Psalms 4:2)? Is it likely that he would advise rebels on the march to reflect on their beds before further committing themselves (Psalms 4:4)? Is it likely that, merely because the Levitical services were left going in Jerusalem, he would advise conspirators to sacrifice sacrifices of righteousness and trust in Jehovah (Psalms 4:5)? And, finally, is it likely that he would represent Absalom’s men as revelling in an abundance of corn and new wine, while he, the rightful king, was acting the poor pilgrim, “beggar’s staff” in hand (Psalms 4:7)? The extreme unlikelihood that David would do any of these things, emboldens us to decline such an hypothesis of origin, even though sustained by all the eloquence of Professor Delitzsch.

As soon, however, as we entertain the other account of origin suggested, every step in our inquiry deepens our impression in its favour.

David, as we know, was in deepest sympathy with the Levites as a tribe; and after he discovered how he had neglected them in his first essay to bring up the ark to Jerusalem, he took care to assign them the place of honour to which their calling as a tribe entitled them. And when we see him dancing before the ark in a linen ephod we are led to regard him as a Levite in spirit, wanting only the name and the formal appointment. If, therefore, the Levites came to feel their need of an evening psalm, and revealed their want to David, we may be sure that they would readily secure the services of his harp and of his muse.

Turning now to the subscribed line of the psalm and discovering there words which, when properly deciphered and rendered, refer to Inheritances, we are at once reminded that Jehovah himself was the inheritance of the Tribe of Levi, and that he, by the bountiful provision which he made in the holy ritual connected with offerings and sacrifices, took care that this consecrated and peculiarly dependent tribe should not in vain look to him for their temporal supplies. (Cp. Numbers 18:20-24, Deuteronomy 10:9; Deuteronomy 18:2, Joshua 13:14; Joshua 13:33, Psalms 132:9; Psalms 132:16.) We have only to add to this the great truth, attested by Numbers 3:11; Numbers 3:13; Numbers 3:45, that the tribe of Levi was by express Divine appointment a representative tribe, in order to realise how certainly and how fully the Levites as a class were an ideal tribe. All the godly in Israel were, by calling, Jehovah’s hasidhim, or men of kindness; but the Levites were officially this, and it was peculiarly their duty and privilege to keep all Israel in mind of this their high calling to represent among men the essential kindness of their God. If, therefore, we may assume that the two kinds of inheritance would naturally combine in one celebration,—namely the inheritance of the Levites in Israel, and the inheritance of Israel among the nations,—and one evening song would blend two such congenial memories, then nothing would be more becoming than that the Levites should have and should sustain in the Temple service just such an anthem of praise as this.

The more narrowly we examine this psalm, so subscribed, the more admirably do we find it fitted for such a purpose.

The Levite proclaims that his right is in Jehovah, who has made room for him in Jerusalem, although he has given him no landed estate among his brethren of the other tribes. His peculiar position exposes him to especial trials; and, among them is his liability to be taunted for his poverty and dependence by the insolent rich. These are apt to turn the glory of his position into a reproach. He would, therefore, have such lovers of emptiness, such seekers of falsehood, know that the great principle of Divine kindness of which his tribe is the embodied representative has been made wonderful by Jehovah: who will assuredly now hearken to his evening prayer. Indeed he seems to be already possessed of an answer: counselling him when deeply moved by the taunts of the wealthy to beware of the sin of dissatisfaction and envy: let him, therefore, school his mind to contentment in the silence of the wakeful midnight hour, as he lies on his lonely bed; let him do his duty when offering sacrifice for himself and for the sins of his people; and so let him direct his trust unto Jehovah. To this answer, he gratefully responds. Having observed how multitudes in their prayers when offering their temple-gifts, appear with all their possessions, to be harassed by adversity and hoping for better times; having noticed also the gladness of his clients when their corn and their new wine have increased; he acknowledges that Jehovah has put into his heart a deeper and more lasting joy than any which the wealthy have experienced. Thus refreshed in spirit, at peace with God and with his fellow-men,—he lays him down to sleep in his temple-chamber,—in seclusion from the world—apart, it may be, from his loved ones in the distant Levitical city; but in conscious safety as he thus reposes under the very wings of the God of Israel. Thus concludes the Ideal Levite’s evening psalm.

Approaching God In Prayer

Psalms 5:1-12

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

How we approach God matters to Him. One of the lessons the Lord was trying to teach the people of Israel by having a special priesthood was that God desires His people to approach with holy hands and godly hearts. The book of Leviticus describes how the priests were to work in the presence of God. Thus, when Nadab and Abihu were killed for offering an unauthorized fire, one of the main lessons was that how we come to God matters.

In Psalm 5 we are able to see the characteristics God desires for us to have when we approach Him in prayer. Many times we can have a very flippant attitude in prayer. Many times prayer is an afterthought or merely a ritual around a dinner table. But to be able to enter into the presence of God and lay our petition at His feet, there are certain requirements that the Lord demands. This will be the thrust of our study this evening.

Before we begin examining the details of Psalm 5, I would like for us to notice the overall movement of the psalm. Psalm 5 moves in contrasts between the righteous request of David and the wicked enemies of God. This psalm consists of five stanzas which alternate between these contrasts. The first, third, and fifth stanzas show the psalmist standing face to face before God. The second and the fourth stanzas illuminate the contrast between God and the wicked and the righteous and the wicked. The title reveals that this is a psalm composed by David.

Our Spirit In Prayer (Psalms 5:1-3)

Urgency

The psalm immediately begins with a sense of urgency on the part of David. Notice in the first and second verses the words used by David: give ear, consider, and listen. To give ear has a literal meaning of “broadening the ear” as with the hand. The word “listen” literally means “to incline the ear.” Therefore, David is asking the Lord to perk up His ears to the things that David is about to say, if you will.

Prayer was important to David. David is not merely going through a prayer routine as he begins to speak to God. David has an intensity and urgency in his prayer. It is so important for us to move our prayers from the optional to the urgent. How often our prayers merely come from a sense of routine and not a sense of urgency. Yet it is this spirit of urgency that is needed in our prayers. When is the last time that we put our prayer to God with such urgency that we said “Give ear to my words, O Lord?” We have that right and ability to do so, yet how rarely we bring a zeal to the Lord concerning our requests. David shows us that to approach God in prayer, we ought to have intensity and not a prayer formula. In the New Testament, James refers to Elijah who “prayed earnestly” that it would not rain, and it did not (James 5:17-18). It is that kind of urgency that receives answered prayer.

Persistence

Further, we also see a persistency in the prayer David is bringing to God. Twice, in Psalms 5:3, we read that David prayed “in the morning.” David was not praying only on one morning. By David saying “in the morning” he was saying that he was praying every morning.

We have spent many lessons noting the various times Jesus taught the need for persistence in prayer. In Luke 18:1 we are told that Jesus “spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.” David shows us the example that we need to continue to ask of the Lord even when the answer is delayed. In our study of the psalms thus far, we have already seen the many desperate situations David found himself in. Yet David still relied upon prayer, repeatedly asking for the Lord to answer.

Expectation

The third verse ends with David saying that he will wait in expectation for an answer to his prayer. The NKJV says “and I will look up.” But this is not an entirely accurate rendering of the Hebrew. Instead, the Hebrew literally means “to look out, to be on watch.” Therefore we are presented with the image of David offering his prayer and then looking all around him for the answer. David is offering a prayer in faith and not in doubt.

This is another excellent example of the type of spirit we must have in prayer. Many times we have a spirit of hopelessness and not a spirit of expectation which the Lord is looking for. When we ask in doubt, we cannot expect to receive anything from the Lord. The Lord desires us to have the spirit of expectation when we approach the throne.

In noting these three characteristics of spirit in approaching God, one may notice that it is a contrast between a spirit of optimism and pessimism. If we have the positive outlook of expectation in prayer, we would be more persistent in prayer and our prayers would have more urgency. However, a pessimistic spirit toward God will not expect answered prayer and therefore will not be persistent and urgent in prayer. We must have an attitude change when approaching God in prayer.

Manner Of Prayer (Psalms 5:1-3)

Types of prayers

I would also like to notice the types of prayers that David says he has been uttering to God. In Psalms 5:1 David says, “give ear to my words.” This is the most common and most obvious form of prayer to the Lord. But we should notice that this is not the only way to offer prayer to God.

Notice also in Psalms 5:1 David says, “consider my sighing.” The word “sighing” also can mean “groaning,” as translated by the New American Standard Version. There are prayers that are a matter of our spirits groaning and sighing to God. We cannot muster the power to speak any words, but the agony is so strong that we simply turn to God and groan for help. God hears our groaning and sighing, showing all the more what kind of compassionate God we have.

In Psalms 5:2 we see that David is also crying to God. Our cries are heard by God as well. Those times of pain when tears flow so great that we would believe we could make a pool out of our beds, God hears. This reinforces our knowledge that God knows our suffering, our anguish, and our hurts, and hears and sees us in our times of struggle.

We learn that we can approach God even with pain that cannot be put into words. God does not hear us simply because we begin with “our Father in heaven” and close with “in Jesus’ name.” As we saw earlier, God hears when we approach with a righteous spirit.

Relationship with God

God also hears when we are in a right relationship with God. Notice that David does not speak of God as being in a third person relationship. In Psalms 5:2 David does not say that the Lord is king and is God. Such a statement would be a mere acknowledgement of the character of God. David, however, is describing the relationship he has with the Lord. David says that the Lord is “my King” and “my God.”

I am afraid that too many of us do not really have a relationship with God. The only connection that many have is simply through attendance on Sunday. When we do not have the feeling and knowledge of intimacy that God is really a Father for us, then we have not taken advantage of the spiritual blessings that are available. How poor we are when we have not brought the Lord on our side! We can deepen our relationship with God by surrendering ourselves to Him and continuing in prayer, study, and meditation.

Contrasting the Relationship of Wicked and Righteous

God does not hear the wicked (Psalms 5:4-6)

While David has the confidence of answered prayer, he recognizes that others who are outside the covenant relationship with God do not have these blessings. Notice how strong the Lord is against those who sin:

God takes no pleasure in evil (Psalms 5:4).

God cannot dwell with the wicked (Psalms 5:4)

God cannot have in His presence the arrogant (Psalms 5:5)

God hates those who do wrong (Psalms 5:5)

God destroys those who tell lies (Psalms 5:6)

God abhors bloodthirsty and deceitful men (Psalms 5:6)

We need to see the severity of sin, for we often take sin too lightly. If we did not take sin so lightly we would likely not sin as often as we do. Instead of abhorring sin as the Lord says He does, we are more interested in knowing how much sin we can be involved in and get away with and still go to heaven. This is usually the frame of our questions, when we say “Do you think God really cares if I do….” We want to know if we can do something that is extremely questionable or sinful and still be right in God’s eyes. The answer is that we cannot get away with any sin.

Notice that God does not overlook the workers of iniquity and wrongdoers. God hates them; God does not send to heaven those who lie. God destroys them, He does not give them eternal life. We must understand where we stand with God when we sin. Sin prevents us from approaching God. Sins must be removed before we can come into His presence.

Further, God’s children must adopt the same attitude toward sins as God has. We must abhor sin and have a hatred of sin down to our very core. When our Father hates sin, we cannot cling to it and consider ourselves His children. True children will act just like their Father, and so if we are Christians we must adopt this characteristic in our lives.

Why we can approach God (Psalms 5:7-8)

This leads David to speak about why he and others can approach God. In Psalms 5:7 David says that he can come into the house of God “by Your great mercy.” David does not begin by trying to plead his own righteousness. Our own righteousness gets us nowhere with God. All of us have committed wickedness and have been workers of iniquity and wrong. It is only by God’s mercy that we can have any standing with God and are not destroyed. In Titus 3:5 we read that it is according to God’s mercy that we are saved and not by our works of righteousness. Because we need the mercy of God, we are led to two actions.

Reverence. First, David says that he will have fear, or reverence, toward God when he worships. We must be in awe of the great mercy of God that allows such vile creatures as ourselves to offer Him honor. How careful we must act in regard to our worship to God. Since the Lord hates and abhors all things that miss the mark, how terrible it is for us to miss the mark in how we should worship the Lord! Worship is only true and reverent worship when it is done the way the one being worshipped desires. Therefore, we only show reverence when we worship God in His way. We cannot add or remove things from the worship for our benefit.

Led in righteousness. Knowing that the wicked are abhorred and will be destroyed, we need the Lord to lead us in His paths of righteousness. Our path of righteousness will not do us any good since we lead ourselves to destruction. But because of God’s mercy we can be led in His righteousness, which leads to justification. This request is really at the heart of David’s prayer, which is found at the end of Psalms 5:8. David requests the Lord to guide him down God’s straight way. How rarely we remember to pray for guidance in our decisions, yet how badly we need God’s direction in our lives. Only God’s guidance and direction can keep us from destruction with the rest of the ungodly. We show true wisdom to ask God to guide our lives.

Corrupt words of the wicked (Psalms 5:9-10)

David now turns his attention back to the wicked. Earlier David noted how the Lord would destroy all those who tell lies (Psalms 5:6). Now David is going to spend more time talking about the speech of the wicked. David begins by stating that none of their words can be trusted. Why do we listen to counsel of sinners and the advice of the ungodly? Why do we think that they can help us with life decisions better than God? Their throat is an open grave and all who follow their words will make their grave. Their tongues are full of lies and deceit, their mouths are not trustworthy, and their hearts are filled with destruction.

The heart is where the lies and deceitfulness stem from. The corrupt and wicked heart is the problem of the deceitful. This is a common problem that afflicts all people. In Romans 3:13 Paul quotes this verse of the psalm and applies it to the whole human race. All people have been charged under the guilt of sin, both Jews and Gentiles. Can we get away with having corrupted hearts and deceitful words? No.

According to Psalms 5:10, David warns that God will declare them guilty. The very thing that is devised and done by the wicked will be their own downfall. In our language today, we say “what goes around comes around.” Thus, David implores the Lord for this justice to be executed. Let the wickedness come back upon them.

This needs to be a reminder for us when we think about speaking malicious words and plotting against others. Eventually these things will come back upon us. Proverbs 29:6 says, “An evil man is snared by his own sin, but a righteous one can sing and be glad.” God takes note of these things and will judge them according to their actions. Because of their rebellion, they are cast away from God. No one who speaks these words and has this kind of heart can approach God.

Blessings of the righteous (Psalms 5:11-12)

The final stanza is the joy that can be found among the righteous. When righteous people approach the Lord, they will find the Lord as their refuge. When we go to God for protection, we will not be turned away and left to defend ourselves. When we approach God with the proper spirit and holy hands, we will find gladness and joy. We know this is the case, but how quickly we forget the good that God can do for us.

David continues by saying that God will spread a covering of protection over the righteous so that they may rejoice. Notice the movement and emphasis that David is trying to place within our minds for us to learn. When we turn to God for protection we will find joy. When we turn for help, we will find gladness. When we turn to God as a refuge, we will find rejoicing.

The final verse strikes this point the strongest. “For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous. You surround them with your favor as with a shield.” Look at the great spiritual blessings we come away with when we approach the Lord! The blessings of God continue to be given to us to aid us and strengthen us for the Lord.

Finally, the righteous are surrounded with the favor of God like a shield. This shield is a buckler which when set up would offer protection for the warrior. We are surrounded by the favor and mercy of God. Though the world is condemned with sin, by God’s mercy He still shows favor to us when we approach Him properly.

Conclusion:

Ephesians 3:12 says, “In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” Let us properly approach Him and receive His great blessings of help and protection.

PSALM 5

EXPOSITION

This psalm is attributed to David; and its contents well sustain the inscription—especially if we date its origin at the time when the rebellion of Absalom was being fomented by men who were yet maintaining the appearance of loyalty to the king, though really plotting against him.

The danger prompting the prayer was evidently most serious. It seems to have been caused by one chief offender, aided by associates: hence the alternation of the language between the leader and his followers—his mouth, their tongue, and the like. The character of these workers of mischief is described in unsparing terms. They are lawless men, patrons of wrong, guilty of defying Jehovah: boastful, yet deceitful; their language is fair, for they smooth their tongue, but their principles are foul: their transgressions abound, and at least one of their number is a man of bloodshed and deceit. They are plotters; with nefarious designs not yet avowed. Probably the perfidy of Ahithophel is already evident to the king, although he does not yet point to him so plainly as in later psalms.

It is perfectly clear that the psalmist perceives himself to be aimed at by the conspirators: hence his prayer for Divine guidance because of his watchful foes.

It is further clear that the psalmist perceives the very government of Jehovah in Israel to be at stake, so that deliverance vouchsafed to the petitioner by bringing him out of this crisis will cause great joy to the godly men of the nation.

It is no objection to the Davidic authorship of this psalm that the writer appears to be animated by the Levitical spirit of consecration—so much so that we are tempted to ask whether he was not himself a Priest with the ordering of the sacrifices on the altar under his own charge. But this spirit and this lively interest in the Divinely appointed ritual, as we know, had found a remarkable embodiment in David himself, as the history indicates, and as these psalms are themselves beginning to reveal. Hence it is perfectly natural that the king should seem to count on his psalm being used in the next morning’s worship, and that he should liken his prayer itself to an ordered sacrifice, promising himself that he will watch for a divine response.

The yet deeper element of instruction to be discovered in this psalm, is, the evidence it affords of spiritual restoration on the part of the king. If we are right in dating this psalm at the time when the fire of rebellion was already glowing in secret, then we know where we are, with reference to the antecedent event of David’s deplorable fall. He is no longer under the spell of that spiritual paralysis which followed his transgression: he has humbled himself in the dust, has sought and found forgiveness, is once more in fellowship with his forgiving God. Hence, now again, Jehovah’s cause is his own; and the spiritual well-being of those who love Him is near to his heart. Restored to fellowship with his holy God, he realises his covenant relation to Him who is carrying forward his vast plans for Redemption; and therefore anticipates abiding gladness to all who love Jehovah’s name.

The Distress of Sin and Relief of Repentance

Psalms 6:1-9

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

The treating of depression has become a multimillion dollar industry. Billions upon billions of dollars are spent each year on prescription drugs for depression. While there seem to be many sources for depression, there is one source that is overlooked. In my unprofessional opinion, one reason depression is on the rise is because something else is dramatically on the rise in this country. In Psalms 6, David describes his depression as being caused by sin. There is a sinking feeling, a low feeling, and a guilty feeling from a conscience involved in sin. Now I am certainly not suggesting that depression is always caused by sin. However, it is true that sin causes depression, and David admits this in the sixth psalm. There is a distress that occurs in a sinful life. In this lesson we are going to notice many of the feelings of David and note how these feelings are comparable to the things we may feel in our own lives. In this lesson we will notice David’s distress of sin and the relief he finds in repentance.

The Distress of Sin (Psalms 6:1-7)

Feeling the anger of the Lord (Psalms 6:1-3)

In the first three verses we see the distress of David concerning his sins. In verse 2 we see David speak about his bones being in agony, or as the NKJV puts it, “my bones are troubled.” In Psalms 6:3 David says that his soul is in anguish being greatly troubled. In Psalms 6:2 David declares that he is weak and faint. We see David with a pricked conscience. He is in anguish and is faint from sin. How often we feel the same way as David did. The heavy burdens we carry from the guilt of our sins. While sin is pleasurable for the time, the after effects are not. Our conscience begins to eat at us. We feel a building sense of guilt within us. There is a sense that things are wrong in our lives and we need to make changes to correct them.

Many times we make the wrong changes. Sometimes the reason we are unhappy is because of sin. We think we need to change our jobs, change our location, change friends, and other such physical solutions. But often what is eating at us is the need to change ourselves. Our conscience is calling within us that we are not doing what is right and there must be changes made.

Severed from God (Psalms 6:4)

David also feels severed from the Lord. We notice this feeling expressed in verse 4 where David cries out “Return!” David calls for God to come back because it feels as if God has left him alone. There are many times in our lives that we will feel distant from the Lord as if He were so far away and is not watching out for us any longer. We also need to be aware of those times that we have that feeling of distance from God. Do we feel this way because there is sin in our lives that is severing the relationship with God? Is there something blocking the way for us to draw near to God? Many times this will be the case as the distress of sin causes a lonely feeling, as if we have been left alone by God.

Loss of sleep (Psalms 6:6)

David also declares that he is experiencing quite a bit of sleeplessness. In Psalms 6:6 David says that all night he makes his bed swim. The understanding of this sentence is that this is taking place all night, every night. This is not just one day of restless sleep. Every night and all through the night, David is experiencing the grief and tears from sins. Again, I do not believe we have to stretch our minds to know this feeling of anguish and grief. I can think of times in my life where there was little sleep and much crying. I can remember thinking that my bed was going to turn into a pool of water. I am sure you have felt the same in your times of grief and suffering. Besides suffering and grief, sin is another player that can keep us up, nagging us through the night that something is amiss and needs correcting. Here we seem to have an imagery of committing sin, and its consequences have caused David to be so burdened that sleep is lost.

Spiritual and physical fatigue (Psalms 6:6-7)

David also describes great fatigue that he is experiencing both spiritually and physically. In Psalms 6:6 David says that he is weary from his groaning. His eyes are weak with sorrow and grief and these things continue to pound upon him. How worn out we can feel after battling sin. How worn out we can be after fighting the battles and enduring the consequences of sin. I hope, at the very least, that we can use these things as reminders to deter us from sin. Though sin seems that it will bring lasting pleasure, what we find out is that the pleasure is temporary, but the consequences are severe, not only eternal, but upon our spiritual, emotional, and physical beings at this time. These are the things that we will be subjecting ourselves to by falling into the snare of sins. This is the reality of it all. How many fornications and adulteries occur each day and each year under the fantasy of lasting joy, true love, and meaning from life. But the consequences continue to be the opposite–broken families, devastated lives, scarred children, emptiness in life, and continual guilt. What did David do under the distress of sin?

David’s Responses (Psalms 6:1-7)

Do not discipline in wrath (Psalms 6:1)

David begins this psalm with the request to not be disciplined in God’s wrath. I think we need to consider that David does not request to not be disciplined. This would be a foolish request. Discipline must take place. There are severe consequences to our actions that must be given to all who sin. David is not naïve to think that he is going to avoid the discipline and the correction of the Lord. David asks that the discipline not come in God’s anger.

We need to realize that discipline will come when we sin. We are foolish if our request to God is that we not be disciplined for what we have done. This is a societal error that is gaining steam even among Christians and being taught to our children. There is this idea that sorrow should make everything better. How many times we see people on television say that they are sorry for what they have done. Then both fans and family will get on television and say that since he is sorry, this is good enough and he should not have to go to jail. They cry, “what more do you want him or her to do?” The answer is that punishment must come. My friend and I when we were in elementary school would go in my backyard and throw rocks into a canyon. At the bottom of this more than 100 foot canyon was a shed and beyond that a house where someone lived. We would throw rocks trying to hit the windows in the shed. Of course, we really were not trying to hit the windows because we did not want to break them. It seemed like an impossible goal and so we would throw rocks to see who could get the closest. One day, one of us actually hit our seemingly impossible target. That was big trouble. Do you think I got off the hook simply because I said sorry? No, I was grounded for playing with my friend, had to apologize, had to pay for it, and all sorts of other punishments were dealt out for my error. I learned my lesson.

We have a problem today where people do not expect severe consequences for their actions. And this is being taught to children as well. No punishment is given when they are sorry. But this is not the justice of God that we are using. This is a warped sense of reality when we believe that we can get away with things just because we are sorry. David knew he would be corrected. By being forthright with God, he prayed that God not act in wrath.

Mercy (Psalms 6:2-3)

Thus, David was praying for mercy, and he explicitly says such in Psalms 6:2. Mercy, generally speaking, is that one does not receive the full punishment due for the action committed. My father had a general rule with me that my punishment would be lesser if I was forthcoming with my transgression and admitted my guilt rather than be sneaky. This was the mercy of my father. Did this mean that I was not punished? Not at all, but the punishment was less severe than could have been given for what I had done. I believe this is the idea behind David’s request for mercy. Since he is coming with an honest and sorrowful heart to God, he is asking for mercy in the punishment that is given. We have the right to ask God for mercy. I do not think of these words as often as I ought, and we need to consider that mercy is most certainly what we need our Lord to show toward us.

Ephesians 2:4 tells us that God is rich in mercy and has great love for us. God will be merciful to His children. When we consider our continued violations of God’s law, it becomes easy for us to see God’s mercy shown toward us. In California they have a law called three strikes and you’re out. The idea is that if you commit three felony crimes, you are in jail for life. I believe that is fair and merciful since everyone has three chances. But imagine if God had a three strikes rule for us. Would anyone of us be here today? God is rich in mercy. Let us thank Him for His mercy and realize that we need and can request His mercy. Tied closely to these things, David also asks how long he is going to endure these things. Here we see David communicating with God, pointing that he is suffering and enduring this grief. How long will he be plagued this way? Again, it is a call for mercy.

Return to me and deliver me (Psalms 6:4-5)

David now requests a restoration to the relationship. David desires God to turn back to Him. It brings the image to mind of God having His back to David because of sin, and now David requests God to turn His face back to him. The relationship had been broken, but David earnestly desires to repair the relationship and pleads with God to turn back to him. In this request, David is making an interesting point to the Lord that we must notice, which is found in Psalms 6:5. David says, “in the grave who will give You thanks?” The point I believe David is making is that if he is destroyed for his sins, as all of us deserve, how can he proclaim thanks and praise to God? David is making the proclamation of repentance. David is telling the Lord that he is going to serve Him, but that will not be possible if he is destroyed for his sins. David desires to serve God completely. We are seeing David express his turning of heart and purposing himself to obeying the Lord again. David is going to glory and serve the Lord.

This is a critical decision that we must make when we have committed sin. It is time for us to go before God with a change of mind and purpose. David expresses a realization that punishment is necessary and can be severe, but he is ready to serve the Lord with all his heart. How needed this is among us today. In the distress of sin is the time for us to turn to the Lord and not run from the Lord. In the distress of sin we must seek after the Lord and ask for reconciliation. Amazingly, when we return to the Lord, He is always there to take us back. It does not matter what sins have been committed, the Lord welcomes us home with open arms.

The Relief of Repentance

Iniquity repelled (Psalms 6:8)

Now we suddenly see confidence in the words of David. David says that the workers of iniquity have been repelled and are to depart from him. David is able to stand up from the mire of sin and fight against all that have been working against him. Many commentators seem to have a difficult time understanding why the change of tone in the psalm takes place right here. What has suddenly changed that has given David a renewed hope and confidence that he did not have before. The obvious answer is found at the end of Psalms 6:8 and also in Psalms 6:9 : God has answered David’s prayer.

God hears our cries (Psalms 6:9)

What a powerful thing for us to know. In the midst of the distress of sin, God will hear our prayers and our cries. David needed to be disciplined and rebuked by the Lord, but God was still near to answer David’s pleas. Notice the three things that God has heard David utter: 1) The Lord has heard the voice of my weeping, 2) the Lord has heard my supplication, and 3) the Lord will receive my prayer. All of these forms of petition to God have been heard. From the crying in the bed late at night to the formal requests for help, God has heard and God has answered.

Enemies will pay (Psalms 6:10 )

Those who are workers of iniquity will be judged. The imagery seems to suggest the enemies turning with tail between the legs and running away. David is overcoming and the evildoers do not have any leverage against him now. God gives us the power to overcome our enemies and conquer sin. There is nothing given to us that we cannot endure and overcome with the power of God. David is proof of this precious truth. You and I can endure any suffering that may come from Satan or even self-inflicted by our own bad decisions, when we turn to the Lord. We can overcome the distress of sin. We must notice not only the confidence and hope in David, but the relief in David’s words from God answering prayer. Is there any better blessing than God responding to our needs and helping us overcome the challenges we face? What a friend we truly have in Jesus the Christ.

Conclusion:

1. Be warned concerning the severe consequences of sin.

2. Know what to do in the distress of sin.

3. Look for God to carry you through.

PSALM 6

EXPOSITION

This is the first of a series of psalms of profound importance in the inward and spiritual history of redemption; inasmuch as, among them, they disclose a fact never formally stated in David’s history nor made obtrusive in his psalms. David’s lamentable fall being in any case notorious, it has ever been a satisfaction to the spiritual-minded to be able to point to his penitential psalms as proof that, if he sinned wickedly, he repented very humbly and sincerely. Had it been otherwise, his eminence as a king and as a psalmist would have been a stumbling-block to the superficial and unwary. His penitential psalms, therefore, have been made none too prominent. They have served as a salutary warning to morally weak souls, who have been only too ready to stumble at David’s great offence, if not also to extenuate their own errors under the specious cover of his example.

This invaluable lesson is susceptible of being all the more strongly enforced when the disclosure to which we have alluded becomes evident. It is, that before David repented, he had to be severely chastised. Not only was he soon after punished by the death of his child, the fruit of his illicit connection with Bathsheba; not only was he long held under chastisement by the various retributions in kind which for years served to remind him of his own guilt; but, as it would seem, even before the death of that child, he had to endure a severe infliction from the hand of his offended God, which smote him in his own person, disfigured his otherwise noble face, caused him excruciating and long protracted pain, compelled him to make midnight outcries of agony which spread consternation through his palace, not unattended by the aversion of some of the members of his household and the evil surmisings and whisperings of others. Indeed, it is tolerably clear that these whisperings reached the ears of his courtiers, some of whom were moved thereby into base though cloaked disloyalty.

The evidence of this comes out little by little, partly in the lines and partly between the lines, of the series of psalms of which that before us is the first. Attribute to David the psalms to which his name is prefixed—render them fearlessly and consistently—read them one after another with the apprehensiveness which the known circumstances of David’s life are fitted to suggest, and the conclusion emerges, with a cogency which candour cannot resist, that the very punishment threatened on David’s sons in the event of their transgressing (2 Sam. 27), actually fell on himself—and he, David, for a time, though perhaps none about him dare say it save with bated breath—became a leper! This explains many words and facts which are otherwise inexplicable.

From this point of view, this sixth psalm falls into its place, as the first of a series which have liturgically and conveniently been called “penitential.” In truth there is in this psalm no actual confession of sin—rather an awkward circumstance, one might think, considering the frankness which becomes avowed confession, but which is fully explained when we remember that the name “penitential” is in this case purely conventional, and that what we miss here we find explicit enough later on. Nevertheless, there is this convenience in the classification—that by bringing back to this psalm what we learn from subsequent evidence, we are rewarded by the discovery of a richer meaning in these words than we might otherwise have detected.

Well might David apprehend that his present pains were a token of Divine displeasure: well might he feel as though he were carrying in himself the sentence of death: well might he be quite unable, under the circumstances, to rise above the more gloomy views of hades which were current in his day (op. Intro. Chap. III. “Hades”), intensified by the contrast between the silence of the underworld, as usually apprehended, and the musical and joyful memorial of thanksgiving now being daily rendered in Jerusalem under the fostering care of his own inventive genius: well might the discovered presence at his court of adversaries add to, the bitterness of his shame that he could not conceal from them its visible as well as audible manifestations. And now to think that these adversaries to his person were plotting mischief to his throne and realm, on the assumption that his demise could not long be delayed,—this was perhaps the bitterest ingredient in his cup. From this point of view, the psalm before us becomes intensely dramatic.

The suddenness and completeness with which the scene changes, in the last stanza, would appear psychologically puzzling in the last degree, had the writer of the psalm been any other than David, No prophet with a message of peace comes on the scene; and yet the storm within is hushed in a moment. It is instant peace, which brings active power; the Divine healing simultaneously penetrates and pervades body and mind. Somehow, the petitioner knows in a moment that he is heard. His courage rises commensurately as in a kingly soul accustomed to command. Depart, says he, to the faithless cowards who were secretly gloating over his ignominious humiliation; and, with prophetic glance, he apprehends the completeness of their overthrow, rendered certain by his recovery.

How is this? How has it come about? David KNEW, as his three-fold assurance, twice of the hearing, and then—with changed emphasis—of the hearer of his prayer—attests. How did he know?

He was a prophet. He had been long ago anointed with the Holy Spirit. His spirit had for years been responsive to God’s Spirit. Full many a time had the Divine Artist’s invisible fingers swept over the chords of his soul, calling forth music which he knew well had come from heaven. And, however obstinately slow he had been to perceive it, at length his loss of spiritual power had become to him too painfully evident. Hence, when just now he had exclaimed, Oh return, Jehovah! there was a conscious void, the refilling of which had behind it a background of experience which made it most real, most certain, most invigorating. Jehovah’s restored presence was its own witness; and, once more, “Jehovah’s word” of prophetic certainty “was on his tongue.”

Hence this psalm fills us also with a chastened joy. We are instructed, that the spiritual life is no imaginary thing; that our Heavenly Father has efficacious means at his command whereby to make his absence felt when we willfully and persistently offend him; and again, at his command, when he would restore unto us the joy of his salvation. And though we are not prophets, and may not in some ways be as directly conscious of Divine activities upon our spirits as though we could pour forth prophetic strains admittedly given from above, yet is there a residuum of identity between the influences of the one Divine Spirit on all men in all ages. The Spirit of Jehovah is always and everywhere a holy spirit, both demanding and creating holiness Where he dwells: demanding it in David, demanding it in ourselves. Hence psalms like these have a value that is perennial.

Handling Evil and Its Snares

Psalms 7:1-17

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Before we begin to read Psalms 7:1-17, we are given some insight as to the nature of this psalm. In the superscription we read that this is a psalm of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite. David writes this psalm because of one particular person in his life who is giving him some great problems. Unfortunately, we know nothing about this man named Cush during the days of David. It would certainly have been nice if we could have gone to other scriptures to know the circumstances David is dealing with as he writes this. Much has been done in speculation concerning this matter, but that is all it is. We simply do not know anything about this man or the circumstances except that which is revealed here. We can begin by noticing that in the first two verses the things which Cush had done were not good toward David. David is not writing a psalm of praise for the kindness of Cush . Instead, we see David crying out for refuge, salvation, and deliverance from those who pursue him. So great is the oppression that David says that he will be ripped to pieces like a lion tears at prey if he is not rescued. In this lesson we are going to notice how David handled those who did evil against him. What are you to do when someone is declaring evil against you and is out to destroy you? What should be your plan of action? When evil stands against us, particularly in the form of someone who desires to do us harm, what shall we do? Thus we will consider the example of David, a man after God’s own heart.

The Steps of David

Trust God (Psalms 7:1)

The first verse tells us that David takes his refuge in the Lord. It is very easy for us to pass over such a statement and not truly grasp the meaning of the Lord as a refuge. Under the old covenant, the need for refuge was very important in the law. Refuge had a rich meaning to the people of Israel . In Numbers 35 the Lord commanded that the people designate six cities as the cities of refuge. These cities were given to the Levites, since they were not allotted land in the conquest of Canaan . But the purpose of the cities of refuge is what is important. These six cities were refuge for those who accidentally killed someone, what we would call in our legal society manslaughter. An example would be that if a man were swinging an ax and the ax head flew off and killed another man, this would be manslaughter. To prevent his life from being avenged by the victim’s kinsmen, the man could flee to the city of refuge to preserve his life from death. This was the meaning and idea of refuge to the people of Israel . Refuge was the place to run to when your life was endangered to be protected. There was no other place to run to for the person to find protection from death.

We must realize that there is no other place to turn to for safety than God. When trouble came to the Israelite, there was nothing else that should have come to their mind than the six cities of refuge that God had designated. Friends, there should be nothing else that comes to our minds in the times of trouble than fleeing to the Lord for refuge. This was a great theme of the major and the minor prophets. Notice Nahum 1:7, “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.” Refuge is about trusting in God. You and I will never find refuge from the troubles of this world and we will never find refuge from those who commit evil against us until we put our trust in God. Unfortunately, in religious arenas putting one’s trust in God means saying that I believe that Jesus is the Son of God. But that is confession and not trust. Trust is about turning over control to someone else. Trust is about depending upon another for the outcome. Trust is about what you are relying upon when under fire and in a tight bind. Trust is seen in a man like Abraham who could leave all that he had and had known to go to a place that God would show. He was trusting that the outcome would be good, though he did not know what he would encounter along the way. Without this releasing and surrendering of our lives to the Lord, the rest of the steps of David are not going to matter. If we are simply unwilling to let go, then the rest of this lesson has no value. God is a refuge if we will put our trust in Him.

Confidence in innocence (Psalms 7:3-5)

In Psalms 7:3-5 David makes a declaration of his innocence. However, David does not simply state that he is innocent. Listen to his tone about how sure he is concerning his condition. David is laying it out before God. “If I have done this….” David is making it clear that the things which Cush has charged against him are not true. So great is David’s confidence concerning the matters for which he is charged that he makes a very bold statement in Psalms 7:5. If any of these things have happened, then David tells God to let the enemy pursue and overtake him. In fact, David says let the enemy put him to death if any of the charges are true. Now, those are strong words to be saying to God. We must see the confidence David has in his purity and in his blamelessness.

This is a character trait that God has called us to have. We must have a blameless character. 2 Peter 3:14 says, “So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him.” Blameless does not happen by luck or mere chance. The only way to have a spotless and blameless life is to make a conscious effort about everything that is said and done. What purity in life is demanded of us so that we can say that we are blameless! Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). Too often we underestimate the importance of blamelessness and purity in our lives. We forget that this is a call to be a follower of Jesus. Our blamelessness ought to be seen by those we are around, that they would not be able to blaspheme the name of God. Remember one of the condemnations against the people of Israel was that the Gentiles had opportunity to blaspheme God. Purity of life does not allow it. Further, when the evildoers come and try to charge us with error, we can be vindicated from such charges when we have led blameless lives. If we are not blameless, then the charges can stick whether they are true or not. Let us dedicate our minds to purity of life so that we can be found blameless and spotless in the eyes of God and in the eyes of those around us.

Leaves vengeance to God (Psalms 7:6)

How strongly we desire to take vengeance upon those who falsely charge us, speak evil of us, and try to destroy us. We want to do something because of the injustice that has taken place against us. How strongly we can burn to act! How desirous we can be for retribution! Let us notice what David does concerning these evildoers. David calls upon the Lord’s anger, not upon his own anger. I am impressed with such a statement made by David. David does not act out of his own fury and rage for what is happening against him. David knows that what is being done is wrong. David knows that the Lord is angry at what is happening. Therefore, David pleads for action out of God’s anger and not from his own. This is an impressive act of self-control. In fact, David describes the rage of the enemies and not of himself.

The people of God are not to take vengeance for themselves. The people of God are not to take matters into their own hands when they are wronged. Our reaction may be that this does not seem right. We have been wronged. We have been sinned against while we have been innocent. How can we say that the people of God are not to take matters into their own hands? Romans 12:14 says, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.” Romans 12:17 says, “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.” Romans 12:19 says, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Romans 12:21 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” We must remember to allow these things to happen to us without retaliation because it is in the hands of God and He will give His wrath against the evildoers. We must trust God to give the appropriate measure of judgment.

Call for God’s judgment (Psalms 7:7-8)

We also see David call for God’s judgment. But he realizes something that many of us fail to realize when we call upon God to judge evildoers. David understands that judgment must come upon all. David calls for the people to be assembled and judged, but he does not leave himself out of the judging process. David asks that he also be judged according to his righteousness and integrity. Before we can call for judgment upon our enemies, we need to look at ourselves and make sure that we can endure judgment upon ourselves. It is easy for us to demand that God take vengeance on others, but we usually are not so bold when it comes to our own actions. But we cannot expect judgment upon others until we are ready to accept judgment ourselves. David says that he is ready to be judged.

Compare my actions to theirs and vindicate me. Do we have the integrity in our lives that we can ask God to judge? Are we ready for God’s judgment? If not, we need to make changes now to be prepared for the judgment.

The Nature of God’s Judgment

God’s discernment (Psalms 7:9-10)

David now describes the nature of God’s judgment. How can we know that God will judge rightly? How can we trust that in God vengeance is His and He will repay? David expresses the reasons for his trust. First, David declares that God searches the mind and the hearts. God is able to discern the hearts and minds of men and women. Those with secret intentions, with callous hearts, and with evil motives will be known by God. They are not escaping the notice of the Lord. Why do we think that God does not know what we are doing? Why do we think that God does not know what we are thinking? Why do we think that God does not care? Oh, how we fool ourselves into believing that God does not know or God does not care. God knows and He will bring an end to the evildoer to make the righteous secure.

God’s actions (Psalms 7:11-13)

Notice the imagery David uses to describe God in judgment. The first image is a shield to the upright in heart. In the judgment, those with the cleansed hearts will be protected and defended by the Lord. David is able to say with confidence that his shield is God Most High. The second image is God as a righteous judge. But notice the frequency of His judgments. David says that God expresses His wrath every day. Too often we merely think about God giving judgment in the very end of time. But this is not the only time the Lord judges. Consider the history of Israel. The 586 B.C. destruction of Jerusalem was not the only judgment of the nation. There had been numerous judgments that the prophets declared in an effort to turn the people to the Lord. The Lord is judging continuously. Judgments occur now and on the final day. This is further seen by the rest of the imagery found in Psalms 7:11-13. What is the purpose of God’s continual judgments and expressing of wrath? To make the people relent, according to Psalms 7:12. God wants His people to turn back to Him. God will use judgments and troubles to get the people to turn back to Him. But what will happen to the people who will not turn to God?

Notice the imagery again. God will sharpen His sword, bend back the bow, and will make ready the deadly weapons and flaming arrows. This is a very interesting image to describe the condition of those who will not turn their hearts and minds to the Lord. God is standing at the ready to judge. Such a person stands in the condition of an archer with the bow pulled back and flaming arrows ready to fire. Destruction is eminent for those who will not yield to the Lord and those who do evil against God and His people. What greater image of warning could God give us to describe where the disobedient stand with God? God is ready to judge. So what can we do to overcome the snare of sin when we see that we have judgment pointed against us? How can we overcome? David describes some steps in the conclusion of the psalm.

The Snare of Evil (Psalms 7:14-16)

Sin is a birthing process (Psalm 7:14 )

David describes the snare of evil and problem of sin. In Psalm 7:14 David begins by describing the birthing process of sin. When evil is allowed to remain in the heart, it is going to be carried out into action and that will bring about trouble on the evildoer. When evil is allowed to remain in the mind and continues to be in our thoughts, the thoughts will lead us to conceive sin. This is exactly what James described in James 1:14-15. “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown brings forth death.” We wonder why we struggle with sin and the reason is that we are hatching out these thoughts in our minds. When we are thinking about these things, we are going to carry them out.

Sin is a trap (Psalm 7:15 )

David further describes that when we have evil in our hearts, we are going to be caught in a trap and fall into a pit. We only hurt ourselves when these things are going on in our hearts. Numbers 32:23 says that your sin will find you out. We are going to get what we deserve. We are going to fall into our own pits and take our own bait when we allow evil within the heart. I believe the best example of this principle is found in the book of Esther concerning a man named Haman. Haman conceived a plot to kill Mordecai through deceiving the king of Persia . So excited was Haman to kill Mordecai that Haman had built the gallows to hang Mordecai. But Haman was caught in his own trap and was hung on the gallows he built himself. Sin is a trap that we will fall into if we allow evil to remain in the heart. We trap ourselves in sorrows, guilt, foolishness, harmful lusts, destruction, and problems beyond measure. We do all of these things to ourselves when we will not clean out our minds and purify our hearts.

Sin is a boomerang (Psalm 7:16 )

David enhances this thought further in verse 16. Sin will come back to your face and capture you. In 1 Kings 21 we read about King Ahab and Naboth. Ahab wanted Naboth’s vineyard so badly that his wife Jezebel had Naboth killed so that he could take over the vineyard. Note the condemnation in 1 Kings 21:19. “In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood, even yours.” What was God saying? As you have done to others, so it will be done to you. There is a saying that what goes around comes around. We are going to pay for our actions. We cast blame upon others but many times it is because of our own traps that we have fallen into that we have such problems. Yet many times we are just getting what we deserve as consequences for our foolish and sinful actions.

Sin begins with a lack of thankfulness (Psalm 7:17 )

This is one thing that I do not think we are very willing to believe. How can it be possible that sin can come by a lack of thankfulness? It does not make any sense to us. We want to blame all sorts of other variables in life as the reason why we commit so many sins. But Paul in the book of Romans states very clearly the beginning steps to sinful activity. Romans 1:21-32 describes the sins of the Gentiles, who had given themselves up to every kind of impurity and lust. They worshipped the creature instead of the Creator. They exchanged normal relationship for shameless acts. They had murdered, were covetous, slanderers, and gossips. It is all listed there as you can see. How did the people begin down this road? Verse 21 tells us what were the beginning steps. “They did not honor Him as God or give that to Him.” Sin begins when we take our eyes off God and do not give Him the glory and honor that He deserves in our lives. How easy it is to slip away! How simple it is to fall into our desires and lusts when we lose our focus and take our minds away from God. David reminds us that we need to praise God continually.

Conclusion:

David’s story is twofold in this psalm. First, remember the steps of David when the evildoers charge against you. Trust in God, live a pure life to be innocent of the charges and let God do the judging. How do we avoid becoming the evildoer? Realize that sin begins in the heart and if left there will turn into evil acts. Sin is a snare in our lives that will come back to haunt us. Because of our sins, the fiery arrows of God’s judgment are pointed at us. We must obey God’s call to receive mercy for what we have done. Let us turn to God before it is too late. The things we feel and endure are meant to get us to focus upon God and set our lives to Him.

PSALM 7

EXPOSITION

As this psalm is avowedly discursive, we need not be oversolicitous about its framework of its precise line of thought. Nevertheless, in its author and its occasion, we may find fruitful suggestions wherewith to attempt our exposition. We have no subsidiary information respecting Cush the Benjamite, but may infer, with some probability, that his tribe is mentioned for the very purpose of suggesting that he was a partisan of King Saul. It is plain that he had slandered David to his royal master; and it is not difficult to make out the nature of the accusations he had made—with sufficient clearness, at least, to show how untrue they were, how base, and how hard to David’s noble and sensitive nature to bear. Cush had, apparently, accused David of wrongfully retaining in his own hands spoils which belonged to the king; of returning evil for the good which Saul as his early friend had done him; and, in some way, of taking toll for his professed generosity in twice over sparing Saul’s life. Not only were these accusations hard to bear, but in all probability David had no opportunity to defend himself, and was satisfied that he would now be heard even if admitted into Saul’s presence. Under these circumstances his whole soul turns to Jehovah as his supreme Judge; and to him he pours out his complaint.

Probably this was the chief feature of the Psalm as David first wrote it; and was well and effectively closed by those concluding stanzas which picturesquely show how wrongdoers often prepare their own punishment. That he afterwards added to it, and greatly strengthened it, is a perfectly natural supposition; and this may have occasioned the irregularity of the composition, at the same time that it materially added to its permanent value.

It is so instructive to trace the ways in which Jehovah prepares his prophetic servants to receive and make known their messages, that we may be pardoned for surmising that David’s subsequent discharge of the duties of judge of Israel, and his enlarged outlook on surrounding nations, which doubtless afforded him opportunities of perceiving how often the great ones of the earth suffered justice to their subjects to be trampled in the dust,—became the educative means of enabling David to grasp some of the deeper problems involved in Jehovah’s judgeship over the individuals and nations of the earth.

Be this as it may, we are struck and impressed by the strong gleams of light which are here focused upon several portions of the judicial province pertaining to the Judge of all the earth. In the first place, we observe the Divine Judge’s frequent apparent unconcern with the moral quality of the actions of men. In his holy wisdom, he, to some considerable extent, allows his human creatures to do as they please, even when they are rebelling against him. We may well believe that he does this, partly to suffer the wicked to work out what is in them in the exercise of their birthright of moral freedom, and partly to discipline the righteous in patience, courage and undying faith. But, whatever his reasons, the fact is undoubted; and the consequent trial to such as are earnestly trying to please God is such as sometimes to make it appear as though Jehovah were asleep. Hence the outcries of a psalm like this:—Arise—lift up thyself—awake for me. In the next place, this psalmist recognizes that in Jehovah there is and must be such a fund of holy passion for righteousness as to ensure not only that he must ultimately do right, but that there must be in him such a cumulative storage of anger with wrong-doing as to render natural and inevitable outbursts of wrath on fitting occasions: otherwise there would be something deficient in Jehovah’s personal sanction of his own holy laws. David as judge in Israel would be able to feel this. Moreover, as he himself had been commanded to do right, as between man and man among his people; how could he afford to lose faith in Jehovah’s own observance of the justice which he had commanded to those who judicially represented him among men? Amid the throngs that gathered around him in the gates of Jerusalem from day to day, David had learned the lesson that justice to the masses demands justice to individuals; and though Jehovah had nations to govern and judge, David was assured that his own individual case must pass under Divine recognition—he could not be lost in a crowd before God: Jehovah judgeth peoples—do me justice—the transition was easy. All the more is individual judgment demanded, that Jehovah is a trier of minds and motives, without which outward actions cannot be accurately weighed. It is probable that the slanders of Cush the Benjamite had brought this home to David’s painful experience. There may have been a colourable element of truth in every fact alleged against David by his accuser, and yet the damaging suggestions grafted upon them have been most unjust and cruel. Hence the solace derived by David from his conscious integrity: hence his ultimate feeling of safety as shielded by the Saviour of the upright in heart. Whether with individuals or with nations, the processes of Divine government are preparatory, educative, transitional. It is right that liberty even to rebel should be granted for a time; and yet right that it should not be allowed to continue for ever: hence the prayer of-the psalmist should find an echo in every upright heart—Let the wrong of the lawless, I pray, come to an end. Wherefore should it be perpetuated for ever? Then the lawless must forsake his way and the man of iniquity his thoughts. If he will not part with his iniquity by salvation, then he must perish with it in destruction; for the decree has gone forth. GOD, however, is a righteous judge in the large sense that giveth mercy every chance to triumph over judgment; and therefore he is an El—a Mighty One—who threateneth every day. His anger is not manifested in punitive action every day, or else where would be the apparent unconcern which prompted the opening outcry of this very psalm? All the more, then, that the wrath of God against sin is not every day revealed in Divine action, must the Divine word which faithfully threatens, be sounded forth among men. The Divine method plainly is, that scope should be given for fear to prepare the way for love.

It may be admitted that there is some doubt as to the precise way in which the two concluding stanzas of this psalm follow up those which have preceded. But if we are right in concluding that the opening words of Psalms 7:12 refer to the pursuer of the early part of the psalm: If he—the offender—turn not from his evil ways; then He—the Divine Judge—whetteth his sword, etc.; that is, holdeth himself ready to stop the offender’s wicked course by visiting him with sudden arrest and punishment:—if, we say, this be the onward course of the psalm, then two principles are evolved which are worthy of being laid side by side; namely that, while Jehovah is prepared himself to stop evil-doers; evil-doers are preparing their own destruction: Their mischief returneth upon their own head. Is it possible that this is how evil will at length be swept out of the universe? and that this is the reason why it is so long permitted? We may not precipitate the teaching of the psalms; but this at least is unquestionable; namely, that the cessation of moral evil in this psalm becomes an object of desire and prayer. How will it end? Is Jehovah preparing to destroy it, by permitting it to continue until it destroys itself? The question, thus presented, is perhaps too vague to arrest the student’s mind. A preliminary question is needed:—Has moral evil a personal embodiment in one who is, par eminence, The Evil One? That question will recur in the next psalm.

The main tenor of this psalm being what it is, it must be regarded as a significant coincidence, that the musical line,—moved up from the head of the next psalm (where its appropriateness was not evident) to the foot of this, in conformity with Dr. Thirtle’s readjustment of the psalm-titles,—should so fully vindicate its new position. “The Wine-presses,” reminding us of the complete ingathering of the fruits of the year, serve at once directly to anticipate the closing of Jehovah’s retributive dealings with men, and at the same time to lead on to such Scriptures as Isaiah 63:1-6, Joel 3:12-17, and Revelation 19:15, where this solemn subject is more fully set forth.

O Lord, Our Lord

Psalms 8:1-9

Brent Kercheville

The Majesty of God (Psalm8:1-2)

His greatness

David begins this psalm by ascribing greatness to the name of the Lord. How excellent is His name in all the earth! How majestic is His name in all the earth! This was most certainly true to the Jews. In the later ages of Israel ‘s history, the Jewish people considered the name Jehovah to be so sacred that they would not pronounce it for fear of taking the Lord’s name in vain. How unfortunate that the name of the Lord is not held in greatness among men in general today. The name of the Lord is so majestic, and yet man has turned His name into a byword and even a curse word. We must remember that even just the name of the Lord is to be held sacred and holy and only used to speak of His mighty works and wonders.

His glory

David not only praises the name of the Lord, but also the glory of the Lord. The glory of the Lord is above the heavens themselves. Even this creation cannot fully contain nor reveal the great glory of the Lord. We are allowed to get small glimpses of the glory of God when we read sections of scripture like Isaiah 6 and Ezekiel 1. At the completion of the construction of the temple, Solomon said, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27 ). Nothing can contain the glory of the Lord. What is interesting about this thought is that we cannot fully comprehend the majesty of the creation. We still do not fully understand the details of the creation. We are amazed at the perfect balance that is found in the world, from processes like photosynthesis to even abilities of the mind. Yet we do not fully know all that the mind can do! It is said that we generally use only 10% of our brain. There are still parts of our bodies that we are still learning about, like our tonsils and appendix. We do not even think about breathing, and yet these things come naturally. We are amazed at the creation, and yet these things are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to comprehending the glory of God.

Glory to be praised by men

Therefore, the glory of the Lord is to be praised by men. Verse 2 is quoted by Jesus in Matthew 21:16, where Jesus responds to the chief priests and scribes in the triumphal entry into Jerusalem . The multitudes are crying out “Hosanna to the Son of David” and the Jewish leaders are indignant about this. Jesus responds, “Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?” God is deserving of our praise and glory. Jesus went even further by making that quotation, for He was saying to the Jewish leaders that He is God. Jesus ties the words of “son of David” to being God Himself. Jesus therefore placed the scribes and teachers, those who resisted His claims of being the Son of God, in the category of “the foe and the avenger.” Jesus identified them as God’s enemies, all the more reason why the Jewish leaders wanted to destroy Jesus. Those who will not glory the Lord are the enemies of the Lord.

The Relation of Man and the Creation (Psalms 8:3-8)

The insignificance of man

In the next two verses, David describes the insignificance of man. When one begins to consider the work of God’s fingers, man becomes unimportant. It has been the studying of the stars that has led many to consider their own smallness. When one looks at the expanse of the universe, we are very small people. The vastness of creation is mind-boggling. There is debate as to whether there is even an end to space or if it just goes on and on. We do not know if there is an edge to space that one would have to turn around and go to the other side. The distance of the planets shows the insignificance of man. We cannot even visit other planets in person because it takes years for our space shuttles to reach them. The power of the sun is immense, burning millions of degrees Fahrenheit. And yet this is considered only a medium size star that we cannot look at without damaging our eyes. We cannot be in its heat without burning. It was only just a little over 30 years ago that we could put our feet on the moon. The Voyager II spacecraft sent transmissions back to earth at the speed of light, about 186,000 miles per second. Yet it took four hours for us to receive the transmission. These planets are millions of miles away, such that we cannot comprehend. How powerful the Lord is! What is man that God is mindful of man and cares for him! We must see how small we are in light of all that is around us in the creation. We are placed on a planet that is perfect for life. The earth is just the right distance from the sun for there to be life. Any farther from the sun and we would suffer from severe freezing and even farther out would be uninhabitable. Any closer to the sun and it would be too hot for life to exist. Yet we see things that we do not understand. Why does Venus spin backwards on its axis? Why does Saturn have rings that the other planets do not have? Why is there a red spot which appears to be a perpetual hurricane on Jupiter? We ask these questions to see our insignificance even within the framework of the creation. The creation is a wonderful place to look to remind ourselves of the humility we must have before the Lord. It does not take much effort to realize how small we are when we stop to see all the great things of creation. Let us always see where we stand before the Lord.

Man’s God given significance

Before we get depressed about our insignificance in this world, we now see that God has given man a great amount of significance. What is man that God is mindful of him? The answer is that man is nothing. However, God has made man just a little lower than the heavenly beings. Now let us analyze this statement for a moment. The Hebrew says that man is made a little lower than elohim. If we recognize that word from the Hebrew we realize that this is the word used for God. It is the same word used in Genesis 1:1 where in the beginning God (elohim) created the heavens and the earth. It seems that we are nothing, but God has made us just a little lower than Him. This gives some light to the statement in Genesis 1:26 where we see that mankind was made in the image of God and in the likeness of God. Further, man has been crowned with glory and honor. This is an image of being a ruler, that there is a crown that has been placed on our heads that gives us glory and honor because we have God given significance. We also see the dominion given to man in that we read that God has placed all things under his feet. This dominion is also stated in the creation of man in Genesis 1:26 , “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” This is exactly what David says in Psalms 8:6-8. Man has been placed in charge of these things.

This puts man in a unique position. We have been made lower than God, for we are not God. But we are not as low as the animals of the earth. We have been placed above them and have dominion over the created things of the earth. We are placed between the two and what we look toward is what we become like. Allow me to explain for a moment. One of our current problems in society is that no one is looking to God but looking to animals for comparisons. Man looks at the animal world and suggests that since animals do such and such, mankind is of the same likeness. This is the fundamental idea behind evolution. Since man is considered to be from animals, we are in their likeness and ought to behave like animals. Animals have reached such a glorified status that they are protected over the greater good of the human race. What happens when we look to the animals is that we become like animals. But we are in the likeness of God and not in the likeness of animals. When our eyes focus downward, then we are removing from ourselves dominion and rule given to us by God. Our eyes, instead, are to focus upward toward God, for we are in His image and His likeness. We are to be like Him and not like the animals. God never said to look at the animals and be like them. God said to look at Him and be like Him. It is this thought that is being carried into the mind of the writer of Hebrews. In Hebrews 2:5-9 the writer quotes this section of Psalms 8 in a proof concerning the superiority of Christ. Chapter 1 of Hebrews argues the superiority of Christ because of His deity. For example, we read in Hebrews 1:5, “For to which of the angels did He ever say, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You?’” Christ is superior because He is God. The writer of Hebrews now turns the argument the other way and says that Christ is superior because He became man in chapter 2 and therefore acts as high priest for us. What superiority is there in being man? All the dominion and rule and glory that has been given to man. As Hebrews 2:5 points out, the world to come is not in subjection to angels. The world is in subjection to man and the Hebrews writer uses Psalms 8 to prove that argument. Psalms 8:8 concludes that even now we do not see all the things that God has subjected to man. We cannot fully understand nor see into the spiritual realm all that God has placed under our feet. We are blown away by Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 6:3, “Do you not know that we shall judge angels?” We do not see all the dominion and glory that God has placed upon man. It is not deserved by us, for we are insignificant creatures in this vast universe. But God has given man the dominion over the world and over the things we cannot even see as yet.

So, how do we know we have this kind of dominion? Psalms 8:9 continues, that though we do not see all that has been put under us, “we see Jesus.” We see the dominion and glory of Jesus who for a time was made a little lower than the angels also and suffered as humans suffer. But what happened to Christ? He was crowned with glory and honor. He was given a name that is above all names. He was given the throne upon which to rule until every enemy is destroyed. You see we are in that likeness “for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Hebrews 2:11 ). We are considered brothers and sisters with Christ. We are able to see all that was placed upon Him and all that was given to Him and we share in these things. 2 Timothy 2:12 says, “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.” In singing about those redeemed by Christ’s blood, Revelation 5:10 says, “And have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.” The book of Revelation closes with the image of the people of God joined with the Lord, “And they shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:5).

We have been crowned with the glory of God and yet we do not see all that we rule over yet. We have a “crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:8), an “imperishable crown” (1 Corinthians 9:25 ), a “crown of life” (James 1:12 ), and a “crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:4) awaiting us. How do we know? We know because we see Jesus. We see His glory in His teachings. We see His glory in His sufferings. We see His glory in His death. We see His glory in His resurrection. We see His glory as He rules in the world. We see Jesus and we know that we have been given great rule and authority by God. We see Him and will be just like Him. Let us be sure to focus our eyes upward and not downward. Let us not look to earth and the scum of the earth as the models of our lives. Let us look up to the heavens and see the Lord so that we will be like Him. We see Jesus and we see His example. We have the model to which we are to pattern our lives.

Conclusion:

There is no better way to conclude this psalm with such grandeur in our minds than the way David closed this psalm. It is the same words he used to begin this psalm of praise. “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.” Without God, we have no value. Without God, we are no better than the animals. Without God, we are small in this universe and our lives have no meaning. It is enough to be depressed for life. But with God, we have meaning and significance. God has given us dominion on the earth and rule in the heavenly places. He has “raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). We do not see this now, but we see Jesus and our hope rests in Him. Have you placed your hope in Jesus Christ? If you have not been baptized for the forgiveness of sins, then your hope rests somewhere else. It is time to turn to the Lord today and be crowned with the glory and honor of the Lord.

PSALM 8

EXPOSITION

The reason for resolving the chief part of this psalm (Psalms 8:3-8) into a Solo, is written upon its face, by the appearance of the personal pronoun I. From that point onward, the strain runs on breathlessly, as a single magnificent sentence, to the end, where the voice of the soloist is hushed in the renewed acclaim of the united congregation, in which, for a second time, the whole people adoringly address Jehovah as our Sovereign Lord. The introductory stanza (Psalms 8:1 c., Psalms 8:2), interposed between the prelude and the solo, is in any case special, and indeed remarkably unique: probably imparting to the whole psalm its deepest prophetic import.

In attributing the solo to David’s early shepherd days, there is no need to overlook the analogical argument so beautifully put by Delitzsch, in favour of not dating the finished production of the psalm earlier than that momentous day on which the Spirit of Prophecy came upon the youthful harpist. “Just as the Gospels contain no discourses delivered by our Lord previous to his baptism in the Jordan, and the Canon of the New Testament contains no writings of the Apostles dating from the time before Pentecost, so the Canon of the Old Testament contains no Psalms of David that were composed by him prior to his anointing. Not till after he is the anointed of the God of Jacob does he become the sweet singer of Israel, upon whose tongue is the word of Jahve (2 Samuel 23:1-2).” Already, therefore, even in this early psalm, may we regard its composer as “a prophet,” carried away into things to come by the Holy Spirit of insight, foresight and wisdom.

The Solo gives a night-view of the heavens, in their vastness stability and splendour; which would have made weak man, by contrast, seem small and evanescent, but for the recollection of his creation and destiny as revealed in the first chapter of the book of Genesis, with the great words of which the poet’s mind was manifestly filled. Creation, seen in one of her most lovely moods, and the Creation Story, recalled in one of its most suggestive features, are, so to speak, the alphabet employed by the Illuminating Spirit to quicken the psalmist’s mind. That the scene is a night-scene, naturally follows from the absence of the sun; and is confirmed by the fact that the blaze of the sun by day renders the heavens as a whole practically invisible; whereas, here, not only are the heavens scanned with lingering delight, but their minute and variegated beauties call forth admiration of the skill of the Divine Artist’s fingers. Nevertheless, vastness is here, as the poet’s eye sweeps the whole heavens; and permanence, as he recalls how many times he has gazed at the same spectacle, and his ancestors before him have been similarly delighted: and so his mind is carried back to the Creation Story, to realize how abiding are moon and stars which Jehovah has established in the heavens. The first effect of this midnight survey of the heavens is to make man appear weak and short-lived. Because I see this, or when I see it afresh, I am moved to exclaim—What is weak man—what the son of the earth-born that thou shouldst remember him, visit him, set him in charge over this lower world? And so, by the aid of the Creation Story, a reaction is induced in the poet’s mind; and there come into view Man’s capacity, charge, dignity, destiny. After all, such a responsible being cannot be wholly weak and short-lived.

Besides: to “weak man” succeeds a son of man, for Adam is not only an individual, but a race; and it is to the race, as such, that the charge to wield dominion is given: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it,—and have dominion.” The earth is to be filled and subdued in order to the exercise of dominion. Therefore the commission is to the race; and this alone justifies the conclusion that the allusion to the first chapter of Genesis begins with Psalms 8:4 of our psalm, and not merely with Psalms 8:5 as some critics have thought.

With such a charge laid upon him, to rule inferior creatures, Man appears to be little less than the messengers divine, here termed in Hebrew ’elohim, a word of wider applicability than our English word “God” when spelled with a capital initial; as will appear from an examination of Exodus 21:6; Exodus 22:8-9; Exodus 22:28, and Psalms 82:1-2; Psalms 82:6-7. If, as appears from these passages, human judges, as representing the Divine Judge, could be called ’elohim; much more may heavenly messengers have been so named in this place; and, to them, accordingly, we conclude that reference is here made.

Whether the crowning of Man with glory and state, when he was visited and installed into office, imports the bestowment on him of any visible splendour calculated to strike his animal subjects with reverence and challenge at once their submission, we are not plainly told; and yet the discovery of the “nakedness” which made man “ashamed” after his transgression may, not unnaturally, be deciphered as suggesting something more akin to an actual disrobing than the inner consciousness of disobedience alone.

It is probably of greater importance to connect with Man’s commission to govern this lower world his possession of the Divine Image: “Let us make man in our image . . . and (qualified by that endowment) let him have dominion.” It is the Image bestowed which qualifies for the Dominion assigned. This consideration ought probably to go a long way towards settling the question: Wherein consisted that Image? If we could only be content to derive our answer from the First of Genesis, that answer might stand thus: The Image of God in which man was created was his capacity to rule—his capacity to rule over and care for beings beneath himself. It cannot be denied that God possessed that capacity: that it was His glory and honour to know his subjects, to appraise their powers, to foresee their needs, and to provide with an unspeakably gracious goodwill (Psalms 145:16) for the due and orderly satisfaction of every propensity with which he himself had endowed them. If so, it cannot be denied that the bestowment of the same capacity on man would render him God-like just to the degree to which he came to possess it. It is surely to some extent confirmatory of this, to note the seeming pride with which the psalmist lingers on the extent of Man’s realm, in the several orders of which it is composed, and the several areas in which his subjects dwell. Indeed, the apparent inclusion of wild animals under the terms beasts of the field or plain, and the comprehension of birds and fishes, to say nothing of the monsters of the deep, as all placed under Man’s dominion, go to show that so vast a kingdom needs a God-like king; and to raise the question, whether Man ought not to be able to wield a wider and more potent control over his subjects than he is now seen to possess, In any case, Man was originally majestically crowned; and if to any extent he has lost his dominion, it can scarcely be that he has lost it for ever. To assume that he has, would afford a poor prospect of silencing for ever the foe and the avenger.

This reference reminds us that Stanza I (Psalms 8:1 c, Psalms 8:2) now demands our patient attention, The attachment of the third line of the psalm to this stanza, as its introduction, is presumably correct; inasmuch as we can scarcely think that the prelude of the psalm and its final refrain were not meant to be identical. If so, the precise form which this third line should assume and the meaning it should bear, become all the more important when it is seen to be the very base on which the charming “child and suckling” stanza is made to rest. Critics are nearly agreed that some word or letter has gone wrong in this line; and we should be content implicitly to follow Dr. Ginsburg’s lead in emending it by reference to Numbers 27:20, save for the difficulty of seeing any comparison whatever between the putting by Moses of some of his majesty on Joshua and the putting by Jehovah of his majesty on the heavens. Under these circumstances, while gladly accepting the suggestion of Ginsburg and others by restoring the word nathatta out of the seemingly broken fragment tenah of the M.T., we would prefer to follow the Septuagint, which reads, as we think, with profound significance: Because thy majesty hath been uplifted above the heavens. The preciousness of the result, by heightening the prophetic significance of the whole psalm, must be our excuse for detaining the reader on a point so critical.

Advancing at once to the broad meaning of the introductory stanza when thus emended, we remark: That we are thus warranted in concluding, that it is in some way this very uplifting of Jehovah’s majesty into the heavens, which makes way for the ministry of children; and that at least the ministry of children is to assist in silencing the foe and avenger whose existence is so singularly introduced into this psalm at its very head and front. It cannot be denied that he is here brought forward with a circumstantiality which is positively startling. For first there is a general reference to Jehovah’s adversaries, as furnishing a reason for the Divine procedure of preparing the mighty ministry of children’s praise, which praise is made the foundation of a bulwark which Jehovah rears in the midst of his foes. That is the general statement; which is then particularised by the more specific assertion of the result expected to follow from the testimony of infant voices. So that, in fact, we are here confronted with a company of adversaries; headed, as it would seem, by one foe in particular, who is not only a foe but an avenger, with vengeance in his heart; as though he had a wrong to redress, and injury real or supposed to resent by retaliation. Such is the natural and proper force and setting of the words. It is a conceivable state of things: a band of adversaries, with a champion foe and avenger at their head. Even as, in the early days of David—probably not far from the time when this psalm was written—the Philistines were “the adversaries” of Israel, and of Israel’s God, Jehovah; and then there stood forth, at the head of those adversaries, and in their name, a foe and avenger, by name Goliath: who, indeed, by a well-aimed blow from David’s sling was for ever silenced in death. This is not to say, that such an incident could by any means fill out the words before us; but only that we may do well to seize the words in their proper force and full significance. Jehovah has adversaries: at their head is a chieftain, who is determined, resentful and relentless. He is to be silenced. Children are to be employed to close his mouth. Their weapons will be their words. Jehovah founds a tower of strength in their words; which, presumably—as the Septuagint interprets—will be words of “praise.” Children praise Jehovah for his majesty. His majesty is seen in creation, on which and through which glimpses of it are seen. His name—that is the revelation of his power, wisdom, and goodness in creation—fills the whole earth. This revelation is already an objective reality: the moon-and-star-lit heavens are stretched forth over all the earth. Wherever the sons of the earth-born tread, they find above them the same eloquent heavens. The Maker of the stars above is the Creator of the flowers beneath. The tokens of God fill all the earth. But this objective revelation has not yet become subjective. The wonderful fact of Jehovah’s creatorship has not yet been translated into the worshipful feeling of adoration and gratitude in all the earth. Until this is realised, the very refrain of this psalm is unfulfilled prophecy. Jehovah does not receive back “the fullness of all the earth” as “his glory” (Isaiah 6:3) so long as “man is vile.” Adversaries to Jehovah abound; his foe is at large; and his friends are much in the position of a beleaguered fortress.

But the process of fulfillment has received an auspicious beginning. In one sense, Jehovah’s glory was uplifted into the heavens when Man fell into disobedience. In another, and a redemptive sense, it is receiving a new and more wonderful elevation in Jesus as the Son of Man. This elevation was inaugurated by the resurrection, ascension and coronation in heaven of the Man Christ Jesus. And, on earth, children have begun to sing their hosannahs with new point and with adoring ecstasy. They not only know how to wonder at the stars, but they are learning from generation to generation to love the Man who died for them and rose again. By-and-by, when the Lord of Life has glorified his Suffering Assembly and presented it before the heavenly throne, the process of uplifting Jehovah’s majesty above the heavens will be complete, and the whole earth will be filled with a bright reflection of his glory. The adversaries of Jehovah are doomed to defeat. Their Champion—the Adversary—the Foe and Avenger of this psalm—has met with his equal. But the process of silencing the Enemy is moral before it is physical. Hence the more than symbolic employment of infants’ tongues to silence the Devil. The victory will be earned by Self-sacrificing Love before it is confirmed and consummated by expelling and destroying power. The Foe hates children; and has had good reason, ever since the promise came that the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpent’s head. The child-spirit of humble and trustful love will yet finally and for ever silence the Foe and Avenger.

David may well have felt himself to have been a mere child when he went forth to meet Goliath; and his son Hezekiah must have been possessed of much of the childlike spirit, when he quietly rested in Jerusalem, waiting for the overthrow of Sennacherib. Whether the introductory stanza of this psalm was written by the one or the other of these psalmists, the Spirit of God has by its means turned this Shepherd’s lay into a psalm as far-reaching as it is beautiful, dramatic and above all instructive as to the ways of Jehovah with men.

The possible concurrence of meanings decipherable in the musical instruction now moved to the foot of this psalm are so astounding as almost to pass belief: and we are quite content with the first named as abundantly sufficient. Those who are prepared for further cryptic meanings can discreetly ponder how much further they may wisely go.

Praise The Lord For Deliverance!

Psalms 9:1-20

Brent Kercheville

Praise For Past Deliverance (Psalms 9:1-12)

The heart of praise

In Psalms 9:1-2, David begins by describing his need to praise God and particularly how he will praise God. There are three ways that David is going to praise the Lord. David declares that he will sing praise to His name. Singing to the Lord is probably the most obvious thing we think of when we speak of praising the Lord. But there are other ways that David says he will praise the Lord that we must consider. David also says that he will praise the Lord by telling of all God’s wonders. Praising the Lord also includes telling others about all of God’s wonders. David is not only recounting the great wonders of the Lord for his own benefit, but as a method of telling others about God. Praise is not only directing our words to God but also to others about the great deeds of the Lord. Have you ever thought that we are neglecting a form of praising the Lord when we are not speaking to others about the wonders and works of the Lord? Yet this is an important way that we praise the Lord when we are willing to tell others about Him. The third way that David would praise the Lord was with all of his heart. This is the only way to praise the Lord, for if we are not praising with the whole heart, then it is not the worship God wants. Unfortunately the heart can frequently be missing when we come together to praise and worship the Lord. Instead of praising, Christians complain about how God is treating them, carrying on about their needs and desires, and gossip. How easy it is for Christians to sing well-known songs such that they do not even think about the words or pay attention to what they are thinking or doing during prayer, Lord’s supper, and sermon. Praise is only praise when it involves our whole heart. Anything less falls short of what God demands of us to offer Him as worship.

The reasons for praise

David is now going to express four reasons why he is praising the Lord with all of his heart and telling of all God’s wonders. David now describes some things of the past that are reasons for his praise.

God gives victory over enemies (Psalms 9:3-6).

The enemies of David have been judged by the Lord. David’s cause has been upheld by the Lord and the wicked have been blotted out. David presents to us hope in the midst of our enemies. We have already read about many of David’s problems where the enemies were against David, such as Psalms 7. We see that not only do we know as followers of God that we will overcome in the final judgment, but the Lord is upholding our cause now. Judgment upon the enemies can come upon them in the foreseeable future and not only in the final judgment. David is able to stand back and see the Lord working in his life and in the world. The nations are rebuked and the wicked are destroyed. God had blotted out their name and ruin had overtaken them. Evil is only successful for a short time. Eventually, the lawless deeds of the wicked come back upon them. David also expresses this victory on a national level, according to Psalms 9:5. Eventually, wicked nations will be judged and blotted out. God will not allow evil to endure, and this fact is seen in history and biblically. Nations fall when they turn their backs on the Lord. David praises the Lord for upholding the cause of the righteous and judging the evildoers.

God rules and is just (Psalms 9:7-8).

David now praises the Lord who reigns forever. Notice that David says that God’s throne is established. The throne was not something that needed to be established in the future. God was not part of a succession of failed attempts to establish His throne, as premillennialism suggests. God’s throne has been established and it is ruling in righteousness. Our God is a perfect judge who governs the people in justice. This is the character of God. Therefore, God, through the prophet Micah, declares, “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). We are called to be like God, and therefore we must add to our character these same attributes.

God gives refuge from the wicked (Psalms 9:9-10).

The third thing for which David praises God is that He is a refuge for the oppressed in times of trouble. Have you noticed the number of times David has called the Lord a refuge just in these first eight psalms? Psalms 3, 4, 5, , 7 all have spoken to this idea and now David again refers to God as a refuge. Do you think David is trying to get each of us to understand that we should turn to the Lord because He will protect us? The repetition of this theme should not be ignored. This refuge is literally in the Hebrew “a high place.” God is the escape we need to “get away from it all.” God can lift us up in our times of trouble and put us in a safe place. Man turns to all sorts of other places and vices for relief and escape, such as alcohol, sex, violence, anger, and addictions. But God is the place to run to for protection and escape.

Psalms 9:10 is, in my mind, the key verse of this psalm and it is a key verse that I would like for you to take away from this lesson. David declares, “Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Let us start with the first part of this declaration. David says that those who know the name of the Lord will trust in Him. Would you not expect this declaration to be stated in the opposite order? We think if we trust in the Lord, then we can know the Lord. So we work on putting more of our trust in the Lord so that we can know Him more fully. But that is not what David says. David says “Those who know your name will trust in you.” Let us ask ourselves a question: Do we trust in the Lord? If you want to trust in God, then you have to know God. If we are not putting our full trust in the Lord, fully sacrificing and surrendering to the Lord, with our full confidence in God, then we truly do not know God. For if we knew God, we would want to put our trust in Him and we would be compelled to put our trust in Him. You must know God to put your trust in God. If you do not trust God, then you do not know Him. If we knew Him, then we would know that He will never forsake those who seek Him. We would know that we will not be let down when we put our trust in God. People let us down and fail us, causing us to be untrusting. If we knew God, then we would know that God never fails and will never forsake us. You and I can only know God through prayer, study of the scriptures, and meditation on Him.

God will not overlook sins (Psalms 9:11-12).

God does not ignore the cry of the afflicted. God exacts vengeance upon the enemies. Just as Paul said in Romans 12:19 , “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” The Christian can be assured that God will right those who have been wronged. This is the message of Revelation 6:9-11. The saints who had been slain for the word of the Lord cried out how long for vengeance. They were told that it would be just a little bit longer. God will judge. It may not be immediate, but God will not overlook the sins and evils of the peoples and the nations.

Prayer For Future Deliverance

Prayer for mercy (Psalms 9:13 )

In Psalms 9:13 David stops recalling the works of God in the past and directs his attention to the present distress. David says that there are enemies that are currently persecuting. David derived his hope from the past victories God had caused in his life. Because of what God has done to the enemies in the past, David has confidence to pray to God now concerning his present enemies. Because of his current situation, David prays for mercy. This is an interesting way to request help. David does not tell God what needs to be done or how to go about fixing his situation. David leaves all of this in the hands of God and simply makes his request for mercy. This is very similar to the two prayers we see compared in Luke 18:9-14 concerning the prayer of the Pharisee and the prayer of the tax collector. The tax collector boiled his request down to one thing: mercy. He said, “Have mercy on me, a sinner!” This prayer must really be at the heart of all our requests. We can tell God all that is going on and explain what we want and need. But our request must really boil down to needed mercy. How often we forget that we need the mercy of the Lord. Our sins and burdens weigh heavily upon us. We are deserving of judgment and condemnation. Let us never forget to cry out for mercy from the Lord daily.

Reasons for mercy (Psalms 9:14 )

David also expresses two reasons why he wants mercy from the Lord. The first point David makes for mercy is so he can declare praise for God in the gates of the Daughter of Zion. David desires mercy so that he can glory in the Lord all the more. David will use the opportunities of mercy to declare the mercies of the Lord to all those who will listen. David will declare these mercies even in the gates of the city of Jerusalem . David will express his praise for the Lord in the most public way. The gates of the city were the meeting place for the wise, knowledgeable, and powerful people of the city. David will declare these things even to those very people, who in our minds are the most intimidating to speak to. We are afraid to declare the glory and the mercies of the Lord to the powerful, the knowledgeable, and the wise. Despite these things, David would speak about the Lord and so must we.

The second reason for David desiring the mercy of the Lord is to be able to rejoice in salvation. How great it is to look and see how deep a pit of despair we have found ourselves in and watch God lift us out and set us up in an elevated place again! It is wonderful to rejoice in the turnarounds that God can cause in our lives. Time after time, God can deliver us from the darkest of pits and set us on track to the brightest of paths. But let us not only consider the darkest physical pits that we fall into in our lives, but also the spiritual pits and the salvation God has offered. All of us were in a position of hopelessness concerning our eternal welfare, destined for eternal punishment because we all have violated the will of God. Praise be to God who has delivered us from this body of death, redeemed us, and raised us up with Him to sit in the heavenly places. What a great salvation the Lord has extended to every person to accept. For these things, David desires mercy and the opportunities to share his stories of mercy with others.

Prayer for judgment

In the last few verses of this psalm, David prays for judgment from the Lord. But the prayer is not simply about requesting future judgment, but declaring the way God judges the nations and the peoples of the world.

God’s justice: evil is repaid (Psalms 9:15-16)

The key to this section is the simple statement, “The Lord is known by His justice.” However, the Lord’s justice is not always blatant and clear. God’s justice is not found in lightning striking people dead, or the earth swallowing up evildoers. God’s justice is very subtle. Those who plan and scheme evil deeds will be caught in their evil plans. Dig a pit for your neighbor and you will be the one who falls in. Set a trap for another and you will be caught in your trap. The hands of the wicked will catch themselves in their own work.

God’s warning: do not forget Him (Psalms 9:17 )

Psalms 9:17 is a strong warning declared by David. David says that the wicked return to the grave. There is nothing that is too earth shattering by this statement. But notice who David defines as the wicked, for this is much more amazing. David says the wicked are those who forget God. What a powerful warning that we need to take to heart. David does not say that the wicked are only those who forsake God. It is true that those who forsake God are those that God calls the wicked. David is issuing a warning that the writer of Hebrews spoke about in Hebrews 2:3. Hebrews 2:3 says, “How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” The writer of Hebrews was warning against neglecting the work of the Lord. This is the same idea that David presents in Psalms 9. The wicked includes not only those who forsake God, and not only those who neglect God, but also those who forget God. Do we have days that we forget God? Are there days that we forget God by not talking to Him, listening to Him by reading the scriptures, and thinking about Him and His righteousness? I believe we have those days. Let us be warned about forgetting the Lord. How dangerous it is when we forget God one day, but how easily that one day turns into a few days, which can turn into a week. Sometimes we only remember God on Sundays and how tragic and dangerous that is. When we choose to forget God or choose to be so busy that we become absentminded about godly things, we are no longer walking in the light but walking in the path of the wicked.

God’s hope: His people are not forgotten (Psalms 9:18 )

After expressing this warning, David also issues a reminder of hope. The way things go in this life is not a determination concerning God’s favor to you. We may be classified as those who are oppressed, those who are needy, and those who are afflicted. But though we may be forgotten and ignored by the world, we are never forgotten by God. The world may put us to scorn and despise us, but we are not forgotten by God. This thought ties back into the teaching we read in Psalms 9:10. Those who are God’s are never forsaken by God. It does not matter how bad life may become. It does not matter that Satan throws his most difficult trials, temptations, or hardships, we are not forgotten by the Lord. Jesus gave a wonderful reminder of this in Matthew 6 when He reminded us that God takes care of the birds and clothes the grasses of the field, so how much more will God take care and be mindful of us! As our song says, “the Lord has been mindful of me, He blesses and blesses again.”

God’s reminder: know your position (Psalms 9:19-20)

Finally, God gives the reminder that we are to know our position before Him and in this world. Man should not triumph. Let man be struck with terror if that is what is needed to know that we are only men. Let us remember that we are only dust. We are only created beings and it is when we forget who we are that we forget where we are going and who we belong to.

Conclusion:

(1) Praise God for all that He has done. Let us be mindful of God’s mighty works and tell others about Him.

(2) Know the name of the Lord. If we do not know the name of the Lord, then we cannot trust God. If we cannot trust God, then we cannot obey God nor can we be saved.

(3) Do not forget God. When we forget God, we have taken our place among the wicked and are traveling on the path to destruction.

PSALMS 9, 10

EXPOSITION

In all probability these two psalms were originally one, as may be inferred from the remains of an alphabetical structure beginning with Psalms 9 and ending with Psalms 10, and from coincidences of language and sentiment which cannot otherwise be easily explained. The probability is nearly as great that the interference with the original initial alphabet is due, not so much to accident, as to editorial adaptation to later circumstances. In short, the phenomena visible on the face of this compound psalm seem to be easily reconcilable by the hypothesis that it was originally composed by David after some signal overthrow of his enemies, and was afterwards adapted—very likely on two occasions—by Hezekiah, first soon after the Assyrians invaded his land, and then again, when their presence had for some time been permitted to continue. This hypothesis will account for the gradual subsidence of praise into prayer, and the increasing sense of urgency which is seen in the suppliant’s petitions. It will also account for the disappearance of so many of the successive alphabetical initials; it being natural to think that in the perturbed state of things consequent on the presence of invaders in the land, Hezekiah would lack both time and inclination to preserve so refined and elaborate a literary result of a perfect alphabetical arrangement in the adapted psalm. The great inspiration of faith derivable from his illustrious ancestor’s danger and deliverance, would be the attraction offered by the old carefully prepared composition: some abruptness and lack of finish in the new matter do but add to the verisimilitude of additions made under such disadvantageous circumstances.

The more fully we allow for changed circumstances as thus accounting for the damage visible on the surface of the psalm, the more firmly can we maintain its essential unity. The enemies of Israel are throughout foreigners: only, in David’s day they were foreigners threatening the land, whereas in Hezekiah’s time they were foreigners already encamped in the land and insolently treading down its villages. The lawless one would be the robber; the robber would be the God-defier (Rabshakeh) whose blasphemies are heard reproaching Jehovah the God of Israel (as in Isaiah 36, 37). The humbled one, the crushed one, the unfortunate one, would, all through, be Israel, or Israel’s suffering representatives.

When we have thus approximately ascertained the conditions under which this remarkable psalm was originated, our minds are set free to observe the outgoings of the Spirit of Prophecy working through the circumstances of the present into the future.

The overthrow of David’s enemies was sufficiently decisive to furnish a thread of thought along which the psalmist’s mind could easily be led to the contemplation of the overthrow of all Israel’s enemies who should at any time rise up against her: he foresees nations rebuked, the lawless one destroyed, the ruins of Israel’s foes made perpetual.

The re-establishment of David’s own throne, brings in glimpses of the perpetuity and universal extension of Jehovah’s reign out of Zion over all the earth; when He himself should minister judgment to the peoples in equity.

But even as his eye catches sight of this entrancing prospect, there seems to be borne in upon the singer the foreboding, that, as he himself had been led up to the throne of Israel along a path of sore trial and long waiting, so his people would yet have to be humiliated and crushed, and to pass through times of extremity before their destiny among the nations would be realised. This foreglimpse of such times in Psalms 9:9-10 is so remarkable as to tempt us to think that here already we detect the revising and adapting hand of Hezekiah; until a comparison of this place with Psalms 10:1 causes us to reflect on the access of power to the psalm, if we choose rather to think that there was really granted to David a foresight of “the times of trouble” through which Hezekiah had to pass; which would serve to invest the second allusion to such dark times with an experimental interest which otherwise it would not possess; as much as to say, in the second reference: “Alas! the times of extremity, of which thy servant David my father spake, are now upon me, but he desired that when such times should come thou wouldst prove a lofty retreat: wherefore, then, shouldst thou stand in the distance and suffer us to pass through such a fiery trial as this, whilst thou hidest thy faee?”

Thus declining to yield to our first inclination to see in Psalms 9:9-10 some other than David’s hand, we are triumphantly borne along (still by David) through the jubilant call to praise found in Psalms 9:11, and the anticipation of Divine remembrance and vindication preserved in Psalms 9:12, past the parenthetically quoted outcry of the humbled ones set forth in Psalms 9:13-14 up to a suitable Davidic climax in Psalms 9:15-16, whereupon, after a significant Soliloquy and Selah-call to look backwards and forwards (Cp. Intro., Chap. III., “Selah”), and mark well the path by which we are travelling—way is made for Hezekiah’s newly originating hand to put before us first his assurance, in Psalms 9:17-18, that the present Assyrian enemy shall be overthrown, and then the strong plea that Jehovah will effect that overthrow:—the which prayer, however, not at once being answered, but the Assyrian occupancy of the land still dragging along its slow length, to the fearful devastation of the villages, further additions and modifications follow, which, while wholly unsuited to David’s circumstances, depict to the life the ravages and the reproaches and the blasphemies of the robber Rabshakeh. And thus the present Tenth Psalm unfolds itself, with echoes, indeed, of the previous psalm, but modified by the sombre mutterings of present trouble: nevertheless, at length rising up to the very same climax as that which characterised Hezekiah’s first addition at the end of the Ninth Psalm: the desired Divinely taught lesson in each being a lesson to the nations, to be enforced by Jehovah’s ultimate deliverance of his people Israel.

It would not be wise to lay overmuch stress on the sevenfold occurrence of the expression the lawless one, in the singular number (Psalms 9:5; Psalms 9:16, Psalms 10:2-4; Psalms 10:13; Psalms 10:15), as against the one occurrence of the plural number (Psalms 9:17), as though that circumstance alone would warrant the inference that here already we have references to “The Lawless One” of later prophecies. It is easy to conceive that, in every combination of nations against Israel, there has ever been some one turbulent spirit actively inciting the nations to rebel against Jehovah and his Anointed One. Nevertheless the appearance of such a lawless one in combination with what looks like a final assault by the nations on Israel’s land is very suggestive, and should be borne in mind by the student of prophecy. All the more does the significance of this ebullition of evil become impressive, when it is observed how the heading-up of evil is converted into its death-knell.

On Psalms 10:15-16 Delitzsch significantly observes: “The thought that God would take the wickedness of the wicked so completely out of the way that no trace of it remained, is supplemented by the thought that he would do this by means of a punitive judgment. It is not without deliberation, that, instead of employing the form of expression that is used elsewhere (Psalms 37:36; Job 20:8), the psalmist still addresses his words to Jahve: that which can no longer be found, not merely by the eyes of man, but even by God Himself, has absolutely vanished from the sphere of that which actually exists. Such a conquest of evil is as certainly to be looked for, as that Jahve’s universal kingship, which has been an essential element in the faith of God’s people ever since the election and redemption of Israel (Exodus 15:18) cannot remain without a perfect and visible realisation. His absolute and eternal kingship must ultimately be exhibited in all the universality and endless duration predicted in Zechariah 14:9, Daniel 7:14, Revelation 11:15.”

Cry of the Righteous Concerning the Ways of the Ungodly

Psalms 10:1-18

Brent Kercheville

The Call of the Righteous (Psalms 10:1)

A familiar refrain

The nature of this psalm is one that we will see from time to time as we study the Psalms. This psalm deals with the cry of the righteous concerning the ways of the ungodly. This is not an uncommon refrain from the mouths of the righteous. It is very easy for the righteous to consider the ways of the wicked and wonder what is going on. So many times we feel like the righteous are the only ones who suffer while the wicked continue to get their way while being disobedient. This thought process will be examined in this psalm.

Initial words

The initial words of the psalmist describe the situation that he feels. Notice that the psalmist feels that the Lord is far from Him. Further, the psalmist declares that the Lord has hidden Himself from him in his time of trouble. This is the not the first time that we have seen this kind of language, nor will it be the last, where the righteous feel that they have been forsaken by God. We have spoken on a few occasions about what we are to do when we have a feeling that we have been forsaken. In this psalm, the psalmist makes a very important first step of turning to God. Many times Christians are tempted to turn their ways to the ungodly because they believe they see some benefits that the righteous do not have. The psalmist will now describe the works of the ungodly. Some of these works we would readily see as godless, yet some we may not see as such a big deal. Yet these works are condemned by God and require our careful examination to be sure that these characteristics are not in our lives.

The Character of the Ungodly

Arrogance (Psalms 10:2-4)

Pride is one of the more subtle sins that goes unrecognized by most Christians and is allowed to remain in our character. Pride can creep into our characters and it can be very hard to detect unless we are very honest and open with ourselves. We often only equate arrogance with being snobby and stuck up. These are obvious signs of arrogance. But there are more subtle ways that we are arrogant that we may not realize.

Arrogance, in its simplest form, is being concerned with self rather than with others. When we think our way is the best way, we are arrogant. When we think that people ought to be more concerned about us, then we are full of pride. When we get hurt because people are doing things unlike we expect, then we have fallen into the error of self-exaltation. We must see the subtle forms of pride. Arrogance is present anytime we are thinking about ourselves or acting upon our own behalf. This is not the example of Christ. The psalmist goes on to describe the actions of the arrogant.

First, it is the arrogant who devise schemes for others. This is arrogance because such people do not believe that they will be held accountable for their actions or that they will fall by their own hand. They think that they can continue to weave their webs of deceit and not be caught. The arrogant are those who put a premium on their own desires. That is all that matters to the person: what they need to do or want to do. That which is in one’s heart is king. This is the prevalent attitude of society, which is if it feels good, then that is what you are to do and no one can argue with you. Such an attitude is condemned by the Lord.

The psalmist also notes the thought process of the wicked. When there is arrogance in our lives, there is no room for God. Notice that the psalmist says that in all his thoughts, there is no room for God. This is another interesting definition of arrogance that we may not have considered. When our thoughts are not focused upon God, but rather are focused upon so much else that we have no room for God, we are arrogant. How common this problem is among American “Christians.” How often I hear those who claim to be followers of Christ say that they are too busy for God. If we do not have room for God, then we are arrogant, for we have exalted ourselves above Him. We must remember, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Prosperous (Psalms 10:5)

The perception of the psalmist is characteristic of what most of the righteous see concerning the wicked. The psalmist notes that “his ways are always prosperous.” But notice that this is all that matters to the ungodly. He is full of pride and God’s laws are far from him. Because he has possessions, he sees no need for God. The person has tried to fill himself up with joy from things. Jesus spoke of this condition in the parable of the soils, where He noted that the thorny soil is that where the cares of this world and the desire for riches choke out the word. How often we look at the ungodly and desire the riches that they enjoy. One reason they have what they have is because that is their life’s pursuit. There is nothing else to accomplish and nothing else to live for. Children are left in daycare and spouses work unreasonable hours all for more monetary gain. Why would we look at such a situation with any desire in our hearts? Yes, they may have things, but what a miserable existence to have nothing else to live for than possessions. What joy is there to be able to get to the end of a day and say I have such and such? Who cares, since these things have no meaning. The things that have meaning in life they have neglected. God has been cast aside in the pursuit of riches. Families have been neglected in effort to attain more. Children have become no more than tokens–children representing something to show off to the world. The precious blessings of this life become ignored, like family time and togetherness. They may be prosperous, but why would we look longingly at that, since they have sacrificed all that matters in life to be in that position?

False security (Psalms 10:6)

The arrogance in the heart leads one to have a false sense of security. The arrogant says within himself that nothing can shake him and nothing will touch him. Further, notice his arrogant words, “I’ll always be happy and never have trouble.” How foolish for the arrogant to believe and think these words. Yet how often do we have the same false belief in our minds! Too often we have a concept of life that we should always be happy. If there is a God, then He should always make my life happy and smooth. We go through life with the false expectations of never having any trouble befall us. God never promised that the righteous would not endure troubles. If fact, the opposite was promised when Paul said that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God . But God did make this promise: “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.” (Nahum 1:7). God says that He will be there to help us in our times of trouble. The ungodly believe that the accumulation of possessions will insulate them from trouble. They believe if they could just have a little more, then they will be secure, at ease, and be trouble-free. But this is a false sense of security, for God is only a refuge to those who trust in Him.

Vile speech (Psalms 10:7)

The psalmist further describes the ungodly as those who are full of curses, lies, and threats. Not only these things, but trouble and evil are under his tongue. Sometimes those who claim to be Christians think that their mouths can be full of these evil things. We know that we cannot have lies, curses, and evil under tongues. But have you used your tongue to cause trouble? I do not think that we want to admit to the answer because I believe all of us have used our tongues to stir up strife and create problems. But this is the characteristic of the ungodly and not the righteous. “If anyone thinks he is religious, without controlling his tongue but deceiving his heart, his religion is useless.” (James 1:26). I am often amazed at the trouble that Christians can stir up with their tongues toward their brethren. Rumors and gossip are very simple ways that our tongues speak of trouble. We must clean up our tongues if we want to be followers of Christ.

Violence (Psalms 10:8-10)

The psalmist now speaks of the horrible acts of violence that are committed by the ungodly. Notice that the ungodly prey upon those who are helpless and weak. They lie in wait to harm the innocent. This is one reason why the righteous suffer: because the ungodly plot harm against the innocent. The ungodly plot and scheme to destroy their victims. They set traps for the helpless and the innocent to fall into. We must see the evil intentions and motives of the ungodly. When we allow our hearts to become wicked and dark with evil, then this is the road that we are traveling down. We are becoming as evil as what we read in these three verses.

False hope (Psalms 10:11 )

The final thought of the ungodly says it all, for this is the rationale for most sins committed. “God has forgotten; He covers His face and never sees.” As soon as this mentality creeps into man, then sin is at the door. When we think in our minds that God does not see what we are doing and has forgotten our actions, then we have opened the door to committing all kinds of wickedness. How often this is the rationale that goes through man. We think that no one sees, that no one is going to know, and our evil actions are not going to matter to anyone. When we believe that God does not see what we are doing, then we are going to be lost. Let us never think that no one knows and nobody sees. An acceptance of this idea is what will bring about all the ungodliness that we have read about in this psalm.

David’s Reaction (Psalms 10:12-18)

Call to action (Psalms 10:12 )

The psalmist will spend the rest of his time dealing with what we ought to do in light of this information. Remember, in verse 1 the psalmist has cried out that God seems to be far away from him. However, he looks at the wicked and cannot understand how they are allowed to continue in their arrogance, prosperity, false security, vile speech, and violence. Therefore, the psalmist turns to God in prayer. In this prayer we see a call to action requested of the Lord. “Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God.” We must remember that we have the right to go before God and request action. The psalmist has considered the ways of the ungodly in light of his own feeling of being forsaken, and has turned to God and requested action. Instead of grumbling or forsaking God, we need to turn to God with all our heart and tell Him what we see and what we want. We see the psalmist being more proactive with the Lord than we often are with God. Many times we see this situation with the ungodly and we become frustrated. But we forget to tell God about it and ask Him to do something about it. We are in a helpless condition, but God can do something. We can ask for God’s intervention. I hope that we also see that no matter what we are feeling or what we are experiencing, we need to always turn to the Lord first. In times of trouble and suffering, turn to God first. In times of joy and victory, turn to the Lord first. In times of frustration and confusion, turn to the Lord first. The first step we take is so important for us and shows where our faith lies.

Remember that God sees (Psalms 10:13-15)

The second point that we must understand is that God sees all that is going on. Why would anyone say to himself that he will not be held accountable by God? It is a very foolish belief. “For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: ‘As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God.’ So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:11-12). God sees the trouble and grief of every individual. He knows who is the oppressor and who is the victim. To believe that God is not going to act against our evil deeds is to be deceived. The arm of the wicked and the evil man will be broken. This is a significant statement that we may too easily pass over. The arm is used throughout the scriptures as a symbol of power. The easiest way to note this image is when God says to Moses “Is the Lord’s arm short?” (Numbers 11:23 ). God was asking Moses if He had lost His power such that He could not act. The arm represents power. Therefore, the power of the wicked will be broken by God. Their power is not greater than God. The plans of the ungodly will never overcome or thwart the purposes of God. This point leads us into the final verses.

Know judgment comes (Psalms 10:16 )

“The Lord is King forever and ever.” What a comforting thought this is to be to the righteous. The Lord is always King and He always maintains power and control. The psalmist continues, “The nations will perish from His land.” Whose land is it? All is the Lord’s and the nations that stand against the Lord will perish. How can we know this to be reality? How can we know that this will truly happen? This is the purpose of 2 Peter 3:3-7. Peter tells us that the world has forgotten that all the nations of the earth have already been judged at one time in the past. God promised that judgment would come by water, and the judgment came. God has promised again that judgment will come upon the nations of the earth by fire. The ungodly will perish. This is God’s purpose and it will not be broken. In performing His judgments, God is heeding the words of His people who have been oppressed and afflicted. The Lord hears the cries of the afflicted. The Lord will encourage those who are oppressed. The Lord defends the fatherless and those that are suffering. Through His judgment, man will no longer terrify. Let us never be afraid of man, who can only kill the body. Let us fear God who can kill body and spirit. The judgment is certain. The outcome is certain. Are we part of the ungodly or part of the righteous? We must decide who we will follow.

What Can The Righteous Do?

Psalms 11:1-7

Brent Kercheville

Concerns From the Heart (Psalms 11:1-3)

Acts of the wicked

This psalm can be broken into three movements, as most of our Bibles indicate with a line space between Psalms 11:3 and Psalms 11:4 and Psalms 11:6 and Psalms 11:7. The first movement, found in Psalms 11:1-3, describes the concerns of David. In Psalms 11:2 David takes notice of the wicked and describes what the wicked are doing. First, we see that the wicked are shooting arrows. This should not be surprising to us. Satan is said to be using fiery darts against us, and his followers are also using the same tools. But the problem is not simply that the wicked are using arrows. We are the targets! Those who are upright in their hearts are the ones the wicked are going after. Do you ever feel like you are the target of those in the world? You feel that way with good reason. The wicked in heart are targeting the upright in heart. Unfortunately, the enemy is not always that obvious for us to attack. The second point we see David make is that the wicked are shooting arrows from secret places and in the darkness. The enemy is not always clear. Instead, we are often being shot in the back because the wicked are working secretly against us. The actions of the wicked are not always visible. They work behind the scenes, in secret places, and move in the darkness to attack the upright in heart. The problem is very real. As followers of God, we know that the ungodly are not pleased with those who try to be moral, virtuous, and upright in the name of the Lord. This is a description of the societal war that we are engaged in for the hearts and minds of the people. Our enemies are very crafty. Consider how the sins of ten, twenty, and thirty years ago have become common and acceptable. Consider the things that used to be outrageous to society in times past that now are tolerated and sometimes glorified. The things that were considered “late night” viewing of previous times are now shown on Nick At Nite and The Family Channel as family viewing. We are in a war, and the wicked are crafty in this battle.

Advice: flee to the mountains

Notice the advice that is given to David since he is being attacked by the wicked: flee to the mountains. The advice David receives is that he should not take a stand and fight, but run away from it all. Instead of being light in a dark world, the light decides to move away from the darkness. However, light is needed in dark places. Without the light, all things would become dark. But those in the darkness want those who walk in the light to move away. Bemoan and wail and do not bother those who participate in wickedness. The darkness wants us wailing about the good ol’ days and doing nothing against the agenda that they have against God and righteousness. David will not accept this path.

Answer of David

Therefore, David gives his answer, “In the Lord I put my trust.” This has been a common theme of David that he brings out again in this psalm. The Lord must be a refuge to the upright. We are to put our trust in God. Again, this step is the most important first step that we can take when we are battling the darkness that fights against us. We must put our trust in the Lord. Do not go out into the war alone. If we do, we will not succeed. God has told us to put some armor on to be able to stand against wickedness (Ephesians 6). A dependence on God is the only way that we will not succumb to evil forces. A true reliance on God is the only way that we will remain walking in the light when the temptations and arrows of the evil one come.

Annihilation of the fountains

Which brings us to David’s question, and the question is the title of the lesson: What can the righteous do? What are the righteous to be doing? Especially, what are the righteous to do when the fountains of society are being destroyed? When law, order, truth, justice, and godliness are being subverted and perverted, what are the righteous to do? We must see that things have not changed in 3000 years. The problems that David identifies are the same problems that exist in our society today. The same forces are working to strip us of our foundations based upon God. We have seen this more clearly in light of recent events. The Supreme Court has to decide whether we can still say that we are “one nation under God” in the pledge of allegiance. The monument to the ten commandments was ripped out of a courthouse in Alabama . The assault upon morality, truth, justice, and godliness continues. Therefore, David’s answer is very applicable even in the twenty-first century.

Comforting Words (Psalms 11:4-6)

God’s holy temple (Psalms 11:4)

David says that the Lord is in His holy temple. Whenever we read about the temple, we often think about Solomon’s beautiful temple or the immense temple that Herod constructed in the first century. But as David writes these words, there is not a temple that has been constructed. Remember that David desired to build a temple but because David was a man of war, David’s son Solomon would be granted authority to build God’s temple. Therefore, we ought not think of a physical temple when we read these words. David is bringing to mind the concepts of God’s dwelling place. One important concept is the holiness of the Lord. In fact, David uses the very words, “holy temple.” The temple showed the people that God was set apart from them since no one could enter into the room but the priest. Further, no one could enter into the Holy of Holies except the high priest once a year. The reason to call upon God’s holiness is to remind that God does not endorse or condone the evildoer. God is separate from those who do such evil. They are not pleasing to God.

Not only was the temple a reminder of God’s holiness, but it was also a reminder of God’s presence. The physical temple and tabernacle was a constant reminder of God’s presence among His people. Up to this point, God was with the people because the cloud of His glory had filled the tabernacle. One could simply look to the temple to know that God was with His people. This is why Ezekiel’s prophecy in Ezekiel 11 of the glory of the Lord leaving the temple and leaving Jerusalem was so devastating. It meant that you could not look and find the presence of the Lord with them. They were no longer His people and therefore He was no longer with them. The hope of these words is that God is in His holy temple. God is dwelling with the people of God. God says to us, “In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22) God is with His people and is dwelling with them. David did not need a physical temple to know this fact, and neither do we. Though we may be shot at by the wicked, we can know that God is still with us when we are upright in heart.

God’s heavenly throne (Psalms 11:4)

Right along with these thoughts, David also points out that the Lord’s throne is in heaven. Again, this notes that we are not talking about a physical dwelling place for God, for His throne is in heaven. A throne always brings to mind rule, authority, and power to judge. Of course, having a heavenly throne implies that the rule of God is vast and all encompassing. Nothing is outside of God’s rule and authority. Therefore, everything that is done by the wicked is done on God’s watch and in His realm. Maybe a good way to see the concept is through the word “jurisdiction.” The police in West Palm Beach only have authority in this city and do not have authority in another city, state, or country. God’s jurisdiction is over all things, however. There is no limit to the area of God’s rule and therefore all people will be held accountable. We have every right to look to the throne of God in appeal for His judgments. We can be thankful for judgments that come upon the evildoers of this world. God is still ruling in this world. When we see evil and trouble, let us turn our eyes to the Lord of heaven Who sits on the throne ruling. When we look to God in the midst of such turmoil there are three things we will be able to consider.

God sees the wicked (Psalms 11:4)

God sees all that people do. God knows what people in this world are doing. Their deeds are apparent to God. God says, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” (Proverbs 15:3) We have the tendency to forget the truth of these words, which leads to two failures.

First, by forgetting that God is watching in every place, we can have the tendency to think that God does not see what we are doing. We may come to believe that we can commit sins because we believe we are acting secretly and in the dark. Therefore, we believe that God will never know and we will never be held accountable. However, we are lying to ourselves if we believe that God does not see. God’s eyes behold the righteous and the wicked.

Second, by forgetting that God is watching in every place, we can have the tendency to think that God does not know what the rest of the wicked world is doing. As David noted, the things that the wicked are doing against the upright are in secret and in the dark. Because of this fact, we can believe that God does not see their actions and will not be held accountable. However, God gives us comfort in that we can know that God sees.

Therefore, God examines the sons of men, which in this case is a general reference to those who are wicked. God is going to test them in judgment to see whether they are His or not. God is going to judge them for the actions which they have taken. Let us never lose hope because we see the evildoers of this world seeming to succeed. In time they will fall in judgment. God will not allow them to go on without judgment.

God tests the righteous (Psalms 11:5)

By the same token, the righteous are also going to be tested in judgment. We are not excluded from being accountable to the Lord. As we noted in the proverbs, God says that He keeps watch on the evil and on the good. God tells us that the genuineness of our faith will be tested by fire that it may be found pleasing to Him (1 Peter 1:6-7). This examination gives us a measure of comfort that we know that many thing which happen to us are to test and mature our faith. Consider the example of Job, who we know was tested by Satan. Satan was the direct cause of what was happening to Job. However, was it not also a test of Job’s faith to see whether Job would remain faithful to the Lord? Was it not also a test of Job that would refine and mature his faith? Absolutely, even though the trial was brought by Satan.

In the same way, though the upright in heart are suffering at the hands of the wicked who are shooting their arrows at us, we can take heart because these are opportunities for us to develop our faith. While we demand the wicked to be judged for their evil works, and rightly so, we must also see that this is a test of our faith. We are able to learn how pure our faith is toward God. As much as no one likes tests, these things are very important toward reaching the final goal. In school, what would you think if you only had one test at the very end of the semester? While it sounds good on the surface, upon further consideration we must realize that such a situation is not beneficial. Such a situation is not useful because we have no idea if we know the material, if we are excelling, where we need to improve, and so forth. It is simply pass or fail. If we did not have trials and tests, we would not know the genuineness of our faith and whether we will pass the final test on the day of judgment. Instead, we have trials to learn now, before it is too late, where we are improving and where we are lacking. Let us take courage, and as James says, “count it all joy,” in trials because we know that this is an opportunity for faith to develop.

God judges the wicked (Psalms 11:5-6)

What is the outcome of the judgment of the wicked? David tells us in Psalms 11:5-6. Consider these strong words: God hates the wicked and those who do violence. We enjoy considering the depth of God’s love toward us. God’s love is immeasurable–so much that it passes understanding. Now, reverse the coin and consider the depth of God’s hate toward the wicked. As much as the depth of God’s love is available to the upright, there is just as much depth of God’s wrath toward the wicked. David goes further to describe raining coals upon the wicked, including fire, brimstone, and a burning wind. These images and events have all been used by God to show His wrath against the wicked. Fire and brimstone always reminds us of the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18, for fire and brimstone was used to destroy those cities. A fiery wind is also the judgment of God. God says, “A hot wind from the bare heights in the desert toward the daughter of My people, not to winnow or cleanse, a wind too full for this comes for Me” (Jeremiah 4:11). Jeremiah used the hot wind of God to describe a total and complete judgment against Jerusalem .

When God brings His final judgment upon the wicked, the judgment will not be for cleansing or for separating. The judgment will be for destruction. It will be too late to turn back to God. This is the language of God at the end of the scriptures when God says, “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15). Also, God says, “And the devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10 ). When judgment comes upon the wicked, they will receive the cup of God’s wrath and be made to drink it full strength. They will be repaid for their deeds.

Concluding Hope (Psalms 11:7)

God is righteous

Psalms 11:7 offers some final words of hope and comfort to the upright when attacked by the wicked. The first point David makes is that the Lord is righteous. This is the character of God. Since this is the character of God, righteousness demands judgments. The scriptures tie these two concepts closely together. Paul said, “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day–and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8) Also we read, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.” (Revelation 16:7) These two concepts of righteousness and judgment cannot be separated. God is righteous; therefore, judgment must follow to those who are not righteous.

God loves the righteous and their deeds

How do we know that God loves us? We know God loves us when we become like the character of God. God is righteous and He loves those who are righteous and whose deeds are just. We are not told that God is righteous as a point of information. We are commanded to be like God. Therefore since God is righteous, we must also be righteous if we want to be in God’s favor. This statement also brings a message of hope and comfort. We can endure many things in this life that are difficult. When difficulties come because of the hand of the wicked, it is easy to believe that God has turned His back on us and no longer cares. But this is a promised fact: God loves those who are like Him. Though we may suffer and be struck by the arrows of the wicked, God loves us. Wrath will come upon those who do evil. God shows His love to us when we obey His will.

God’s face will be seen by the upright

This has a two-fold encouragement that we can take to heart in the midst of suffering. First, a point that is more obvious and very similar to the point we just made, God’s face is turned to the upright. This means that God has not, nor never will turn His back upon the upright. God is facing forward to the upright. This also means that God will bestow His blessings and mercy upon the upright. This can be seen in Psalms 67:1, “God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us.” God blesses and shows mercy to the upright.

But there is a greater depth to these words. Implied in these words is our ability to see God’s face. Remember that God said to Moses, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” (Exodus 33:20) Our mortal bodies cannot behold the Lord. In fact, as we see with the prophets, our mortal bodies can hardly stand to see the likeness of the glory of the presence of the Lord. No human can be in God’s presence and see God for who He is. But there is a great promise that is made. “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2) For us to see Him as He is requires us to be like Him. We must be transformed into His image, becoming children of God, for us to have the blessing of being like God. This is the promise of life that exceeds anything we have ever known on this earth. To be like God and see Him face to face is to experience everything that is missing in our lives now. It will fulfill every void and every need we have. Though we suffer now, all our wounds will be healed and every tear will be wiped away by the Lord. Let us endure to the end and receive the crown of life that awaits us.

PSALM 11

EXPOSITION

It will be seen from the analysis that the structure of this psalm is of the simplest—a stanza, an antistanza, and a refrain. The first point of advantage, is to notice, that the timid advice beginning, Flee to a mountain, runs on to the end of the stanza: to see this, is to perceive what an evil case the psalmist’s advisers consider he is in. He is as helpless as a little bird watched by archers in ambush—instant flight is his only hope of personal safety: and, as for public reasons for remaining at his post, they are gone: further resistance is useless, seeing that the buttresses of public justice and social order are one by one being torn down; and, with no redress available, what has a righteous man ever done under such circumstances or can he now hope to do? Such are the counsels of despair offered by the psalmist’s timid friends,—counsels which the psalmist’s faith in Jehovah emboldens him to reject, with surprise that they should have been offered him.

Of the two sets of circumstances in which such advice might have been tendered to David—while he was at the court of Saul, and when the revolt of Absalom was coming to a head—the former seems the more probable, while his faith was yet undimmed and he was a stranger to distrust and vacillation.

It is well that, thus early, the heavenly temple should be near to the psalmist’s faith. Jehovah is in his holy temple above, with his mighty hosts waiting to do his will. With stronger emphasis and greater explicitness, the psalmist repeats, As for Jehovah, in the heavens is his throne. The distance does not obstruct his vision, His eyes behold the earth. He is intently watching the conduct of the lawless men. His eyelids—fixed for steadfast gaze and narrow scrutiny—test the quality, course and tendency of the actions of the sons of men. He may delay the deliverance of the righteous man, but he is only putting him to the test; whereas the lawless man he hates with all the intensity of his holy affections. He has judgment in store for all such: like as when he overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah! The language may be figurative, but the faith is sublime; and it keeps the persecuted hero at his post. Note also the course of instruction through which the psalm conducts us. The sight of Jehovah’s throne in the heavens brings Jehovah himself all’ the nearer to the persecuted believer’s extremity. Heaven is equally near to every scene of trial on earth. For the present, indeed we have need to localise Jehovah’s presence; and in any case we must not lose hold of his personality. He is a God who hates, who loves; and the more we are assured that it is he who makes us righteous, the more shall we long for the beatific vision of his face.

Knowing The Words of the Wicked

Psalms 12:1-8

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

This is another psalm by David that has a similar tone to the Psalms 11. The first line of the psalm sets the tone for what David is feeling at the moment he pens this psalm. “Help, Lord, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.” Have you ever felt you were the last righteous one in the midst of the people you know and among your sphere of influence? I dare say that from time to time we have all had such feelings come to mind. Elijah felt similarly after Jezebel sent him a letter informing him that he was going to be killed for having the prophets of Baal. Elijah says to the Lord, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” (1 Kings 19:10 ) God had to not only show His power to Elijah, but also explain the many other followers that God had available to Him in Israel .

In Psalms 12:1-8, the answer to David’s concern comes from knowing who the wicked are by their words. Identifying who is truly among the righteous is a step we must take when surrounded by evil. Who is truly on the Lord’s side? In the final half of the psalm we will compare the words of evil with the words of the Lord and note God’s promises to the righteous and the wicked. David now explains what the righteous need to know when it seems the faithful have vanished from among men.

The Words of the Wicked

Idle words (Psalms 12:2)

The first characteristic that David notes concerning the words of the wicked is that they speak idly with their neighbors. What are idle words? In the New Testament, the NIV calls this “godless chatter” and other modern versions say “vain babblings.” The idea is to speak words that are valueless. These are words that do not edify and lift up other people, but merely just the prattling on of words. The implication behind idle words is that one is speaking about another’s business. When prattling on about other people’s lives and actions we fall into the trap of speaking idle words. Here are God’s warnings: “Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and vain babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge” (1 Timothy 6:20 ). Jesus said, “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36 ). We have far too many who dabble themselves into other people’s business, speculating about their circumstances, questioning their motives, and are sure to tell others about what everyone else is doing. These words belong to the ungodly and are not words that come from followers of Jesus.

Flattering words (Psalms 12:2)

The wicked also speak flattering words. This is an important characteristic for the righteous to notice in the wicked. All of us like to hear complimentary, positive words. Such words let down our defenses and cause us to feel good about ourselves. But we must realize that it is for these very reasons that the wicked speak false, flattering words. The evil will use flattering words to get something out of them, to deceive them, or to cheat them. Jude pointed out this characteristic in the New Testament when he said, “These are murmurers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.” (Judges 1:16) The flattering words are merely used to try to take advantage of the innocent and the righteous. The righteous must be aware that flattering words may simply indicate the wicked are trying to lower our defenses to take advantage of a situation.

Deceitful words (Psalms 12:2)

Used in the same breath as flattering words, David also describes the words of the wicked as deceitful. The NIV says they “speak with deception” while the NKJV literally translates this “with a double heart they speak.” An idiomatic Hebrew phrase is used here to describe words of the wicked as “double talk” or “talking out of both sides of one’s mouth.” This concept is a very practical problem today. It refers to people who say one thing to your face, yet will say something different to someone else. This duality of mind and heart is condemned by the Lord. How many times we see people being friendly to your face, yet will turn around another moment and speak evil of you. This is the double talk and is the deception that David speaks of. They seem like someone who is on your side and close to you, yet they are deceiving you because they will speak against you to others. They speak flattering words to your face but malicious words when you are away. James warns us about those who are double minded, reminding us that such a person is unstable in all his ways (James 1:8). The wicked use the double tongue.

Boastful words (Psalms 12:3-4)

Those who participate in these things also seem to have boastful, proud words. Notice the words that David attributes to the wicked. “They say, ‘We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips–who is our master?’” Their pride is in their words. They do not believe that they will ever be caught by their words. They do not believe that others will ever know the words that they are saying. Somehow they think their idle, flattering, and deceitful words will never be caught by others. It is the only way we say such words. If you knew that the person you were speaking against would find out, would you say those words? In other words, if the person was standing right behind you that you were speaking these idle, deceitful words about, would you go ahead and speak them anyway? The answer, I believe we would all answer, is no. None of us would say the words if we thought they would get back to the person we are talking about. We have such proud words. We think that we are untouchable by the words that we say. We think that no one will ever find out our deceitfulness and our idleness. But, by implication, the proud do not stand. We know that the Lord cuts down the proud. But how foolish for us to be so arrogant as to think that our words will not come back to haunt us. Allow me to make you a guarantee: at some point our evil words will be found out by the person we are speaking against. We are so arrogant to wonder why people treat us differently, why relationships change, and why things are not the way they used to be. A good place to look is at our words. We improve relationships with kind and gracious words. We destroy relationships with idle double-speak. You and I think that others do not know what people are saying. They do.

We need to cut off our grapevines, get out of the gossip loops and realize that those words are coming around to get us. We need to repent from these things and stop participating in them. There is no reason to speak or listen to these kinds of things. The boastful think they can trust in their words. But they are setting every bridge on fire and will plunge into their own abyss.

Malicious words (Psalms 12:5)

Another characteristic of the words of the ungodly is that they speak malicious words. The Lord is speaking in verse 5 and notice who the Lord is going up against: those who malign. The Hebrew is difficult here and not all the versions use this word. But this is the overall idea of what we have been looking at concerning the words of the wicked. We think there is nothing wrong speaking these words. So what if we participate in godless chatter and vain babblings. It does not hurt anyone, right? What does it matter if we use flattering words to get what we want and take advantage of situations. Does it really matter? So we tell people what they want to hear and use some double talk and deception. We need to see that these are malicious words. We are committing acts of malice against our brethren when we use such words. Our souls are in jeopardy if we continue to participate in these things.

The Words of the Lord

Flawless (Psalms 12:6)

“The words of the Lord are flawless.” What an idea to think about for a moment. There is no flaw with the words that the Lord has said. Notice how God’s words are flawless. The words are like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times. The words of the Lord have gone through a refining process so that they are pure. This is an important description for us to model in our lives. To avoid malicious words, we need to speak as the oracles of God. For our words to be like God’s, we need to put our words through the refining process before we speak them. This was the idea that God was trying to get us to understand when He told us to bridle the tongue in James 3. We need to think before we speak. Too many times we say words that should not be said because we are reacting from emotion and not from rational thought. Too many times we say things that should not be said because we are not thinking as we ought. Not everything we think needs to be said. In fact, most of the things that we think should not be said. We must exercise self-control on the tongue.

If we still continue to speak these words, then we need to refine our hearts. It is from the heart that our words come (Matthew 15:18 ). Therefore, when corrupt words come from our mouths, it is a symptom that there is a corrupt heart at the source. We must roll up our sleeves and get to our work on cleaning out our hearts so that we can be in the likeness of God. His words are flawless and so should our words be as well.

Valuable (Psalms 12:6)

David also suggests that the words of the Lord are valuable, for they are like silver. When God speaks, there is something good and important coming from His words. His words carry value for our souls. God does not engage in idle chatter. You will never come across pointless words being spoken by God. His words are like silver and have great value. How much value do our words carry? When we speak, do people listen? Or do our words resemble worthless chatter that usually goes in one ear and out the other of most people? Our words are to be valuable. God was not kidding when He said that we need to speak as the oracles, or very words, of God. God says that nothing corrupt is to come out of our mouths. Instead, the only thing we should be speaking are things that give favor to the hearer (Ephesians 4:29 ). Edifying and encouraging words are words of value. If our words are not valuable to the person we are speaking to and building up the person we are speaking about, then those words must not be said. Let our words have value.

God’s Promises

I will protect (Psalms 12:5; Psalms 12:7)

I would also like us to consider the words God uses to make promises to those who follow after Him. First, God tells us that He will protect us from such people who use these words. As children, we used to say sticks and stones may break our bones but names will never hurt us. We only said that because the words did hurt and we know that words can be very damaging. Psalms 12:5 tells us that God hears our groaning and knows of our oppression. God knows what we must endure through the words of the wicked. God knows that even those who claim to be righteous and followers of God will use their words to malign us and attempt to harm us. God says that He will do something about it. Not only will God be proactive against those who are wicked, which we will notice at the end, but He will protect the righteous.

Does this mean that we will never suffer harm by people’s words? No, for David was at that moment suffering from the words of the wicked. Jesus himself suffered the mocking words of the wicked. So how are we protected? We are protected because what they say does not matter. What they say will not affect our salvation or relationship with God. What they say does not change who we are and where we are going. They can say all they want about us, but we are going to a better place and what they say does not matter. They are merely words, and we have a God who is watching over us.

I will keep you safe (Psalms 12:7)

David declares this with great faith, “O Lord, you will keep us safe.” David returns to a common theme that we have seen in these beginning psalms, which is the idea of refuge. God will keep us in His care. He will keep us safe. It is the words of comfort from the loving father to the injured child. As the child comes home with tears because of what people said, the best comfort the father can give is to lift the child up, draw him close, and show him that he cares. How much more is our heavenly Father willing to take us into His arms, wipe away our tears, and tell us that He cares for us? God says, “Cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) We are His children and He will keep us in His arms. Let us take that hope with us as we endure the trials of the world.

Conclusion:

One would expect that this would be the end of the psalm, for it seems to be a fitting and appropriate end to the psalm. Yet David has one more thing to say, which we find in Psalms 12:8. The wicked are on every side and they are exalting everything that is vile. Why would David end with these words? I believe the idea is as follows: If the wicked exalt only vile and evil things, then it is a good thing that they do not exalt us. If they exalted us, then there would be something wrong, for we would be too much like them. However, because we are trying to serve the Lord, they are going to use their words against us. The wicked will continue to strut around honoring that which is vile. We do not want their honor. We want the honor and glory of God. Let us seek out His honor by serving Him and obeying Him today.

Let us put aside the evil talk that we often think is harmless. Let us stop the idle chatter and gossip wheels that we have among us. May we all realize that people will find out what we are saying about them and God knows every word we utter. As Jesus said, and as we noted at the beginning of the lesson, by our words we will be justified and by our words we will be condemned.

PSALM 12

EXPOSITION

It is difficult to reduce to writing the successive impressions made by the study of this psalm. Who wrote it? Again that becomes an absorbing question; simply because, a candid and sympathetic investigation of the psalm itself insists upon a reconsideration of the prima-facie conclusion. It is inscribed to David; and we cannot lightly dismiss the presumption thence arising that he wrote it. Nevertheless the situation as a whole suggests another set of circumstances than any in which we know David to have been placed; and, inasmuch as we are learning to perceive an element of adaptation in psalms which are still reverently attributed to David as original author, we may feel perfectly free to look those circumstances full in the face.

Now there is no denying that David at the court of Saul had ample occasion to lament the mischief made by tongues that were at once flattering and false; and so it is easy to conceive that the original draft and for a time the permanent form of this psalm as it came from David’s pen began nearly as does the present recension of it.

All the same, the outlook, as it now stands in the very opening couplet, appears too broad to have come within David’s early survey of the sons of men. It is not in the least likely that, in those early expectant days, such a pessimistic conclusion would have forced itself on David’s mind.

Moreover, the desire that Jehovah would cut off all flattering lips seems premature while as yet the son of Jesse had not come to the throne; and when he could scarcely yet have felt such a sense of responsibility for the moral condition of the nation as would suggest such a prayer. Even when he had come to the throne the royal resolve to banish evil tongues from his court, and so discredit them to the nation, which we find in Psalms 101, much more commends itself than a sweeping prayer like this.

Still more conclusively in favour of a wholly different time is the underlying assumption which is seen in Psalms 12:5, which presupposes a whole class of humbled and needy ones for whose vindication Jehovah’s interposition has been long delayed.

If these considerations were not forcible enough to carry our point,—who can imagine David, at any time of his reign, admitting not only that lawless men were strutting about in the land, but that worthlessness itself was exalted, not only amongst a rapidly growing faction, as in Absalom’s days, but generally amongst the sons of men?

It is remarkable how thoroughly the hypothesis of a revision of the original psalm by King Hezekiah, more particularly in the early days of his reign, meets the difficulties above suggested, and provides a situation which responds to all the leading features of the psalm.

From the known infidelities and weaknesses of Hezekiah’s father Ahaz, we might safely have inferred the consequent corruption of the morals of the people; which, in any case, is independently attested by the early chapters of Isaiah’s prophecies. As if to make surety sure, the opening lament of this psalm is almost verbally repeated by the two parallel passages referred to under the text above; namely Isaiah 57:1 and Micah 7:2. That Micah was an early enough witness, will be universally conceded; and if the so-called Isaiah II. was no other than the familiar friend of our youth, Isaiah of Jerusalem, then we have a combination of evidence which no gainsaying can overthrow, that in or about the time of Hezekiah’s early reign there was quite sufficient ground for the sweeping opening lament of this psalm.

Nor is it from these parallels alone that confirmation of a Hezekian adaptation comes. For the words Now will I arise, saith Jehovah, of Psalms 12:5, are a literal quotation from Isaiah 33:10; and, once we are in that remarkable chapter, another coincidence meets us. The singular descent from the humbled and needy ones in general to one particular suppliant in peril of Psalms 12:5 of our psalm—I will place him in safety—is alone suggestive of Hezekiah; how much more so when, after Isaiah’s beautiful description of the ideal King—so strikingly realised in Hezekiah,—he proceeds to say, “He the heights shall inhabit, a stronghold of crags shall be his refuge (his lofty retreat)” (Isaiah 33:16)—that is indeed being placed in safety!

Even the variations in the reading and rendering of Psalms 12:6 of our psalm, rather embarrass with a wealth of allusions than cause us any perplexity. We may confess to a strong liking to the longer form of that verse presented by the Massoretic text, for several reasons: as, first, for the occurrence of the poetic word imrah, which we render “promise” in Psalms 119, and of which Delitzsch here says: “The poetical ‘imrah serves especially as the designation of the divine words of promise which are so full of power,” and, second, for the intrinsic beauty of the comparison of Jehovah’s promises with smelted silver. And yet, after all, there is even a surpassing aptness of reference to Hezekiah himself in the shorter form preferred by Dr. Briggs, When thrust down to the earth he shall be purified seven times. Delitzsch rejoices in the longer form, and lovingly speaks of the “hexastich” as the gem of the psalm, whose brightness relieves the gloom of the psalm’s Massoretic ending, which he cannot deny. Briggs delights himself with the shorter form, as bringing the whole psalm within four stanzas of four lines each!

Even yet our easily borne embarrassments are not at an end. The gloomy finish to the psalm is mildly defended by Delitzsch, as above intimated; Perowne regretfully admits it, remarking, “this return to gloom and doubt is, I believe, without parallel at the conclusion of a psalm”; the which frank admission may prepare us for the drastic treatment of Briggs, who, by a new decipherment of the consonants, and in part leaning on the Septuagint and on Psalms 12:5, sets forth as the concluding couplet

Though round about the wicked walk,

When thou risest up, thou dost lightly esteem the sons of mankind.

“This,” says he, “gives an appropriate climax to the psalm.”

“How Long? How Long?”: Feeling Abandoned

Psalms 13:1-6

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Psalms 13 is another psalm composed by David. There has been a movement of greater intensity from Psalms 10 through Psalms 12. This psalm continues to strengthen the intensity of David’s crying out to the Lord for help and relief. In Psalms 12 we saw David feeling that he is alone, such that all the faithful and godly had disappeared. But if it was not bad enough that David felt that all the godly had abandoned him, now we read that David also feels that God has abandoned him. We must notice and accept that David does feel abandoned by God. Sometimes we may leave people with the impression that they will never feel this way once they become a disciple of Jesus. But this is clearly not the case. As we noted in a previous psalm, there are times when God feels distant, and David felt those times. So what can we do when we feel abandoned by God? Let us consider what David says in Psalms 13:1-6.

How Long? (Psalms 13:1-2)

Prolonged struggle and feelings of abandonment

The first thing we must notice as we read this psalm is the repetition of the statement, “How long?” David asks how long God will forget, how long God will hide His face, how long he must wrestle with his thoughts and sorrows, and how long his enemies will triumph. Four times David cries out to the Lord, “How long?” We are left with the understanding that whatever David is crying out about has been going on for quite a long time. The length of David’s suffering has been so long that David asks if God is going to forget him forever. We have all been in such times of despair when it is difficult to even remember when better times existed in our lives. The feelings of loss and abandonment are so great that one is unable to see when the end will come. It is important that we recognize that this is the nature of trials. Very rarely are we able to see when the trial will end. Even worse, we are unable to see what the final outcome will be from the trial. This is the type of emotion upon which David expresses these words. When we consider the life of David, being a man after God’s own heart, it is easy for us to only recall the positive things that happened in David’s life. Yet we cannot forget the suffering, trials, and traumas that David endured. He lost a son because of his sins. He was chased for his life by Saul and by his own son Absalom. Things were not all “good times” in the life of David. David became a man after God’s own heart, in part, because of how he handled the suffering and trials he encountered. Therefore, though one of our spiritual heroes of the Old Testament, let us see the agony David is in when he cries out, “Will you forget me forever?”

Appears God’s blessings have vanished

David goes further and says, “How long will you hide your face from me?” This is more of an idiomatic expression used in the scriptures to speak about the blessings of God. God seems so far removed that it seems that God is no longer blessing David. The protection, refuge, and safety of the Lord seems to have been taken away. This expression also communicates being in “good graces.” To be facing someone shows love and favor, while hiding the face indicates a turned back, implying rejection. This is a common feeling that most experience. When things go wrong or trouble comes, many times we say the very words, “Where is God?” What happened to the Lord watching over us? This is the type of language David uses. Why is God hiding His face from me?

Dark thoughts and lost in sorrow

Not only is David dealing with the feeling of abandonment toward God, but he is also wrestling with his own flood of emotions. David says that he wrestles with his thoughts and has sorrow in his heart every day. David simply describes the depths of his despair. David declares to the Lord that his emotions are eating him up inside. David is fighting the negative thoughts that are in his mind. How many times we must wrestle with our emotions when we are suffering or in the midst of trial! Our minds may tell us to give up, to give in, and tell us things that are not truthful. This battle has already been expressed by David. David knows in reality that God has not left him, as we will notice later in the psalm. So there is a battle being waged with what David knows to be accurate and what he feels. David feels abandoned by God and out of His favor. Therefore, David is wrestling with what he knows versus these feelings because of the suffering he is in the midst of. David describes the depths of his despair even further when he points out that he feels sorrow in his heart every day. The suffering is so significant that every day that goes by he feels the weight and burden of sorrows in his heart. David is standing in the valley of despair, looking for a way up and out. Let us not downplay the great sorrow he feels.

Triumphal enemies

David also asks the Lord how long his enemies will triumph over him. It seems that when things are going bad, there are plenty of others to pile on the pain. It always seems that there are people ready to kick someone while he is down. David expresses that feeling as the enemies continue to rule and triumph over David. I believe we can relate to this feeling also. We can feel like that just as when we think we are about to get up off the ground, another enemy comes along and puts us back down. Our sphere of enemies mainly comes from the spiritual warfare we are engaged in. The enemies are the forces of evil that we must fight against. We must be prepared, understanding that if we want to be godly, we will have a fight on our hands and we will have many enemies.

David’s Prayer (Psalms 13:3-4)

Look on me

The first thing David does is turn to God in prayer. This psalm is really a petition to the Lord about what he is enduring. We have made mention of this before, yet it is so important that we see it brought out again in this psalm: The first thing to do is pray. No matter what situation may come upon us, the first thing every person must do is pray. In Psalms 13:3 David says “look on me.” Literally, David is asking God to turn His face, see what is happening, and give David regard and consideration. It is strange to me that this is often the last thing we may do when we feel abandoned by God. Many times, when in such a sorrowful situation, we bemoan that we feel that God has turned His back on us. Yet, that is not what we are to do. Notice that David tells God he feels this way and asks God to look at him again. Instead of throwing in the towel and giving up on God, we need to turn to God and tell Him to give us consideration and regard. Why would we feel that we could not tell God to look at us and pay attention to us? Yet we will throw our hands in the air and say that God does not care. Do not do that. Instead, call out to God. Tell Him to look upon us.

Answer

David not only asks God to look upon him and give him consideration, but also asks God to give an answer to what he is asking. Sometimes we wonder why we have not received an answer to our prayers. We have many things to consider that the scriptures tell us concerning unanswered prayer, such as asking selfishly or not according to God’s will. But there is another thing that we must ask ourselves. Have we asked God to answer? We may respond that we would not have asked if we did not want an answer. But that is not necessarily true. Sometimes prayer is used to appease the conscience or to tell others that we prayed, therefore justifying in our minds that we can take matters into our own hands. But prayer is not simply about asking God for something, but also asking God to answer our request according to His will. This means that we have a heart that is truly ready to accept any answer the Lord gives. How often we only accept God’s answers to prayer if the answers match what we want! But to truly want an answer from God means that we are ready to accept the “no” answers from the Lord.

Give light to my eyes

Many times in the scriptures this phrase refers to spiritual knowledge and enlightenment. However, that does not seem to be the idea in this passage. I believe there are two concepts that are being pictured. First, this seems to refer to making David whole again. Instead of being lost in death, David desires light to be given to his eyes, thus being made alive again. David no longer wants to be in the misery he is in, feeling that he is at the point of death. Second, and I believe more important, is the idea that David can see things the way God sees them. When we look at what we are suffering through our own eyes, things simply do not make sense. We do not understand why we endure the things that we go through. We need to ask the Lord to open our eyes so that we can see God working in the situation. We need our eyes to be enlightened so that we see life the way God sees life. Instead of having a carnal, fleshly, physical view of life, let our eyes look at life with the spiritual eyes of the Lord.

Give no room for the enemies

David does not want the enemies to be able to think that they can overcome a servant of the Lord. David makes his appeal based upon the name of the Lord, as many in the scriptures have done in the past. The name of the Lord is given reason for scorn if the wicked are able to triumph over the righteous. Therefore, David asks that he overcome the enemies for the Lord’s sake. Moses made a similar argument to the Lord. When the Lord was about to wipe out the nation of Israel and create a new people through Moses, Moses argued that the name of the Lord would be ridiculed if all the people died in the wilderness. I do not believe this is an argument we tend to use with the Lord, but it was a point that many of God’s people made before. Let the righteous be victorious over the wicked. We are trying to be righteous, so do not let my enemies triumph and rejoice over my fall.

Hope For Tomorrow (Psalms 13:5-6)

Trust in God’s unfailing love

David now changes gears in the last two verses and describes the hope that he has in the Lord. Despite all that we have noticed in this psalm concerning David’s despair, David still has hope. Why does David still have hope? How does David still have hope? Let us notice what David says to these things. David points out that these things are a matter of faith in God. David has put his trust in the Lord. How can David trust in the Lord? Is David exhibiting blind faith? Not at all. David says that he trusts in the Lord’s unfailing love. God says that He loves the righteous (Psalms 146:8). Combine this knowledge with the fact that God’s love is unfailing. God’s love does not quit toward us. There is no point at which God does not love us. There is no boundary or line that can be crossed at which point God will stop loving us. Further, since God’s love is unfailing, He never lets us down. He is always there and meets every need perfectly. Even in our sins, God continues to love us. How do we know this? We know this because God has already proven His love for us by sending His Son to die while we were in our sins (Romans 5:8). If God would show this much love when we were completely helpless, hopeless, and lost, why would we doubt the love of God now that we are trying to serve Him? We have reason to trust in the Lord and have hope for tomorrow because of the Lord’s unfailing love. God will not let you down when you put your full trust in Him.

Rejoice in God’s salvation

The next reason that David has hope in the Lord taking care of the situation, knowing the Lord has not abandoned him, is because of the Lord’s salvation. There is reason to rejoice today and in the future because no matter what we are experiencing, our salvation is secure. Though we may be going through the pits of despair and abyss of sorrow, we know that our salvation is secure and we can rejoice. God says, “Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Shall affliction or anguish or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted like sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created things will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!” (Romans 8:35-39). I believe Paul was making the same point. Consider what Paul says they were enduring! He sums up their suffering by saying they were being put to death all day long and were like sheep counted for the slaughter. In all our suffering we cannot say we are suffering to this extent. Yet, even if we were, we could rejoice in our salvation because it cannot be taken away from us. Nothing will separate us from the love of God that offers us salvation.

Sing in God’s goodness

Finally, David says that he will sing to the Lord for He has been good to him. The NKJV says that David will sing to the Lord “because He has dealt bountifully with me.” The bountiful goodness of God has overflowed toward us. Though David had expressed earlier in the psalm that the Lord’s face had been hidden from him, meaning that the blessings of God had been removed, David now recognizes that this is not the case. How can we know that God has not turned His face from us? How can we know that God will bless us? I believe the answer is simple and it is the same reason David could know that God would remain with him: because God has done so in the past. Notice that David speaks in the past tense. God has been good to him. God has dealt bountifully with me. God has done far more for us than we usually can remember. If God has done these things in the past, why would He not continue? He loves His children and His love is unfailing. Why would we doubt that God would not continue to take care of us? We need to sing about the goodness of God. God has given us more than we can imagine and treated us far better than we deserve. When we feel abandoned, let us turn to God in prayer. Then let us know that God’s love is unfailing toward us. He will not turn away from us. Let us rejoice in the salvation we have in the Lord because no matter what happens to us, our salvation cannot be taken away. Finally, let us sing to the Lord for He has been good to you and me.

PSALM 13

EXPOSITION

The keynote of Stanza I. of this psalm is, How long?—from which, indeed, we cannot safely infer that the present trial had lasted for many years; but only that, to the tried one, it seemed as if it would never end. Time, to our consciousness, is relative: under stress and strain, minutes seem hours; hours, days; days, as though they would drag on their slow length for ever. Such has been the feeling of the psalmist; but his half-formed thought is corrected ere he utters it—hence the broken construction of the first line. The very attempt to utter his complaint soothes his spirit, and he becomes measured and musical in the expression of his appeal to Jehovah his God, to whom his words reveal unmistakable nearness. We readily forgive his anthropomorphisms, for the sake of the vivid sense we thereby obtain of his accustomed personal fellowship with his God. We note the orderly progression of the singer’s thought, as he passes from the Divine mind to the Divine face as its manifestation; then from Jehovah to himself; then from himself to his enemy. On our way through the stanza we note the fine phrase lay up sorrow in my soul: “the soul,” or sensitive nature, which feels the sorrow caused by the trial; and includes the memory which stores it up, and renders the soul a treasure-house of experience. We also note the apt and characteristic restraint which in all probability points to King Saul as the enemy.

He who can thus remonstrate with Jehovah, can do more: he can ask his interposition. And so Stanza II. is prayer. It is more—it is argued prayer. It dares to tell Jehovah what will be the deplorable results of leaving the prayer unanswered. Two decisive petitions, Oh look well (or Look around) as if to take in the whole situation and answer me—in what way he does not indicate, for he is speaking to one who knows the actual facts, and knows, as well his own gracious purposes; and then we feel how the petitioner lays hold of Deity by the name of promise and its appropriating synonym, Jehovah my God. Light thou up mine eyes, he adds, seeking for the invigoration which will cause his eyes to gleam with new health and hope: lest—and this is the keynote of Stanza II., twice expressed and once implied. His apprehensions move outwards in enlarging circles; beginning with himself, he fears that answer deferred will mean death; then, thinking of his enemy, that answer deferred will mean his openly expressed boast; and, still further out from himself, that thereupon a whole chorus of adversaries will exult. The weight of these deprecations he leaves his divine Friend to estimate.

And now we come, in Stanza III., to the psychological problem of the psalm. Is it possible that the same singer can now thus early and thus suddenly mount from the depths of despair to so near an approach to exultation? We say “approach” advisedly; for, strictly construed, the language is still that of prayer. But it is easy to see that prayer is by this time lit up with joyful anticipation. In the very act of saying Let my heart exult, he is letting his heart ascend to the altitude of joy. Here, again, we are delighted with the orderly evolution of thought: on the objective side, kindness brings salvation, salvation is crowned with bountiful dealing; and on the subjective side, trust produces exultation, exultation leads to song, song calls for the harp. We are thus well-pleased with the completeness, in spirit and in form, secured by accepting the additional line preserved by the Septuagint and Vulgate. Moreover, we are thus led to a critical preference of Briggs over Delitzsch, which, for once in a way, is not distasteful. The latter, severely following the Massoretic Text, resolves the psalm into three decreasing stanzas—five lines, four, three; and then temptingly says, “The five lines of lamentation and the four of supplication are now followed by three of joyous anticipation.” The leading characteristics—of “lamentation,” “supplication” and “joyous anticipation”—are a manifestly correct description of the psalm; but why “anticipation” should be less exuberant in language than “lamentation” and “supplication,” we do not clearly see, and, inasmuch as the shortening of the first stanza relieves the third question of the psalm of abnormal distinctions between “soul” and “heart,” as Briggs forcibly points out, and inasmuch as this emendation, together with the restoration of the last line from the old versions, levels the whole psalm into three equal stanzas, we—feeling that symmetry does count for something when sustained by other evidence—are constrained to say, Briggs has it.

The Way of the Fool

Psalms 14:1-7

Brent Kercheville

The Words of the Fool (Psalms 14:1 There is no God

Psalms 14 is a psalm composed by David. The very first word to come out of David’s mouth as he pens this psalm is “fool.” To call someone a fool is to use very strong and harsh language to someone. I do not think anyone appreciates being called a fool. Furthermore, I think being called a fool is one of the more insulting things that can be said about someone. So grave are these words that Jesus said if we were to slanderously call our brother a fool, we are in danger of hell fire (Matthew 5:22).

David begins by describing what many people say within their hearts, “There is no God.” The idea of atheism is not a new invention that we face in our battle for the Lord. There have always been and will continue to be people who will not believe that there is a God. David says that those who say in their hearts that there is no God are fools.

But this is not really just a matter of theoretical atheism. The fool is not only the person who has a belief that there is no God. Some of the translations use italics in the statement “there is no God” on the words “there is” to show that these words are added by the translators. Literally, the fool says “no God, no God.” Essentially, the person says that there is no room for God for me. No God for me, please, no God for me.

Therefore, we are not merely dealing with the scholarly of the world who believe they can prove that there is no God. We are also looking at those people who by their actions show that there is no God in their lives. People who live with no room for God in their lives are called fools. Why would David say these people who make no room for God in their lives are fools?

Why are these fools?

God has revealed Himself (Romans 1:20 ). Paul, in the first chapter of Romans, gives many good arguments as to why people are fools for not accepting that there is a God and not making room in their lives for God. Paul said, “For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20 ). We are fools if we cannot look at the things of the world and realize that there is someone greater than ourselves. We are fools if we cannot see the power of this universe and that something divine created us. These attributes of God can be seen by anyone, not just the really smart, scholarly people. Because of these things, God says we are without excuse for not knowing there is a God.

People suppress the truth (Romans 1:18-19). If God’s invisible attributes can be clearly seen through the creation, why do people still claim there is no God and make no room for God in their lives? Paul addresses this question two verses earlier. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them” (Romans 1:18-19). Paul tells us that people are suppressing the truth that has been shown to them by God because of their ungodliness and unrighteousness. People do not believe in God because they do not want to believe in God, and it is as simple as that. God has revealed Himself to all people. To then say that there is no God, or that there is no room for God, they simply suppress the truth which they know. This is why they are fools: they are ignoring the clearly revealed truths of God’s existence.

Result: corruption

The result of believing that there is no God and refusing to make room for God in our lives is that we become corrupt. David makes this point clearly in the rest of the first verse of Psalms 14. “They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good.“ (Psalms 14:1)

When we choose to either be theoretical atheists by saying there is no God or be practical atheists by making no room for God in our lives, we will become corrupt. We will begin to do abominable things. We are fools when God is not in our lives.

God Speaks About the Fool (Psalms 14:2-3)

The Lord looks down from heaven

Having spoken about the words of the fool, David now offers the Lord’s perspective. David shows us our position in reference to God. David says that the Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man. God maintains His position of power, authority, and glory. God looks down from heaven on the children of men.

God’s purpose of looking down upon the children of men is to see if there are any who understand and if there are any who seek after God. This is an interesting parallel that David draws. To be a person who understands is to be a person who seeks after God. If we are not seeking after God, we do not understand and, therefore, are fools.

This is an interesting perspective that we are reading about. God is about to look down and see if there are any on the earth who are not fools. God is going to see if there are any people who do have understanding. What will the Lord find on the earth?

All are corrupt

In Psalms 14:3 David tells us the end result of the Lord’s findings. Here are the results: “All have turned aside,” “together they have become corrupt,” and “there is none who does good, not even one.” God offers judgment upon the world and the judgment is not good.

We may want to raise our hands and say, “Wait a minute! We believe in God!” We may want to argue that we have made room for God in our lives. We want to say to the Lord that His findings are wrong. We believe that there is a God. God responds to us that there is no one who has not turned aside. There is no one who has not become corrupt. There is no one who does good. This is the reality of the situation and identifies our true condition.

Paul quoted this very psalm and also applied it to the whole world in Romans 3:9-20. Paul says in Romans 3:9, “For we have already charged that all…are under sin.” Again, Paul says, “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:18 ). God has decreed that based upon our actions we are all fools. We have shown that we do not understand. We have not shown that we do not believe in God because we do not keep room in our lives for God. We have turned aside from God’s law even though God’s eternal power and divine nature can be clearly seen. We are all without excuse.

The Way of the Fool (Psalms 14:4-6)

The fool never learns

The Lord goes further to describe for us the way of the fool. The first point we see is in Psalms 14:4 that the fool never learns. “A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools” (Proverbs 26:3). Just as these animals need a continual reminder to go the proper path, so also the fool never learns, requiring a rod for repeated discipline. “Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly” (Proverbs 26:11). These proverbs simply prove the point that the Lord makes in Psalms 14 : the fool never learns.

This is a true point that also condemns us all. We never seem to learn, either. We are materialists, we take advantage of one another, and in general do not have the Lord as the ruler in our lives. We have not given our lives over to God. We still go down our own paths while we claim to be believers in God.

We go through life never changing our ways. We continue to remain in our corrupt ways never forming ourselves into the image that God has left for us. Why do we continue in our abominable deeds and not call upon the Lord? We have shown that we are worthy of judgment for our actions. None of us can say that we have learned our lesson. All of us continue to play the fool when it comes to our service and worship to the Lord. How often we accept the blessings of God and yet do not put Him first! How often we will take all that we can receive from the Lord but never offer ourselves in return! We must put God first always and do what He asks.

The fool should live in terror

Further, the fool ought to live in terror. God is with the righteous, but is against those who have not turned their lives over to God. It must be a terrifying thought to our minds to be standing against the Lord. When we noticed Paul’s words concerning the fools who suppress the truth of the knowledge of God, Paul said, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men” (Romans 1:18 ).

We can see the wrath of God revealed many times in the scriptures. In the days of Noah, the wrath of God was revealed against ungodliness through the destruction of the world with a flood of water. In the days of the Lot , the wrath of God was revealed against evil when it rained fire and brimstone from heaven. The wrath of God was revealed against Nadab and Abihu, who were struck dead for not worshipping God as He had authorized. The wrath of God was revealed against Korah who led a rebellion against Moses. God’s wrath has been revealed repeatedly and we must be in fear and trembling that the wrath of God will be against us if we continue to walk the path of fools.

To the righteous, the Lord is a refuge. If you have been following this series on the psalms you will recognize that this theme has been repeated in most of the psalms up to this point. God is the place that we are to run to. This is one way we renounce our foolish ways: by turning to God for relief and rest. We show that we have gained understanding when we stop turning to the world for relief and start turning to God for all our needs.

Hope of Deliverance (Psalms 14:7)

Call for salvation

In the last verse, the tone of the psalm changes as David cries out to the Lord for the hope of deliverance that he has. David first asks for salvation for Israel to come out of Zion . David recognizes that Israel is in need of salvation. There is no one who has been righteous as God has looked down from heaven and seen the folly of mankind. All of us have been corrupted by our own evil practices and desires.

This call for salvation is a call for the Messiah to come. Zion , another name for Jerusalem , has spiritual overtones as the redeemed home of God’s children because of the work of the Messiah. Thus Peter said, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:6).

Paul also spoke of this deliverance that the Messiah had brought to Israel . Romans 11:25-27 says, “Lest you be wise in your own conceits, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel , until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, ‘The Deliverer will come from Zion , He will banish ungodliness from Jacob; and this will be My covenant with them when I take away their sins.’ ” Israel could only be saved when the Messiah, Jesus, would come and take away their sins. This is the only way all Israel could be saved. This is how salvation is offered to everyone since none of us are godly. All of us have been the fools. David looked forward to the salvation the Messiah would bring. David looked forward to the salvation that can be experienced today in Jesus.

Call for restoration

David also makes a call for a restoration of the people. When the Messiah would come, the Lord was going to restore the fortunes of His people. Each of us needs a spiritual restoration. We have all been corrupted by our sins. God can create within us a new heart and a restored spirit when we will turn to Him in faith and obedience.

Acts 3:19-26 tells us that all the prophets spoke of the coming times of restoration that the Messiah would bring. God’s people would not only be restored to their rightful state to receive the blessings of God, as described in Ephesians 1, but also that His people would have a restoration of their relationship with God. By renewing our spirits and cleansing us, we can enjoy a relationship with the Father because we are no longer in darkness and no longer live in the corruption of our minds and hearts. The fortunes of God’s people would be restored as God could now act favorable toward us. The wrath of God no longer awaits those who have obeyed the conditions of our Lord to receive salvation.

Call for rejoicing

This knowledge should lead us to great rejoicing. David calls for rejoicing as he ends this psalm. All of Israel must be glad because of the salvation and restoration that has been made available. There is nothing that can come against us that can ever rob us of the joy we ought to have in Christ. This is why Paul could command us, “rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16 ).

We cannot rejoice because things in life are always good. But we are to rejoice always because of what the Lord has done for each of us. God has been very good to us. Our actions led to our corruption, which should have led to our condemnation as the Lord looked down and saw our wicked ways. Instead, God has granted mercy by sending His Son to bring salvation to Israel , thereby showing His favor to all.

Conclusion:

The promise of salvation and restoration was promised from the beginning when God said to Abraham, “All the nations will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3; Galatians 3:9). The promise stated that Abraham’s children would be blessed. Abraham and his children were set apart by God and called by God ” Israel .” We are Israel if we are the seed of Abraham. Galatians 3:29 tells us that we are Abraham’s children if we belong to Christ. When we belong to Christ, we become heirs of the promise of salvation and restoration. Galatians 3:27 tells us that we become Christ’s through baptism. If we have not been baptized for the forgiveness of our sins, we are not children of Christ, we are not children of Abraham, and we are not God’s Israel . We have no salvation or restoration, only God’s wrath awaiting us. Be baptized today and become a child of promise.

PSALM 14

EXPOSITION

This psalm is highly dramatic, and as such must be interpreted: a position of so much importance in this instance, that the reader should satisfy himself of its soundness at the outset of his study. Observe well the course of observation which the psalmist takes. He tells us that a vile person,—coming to a spot resembling Sodom and Gomorrah with no Lot in its midst, or the world before the flood without a Noah,—felicitates himself that there is no God there. Since he must have had some grounds for this conclusion, and no firmer ground can be imagined than his own observation of the conduct of the people; since, moreover, bad men are ready to believe evil against their fellows,—it seems natural, having no quotation marks to guide us, to carry on the thought of this vile person to the end of the sentence, and attribute to him the further mental observation: Their conduct is corrupt—their practice abominable—there is no well-doer. It is certainly a little surprising to find a vile person making to himself so frank and correctly expressed an admission. But even such an observer may not have forgotten the radical distinction between good and evil; and, in any case, as only his thoughts are reported, we are not bound to conclude that the vulgar slang in which he would half mask his conclusion, is here expressed with painful exactness. It is sufficient to conclude that here we have, correctly reported for us, the substance of his thought. And, clearly, the damaging and sweeping fact of wicked conduct to which his observations and enquiries have led him, abundantly justifies his first-expressed conclusion—No God here! The circumstance that he himself is a vile person, will excuse us if we surmise that it is with some satisfaction that he notes the absence of any thing to serve as a check on the indulgence of his own vile propensities. Here he can do as he likes. There are worse people than himself here. So he may think, little realising how vile he himself is. Thus interpreting, we get a bad man—in a bad neighbourhood—coming to a natural conclusion—and giving to himself a sufficient reason for it. In the dramatic spirit, we may picture a heavenly messenger during a visit to the place as overhearing the vile person’s whisper, and as being so incensed to see how corruption breeds corruption, that he forthwith wings his way to the High Court in heaven to report what he has seen and heard. Whereupon—for so the poetic link of connection between the first and second stanza seems to forge itself—whereupon Jehovah looks down from heaven to see whether the evil has grown to these alarming dimensions.

Pausing here a moment to strengthen our exegesis of the first stanza, it is fair to say that if this account of the words Their conduct is corrupt, etc., be declined in favour of attributing them directly to the psalmist, then you arrive at the unacceptable conclusion, that he first says a thing imperfectly, and then says it effectively by means of a formal introduction and a more carefully graduated set of expressions. Is this likely in the case of a poet of such power as the writer of this psalm? Assuming then that in the charge of immoral conduct contained in the first stanza we have the sufficiently explicit and highly suggestive thought of the vile person, we can advance to the second and third stanzas with an eye open to see their moral elevation and crushing logical force.

The moral elevation of the second stanza consists in this: That JEHOVAH does not look down merely to see how bad the sons of men are, in the place reported upon,—but to discover whether there is no redeeming feature in the case, whether there is not at least one person, who with whatever failings, is at least seeking after God!

The sad fact that there is not—no! not even one Lot in this Sodom—is there necessarily included in the verdict contained in the third stanza: the tremendous force of which is due partly to this implied inclusion—partly to the carefully graduated terms employed, turned aside, drawn back, tainted, together tainted—and partly to the endorsement of the villain’s own word with a formal addition, There is no well-doer, there is not so much as one!

We are assuming that Jehovah’s verdict relates to the same sphere of observation as the vile person’s; and this we do in full view of the general phrase the sons of men whom Jehovah beholds: say, the sons of men—in the place referred to; the sons of men in general, as far as represented by these particular sons of men in this particular place. This is a correct dramatic limitation. To set this aside is to get into contextual difficulties of a most serious kind, and to have to face an incredible result. The chief contextual difficulties are, overlooking the circumstance that the context has an eye to the devourers of Jehovah’s people, and the admission that Jehovah HAS a people to be devoured. If “the sons of men” here are simply and absolutely all the sons of men on the fact of all the earth at all times, then all minor distinctions are abolished, and all mankind without exception are swept into the all-devouring net of this hasty piece of cruel dogmatism! Besides, the appalling result is best described by saying simply—that IT IS NOT TRUE. It was not true of Sodom, as long as Lot was in it: it was not true of the antediluvian world, so long as Noah was in it. To apply the exclusive phrase not so much as one to spheres in which, under Divine guidance, the one can be found and named, is wantonly to trample underfoot the commonest laws of human speech, and needlessly and mischievously represent the Bible as contradicting itself. There may have been a spot where there was literally not so much as one exception; and, if that was at all symptomatic of the general moral corruption of a given age, it was quite enough for the psalmist to refer to it. That, therefore, is what we are entitled to assume is here done.

Stanza IV. now follows as an appropriate advance on what has gone before. The psalmist wishes to stay the marauding invasion begun by devourers of his people. What! he exclaims, have they learned nothing from the records of the past? Do they not know that high Heaven, too long provoked, may at length hurl down vengeance upon them? Incidentally hitting off their character as a combination of cruel greed and light-hearted irreverence, he describes them with keen irony. They do not say grace at a common meal: much less will they devour Jehovah’s people with any reverence towards him!

Then, in Stanza V., he recurs to the historical precedent which—as to its sin—he has already described: let us not forget what we have learned about that character. In it were practical atheism, corrupt conduct, abominable practices—the very place for a debauche to visit: like Sodom, but worse; like the old world, but worse. THERE dreaded they a dread—as they had much occasion; when, just as they were combining for a devouring expedition, God scattered them; just as they had perfected their scheme, Their plan was put to shame, for Jehovah rejected them Have these present would-be devourers of Jehovah’s people never heard of this? Let them beware!

It is no objection to this exegesis that the precise historical reference eludes us, Many a place besides Sodom may have been signally overthrown; and no wonder that it was overthrown, when there was found in it, by verdict of both earth and heaven,—not so much as one well-doer.

It must not be thought that the above interpretation gained an unfair advantage at the outset, by starting with a villain instead of a fool. Dr. Briggs well says: “The Nabhal is not a ‘fool’ in any of the meanings of this word, but a more aggressive personality: not aphron, stultus, fool, but impudent, contumelious, shameless, as impudens with the double sense of immodest and impudent.” In truth, then, he is a villian; and under the name vile person is well described in Isaiah 32:5-7; from which it will be seen: That he is ignoble, over-bearing, injurious; he gives his mind to plans of mischief; calls things by wrong names; injures the helpless by cruel falsehoods, and misrepresents God. Hence, we were doing him no wrong by taking a hint from his character how to interpret his words: he is glad to find no God here, in the recognition of the people, to hamper him in indulging in his propensities; and he has the impudence to admit with satisfaction how depraved the people of the place are; and, as if he had made enquiries for the purpose of discovering that there was no good man to reprove him, he shamelessly congratulates himself on that fact—There is no well-doer.

Nor, again, have we taken an undue liberty in rendering the villain’s opening exclamation relatively rather than abstractly or absolutely; as rather No God here than No God at all; seeing that the negative particle ‘ayin, though confessedly strong, not only “denies existence absolutely,” but “more commonly in a limited sense, there is none here or at hand” (O.G. p. 34).

It will be observed that the fifth stanza above (Psalms 14:5-6) has been given in a shorter form than that appearing in the M.T., as seen in A.V., R.V. That is due to Dr. Briggs’ endeavour to harmonize the two psalms (14, 53); and the result, for its terseness and aptness, pleases well. But before we dismiss the longer form, it may be remarked how strongly it supports the protest offered above, against giving an absolutely universal application to the united verdicts of earth and heaven to human corruption; for, assuredly, it cannot be said both that “God is in the circle of the righteous” and that he is not; nor can such a circle, inclusive of the humbled who hath made Jehovah his refuge be wholly tainted. And thus both the context and the general consent of Scripture unite in opposing the ruthless endeavours of misguided men to harden drama into dogma, by representing all men, everywhere, as always and wholly depraved, beyond further advance in sin. The Bible does not teach that: least of all does the Apostle Paul, in the Third of Romans; for whom it was quite enough to take these damaging testimonies of the Hebrew Scriptures to human sinfulness as he found them, without reading into them a dogmatic universality they were never meant to bear; since his only object was to convince his Scripture-boasting Hebrew brethren that they as well as sinners from among the Gentiles had absolute need of the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.

With this fifth stanza (Psalms 14:5-6), Dr. Briggs thinks the original psalm came to an end; and it may have done so; yet it is difficult to agree with him. Not only the standing needs of congregational worship, but even poetic justice seems to demand a more hopeful conclusion to so strong a psalm. And in view of the would-be devourers of Jehovah’s people, whom the fourth stanza brought into view, it is not easy to see how a more fitting conclusion than the present could have carried the psalm to a climax. Oh that out of Zion were granted the salvation of Israel: that would presuppose a Saviour in Zion whose saving power would go forth to the utmost bounds of the land, beating back every foe, and raising a defence against the further encroachments of practical atheism and moral degeneracy. When that is witnessed—when Jehovah restoreth the prosperity of his people—then, let Jacob exult, let Israel be glad. The prophets of God must have good tidings to tell. There must be salt to stay corruption, light to scatter darkness. Now, in the present time, Jehovah has not only looked down from heaven, but has COME DOWN—“to seek and to save the lost.”

Without casting doubt on the primary Davidic authorship of this psalm, which at the first may have begun nearly as it does now, it is nevertheless fair to admit that most aptly may the allusion to a vile person at the outset be taken as an indignant reference to Rabshakeh (2 Kings 18, 19; Isaiah 36, 37): and who knows but that, among the cities of Judah which he took, he may have discovered “a sink of iniquity” in which could be found not so much as one to protest against his villanies. The Assyrians, at any rate, were devourers of Jehovah’s people, who little knew into whose hands they were about to fall. “The special circumstances of the city afforded ground for the additional verse”—Thirtle’s O.T.P., p. 112.

The Person The Lord Approves

Psalms 15:1-5

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Before we can begin this psalm, we need to know something about Hebrew poetry. Hebrew poetry is very different from English poetry. When we read a poem, we expect to find a particular meter to the poem and perhaps a rhyme or some other sort of literary device. But this is not how poetry was written thousands of years ago.

The chief characteristic that one finds in Hebrew poetry is the use of parallel lines, typically found as couplets. There are many different forms that were used concerning these poetic couplets. Sometimes a second line would involve a restatement of the first line. For example, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). Both lines of the couplet speak to the same matter. Sometimes the second line of the couplet would be an amplification, or expansion of the idea found in the first line. For example, “The highway of the upright avoids evil; he who guards his way guards his life” (Proverbs 16:17). Here we see that the second line is not merely a restatement of the first line of the couplet, but amplifies the first line showing why it is important to be on the highway of the upright. Other times, the second line of a couplet will be in contrast to the first line of the couplet. For example, “The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases Him” (Proverbs 15:8). In this couplet we see that the second line states a contrast to the first line. This is the nature of Hebrew poetry. I believe we will see this type of Hebrew parallelism used in the fifteenth psalm.

The Question: Who may dwell in your sanctuary?

David begins this psalm by asking a question: “Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary?” Literally, the question asks who may dwell in the Lord’s tent or His tabernacle. The sanctuary or the tabernacle was considered to be the dwelling place of the Lord. Of course, the Lord did not literally dwell in the structure, for “the Most High does not live in houses made by men” (Acts 7:48).

The tabernacle was a symbol of the presence of God. God’s presence was in the Holy of Holies where no one was allowed to enter except the high priest once a year. The presence of God was covered by a large, thick veil. The altar of incense stood before the veil and would fill the Holy of Holies with its smoke, as this would resemble the glory and the presence of God. David is asking who can come into the presence of the Lord. Of course, according to the old law, no one could come into the presence of the Lord. So it is clear that David is not referring to the literal tent or tabernacle of God that was in the wilderness or at Shiloh. The question is more of a spiritual matter. Who is the person found acceptable by God? Who is the person that the Lord approves that can be found in God’s presence in His heavenly sanctuary? We are speaking about being a guest in God’s royal house.

Who may live on your holy hill?

The second question is part of the Hebrew parallelism that we have mentioned. The second line uses different words to restate the idea found in the first line. David asks, “Who may live on your holy hill?” David tells us in Psalms 2:6, “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.” So when we read about a “holy hill” we need to think of Zion.

Zion has a very deep and rich meaning in the scriptures, which I do not have time in this lesson to address. But at the very least we can understand Zion as God’s holy mountain, a place where God dwells and is ever present. We see the beginning of such references back in the song of Moses, “You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance—the place, O Lord, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, your hands established. The Lord will reign forever and ever” (Exodus 15:17-18). Who will the Lord find worthy to be with Him on His holy hill? The rest of the psalm answers this question.

The Person the Lord Approves

Holy character

The first couplet of Psalms 15:2 identifies the type of character the Lord requires to be found acceptable. David first says, “he whose walk is blameless.” This description is the same word used throughout the old law to describe the animal that was to be prepared for sacrifices to God. Most of the time it is translated, “without blemish.” The animal to be offered had to be whole and complete. The animal could not be broken, maimed, or sickly in any fashion. This is the type of character that God is looking for in His people.

From an objective sense of this term, none of us are without blemish. All of us have been broken by the power of sin, and our spirits have been corrupted by our own decisions to violate the will of God. As 1 John 1:7 tells us, only when we have confessed our sins to God can the blood of Jesus Christ forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. But there is a subjective sense to which David is most likely referring when he speaks of one’s character being blameless. From this subjective sense, we would consider the person to be morally well-rounded and sound in the teaching of God. The person is not strong in one area and weak in all others, but exhibits strength in all areas of his or her life. This person does not vacillate in his or her commitment to God. The person is the same on Monday through Saturday as he or she is on Sunday morning.

Not only is the character well-rounded and whole toward God, but the person is also active in righteousness. The second line of the couplet reads, “and who does what is righteous.” If we are to be found acceptable in the sight of God and dwell with Him, we cannot merely have a passive character of godliness and morality. God also seeks a character that is active in righteousness.

We must always remember that what we do toward one another is also what we are doing toward Jesus Christ. If we are acting cruelly, immorally, or with malice toward others, we are also doing such toward Jesus. By the same token, when we are active in works of righteousness, we are also doing these things toward God. Jesus taught us that principle in Matthew 25:34-40. If we want the approval of God, then we must change our character so that we show ourselves blameless in that we are being made complete in Jesus. Our character is being molded into the image of God. When that transformation is taking place, we will dwell with the Lord in Zion.

Holy speech

The next couplet of David addresses the need for holy speech if we are to dwell with the Lord. In this couplet we find a contrast described showing the character of one who is found acceptable to God. The first line tells us what the acceptable one does and the second line tells us what he or she does not do.

First, David says, “who speaks the truth from his heart.” Truth is of the utmost importance to God. God is truth and His word is truth and therefore He abhors all things that are false. We cannot tell people what we think they want to hear. Instead, our lips must always be truthful. Now, for some reason we associate the truth with harshness. We think to be truthful means that we need to hurt others feelings. But God tells us to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:25; Ephesians 4:29). Honesty and gentleness can go hand in hand if we want them to and if we will be thoughtful enough with our words.

Speaking the truth is not only important because it is the character of God, but also because this is the only way that we are found trustworthy with one another. There can be no trust among us if we are not speaking truthfully to each other. Without a foundation of truth, we cannot build up together. Notice that this speaking of truth comes from the heart. The truth is not contrived. Speaking the truth is not a once in a while event. This is the nature of the person’s heart. The person approved by God has a heart that desires to be truthful in all situations and speaks the truth no matter the consequences.

Second, a person who is approved by God “has no slander on his tongue.” The positive side is addressed that one must speak the truth. Now we see what is also missing from his mouth–that is, slander. This also goes against backbiting and gossip. All forms of language that we use to potentially harm another is condemned. I believe that this is one of the greatest sins that exists in churches today, most frequently committed, more notably allowed and excused, and the most destructive among us. I found it interesting to notice that this word for “slander” is used throughout the Old Testament to refer to people who were sent into a land to “spy it out.” That is the idea conveyed in this word. We are enemies when we slander one another. We are acting like spies, finding out information, and then telling others what we have learned. Brethren, we must rein in our tongues if we are to live with the Lord.

Holy conduct

If the last couplet was about what we should say and should not say to our neighbor, then this couplet addresses what we should do and should not do toward our neighbor. To be approved by God, David says a person “does his neighbor no wrong.” When we come to a statement like this, I believe it is easy for us to have the same question in our mind that the expert of the law had to Jesus when he asked, “who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). When we speak of doing good to our neighbor, we want to limit exactly who our neighbor is. We want our neighbor to be only our friends. We want our neighbor to be those who are kind to us. We want our neighbor to be only those who are disciples of Jesus.

But Jesus threw that idea out when He taught the parable of the good Samaritan. In that parable Jesus taught that every person was our neighbor, even those who we would consider despicable, awful, and terrible people. Everyone is our neighbor. So let us reexamine the text with this lens before us. Are we people who do our neighbor no wrong? That is exactly what God is looking for in us if we are to be found acceptable to Him so that we can dwell with Him.

The second part of the couplet says that the one who is approved by God does not take up a reproach upon his fellow man. This is something that can involve words and deeds. To take up a reproach against another can refer to scorning the person and speaking evil of a person. We have no right to speak in such a way about other people. We see this point taught in Judges 1:9, “But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’” Now, I think we would all agree that the devil is certainly deserving of any slanderous accusation and any reproach that could be thought of, yet not even Michael the archangel would dare bring such an accusation against him. What does this tell us about how we ought to use our words about other people if even the devil ought not be slandered! Too often we bring a reproach and scorn upon others. Such an action is not acceptable to God.

Further, we can bring a reproach upon others by the way we treat them. We may not offer the slanderous words, but we treat them as the plague. Do we treat every person with respect and dignity, or do we think that we are important people who ought to be served by others? We can treat people with scorn and think we are doing well because we did not say anything bad. Well, how did we treat them, though? Many times we are not treating people the way they ought to be treated. Again, the good Samaritan showed us what it means to be a neighbor by going the extra mile for another person, though they may not deserve such help. It could be very well argued that the Samaritan was foolish for walking down that path for it was a dangerous road to travel. By passing by, the Samaritan would have shown the same scorn and contempt that the priest and the Levite showed. God is looking for people who will show compassion upon their fellow man and treat them honorably and respectably.

Holy values

The next couplet seems to deal with the values that we believe in and follow. David says that one who is approved by God is one “who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord.” To honor those who are godly and despise those who are evil is a matter of the value system that we have. We can see in society today that these ideals and values are rapidly deteriorating. Our heroes today are those who get paid millions of dollars a year. Our heroes today are those who commit evil and get away with it. Sports athletes are the poster children for bad role models, yet these are the very people that our children want to be like. Those who are good, moral, and honest people get zero press coverage. Only those who have “street value” are those who are honored and modeled.

We cannot fall into such a trap. How easy it is for us to idolize some actor or actress that we think seems to be so good and wholesome, but in reality is just acting a part. How easy it is for us to glorify what the world glorifies. Yet we must realize that this is a distortion of the values that God has placed within us. Let me use a phrase that I believe shows how bad things have gotten in our society: the stay-at-home mother, or homemaker. A person who claims this role in our society today is considered to be foolish, wasting her life, and at the very least, outright lazy. This is a false value that we have adopted from society and not from God. God glorifies mothers who would stay home to take care of their children. God does not condemn such a woman as lazy or insignificant. Let us make sure we are not despising what God has honored, and are not honoring what God has despised.

Holy integrity

David next addresses the integrity of a person who is approved by God. This person is one “who keeps his oath even when it hurts.” The thought is a couplet even though the writing is incomplete. God approves of those who keep their oath at all times. Here is a person who says something and means it. This goes to the integrity of a person. Jesus said that our integrity ought to be great enough that when we say “yes,” it will be yes and people will know that it is a yes. When we say “no,” people will know that it will be a “no” (Matthew 5:37). Our words ought to be important to us. Too often we are so flippant with the things that we say we will do and not do, without any regard or thought for whether we truly plan to do them or not.

But it is not merely keeping our word when it is convenient for us. Notice the rest of the couplet states that the person is faithful “even when it hurts.” That is the kind of integrity that God is looking for. God is not impressed when we keep our word when it is easy for us to keep our word. Integrity is shown when we keep our word despite the cost or toll that comes against us. How easy it is to excuse ourselves from our commitments because we did not count the cost before we said our words. God’s words are unfailing, immovable, and a firm foundation for each of us as we journey through the perils of life. Our words need to be like God’s words. When we say something, let us mean it, or not say it at all.

Holy use of money

Would you be surprised to know that God cares how we use our money? I am not sure why we are surprised at that and many take offense to the idea that God will judge us based upon how we have used our money. But I believe the logic is simple to follow. Do we not look to see how our children spend the money we give them? If they are responsible, we will continue to give them more; but if they are wasteful and irresponsible, then we may choose to withhold our help. God has applied these same principles upon His children.

David says that God approves of the man “who lends his money without usury.” God commanded the people of Israel not to collect interest on one another when money was lent (Exodus 22:25-27). God gave rules on the use of money because He cares how we use His money. God did not want us to try to hurt others in efforts to gain more money. This is clearly seen in the rest of the couplet, “and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.” When we use money to try to hurt other people or to try to get ahead of others in our selfish pursuits, we are not acting in the image of God and God does not approve of us.

The concept of being judged based upon how we use our money was also taught to us in the New Testament by Jesus in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25). As you may know, a talent was a denomination of money that was used in the Roman days. Each of the servants in that parable was judged based upon what each did with the money that was given to him by the master. As we may know, each servant was given a different amount of money. But judgment was based upon whether the servant used the money in the service of the master, or if it was used selfishly. God did not give us what we have so that we would hoard it, be selfish with it, or be consumed by it. We are to serve God with it, yet how often serving God is the last thing we use our money for. We get stingy when it comes to using money to serve God. We need to be very careful, for God watches even what we do with our money and we will give an account of how the things that God has given us have been used.

Conclusion:

David concludes the psalm by saying, “he who does these things will never be shaken.” Our ears ought to really perk up when we hear such a statement like we will never be shaken. If we want to have the security of God’s approval, and knowledge that we will dwell with Him, then we must have a holy character, holy speech, holy conduct, holy values, holy integrity, and a holy use of money.

Peter said the same thing in 2 Peter 1:5-11. Peter tells us all the attributes we need to add to our faith. Peter concludes by saying, “if you do these things, you will never fall.” This must be our goal so that we can have such confidence before God. Who can dwell in the Lord’s sanctuary and holy hill? All of us–if we will become like God in these areas of our lives. (NIV)

PSALM 15

EXPOSITION

This is an interesting psalm of instruction, valuable in its bearing on character. It is brightly dramatic. It places the inhabitants of Jerusalem in a beautiful light, as guests in Jehovah’s house at the same time that they are dwellers in his holy city: their residence in the one giving them easy and constant access to the other. The same character that would make them honoured citizens, would make them welcome worshippers. In placing Jehovah in the light of a Host, the psalm sheds a soft radiance on the Divine character. It was beseeming that such a Host should have noble guests; and it will be observed how prominent nobility of character is here made, by the very nature of the virtues which are signalised. Such a man as is here portrayed could not be mean. The close observer will discover that the ten characteristics named are arranged in couplets and triplets:—a couplet of general principles in work and word (Psalms 15:2); a triplet of social virtues, coming nearer and nearer to the man himself—neighbour, friend, intimate (Psalms 15:3): a couplet of bold contrast, touching religious character (Psalms 15:4 a, b); then a triplet of sterner excellences, safeguarding social intercourse (Psalms 15:4 c, Psalms 15:5 a, b). Summing up all that has gone before as the condition, the psalmist assures the would-be Citizen-Guest of a permanent welcome. Several other psalms fall into line with this in emphasising character: as Psalms 1, 24, 121; and Isaiah 33:14-16 may be aptly compared. The Christian justly enamoured of justification for the ungodly and salvation for the lost, will act wisely by reminding himself that the initial justification without works is in order to works; and the universal and imperative requirement of repentance demands the production of godly character as the great object of the Gospel.

Preserved By God

Psalms 16:1-11

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

The sixteenth psalm is one that poses much trouble in trying to understand. It does not take but one or two readings of this psalm to begin to wonder who this psalm is speaking about. There are quite a few different views that have been advanced concerning this psalm and its subject.

Some scholars believe that the psalm is referring strictly to David and no one else. Some liberal commentators have a problem with David being a prophet of God (Acts 2:30 ) and cannot accept that David could be speaking of the Messiah to come. Others contend that this psalm is speaking completely of the Messiah and has no personal references to David at all. Still others believe that this psalm speaks of both David and the Messiah to come.

As we read this psalm, I would like for you to determine which seems most accurate to you. I am going to present my understanding of this psalm, but I in no way want to hinder you from drawing your own conclusions concerning this psalm.

Relationship to God (Psalms 16:1-4)

Preservation and refuge

The psalm begins, “Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.” This first word in the psalm is the overall message of the psalmist. God has the power to preserve those who are His. Therefore, David begins by expressing his desire for God to keep him safe.

This concept of preservation and refuge has also been a common theme that we have seen expressed by the psalmist so far in our studies. God is the one to turn to in all situations, whether good or bad, joyful or turbulent. To the righteous the Lord is a refuge, a solace to those who are hurting and suffering.

My Lord

David then writes, “I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord.’” Our English language blurs what is actually being said by using the same word “Lord” twice in the passage. Some versions have tried to show that these are different words by capitalizing the first “Lord” and not capitalizing the second “Lord.”

The first “Lord” in Psalms 16:2 is the name Jehovah or YHWH in the Hebrew. This is the proper name, if you will, for the Lord. However, David writes that he says to God, “You are my adonai.” This Hebrew word means “master.” Therefore, we ought to understand David writing something like this: I say to the Lord, You are my master. David confesses that God is the ruler of his life. Even more, consider that in verse 1 David called out to “God” or El in the Hebrew. This is the abbreviated form of elohim which expresses God as the all-powerful one in strength and might.

Goodness from God

The writer also says to the Lord, “I have no good apart from you.” There are a couple of different ways these ideas can be expressed depending upon the manuscript source one uses. The Septuagint expresses the phrase this way, “You do not need my goodness.”

This must be the realization of every person: apart from God we have no goodness. We like to think that we can be these “good moral people” and such is acceptable to God. We hear people ask whether good moral people will go to heaven even though they have not been obedient to the Lord. What we must realize is that we have no goodness apart from obedience to God. There is no such thing as being a good person if we are not serving the Lord. Anyone who is a violator of God’s law is not good. Instead, the person is ungodly, evil, and stands condemned, not good.

Further, the Septuagint tweaks the perspective that we ought to have even further. God does not need our goodness that we do work. Shall we think that God will be compelled to let us into heaven because we have performed some good moral works? Do we think that there is anything we can do that would cause God to say, “Because you have done such and such, I must let you in?” God does not need our goodness. God does not need us. God did not need to create us. God was whole without us before time as we know it began. Lord, you are my master; you do not need my goodness.

This verse eliminates in my mind the possibility that these first seven verses are referring to Christ. Most commentators understand this whole psalm to be referring to the Christ because of the information found in Psalms 16:8-11. But I simply cannot see how Psalms 16:2 can be applied to the Christ. I cannot see the Christ saying to the Father, “I have no goodness apart from you.” Such words would suggest that the Christ is not God. To understand this referring to the coming Messiah causes great complexities and difficulties, which are quickly resolved if we simply understand David to be speaking these words. Because of these two verses, I will continue our study assuming that David is speaking these words and not the Christ.

The Effects of a Relationship With God

First, we see that those who are the holy ones of God are the excellent ones in the earth. David recognizes that there are others who are trying to serve the Lord, and in them he is able to find delight. We must remember that we are not the only ones who are trying to serve the Lord. It can be very easy for us to adopt an attitude like Elijah who believed that he was the only one left who was faithfully serving God. What a delight it is to worship and serve with others who have the same goal and intentions in life. We cannot see eye to eye with others who do not have a zeal for the Lord. While we may be friends and close companions, there is always something that is missing. What joy there is in fellowshipping with those who have a common goal and common love for God.

Second, David also expresses a sorrow for those who run after other gods. He knows that those who seek after other gods will only find more sorrows and he refuses to run with them. How important it is for us to realize that the chasing after other gods will only cause greater sorrow in our lives. Too often we believe that seeking after the money god, the possession god, the comfort god, the television god, the work god, or any other thing that is important to us will bring us happiness. These pursuits only perpetuate our sorrows.

Blessings Due to a Relationship With God (Psalms 16:5-8)

Assigned me my portion and my cup

David will now describe in these next few verses the blessings that he has because of his relationship with God. The first point made is that God has assigned his portion and this cup. One’s portion can either refer to one’s land or to one’s food. Since this sentence is tied to the cup, it is likely referring to the portion of food that is given by God.

Essentially, David writes that God has taken care of him when it comes to food and drink. God has provided for him daily. We simply do not understand that type of appreciation and thanksgiving because we never have had concern for where our next meal would come from. Our greatest concern is usually what we will eat, not if we will eat. We must remember that God has given us such blessings today and give thanks.

My lot is secure

David further says that God has made his lot secure. This statement alludes to the fact that God has taken care of him through every circumstance. Regardless of what may happen in life, he is made secure by God.

All followers of God have this same hope and promise. God will provide for us and keep us secure when we are with Him. This is not to say that nothing bad will ever happen, for bad things happened to David and happened to Jesus. But this does remind us that God will never forsake us or let us go.

I have a beautiful inheritance

David further describes the beautiful inheritance he has been given by God. David is content with what God has given to him. There is no statement of needing to have more than what he has. David does not say that this is not enough…give me more. David is content with what God has given and gratefully accepts these things.

Dare I say that such an application is necessary for us today. How easy it is for us to always be looking for how to attain more and never be content and grateful for what we do have. We need to be thrilled with what has been given to us. While things may not be as we perfectly envisioned in our minds, we have been given so much and must always receive what God has given us with thanksgiving.

The Lord gives counsel

Furthermore, the Lord is his counselor. David needed counsel that he could trust and follow. David allowed the Lord to lead him and instruct him. David listened to the direction of the Lord and followed Him with all his heart.

Do we not also need counsel that we can trust? We make decisions that will affect the outcome of our lives and determine if we will receive reward or grave consequences. Should we not consult God? We must make decisions that affect those who we love most and those who are very close to us. Will we look for God’s advice and direction or will we follow our own wisdom? We are fools when we do not pray for God’s wisdom (James 1:5). We are stubborn when we do not ask for God’s direction. We are mindless when we do not let the scriptures instruct the way for our feet.

I shall not be shaken

What a beautiful thought that David concludes with in verse 8. David has made a decision to always set the Lord in front of his eyes. Because he has made God first in his life, he shall not be shaken.

This ties back into Psalms 15 which we studied last time. Notice how David ended the psalm, “He who does these things shall never be moved” (Psalms 15:5). David makes the same point here. When we are in a relationship with God, we cannot be shaken. Though we may endure the great turbulences of life, we will be like a tree firmly planted by the waters (Psalms 1). We will be steady and firm through whatever life throws at us or whatever Satan may use to try to destroy us.

The Future Hope (Psalms 16:8-11)

Resurrection–David speaks of another

The passage now takes a dramatic turn as we read this psalm. Still writing in the first person, the psalmist writes of things that could not apply to himself. In fact, Acts 2:25; Acts 2:30 tells us that David was speaking of someone other than himself. David was not referring to himself when he penned the final words of this psalm. Peter tells us that David was a prophet (Acts 2:30 ), therefore David uses this as an opportunity to prophesy concerning the coming Messiah. This passage becomes a central part of the apostles’ teaching.

First, consider the argument Paul used when preaching from this psalm in Acts 13:35-39. Paul is in the synagogue on the Sabbath day in the city of Antioch in Pisidia. Paul gives a synopsis of the history of Israel , beginning with the exodus and concluding with the death of Jesus. Paul then goes on to show that Jesus raised from the dead, fulfilling the prophecy found in Psalms 2 and then quotes a fragment of Psalms 16, “You will not let your Holy One see corruption” (Acts 13:35). Paul continues with his argument, “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, but he whom God raised up did not see corruption.” Paul asks the Jews in the synagogue if they think these words were fulfilled by David. Of course they could not be, for David died and saw corruption. This is the first argument presented to prove that Jesus is the Messiah, for He did not see corruption, God raising Him from the dead. Now, forgiveness of sins is offered to everyone who believes.

Peter also used a similar argument, but a fuller argument, from Psalms 16 as well. In Acts 2:24 Peter argues that God raised up Jesus from the dead. His proof that this was God’s doing is the quotation of this psalm. Here, Peter quotes Psalms 16:8-11 and says that David was speaking of the Christ. Jesus would not be shaken because the Lord was ever before Him. May I make a side point that this again proves that Jesus was not forsaken by the Lord on the cross, just as we have pointed out from Psalms 22. I encourage you to look at that study again which can be found on the website. In Psalms 16, David is speaking of the Christ and says that the Lord would ever be before Him.

Therefore, the Christ would rest in hope of this because the Christ would not remain in Hades. In Psalms 16 we read “you will not abandon my soul in Sheol.” Sheol is the Hebrew word used to describe the grave, the pit, or the abyss. So also, Hades is simply the Greek word of that same concept, the final resting place when we die. David says that the Christ would not remain there. Furthermore, the Christ would not experience decay or corruption.

In Acts 2:29 Peter goes further to say that David is dead and buried, and his tomb was still with them to that day. In Acts 2:31, Peter quotes Psalms 16:10 again further illustrating that David was speaking of his descendant who would sit on his throne. Not only does the prophecy prove that Jesus is the chosen one of God, but Peter offers two other proofs. In Acts 2:32 Peter goes further to say that they are eyewitnesses of Jesus being resurrected. They saw Him arrested and they saw Him die. Then all the disciples saw the resurrected Jesus. The final proof Peter offers is in Acts 2:33 that Jesus has now ascended to the right hand of God, received the promised Holy Spirit and has poured it out upon the apostles, of which the multitudes were witnesses. All people were to know that Jesus is the Lord and Messiah.

Jesus raising from the dead is the central importance of our faith. This event is something that the apostles declared to be fundamental to every follower. If Jesus raised from the dead, then He is the Lord. We should not be surprised that Jesus raised from the dead, since the event was predicted by David over 1000 years earlier. Further, the apostles were witnesses of the resurrected Jesus, and miracles that the apostles performed were evidence of the risen Jesus.

Resurrection–hope for us

But there is hope for us in the prophecy of David that we have studied from Psalms 16. First, the reason we shall not be shaken is through the resurrection of Jesus. He is the proof that we will be preserved by God. Just as God preserved and protected Jesus as He promised, so that His body did not see decay or corruption and His soul was not left in Hades, so we also will be preserved by God.

The writer of Hebrews argues this very point in Hebrews 10:35-39. The writer encourages us not to throw away our confidence and to exercise endurance so we may receive what is promised. What has been promised? First, the coming one will not delay. Therefore the righteous will live by faith. Notice how the writer concludes in Hebrews 10:39, “But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.”

While our bodies will decay, our souls will be preserved by God if we will live righteously by faith. God’s fulfilled promises give us confidence. Since God raised Jesus from the dead according to His promise, then God will preserve our souls according to this promise. Though Jesus stared death in the face, suffered a horrible death, and knew He would die by lawless hand, He could still say “therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices” (Psalms 16:9). Our hearts can be glad and we can greatly rejoice because we see through the resurrection of Christ that we will not be shaken and God will not forsake us.

Conclusion:

We are in the presence of God and because of this fact, there is great joy. The psalm concludes with the words, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” We have great delight because the path of righteousness has been revealed to us and we are able to obtain immeasurable joy in God’s presence. In fact, at God’s right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Let us not waiver or let go of our confidence. The path we are on is worth the work. The sacrifices we may have to make are well worth the reward we will receive. Let us always remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us and how His actions prove the hope we have within us. This hope belongs to those who live by faith, obeying the Lord with all our hearts. (ESV)

PSALM 16

EXPOSITION

This is the language of an Ideal Israelite, as a glance at Stanza II. will show. Of the spirit of the Ideal Israelite, it is needless to say, both David and Hezekiah largely partook. For that very reason, they must have been predisposed to accept and utilise any worthy psalmody-contributions from Levite-Seers. If the writer of the present psalm was literally a Levite—a priest—then his protest against idolatry at the close of Stanza I. would assume an aspect of personal repugnance of much the more intense; and suggests the possibility that in the days of declension into idolatry, from the days of Ahaz and onwards, the same men may have sometimes been expected to act both as priests to Jehovah and as priests to idols.

Stanza I. as here critically emended by Ginsburg and Briggs, has in it several features of great interest. The very opening word, in view of the ending of the psalm, challenges a deeper significance than usual: Preserve me, save me from death, hold me in being. I said to Jehovah: “the Becoming One,” who has yet more and more of the riches of his own immortal being to communicate: My Sovereign Lord art thou: I am at thy disposal. My welfare, my blessedness, is not without thee: has no independent existence. Make of me what thou wilt: I have no blessedness but in thee. A Christian’s mind is irresistibly carried along to think what these words must have meant to the youthful Jesus of Nazareth; and once our thoughts reach that point of departure, we are naturally led on to conceive of the joy with which the Messiah would note how the holy men and women in the days of his manifestation on earth would perceive that Jehovah was making wonderful his delight in them, and in their kinsfolk and neighbours, as they were taught and healed. We pretend not to give to the words of the psalm any such exclusive application; for they apply to every visitation of Israel and every deliverance wrought in their midst, from the day they were written. Jehovah ever delighted in his holy ones, and on many occasions made his delight appear wonderful. The reference to idolatry in Psalms 16:4, no doubt received its exactest fulfilment in the latter days of the monarchy, before idolatry had received its great check by the punishment of the Exile. Yet, still, we cannot think of that young Nazarene, save as entering into a fellowship of spirit with the faithful priests who in the times long before his coming had stedfastly refused to lend themselves to idolatrous rites; to which we may add the reflection that the occasional contact of Galileans in later times with caravans of idol worshippers, would be sufficient to keep alive in Northern Israel a whole detestation of the cruel customs of heathenism. We frankly admit that it is in foresight of what follows in this psalm that we thus early begin to breathe the Messianic spirit.

It is, however, when we rise to the spiritual elevation of Stanza II. that we become more positively conscious of the Messianic atmosphere. And, indeed, it is just as an atmosphere that its penetrating and elevating energy is felt. It is here that the ideal Israelite submits himself to our admiring gaze. Jehovah is his portion and in his portion he delights; nor his portion only, but the maintainer and defender of it. Then he thinks of the measuring lines which have marked out his portion for him, as if with mental reference to the broad acres which such lines have mapped out for others: leaving him still perfectly contented with his own lot. Thus he reflects on his inheritance until it becomes mighty over him, throws over him a mighty spell. Again we say: How can a Christian help thinking of words which fall in line as fulfillment? How can he restrain his thoughts from One of whom he has read in a primitive Christian document: “Who, in consideration of the joy lying before him, endured a cross, shame despising; and on the right hand of the throne of God hath taken his seat?” That, surely, was an inheritance worthy to become mighty over even the Messiah. This Ideal Israelite still further lays bare his inmost being as he allows us to see that he discovers the counsels of Jehovah in, or by means of, the impulses of the dark night, when silent reflection causes the activities of the day to stir the inmost springs of being. In this case, however, the impulses are so chastened and purified as to call forth blessings on Jehovah who uses them to unveil his will. We can never in this world know how mighty and timely was the nightly training of Him, who after being thronged through the day with the multitudes coming and going, spent whole nights in prayer. As dangers thickened and enemies became more bitter and determined, he set Jehovah before him continually, Because he was on his right hand, he was not shaken from his purpose to go up to Jerusalem, and there become obedient as far as death.

In advancing now to the third stanza of this psalm we can scarcely fail to bring with us the one outstanding observation: That it is the moral elevation of the second stanza which prepares the way for the victory of the third. Therefore: because Jehovah himself is my portion; because I am fully content with mine inheritance, and it has a mighty influence over me; because night and day I follow Divine counsel and unreservedly place myself under Divine guidance for the future; therefore my heart is glad,—and in the strength of my joy I am led on to victory over death.

If the moral elevation of the second stanza is unique—as we think it is—if, in its own way, there is nothing quite equal to it elsewhere in the Psalms; then we need not be surprised to be led on to a more complete analysis of the human constitution than is to be found anywhere else in the Old Testament. Such an analysis does, indeed, appear to await us. The triumph to be realised is sufficiently complete that the WHOLE MAN, in the most exhaustive analysis of him, should be summoned to rejoice in it: therefore, my heart—my glory—my flesh are marshalled to advance to its realisation,—my heart, that is, my intelligent nature; my glory, that is, my spirit, God-given, God-related, the recipient of Divine impressions, the spring of emotional force; my flesh, that is, my body, with its well-known uses, wants, weaknesses and susceptibilities. Each of these is coupled with a suitable verb: my heart rejoices with intelligent joy; my glory exulteth with joy intensified into ecstasy; my flesh shall rest,—fatigued with stress and strain, shall rest; weakened by work and weariness, shall rest and be still; shall rest and be refreshed and renewed. For some cause, the “flesh” lags behind the “heart” and the “glory;” “my heart already rejoiceth” (verb in the complete tense); “my glory already exulteth” (verb again practically in the complete tense—imperfect with waw conversive); but “my flesh shall rest” (verb in the incomplete or incipient tense). Further, an element of surprise is introduced along with the flesh: ‘aph “even,” “implying, something surprising or unexpected” (O.G. p. 65)—“Yea,” “moreover,” “even” (= “surprising to say”) my flesh shall rest securely. Then, too, the noun, “flesh,” in being set before its verb, is by a well-known rule emphasised. There was good cause for the surprise—good cause for the emphasis. For “the flesh” was in danger: in danger of corruption! in danger, because the contingency supposed was the event of death. It must have been death; otherwise there would have been no entrance into hades, and consequently the promise of not being abandoned to hades would have been superfluous. When Dr. Burney wrote in The Interpreter for July 1907, p. 375, that “my flesh is only employed of the living body,” he must have forgotten Job 19:26 and Psalms 79:2. “Flesh,” clearly, may mean the dead body; and that it does so mean here, naturally follows from the surprise and the emphasis already noted; and, we may add,—forms the allusion to danger made by the adverb “securely;” for why should the “flesh” alone be represented as in danger, but for the assumed fact of its exposure to early decay by death?

The point to which the danger extends is the point at which victory commences. This godly man dies, yet even his flesh rests securely. Why?

For thou wilt not abandon my soul to hades. My soul may here be taken to include the whole personality, according to the most common usage of the word throughout the Old Testament; and this brings it into parallelism with the term hasith in the next line:—

Thou wilt not abandon my soul (that is, ME) to hades,

Neither wilt thou suffer thy hasith (=thy man of kindness = thine Ideal Israelite=thy Levite=ME, bearing as I do that character) to see the pit.

It is, of course, implied that he, the man, would enter hades; although he, the man, would not be abandoned to it. He would not, with the wicked, see the pit in hades: that is expressed. He would not, in his flesh, suffer harm; seeing that his flesh would dwell securely. The dominion of hades over him would be harmless, and therefore presumably brief. He would not remain long in hades. He would not suffer harm in hades. His whole personality would come safely through hades. As much as this, the words naturally convey: we need not press them to signify more. It is obvious how completely they were fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth by his early resurrection.

Less than resurrection cannot be intended; for resurrection is the true and complete antithesis to death. If Jesus had not been raised bodily, to that extent he would have been abandoned to hades—which includes the grave.

Besides, the path to life naturally starts from the lowest point to which Jehovah’s loved and loving One was permitted to descend. If he was suffered to lay aside his body, then he was permitted to take it again. Not only does the path of life lead up out of the underworld inclusive of the grave, but it leads up into heaven. It matters not, in this connection, where heaven is; but it matters much that it is where Jehovah most gloriously manifests his presence and unveils his face. Fullness of joy, for redeemed man, is “in communion with the divine face or presence.” Delightfulness—more than “pleasure” (rather an abused word), more than “beauty” or “loveliness” to the eye, more than “sweetness” to the taste: all combined, and unspeakably more. The general thought is that man’s utmost capacity for happiness will be satisfied in the Divine Presence, or with (the unveiling of) the Divine face, to behold which he is invited, and to which under the guidance of Redeeming Love he tends.

“The original situation is provided in 1 Samuel 26. For ‘hasten after another’ (4) see 1 Samuel 26:19; for ‘maintainest my lot’ (5), see 1 Samuel 26:25; for ‘heritage’ (6), see 1 Samuel 26:19; 1 Samuel 26:25; for ‘the Lord before him (8) see 1 Samuel 26:16; 1 Samuel 26:19-20; 1 Samuel 26:24; for ‘deliverance’ (1, 10, 11), see 1 Samuel 26:24, On Psalms 16:11, cp. 1 Samuel 26:10. The whole was also remarkably appropriate for the reign of Hezekiah, and doubtless the psalm was adopted on that account. The delineation is found in Isaiah 57 (which is attributed to Isaiah of Jersualem), wherein whoredom (Psalms 16:3-4; Psalms 16:8) expresses the ‘hastening after another.’ In the words of this psalm, in Psalms 16:4-5, the pious of Judah were enabled to dissociate themselves from abominations specifically described by the prophet. The ‘drink offerings’ of the depraved people are repudiated; and over against their ‘portion’ and ‘lot,’ another is made the subject of boasting (cp. Isaiah 57:6). As for Psalms 16:8-11 of the psalm, they are remarkably appropriate for the man who was brought to the gates of death and then raised to newness of life (Isaiah 38:18-20; cp. Psalms 17:15; Psalms 140:13)”—Thirtle, “Old Testament Problems,” pp. 313, 314.

It will be seen, from the giving of the above liberal extract, how far these “Studies” are from ignoring the existence of typical prophecy in the Psalms. Whenever, and to whatever extent, foreshadowing types can be found, their employment in exposition is helpful. Nevertheless, as protested in dealing with Psalms 2, it is conceived that we should dutifully expect now and then examples of the bounding away of the Spirit of Foresight into things to come. These adjustments being borne in mind, the present writer has no need to excuse himself for having in the above Exposition felt himself at once carried away to think of Jesus of Nazareth as the Great Fulfiller.

The Prayer of David

Psalms 17:1-15

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

The model prayer of Jesus is one that is very well known and most of us have committed to our memories. But we may neglect to realize that there are many other prayers that are contained in the scriptures worthy of modeling in our own prayer lives.

Psalms 17 is one of those passages where we read a prayer that is worthy for us to model. Psalms 17 is a prayer of David. As we go through this prayer, let us notice how David approaches the Lord, what David is requesting, and how he goes about presenting his appeal to God. In this prayer, David is going to make arguments for his case. This is important, not that God must be persuaded, but to cause us to think through our requests and to sharpen them.

Hear My Plea (Psalms 17:1-5)

David’s calling

David emphatically begins this prayer by requesting God’s attention. Three times in verse 1 David petitions God to give His attention to him. “Hear, O Lord,” “listen,” and “give ear.” We have seen David use this approach before with the Lord in the fifth psalm. In that psalm, David said “Give ear,” “consider,” and “give attention.” David bases his request to be heard by the Lord upon two things: his innocence and his life which is beyond reproach.

His innocence. David makes forceful arguments in these first five verses. David’s innocence is strongly argued in verse 2, “may my vindication come from you.” This is a clear statement of David’s innocence. David’s plea is a righteous plea (vs. 1) and David expects to find vindication from the Lord. This suggests to us that there are enemies who have laid charges against David. David wants to be cleared of these charges by God Himself. We ought to consider that even the man after God’s own heart had people laying charges against him, of which he was innocent. To be blameless is not to have no one ever charge or slander us, but that our character will vindicate us from such charges.

His life, which is beyond reproach. We need to see how strongly David argues that his life has been beyond reproach. In verse 1 David declares that his plea does not arise from deceitful lips. In verse 3 David says that the Lord can probe his heart and test him and he will find nothing concerning these charges. Further, David says that he has resolved that his mouth will not sin. In verse 5 David also declares that his feet have held to the way of God’s paths and his feet have not slipped. This is powerful language in this prayer.

I think we would be right to ask the question: How can David say these words? How can any human being claim such innocence? I think we can answer this question in two ways. First, the innocence that David claims is probably concerning the charges that have been made against him. I believe David is telling the Lord to search his heart and he will find that he has not committed what his enemies charge.

Self-examination

But I believe there is another aspect involved in David’s ability to go before God with such forceful words of innocence. David has done self-examination before making his petition. David has searched within himself, made confession, and stands before God innocent.

Though we are timid to say such words, we need to be able to go before God, above reproach and pray. If we cannot, then we must correct the fault that is in our lives. Otherwise, we are wasting our breath in our prayers. We need to ask ourselves some questions before we pray to examine ourselves.

Are we being disobedient? Isaiah 59:1-2 tells us, “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” We should not be surprised if our prayers seem powerless and fruitless if we are practicing sin. If we are defying God’s commands, then our sins have separated us from God, and therefore He will not hear us. In our self-examination, let us ask if we have been disobedient and then make confession and repentance to God before we pray.

Are we being selfish? Do we pray for others’ needs or only our needs? Do we think about spiritual needs or do we only pray for our physical needs? James 4 tells us that we ask and do not receive because we are praying to fulfill our selfish lusts and desires. We cannot pray selfishly and expect to receive anything.

Is there a wrong that we need to make right? We cannot offer a righteous plea if we have wronged others. We have the obligation to make right any wrongs that we have committed. Remember the words of Jesus, “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24).

Do we have our priorities in order? We need to see the commitments that David had made to the Lord, as stated in this psalm. David had determined to keep himself from the steps of the violent (Psalms 17:4). David made a commitment to keep his feet following the pathway of God (Psalms 17:5). Notice his diligence in Psalms 17:3, “I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.” Have we made that kind of resolve? This shows our priorities when we make these determinations, commitments, and goals in our lives. When we have made proper self-examination and made correction, we can then go before God with our righteous plea and declare our innocence in God’s sight.

Plea Based Upon the Love of God (Psalms 17:6-9)

God keeps His covenant and promises

David also requests God to hear and answer his prayer based upon God’s character. Specifically, David relies upon the love of God. David says, “show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand” (Psalms 17:7). This love is stronger in the Hebrew than what our English language has the ability to communicate. This is not speaking of God’s general love. David is appealing to God’s love that causes Him to enter into a covenant with His people and fulfill His promises to them. It is the love that causes God to keep His end of the promises and covenants, even though His people break those covenants.

It is that covenant love that maintained the people of Israel so that a Messiah would come, even though the people deserved utter destruction. It is that covenant love that God would send His Son knowing the people would abuse Him, torture Him, disregard Him, and kill Him. It is that covenant love that God forgives us of our sins though we each transgress the covenant. What a great hope we each have to rely upon the promises and covenant love of God.

God’s faithfulness as a refuge

So many times we have seen David describe the Lord as a refuge to the righteous. We see this description given again in Psalms 17:7, “those who take refuge in you from their foes.” David uses the knowledge that God is a refuge as a basis for his plea for God to answer him.

This is another important way that we can approach God. God has promised to be a refuge to the righteous. We can go to God and declare what the enemies are doing and ask for God’s protection. We see this in Psalms 17:8-9 where David asks to be hidden in the shadow of God’s wings because of “the wicked who assail me” and because of “my deadly enemies who surround me.” We turn to God in prayer when we need protection, strength, help, and safety.

Call to God Because We Are In Danger (Psalms 17:10-12)

The enemies’ hearts are callous

David also appeals to God to hear his prayer because he is in danger from his enemies. David will describe the character of these enemies to show that he is the righteous one and they are the evil ones.

David first points out that his enemies’ hearts are callous. They have hearts that do not want to listen. Their hearts are stubborn such that they will not change. They have hearts that disregard the Lord and His commands.

The enemies’ mouths are arrogant

Furthermore, out of his enemies’ mouths come arrogant words. Arrogance and slander are certain characteristics that God hates. Therefore, God should judge them and deliver David because David has resolved that his mouth will not sin.

As we read these traits we must realize that if we possess these characteristics, then we also are enemies of God. If we have callous hearts and arrogant mouths, then we, too, are part of the enemies that David was calling to be struck down by God.

The enemies surround David

David also says that the enemies surround him. They are ready to attack “like a lion hungry for prey, like a great lion crouching in cover.” The first image suggests to us the enemies are on the brink of pouncing. They are hungry and looking for prey to be able to feast on.

The second image suggests the idea of an ambush. If you have watched any of the animal channels, you will have seen that lions crouch in hiding awaiting their prey. The prey believes that everything is fine, peaceful, and calm and suddenly the lion pounces and catches the prey. David alludes to this animal action as happening to him. He knows that he is being set up for a fall and requests the Lord to do something about what is happening.

We also must learn to call upon God when we see that calamity may strike us. We have the right to seek God out and call on Him for help. If we do not, then we are not using Him as a refuge that He has promised to be for us. David is placing all of his chips on God to help in this time of need.

David’s Call to God For Action (Psalms 17:13-15)

Act

Notice all of the action words David uses in Psalms 17:13 to call upon God. “Rise up,” “confront them,” “cast them down,” and “rescue” or “deliver.” Here David asks God to really do something. Notice also the strength of the request, such as, “rescue me from the wicked by your sword.” This is a powerful call to action. It is a request to destroy his enemies.

I find this request fascinating because this is the method by which David solved his problems. Consider for the moment David’s troubles with King Saul. David repeatedly refused to take matters into his own hands. Many opportunities were given to David to kill Saul to preserve his own life. But David would not kill the Lord’s anointed.

In this psalm, David does not say that he will take matters into his own hands, that he will draw the sword and kill his enemies. He is leaving that vengeance to God. He wants God to pick up the sword and show David’s innocence. When we come to God in prayer we must be ready to place our dependence upon Him.

The character of the worldly

David further rests his hope upon the Lord because of the character of the ungodly and worldly. David wants to be saved from these kinds of people. David goes on to describe what kind of people his enemies are.

First, we notice that his enemies are those whose reward is found in this life. In Matthew 6, Jesus told us that those who were seeking after worldly gain and pursuing the glory of man had already received their reward in this life. People who try to make themselves glorified by others have already received their reward. You and I can have our reward in this life. If glory is so important to you, you can have that reward. If money is so important to you, then you can also have that reward. If you must have the respect and esteem of others, you can seek that reward. But that is all you have. You have lost any eternal rewards, exchanging them for temporary physical rewards that are but a vapor. What a foolish trade we often make.

This is further illustrated in verse 14, “their sons have plenty and they store up wealth.” How much this reminds me of the rich fool that Jesus spoke of in Luke 12:20 who continued to store up for himself treasures on earth. When he died, he had nothing to show for himself, losing his physical riches by death and having no eternal riches stored up for himself in heaven.

Notice a little more that David says. “Storing up wealth for their children” is a characteristic of the worldly. We commit a great disservice to our children by trying to give them everything they want so that they will simply have it all. We become strong through adversity and needs. Being given all that we want simply ruins our character and does not help us transform ourselves into the image of God. God does not give us all that we want or else we would be spoiled rotten brats. Yet, we think we are wiser than God and ought to give our children everything. We err greatly when we think these things. We do not fully appreciate what is given to us and greatly value what we must earn and work for. We were not given everything and it was good for us. Let us realize that we ought to raise our children to learn valuable lessons that we learned growing up through lack.

Final hope

The final verse describes David’s great hope. One of the great final hopes we have is to see the face of God. Here David says that he will see David’s face. What a great statement of confidence and it is a statement that we all ought to be able to say.

How sad it is when Christians do not know where their eternal destination will be. How sad it is when those who are trying to serve the Lord do not know if they are going to heaven. We ought to be able with great certainty to utter these words. If we cannot, then we need to repent and confess of whatever is hanging over our heads so that we can know we will see His face. If we have confessed our sins, then there is no reason for doubt and no room for fear in wondering what will happen to us. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

There is one more hope that David expresses. Many of the versions miss the wording that is being conveyed, I believe. The NKJV says, “I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” What satisfies you? Jesus spoke of His satisfaction doing the will of the Father (John 4). We cannot be satisfied until we have molded ourselves in the image of God. What an attitude we must carry when we come to God in prayer! This attitude must reign supreme in our minds and hearts. I suggest to you that if a person comes to God in prayer with a heart of wanting to be found in His likeness, that prayer will not be turned away. This must be our whole effort and life’s goal.

David’s prayer is beautiful. It is a prayer that shows us how to boldly approach the throne of God so that we may find grace and help in our time of need. Let us also model the prayer of David.

PSALM 17

EXPOSITION

The first method of these “Studies” as to the question of authorship was to analyse a psalm with exclusive regard to internal evidence; and to interrogate that evidence by saying, “Now what sort of man appears to have written that psalm, under what circumstances, with a view of what dangers (if any), and with what feelings?” Only after pursuing this method with the present psalm, did any name occur as probable; and then it was the name of King Hezekiah, in view and in presence of the Assyrian invasion. If we take this suggestion as a working hypothesis, it is at once seen what a large amount of verisimilitude gathers about it. It is at once noticed how naturally, in such case, the writer appears both as an individual and as a personified nation; and the danger comes into view as an actual and most formidable invasion, by a cruel, greedy, insensate enemy. It is easily realised how naturally a good man like Hezekiah would assure himself of his rectitude, as a man and a monarch, in pressing his suit at Jehovah’s footstool; and, considering the multitude of persons and the variety of interests at stake, how inevitable were the passion and the persistence in petition which are here displayed—piercingly loud (Psalms 17:1), courageously bold (Psalms 17:13-14), thoughtfully tender (Psalms 17:8); how suitable to the gravity of the occasion is the largeness of the blessings sought—that the answer should plainly have come forth from the Divine Presence (Psalms 17:2), that it should amount to nothing less than Jehovah’s making his deeds of kindness wonderful (Psalms 17:7)—and that its result on the enemy should be his inevitable slaughter (Psalms 17:13-14).

In view of such a situation, how little of personal vengeance appears in the most sweeping petitions for the punishment of the foe; for only by such an overthrow could the deliverance sought be so much as imagined. Even the desire that the stroke might be felt to the third generation (Psalms 17:14) would seem to be necessarily involved in the making of Israel’s deliverance effective. Perhaps, even beyond all these features of adaptation discoverable in this psalm, is its conclusion; and, quite unexpectedly, to the writer of this exposition, its conclusion rather in the shorter form inserted in the text than in the longer form relegated to the margin. For, assuredly, it was not without searchings of heart that the familiar and favourite ending of the Massoretic Text was, at the bidding of a very refined criticism—unwilling to admit any unsymmetrical distension of metre or stanza,—assigned to a lower place; especially considering that such assignment would in a measure put out of confident use the significant word “awake,” which had always been felt to be evidence that actual resurrection from the dead formed, for the psalmist, “the path to life” by which he hoped to ascend to the beatific vision of Jehovah’s face.

But, with the apprehension that HEZEKIAH might have written this psalm, the whole realm of probability was changed. The natural thing for HEZEKIAH to say, under the circumstances, would be the very thing that the textual critic prefers should be regarded as the original text: But, as for me, let me have vision of thy face!—the very thing Hezekiah had hoped for, without need to “awake,” because without having previously fallen asleep! This we can confidently gather from the very bitterness of his lament when the prospect of death came upon him: “I shall not see Yah even Yah in the land of the living!” (Isaiah 38:11). That, then,—namely to “see Yah in the land of the living,”—had been Hezekiah’s cherished hope; and that is the hope expressed in the short but powerful conclusion of this psalm preferred in the text above. In decipherment of the final word—be satisfied with thy form—a backward and a forward glance will repay us: backward to Numbers 12:8, to discover the same word employed as here; and forward to John 1:18; John 14:9, 1 Peter 1:7-8, 1 John 3:2, to be reminded of the form, and the vision of that form, which we are joyfully assured will give unbounded satisfaction.

This psalm is a tephillah prayer; and admirably that word describes it. It is attributed To David; and doubtless its groundwork came from him. So strongly, however, is the image of Hezekiah impressed upon it, that already, in the above exposition, had such authorship been confidently inferred, before the perusal of Dr. Thirtle’s second book: which offers the following reenforcement:—“Hezekiah was familiar with persecution. Psalms 17:5 reads like Psalms 73:2; Psalms 17:14 like Psalms 73:3-9, a psalm from the time of Hezekiah. The concluding verse looks forward to recovery from sickness.”—Thirtle, O.T.P., p. 314.

God Is Our Rock

Psalms 18:1-50

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Psalms 18 gives us the first explanation concerning what the writer was going through as he penned the psalm. It is my personal wish that this kind of heading was given to all the psalms so we could know the circumstances the writer was going through. At least we have such information in Psalms 18. David is the author of the psalm, who wrote this at the time that God had rescued him from Saul and his other enemies.

This information sets the historical setting for us. In fact, we know exactly when this psalm was penned. Turn to 2 Samuel 22 and notice that this is the same song recorded here in its historical setting. We can notice by surveying these chapters that David is near the end of his life and seems to be reflecting upon what God has done for him throughout his life.

It is curious to notice that Psalms 17 was David’s prayer for deliverance as he described his enemies being like lions that surrounded him. Psalms 18 will now describe the deliverance he has received from the Lord.

Praise to God (Psalms 18:1-3)

“I love you, Lord”

David begins this psalm by stating his love for the Lord. It is a very simplistic statement that we seemingly should pass by. However, the language that David uses to describe his love is unique. In Psalms 17 we saw David describe God’s covenant love. This is God’s love that is so strong that He keeps His promises even though we violate His laws and covenants.

But the word for love that David uses in this passage means to yearn for. In fact, in a very literal sense, this Hebrew word means “to fondle.” Therefore, David is describing a very deep spiritual emotion and connection with God. David is saying that he has his arms around God. David describes for us the close love that he has for God. This is certainly the type of love that we must develop in our lives, a love so strong that we can confidently say that we have our arms around Him.

My

As we read the first three verses of this psalm(Psalms 18:1-3), we immediately notice the repetition of the word “my.” This is David’s nine-fold description of what the Lord is to him. David says the Lord is “my strength,” “my rock,” “my fortress,” “my deliverer,” “my God,” “my mountain,” “my shield,” “my salvation,” and “my stronghold.”

In these nine images David describes God as his helper. Notice the strength and security that is found in these images. God is David’s rock, fortress, mountain, and stronghold, all of which are symbols of power and strength. God is also David’s deliverer, shield, and salvation, which denotes the defense and aid that God gives. We see that power communicated more fully in the statement that the Lord is David’s “horn of salvation.” Horn always represents power, as it is the power of an animal. God is David’s power of salvation and deliverance. Therefore, David is going to praise God for who God is.

This is further amplified by David’s speaking of God as a place “where I seek refuge.” If you have been keeping up with us in this study of the psalms, you will recognize that nearly every psalm of David up to this point has made a reference to God as being a refuge. God is the place we must turn to for strength and protection in every trial and decision of our lives.

I will call upon the Lord

God is worthy of praise. He is worthy of praise for all He has done. David specifically points out here that he has been saved from his enemies, and God is worthy of praise. Praising and serving God because He is worthy is the essence of worship. Worship is to honor something or someone because they are worthy of such treatment.

When the spiritual beings of heaven worship God, we see they say the very same words. “Our Lord and God, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power because You have created all things, and because of Your will they exist and were created” (Revelation 4:11 ). “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals” (Revelation 5:9). “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12). We must always remember that we are to be praising God because He is worthy of our praise. God deserves our service. There is no other person that we can say that about. We often will talk about why a person deserves something or special treatment. But God is truly the one deserving of our focus, praise, and service because of all He has done. Our song books have the song “I Will Call Upon the Lord” whose lyrics are taken from these first three verses. Let us sing that song at this time.

God Delivers (Psalms 18:4-19)

Confrontation with death

David now describes how dire his circumstances were. David says, “The ropes of death were wrapped around me; the torrents of destruction terrified me. The ropes of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.” We are able to see how dark a time it was for David in his life. We have no doubt about the validity of his feelings. We read in the scriptures about Saul chasing David like a wild animal throughout the land of Palestine . We read of David’s own son, Absalom, seizing the throne of David and attempting to kill David. David had enemies during his reign that would attempt to seize the throne and destroy him and his nation.

David tells us in Psalms 18:6 that in the midst of all this distress and feelings of death he called out to the Lord. David cried out for help and God heard David’s voice and reached down to help him.

God’s marvelous deliverance

In Psalms 18:7-19, David describes the magnificent deliverance of the Lord. With reference to David, we cannot say that these are literal actions the Lord took to deliver David from Saul or his other enemies. Instead, these are figures of speech that are commonly used in the scriptures to describe the majestic actions of the Lord.

Instead of David simply recording that God saved him, David uses the glory of creation to speak of the actions of God. In Psalms 18:7-11 David uses language similar to the time when God descended upon Mount Sinai before the people of Israel . David describes the mountains shaking, smoke rising, and God parting the heavens and coming down. What a beautiful scene that we wish we could visibly see when we are in our distress! David points out that this is the victory God is bringing to aid us in our distress, though it is not visibly seen. We have faith that God is moving in this world to help us in our times of need.

Psalms 18:12-15 describe in figurative language the warfare of God against the enemies of David. The images we read are very similar to prophecies found in the minor prophets, including the first two chapters of Joel. These are images of God going to battle for the righteous and being victorious.

Psalms 18:16-19 describe God’s actual deliverance of David as David is rescued from the pits of despair and the enemies. David describes his deliverance as God reaching down, taking hold of David, pulling him out of the waters, and setting him in a wide open place.

Do you feel like you are drowning in a sea of sorrows? Do you feel that your enemies are too strong for you to overcome? Do you feel that you are submerged in a world of problems? God can help. If we will submit to the Lord, God has promised to be our support and not allow us to endure more than we can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13 ). This will be the very point that David makes in the next section.

Reasons For God’s Deliverance (Psalms 18:19-24)

Because He delighted in me

David says that God took delight in him. God takes delight in His children. It is a beautiful statement. Just as we take delight in the actions of our children when they do well, so God also takes delight in us when we are obedient to His words.

We must adopt an attitude that sees God as our Father who wants the best for us. When we are suffering and in difficulties, God is there and is not unmoved. But we must be obedient to be His delight. David says that he was God’s delight, and that was one reason for his deliverance.

Because God rewards righteousness

David also points out that God is a rewarder of the righteous. God repays us according to our actions. We often only think about God repaying according to our actions in the final day of judgment. But that is only the final repaying that we will receive.

David reminds us that God is constantly repaying us according to our actions. This principle may not be executed as swiftly as we believe it ought to be. But we must recognize that, generally speaking, we will be rewarded in this life for our righteousness. God will take care of us, give us peace, maintain our hope, and deliver us through trials and from Satan–when we are living righteously.

By the same token, if we are living wickedly and rebelliously toward God, we are going to be repaid in this life. We will go through some suffering. We will endure difficulties and consequences based upon our poor choices. We stand accountable to God daily.

Because David kept the ways of the Lord

This is the point that we have been making, and now David clearly states the principle. We have hope and confidence that God will rescue us when we have not turned from God into wickedness. We have reasons to look for God’s deliverance when we have been keeping the ways of the Lord.

This is the thrust of the rest of these verses in this section. David says, “I have kept all His ordinances in mind.” God’s laws are always before his face. David does not let the word of God leave his mind. This reminds us of our need to be diligent in our Bible reading so that we can also keep God’s commands in front of our eyes and always on our minds.

Furthermore, David says that he has been blameless toward God. We mentioned this trait in Psalms 17, since David used the expression there also. David is not saying that he has lived a sinless or perfect life. But David has a heart that is right with God, always wanting to do right, even though the weakness of the flesh may cause him to stumble. To emphasize this need for a righteous life before God, David repeats Psalms 18:20 in Psalms 18:24. Deliverance will come to the righteous. Violators of God’s law have no reason or hope for God’s help.

Reverse Parallel

Reasons for God’s deliverance (Psalms 18:25-29)

David now is going to reargue these points in reverse order that he presented them in the first half of this psalm. David states that God delivered because He is faithful to the faithful, blameless to the blameless and pure to the pure.

The last line of Psalms 18:27 is very interesting because God even acts shrewdly with those who are crooked. God does not repay evil for evil, but God will deal with them according to their own folly.

God delivers (Psalms 18:30-45)

David returns to the theme of using the majestic imagery of God’s actions toward his enemies. David uses this language to show God conquering over the enemies of God and the enemies of David. God’s victory is complete, subduing the enemies, crushing the enemies, wiping them out, and trampling them like mud in the streets.

God will conquer the enemies. We must remember that vengeance belongs to the Lord and not to us. We are not to exact retribution upon our enemies. But God will deal with our enemies so that we will be made to stand.

Praise to God (Psalms 18:46-50)

In the final section, David returns to praising God in the same fashion that he did in Psalms 18:1-3. God again is described as a rock and David’s salvation. Because of the mighty works of God, David says that he will praise God. Not only will David praise God, but he will praise God among all the nations. David will declare the glories of the Lord to all he knows.

This is a powerful reminder that we are called to share the wonders and majesty of God with others. We are to praise God, not only in our hearts, but also among all the peoples. This is our great showing of honor and worship when we proclaim His name before all the peoples.

Prophecy of the Work of the Messiah

Romans 15:9

After going through this psalm and seeing the beauty of God’s deliverance to the righteous, we must take a step back and notice that there is much more that this psalm is addressing. Many psalms have a duality to them in which David is not only speaking of his own condition, but is also prophesying about the coming Messiah. That is the case in this psalm.

We know this is also a Messianic psalm because Paul applied this psalm to Christ in Romans 15:9. Turn to Romans 15 and look at the context by reading Romans 15:7-13. Paul is describing the new relationships and new way of life that Christ brought. The Gentiles may glorify God because of the work of reconciliation accomplished in Christ. Paul quotes four passages which show that through Christ, the nations (Gentiles) would glorify God. Jesus brought salvation and deliverance to the Gentiles.

Looking again at the psalm

Since Paul tells us that this was a Messianic psalm, we now must go back to Psalms 18 and look at it not only through the eyes of David as what happened to him, but through the eyes of Christ as what happened to Him. We see many new truths in light of this information.

First, we understand that love which is being described in verse 1 more fully. Now we see the intimate relationship that exists between Christ and the Father. We see the great dependency that Christ had upon the Father.

Second, we see the suffering of Christ. The ropes of death were around Jesus as death did confront Him. We see Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane calling to the Lord in His distress and learn that God heard His voice and answered Him.

Third, we see the deliverance that Christ received. Now these figurative images in Psalms 18:7-19 come to life as we see the reaction of the Father to the suffering and death of Christ. We see the earth quake and the mountains shake at the moment Jesus breathed His last. We see the darkness over the earth from noon to three in the afternoon while Jesus was hanging on the cross. In Psalms 18:16-19 we see Jesus triumphing over death, crushing the head of Satan, and becoming victorious over all.

Fourth, we see the reasons why God delivered. Jesus was the perfect lamb of God. In Him there was no sin, no spot, and no blemish. He proved Himself to be blameless and pure, keeping the ways of the Lord. Therefore, Jesus was repaid according to His righteousness, being raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of God. This is the great message of this psalm: the victory that is found in Christ.

Therefore, the words of Psalms 18:50 are most fitting as a conclusion to this psalm. “He gives great victories to His king; He shows loyalty to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.” God would give the greatest victories to Jesus, the Lord’s anointed king. These promises of deliverance and victory were not only promised to us, to His anointed, but to God’s descendants forever. Let us see the victory and deliverance that we have received in Jesus that we may worship the Lord, for He is worthy of praise. Let us fully put our trust in God, knowing that He will hear our cries and will take action on our behalf. The Lord lives and blest be the rock and let the God of my salvation be exalted. (HSCB)

PSALM 18

EXPOSITION

It is important to remember that David inherited the unfinished task of Joshua, whose divine commission was—to extirpate the Canaanite nations whose abominable iniquities had justly called down on them this awful doom. Unless this is borne in mind, the Royal Singer of Israel must appear to the Christian mind, especially in this his triumphal ode, as resting under a cloud of suspicion that he did not hate war as he should: seeing that when his wars were ended, he could, with such manifest satisfaction, celebrate the completeness of his victories. It is doubtless well that we should recoil from the terrible necessity for extermination, and realise the extent to which another spirit has fallen on us from our suffering and rejected Messiah; but it is not altogether well when we, for want of reflection, fail to mark the footsteps of God in history; and thus are led to blame an ancient hero whom we ought rather to praise.

Whatever of courageous and skillful warrior David was, that had he become under divine training; and we have to beware lest we blame that training rather than the Canaanitish abominations which called for such avengers as the men who received it. The dispensation under which we live is one of forbearing and suffering Love; and, if we cast a longing eye on territories to possess ourselves of which we have received no such mandate as was given to Moses and his people,—let us beware lest we go before we are sent, and are sternly called to account by our Divine Judge for our lust of dominion. No opinion is here expressed as to whether a commission to exterminate tribes guilty of enormous wickedness may or may not be constructively inferred, in the absence of express Divine revelation; but let statesmen remember the position in which they stand in such matters, and make very sure of their Divine call to invade other lands before they draw the sword for such ends. Extremes beget extremes. Let us avoid them in this matter, by remembering that we are not Israel; but, of the Israel of ancient times, let us judge fairly; and of her hero king, as he appears in this truly magnificent song.

It will have been observed by every reader how very figurative is this psalm. Many of the metaphors employed, it is true, are so obvious in their significance and of such easy application to well-known or readily imaginable incidents in David’s history as to need little explanatory comment. But there is one figurative representation in the psalm which is so bold, and prolonged as almost to amount to an allegory; and is at the same time so lofty in its sublimity as to render it possible for us to let its historical application escape us. The historical event to which it refers is David’s danger of perishing by the hand of the violent King Saul; and the daring figure by which his escape from that danger is set forth is that of escape from drowning; but until we connect the danger as described in Psalms 18:4-5 with the deliverance as briefly asserted in Psalms 18:16; and observe that the intervening verses portray first a divine preparatory movement from the highest heaven down to the skies of this lower world, and then the gathering of the Storm which it to effect the rescue; and then, finally, the outburst of the Storm, culminating in the deliverance of the Drowning Man from sinking down into the abysses of destruction;—the possibility is that the point of the allegory may be lost in what may unjustly appear to be a cloud of words. But when once the largeness of the poetical scheme of representation is apprehended, then it may be found that the need arises for a fresh grasp of the historical situation, to enable us to discover some proportion between the facts as they occurred and the figures in which they are here clothed.

Let us then sufficiently recall the incidents of the history to enable us to realise that the danger to David from Saul was greater, more prolonged, and more distressing, than any other which befell Israel’s favourite hero prior to his firm settlement in his kingdom. Of the troubles which befell him afterwards and of their grievous occasion, there is no need here to take account; since we are only concerned now to get behind this Triumphal Ode and the events Which led up to it. We have, then, to remember that Saul was David’s first hero and lord; that, as Jehovah’s anointed, he commanded the young Bethlehemite’s profoundest homage; that he drew the young harpist and warrior into peculiarly close and difficult relations to himself; that he became unreasonably jealous of him, lent a willing ear to every malicious story told of him, persecuted him with relentless hatred: and, all the while, he—David—could not, would not, durst not lift up a hand against his master.

David had to suffer and wait for Divine interposition; and many a time must it have appeared that such interposition was never coming. Is it any wonder, then, that, being a poet born, he should oft have compared himself to a DROWNING MAN, in his last exhausted struggles against the surging flood of the Kishon, the Jordan, or even of the great western sea, of sinking in the depths of which he may, in the course of this eventful life have been in danger? And, considering how in this contest he could not strike a blow in self-defence but had to leave his succour exclusively in Jehovah’s hands, is it so very surprising that, being a poet born and conscious of a Divine afflatus carrying him out and beyond himself, and his deliverance when it came being so unexpected and ultimately so complete,—he should have conceived the idea and clothed it in words of such a theophanic interposition as he here describes? Other enemies could be alluded to in quite an ordinary manner; and his own share in running, leaping, climbing, bending the bow—using his feet, his arms, his hands, could all be allowed to shine through by means of familiar poetic allusions; but the enemy—the violent man—the perverse,—HE had to be reverently left to the judgment of God; and none can say that that judgment has not been most effectively—even if most poetically—described. From his chief foe, the poet had been rescued by an interposition absolutely Divine.

It has been objected to Stanza IV. (Psalms 18:20-27), that, in various degrees it is unlike the original psalm, and must be regarded as made up of later glosses. Of Psalms 18:21-24, in particular, it is alleged (by Br.) that “it has nothing in keeping with the previous thought of the psalm. The original is hot with passion: this is calm and placid.” Now the fact of a passing change of feeling may be frankly conceded. But is the inference drawn therefrom legitimate? Why may not David have rested his muse for a little, and imparted a moral backbone to his ode by drawing from the stores of his memory sentiments learned in the school of Samuel in his brief sojourn in Naioth? In particular, those singular epigrammatic sayings forming Psalms 18:25-26 (To the man of kindness, etc.), may well be a sample of the wisdom learned by the sons of the prophets under the presidency of the great seer: who, as we know from 1 Samuel 15:22-23, knew how to moralise. Moreover, there are several points of contact between the stanza brought under suspicion and those going before and after. The close of the previous stanza, at Psalms 18:19 (because he delighteth in me), forms an excellent point of departure for what immediately follows; and then again Psalms 18:27 reads much like an application of the foregoing principles, by David, to his own actual circumstances.

It seems peculiarly apt that David should think of his own little band of followers as a humbled people, saved; and of the downfall of Saul’s house as the laying low of looks that were lofty almost beyond endurance. Again, it may be observed that in any case the hot passion of the opening stanzas has cooled towards the end of the psalm. For there is something, not merely placid, but almost playful in the way in which, through Stanzas V. and VI., the now staid monarch recounts the exploits of his early and more warlike young manhood. Finally, it may be said, in the interest of the poetic art, that the retention of the stanza which Dr. Briggs sets aside, brings the stanzas up to the perfect number, seven, and admirably places the Wisdom stanza in the centre of the psalm, just between the passivity and the activity of the psalmist; at the same time leaving the closing stanza with those nice touches of royalty upon it which impart to it a special fitness to form the crown of the song.

It is reassuring, after the contrary denials of Wellhausen, to find so strenuous a critic as Dr. Briggs admitting that; “If we remove the glosses, which have adapted an ode of victory of David to later religious uses, the ode stands out in simple grandeur as fitting appropriately to the historical experience of David, whether he wrote it or another wrote it for him by historic imagination, entering into the experience of the heroic king. After removing the glosses there is nothing that bars the way to his authorship.” Even a critical reader may doubt whether it is necessary to remove the alleged glosses, beyond the point which leaves us with seven symmetrical stanzas. It may be further said that, in view of the admitted beauties of this song, we need never decline the Davidic authorship of a psalm merely on the score of its poetic excellence.

The great value of the following extract will excuse its length. “David began, as in Psalms 18:2, ‘The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer’; and went on to rehearse the wonderful acts of God in his daily deliverance. Hezekiah had as much to say, if not more; but he must begin differently. His deliverance from death and a host of enemies, induced in him a tenderness of expression which suggested a new beginning for the psalm, even though confined to a single line. So he prefixed the words, ‘I love thee, O Lord, my Strength.’ The terms are striking—’Fervently do I love thee’: ‘warmly do I cherish thee’ (r-h-m). After such a pledge of affection, the king could proceed, and appropriate to his own lips lines which, in the language of poetry, are suitable for the description of any notable intervention on the part of Jehovah . . . The grateful soul must entertain a warm affection for Jehovah by whom it had been loved (h-sh-k). Hence, he says in one place: ‘I love (‘h-b) the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplication’ (Psalms 116:1); and the Lord spoke in response ‘Because he hath set his love (h-sh-k) upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high because he hath known my name’ (Psalms 91:14) . . . Upon whom is the king’s affection lavished? Upon ‘Jehovah, MY STRENGTH.’ Who could say this like Hezekiah? The man whose name was hzkyhu speaks of his Deliverer as yhwh hzky. All the promise and assurance of the king’s name have been realised; and now love is returned, in warmest emotion, to a faithful God. In other words, in the terms used we have the elements of the name Hezekiah . . . Everything favours the conclusion that substantial changes (in the psalms) so far as they may be detected, belong to the reign of Hezekiah”—Thirtle, O.T.P., 122–124.

God’s Revelation

Psalms 19:1-14

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Psalms 19 is one of the well known psalms of David. We are not given any background information concerning the setting or circumstances upon which David penned this psalm. In this psalm David describes the two ways that God has revealed Himself to mankind. As we read this psalm, let us soak in the beautiful imagery that David brings to our attention concerning how God has spoken to us.

Revelation of God in Creation (Psalms 19:1-6)

God’s creation speaks to us continuously

David begins by telling that God has been revealed to us through the creation. The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky proclaims the work of His hands. David tells us that we need to simply cast our gaze upward to see the glory of God. All that is in the sky proclaims the glory of God since these things are the work of His hands.

In the day we see a blue sky, moving clouds of different shapes, styles, and sizes, and the sun which burns so bright we cannot look at its majesty. By night we see the stars, the moon, and from time to time planets within our solar system. We have come to find out that the universe is vast, wondering if it is endless itself. We have not found an end to space and our exploration of its grandeur.

Notice that God’s speech through creation is continuous. Day after day and night after night God communicates to us His glory and His knowledge. The creation shows God infinite knowledge. Who could come up with such ecological systems that God has created? For example, the plants and trees produce oxygen for us to breathe. When we breathe, we produce carbon dioxide which is what the plants and trees breathe in. There are so many relationships that God has created in this world that work together for the universe to co-exist. God has made this world to be self-sufficient, which shows God’s great glory, knowledge, and power.

God’s creation speaks to us abundantly

Notice that the creation “pours out speech.” The creation is speaking volumes to us about God. This imagery is described to us like a fountain. When we stop to consider the great things of this world, we are constantly hearing the power of God and glory of God being communicated to us. It is amazing how our bodies were made to heal the way that they do. God did not make bodies that simply broke like a car breaks. The body has the power to repair itself, which testifies continually about the might of God.

I believe the more we learn about our world and about the creation, the more we are able to see the might and glory of God. It is important for us to notice that David does not say that the creation reveals God’s will for our lives. David points out that God’s revelation is general, that is, it only reveals to us that there is a God. We are able to look at all that is made and realize the glory and splendor of a higher power than ourselves.

This was the very point that Paul was trying to make in Romans 1:20. Paul presents the argument the Gentiles should know of God because of the creation. “From the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). This is a powerful argument that Paul makes that is still useful for us today. Many people want to know what will happen to people who do not know God. Perhaps they do not have Bibles, perhaps they are isolated, or in some other hypothetical circumstance. But God says that all people should know God and be seeking to know God’s will because of the creation. God’s creation abundantly speaks about God.

God’s creation speaks universally

God’s creation speaks to all mankind. Psalms 19:3 says, “There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.” God’s voice of creation has gone throughout all the world as Psalms 19:4 says, “Their message has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the inhabited world.”

This is why no one has an excuse before God. The glory of creation has gone throughout the whole earth. No one does not have access to the heavens and skies which declare the glory of God.

David uses the glory of the sun to prove these three points concerning God’s revelation. The sun is described as a groom coming from his chambers. The sun rises from one end of the heavens and circles to the other end. Nothing is hidden from the heat of the sun. It is curious to consider that so many cultures worshipped the sun because of its immense heat and strength and also because they were so dependent upon the sun plant and work. Yet God created the sun, showing us how much more powerful God truly is. That which is created is too strong for us to understand or behold. How much more is the God of heaven! David now transitions in Psalms 19:7 to describing God’s second form of revelation.

God’s Revelation in Scripture (Psalms 19:7-11)

Descriptions of God’s law

The second way God has revealed Himself to people is through His written word. God, through the scriptures, is showing us who He is so that we may understand His personality and His character. God’s law is described with six different characteristics. With these six characteristics, David also describes six actions that the word of God accomplishes. In this section we will see the power of the Lord described through the word of God. I believe we will see that we underestimate what the word of God can do in our lives.

The instruction of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The word of God is not deficient in any way. Rather, the word of God is perfect and complete. The word “reviving” means “bringing back.” The word of the Lord has the ability to bring back the soul, bringing back to life from the death we subjected it to. No matter what our circumstances or sins, the word of God can bring us back if we will let the word of God do that work within us. The word of God brings spiritual life to our souls. Thus, Jesus reminded Satan “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

The testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the simple wise. We are able to believe what we read in the word of God. We can trust the things God has told us. When we follow the directions given by word of God, we will find salvation, contentment, joy, and eternal life. The person who will open his or her heart to accept the teachings of God and obey them will become wise. Common sense may avoid this person, but obedience to God will show their wisdom. However, the person who thinks he is wise and does not need to listen or obey God’s word is a fool and will show himself to be a fool. Paul made a similar point in 1 Corinthians 1:19-21 where God used the foolishness of the gospel to destroy the supposed wisdom of the wise.

The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad. I believe that David is speaking about the straightness of God’s laws, that they are not crooked. The statements of God are straight to keep one who obeys them on the straight path. To walk on the straight path will make the heart joyful. There is great reason for joy for following God’s straight precepts. Not only do we know that we are being obedient to God, but obeying God will maximize the joy in our lives. Satan lies to us making us think that God is keeping us from joy. But the truth is following God’s ways will bring gladness to our hearts.

The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. So pure is the word of God, David describes it as if it is giving off light. Some translations say, “The commandment of the Lord is radiant,” trying to show the purity of the word of God. The purity of God’s law is enlightening to us. The word of God purges the darkness and shows us the direction we must take. Too often we allow ourselves to walk in darkness as we live our lives not seeking a lamp to find the proper direction.

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. Corrupt things decay and pass away. Purity endures forever. Since the word of God is pure, without any blemish, error, or defect, it is in line with God’s character and endures forever. The word of God can have a cleansing effect in our lives. It can clean up our character, our lives, our mouths, our personality, and our actions. The word of God has the ability to make us clean by changing us into the enduring character of God.

The ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous. We can rely upon the word of God for direction because the word of God is righteous through and through. Everything God says and does is in our best interest. Everything word God speaks is righteous and every act God takes is righteous. This gives us dependability with God.

The value of God’s law

The ability of God’s law to make these kind of changes in our lives is immeasurable. The word of God can revive our souls, make the simple wise, gladden the heart, and enlighten the eyes. David now expresses how wonderful these things are to him.

First, David says that this is more desirable than gold (Psalms 19:10). How impressive is this understanding of God’s law! Do we look at God’s law to be even better than an abundance of fine gold? Do we see that God’s law has more value to our lives than all the money and possessions that can be obtained in this world? If we treated the word of God as more valuable than gold, perhaps we would use the word of God more diligently and frequently.

Second, David says the word of God is sweeter than honey. In fact, the word of God is sweeter than honey dripping from the very honeycomb. Not only does the word of God have great value for us, but the word of God has the ability to fulfill us and enrich us like nothing else in this world. The word of God can fill the void in our lives that many try to fill with physical things. Yet, our spirits can only be filled by God and His words for us. David understood this and therefore described God’s words as being the sweetest thing in life.

Third, David points out that there is great reward from God in keeping His words. Not only is there the great reward of God’s inheritance on the day of judgment, but there is great reward in our lives today. When we obey God’s laws and let Him rule our lives, then we are going to make righteous decisions that will not reap consequences. We will make decisions in our lives that will help us have hope, contentment, peace, tranquility, and joy that others do not have because that are strapped down and burdened by the guilt of sin and evil. They are slaves to their own desires and lusts and are unable to break free because they have not obeyed God’s commands. Our joy in this can be maximized when we obey God’s commands for we now and in the future receive great reward.

Fourth, the word of God is a great warning to our lives. God does not leave us ignorant concerning the consequences of disobedience. God warns us about what will happen when we ignore God. God tells us that we will suffer when our decisions are not based upon God’s righteous laws.

Response to God’s Revelation (Psalms 19:12-14)

Prayer for forgiveness

David has told us that there are two ways that God has revealed Himself to mankind. God has generally revealed Himself through His creation. The glory and wonders of God are clearly seen in the things that are made. God has also specifically revealed Himself through His word, which is able to cleanse us and revive our lost souls. So what should be our reaction and response to the revelation of God? David tells us in these final verses.

David begins by asking God for forgiveness from His sins. David realizes that he has many errors in his life. David accepts that he is not perfect, that he has committed many faults and is in need of the Lord’s forgiveness. Further, David is not only interested in the sins that he is aware of but asks for cleansing from his hidden faults and sins. There are so many things that we do on a daily basis that we likely do not realize is sin.

Consider this point from this view: Did we show that we love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength today? Did we love our neighbor as ourselves today? Did we have the love of Christ fill our hearts with compassion to the lost and helpless today? It is easy for us to not pay attention to how we treat others. It is very easy for us to offend another without knowing we have done anything wrong. David is keenly aware that he is constantly falling short and perhaps not aware of it. For those times, David asks for forgiveness. We must consider these areas of our attitude and disposition before God also. We may be able to say that he did not lie, steal, curse, or lust. But did we fully love God? Did we fully love our neighbor? Did we have the attitude of Christ dwelling in us? We have hidden faults and are always in need of God’s forgiveness.

Prayer for deliverance

David also pray for deliverance from future sins. David asks God to keep him from willfully sinning and rebellion. We need to pray to God for this strength to overcome the desires of the flesh that we know we ought not to obey. We need the help of God to not succumb to our weaknesses. David’s words are very appropriate, “do not let them rule over me.” Paul said, “For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14). Sin is not to be our master. We cannot be led by sin and our sinful desires.

This is what David is praying for his own life and I am sure we can agree that we also need this in our lives. We cannot let sin win. We cannot let sin rule over us and be the master of our lives. God has delivered us yet too often we turn back to the slavery of sin. Who is going to be in charge of our lives: God or sin? God or Satan? We must make that choice. David says he is a servant of God and asks God to keep him from turning aside.

Prayer for mouth and heart to be found acceptable

Perhaps the most important part of David’s prayer is his request to be found acceptable in God’s eyes. This prayer identifies two areas that God judges: actions and motives. God looks at our hearts to see if our motives and attitudes are in line with the righteousness of God. God demands that are hearts be clean in His sight. Actions without the heart is found to be worthless. Samuel told Saul this spiritual truth when Saul refused to kill all the Amalekites because he was going to offer sacrifices to God with the animals. Samuel told Saul that sacrifice is not greater than our heart’s obedience. Our motives and intentions of the heart must always be analyzed and judged for God is judging our hearts.

But just as important are our actions. A good heart is not all that God has required of us. God demands that a good heart bring forth fruit. We see this principle with Uzzah who had the right motive for reaching out at touching the ark of the covenant in 2 Samuel 6. However, God struck Uzzah dead for his violation of God’s law. Our actions are also held accountable to God and we must examine our deeds to be sure that we are acting righteously and appropriately in the sight of God.

Let these three things also be our prayer: we need forgiveness for past sins, deliverance from future sins, and cleaning today of our hearts and mouths to be found acceptable to God. God has revealed His glory and His power. God has revealed His will and laws to show us the way we ought to go. It is now time for each of us to obey.

PSALM 19

EXPOSITION

This is a psalm of exquisite beauty, which winningly invites us along the path of exposition; but which, nevertheless confronts us with a difficulty which we shall do well to settle at once if possible, so as to study the psalm without distraction and to the utmost profit. The difficulty, when first stated, appears sufficiently formidable; seeing that it involves the serious question whether or not Psalms 19:3 should be regarded as an excrescence. Whoever will look at this verse as it appears in the A.V., will readily understand the nature of the problem. Strip off the three italic words which, in that version, are incorporated with it, and which young readers will remember are to be taken as having no express warrant in the original,—and the statement remaining is found to be a thrice repeated negative: “no speech, nor language, their voice is not heard”—in express contradiction of both the spirit and letter of Psalms 19:1-2; Psalms 19:4; and the remarkable thing is that the Hebrew text handed down to us, simply contains these three unqualified negatives. Next observe, that the supplied words have the startling effect of converting the negative into a positive; and asserting that, wherever any language is spoken, there the heavens utter a voice—of course, in harmony with the context; thereby getting over the difficulty, and not wholly without authority, seeing that both Septuagint and Vulgate (Greek and Latin) versions contain the very words (or their equivalent) which thus turn the statement completely round. Noting these things, the first impulse of many readers will undoubtedly be to acquiesce is this solution, by saying: “Evidently some little word or words have dropped out of the Hebrew, the substance of which has been fortunately preserved by the ancient Greek and Latin versions.” Well: for those so content, the verse will be found at the foot of the text; and further, inasmuch as some think that even the direct negatives of the Hebrew can be harmonised with the context, as either a sort of “aside” spoken by an objector (which was suggested in “the Emphasised Bible”) or with a sort of mental gloss. “No LITERAL voice—though, ‘in reason’s ear,’ there is a voice,” for this cause, the literal Hebrew, as reflected in the R.V., is also given at the foot. Now will these contented readers exercise a little forbearance towards a few more critical minds, who are not so easily satisfied, but who prefer the opinion that this verse is an excrescence. Their reasons are: first, that it just makes this stanza so much too long, which alone would not count for much, but is of sufficient force to sustain the additional reason now to be submitted: namely, secondly, that as soon as the negative is turned into a positive, then it is needless, seeing that Psalms 19:1-2 positively assert that “the heavens,” etc., tell, declare, pour forth and breathe out their witness to God’s glory; and further, that Psalms 19:4 makes this positive assurance universal in extent. So that, in a word, by dropping the two lines which make the stanza too long, nothing substantial is lost, while brevity and point, as well as symmetry, are gained. The reader who is not yet quite persuaded to join the more critical, will at least understand, without a disturbing thought, why the following exposition takes the shorter and more direct route leading to the same end.

The general witness of the heavens is brought to bear upon a point twice expressed: it is the glory of God—their brightness and beauty being expressive of his own; and being, as they are, the work of his hand, the inference is that he is greater than they. The fact that the heavens bear this witness is four times expressed: they tell it out or recount it, as if spoken of a story composed of numberless details, they declare it, as with authority, making God’s glory conspicuous; they pour it forth in a stream of eloquence as from an exhaustless fountain of evidence; and they gently breathe out the intelligence, with such soft accents as leave the truth larger, loftier, louder than their low utterance can attain. The second couple of these verbs is apportioned, the one to the day, and the other to the night. It is the day that pours forth speech, as through the channels of a thousand voices: it is the night that breathes out her almost inaudible whispers. Moreover, one day speaks the the next, the day-studies being handed on for further days to prosecute; and the night, ceasing her story when the day appears, takes up the broken thread when the next night comes—which is poetically true to fact: since day-studies can only be pursued by day, and night-studies by night. To suggest all this without actually saying so is a triumph of the poetic art. An effective synonymous couplet sets the seal of universality upon this testimony to the glory of God. Wherever men can dwell, God is there, in his works, to speak to them of himself. So much, says Stanza 1., of the heavens in general.

But now the sun takes a stanza all to himself; and, as seems meet, the figures wax more bold. The emphasis now to be laid on “the sun” is shown by his position at the very head of the stanza. An excellent point of connection with the first stanza is gained by attributing the act of setting up the tent for the sun to God himself (the ‘El of the opening line of the psalm) and for once we spell the pronoun He with a capital initial. The word tent is the simple and usual rendering of the Hebrew ‘ohel, and no “Sunday garment” is needed for it. The word therein naturally refers back to the heavens of Psalms 19:1, and so forms another link of connection with the first stanza. Moreover, as every eye can see where the sun enters his tent in the evening and where he reappears in the morning, the perhaps rather fanciful question arises whether the ancient Hebrews were quite so backward in their nature-views as is commonly supposed. The emphasis on the pronoun he in the second line of the stanza naturally carries the mind right back to the “sun” at the head of the previous line: and he is like.

By a most beautiful figure of speech, comparing the sun to a bridegroom coming forth with a smile on his face from his nuptial chamber, the freshness of the sun every morning is expressed. With joy behind him, he has at the same time gladness before him, as he comes forth like a hero rejoicing in the consciousness of his staying powers, and that whoever may have need to retire for sleep at mid-day, he, unwearied, will be able to hold on his way till his race is run. The poet’s eye measures the racer’s course from one end of the heavens to the other; and, impressed with its magnificent sweep, his mind is struck with the universality of the sun’s searching warming rays. The word for sun at the beginning of the stanza was shemesh, the customary word: it is now, at the end of the stanza, hammah, a poetical and less customary word to denote the orb of day; and though derived from a root meaning to be hot, yet in O.T. usage it is always used of the sun himself, and not merely of his heat, as all the other instances of its occurrence in the O.T. will show: Job 30:25, S. Song of Solomon 6:10, Isaiah 24:23; Isaiah 30:26. It is hence permissible to conclude that here also is the sun himself that is meant; and, if so, the pronoun His (“His sun”),—again spelling it with a capital, like the He of the first line,—will once more carry us up to “God,” whose representative the sun so strikingly is: implying, without expressing, that, as the sun searches all, so in a higher sense does God. Thus the end of the second stanza returns to the beginning of the first, and the two are locked into a unit.

With Stanza III. we enter upon the second half of the psalm: the transition to which is certainly very abrupt, however we may account for that circumstance; some conceiving that here we have two distinct psalms on two distinct subjects, whose juxtaposition, as an afterthought, naturally causes the sense of abruptness; others thinking that the same mind that originated the first half, pausing to face a new but counterpart theme, instinctively adopted a new vocabulary and a new style. The exact genesis of the change we may never know, but the fact of the change remains undeniable, and the magnitude and tenor of it we may briefly trace.

Note, then, that the Divine name El, “the Mighty One,” used once, and once only, in the former half of the psalm, now gives place to the Divine name Jehovah, which occurs six times in this stanza and once in the next, making seven times in all, in the second half of the psalm. This fact is significant; for, though this second half of the psalm is not strictly speaking about Jehovah himself but about his Law, etc., yet the repeated use of this different and more gracious Divine Name clearly ought to be regarded as shedding a soft lustre over the whole of this division of the psalm. If it only be true that “Jehovah” is pre-eminently a name of grace, as it undoubtedly is, then everything which it touches is graciously affected thereby. Whether “law,” “testimony,” “precept,” or whatever else of “Jehovah,” every form of his instruction for my guidance is lit up by its relation to himself, as the “Becoming One,” “the helper of his people.”

With this agree the breadth and variety of both nouns and adjectives which are related to Jehovah: his law in his “instruction” to guide as well as his “law” to bind; his testimony witnesses to his own grace as well as to the saint’s duty; and so on to the end. The same with the adjectives: perfect, lacking nothing that the soul needs; trustworthy, warranting the fullest confidence; right, satisfying man’s better judgment; clear, saying what it means, making duty plain; clean, no foul spot in it, to corrupt and abolish it; truth, giving right decisions between man and man, claim and claim, and therefore regulations worthy to regulate.

But if nouns and adjectives have the grace of “Jehovah” resting on them, how much more those beautiful little pendants hanging upon them, each like a jewel in the ear of beauty; which, in four cases, describe the beneficent action of Jehovah’s instruction, and in the two remaining instances attest its self-preserving power. The actions are all gracious: they refresh, they make wise, they gladden, they enlighten. Such Divine guidance must abide: enduring evermore, their Divine perfections are vindicated from all attacks, and they mutually explain and defend each other.

But is all this praise of the Law, not just a little exaggerated? No! why should it? Granted that the Law was a tutor guiding to Christ: are we to think that the child-guide had no affection for his ward? Besides, the terms employed are too broad and various to be limited to the mere binding force of the edicts from Sinai’s summit: though even the Ten Words of Thunder had their gracious undertones. Let the Christian bethink him whether he cannot translate the whole of these six synonyms into the terms of Jesus and his Apostles, and then sing, “How gentle God’s command”! Do the New Testament instructions not “refresh,” “make wise,” “gladden,” “enlighten”—and “endure,” triumphantly “vindicated”?

That “overflow,” the 10th verse,—what means it? It looks as though, to the incipient apprehension of the psalmist, it had occurred, as a first thought, to have EIGHT full-fledged synonyms of the Law, as in Psalms 119; which half-formed design was subsequently abandoned; and then the unused colours were dashed on the canvas in magnificent profusion that nothing might be lost. Instead of saying seventhly,—“The word of Jehovah is costly—more desirable than gold!” and, eighthly, “The statutes of Jehovah are satisfying—sweeter than honey,” his enthusiasm breaks bounds, and he takes the saint’s experimental response alone and intensifies two phases of it into a climax, and exclaims without more ado: More desirable than gold—yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey—or the droppings of the comb.

The transition at Psalms 19:11 to the last stanza is very striking. Hitherto, neither “El” nor “Jehovah” has been directly addressed; but now a sense of nearness leads the psalmist reverently to look in the face of Jehovah, and say, Thy—Thou—Thee. He is in his heavenly Master’s presence, and dutifully terms himself Jehovah’s servant, yet without losing his sense of nearness or favoured acceptance; for he lays stress on this as a further commendation of the regulations of the Divine Law: Even thine own servant—who has long delighted himself in thy precepts and made them known to others—even HE findeth warning in them; lest, through inattention or over-confidence, he should insensibly or presumptuously fall into the error of the wicked. Thus admonished and restrained, he can bear witness that in keeping them the reward is great.

As if now moved to a searching of heart, the psalmist abruptly exclaims: Mistakes who perceiveth? By the emphasis he throws on the word “mistakes” through boldly preplacing it, he calls pointed attention to the precise nature of the failures of which he is thinking. Of course he is keeping within the general limits of practical “mistakes,” errors of conduct in doing or leaving undone, as alone worthy of notice here; but in thus calling attention to their exact character, he throws his mind back on this as the essence of them, that, being genuine “mistakes,” they are of course unperceived, or they would not be “mistakes”; and then the disturbing question arises: “How often may I not have unwittingly done wrong? For ‘wrong,’ after all, was the doing of the thing graciously forbidden, or the leaving undone of the thing graciously commanded. It was ‘wrong’ all the same—though I noted it not: the ‘law’ was transgressed, and my ‘soul’ lost its ‘refreshing.’” And so on, along the interminable line of sins of ignorance, which yet are sins. And therefore the psalmist is moved to pray the first prayer of the psalm: from concealed things (understand, “SUCH concealed things, concealed from myself by error or inadvertence,” otherwise they might still have been presumptuous though “concealed” from others) acquit me. What a searching lesson for us all!

Carelessness, in not noticing or remembering Divine Law, may lead to indifference as to heeding it when known and remembered; and thus sins of ignorance suggest sins of knowledge and daring; and behind even these the impulse to commit them may be strong, the temptation great; and then Divine restraint will be needed and is here earnestly sought—how earnestly, is seen by observing how aptly the petitioner reminds himself that he is Jehovah’s servant—and therefore bound by every tie thrown about him by his Master’s favour,—and by observing how seasonably he calls to mind that presumptuous sins, if not sternly checked, will assume dominion over him. No wonder that, with an evident sense of relief, a mind thus happily sensitive should exclaim: Then—acquitted from unwitting sins and restrained from presumptuous sins—shall I be perfect—not indeed in degree, but in whole-heartedness, and be cleared of great transgression.

Most appropriately is this last stanza of the psalm concluded by the unique prayer—in which surely even the holy men of today may join, at a long distance behind those holy men of old—accepted be the sayings of my mouth—which are here set forth as “pruned” to suit the strings of my lyre, and the soft utterance—the tenative soliloquising—of my heart—on mine own ear while constructing this my poem: Before thee, continually (surely the recording angel made a memorandum of them all!) O Jehovah—thou God of covenant grace—my Rock of strength and confidence, and my Redeemer—from sin, sorrow and death.

There is little need to say, that reasonable latitude should be given to the inscription To David. So long as the Royal Librarian felt justified in thus marking a psalm, the ends of literary justice and working convenience were met. A psalm may have been written by one of David’s prophetic scribes or singers; yet, if offered to his royal master, and examined and approved by him, it would naturally be regarded strictly Davidic, and be fittingly deposited in the department of the library set apart to David’s psalms. Notwithstanding all this, there would seem to be a peculiar poetic justice in attributing the first part of this psalm to David himself. The shepherd of Bethlehem was as familiar with the sun as with moon and stars; and having, in the leisure hours of his pastoral duties, oft marked the freshness of the sun in his rising, the triumphant valour of his unwearied way, the vast sweep of his daily circuit, the searching energy of his penetrating heat, and the calm majesty of his nightly retirement to his tent,—who so likely among psalmists as he, to have penned this snatch of song in his praise? The poetic justice lies in cherishing the conception that he who harped to the moon and the stars in Psalms 8 was the likeliest man to be allowed to sweep his strings to the sun in Psalms 19. It has been remarked, in the above Exposition, that even this snatch of song to the sun possesses a closely welded unity. Nevertheless, its ending is abrupt, and if it stood alone, must, as a psalm, have been pronounced unfinished. This apprehension is at once appeased by the theory of co-authorship.

What the original ending of the sun-stanzas may have been, we know not; but the hypothesis is an easy one, that it had in it some local or temporal element which could be spared for the worthy purpose of making way for a second part. And then, as to the authorship of that second part, who so likely as Hezekiah to have composed it? With the passionate love for the law and for the temple and for the functions of priests and Levites which history attributes to him; with the leisure and the culture which as a prince naturally fell to his lot; and with the high poetic genius which, from Isaiah 38, we know he possessed;—who so likely in all history as he, to have wedded this Law-Bride to that Sun-Bridegroom? Besides, the segments of truth are formed for cohesion; and the poet who penned the second part of this psalm, is the likeliest man whose shadow has ever been seen, to have possessed in himself and been able to command in gifted associates, the constellation of sanctified genius adequate, under Divine guidance, to the production of that literary marvel, Psalms 119,—after which it is but little to say, that, of course, he also wrote our present Psalms 1. Thus, another chain of unity at an early date, is forged for binding together The Song Book of all coming ages. “The king whose delight it was to speak of ‘the Maker of heaven and earth’ (Isaiah 37:16; Psalms 121:2); and who encouraged the priests and Levites in their devotion to the Law of the Lord (2 Chronicles 31:4), would readily adopt (and expand) this poem of David’s”—Thirtle, O.T.P., 314.

People and Government For God

Psalm 20 – Psalm 21

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Psalms 20 and Psalms 21 are different than other psalms we have studied thus far, in that they were designed to be sung by the Jewish people on behalf of their king and nation. Therefore, as we read this psalm we must place ourselves in the mind and culture of Jews who were led by a king like David or Solomon. This psalm is written under the assumption that the ruling king is a good, righteous king, one that would follow the example of David being a man after God’s own heart.

One reason that we know that this psalm was written for the Jewish people to sing is the change of the subject from “my” to “we.” In Psalms 19 we see David saying “may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalms 19:14). Notice how David uses the word “my” repeatedly throughout the psalm. However, in Psalms 20 we see the psalm written in the tone of “us” and “we” (Psalms 20:5; Psalms 20:7-9).

Psalms 20 is the people’s prayer and Psalms 21 acknowledges God’s answered prayer. In light of this, we will consider both psalms in this study since these two seem to be so closely connected.

Concerning The King, Pray For (Psalms 20:1-5)

The people’s prayer

As we begin this psalm we must notice the key word “may.” Six times in the first five verses a sentence or thought begins with the word “may.” These are the requests of the people before God. However, you will notice that these are more than the requests of the people to God. In fact, these are words which are directed more to the king than to God. It is as if the people are informing the king about what they are requesting and desiring of God to do for the king.

Here are the six requests of the people concerning the king:

(1) May God answer the king in his distress,

(2) may God protect the king,

(3) may God send the king help and grant support,

(4) may God remember the king’s sacrifices and accept the offerings,

(5) may God give the king what his heart desires and all his plans succeed, and

(6) may God grant all your requests.

There are some other striking images to consider before we simply move on from these six requests. As we noted in the beginning, we must assume the king is a godly man, a man of prayer, and a devout man. We see images of the king offering sacrifices and making righteous petitions for the people.

Application

How important it is to have a godly leader over a nation! In this psalm we see the benefits of having a godly man who, in this context, is making sacrifices and offerings to God on behalf of his nation. The man is seeking the best interests of the people whom he rules over.

It is amazing to consider that there was a time when our country’s leaders were motivated by spiritual and religious considerations. Many of the founding fathers not only believed in God but practiced their belief in their political decisions. Is it so much for us to ask today from our leaders!

I am not one who likes to combine politics and the word of God. But here we see two psalms where such are combined. As we people we need to demand leaders who are godly. We should desire to see men who are seeking after God. While we may not find men who doctrinally accurate concerning many areas of the scriptures, we should at the very least long for people who will make decisions based upon the morality and spiritually of the word of God.

What is even more frustrating is the number of Christians who do not care about the moral character of our leaders and will vote based upon other ideologies. We live in a republic in which we can choose the people who represent us in government. Is it not our duty to seek out a man whose moral and virtues closely mirror the character of God? Should we not be voting for people based upon their moral integrity and not based upon tax cuts, health care options, or social security? In Psalms 20 we see a people who are praying for a leader who is seeking after God.

While for us that may mean “the lesser of two evils,” let us certainly choose the one who is the lesser. Do we not see such a choice will lead to the longevity of our nation? Consider the difference between Israel and Judah: Israel was destroyed after a short 200 year existence because they had no good kings. Judah lasted longer because leaders would rise up and reform the people to God.

Why would we support men who take a stand that murder is legal to unborn children? Why would we support men who would use their power to continue to strip God out of this country? Very few men come along who are dedicated to the Lord, but when they do come, we ought to support them regardless of party or ideological position. We want to support godly men.

Truths From Godly Leaders (Psalms 20:6-9)

The Lord saves His anointed

We can know that God protect His anointed. Those who would truly follow after God and be our leaders will be supported by God. God has appointed the governments of the world and will raise up the godly and destroy the wicked. “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For these is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1).

We know the scriptures teach that the prayer of the righteous avails much. What good is it to have an immoral man as our leader in the time of distress and trouble? The prayer of the immoral leader will not be heard by God. But those who are godly and truly seeking after God, we see the people say with confidence, “now I know that the Lord saved His anointed.”

Trust in God, not the power of the nation

How foolish it is to wholly trust in our nation. The nation stands or falls by the power of God. We must put our trust in God and in God alone. I am afraid in the midst of our patriotism and love for this country that we can forget where our true citizenship lies. “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself” (Philippians 3:20-21).

Some trust in chariots and some trust in horses. In our language today, we would say that some trust in our armies, our weapons, and our military might. But we need to trust in the Lord. The reason we exist as a power in this world is by God’s great mercy and good pleasure, not by our power or might. If we continue to trust in ourselves, we will be brought to our knees and fall (vs. 8). However, if we as a nation will turn from our wicked ways, we will rise up and stand firm. As Christians we need to lead the spiritual revolution in this country. The revolution will not take place by joining political parties or special interest groups. Change will only take place when we are doing the work of saving souls.

Transition: Psalms 21 is the answer and proof of the hope the people had in their leader who was trusting in God.

Answered Prayer

Rejoicing because of answered prayer

Not only do we see in these two psalms that we have the right to pray for our leaders and our nation in a corporate setting as we are gathered together, but we also see that God will answer our prayers concerning these matters. The first verse of Psalms 21 is the expression of joy to God who has answered their requests concerning the king and nation.

God has granted the desire of the king’s heart and God has placed the crown on the king and given him length of days. God has given the nation great victories and granted beautiful blessings.

Psalms 21:7 is the key to this psalm, I believe. “For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.” Can any of us reading these passages dare suggest that godly leadership in our nation and within our government is not important? All of these prayers came to pass and blessings came upon the nation because the king trusted in the Lord. What does that say to us about who we choose to be our leaders? Again, I ask that we consider godly character and not consider insurance plans or war extraction methods! Therefore, we do not vote based upon party lines or endorsements. We must select our laws and our leaders based upon God’s standards and none other.

Need for national thanksgiving

We also learn from this psalm the need for our nation to be thankful for all that God has already provided. From the very beginning, God granted us a nation that would be free to worship God, not according to the dictation of one denomination or religious group, but that all would be free to seek after God.

Too often, just like people, nations forget to thank God. It is interesting to me that a government which continues to strive against the will of God, the morality of God, and commands of God would stand of the steps of the Capitol Building singing “God Bless America” after the September 11th tragedy. Should we not return to those steps and thank God for preventing other attacks and disasters upon our people? Should we not return to the steps and thank God for blessing America with the prosperity we continue to enjoy? Again, this reform will only come when we are saving souls and not by any other type of campaign.

Reminder of God’s power

As we come into Psalms 21:8, there is debate as to who is the subject, whether the psalmist is speaking of the king or the Lord. I will allow you to make your own decision as you read this section. I will proceed as if this is speaking of the works of the Lord, since such a view seems more appropriate.

If this is referring to the Lord, then we are reminded as to why we need to be thankful and prayerful to God concerning our leaders and our nation. God will lay hold of the enemies, seizing them by His right hand, and consume them like a fiery furnace. The wrath of the Lord will swallow them up. This is the case that we see in history. As nations turn away from God, God raises up other nations for their destruction. The Canaanite people were destroyed for their sins by the Israelites. The northern nation of Israel was destroyed by Assyria because of their sins. The southern nation of Judah was destroyed by Babylon for their sins. Assyria was destroyed by Babylon for their sins according to Nahum. Babylon was destroyed by Persia for their iniquities, according to Daniel. In like manner Persia fell to Greece and Greece fell to Rome because of sins. Revelation tells us that Rome would fall because of their iniquities. This is the working justice of God in this world and among the governments.

Conclusion:

Lest we believe we have taken any of this material out of context or believe that these principles only apply to the days of the old covenant, turn to 1 Timothy 2:1-4. “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Paul urged us to make these kinds of requests and pleas before God. Paul urged us to offer our thanksgivings to God because of our leaders and our government. In fact, Paul said these things are pleasing in the sight of God.

Let us do our part in two regards. First, let us truly keep our leaders in our prayers. Let us pray for the spiritual restoration of this nation. Let us be thankful the continued blessings which God has bestowed upon this country through which we enjoy. Second, let us do our part to maintain these blessings by supporting godly men who truly trust in God and do not simply say the words. Do their actions reflect godliness? Will they make decisions based upon godliness? These are important areas we must determine so that our nation will continue to be under God.

PSALM 20

EXPOSITION

This psalm and the next, pair well together. The occasion of them (in the present form), was, in all probability, the peril and deliverance of King Jehoshaphat as recorded in 2 Oh. 20. “The victory of Jehoshaphat in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem, cf. 2 Chronicles 20, gives us a most appropriate historical situation; and the promise of victory, given by the prophet, gives an appropriate explanation of the change from petition to certitude in the two parts of the psalm”—Briggs. It is observable that whereas the prayer had been that Jehovah would send help out of the sanctuary, the assurance, later on, traces the victory to the holy heavens as its source. There is in reality no contradiction between the two. representations: king and people were already assembled “in the house of Jehovah, before the new court,” when Jahaziel a Levite, and therefore a servant of the sanctuary, stood forth in the midst of the convocation; and, with the spirit of prophecy upon him, gave the people a Divine assurance of victory. It was rightly felt that this assurance came direct from heaven, as also the signal deliverance which on the next day became an accomplished fact. “For if God then condescended to dwell in visible glory among men, yet He would teach his people that he is not limited by the bounds of time and space”—Perowne. “This turning toward heaven is not inconsistent with the previous turning toward the sanctuary as the source of help, for the conception of theophanic residence in sacred places on earth, did not from the earliest times of the Hebrew religion, lead them away from the thought that the real residence of Yahweh was in heaven”—Briggs.

Notwithstanding the opinion expressed above that Psalms 20, 21, “in their present form,” commemorate primarily the peril and deliverance of King Jehoshaphat, both psalms in their original form may have come from David, and may have had special reference to Solomon. From these assumptions, it becomes all the more striking to note how well their main characteristics suit Hezekiah also. “The words were a timely prayer for Hezekiah, in whose reign Psalms 20:7-9 were added (note the plural number predominating in the pronouns here)”—Thirtle, O.T.P., 314.

Psalms 20, 21 are a pair: both are Battle Songs; the twentieth precedes the encounter, the twenty-first follows it; the one is prayer and the other is praise; the one anticipates, and the other reflects. Each of them is in two parts, and taken together present an inverted parallelism. In 20, in the main, the People speak first (Psalms 20:1-5), then the King (Psalms 20:6-8); and in 21, the King speaks first (Psalms 20:1-7), and then the People (Psalms 20:8-9). Read the two Psalms now, with this in mind, and remember, the battle takes place between them.

Both Psalms fit the time of David, and both in their deepest sense are Messianic, and point to Him Who cannot but be victorious at last over all that opposes His Throne. Psalms 20:1-5 are the address of the people to their king, and it is worthy of notice that their confidence is not in the king’s strength, skill, or past successes, but in Jehovah, the “God of Jacob.” The psalmist does not speak of “the God of Abram”; that would have been less encouraging, for Abram was so great in faith that we feel far removed from him, but we all are more on Jacob’s level. Warfare and worship should go together (Psalms 20:3); he who does not sacrifice is not likely to succeed. The LORD will fulfil our petitions when they are on this note and in this vein (Psalms 20:5).

To this desire of the people the king replies (Psalms 20:6-8, or in Psalms 20:6 only, if Psalms 20:7-9 be attributed to the people). They had asked for help from Zion (Psalms 20:2), but the king looks higher up, to heaven (Psalms 20:6). God acts when His people pray. “A whisper may start an avalanche.” Impotence can set Omnipotence in motion. The “Name of the LORD our God” is opposed to the enemies, chariots and horses. “What’s in a name?” It depends upon whose name it is. Nothing can successfully oppose the NAME OF THE LORD.

The address to the earthly king in Psalms 20:1-5 rises to an appeal to the heavenly King in Psalms 20:9. Now for the battle which is not recorded, his, yours, mine!

Thought: Always kneel before you, fight.

PSALM 21

EXPOSITION

The temptation to declare this psalm to be simply a Coronation Psalm, to which some expositors have yielded, is obvious. On closer examination, however, it will probably be found that a more satisfactory view of the setting and scope of the whole psalm can be obtained by regarding the reference to coronation as incidental to the more general conception of reign. A recent victory restores the lustre of a reign which had become beclouded by the invasion of foes: this very naturally brings up a reminiscence of the high hopes with which the reign was begun. The king then became Jehovah’s vicegerent; for Jehovah crowned him. Aspiring to rule well, as every dutiful Son of David must,—he naturally desired to rule long; in which desire his people loyally united, apprehensive of the evils of succession and change. Hence sprang the coronation greeting, May the King live! How long? Who could think of assigning a limit? Nay, may the king live for ever! as long as ever Jehovah please: loyalty declines to assign a limit. Besides, who knows when King Messiah shall come? Who can ever tell whether this Heir to the Throne may not be He? and who knows whether the Heir Himself, breathing such an atmosphere, may not have conceived the incipient wish that it might be himself? Dim, visionary, yet withal dazzling,—the wish may have been father to the prayer: Life he ask of thee, to which he felt no need to assign an end—life, only life! The spirit of the Messiah, working in the psalmist, carries him out of himself. It has not been revealed to the psalmist who will be the Messiah. But, in language vaguely and benevolently suited to any Son of David, yet strictly applicable only to the Son of David, he adds:—thou gavest it him, Length of days, ‘olam wa-edh, age-abidingly and beyond. From this point onward the radiance of a Messianic light rests on the psalm. It is King David or King Jehoshaphat who sits yonder, but on him rests a light from afar, not his own. Through the type, we catch glimpses of the Antitype.

While abiding by the dominant view of authorship appended to the preceding psalm, hearty consent may be accorded to the following judgment:—“When, in after times, the prosperity of Hezekiah was celebrated in the Temple worship, this psalm was singularly appropriate. Whether by adaptation or not, Psalms 21:4 had a special meaning when spoken of him; and Psalms 21:11-12 tell of the Assyrian army and its destruction”—Thirtle, O.T.P., 314–15.

The Prophecy of the Suffering Christ

Psalms 22:1-31

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Psalms 22 is perhaps one of the more fascinating psalms composed in this song collection. There is quite a bit of debate whether this psalm refers to the Christ or not. It is amazing to me that there is even such a discussion.

The scriptures should vanquish any question we have as to whether this is referring to the Christ. The writer of Hebrews quotes Psalms 22:22 in Hebrews 2:12 and applies to the sufferings of Christ. This should be enough for us to know that this psalm was speaking about the Christ. If this were not enough, as we read the psalm notice how many points are indirectly quoted or referred to in the New Testament when Jesus is in the midst of His suffering in arrest, trial, and crucifixion. These also should be weighty evidences that cause us to believe that Psalms 22 is referring to Christ. The only question that I believe is worthy of debate is this: does Psalms 22 refer at all to David himself or strictly to the coming Messiah? Many psalms have a double image where David is not only referring to the things he is going through, but is also predicting and prophesying about what would happen to the Christ. In other psalms, David is merely talking about his own experiences. But we must also realize that David is called a prophet by Peter (Acts 2:30) and may not be speaking about himself at all, but only prophesying of the Messiah to come. I believe this is what David is doing in this psalm. None of the information we read in this psalm can be found historically as events in David’s life. But these events can be found in the suffering of the Christ.

As we read this psalm it is important that we see the repeated contrasts the psalmist utters between what he feels versus what he knows to be the truth. If we miss these contrasts then we will easily misapply these words to Jesus and attribute a false doctrine that the psalmist did not intend.

Suffering Yet Calling For Deliverance

Jesus’ quoted (Psalms 22:1-2)

As we read the first verse we immediately recognize that Jesus uttered these words while on the cross (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). This statement has allowed many expositors to take some liberties with the statement to suggest that God the Father turned His back on the Son of God. It is usually stated like this: Jesus was bearing the sins of the people while on the cross. Since the Father can have no fellowship with sin, God had to turn His back on the Son, severing fellowship with Him. This is the reason why Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.” The sun turned to darkness to show the separation between the Father and the Son as the Father His favor and glory away from the earth during this horrible act.

Besides the scriptures teaching us that Jesus bore our sins, the scriptures make no references concerning the rest of this fanciful theory. Simply because the first point is true concerning Jesus carrying away our sins, the rest of the points made are not logical conclusions and, in fact, violate other plain passages. Jesus said the Father would never forsake Him. “And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him” (John 8:29). “Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me” (John 16:32). Jesus clearly stated He would not be left alone or forsaken by the Father, even though the disciples forsook Jesus and fled. If you open your song books to the Hymn ‘Tis Midnight, And On Olive’s Brow, please notice the third verse: ’tis midnight, and for others’ guilt the Man of Sorrows weeps in blood; yet He that hath in anguish knelt is not forsaken by His God. We even have a song that teaches that Jesus was not forsaken. While this song is certainly not inspired, we must realize that this statement contradicts the common understanding in the religious that Jesus was forsaken by God.

If Jesus was not forsaken by the Father, since He told His disciples He would not, why did Jesus say the words “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” It seems that the clear answer is that Jesus is quoting this psalm. By quoting the very first line, the Jewish listeners who watched Jesus die would have immediately thought of this psalm and the message it contained. As we already mentioned, this is a messianic psalm and Jesus is drawing his listeners to apply this psalm to Him. Therefore, whatever message is contained is this psalm is the point Jesus wanted His listeners and onlookers to remember and learn. It is our duty to explore this psalm carefully for its clear message so we can fully and correctly understand that Jesus was teaching from the cross and wanted His audience to learn.

Contrast #1: Feeling forsaken, yet still trusting (Psalms 22:1-5)

The first two verses of this psalm exclaiming the feeling of being forsaken. Day and night he is crying out to God and God does not seem to answer. It is a time when God feels distant from hearing the words of his groaning and from saving him.

But Psalms 22:3-5 is offering the contrast to this feeling of being forsaken. Though he feels forsaken at the time, he still has put his trust in the Lord. Here we see a total dependence on God to deliver. There are two reasons for this hope. First, God is holy. God is separate from others and is worthy of trust due to His holiness. God is not one who acts like common man and breaks promises. God is holy and righteous and worthy of our trust.

The second reason to trust in God is because God has delivered in the past. The fathers put their trust in God and God delivered them. They cried out to God and God saved them. When they trusted in God they were not disappointed. The proof of this point can easily been seen in the book of Judges. When the people in the days of the judges cried out to God for help and deliverance, God would respond by sending a leader to the people who would deliver them from their oppressors. While feeling distant from the Father, the Son of God knew that deliverance would come to Him, just as the Father had delivered in the past.

Contrast #2: Enduring suffering, yet you are always my God (Psalms 22:6-11)

Now the suffering and mockery is described. The treatment of Jesus was like that of a despicable worm. There was no human decency afforded to Him. Psalms 22:7-8 are clearly fulfilled in Matthew 27:39-44. In fact the very words “He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue Him; let Him deliver Him since He delights in Him” are uttered by the chief priests, scribes, and elders.

Despite this mockery and suffering, He has trusted in the Lord from the very beginning. The imagery used is beautiful as a newborn baby trusts in his or her mother for milk, so also the Son of God has complete confidence in God to deliver and provide for Him.

Therefore, His cry goes out again that since trouble is near and there is no one to help that the Lord be not far from Him. As we know and mentioned earlier, the disciples forsook Jesus and fled. There was no one to stand beside Jesus as He endured the false trials of the Jews and Pilate, the scourging, and the crucifixion. No one would come to Jesus’ side and protect Him from what was happening. Therefore, the cry is made for the Lord to remain near Him because no one else is near.

Contrast #3: Crucified, yet still looking for deliverance (Psalms 22:12-21)

Things go from bad to worse in our third movement in this psalm. The end is near for Jesus. The enemies have surrounded him and the lions have their mouths open ready to devour their prey.

But the agony continues as death approaches. He is poured out like water and his heart has melted away from within him. His strength is dried up and his tongue sticks to the roof of his mouth. Notice the last line of Psalms 22:15, “You lay me in the dust of death.” This verse shows the imminent reality of death. Psalms 22:16 describes our Lord’s crucifixion “they have pierced my hands and my feet.”

Lest we think that we have stretched this psalm too far in applying it to Jesus, we are here clearly reminded that this must be prophesying of Jesus. David did not experience these things but Jesus did. Yet another proof is found in Psalms 22:18 which is fulfilled in John 19:23-24 as the soldiers cast lots for the garments of Jesus.

But in spite of staring at the sure face of death, again Jesus is trusting in God’s deliverance in Psalms 22:19-21. Here we read him calling to the Lord for help and deliverance from the sword and the enemies. Then we come across four amazing words in the midst of this plea to God. Psalms 22:21 says, “You have answered Me.” This becomes the turning point of the psalm. After contrasting the way he felt which was distant, alone, and forsaken, we now see his trust in the Lord was not unfounded. God now comes through and deliverance. This deliverance is found in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. He has been delivered from his enemies and from the sword. The resurrection was the conquering of Satan, conquering of evil, conquering of sin, and conquering of all who would stand against him.

Praising God For Deliverance

Praise for remaining with him (Psalms 22:21-24)

As we mentioned at the beginning of the lesson, Psalms 22:22 is quoted in Hebrews 2:12. The argument that the writer of Hebrews presents is really the beauty of this passage. The obvious understanding is that He would declare the praises of God among the congregation and the brethren. But there is a subtle point that the writer of Hebrews keys upon.

“I will declare Your name to My brethren.” We are called brothers and sisters with Jesus. Jesus has taken possession of us to say that we are His brothers and sisters. This is describing a beautiful family relationship just as we would speak of our brothers and sisters in the flesh. We are His brothers and sisters in the spirit through the death of Jesus, which reconciled us to God. Our Lord Jesus Christ does not describe us as slaves or servants, which we are, but as brethren. Jesus is saying to each of us that when we are with Him, we are in an intimate close relationship with Him.

Therefore, everyone needs to fear the Lord and give Him the praise He deserves. Consider the reason that all should rejoice, glory, and fear: “Because He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; nor has He hidden His face from Him; but when He cried to Him, He heard.” There is so much that is stated in this verse that we must consider.

God does not despise or refuse to listen when we are afflicted. God does not look upon us with scorn when we carry our afflictions to Him and ask for help and deliverance. Our God is the Father who wants to help in our times of need. God is the loving Father who waits for us to ask Him for help and then offers assistance to us.

Even further, He has not hidden His face from Him. This sentence clearly tells us that God did not turn His back on Jesus while He was suffering on the cross. Though Jesus was in the midst of a time when He may have felt forsaken and it appeared He was forsaken and cursed by hanging on a tree, God never turned His face from His Son. When He cried to Him, He heard. God would never turn His back on His children, especially the only beloved and begotten Son. To suggest that God turned His back on the Son is to deny Psalms 22:24 of this psalm and the words of Jesus in the gospel of John. God was with His Son the whole time, though others had forsaken Him.

This is the central message of this psalm. We may feel forsaken by the Lord. We may be to the brink of death and in need of deliverance. We may be crying out for God to answer our prayers and feel the Lord is far from our groaning. But God is with us all along. God does not despise the afflicted and does not turn His back or hide His face from those who cry out to Him.

I believe this is the reason why Jesus said the first verse of Psalms 22 on the cross, crying out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me.” Jesus was applying this psalm to Himself. He is the promised Messiah and is calling on the Jewish people to remember that it had been prophesied that the Messiah would suffer. So great would the suffering be that it would seem that God had forsaken Him. But His deliverance was about to come when He would be delivered from the sword through His resurrection.

Submit to the rule of God (Psalms 22:25-31)

In light of this knowledge that God has delivered His Messiah from death, all need to worship and bow down to Him. He rules over the nations and has established His kingdom over all peoples of the earth. Every knee must bow, including the prosperous and those who have already died. No one is exempt from standing before the Christ in judgment and bowing down before Him. Further, those in the future will continue to serve Jesus. The mighty acts of God will continue to be remembered and recounted through the generations.

The psalm ends with the statement, “That He has done this.” The word “this” is actually not in the original manuscripts but supplied by the translators to try to give clarity to the passage. Therefore the wording is “He is done” or “it is done.” The last words of this psalm were the last words of Jesus on the cross “it is done” or “it is finished.” Psalms 22 was being fulfilled before the very eyes of the Jewish nation while Jesus was on the cross. Through the death of Christ, the kingdom of God would be establish, Satan would be conquered, sins would be forgiven, and reconciliation would be offered to all the world.

Final Lessons- Reasons for Confidence:

1. God has delivered in the past.

2. God answers prayer.

3. God will not forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

PSALM 22

EXPOSITION

The Mysterious Forsaken Sufferer of this psalm appears to be AN INDIVIDUAL: seeing that, in the course of his loud lamentation, he distinctly alludes to his mouth, palate, tongue, gums, heart, bones, and clothing; looks back to his childhood and forward to his death.

HIS SITUATION is indicated with circumstantial minuteness, He is exposed to public view; for he refers to all who see him. He is fixed to one spot; for his enemies gather round him. He has been deprived of his clothing; for he can count his own bones, shrinks from the vulgar gaze as men look for and behold him, and sees his garments distributed to others. He has, moreover, been subjected to at least one form of bodily violence; for his enemies have bored through his hands and his feet. And finally, inasmuch as such as would see him, both look for and gaze upon him, it may not unnaturally be surmised that either he has companions in suffering from whom visitors to the spot would desire to distinguish him, or else darkness has gathered, making it difficult to descry him.

He is either absolutely FRIENDLESS, or his friends are so few and feeble that they do not count, being powerless to help him: hence his repeated cries for Divine pity and succor. Nevertheless, strange to say, he has brethren somewhere in the background, numbering a large assembly; but these come not into view until his sufferings are ended.

His ENEMIES are many. MANKIND in general reproach him: his own people despise him: beholders deride him with scornful gestures and taunting words. The gathered throng of his foes appears large and threatening, formidable and fierce: he compares them to bulls, wild and gigantic—each as a lion rending and roaring; and either the same or others he likens to dogs, fierce, foul and mean, united into a pack large enough to close in about him. Moreover, the sword of authority appears in their midst. His life is threatened on every hand.

Meanwhile his SUFFERINGS are intense and prolonged. His body is so distended that his bones are dislocated; his mouth is parched with thirst, his strength flows away like water, his physical courage fails like melting wax. His mind, sensitive to the shame of his exposure and to the cruel taunts of his enemies, struggles bravely to maintain its confidence in God: the deepest distress of all being that HE seems to be far away, and to be slow to rescue,—incessant crying to Him day and night bringing no answer.

The PRIMARY CAUSE of suffering is implied rather than expressed. Reverently keeping to what is actually before us, in our search for what is implied,—the answer appears to be at once simple and sufficient. The mental anguish so strongly indicated is due to the Divine permission that he, the Sufferer, should thus fall into the hands of his enemies; and that his God should be so long in coming to his rescue. The Sufferer feels himself to be forsaken, or, rather, that his God has failed him—THAT is in evidence. His enemies have got him into their power—THAT too is in evidence. Psalms 22:11 suggests a connection between the two; and Psalms 22:19-21 confirm it. The Divine forsaking consists in leaving him thus to fall into his enemies’ hands. The converse, prayed for, shows this. These verses (Psalms 22:11; Psalms 22:19-21) say, in effect: “Return, come near; and rescue me from the sword, from the dog, from the lion, from the wild-ox”; thereby implying that it was God’s withdrawing land holding aloof, that delivered him into the power of these his enemies. The Divine withdrawing, the Divine holding aloof,—THIS was the Divine failure. So much is in evidence. And this is sufficient. We have no need, no right, to seek for more. It is sufficient. Are we to say, it is not sufficiently mysterious? As surely as we do say this, we show how completely we fail to enter into the position of the Sufferer. It is painfully mysterious to him, to be at all allowed to fall into his enemies’ hands. The fathers had trusted, and always been delivered: HE has trusted, and NOT been delivered: herein lies the mystery—herein the chief pain—the agony—continued—oh! so long!

The SUDDEN CLOSE of the suffering is very remarkable. It is that in any case: whether, strictly adhering to the M.T., we get the break in the form and by the force of a single word, in a new strain, at the end of line 6 in stanza V (lit., thou hast answered me); or whether, by a slight modification of the M.T., helped out by the Sep., we become aware of the change, not by a single word, but by the dramatic force of a sudden breaking off of the one stanza and the commencement of another in a new key. In either case, the fact remains, that all at once the strain of sorrow ceases; and, when it ceases, it ceases altogether: there is absolutely no recurrence of pain, no trace further of a single sob. It cannot be doubted that it is the same voice which thus suddenly breaks out in praise; for the metre is the same, the direct address to Jehovah is the same, and—allowing for the change of tone—the theme is the same: the lament has been, “He hath not heard”; the joy now is, “He hath heard.” Moreover, as if to make this point clear, the very terms of the announcement which the late Sufferer now makes to his brethren, bear upon them vivid reminiscences of the shame and pain through which he has passed: by man he had been detested, and deeply humbled. God had hid his face, and he the Sufferer had cried for help. Now all is changed; and by every sign of continuity of speech we are warranted to rest in the conclusion, that it is the same voice that tells us the joyful news.

A mystery at present hangs over the assembly in or from which the triumph shall be sounded forth; but no ambiguity rests on the language then and there to be employed. According to a classification with which we have become familiar in our study of Hebrew Poetry, we can detect Gentile worshippers in the phrase—Ye that revere Jehovah, and the parallel phrases seed of Jacob, seed of Israel are too plain in their application to the Hebrew nation to leave room for a moment’s doubt. So that we are here met with the rousing prospect that the Delivered Sufferer will announce his deliverance as a fact of deep interest to the world at large as thus represented. It looks, indeed, as though, to his own nation, the announcement would be more profoundly moving than even to the Gentile world; seeing that, while Gentile worshippers are simply called upon to praise Jehovah for this his interposition in behalf of the Sufferer, the seed of Jacob are called upon not only to glorify him, but to stand in awe of his holy majesty, for this story of his doings.

As the sixth stanza completes the first part of the psalm, and to all appearance other voices now carry on the psalm to its conclusion, the present seems a convenient point at which to raise the broad question of FULFILMENT: Who is this Mysterious Sufferer?

We took care to remark, at the beginning of our exposition, that the Sufferer appears to be an INDIVIDUAL; and no doubt this impression ought to be left undisturbed until something more likely can be suggested; until it can be shown that, though he so appears, yet this is but the allegorical dress in which the prediction is adorned; and that the seeming individual is, after all, a larger or a smaller group of individuals—a nation or a remnant of a nation. Now it may be frankly allowed, that there is no prima-facie impossibility in this. Nevertheless, every psalm, every representation in the psalms, must be considered on its own merits. This sufferer cannot be the nation, because he is distinguished from the nation—despised of a people. But may he not be a Suffering Remnant of the nation? At first sight, this appears possible; but then what sort of remnant would this be? If not a sinless remnant, at all events it is one that here makes no confession of sin. Besides, if it is a remnant that suffers, it must also be a remnant that is delivered, and declare Jehovah’s name in an assembly: all of which goes to show how unnatural it is to see in this individual a number of individuals. A remnant may indeed be delivered from further suffering; but to represent a remnant as declaring Jehovah’s name in an assembly is so incongruous as to suggest how much more simple and natural it is to adhere to literal individuality throughout this part of the psalm.

It is notorious that Christians see in this psalm a wonderfully vivid and realistic picture of the Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. In order to account for this, it is not necessary to hazard the opinion that anyone could have said before the event: “This sufferer in the psalm is evidently undergoing the horrors of crucifixion.” All that is necessary is to take the psalm as it is written, and the story of the crucifixion of Jesus as it is told in the four Gospels, to lay them side by side, and then to look first on the one picture and then on the other. Detail by detail, the striking similarity comes into view. There are—the outcry on the cross from the opening of the psalm, the mocking of the by-standers in the very. words that follow later on in the psalm, and the source of which those mockers must surely have forgotten; the parching thirst; the outstretched body; the cruel gaze of the assembled throng; the wounded hands and feet; the parted garments. As Dr. Briggs well says: “It seems to the Christian that the psalmist indeed gives a more vivid description of the sufferings of Christ on the cross than the authors of the Gospels.” Myriads of readers can attest that this is no exaggeration. It may be added, that there are less obvious harmonies, which, when perceived, deepen the impression of fulfillment. That suddenly interrupted stanza (like a broken column in a cemetery) eloquently suggests the hushing of the voice of Jesus in death. The sudden resumption of speech in tones of triumph: it may not even yet have been fulfilled in its full and ultimate intent for the assembly—that large assembly may not yet have been gathered; and yet, for all that, the Resurrection of Jesus, together with his renewed intercourse with his disciples; his promise, on parting, to return; the gradual formation of his assembly, his ecclesia; his own undying love for the seed of Israel:—all these serve to give a sense of spaciousness for complete and more than complete fulfillment, which leaves nothing to be desired.

It is little to confess, that we can only with the greatest difficulty begin to imagine, how an alphabet of thought for conceiving such a psalm as this, could have been communicated to any psalmist’s mind. That the suffering prophets of old were types of the coming suffering Messiah, we can well believe; that every phase of suffering here portrayed may have been already experienced in rudimentary forms, a little by one sufferer and a little by another, and then passed into a common stock of conceptions made ready for the actual writer of this part of the psalm, is also not impossible. Those conceptions may even have been vivified and intensified by an actual experience which converted the writer into a not unworthy type of the Suffering One; and yet after all have amounted to nothing more than a dim outline of the Reality. From this point of view, we can well believe that David wrote the earlier part of this psalm; if, at least, we admit with Delitzsch that “David descends with his complaints to a depth that lies beyond the depth of his suffering, and rises with his hopes to a height which lies beyond the height of the reward of his suffering,” so that “the hyperbolical element is thereby changed into the prophetical.” The ultimate product remains, in this Divinely illumined fore-sketch, offering a Spectacle of Jesus of Nazareth, suffering on the Cross, as a proof of Divine Foresight and Divine Skill,—which nothing that we can conceive can ever surpass for satisfying the judgment and moving the soul.

In advancing to Part II. of this psalm, attention is called to the circumstance that careful regard to expert critical judgment on a few nice points, some obvious difficulties have been removed and the whole presented with a striking measure of symmetry and brightness. Of difficulties, may be mentioned this: That however suitable it may appear that the humble should now eat and be satisfied (Psalms 22:26), it is by no means so acceptable to be told (Psalms 22:29) that the already “fat” shall eat as well as worship. This incongruity is at once removed, simply by a different grouping of letters, as advised by Ginsburg. Then if we render vigorous instead of “fat” as suggested by O.G. we get a fine strong line, forming a good contrast with that which follows it:—

Yea to him will bow down all the vigorous of the earth,

Before him will kneel all who were descending to dust.

Not who “go down,” with A.V. and R.V.; but, as the participle may just as well be rendered, who were going down or descending; which makes all the difference, since their progress downwards to the dust is suddenly arrested. These emendations prepare the way for another. For how is any helpful sense discovered by the next clause thrown in by the A.V.; “And none can keep alive his own soul”? Whether left just so, or even slightly altered by the R.V.: “Even he that cannot keep his soul alive,” it sounds quite as much like a burlesque as any advance of thought in the main line of the psalm: inasmuch as it seems to say, “They may worship, but still they have to die all the same.” Whereas, by accepting a hint from the Septuagint; and another from Psalms 22:26, which is crowned by a quotation; and yet another which Dr. Ginsburg had already given us, My seed;—we obtain a splendid refrain to this little stanza also.

Yea, my own soul to him doth live—my seed shall serve him. Why! it is both literally and metaphorically, “life from the dead”! Thus, in getting rid of difficulties, a second quotation, serving as a refrain, appears, and puts us on scent for a third (Psalms 22:28) and a fourth (Psalms 22:31). For we have only to bear in mind that the Hebrew has no quotation marks, and is reluctant even to employ the word “saying”; and then to reflect that when men bow down they are apt to have words of worship on their lips, to become satisfied that Psalms 22:28 is composed of quoted words; and a magnificent refrain it makes for the families of the nations unto the ends of the earth to utter. In like manner, when generation after generation tells and declares something to posterity of which it is glad, it can generally find words, however simple, in which to express it; and so, once more, we hear herald voices exclaiming in honour of earth’s King:—

He hath done it! He hath done it!

Those who, with a view to the thorough understanding of Part II. of this psalm, have thus minutely observed its peculiar structure—in contrast with all that had gone before,—will be prepared for our acquiescing in the judgment of Thirtle (O.T.P.), that the chief pant of the present conclusion of the psalm was penned by Hezekiah. Recalling the almost certain fact, that the bitterest ingredient in Hezekiah’s cup was the reflection that by his death his race would be extinguished, and the Royal Line of David would be buried with him, we feel that a new and thrilling interest invests the joyful exclamation which now crowns the last stanza but one of the psalm,—

Yea my own soul to him doth live—my seed shall serve him. This from the man who just before was rapidly descending to dust; whose own soul, instead of living, was on the point of dying; and who had no seed to succeed him!

The Shepherd Lord

Psalms 23:1-6

Brent Kercheville

What is your view of God? What is your concept of him? I think that most people have multiple concepts about God. Some in the world think of God as a genie in a bottle, convenient for me to give me what I want. Some see God like a busy dad — you can be yourself through the week, but you have to shape up on Sunday when he is home and paying attention to you. Even godly people can sometimes only focus on a single dimension on God. Some will focus only on his love. Some will focus on his wrath. Some will focus on his grace. Some will focus on his holiness. Psalms 23 gives us another dimension about God that is easily forgotten. David begins by saying, “The Lord is my shepherd.” Before we read this psalm, I want to consider why David would write this psalm. I believe the point is that it would build our trust in God and remind us of who he is. Further, as you read this psalm, I want you to listen to everything that the shepherd does for the sheep. You will notice that the sheep do not do anything but the shepherd is acting on behalf of the sheep. This whole psalm is about the Lord.

Our Shepherd Lord (Psalms 23:1)

Shepherd is a royal metaphor. Kings were often portrayed as shepherds (cf. 1 Kings 22:17; Jeremiah 23:1-4; Ezekiel 34:1-10; Song of Songs). But this is not only true in the scriptures, but also in ancient Near Eastern literature and writings. Tanner asserts that shepherd is a title that is synonymous for king (Tanner, 272). The Lord is our leader, teacher, and king. The Lord is my shepherd is a confession of faith. The Lord and no one else is my shepherd. No one else leads me. As Psalms 95:7 puts it, we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. If the Lord is our shepherd and we confess this truth, then we are also confessing that we are sheep and not the shepherd. We are not in charge and we are not taking the lead.

But this also speaks to the intimacy of the relationship we have with the Lord. It is so amazing that the God who created the heavens and earth, sea and dry land, who led Israel out of slavery in Egypt, this great and awesome God also cares for and shepherds the individual human. David is speaking of himself. The Lord, for all his glory, power, and wonder, is my shepherd.

I Lack Nothing (Psalms 23:1)

Notice the connection. When we submit our will to the Lord, putting our lives in his hands such that we are now simply the sheep and he is our shepherd, we lack nothing. There is a sufficiency that comes from our relationship with the shepherd. There is no deficiency in the Lord’s provision. David is not saying that he has no desires. Nor can David be saying that there are never difficulties, for we read many in his life. Rather, all his needs are supplied. He has satisfaction in the Lord. The secret to contentment is the Lord himself as your shepherd. What I have in the Lord is greater than what I do not have in life. What you have in your shepherd is greater than what you do not have in life. God is all you need. He provides for his people because he is your shepherd and you need nothing else.

The Quality of the Lord’s Provisions (Psalms 23:2-3)

David explores this concept further in verse 2 declaring that the quality of the Lord’s provisions are the best. In the scriptures, churning turbulent waters represent distress (Isaiah 43:2; Isaiah 28:2; 2 Samuel 5:20). But calm waters represent spiritual cleansing (Leviticus 11:32; Leviticus 16:4; Leviticus 17:15; Numbers 19:7; Exodus 30:18). Psalms 23:2 is a picture of safety and renewal. Sheep must be protected from danger and satisfied if they are going to lie down. Therefore, the Lord cleanses his people from sin and provides spiritual refreshment and renewal from the chaos of life. “He restores my soul.” We are wayward sheep (Isaiah 53) but the Lord is returning us to our original state. Our lives are made whole and complete by the shepherd. This is why we lack nothing. This is why we can rest.

Further, consider that it is only the shepherd who can restore our lives. We cannot save ourselves. We cannot fix ourselves. We cannot restore our broken lives, try as we might by applying the wisdom of the world. We need a shepherd who can heal us and restore us. Your broken life is restored by the shepherd. Knowing that I have a shepherd who is leading me each day gives me relief from anxiety and cares when I feel hopeless.

The qualities of the Lord’s provisions are the best because he leads us in the right paths. His direction is always the best direction. His path is always the best path for us. In Psalms 119:105 the psalmist declares that the paths of righteousness are God’s word. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and light to my path.” When the Lord is your shepherd then you will walk the path he is leading you down. You will not question his direction. You will not rebel against his leadership and guidance. You will seek out the path he wants you to walk down. You will not rely upon your own desires or wisdom for life’s guidance. If you do, then the Lord is no longer your shepherd and you will lack in life. You will lack restoration, healing, and refreshing that only can come from the Lord.

Notice why the Lord does this. “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” God will often talk about doing things for his name. We have a sense that God is acting for his own reputation. But there is more to this idea. In Hebrew culture, a personal name revealed the character of the individual. We see this many times when God is changing the name of a person. The name represents the person. We see this with the names Jacob and Esau, whose names mean supplanter and hairy, respectively. The reason why God is always concerned about his name and why his name is to be protected as holy and not abused is because the name represents the person. The Lord performs these loving acts because that is his very character. This is who he is. He leads in paths of righteousness because he is holy and right. He loves his sheep and therefore he leads them. Why does God have anything to do with us? He acts for his own name’s sake. All attention and all glory belongs to the Lord. His reputation must be honored. His glory must be revered. His name must be glorified because it is not just a name, but it is his very being and character. We are simply sheep too often acting like glory thieves, detracting from the glory that God rightly deserves.

Leads Through the Shadow of Death (Psalms 23:4)

“Evil” in this text does not mean moral evil, but disaster and danger. Some translations render it this way (HCSB, NET). Also, the psalms uses the shadow of death as an image to refer to disaster and danger (Psalms 44:19; Psalms 107:10; Psalms 107:14). The imagery is that of death casting its shadow over the traveler. Now I want you to notice something that David declares. The Lord leads us into the valley of the shadow of death. Back up and read Psalms 23:3. The shepherd is leading him in paths of righteousness. Sometimes the path that we are led in is through the valley of the shadow of death. We need to hear this. Too many think that if you are with the Lord, he will lead you away from the valley of the shadow of death. Too many think that that God will lead you around the valley of the shadow of death. The sheep trust the shepherd when walking through this valley.

This is what the psalm says. Even though we are led there, we will not fear disaster and danger because our shepherd is with us. When we are led to walk there, we fear no harm because the Lord’s presence makes all the difference. God is my comfort through the pain of those valleys. We turn to all sorts of other “comforts” but the Lord is the only true comfort that empowers us to say that we fear no harm. I can handle the valley of the shadow of death because the Lord is with me. The rod and staff of the Lord reveal the care and defense of the Lord. These things bring us comfort in difficult times. But more than comfort, the presence of the Lord and his staff and rod give us courage. The Lord’s presence reassures us. The sheep trust the shepherd, even when walking through the shadows of despair. He brought you into the valley of the shadow of death. Stay with him for he will bring you through to the other side.

The Lord Is My Host (Psalms 23:5-6)

Now we might be inclined to think that the final two verses (Psalms 23:5-6) are out of place. We have gone from a shepherd and sheep to sitting at the table and feasting. But the shift in imagery is not as out of place as we might think. We noted at the beginning of the lesson that the imagery of the shepherd is used of kings. So now we are given a place at the banquet table of the king, enjoying provisions and rest even in the presence of our enemies. The lavish blessings and treatment we receive from God is truly unthinkable. God is the source of our joy, comfort, and refreshment. The refreshing we receive from the Lord is so much and so great that we are well filled and overflowing. The Lord has filled his life. Again, keep in mind that David is extolling these things when David’s life was very painful and difficult. This hope in the Lord is not that life will avoid pain and difficulty. Rather, we will have a full, satisfying life through the pain we experience. Our cup is full. We are completely satisfied, overflowing with the blessings of God that settle our lives. To sit at the banquet table of our shepherd king pictures our ultimate communion and fellowship with God himself.

In Psalms 23:6 David continues to describe the constant flow of God’s blessings. Everyday there is God’s goodness and faithfulness to you. Everyday you have God’s unfailing, faithful, covenant love. The word “follow” is not really a strong enough representation of this Hebrew word. The HCSB, NLT, and NET rightly read “pursue.” The goodness and mercy of the Lord is pursuing us. God pursues us with his loyal love and loving acts. The Lord is after you. He is pursuing, just as a shepherd leaves 99 other sheep to pursue one more. This is what our shepherd king. Surely goodness and mercy pursues us, not maybe or possibly. His loyal, faithful love brings us into his house, enjoying God forever, enjoying the table of the Lord all our days. All our desires are fulfilled, dwelling with the Lord forever. Psalms 27:4 states that the one thing David asks of the Lord is to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life. The Lord pursuing us with his steadfast love makes it so that we can dwell in his house.

Jesus, The Good Shepherd

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. (John 10:14-16 ESV)

Jesus is our shepherd king and with him we will not lack anything. Jesus brings us rest. Jesus leads us in the paths of righteousness. Jesus restores and refreshes our souls, bringing the healing that we need. Jesus is with us as he leads us through the valley of the shadow of death, giving tranquility and comfort during the journey. Jesus prepares a banqueting table for us where we enjoy the blessings of the Lord overflowing our cup, pursuing us all the days of our lives. Jesus laid down his life to rescue you. Listen to his voice, follow the shepherd, and be satisfied.

The Lord Is My Shepherd

Psalms 23:1-6

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Of all the psalms, this psalm of David is perhaps the most well known of all that he composed. Many songs in our songbooks have been composed around the words of this psalm. Today, this psalm is frequently used for comfort in eulogies and funerals.

There are many ways to approach this psalm. There are so many great lessons contained in Psalms 23 that we could study and analyze repeatedly and continue to find new truths and powerful messages each time we studied. Since most of us have the wording of the psalm nearly memorized I am going to use a new translation for our study of this psalm to keep the words fresh and that we do not dull our minds because we have heard these words before.

There Is Nothing I Lack

I shall not lack rest (Psalms 23:2)

The psalmist begins by declaring there is nothing he lacks since the Lord is his shepherd. From here on, David will describe all the things he does not lack because he is led by the Lord.

First, David says, “He let me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters.” Recall that David was a shepherd before he became king of Israel. Therefore, David is speaking from firsthand experience concerning what is necessary for sheep to live and necessary for a shepherd to provide. These images of shepherding are lost upon us and is therefore necessary on our parts to understand the shepherd/sheep relationship to make proper application of this psalm.

Phillip Keller wrote a book called A Shepherd Looks at Psalms 23. As the title suggests, he was shepherd himself for eight years and recalls his experiences while studying this psalm. Keller says concerning this verse, “It is almost impossible for them (sheep) to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met. Owing to their timidity they refuse to lie down unless they are free of all fear. Because of the social behavior within a flock sheep will not lie down unless they are free from friction with others of their kind. If tormented by flies or parasites, sheep will not lie down. Only when free of these pests can they relax. Lastly, sheep will not lie down as long as they feel in need of finding food. They must be free from hunger.”

This knowledge captures what David is describing concerning with his relationship with the Lord. David is able to rest because all his provisions have been provided by the Lord. Psalms 23:2 describes being in the green pastures where eating is plentiful. The sheep are beside the still waters where they can freely drink without fear.

It is interesting that the psalm begins by describing the rest available in the Lord. The first aspect of the Lord being our shepherd is not some sort of activity, but that we have rest. We are able to release our burdens and our cares upon the Lord. “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Rest and release is available because God has promised to carry our burdens.

It is sad to me when so many Christians do not let God carry their burdens. Instead, Christians remain burdened with worries, anxieties, care, struggles, guilt, and numerous other troubles that meet us daily. God is offering us rest but we have to hand Him the burdens. We must have the faith that knows God will take care of it. We do not need to think negatively that everything is going to go wrong. We are exhibiting a lack of faith, that we do not believe God will provide. If that is the case, we are have experienced the rest that God has promised to us now. Jesus will give us rest.

I shall not lack life (Psalms 23:3)

David says in Psalms 23:3, “He renews my life.” Other translations say, “He restores my soul.” To understand what David means by this, let us again here the words of a shepherd: “A heavy, fat or long-fleeced sheep will lie down comfortably in some little hollow or depression in the ground. It may roll on its side slightly to stretch out or relax. Suddenly the center of gravity in the body shifts so that it turns on its back far enough that the feet no longer touch the ground. It may feel a sense of panic and start to paw frantically. Frequently this only makes things worse. It rolls over even further. Now it is quite impossible for it to regain its feet.” The shepherd must comes and restore the sheep before the sheep dies in that position.

I think this image brings great clarity to what David says the Lord is doing for His sheep. God puts us back on our feet. God is there to pick us up when we fall over. The image is extremely accurate to what happens to us in our lives. When we try to fix our own problems, we frequently create worse problems for ourselves. In our efforts to get back on our feet, we usually are turning ourselves over to a more precarious position. We need to Lord to set us on our feet. This is a similar image that we read in Psalms 18:16-19, “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He pulled me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my distress, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out to a wide-open place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.”

How often we are like these sheep spiritually! We are spiritually on our backs and we are helpless. But our Lord has come to us in our lost spiritual condition and set us back on our feet through His mercy and grace found in the blood of Jesus. God can restore us when we have fallen down. With compassion Jesus took Peter back into the fold after Peter had denied the Lord three times. Our merciful Lord receives us back when we cry out to Him for help.

I shall not lack guidance (Psalms 23:3)

“He leads me along the right paths for His name’s sake.” One characteristic of sheep that we do know if that they have the great tendency to wander away. Isaiah brings this concept out strongly in his prophecy, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). We are like sheep and we have gone astray like sheep. But the Lord is our shepherd and is leading us down the right path. God is offering guidance for our lives.

Too often we do not look to God for guidance. Too often we refuse to look to God to know which is the right path of God. We are like sheep, simply looking at the here and now and not realizing that we are wandering far off the path of God. God can give us direction through the word of God. God will give us direction through answered prayer. But we have to pick up our heads to see the direction the shepherd is leading. The Christian should not feel lost and aimless in life because has given the true Christian purpose and direction.

I shall not lack safety (Psalms 23:4)

This is the verse that is often used to comfort those who are dying. While this passage can be used for such hope, the real point of the statement is the shepherd protects His sheep from danger. As a shepherd leads the sheep from the high pastures in the summer to the valleys of the lowlands in the winter, there are times where the sheep will pass through dangerous places. There are times when we are lying down in green pastures and there are times when we are led through the valley of the shadow of death. In either regard, God is leading us.

The Christian life is not always a tranquil and easy experience. We must realize that we must go through the times of difficulty and trial. These passages must be crossed if we are to reach the destination of green pastures. We must pass through the valleys to develop our character and grow our faith.

While going through these times, David recognizes that God is present with us and leading us through the valley. God is there to protect us and see us through the situation, as “Your rod and Your staff–they comfort me.” Knowing that God is with us will help us conquer our problem as we go through the valley of death: fear. David says, “I fear no danger for You are with me.” I was telling another preacher that I do not know how people in this world get through the trials and problems of life without God. God is my surety and strength in bad times that I can have confidence that God can work things out in my best interests and will always do what is best. Others do not have such hope. Without God, trials are traumas of life which have no value, make no sense, and does not have the greater power of God to deliver. The Christian has the confidence that God is working on their behalf will do what is best.

I shall not lack blessings (Psalms 23:5)

God also declares that those who will follow after the shepherd will have God’s blessings. Even in the presence of the enemies, God will make provisions for His sheep. God will glorify and honor us even though we may have the enemies of this life who try to ruin our reputations or destroy us.

In biblical imagery oil and wine often represent joy and prosperity from God. Job, in recalling the days before the trial, said, “when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me, when my feet were bathed in cream and the rock poured out streams of oil for me” (Job 29:6). Consider the prophecy of Jeremiah, “Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, streaming to the goodness of the LORD–for wheat and new wine and oil, for the young of the flock and the herd; their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, and they shall sorrow no more at all” (Jeremiah 31:12). Also Joel 2:24, “And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.”

Therefore, when the Lord is our shepherd, we are chosen by God. Just as the anointing of the head indicated one was chosen by God for service, whether as a king or as a priest, so we are chosen by God to be His sheep and therefore to receive God’s blessings. So great and plentiful are God’s blessings that our cup overflows. The blessings pour out so greatly upon us that we cannot even realize all that we have in the Lord. God has poured out His blessings upon us.

I shall not lack a home (Psalms 23:6)

Everyone wants to have a home and when the Lord is our shepherd, we find that we do have a home. We have a home full of goodness and faithful love shown to us by God all the days of our lives.

Another blessing that we receive is that we can dwell in the house of the Lord. If you were to search through the Old Testament for the phrase “the house of the Lord” you would see that this refers exclusive to the tabernacle or temple of God. The Old Testament is filled with commands of going up to the house of the Lord for worship as the priests would enter and offer sacrifices on behalf of the people. The house of the Lord was the dwelling place of God. David says that he will dwell in God’s house all the days of his life. We are at home with the Lord. Further, this is not a future condition, but a condition we experience now and will continue to experience forevermore.

The concept of having a home with God encompasses all that we have spoken about in the lesson. A home represents safety, provisions, joy, security, rest, and family. We have all these things in the Lord. We now stand in the dwelling place of God as His children, as His heirs, and as His servants. We have our identity and our purpose with God. Home is where one always returns and we must make our home with God, the one whom we always are with and always return to.

Conclusion:

These are the great benefits we receive when the Lord is our shepherd. I believe we would be remiss to not consider Jesus’ words on the topic found in John 10. In John 10:1-18 Jesus declares that He is the good shepherd. Jesus, as the good shepherd, would lay down His life for His sheep.

If we are truly His sheep, verse 5 says that we will never follow a stranger. We will never follow after other people and go down other paths because we know the voice of the Lord. I hope that we are listening to the shepherd’s voice. Our Lord is trying to protect us and nurture us as we go through life. We simply need to follow His voice as given to us in the word of God. Let us obey the shepherd today and receive the blessings of following Him. As we have seen, we will not lack in anything that we need while we are following Him.

PSALM 23

EXPOSITION

The beauty of this little psalm consists, first, in its calm assurance of Jehovah’s all-sufficiency; and, second, in the simplicity, variety, and fullness with which this assurance is set forth. How much the essential theme contributes to the reader’s satisfaction, may be gathered from the undoubted fact that the majority of readers never reflect on the change of figures which takes place before the psalm is ended. The essential thought is felt to be one from beginning to end, and that thought is sweet. The infinite God is mine, and cares for me, provides for me, is with me—this is the charm of it. There may be need and danger, discipline and even hostility on the background; but there they remain throughout: the things that come to the front are—the supply for the need, the deliverance from the danger, the use of the discipline, and the powerlessness of the hostility. Quite simply all these blessings come from One Person, whose loving activity is noted throughout. Every blessing named appears as a personal gift. It is this intense personality which so greatly endears the psalm. Practically, there are but two persons in the psalm—Jehovah and I. And then there is a satisfying conclusion: it is a consummation, which delights, because of the feeling of home-longing to which it appeals, and which it assures of satisfaction. There are figures in the psalm, but they are transparent throughout. The One Personality shines through all. Jehovah begins by being my shepherd; soon and imperceptibly he becomes everything. This, then, is the first and chief element in the preciousness of this psalm. The second—which is worthy of it—consists in the simplicity, variety and fullness with which the assurance of the psalm is set forth: Shepherd, Guide, Host—relation to whom as sheep, traveller, guest, is easily imagined by every quickened soul. Little is said of each relation; but what is said is fundamental, and each detail speaks a volume. It is better to regard the relation of Shepherd as completed by three clauses, which are congruous and complete: the shepherd secures for his sheep—food, with rest; drink, with rest; and the consequent reinvigoration of life. This rounds off the first figure. Letting this figure go, the next brings an advance of ideas. As a sheep, Jehovah led me; and, with renovated life, all was well.

Now, as a traveller, I have tracks to find; and he guideth me to the right tracks for conducting me safely home. Over the hills, the tracks may be few, faint, and divergent: for the sake of his own name and honour he guideth to those that are right. Down among the valleys, I may come to a dark and fearsome ravine. Still he is with me, my companion as well as my guide. I hear his voice, as he cheerily beguiles me along. I know he has a club for defence against assailants, and is well able to wield it. His staff he lends me to lean on in my weariness. And so both his rod and his staff they comfort me. The idea of guidance is complete. It wants no addition.

Once more the scene changes. I am welcomed to a mansion. A spread table awaits me. Enemies who may witness my admission, dare not come near to molest me; for they know that the power and honour of my host are pledged to my defence. I am his privileged guest. I have been to the bath, and now with his own hand he anoints my head with fragrant oil. My cup is well filled and gives me good cheer. In the hall of my host are attendants. Upon me two of them wait. Their names are Goodness and Kindness; and these follow me with alacrity whithersoever I please to go, anticipating my every want. And so it is to be as long as I live; for finally I discover that here, in this mansion, at last I am at home! No need for another word.

Who May Come To God?

Psalms 24:1-10

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Psalms 24 is another psalm of David which can be broken down into three sections. These three sections are so distinct that some liberal scholars have suggested that these are three individual psalms that have been wrongly combined into one psalm. But we must take care with these kinds of assumptions, for we are tinkering with the word of God. We ought to see if there is a reasonable way to reconcile these sections into some sort of theme.

It does not take much work to see the theme throughout this psalm is of the majesty of the coming King. The first section describes the authority and power of the King. The second section asks who may approach the King. The third section describes the actually coming of the King. With these three movements in mind, let us read this psalm and see its message.

The King In His Proper Place (Psalms 24:1-2)

All belongs to the King

What a great reminder David gives us concerning who is in charge! The earth and the world belong to the Lord. Everything in the earth belongs to the Lord. All the riches, possessions, material things, and physical things that we see and can think of are God’s. Not only this, every inhabitant of the earth is the Lord’s.

How easy it is for us to lose sight of this reality! How quickly we can forget that our money is not ours, but the Lord’s! How easily we forget that our houses, cars, and other material toys are not ours, but the Lord’s! There is nothing that is ours, yet we selfishly with the things we have believing that we are the owners. Even our lives are not ours, but are the Lord’s!

This reminds us of the parable of the talents found in Matthew 25:14-30. In that parable on of the important points of emphasis is the master is in control of the whole estate and is giving a portion of his possessions to his servants to use until he returns. This is a description of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 25:1; Matthew 25:14). Jesus made the point that the servants will be judged for how they used the master’s possession and if the possessions were used wisely. We are to be fruitful and profitable concerning all that God has placed within our use. Therefore, David reminds everyone in his psalm that everything belongs to the Lord.

The reason all belongs to the King

Psalms 24:2 gives the reason why everything belongs to the Lord: He laid the earth’s foundation and established it. Everything there is in this world has been created by God. The material possessions we have come from materials that God made in the very beginning. God created every man and woman in the image of Himself and therefore every human belongs to the Lord.

Therefore is no room for argument with the Creator. Supreme power is His and His alone and we are not in charge of the things that He has given unto us. God has ultimate charge over us because He made us. God has ultimate charge over the possessions and materials of this world because He created it. Therefore, all that we do must be pleasing to the King. The way we use what God has given us must be pleasing to God. It is interesting in the parable of the talents that the one talent man is criticized for allow the talent to do nothing. God expects interest off of what He has given to us, not for what we have been given to simply be returned to Him. The master told that lazy servant he could have at least put that one talent in the bank and earned interest. We are supposed to be smart with the possessions that God has given us and use these things for the benefit of the kingdom of God.

Our homes, no matter how small or great, must be used for the service of God and the furthering of the kingdom. Our cars are to be used to further the gospel and extend the borders of God’s kingdom. Our money is to be used in fruitful ways so that God’s will may be established in this world. While we can enjoy the fruit of our labors we will be called into account for how we used all that we have been blessed.

Who May Come To The King? (Psalms 24:3-6)

The heart of the worshipper

In this second section (Psalms 24:3-6), David now asks two great questions: (1) who may ascend the mountain of the Lord, and (2) who may stand in His holy place? David wants us to consider who is able to approach the glory of the King and stand in His very presence. When we consider the superiority of God especially concerning His power and authority over our lives and over all things on the earth, who can possibly stand in the presence of God.

Those with clean hands. David says that one who has clean hands is able to stand in the presence of God. To have clean hands is to examine our deeds and actions. David is asking us to examine all the activities we plunge ourselves into. We must be involved in works of righteousness and deeds fit for God’s service and nothing else. We cannot have hands stained with sin and evil. We cannot have hands that are mischievous, malicious, or busy in places that God has not directed. James made this declaration, “Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people!” God looks to see what our hands have been involved in, if those activities are pure and righteous, or full of evil and filth.

Those with pure hearts. God also looks at our intentions and our motives. We may think we can fool others around us by keep our hands looking clean, but God also examines the heart to find out if there is anything amiss. Those who may stand in the presence of God are only those who continually cleanse their hearts from wickedness. Let us never think that we can keep corrupt motives and evil thoughts in our minds as long as we do not act on these. Whether we act on these thoughts and motives or not, we must purge our minds of these things. If we do not, then we will eventually act upon what our minds are dwelling upon.

Those who keep from falsehood. Finally, David says that the character of those who may approach the Lord are those who keep themselves, mind and actions, from false ways. This is commanding us to have a right relationship with others. We are to be honest people with one another and not be false or fake to each other. We must treat each other with honor and respect, submitting to one another just as Christ perfectly showed submission by dying on our behalf. We will not see God and be in His presence if we are not treating one another with the self-sacrificing love of God.

The reward from God

Psalms 24:5-6 describes the rewards that will come from the Lord to those who have clean hands and a pure heart. The first reward is described in Psalms 24:5, “He will receive blessing from the Lord.” This concept seems to be a theme that we have noticed regularly in our latest lessons. David points out this great reward for us in this psalm. When we are doing what the Lord says and living our lives according to His will, God has promised to bless us. This does not state that He will do everything we want or desire. But we do realize that when we ask according to the will of the Lord, we will receive many things. We also realize that God’s blessings include taking care of us, providing for our needs, eliminating our need for worry and anxiety, strengthen our souls, and many more important facets of God’s continual help to us.

The second reward is continued in Psalms 24:5, “and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” God will always treat us fairly and justly. Put it another way, God always has our best interests in mind and heart. God does not act selfishly upon His own behalf but is always looking out for us. God has made a covenant with us which shows us grace and love daily. God has made it possible for every man and woman to be justified in God’s sight and inherit eternal life from the Father. Not only do we receive eternal life to come, but we receive true life now. We have been given a mission by God, declared to be valuable, and we must live to the purpose and calling of God.

Psalms 24:6 declares that these things are available to the generation who will seek Him. What are we looking for in life? What is it that you seek to gain? There is much to pursue in this life, but David says we need to seek the face of God. Seeking God is what we must always be looking for in this life. Seeking for anything else, be it respect, acknowledgment, success, or wealth, will only lead to our destruction.

Here Comes The King (Psalms 24:7-10)

The triumphal entry

This final movement in this psalm seems to be written in song form like the Song of Solomon, where there are many speakers. This section can probably best be broken down like this:

The chorus approaching with the king:
“Lift up your heads, you gates! Rise up, ancient doors! Then the King of glory will come in.“

A voice inside the walls of the city:
“Who is this King of glory?“

A spokesman for the king:
“The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.“

The chorus approaching with the king:
“Life up your heads, you gates! Rise up, ancient doors! Then the King of glory will come in.“

A voice inside the walls of the city:
“Who is He, this King of glory?“

Everyone, or perhaps only the spokesman for the king:
“The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of glory.“

This is the first time and only time in the scriptures where we see reference made to “the king of glory.” Clearly this is a Messianic psalm prophesying of the day when their Savior would come to the city and be their king. It seems impossible for me to not believe that this song was fulfilled in Mark 11:1-11 as Jesus is riding on a foal of donkey into the city of Jerusalem. As Jesus made His entry into Jerusalem, multitudes are spreading their robes on the road and others spread leafy branches. Those who went ahead of Jesus and those who followed Jesus were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!“

Imagine what was going on inside the city of Jerusalem as these declarations were being made about the Messiah entering the gates. I submit to you the city would be saying the very words found in Psalms 24, “who is this King of glory?” The response of this multitude as Jesus entered would be, “The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of glory.“

Though the city of Jerusalem let the King of glory enter the gates, many of the city did not truly let Him in because the King of glory was killed four days later. The city did not let the King of glory into their hearts and that is what this psalm is all about. The only people who will truly see the King of glory are those with clean hands and pure hearts.

We await the return of the King of glory. In Acts 1 the angels promised that the King of glory would return in the clouds just like He left. We must make preparations to be ready for His coming. Many are going to be shouting out “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Many claim to be Christians in this world. But only those who have clean hands and a pure heart will be with the King of glory. Only those who are truly seeking Him by being obedient to His commands will be allowed to enter into the final glory of God’s kingdom.

It is time to know this King of glory for He is the Lord of Hosts. If you desire to learn more about God, we offer free Bible studies so that you can come to know God’s plan for your life. If you are ready to submit your life to the King, then be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and walk in newness of life with the Lord.

PSALM 24

EXPOSITION

The peculiarity in the structure of this psalm, as revealed by the analysis prefixed to it, is so thoroughly sustained by internal evidence as to need little more than reaffirmation here. The first stanza is in any case introductory to the other two, and no one will seriously question its fitness to serve that purpose. The second stanza, representing worshippers asking who may ascend the holy mountain, necessarily presupposes that Jehovah’s residence has already been fixed there; for surely they would not ask for admittance into his presence before he had taken up his abode in the tabernacle prepared for him. Consequently, the third stanza must have come from an earlier time; because it represents Jehovah himself as demanding admission into his new abode. The psalm may easily have been so constructed. David himself may have indited both parts, at times only a little distant from each other. First, in view of the upbringing of the ark, he may have written expressly for that occasion—the third stanza, as an independent psalm to be sung among others; or as a fragment of a larger psalm meant for that occasion only. Then, later on, either for habitual use in connection with the tent when set up and honoured by the symbolic Divine Presence; or, for use in the Temple which Solomon was about to build, the first and second stanzas may have been prefixed to make the psalm as a whole suitable for general use, which the third stanza alone would scarcely have been.

Passing on to survey the psalm as we have it on its merits, we observe the admirable fitness of the introductory stanza to serve its purpose, because it lays a solid foundation for all worship. The earth, with its contents, the world, with its inhabitants,—these all belong to Jehovah, because he made them; and therefore it is meet that he should be adored, thanked and praised for what he has done. Jehovah, the God of grace, is at the same time the God of nature: had he not created us such as we are, we could not have desired to worship him; we could not have known him and realised a need and a desire to know him better.

Knowing him—knowing these fundamental things about him—and desiring to worship him; we next need to know where he may be found; and we learn that he dwelleth in yon holy place, on yonder holy mountain of Zion. This may not be all the truth: it may be but a stepping-stone to higher truth. His local earthly presence may be only introductory to his local heavenly presence; and even his local heavenly presence may ultimately be found to be only introductory to his universal presence. Nevertheless, this is the way in which he is leading us; and we had better accept our lessons as he gives them. Even though means of an earthly symbolic presence, we may learn invaluable lessons; and one such lesson is given us here. Who may enter yonder sacred spot, who stand with acceptance in yonder hallowed shrine? The answer comes in the form of a description of character: nothing else is named. Nationality is ignored: tribe, clan, family, age, social standing—these are all brushed aside; everything gives place to character. Character is to be triumphant. He that possesses these sterling characteristics shall bear away in triumph a blessing from Jehovah, a vindication from his delivering God. Are there only a comparatively few who possess such a character? Then let all seek to belong to the comparatively few? Do any protest that they are not saints but sinners; that their characters have become broken and damaged and unpresentable before this holy God? Then, this conviction may prepare them for the next lesson: it may put them on the track of salvation. But meantime this first lesson must be strongly enforced: that salvation is salvation into character: character becomes an abiding reality. Only the pure in heart can see God. The craving to worship is a craving to see God. But this earthly presence speaks of a heavenly presence; and the ultimate lesson is that a holy character is essential to the heavenly presence of Jehovah. But the heavenly presence is coming down to earth. God is coming down to lift us up. The tent of God—his eternal tent—his eternal near and intimate dwelling—is coming down to be with men. Then men should arise and prepare to meet their God.

Advancing to the third stanza for general lessons, we mark the character in which Jehovah himself demands admission into his earthly temple: it is as “King of Glory.” Twice the demand for admission is made; twice it is as the “King of Glory.” When identification is sought as to Who the King of Glory is, and the answer has been by name and attribute and relationship given, the answer is crowned by a third employment of this descriptive title: “He is the King of Glory.” What is the NAME of “the King of Glory”? His name is “Jehovah.” What are his attributes? “Strong”—“mighty”—“mighty in battle”: these are his attributes—all chosen as if to support the claim to be King, as much as to say—“Beware! for none can successfully resist him.” Certainly, then, the Kingship of Jehovah is made especially prominent: by the threefold repetition of the title; by the attributes selected to enforce it; and, we may add, by the claim. here made, that he has “ARMIES” at his command; for such is evidently the force of the word “hosts,” “Jehovah of hosts,” “Jehovah of armies in battle array.” It is asked who are these, Jehovah’s hosts? First and foremost, in the merely typical application, to the time and circumstances then present, David and his men; successors of Joshua and his men; the hosts of Israel, who are now completing their conquest of Canaan, the hosts of Israel with Jehovah, the King of Glory, at their head. This is the lowest application. We need not stop there. As the kingship is lifted up and the claim for submission is widened,—the “hosts,” the “armies,” will multiply, until they include the heavenly hosts themselves. The one point on which we would concentrate attention is the Kingship of Jehovah. And let it be remembered that “the King of Glory” is another way of saying, “Glorious King.” As King he will enter: as King he will be enthroned: as King he will be worshipped. The Creator of the beginning of the psalm, is the Glorious King of the close of the psalm.

Is all this a Type? From early times—from the times of the early “Fathers”—and we are willing to think from the very times of the Apostles, when Christ’s early disciples realised that their Risen Lord had gone up into heaven, Christians have felt they were getting near—if they had not altogether reached—the Antitype of that Type—that magnificent Type from one point of view—that feeble type from another. It is doubtless the Antitype that dwarfs the Type. Let it be remembered that it is th type of David’s time which just now sets us on the right road of application. The Type had in it these elements: That it was the Earth—not heaven—to which claim was laid; that Jerusalem was regarded as the Governmental Centre of the Earth; that visible and effectively enforced Kingship claimed to be acknowledged at that centre: Jehovah of armies—he is the Glorious King of Earth! Christ’s ascension is only a part of the fulfillment; for—in a sense much needed and most true for the safe development of this theme—Christ’s ascension is not yet complete. Christ the Head of the Church has ascended; but the Corporate Christ has not yet been “taken up in glory” (1 Timothy 3:16): that complementary ascension awaits the time when by “preaching Christ among the Gentiles,” and his being “believed on in the world,” the number required to complete his body will be made sufficiently large to suit the purposes of the Father’s love. Then and thereafter will the Type be carried forward into a yet wider, deeper, higher fulfillment. We are but learners on this theme. This psalm does not stand alone, as though it were the only Ascension Psalm: there are others, and notably among them the 47th, in view of which we may shadow forth a legitimate surmise—provided we call it no more—that in the Coming Kingdom, Ascension and Descension may be repeated until at length the tent of God shall be with men, and He will dwell among them as their God.

Due consideration of the structure and contents of this psalm will easily adjust the questions of authorship and fit occasions for use. The whole of the psalm may well have been composed by David; though probably the third stanza was written before the second, as suggested in the above exposition. After being used on some fitting occasion of solemn procession to the temporary tent, it can have scarcely failed to be employed on the dedication of Solomon’s temple; and must have been thrice welcome to Hezekiah when he cleansed and reopened the house of Jehovah. It has been a fountain of inspiration for analogous occasions ever since; and yet, possibly, only in the future manifestation of the promised Kingdom of the Messiah, will its sublime capabilities for leading the praises of adoring multitudes be fully realised.

I Will Not Be Put To Shame

Psalms 25:1-22

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Again we come to another psalm that was penned by David. However, this psalm has a unique characteristic. Although we cannot know this by simply looking at the psalm in the English language, this psalm in the Hebrew is an acrostic poem. This means that the first word of the first verse begins with the successive first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. There are twenty-two letters in the Hebrew alphabet and notice there are twenty-two verses in this psalm, each beginning with the next letter of the alphabet.

The theme of this psalm is repeatedly stated as David’s desire not to be put to shame. Consider the places this theme occurs: Psalms 25:2 “let me not be ashamed“; Psalms 25:3 “let no one who waits on You be ashamed“; Psalms 25:20 “let me not be ashamed.” This is the thread woven through the psalm. We will talk about what this means in a moment. Let us begin now by reading through the psalm.

Confidence in God (Psalms 25:1-3)

I trust in you

The first movement of this psalm describes the confidence that David has in the Lord. David begins, “To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You.” David in essence is saying that he is completely handing his life over to God. David is lifting up his life to God because he has that much confidence and trust in God.

I suggest to you this is the trust that God is looking for His followers to exhibit. Being a disciple of Jesus is about completely giving your life into the hands of God. This is the concept Jesus was teaching about forsaking all to follow after Him. We see this was a mental decision that David made between God and himself. David made the choice that he was going to leave things in God’s hand and entrust his life to God.

I will not be ashamed

David gives the reason why he is putting his life into God’s hands. David is not exhibiting blind faith, as we call it, but has a logical reason why he will entrust himself to God. David says, “Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed.” This is a rather emphatic statement, such that the ESV reads, “Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame.” This is the tone of the statement for David is exuding his confidence in God. David is turning his life over to God because all who do will not be put to shame or be ashamed.

Now, unfortunately this language is rather confusing when we read it. When the scriptures use the words “shame” and “ashamed,” God is not referring to embarrassment. That is how we use these words today. David is not saying that he will not be embarrassed or feel foolish and that those who trust in God will never feel embarrassed or foolish either.

There is such a tone found in the scriptures, like when Jesus said, “If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory” (Luke 9:26). The idea does communicate that if we are embarrassed about God, He will make us foolish before Him. But there is a greater tone behind these words, particularly in this psalm. The greater idea is that David will not be let down or disappointed. The reason he can turn his life over to the hands of God is because he knows he will not be disappointed or let down when he does so. Thus, David says emphatically that no one who trusts is the Lord will be disappointed.

Reread Psalms 25:2-3 and see how this makes much more sense of what David is saying. David puts his trust in God and he will not be disappointed. Truly, all who wait on the Lord will not be disappointed. Now, look at the end of Psalms 25:3 : those who act treacherously will be disappointed.

I believe this is more than just a statement that David wants his enemies to be disappointed. This is poetry that we are reading and contrasts are repeatedly drawn implicitly. That is, David will express a contrasting statement even though the two statements seem to be unrelated. This is the nature of Hebrew poetry and why we see statements formed into couplets. Either the second statement is a restatement of the first statement, enhancement of the first statement, or a contrast to the first statement. This can be seen in Psalms 24:1; Psalms 24:3. In Psalms 25:3 we also have a couplet.

David is comparing those who put their trust in God with those who do not put their trust in God. Those who will wait on the Lord through faith will not be disappointed or let down. Those who will not trust in the Lord are considered to be people who act treacherously. To act treacherously is to commit a great act of injustice toward another. In this passage, we are committing a great act of injustice toward God without cause. God has done nothing such that we should question our ability to trust in Him. God is faithful and has given us no cause to doubt His faithfulness. We treat God treacherously when we are unwilling to put our trust in God.

Call to God (Psalms 25:4-7)

Make known your ways

David makes three appeals to God. The first appeal is made in Psalms 25:4, “Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths.” David says he is ready to learn from God. David says “show me,” “teach me,” and “lead me.” This is the attitude we must adopt toward God. Do we really want to be taught by God? Do we want to know the way of the Lord? Do we want God to lead us through this life?

More often than not, we only want God to lead us if He is leading where we want to go. We only want to see the way we want to go, be taught what we want to learn, and be lead in the direction that we think is best. But this is not trusting in God and is not giving our lives to God. David says that he will wait for the Lord all day long to know God’s will. All day long David has his eyes pointed toward God to know God’s will. Show me your ways, lead me in your truth, and teach me, Lord must be our cry.

This is also the second time that David has spoken of waiting for the Lord. David repeats this idea again in Psalms 25:21. There is an element of patience required in trusting God. We usually want to react immediately and God tells us to wait for His help and guidance. We want immediate answers to prayer and God looks for us to wait.

Remember mercy and love

David’s second appeal to God is that He remember mercy and love. What a great thought! After asking for God’s guidance and teaching, David now requests God’s patience. Show me mercy and steadfast love because I am not always going to choose to do what is right.

We always have a need to call out for the mercy and love of the Lord. How often we know what we ought to do, yet choose to do something else! How often we can see the direction we must take yet choose to go another way. These two points are wisely coupled together. Show me and teach me your ways, Lord, then be merciful to me as I try to do your will.

Remember not my sins

Thus, David’s third appeal is to forget his previous sins. Everyone can look back into their past and see the need for God to forgive those past transgressions. This appeal for forgiveness is not based upon his own actions, but upon the mercy and goodness of God. God is so good that He will forgive our many sins which we have committed against Him.

This is the great blessing found under the new covenant of Jesus Christ. Jeremiah prophesied of a day when a new covenant would be established. That covenant made the provision for our sins saying, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Jeremiah 31:31-34). The writer of Hebrews quotes this prophecy and says that this new covenant was established by Jesus’ death on the cross (Hebrews 8:6-13). God has promised to forget our past sins and not bring them to mind again. We have hope and confidence in this when we are trusting in the Lord.

The Character of God (Psalms 25:8-10)

Good and upright/steadfast and faithful

David now lists a couple attributes of God’s character. This seems to be a section of adoration to God for who He is in light of knowing that God has not remembered our past sins but instead remembers mercy and steadfast love.

Psalms 25:8 says the Lord is good and upright. Psalms 25:10 says the Lord is steadfast and faithful in all His ways. On what basis does David claim that God is good and upright, steadfast and faithful? Notice Psalms 25:8 for David’s reason is that the Lord teaches sinners in the way. Do you see what David is praising God for? Do you think David is saying that it is good that God will teach those wretched sinners out in the world? I believe David is speaking of himself as the sinner. How good and upright is God who will teach us repeat offenders of God’s law His paths! How steadfast and faithful is God to continue to work with us and teach us though we are repeat violators of His ways! God is faithful to His word and covenant though we are not deserving of His faithfulness.

God’s conditions

But David also makes a subtle point in this section. Notice who David says the Lord will guide. Notice who David says that God will show mercy, faithfulness, and steadfast love toward: (1) the humble (vs. 9) and (2) those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.

After pointing out our weaknesses at keeping His law, David does not say it is okay for us to remain repeat violators. We have to change. We have to change our hearts and change our actions.

First, David says that God teaches the humble. Let me ask a question: are you humble? Now we know that if we answer yes, then we have probably lost the humility we thought we had. So let me ask it another way: do you practice humility? This truly addresses what God is looking for within us. Humility is not simply about what you think of yourself but it is showing what you think of yourself by submitting to another.

How did Jesus show humility? By His actions. Philippians 2:7 makes this very point for us. Paul says we need to have the same mind and attitude that Christ had (Philippians 2:5). Verse 7 says that Jesus “humbled Himself.” How did He do that? The rest of the verse says, “and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross.” Humility is not thought, but shown. Jesus showed humility through dying on the cross, submitting Himself to the will of the Father. We become humble by the actions we take. When we practice submission to one another and dependence on God, we are practicing the humility of Christ.

Second, David says that God shows His faithfulness and steadfast love “to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.” God is not only calling for a change of attitude into submission but also a change of our choices to obey the covenant of God. We cannot expect to remain transgressors and violators and still partake of God’s mercy and faithfulness. We find grace when we striving to keep His covenant. But grace is lost when we forsake the commands of God and turn to our own ways.

Confidence in God and Call to God

Rewards to those who fear God (Psalms 25:11-15)

Instructed by God. David, in this fourth section of the psalm, will now express the rewards of putting our trust in God. The first point is that we will be instructed by God. We have no better teacher than the Lord Himself. Perhaps one of the more amazing times we see God’s instruction is to Job and God speaks to Him from the whirlwind. In the midst of the storm, God spoke to Job to teach Him what is right. So it is today, while we are in the storms of life that God is refining us and teaching us to be more like Him.

Abide in well being (goodness). David also says that those who fear and trust in the Lord will abide in goodness or well-being. God will treat us well and take care of us. I firmly believe the scriptures strongly teach this point. Jesus taught in the sermon of the mount that those who follow God should be anxious for nothing because when we are seeking first the kingdom of God, all the rest of the things of this world will be given to us. God will take care of us when we are seeking Him first.

Inherit blessings. David also says that “his offspring shall inherit the land.” This idea is lost upon us today so we must understand what that meant back in those days. To receive the land inheritance was a matter of survival. To not receive an inheritance of land was to be like the prodigal son of Luke 15 who would have absolutely nothing. By contrast, the inheritance was divided out among the children, with the firstborn receiving the double portion. This was a great blessing to pass on this land and inheritance to your descendants for they would certainly be provided for. This is the idea behind what we are reading. God is making provisions for His people and therefore ties closely to the idea of abiding in goodness described in the same verse.

Friendship of the Lord. I believe this is a striking statement made by David. James 2 tells us that Abraham was called a friend of God. This is not a common identification placed upon God’s followers. Not any person was termed a friend of God for describes the close relationship that existed between God and Abraham. Yet, we can also be friends of God when we have the great faith that Abraham showed throughout his life.

God’s will is revealed. We can know what we ought to do. When we are putting our trust in the Lord, we will know what God’s will for us is. In those days, God would send prophets to tell the people what would need to be done to be pleasing to the Lord. Hebrews 1:1 tells us that God has now sent His Son to guide us and reveal God’s will to us. This revelation was given to the apostles who wrote that will done for us. When we read, we can know what God wants us to do.

Rescued by God. The final image is found in Psalms 25:15 which describes us being snatched out of the trap. There is nothing we cannot overcome by the power of God when the Lord is our shepherd. Though we must be led through the valleys of life and enduring the evils of this world, God can rescue us. God rescues us from sin, from our enemies, from temptations, from trials, and from evil. With God on our side, we experience deliverance.

It is important to see that David did not speak of these things in a future tense. David was not describing the reward of the faithful to be received after death. These are immediate rewards given to those who fear the Lord. God has not left us alone to meander through this life but provides aid for us and blessings to us as we seek the paths of God.

Call to God (Psalms 25:16-22)

God, turn to me and be gracious. David now begins his final pleas before he concludes his prayer. Up to this point, we would not have known that David is in the midst of a time of suffering. But now we begin to see that David is in tribulation. David says he is lonely and afflicted. The troubles of his heart are enlarged, dealing with trouble and affliction. Verse 19 describes the numerous foes that David has and the violent hatred they are showing toward David. In the midst of this despair, David cries out for God to draw near to Him. We have the right to plea to God when we feel alone and distant. Though we know God is near, we can ask Him to help us know and feel that He is there.

Bring me out of distress. We have the ability and right to ask God to prevail over our struggles. We all must go through trials and suffering. But we have a God who can carry us through the turmoil and make us stronger for what we endured.

Forgive all my sins. How many times David has already asked for this, yet again David seeks forgiveness! David requested this forgiveness in verse 7 and in verse 11. God does not tire of us coming to Him in need of spiritual assistance. We cannot wear God out. God always receives the true repentant heart of those who long for Him in confession of sins.

Consider my foes. David is calling for justice. He is asking the Lord to see what has happened and the number of enemies which are against him. We can talk to God about our enemies. We can ask for relief from those who want to bring us down and destroy us.

Guard me and deliver me. David now gets to what he needs right now: deliverance. David lived a turbulent life even though he was a man after God’s own heart. Righteous actions will bring enemies. David had many enemies for his zeal to follow the Lord. David asks God for help. Also notice that David is still putting his trust in God despite the situation he is in and trusts that God will not disappoint him.

Preserve me in integrity. It is easy to give up and no longer be a servant in the midst of trial. It is easy for us to grow lax in our service to God. We may choose to not live up the character of God when times get tough and become self-focused. David requests help to remain righteous and upright toward God. He does not want to cave into evil. How strong are Satan’s traps when we are in the midst of trial! We need to be surrounded in righteousness to avoid his snares.

Redeem Israel. Finally, David leaves his prayer by thinking of the nation spiritually. It is not a call to keep the nation from troubles, but to bring the One who will purchase them from their troubles: the Messiah. How strongly David longed for the Messiah to come to bring redemption and deliverance to the nation! David was never content to simply thinking of himself, but always thought as a king on behalf of his people.

Applications:

(1) Trust in God, He will not disappoint.

(2) God’s goodness, uprightness, faithfulness, and steadfast love are shown to those who are humble and keep the covenant.

(3) See the blessings we receive now for putting our trust in God today.

PSALM 25

EXPOSITION

This psalm needs little expounding; but will repay devout meditation. It springs from a deep sense of need, and abounds in supplication. It is artificial in structure, and has many minute beauties. It was framed to help the memory when books were few. It suggests many literary and historical problems, some of which it helps to settle. Specially worthy of note is the fact that, although clearly alphabetical, one letter of the alphabet has been suppressed, presumably to make way for the refrain at the end, outside the acrostic arrangement, yet so as not to exceed the number twenty-two. Its companion psalm is the thirty-fourth: this being a psalm of petition—that of praise. The refrains to these psalms are specially noticeable. The psalms themselves are private and individual; but the refrains reach out to public events in which all Israel are interested. Thus viewed, the two psalms become intensely dramatic; and lend themselves to thrilling events in Israel’s ancient history. Cp. Thirtle, O.T.P., 107–8.

Standing On Level Ground

Psalms 26:1-12

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Psalms 26 is another psalm of David. The theme of this psalm quickly jumps to our eyes when we read the first verse and the last verse of the psalm. Psalms 26:1 says, “Vindicate me, Lord, because I have lived with integrity and have trusted in the Lord without wavering.” Most of the versions use the phrase “without wavering.” The KJV says “I shall not slide” and the NKJV says “I shall not slip.” The Hebrew word here means “to slip; to shake” so either translation is acceptable.

But now read Psalms 26:12, “My foot stands on level ground.” The bookends of this psalm state for us the theme of David’s writing. David has confidence that God has placed him on level ground and he will not slip or waver. As Christians, we are to have the same confidence that we will not slip nor waver from the level ground God has placed us upon. In this lesson we will look at how we can stand on level ground and know that our feet will not slip as David proclaimed.

David’s Call to God (Psalms 26:1-3)

Vindicate me

David begins this psalm with a call for vindication from the Lord. Vindication is a call for justice. There are a couple of aspects concerning David’s call for vindication that we ought to consider.

First, this is a call for personal vindication. David bases his call for justice upon two things: “I have lived with integrity” and “I have trusted in the Lord.” These are the two great reasons why David makes his declaration for vindication to God. David has lived a righteous and godly life. But is that all there is to the motive for David’s desire for vindication? Does David merely want all the people to know that he really is a righteous person, though others may cast dispersions upon him? I think we must see that David is appealing to the Lord with something more than simply a personal need for recognition of the truth.

The second aspect of this call for vindication is that it is based upon vindicating God. Now, David does not expressly state this in the psalm, but it is a natural outgrowth of a person who lives with integrity and trusts in the Lord. If we have lived our lives for the Lord, then our vindication is not about showing that we are righteous, but to show that our faith is valuable. We want to prove God to be true to His word. If we simply want ourselves to be justified in the sight of others, we are simply caving into the sin of pride. However, we want to be vindicated so that people will know that our faith in God is not in vain.

I believe this is the nature of David’s call for vindication. We do not want the world to think that our integrity has no value. We do not want the world to look at us and think that our hope and faith are in vain. We want them to see the Lord in our lives. We want our lives to be an example to others about how God is true to His word. We are to be the proof of God’s promises.

Too often we have self-centered attitudes reflected in our self-centered prayers desiring things in life to God the way we want them to go. Our prayers consist of merely doing things for us alone. But we are supposed to have a greater focus than upon ourselves. It is one thing to destroy my reputation, slander my name, and try to bring me to ruin. I can be upset because I want things to go the way I want them to go. But that is not profitable. What should be our greater concern is when we are leading righteous lives, these slanderous words bring a reproach against God. Therefore, the call is not to salvage my own name, but to salvage the glory of God through me.

Test me/examine me/try me

This need to vindicate the glory of God in my life leads to David’s next request. David says “test me, Lord, and try me; examine my heart and mind.” We must have purified lives and purified faith for us to expect to be vindicated for God’s righteousness and glory.

Notice the examination begins in the heart and the mind. Jesus said in Luke 6:45, “ The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks .” The examination of the heart and the mind is always necessary for these are source of our actions. A filthy heart and mind will lead to filthy actions. A clean heart and mind will lead to righteous actions.

But notice more closely who David says is examining his heart and mind. David calls for God to examine his heart and mind. Clearly, David had already made a self-examination and now turns to God to check his heart and mind also. Can you say to God right now: examine my heart and mind? Will God find our integrity in our hearts and minds or will He find evil and corruption?

The first way we can know that we are standing on level ground and will not slip is stated in Psalms 26:3. “For Your faithful love is before my eyes, and I live by Your truth.” God is called upon to be David’s examiner because he allows the love of the Lord to lead his steps. We need to the Lord to test our hearts and cannot fear the trials that refine our faith. Further, we must be able to also say that God’s faithful love is always before my eyes and I live by His truth. Walking with God will stabilize our lives because of the faith we have in God to carry us through any circumstance.

Description of Godly Character (Psalms 26:4-7)

Do not sit with the worthless

David now describes four characteristics of those who stand on level ground and will not slip. David begins with those who do not sit with the worthless. He does not associate with those who practice falsehood. The type of falsehood David is identifying is clear from the rest of Psalms 26:4, “or associate with hypocrites.” The falsehood and worthlessness that David is identifying are the hypocrites. Clearly David is speaking about spiritual hypocrisy.

How sad it is that so many who can claim to be followers of God pursue activities of ungodliness. The hypocrisy can be as great as tolerating the evident sins of the flesh. But the hypocrisy also reaches down to the level that we can find ourselves engaging in, like backbiting, whisperings, gossiping, and slander. Those who we would expect better of can fall prey to this divisive and condemned sin. David says he does not sit with the worthless or the hypocrites. He does not spend time with them and they are not in his close realm of friends.

We must also have the same attitude toward such. When we see other Christians not acting according to the scriptures, we cannot listen to their empty words nor follow the example of their lives. We often attracted to those who engage in these sins, but we must steer clear so that we are not also sucked into their sins.

Hate evildoers

Not only can we not spend time with hypocrites, but we need to hate what they are doing. Again, David says he does not sit with the wicked and despises the crowd of evildoers.

What is our attitude toward hypocrisy? What is our attitude toward those who speak godly words at one moment then turn and speak slanderous, divisive words the next moment? What is our attitude toward those who act godly in one moment, but turn and act ungodly when they believe no one will know? We cannot accept these kinds of people for they are dangerous not only to themselves, for they are involved in sin, but also to others because others can be carried away by their words. This is why Paul said “I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them” (Romans 16:17). We must keep away from those who act ungodly. We must hate evildoers and workers of lawlessness.

Have innocent hands

David turns to his own deeds and says that he is washed his hands in innocence. David will do anything in his power to keep away from those who are not innocent and who are evildoers. We cannot be timid when we know people are doing evil. We are fearful to say something to someone, that their words are gossip and that their actions constitute sin. We do not want to say that their actions are not like Christ’s example.

But when we turn a blind eye to sin, our hands become just as guilty. We are no longer innocent in the sight of God for we have been charged to confront those who have committed error. Now, teaching my neighbor and rebuking my brother does not mean I have to be ugly toward them. But we must expose the unfruitful works of darkness through our words and through our lives. Having innocent hands is important for it is the only way that we can approach God.

Worship God

With his innocent hands, David says that he will worship the Lord. David is able to approach the Lord and raises his voice in thanksgiving. One of the greatest aspects of our worship is to praise the Lord and be thankful to the Lord for the great blessings He has given us. We have true blessings that God has given us that we must not take for granted. Even if all our physical blessings were stripped away from us, we ought to be able to say “blessed be the name of the Lord” because we would still have the unsearchable riches of His grace. We would still have a relationship with God, the love of God, the guidance of God, and the protection of God.

I believe David is recognizing this, that while he is seeing a need for vindication, he is able to go around the altar of the Lord with thanksgiving. Let us come to worship the Lord with the thanksgiving the Lord deserves.

David also says he will tell about the wonderful works of the Lord. What has God done for you? When is the last time you recounted the wonderful deeds of the Lord to yourself and to others? To stand on level ground with the Lord we must hate all forms of evil, even the subtle, small things that we tend to overlook and remember and be thankful for the great blessings of God in our lives.

Righteous Call to God (Psalms 26:8-12)

Love to be near God

As we look to the third section of this psalm, I would like to ask another question: do you like to be near God? Do you enjoy spiritual pursuits? Do you enjoy prayer? Do you enjoy reading God’s word? Do you enjoy the company of other disciples? I love what David says in Psalms 26:8, “Lord, I love the house where You dwell, the place where your glory resides.” David is not describing a love for the physical parts that comprised the tabernacle where God dwelled. David is saying he loves to be around God.

David loves to be in the presence of the Lord. This is the third characteristic needed to be set on level ground where we will not slip is that we love to be with God. This is fascinating language because we know that David is speaking on a spiritual level. David was not a priest that he would have ever entered into the tabernacle of God. Yet he speaks as if he has been in God’s house and seen the glory of God in the Holy of Holies. David is describing the intimate relationship that he enjoys with God.

How near are you to God? Do we realize that we can be as close to God as we want to be? If we feel distant from God, draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8).

Do not let my fate be the same as the evildoers

David presents his fourth reason that he stands on level ground and will not slip. This argument is very simply and very straightforward: David does not act like the rest of the world. He does not live like them and does not act like them, therefore his fate should not be with theirs.

For the first time, we see that David feels that he is in a physically dangerous situation. He knows the fate of the wicked and the sinners and does not want his life to go with the life of the wicked. Thus, David declares “But I live with integrity.” Again, David’s life is different than the world’s way of living. David says that he has lived righteously. This is cause for David to ask God to be redeemed and for God to be gracious to him. The psalm concludes, “My foot stands on level ground; I will praise the Lord in the assemblies.“

Conclusion:

We can have a steadiness in the Lord when are doing what David describes in this psalm. First, we must allow the Lord to test our minds and hearts. Let God changes us and mold us into who we need to be and not be resistant to His work. Second, we must hate evil and live with innocent hands. We cannot overlook people’s sins nor can we participate with the worthless hypocrites. Third, we need to draw near to God.

We can have confidence with God. Our confidence is built upon God’s faithfulness and love. Our confidence is also built upon our own purity and holiness. God remains true to His promises. Let us strive to be like Him and walk the level ground with God to the promised land of heaven.

PSALM 26

EXPOSITION

This is a bright and beautiful psalm, with a ring of sincerity in it, and lighted up with a glowing hope of public blessing. The experiences of both David and Hezekiah lie behind it. Thirtle well says of it:—“Words in every sense suited to the times of either king. Psalms 26:8 recalls Hezekiah’s love for the Temple, and Psalms 26:9 expresses his revulsion at the thought of dying the death of a sinner, which was his interpretation of the mortal sickness with which God had smitten him” (Thirtle, O.T.P., 315–6.) The references appended to the text will transport the reader into a realm of reality, and the Analysis prefixed to it will probably make detailed exposition appear unnecessary.

Wait For The Lord

Psalm 27:1-14

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

We come in our studies to Psalm 27, another psalm of David. Once again we desire to know more about the circumstances of this psalm, its occasion for being penned, and other such information concerning David’s life. However, we are left with nothing more than the simple statement in the superscription that this is a psalm of David.

I believe we will see three distinct themes as we consider psalm 27. The first theme is found in Psa 27:1-6 which describes the confidence David has. The second theme is found in Psa 27:7-12 where David utters his prayer to God. The third theme is found in Psa 27:13-14 where David offers two reminders for all this singers and listeners.

David’s Confidence (Psalms 27:1-6)

My light

There are three descriptions given by David concerning the way God impacts his life. The first statement David makes is “The Lord is my light.” Light has a very rich meaning throughout the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. Light was the first aspect of creation which God spoke into existence. God is called light, Jesus called Himself light and we are called to walk in the light just as He is in the light. But light also represents walking with God and being in favor with God. Notice a couple Old Testament passages that show this meaning.

“I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath. He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light; indeed, he has turned his hand against me again and again, all day long” (Lamentations 3:1-3). Jeremiah described the destruction upon the people and loss of fellowship with God as walking in darkness.

“Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. Because I have sinned against Him, I will bear the Lord’s wrath, until he pleads my case and establishes my right. He will bring me out into the light; I will see His righteousness” (Micah 7:8-9). Micah declares the nation of Israel had sinned and the consequences they bore are described as “sitting in darkness” and “bearing the Lord’s wrath.” However, when God showed mercy and extended His hand again, they would be brought “out into the light.

Therefore, I believe David is describing the relationship that he is currently experiencing with the Lord. David is in fellowship with God. He is walking with God and therefore has great confidence that he has nothing to fear.

My salvation

Since God is David’s light, David has confidence that God is his salvation and deliverance. God has the power and ability to deliver us from the power of our enemies, the power of our sins, and the power of Satan. God can help us through any situation that we may encounter. It seems by the tone of this psalm that he is dealing with enemies who fight against him (Psalms 27:2-3). But this is the power of God seen throughout the scriptures.

God told Abraham not to fear when told that he would become a great nation though at the time without a son (Genesis 15:1). God told Jacob not to fear moving his family into Egypt for God would take care of him and make the nation great (Genesis 46:3). God told Joshua repeatedly to take courage and to not be afraid because the Lord was with him (Joshua 1:9; Joshua 8:1; Joshua 10:25; Joshua 11:6). God told Jeremiah not to be afraid of the task at hand to speak to the nation (Jeremiah 1:8) and said the same to Ezekiel for his task (Ezekiel 2:6).

God encouraged the people of Israel before conquering the land of Canaan, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). We may think that these promises are only contained in the Old Testament. However, these words were quoted by the writer of Hebrews applying them to us as well. The writer of Hebrews quotes Deuteronomy 31:6, “I will never leave you, I will never forsake you. So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?‘” (Hebrews 13:5-6). Jesus said the same thing in Matthew 10:28-31. We have nothing to fear except being outside of the light of God. If God is not our light, then we have much to fear. But if God is our light, then we have nothing to fear for the Lord is with us and is our deliverance.

The stronghold of my life

With this knowledge God should be a stronghold in our lives. God now becomes an anchor in the turmoil and waves of life that we encounter. Can you envision a life free from worry and anxiety? Can you imagine a life that is free from fear? We ought to be living it and not dreaming about it if we are true followers of Christ. We do not fear and for myself personally, that brings me great inner peace. Inner peace and quietness does not come from soul searching, as new age and zen teachers want us to think. Calm and peace comes from the Lord as our light.

We have so much to look forward to after this physical life is completed. Death has no hold over us and death is perhaps the thing that every person fears. But the Christian has no fear of this event, realizing it is simply a transition into eternal life and paradise. We also have the confidence of Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” God is our place of strength.

David’s desire: dwell in the house of the Lord

Psalms 27:4-6 continues to fascinate me because of David’s desire to dwell in the house of the Lord. As we mentioned in the last psalm, the temple was not completed until the days of Solomon, after David’s death. We know that David is not speaking of literally dwelling in the tabernacle since only the priests could enter it. David is describing the intimate relationship he has with the Lord that he would be able live where God lives and see God in His full beauty.

It is sad if we do not find that same desire and zeal to be near the Lord in our lives. We must want to be with God just as David describes of himself. We want to see the Lord in all His beauty. We want to have such a relationship with God that it can be said that we walked with God and were friends with God such that we see Him face to face, as God did with Enoch, Abraham, and Moses. David is longing for the Lord Himself and nothing else. Let us work to make God our focus and nothing else all the days of our lives.

David’s Prayer (Psalms 27:7-12)

Needs acceptance

In Psalms 27:7 the theme of the psalm changes as David begins his prayer to God. I believe we can notice for elements in this prayer that show four needs of David which are needs we also have.

First, David needs acceptance. All of us want to be accepted. We experience a lot of rejection in this world. We can be rejected by our parents and by our children. We can be rejected by our spouse, our friends, our employers, our co-workers, and even people we simply meet as we perform our chores in the world. Verse 10 expresses words of beauty: “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord cares for me.” We may be cast away by the whole world, but God will not abandon us for He always cares for us. David realizes God’s great love for him. Therefore, David cries out in Psalms 27:9 that God has been his help and he will not be abandoned.

God’s help is what matters most. God’s help is the most effective and most needed in our lives. The world will offer us much rejection. We must seek the Lord for true acceptance. If we do not have the acceptance of the Lord, we will continue to have a great void and continual desire to be accepted. However, this need will not be met till we first find our acceptance with God.

Needs to be heard

The second need David expresses in his prayer to God is the need to be heard. David cries out in Psalms 27:7, “Lord, hear my voice when I call; be gracious to me and answer me.” God is never too busy to listen to us and hear our voice. Yet, the one who wants to listen to us and never to busy for us is usually the last person we want to talk to. God is the one who we can place our burdens on and lay our load upon. I think one of our problems is that we do not believe God is listening to us. Perhaps we do not see Him as the true and perfect Father who wants to hear us.

No one is a better listener than God. No one can help us with our cries better than God. No one can grant us the peace to the inner turmoil we have except God. We must remember the promise Jesus made to us: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).

Needs guidance

David also requests and expresses his need for guidance. “Because of my adversaries, show me Your way, Lord, and lead me on a level path.” I think James Boice said this well concerning this verse, “Which of us knows the way to walk so we will be kept out of sin and make progress in the way of righteousness? No one! We no more know how to live our lives for God than children know how to avoid danger and care for themselves and others. They need to be taught, as do we. In God we have one who can be turned to for guidance.“

I believe this is an appropriate understanding of this text. Our own knowledge gets us into trouble. Without God’s help, we would be completely lost. It is our unwillingness to turn to God for help that we repeatedly fall back into the same mistakes and weaknesses of sin that ensnare us. We try so hard to do things ourselves. But when it comes to God, we must surrender our will and let God lead us down the proper path.

Needs protection

In the midst of all that is going on, David also prays for protection. As this psalm is penned, we can see the enemies in the back of David’s mind as he alludes to them from time to time (Psalms 27:2-3; Psalms 27:11-12).

As we look back over these needs, we need to see that God is the provider of these needs. We look to fill these voids in so many different arenas, yet God is willing to take care of all these things when we will let the Lord be our light.

David’s Reminders (Psalms 27:13-14)

Wait for the Lord

Psalms 27:13 exudes a great confidence that David has in the Lord. “ I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.” Here is the great confidence we have in the Lord. David knows his prayer will be answered. David also knows that he does not hold on to a false hope. David walks with God and knows God will be with him.

Therefore, David gives two reminders. First, wait for the Lord. God has His timing which is not our timing. Therefore, what we pray for and what we need can be delayed in coming. We cannot let this cause despair in our lives. We need to learn patience and wait for the Lord.

So important is this reminder that David not only states it at the beginning of Psalms 27:14 but also at the end, as his final words. How well are we doing waiting for the Lord? The writer of Proverbs used this in regards to justice: “Do not say, ‘I’ll pay you back for this wrong!’ Wait for the Lord, and He will deliver you” (Proverbs 20:22). We have learned bad habits by always wanting answers now and solutions immediately. We do not want to wait and see how things turn out. We think we know what is best and demand things be done according to our knowledge and according to our desires.

But this is really a lack of faith in the Lord. We are not showing that we trust that God has our best interests in His purpose. How long do we wait for the Lord? It seems at times the most we will wait is about a day. If we have offered a prayer and a day has gone by, too often we figure that God has let us down and is not going to help. Where is our patience? Where is our trust in the Lord? Let us wait for Him.

Be courageous

Just as God instructed Abraham, the people of Israel, Joshua, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel to courageous, so we also need to be courageous in the Lord. We need to show some resilience and persistence with the Lord. We cannot cave in when the first obstacle comes along. There were many obstacles in the way of the people of God. However, the Lord repeatedly told them that He was with them and they would overcome by their faith in God.

Do we have a strong heart that is ready to meet any challenge? Have we strengthened our minds so that we are ready to do whatever is required of us for the Lord? We want things to be easy and we complain and cry when things are not simple. It is time to be strong and get tough in the Lord. I believe we can learn this from many of our own members in this congregation. There are many who have endured many trials of life that I do not suppose I can envision going through. Yet we see that many of them have come through to other side, stronger in the faith. It takes courage to remain with God in the face of adversity. Will we stand with the Lord and wait for Him? Or will we give up and give in?

Conclusion:

Is God the light in your life? Is He your deliverance, your salvation, and your stronghold in this world? If we are not walking with God and working to draw nearer to God, then we do not have the confidence we have spoken about in this lesson. When we turn away to appease our sinful desires, then we lose these great blessings of God.

Let us strive diligently to be closer to God in every way. Let us talk to Him more and read His words more. Let us meditate on His words more and study His words more. When we are walking with God, then we have a friend who will listen to us, never forsake us, will guide and protect us. Let us wait for the Lord and He will provide all we need.

PSALM 27

EXPOSITION

There is great beauty in this psalm, and there are some irregularities: traces of careful preservation, and tokens of accidents and changes which may elude our most careful research. The psalm is manifestly composite, though not the less instructive for that reason. If we could know its exact literary history, we should probably see how some supreme event welded its composite parts into one; and its transcriptional history would probably account for its various readings. Part I. is exceedingly beautiful from the poetic point of view; and its spiritual elevation is most inspiring to the devout mind. Danger is near, but the spirit of the psalmist is calm; his thoughts flow with ease, and his numbers hold their way with clearness and regularity. This part is, indeed, a fine specimen of Hebrew poetry; nor is it less valuable as showing the calm height to which communion with Jehovah can lift a soul in the midst of peril. It needs but little detailed exposition: yet a perception of the situations implied, tend to make it all the more luminous. Part II. is altogether different, except as to the strength of faith and devotion expressed. It shows a marked change of measure; and has probably not been preserved so well as the more finished production that precedes it. An enquiry into authorship, and a glimpse of probable originating situations may best help readers to appreciate this psalm at its true value. Joint authorship is strongly indicated.

There is no reason for doubting the truth of the inscription To David; though, what portions he contributed, it is impossible now to say. Dr. Briggs sees, even in the first part, glimpses of the days of Hezekiah. “The calm confidence,” says he, “in connection with extreme perils from enemies, apparently besieging the city, reminds us of the situation of Jerusalem in the time of Hezekiah and Isaiah, vide 2 Kings 18, 19.” On the other hand, Dr. Thirtle says: “The second part (Psalms 27:7-14) seems to have been added by Hezekiah when consumed with a desire to go up to the house of the Lord (Isaiah 38:22).” And, further on: “We are not to find in Psalms 27:10 a biographical note, or an allusion to personal bereavement, but rather an expression of implicit confidence in God—as if to say, ‘Though my sickness is such that even father and mother may forsake me, yet for all that the Lord will receive me,’ or recover me, as the verb csaph implies in a context relating to the treatment of leprosy (cp. 2 Kings 5:3; 2 Kings 5:6; 2 Kings 5:11). In other words, ‘Though nearest and dearest prove false, the Lord will be faithful to me’”—Thirtle, O.T.P., 316. Charming and helpful as this is, it may not be out of place to suggest, that even the second part of this psalm may have had a Davidic foundation; and, in particular, that if only we had David’s history before us, that alone might have made it perfectly gratuitous to resort, with Dr. Briggs, to Maccabean times to find a situation in which Psalms 27:10 could have been written. David’s “father and mother” did not indeed “forsake” him; but they naturally “failed” to afford him the counsel and help which me might have fondly hoped to derive from their presence in the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1-4). On the other hand, adaptations to Hezekiah’s circumstances quite cluster about the close of the psalm. Psalms 27:12 may be held to point plainly to the Assyrian invader; Psalms 27:13 to refer to Hezekiah’s trust (2 Kings 18:5), to reproduce Hezekiah’s very style (Isaiah 38:11), and to enshrine an allusion to his name. (See note on “Be strong,” above; and Thirtle, O.T.P., 123, 124.)

While Waiting On The Lord

Psalms 28:1-9

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

In our last study of the psalms, we noticed Psalms 27 which gave us the admonition to wait for the Lord. David was calling for us to have patience as we wait for God to answer prayer, since God’s time frame is not our time frame and His ways are not our ways.

Psalms 28 seems to be a sequel to Psalms 27. It seems to me that Psalms 28 describes what David is doing as he waits for answered prayer, the prayer offered in Psalms 27. After discussing our need to wait for the Lord, what else should we be doing in the meantime? I believe David discusses the answer to this question in Psalms 28.

Appeal To Be Heard (Psalms 28:1-2)

Longsuffering in prayer

As we read the first two verses of this psalm(Psalms 27:1-2), we immediately get the feeling that quite a bit of time has transpired since David offered his prayer. David begins by calling on God to no longer remain silent.

This is an important starting point for this psalm and for us to consider when going to God in prayer. Too often our expectations in prayer is that we will receive immediate results. But we see in this psalm that David, a man after God’s own heart, was required to wait for extended periods of time after his prayer was offered. We must expect this possibility and goes back to the point we made in Psalms 27 that we need to wait for the Lord.

Good as dead with God

Notice the end of Psalms 28:1, “If You remain silent to me, I will be like those going down to the pit.” David makes a very thoughtful point. We are good as dead when we are not speaking to God and He is not speaking to us. David says that if God remains silent, it is just like him going down to the grave.

Have you ever thought about life in those terms? David says without the ability to have an open dialogue with God, we are like dead people. This was the idea that Jesus used in His argument against Satan when being tempted in the wilderness. After Satan tempted Jesus to prove He is the Son of God by turning stones into bread, Jesus replied, “It is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). We all acknowledge that spiritual life is more important than physical life. If we truly believe this, then we should be serious about developing a relationship with God. If we really believed that we were perishing apart from hearing the word of God, like David did, would we not study our Bibles more? Would we not pray to God more? Would we not always be crying out to God? I hope we can see the necessity and importance of prayer in our lives. Let us not neglect our conversations with God lest we become dead to Him.

I believe David is also using this as an argument as to why God should answer his prayer. If God does not answer David’s prayer, then David is no different from the godless. This is a reason for David’s hope in prayer. David knows he is godly and will not unheard like the godless.

Persistence in prayer

What David shows us is the need for persistence in prayer. Psalms 28:2 describes this persistence as he continues to plead and cry out to God. This is another aspect that can be lacking in our prayer life. It is hard to convince ourselves to continue to plead to God for the thing we desire.

In Luke 18 Jesus told a parable to His disciples to show them that they should always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1). It is interesting that Jesus would teach this principle since I think we would believe we should not be persistent. We look at God as the Almighty and all-knowing God. Therefore, we should just have to ask once that is enough. But Jesus encouraged repetition in our requests. Sometimes I believe we think we have completed our requirements because we have offered one prayer and have decided that such is enough. Jesus said to be persistent and not lose heart concerning what we are praying for. So we see David doing just that very thing in this psalm.

David’s Petition (Psalms 28:3-5)

Do not number me with the evildoers

David’s first request is that he not be numbered with the evildoers and the wicked. This request is concerning the nature of answered prayer. David is saying that his prayers should not be treated like the wicked and the evildoers. This implies that the wicked to not have their prayers answered. David, as a righteous man of God, should have his prayers answered because of his character. David is not like the evildoers.

Notice who David describes are those who are wicked and evildoers. “Who speak in friendly ways with their neighbors, while malice is in their hearts” is their description. David is describing the hypocrite. The wicked and evil one is the person who is friendly to your face but has malice in his heart. That description is not likely what we had in mind when we think about wicked evildoers. But this is what David focuses on. The prayers of those who speak in friendly ways yet have malice in their hearts are not answered by God. Let us be aware that our hypocrisy prevents us from having a relationship with God and keeps our prayers from being answered.

Repay them accordingly

David’s second request is the ungodly be repaid according to the deeds they have worked. The final words of Psalms 28:4 are very strong, “Give them back what they deserve.” David is calling on God to bring justice on such wicked people.

It can be very frustrating as a follower of God to see people who can live so hypocritically. They come to services and people esteem them, yet we know that their hearts are full of darkness and evil. We want people to see them for who they really are. But David says that we need to leave those things in God’s hands and allow Him to be the giver of justice and vengeance.

In Psalms 28:5, David describes in more detail why such people need to be repaid according to their deeds. David says they do not consider what the Lord has done nor the work of His hands. Such people who speak friendly to us but actually have malice in their hearts do not think what they are doing. They have lost sight that God is in control and is watching how they are acting. They are unable to see what the Lord is accomplishing and have forgotten that judgment will come against people who act this way.

It is disturbing to me the number of people who claim to be Christians that will speak to you as if you were their friend. Yet you come to find out that they tell other people that they are unhappy with you, do not like you, complain about you, or even backbite and slander you. How can anyone believe they are right with God and going to heaven by acting in such a fashion? Jesus called them hypocrites and we must be warned that we do not fall into the trap of thinking that we will get away with treating people this way. We may fool each other but we will not fool God.

Therefore, David says, “He will tear them down and not rebuild them.” God will punish the hypocrites. They will not stand in the day of the wrath of God. We cannot get upset when we do not see justice served to such people. Let us remember that God will take care of them. To get back to the theme of the psalm, let us again consider that when we forget the mighty works of God, we also will slip into hypocrisy and will have our prayers hindered.

In this prayer, David is declaring that evil should not prosper and righteousness must be vindicated. David is showing a confidence that God will do just that. God will not allow evil to continue to prosper forever. God will not allow the righteous to continue to suffer injustice. Therefore, we place our hope in God.

Answered Prayer (Psalms 28:6-9)

Praise God for answered prayer

Psalms 28:6 is a turning point in the psalm where we come to find out that David’s prayer has been answered. The pleading of David has been heard by God. We saw in Psalms 27 and at the beginning of this psalm that David had been waiting quite a while for his prayer to be answered. Now, his prayers have been answered.

What is your first reaction to answered prayer? David shows us what our first reaction ought to be: thanksgiving and praise. We must immediately be grateful and thankful to God for responding to our cries and pleadings.

Unfortunately we do not always remember to give thanks. Sometimes we lead ourselves to believe that we got out of our jam ourselves or that we provided ourselves with the solution. We see such a shocking instance of this in Luke 17:17-18. When ten lepers were cleansed, only one who was a Samaritan, came back and gave thanks. It is hard for us to believe this parable yet how many times are we the other nine lepers? Too often we go on our way rejoicing, forgetting to see what God has done for us and giving Him the praise He deserves. Let us be more persistent in prayer and let us be more careful to give thanks for answered prayer.

David’s trust in God was validated

David, by waiting for the Lord, shows that his belief and trust in God will be validated. Psalms 28:7 describes that great trust. When we trust in the Lord, we are helped just as we see with David. This knowledge caused David to rejoice and praise God all the more.

You and I have every reason to trust in God. I am greatly disappointed when I see the world and even Christians blame God for letting them down. How has God ever let us down? The only reason I can see that we get to such a state is because we have misunderstood what is happening. Job shows himself to be in such a state, yet he did not realize that Satan was the one who was behind the evil that had struck him. Job failed to realize that he was in a learning trial and a pawn in the battle between the spiritual forces of good and evil. When we allow ourselves to open our eyes past the physical and see the spiritual battle we are engaged in, we can then more clearly see that God is on our side and has never let us down. More often, we have let ourselves down.

We are the ones who violate God’s covenant. We are the reason for unanswered prayer. It is our sins that impede our progress of growing in the Lord and drawing near to Him. We like to place responsibility on everyone else but ourselves. Let us see that we may be the cause of the problem, as David identified in Psalms 28:3-5.

Our trust in God will be put to the test. We will find out if we trust God as much as we think we do. We will see if we are merely “fair weather friends” to God or if we will completely trust our lives to Him even when the times are tough and going gets very rough. Will we be shaken or will we be strong?

The Lord is the strength of His people

True trust in God will mean that when it seems that our prayers are going unanswered that we rely on God all the more. When we do not feel like God is hearing us, we will continue to pray to God and not give up.

Is the Lord the stronghold of your salvation? Or are we living for God simply because things are easy and convenient for us? This was the charge that Satan laid against Job to God. Satan declared that Job would not be blameless and would not serve God if he lost all he had. If we serve God only because it is easy and convenient for us, then a time will come when it is not so easy and we will slip. There will be times when our prayers feel like empty words ringing in our ears and that no other is listening.

What we do is a great test of our faith? Will we wait for God or will we give up on God? The Lord is the strength of His people. If we are truly His people, we will look to God for strength and depend on Him. If we do not, then we show that we are not truly His people.

Pray for others

David ends the psalm with a final prayer on behalf of the people. David prays that God will save His people, bless His possession, shepherd them and carry them forever. We are God’s prized possession. Peter said in 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” We are that possession. God does not ignore His prized possessions. He hears what we have to say and can know that when we ask according to His will, He will answer us.

As His possession, He will be our shepherd through this life if we will be His sheep. He will carry us through all that we may go through in this world when we put that great trust and faith in Him.

May God save us, bless us, shepherd us, and carry us through forever. We can see that God has answered our prayers in the past. We can see that God has delivered us from tough times before. We can see God blessing our lives. Let us not be so shortsighted to forget the power of God to carry us through and help us in our times of need.

PSALM 28

EXPOSITION

In this psalm prayer is prolonged; but praise, when it comes, is pronounced. The prayer is prompted by some unnamed peril, the continuance of which, it is feared, will cause death. We are struck with the terms in which the prayer is couched. God is so addressed by the term Rock as to make of this word a proper name, inasmuch as the figure of a rock as such disappears, since an entreaty to a rock to turn or not to turn is incongruous: thus showing that the application of the term to Jehovah has become so familiar that the appropriate imagery is forgotten. The Becoming One ( = “Jehovah”) is the Abiding One, the Changeless One (the “Rock”): the conception of immutability being retained, all else is let go. The Changeless in nature, is thought of as changing in attitude: turning towards in favour, ready to answer prayer; or turning away in silence, leaving the suppliant’s mind in painful suspense. The feeling for the personality of Jehovah is intense; and the sense of nearness to him is so vivid as to induce great boldness in supplication. The impression of this made by the first stanza is deep. Before leaving this stanza, we may recall the fact that the name Rock, is a favourite name for Jehovah, is found in Psalms closely bound up with David’s name; e.g. Psalms 18:2; Psalms 18:31; Psalms 18:46; Debir for shrine, as used of “the holy of holies,” is more closely associated with the Temple of Solomon (1 Kings 6:5 and onwards) than with the holy tent of David’s own day; but as names are often carried backwards it would be trifling to make of this an argument against the Davidic joint-authorship of this psalm. It is wonderful, however, to note how much Hezekiah found in David suited to his own case; and then further how brightly the image of Hezekiah himself is wont to shine out in the close of the psalms. There is, indeed, nothing in the third stanza (Psalms 28:6-8) which David could not have used; but a sense of enhanced fitness greets a reference to the unparalleled experience of the later monarch. “At Psalms 28:6 Hezekiah adds his experience (cp. Isaiah 38:10-20)”—Thirtle, O.T.P., 316.

With the reference to the “lawless” in Psalms 28:3, Psalms 9:17 and the note on “lawless” in Psalms 1:1 may be usefully compared.

The imprecations of Psalms 28:4-5 may serve to remind us of the instinctive passion with which injured human nature turns to “the vindicatory righteousness of God” (Intro., Chap. III., “Righteousness”); and that it is only in the strength of the highest manifestation of the Messianic Spirit that we can hope victoriously to exclaim, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” At the same time all persecutors would do well to beware of the Divine indignation which may necessarily alight on them in order that Jehovah may save his people, bless his inheritance—shepherd them also and carry them unto the ages.

Give Unto The Lord

Psalms 29:1-11

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

In Psalms 29 we come across our first praise psalm. Up to this point we have seen many prayer psalms and some psalms declaring the outcomes of the righteous and the wicked. This psalm is also truly poetic in the way the psalm evokes our senses and opens our imaginations to the greatness of the Lord. As we read this psalm, try to visualize all that is being described and consider your overall impressions that you get from its reading.

Glory In the Highest (Psalms 29:1-2)

Give unto the Lord

The psalmist begins with the threefold call to “give unto the Lord.”

First, give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones. Our immediate question is: who are the mighty ones? The English Standard Version and the New Revised Standard Version give their understanding of this passage when they read, “Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings.” With this idea, these translators believe that this passage is referring to the spiritual hosts of heaven. The same phrase “mighty ones” is found in Psalms 89:6 where it is clearly referring to the spiritual hosts in the heavens. This is apparently a legitimate understanding of this phrase because a different Hebrew phrase is used to describe the mighty ones of the earth. However, some argue that this is speaking about the mighty ones in power on the earth. In either case, David’s call is that all of God’s creation is to give unto the Lord.

Second, give unto the Lord glory and strength. David declares our need to give God glory because of who He is. I find it interesting that David does not state any reasons why this ought to be done. It ought to be evident to us that God, by His very essence is deserving of our glory and the giving of our strength. The giving of strength implies that we are required as His creation to work for the Lord. We are asked to give our effort and might for the cause of the Lord.

Third, give unto the Lord the glory due to His name. God is worthy and requires our glory based upon His authority. We may have a difficult time with the phrase “His name.” David is not saying that since His name is God, we must glorify Him. Rather, David is saying that it is the authority He carries as God that causes us to glorify Him. Consider the statement in Acts 2:38 that we are to baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. What “in the name of” means in Acts 2:38 is we are baptized by the authority of Jesus Christ to receive forgiveness of sins. So, here in Psalms 29, David is saying we are glorifying God because of His authority due to who He is.

Worship the Lord

David concludes this section of glory to God by declaring our need to worship the Lord in the majesty of holiness. Some have suggested that David is calling for the priests to put on their holy garments to go worship the Lord. However, I think there is something more here than just a call to the priests to go to worship the Lord in the manner they always worshipped.

David is describing the beauty and majesty of holiness. We understand that God stands in the beauty of holiness. God is pure and separate from all that is evil and unjust. In fact, of all the aspects that are praised of God in the spiritual places, it is holiness that is always magnified. In Isaiah 6:3 we see the seraphim crying out to another saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.” In Revelation 4:8 we read the four living creatures do not rest day and night saying, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” We see all the spiritual hosts worshipping God in the splendor of the holiness of God. When we worship the Lord, we must be in awe of God’s holiness. It was a lack of reverence for God’s holiness that led to the deaths of Nadab and Abihu. Our worship is only pleasing to God and will only be found acceptable to God if we are appreciate His holiness.

But, as worshippers, we are required to worship God in holiness. “Therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). We are to be without spot or blemish as we are presented in the beauty of the bride prepared for her groom. We are to work to become beautiful in the eyes of God through the grace of Jesus Christ. Without personal holiness, we cannot give to the Lord all that David is calling for us to give.

The Voice of the Lord (Psalms 29:3-9)

Power of God’s voice

We now come to the part of this psalm where we are to sit back and envision the power that is being described to us. After declaring our need to worship God in His majesty, David begins to describe for us the majesty of the Lord.

The voice of the Lord is pictured as a thunderstorm moving over the face of the waters. Is it not interesting that this does not describe other characteristics of the Lord? David is not trying to tell us about how strong or powerful He is. Rather, David is describing the word of the Lord or the voice of the Lord. Of course, as we will notice, we see the voice of the Lord described with strength and might. This concept of the voice of God as a storm is seen clearly at the end of Psalms 29:3, “The God of glory thunders.“

Elihu, in his speech to Job, noted the voice of the Lord as a thunderous, majestic sound in Job 37:1-5. God uses the power of His creation to get us to think about His own power. This is evident in Exodus 20 where we read about God speaking the ten commandments to the people. Exodus 20:18-19 says, “Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, ‘You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.‘” This incident communicates to us the power of the voice of the Lord. This is exactly what we read in Psalms 29:4, “The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.” How the sound of thunder has made us jump in surprise! It is as if the scriptures want us to think about the voice of the Lord when we see lightning and hear thunder. As powerful as these things are, they are merely the voice of the Lord and do not represent the complete power of God. If God’s voice is thunder and lightning, how much more is the strength of God’s hands!

When we come to the New Testament, we do not read about the voice of the Lord except for describing what happened in the Old Testament. As Hebrews 1:1-3 points out, God has now spoken to us by His Son Jesus Christ and we need to see the same power in the word of God that we have in our hands. It is this very power the writer of Hebrews was trying to communicate when he said, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). God’s word, the voice of God, is powerful and is able to cut through to the core.

Destructiveness of God’s voice

This is the next concept we read in Psalms 29:5. The voice of the Lord is not only powerful, but it is also destructive. The voice of the Lord breaks into pieces the cedars of Lebanon. This is no small activity. The cedars of Lebanon are known for their great size.

There is nothing on the earth nor created by God that He cannot break. Even the great cedars in their majesty can be cut into mere pieces by the sounding of God’s voice. This is exactly what we were reading in Exodus 20, for as the voice of the Lord spoke, the mountain was shaken and the whole assembly of Israel trembled at His voice.

The shaking of the mountains is seen in Psalms 29:6 as Lebanon and Sirion skip like a young wild ox. The mountains of Lebanon rise over 10,000 feet above sea level. These are majestic mountains that are being called into mind, similar to the grandeur of our Rocky Mountains. God’s voice can shatter the mountains. Oh, how we see the power of God expressed.

The destructive imagery continues in Psalms 29:7, “The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.” Hebrews 12:29 says, “For our God is a consuming fire.” Fire is always used to describe God’s judgments. We read of Sodom and Gomorrah being destroyed by raining fire. The devil and his angels will be cast in the lake of fire. Hell is described as place of eternal fire. The eyes of the Lord are usually described as flames of fire (Revelation 1). David brings to our minds the great power of in the voice of the Lord.

Further, not only does the voice of the Lord shake the mountains and the great cedars of Lebanon, but also the wilderness. Even in the vast plains of emptiness, God’s voice is felt. No one can escape the reach of God’s voice. So frightening is the voice of the Lord that we see His voice makes animals give birth and strips the forests bare.

This seems to be David’s overall picture and point. The voice of God is over the sea, shakes the mountains, and shakes the wilderness. There is no place to be free from the voice of the Lord. All of God’s creation is trembling, including the animals.

Glory in the temple

But then we come to the end of Psalms 29:9, “And in His temple everyone says, ‘Glory!‘” As you have read this psalm up to this point, what seems to be the temple of God? Remember that there was not the physical temple of God in the days of David, since his son was the one who constructed that. It seems that the temple of the Lord in this passage is the heavens and the earth.

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest?’” (Isaiah 66:1). In fact, two verses later Isaiah says that God is looking for those who “tremble at His word.” If mankind could experience all that we have read thus far, there would be no doubt in my mind that every person on earth would respond, “Glory to God!” This is the kind of display I think about when I read that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2).

The voice of the Lord creates, as seen in Genesis 1. The power of God’s voice to speak things into existence. The voice of the Lord carries great authority that there is nothing which would refuse His words. We do not see animals, plants, seas, light, sky or anything else in creation argue with God. When the voice of the Lord is heard, then the words are accomplished. Our response to the voice of the Lord must be simply one word, “Glory!” Glory to God in the highest for the power and preeminence of God.

The Lord Rules (Psalms 29:10-11)

On the throne for judgment

Perhaps Psalms 29:10 is speaking of the effects after the storm has passed by. I feel that this is referring to more, speaking about the judgment of the great flood. God rules in judgment. God was not aside nor asleep when the flood took place.

We can never forget one of the characteristics of God: justice. Judgment will surely come from the mouth of the Lord. The Lord rules on the throne and justice will be given to all people. This is the character of God that we often want to forget, wish away, and ignore. God will judge our actions. Consider the fury that we stand against when we are not obedient. There is no doubt “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). The Lord rules and brings about His judgments.

On the throne as king

Second, we cannot forget who is in charge. “The Lord sits as King forever.” There is no other king and there is no other ruler. A new king will not rise up if we just wait long enough. God is permanent king and we are His subjects. There is no argument with the king. We are not on the throne. Therefore, we are not the ones in charge. We are not the ones making the decisions. We are in a position of submission. Let us see the power of God and humbled as to submit to His will.

On the throne giving strength

However, God is not a tyrant king. God does not rule in such a way as to become oppressive. God never acts without our best interests in mind. After all that we have read about the mighty power of God’s voice, we now read that the Lord will give strength to His people.

Without God, we are lost in our sins and have so much to fear. Just as Isaiah saw the throne of God and cowered in fear because of his iniquities, so we also stand in such a position. But remember what happened after Isaiah’s declaration? A seraphim took a burning coal and touched Isaiah’s lips with it, symbolizing God’s action to make him pure so he could serve. See, God gives us the strength to serve Him even though we read that God has the power to judge and destroy us. Remember God’s words to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). We need the weaknesses in our lives so we can see we need the help of God. An easy, perfect life would not cause us to depend upon God. However, in sickness, in weakness, in trial, and in persecution we learn to let God strengthen us.

On the throne granting peace

Finally, we see the Lord on the throne blessing His people and granting peace. In the midst of the storms, God brings us peace. Though life may be in turmoil, God is able to put a rainbow up to remind us of His love and His covenant toward us. A song in our books makes that reminder that there is a rainbow in the clouds. When the way seems dark, God can bring a brighter day.

Without God, we cannot obtain the inner peace that we look for. We have a void in our lives that is seeking after God. We cannot truly be calm in our soul until we look to God as our helper. God is on the throne. Let us bow before His feet in subjection and awe for His great might and power.

PSALM 29

EXPOSITION

This is in every way a magnificent psalm,—exquisite in form, splendid in imagery, lofty in sentiment, and probably prophetic in adumbration. We can scarcely fail to perceive how fitting an instrument for producing it was the sweet singer of Israel who penned the 8th psalm, the 18th and the first part of the 19th, in all of which the same gift for reflecting the beauties of Creation can be detected. Perhaps the most precious element in this psalm is the firmness with which it grasps the manifestation, in nature, of Jehovah the God of grace. The thunder of the tempest is his voice.

Scarcely less precious a feature is the light swiftness of the movements by which, in the opening stanzas, heaven and earth are united; and, at the close, the past is run on into the future. He that sat enthroned at the flood sits enthroned still. He who executed judgment then, is guiding all toward blessing on and through his people in the ages to come. Meanwhile, though the storms are still raging here below, heavenly worshippers, as through an open door, are permitted to let us know, that everything is being well guided to that great far-off event to which the whole creation moves. The God of nature is the God of grace. Jehovah is no tribal God, but the Maker of heaven and earth.

You Clother Me With Joy

Psalms 30:1-12

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

This psalm offers us a superscription, which I am always happy to have so we can have more information concerning the nature of the psalm. However, this superscription does not give us much information and has led to much speculation. The title reads “a dedication song for the house.” Whose house was this song dedicated to? Some believe it was a song dedicated to the completion of the house of David, that is the palace. Others think this was a psalm penned for the dedication of the temple that his son Solomon would build and complete after David died.

It does not matter what building this psalm was penned for its dedication. The psalm is written as a psalm of thanksgiving. Specifically, we will see David describe his thanksgiving for deliverance from various circumstances. This psalm thanks God for repeatedly bringing David through his difficulties. As we approach this psalm, we will notice a number of contrasts that David expresses to show where he was and where God has placed him now.

From The Pit to Lifted Up (Psalms 30:1-3)

Depths of despair

As we have seen in many of the psalms thus far, David describes a terrible situation that he found himself in. By reading these first three verses, we are left with the impression that David was afflicted with a terrible sickness. So ill was David that he believed he was going to die. Psalms 30:3 describes the feeling of being at the breaking point of death. David felt that he was right on the edge and was about to go down into the pit of death.

Further, this illness had caused his enemies to rejoice. They were gloating and rejoicing over what David was experiencing. It is hard to be kicked while we are down. We would like for others to be compassionate and concerned about us. However, we see that this illness has been used as an opportunity to David’s enemies to rejoice over what has happened.

Lifted from the pit

But David called to the Lord his God for help and God healed him. God lifted David up from depths of his illness and despair. David says that the Lord brought him up from the grave and was spared from going down into the pit. This tells us the severity of what David was experiencing. David seems to think that all was lost concerning his life and that there was no other hope but what the Lord could do for help.

Because God had spared David, he will exalt and praise the Lord for what has been done for him. This situation, if we are understanding David’s words correctly, remind us of the terrible disease that afflicted Hezekiah, king of Judah. After praying to God, Isaiah comes to Hezekiah and tells him that God has chosen to extend his life (2 Kings 20).

We are presented with the first aspect of what we can expect from God. We learn that we can go to God concerning our physical health and ask God to help us to overcome whatever our affliction may be. While our spiritual health and spiritual things are of greater importance than anything physical, we clearly learn that God will listen to our prayers concerning our physical health and well-being.

We do not need to pray for the doctors to find out what is wrong. We do not need to pray for another person to have the wisdom and knowledge to treat us. We can pray directly to God to help us in our illness and let God work out the rest. If God wants to use doctors, that is great. If God wants to do the work Himself, that is also great. I will not limit the options available to God to heal us. While I thank God for modern medicine, I thank God more when illnesses are healed that modern medicine cannot help. We have seen this happen with our friends and even within this congregation. People have been healed and doctors have no explanation how the healing took place. God has the power over our physical bodies and can heal our afflictions.

From God’s Anger to God’s Favor (Psalms 30:4-5)

Anger for a moment

I cannot say it any better than David said it himself in Psalms 3):4-5. Praise God that His anger only lasts for a moment. How many times do we sin in our lives and make bad decisions that anger the Lord! God has the right to hold our transgressions over our heads, keep us accountable for every violation, and burn His wrath toward us for our treachery.

How beautiful to know that God’s anger lasts only for a moment. God has the power and ability to forget our sins when we meet His conditions for grace. God’s anger does not taint the way He deals with us for the rest of our lives. This is a quality that is very difficult for us to attain, but an important characteristic to work on in our lives. We have the tendency to keep our anger burning for days, weeks, and months. Sometimes we like to be angry at others and use it as a device to above another. God does not treat us this way and we must not treat others this way. We must have our anger be but for a moment and then move on.

Favor for a lifetime

Even more beautiful than God’s anger only lasting for a moment is the knowledge that God’s favor lasts a lifetime. For all that we have done and continue to do against God, we can still find His favor. There is no one on earth that we will ever find that has this same character. We can only deal with so much from other people. We are hurt by others and can only accept so much pain before we must withdraw. God, despite the pain we cause Him, can still shows us the favor we need.

How true is this point seen in David! David had a warrior in God’s army killed so that he could marry Bathsheba to cover up his sin of adultery. What does God record about David’s character? David was a man after God’s own heart. Anger for a moment, favor for a lifetime.

Further, David expresses the new day that we have with the Lord. While weeping may remain for this night because of what we have done, tomorrow brings new day where we can rejoice in the Lord. We cannot let the pain of our guilt burden us down where we cannot continue living for the Lord. David says a new day brings us new opportunities to find favor with the Lord and rejoice in Him.

From Terror to Security (Psalms 30:6-7)

Terror when without the Lord

David recognized a terror in his life when God hid His face from him. When we are not doing what is right and when sin has driven God away from us, we ought to see that our lives become destroyed. Sometimes we just cannot understand why things are so difficult in our lives and why things can be such a mess. One reason that we must always consider is that we have participated in sinful living.

We cannot think that we are in God’s favor and receiving God’s blessings when we are sinning against Him. We need to have a close enough relationship with God and be in tune to His word so closely that we can tell when we are out of God’s favor. We must realize that our actions make God hid His face.

Notice what God said to the people of Israel, “They will forsake Me and break the covenant I made with them. On that day I will become angry with them and forsake them; I will hide My face from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters and difficulties will come upon them, and on that day they will ask, ‘Have not these disasters comes upon us because our God is not with us?’ And I will certainly hide My face on that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods” (Deuteronomy 31:16-18).

We determine our relationship with God. If we want to be near God and have the favor of God, then we must not continue breaking God’s laws and keep violating the covenant. When we choose to continue in sin, the covenant with God is broken and God hides His face from us. We know the way we must walk and we must choose to continue to walk with God. To consider walking without God ought to be a terror to us because we do not have God’s protection, help, strength, or blessings.

Security with God

By contrast, when we are with the Lord, we can feel secure. When we are in God’s favor, we can stand like a strong mountain. Of course we realize the impact of this imagery, since mountains do not move. God uses this language repeatedly to remind us of what God will do for our lives. Psalms 1 says that God will plant us like tree beside the waters. We sing a song that God will be an anchor for our souls. In this psalm we read that we will be able to stand firm like a mountain.

So strong can we stand that we can say the words, “I will never be shaken.” When we are walking with God, there is nothing that ought to shake us. We can have total confidence in God to carry us through any circumstance. That can sound cliché but it out to be a truth in our lives. I would have never survived the trials of my life if it had not been for the strength I found in the Lord.

Paul said, “We…sent Timothy…to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know” (1 Thessalonians 3:1-4). We have faith that we can endure when we are walking with the Lord.

From Destruction to Mercy (Psalms 30:8-10)

Point of destruction

David returns to his theme of talking about the destruction he was about to endure. He is about to go to his death and is calling out for deliverance. I would like to simply make one point about what we see in this section of text: it is never too late to cry out to God for help.

This point applies not only to the physical realm but also to our spiritual lives. May we never think that it is too late for us. We can always cry out to the Lord for mercy. There is nothing that is too severe that God will not forgive us from when we are genuinely repentant. There is no act that is so bad that we are forever cut off from God. We can turn away from evil and turn to the Lord for mercy.

Call for mercy

The burden of sin can become so great upon us that we may be tempted to think that it is too late for us to return to God. But we read in the scriptures of people who committed all kinds of acts of wickedness, yet responded to the Lord for His mercy.

In 2 Kings 21 and 2 Chronicles 33 we read about king Manasseh of Judah. The scriptures say he did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had drive out before the Israelites (2 Kings 21:2). He made his own son pass through the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritualists (2 Kings 22:6). He took altar and idols of various gods and placed them in the temple of the Lord. Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end—besides the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the Lord (2 Kings 22:16). This man is probably one of the worst men we can read about in the scriptures.

But consider what happened next. “In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. And when he prayed to Him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God” (2 Chronicles 33:12-13). It is never too late to call upon God for mercy and Him continue to offer His grace to us if we repent from our sins.

From Wailing to Joy (Psalms 30:11-12)

What God can do

We need to see all that God can do to turn our lives around. David says he went from wailing with sackcloth to now dancing and joy for all that God has done. God can move you from the pits of despair and from the mire of sin and set you up to stand as firm as a mountain in the Lord.

We can rise up from the ashes of our pain and suffering and be transformed by God into joyous servants for Him. It does not matter what situation you find yourself in, God has the power to change your life when you will surrender your life to Him. As long as we try to keep control of our lives, things cannot get better. We must be willing to trust God to take us to higher ground, above the pain and anguish that we may endure in this life. Though we will suffer, it will all seem as nothing as we have security, hope, and peace in the Lord on our way to eternal life.

Give thanks forever

David concludes this psalm by the reminder that we must always give thanks for how God has changed our lives. We need to thank God for placing us where we are today. Who knows where we would be in life with the guidance and protection of the Lord!

Let us not give thanks once, but repeatedly and forever until we die since He has seen it fit to bless us so richly. What a blessing it is to have families! What a joy we have in our relationships, from parents, spouses, and children. What a blessing we have with a deep fellowship with the saints of this congregation. May the Lord always be praised and continue to bless us.

PSALM 30

EXPOSITION

This psalm appears to be so full of Hezekiah, that the wonder is, where David can be found. And yet there is but little unsuited to David’s time, if we had but the biographical details to identify one or two more incidents of his life which seem to be here memorialised. Perowne’s suggestion is good, that the dedication alluded to in the inscription, was perhaps the dedication of his own house, “the building of which he seems to have regarded as a pledge of the security and prosperity of his kingdom” (2 Samuel 5:11-12). “We must however still suppose that he had suffered just before from a sickness, about which the history is silent.” There is nothing surprising in such silence, and we must not be unreasonably exacting in seeking for the historical occasions giving birth to individual psalms. (Yet see, post, on Psalms 38, 41.) We may at least feel satisfied that we are within the charmed circle of psalm-production. For when, in the case of this psalm, we do advert to the co-authorship of King Hezekiah,—we discover Hezekian incidents starting out of every stanza. By the help of the references any reader can verify this for himself. Briggs makes an apt reference from the “moment” of this psalm to the “small moment” of Isaiah 54:7.

Nevertheless, we must regard as futile the attempt to establish the position that the seeming individual whose deliverance is here celebrated was the nation of Israel. Far rather, may we reverse the process—especially when the so-called “Second” Isaiah is discovered to be the well-known Isaiah himself—by permitting the King here in the psalm to celebrate the almost momentary brevity of his own trial; and then find, in its most fitting place, the great prophecy itself, the Prophet’s improvement of the royal incident, with which we know he was perfectly familiar: “Like as the hiding of Jehovah’s face from our beloved King was but as for a moment; so, O Israel, when the long vista of future blessedness opens before thee, shall all the grief of thy long forlorn condition appear to thee in retrospect as having been but for ‘a small moment.’” In deference to Dr. Thirtle, we may imagine Isaiah to have added: “Even as the weary months of the Assyrian invasion shall appear to the nation to have been but ‘for a moment,’ when the glorious fifteen years of assured prosperity have well set in.”

Perhaps the one reflection most apt to arise in the devout mind on the reading of this psalm will be, the grateful recognition of the selective power with which the human mind is endowed, whereby it can suffer long months or years of suffering to contract themselves into practically a short compass,’ comparatively a “moment,” while the mercies of the past can be counted lingeringly one by one, and allowed to extend into a long line of blessings. At eventide cometh to lodge Weeping—in the morning, Jubilation.

The Rock of Refuge

Psalms 31:1-24

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Psalms 31 is another psalm of David that returns to the theme of God as a refuge. We have seen God described this way in previous psalms (Psalms 5, 7, 9, 11, 14, 18). David begins this psalm with the same call of finding refuge in the Lord.

Consider how many times David has written about God being a refuge and a protection for God’s people, we certainly should begin to develop a confidence in the Lord that is similar to David’s confidence. As we go through this psalm, we will notice three great lessons that David expresses in his confidence with God.

Trust In The Lord (Psalm 31:1-8)

Describing the security of God

In the first eight verses we see how God is identified as a refuge. In verse 2 David describes the Lord as “a rock of refuge” and “a mountain fortress.” In verse 3 David describes God as “my rock” and “my fortress.” These images are likely lost on us in the 21 st century.

In earlier times, the best place to build a city or fortress was on a mountain. If you will recall, the Edomites considered themselves unconquerable because they lived in the rocks and the mountains (Obadiah 1:3). It was extremely difficult for an army to traverse the rugged mountains up to a city and conquer it. While the army would be marching up the mountain, the city would begin to attack the coming army below. Placing a city on a mountain was a premium defense against enemies. The mountains were the ultimate place for security and defense.

Is it any wonder that God speaks of Himself as a mountain for the people? Over twenty-six times the prophets spoke of the holy mountain of the Lord.

“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days

That the mountain of the LORD’S house

Shall be established on the top of the mountains,

And shall be exalted above the hills;

And peoples shall flow to it.

Many nations shall come and say,

“Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,

To the house of the God of Jacob;

He will teach us His ways,

And we shall walk in His paths.”

For out of Zion the law shall go forth,

And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (Micah 4:1-2).

If you recall the prophecy of Daniel, the kingdom of God was depicted as a rock or stone that shattered the other nations. That rock then became a mountain that would endure forever (Daniel 2). This was an important mental image to the people that described protection and security.

At this point, this is very important to David because of his enemies who are trying to destroy him. Psalms 31:4 says that there are some who have secretly set a net for David and God was the only way for his deliverance.

Into Your hand I commit my spirit

Psalms 31:5 is a pivotal statement by David. David says, “Into Your hand I commit my spirit.” This is a tremendous amount of trust. We are given insight into the severity of David’s situation. In the midst of the enemies and in the midst of his affliction, only God can change the outcome. David relinquishes control of the situation and allows God’s will to rule. We are witnessing the essence of surrender. Surrender is the ability to say that our lives are in God’s hands.

In Luke 23:46 we read Jesus uttering these very words while on the cross. Jesus gave His life wholly over to God’s control. We see in the Jesus the ultimate example of surrender and Jesus completely surrendered His life to God’s will. After saying these words, Luke records that Jesus breathes His last. How silly would it have sounded to the Jews who were near Jesus when He said that He has committed His life to God and then dies? This surely would have been a point of mockery to some standing there that day. Jesus declares that He entrusts God with His life moments before He dies.

But I think these words would come back to haunt those who heard Jesus say these words on the cross. I do not believe Jesus ever uttered an idle word, but was always teaching, even while on the cross. Notice the next sentence that David makes after “Into Your hand I commit my spirit” is “You have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.” The next statement is that God has redeemed Him. The word “redeemed” in the Hebrew can also be translated “ransomed” or “rescued” as some version translate. David, after saying that he has entrusted his life to God, says that God has rescued Him. When Jesus rose from the dead three days later, conquering death, we know the Jewish leaders and the whole city of Jerusalem was buzzing with the news. Those who knew the scriptures would be able to recall these words of Jesus. Jesus entrusted His life to God and God rescued Jesus by raising Him from the dead.

When others do evil, trust God for His strength

The first lesson we learn from this psalm is that when others commit evil acts against us, we must trust God for His strength to get us through. This is a great challenge for us to commit our lives to God in the midst of wrongdoing against us. We want to right the wrong against us, taking justice and vengeance into our own hands. Peter said, “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” (1 Peter 4:19).

The examples of the people of God give us clarity as to how God can redeem us. Sometimes God will rescue our lives from death. Sometimes, as in the case of Jesus, the redeeming comes when we are exalted with God on His throne. According to Psalms 31:7, God knows our troubles and sees our afflictions. Therefore we must rejoice and be glad for the faithful love of the Lord that we enjoy. God is always with us and will not turn us over to the enemy and leave us. Even in the hands of a heathen king, God remained with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace and remained with Daniel in the lion’s den. When others do evil, we must trust God to rescue and trust God to give us strength.

You Are My God (Psalms 31:9-18)

David’s distress

In Psalms 31:9 David describes the distress he is in at this time. David says his eyes are worn out from all of his sorrow. His soul and his body are also wasting away in grief. Further, his whole life is consumed with grief and years of groaning. His strength fails, his bones are weak, and he is contemptible to his neighbors. He is a dread to all of his friends and those who see him in the streets run from him. He is completely forgotten as if he was dead and is like broken pottery, cast away and useless. Further, those who are around him are slandering him and conspire against David to take his life. This is a horrible situation that David finds himself in. It is very reminiscent to me of what Job experienced in the midst of his affliction.

I am not sure that we can fully appreciate the circumstance that David is experiencing as he pens this psalm. I do not know that we can overestimate the horror of what David faces and the evil that is present against him. But we must try to understand the depths of David’s despair and the utter hopelessness he finds in life.

I trust in you

Despite these horrible circumstances, David declares that he trusts in the Lord and claims God as his God. In the midst of such suffering, David still returns to God for aid. In Psalms 31:15 David says, “My times are in Your hands.” This is very similar to what we read earlier when David said, “Into Your hand I commit my spirit.” David is declaring that he is trusting God with his life. But to say that his times are in God’s hands, I believe, is to say that not only is his life in God’s hands, but the circumstances that surround him are also in God’s hands.

But there is more in this section and David is calling out to God for mercy. David calls for deliverance in Psalms 31:15. His call for mercy and grace is strong in Psalms 31:16 as he wants God’s face to shine on him. David says that the wicked ought to be put to shame and not himself who is trying to serve the Lord. They are the ones with lying lips, who speak arrogantly against the righteous, and are full of pride and contempt.

When others cause pain, ask God for His mercy

I have not always felt safe with such words because of the lessons we learn from Job. Job also cried out for the pain to stop and was condemned for being critical of God. I think the situation with David and Job remind us that we can ask God for mercy and that the pain be taken away, but always be mindful that God is in control. David continues to express his dependency on God. Job said that God had been unjust toward him and need to correct His error.

Our approach to God in our appeals and prayers is very important. We must always come before God humbly and with a dependency and trust in God and His purposes. We do not always understand what is happening to us. Most of the time we do not understand what is happening to us. We can either trust God and call for Him to help us or we can attack God and believe He is working against us. This is one of the fundamental differences in how David and Job viewed their suffering. Our call for mercy must not be based upon our thinking that God has acted wrongly and needs to correct the error. Rather, we call out for mercy, trusting that God has the power to do all things and will work out things in our best interest.

Great Goodness To Those Who Fear God (Psalms 31:19-24)

Praising God

David expresses his praise to the Lord for the great amount of goodness that God bestows on those who fear Him. Those who will trust God and seek refuge in the Lord will find a treasure of goodness stored up for them. Psalms 31:20 says that God keeps safe those who take their refuge in Him. It is interesting to see that David describes a greater fear of being far from the Lord than for the enemies that are conspiring against him. David cannot bear the thought of being cut off from God. Where we stand with God is what really matters most.

David also praises God for His wonderful love and His preservation of the faithful. God was there for David when he was under attack, describing himself as a besieged city. Finally, David is praising God because when he cried out for mercy, God heard his cry. We can know that God is there with us and will hear our cries despite any circumstance that we find our selves in.

Call to the saints

In the finally two verses of this psalm, David calls out to the saints to take action. The first call is to love the Lord. 1 John 5:2-4 tells us that we show our love for God by keeping His commands. David was not calling for us to have warm fuzzy feelings for God. David was calling for all people to obey the Lord. This is the love that God is looking for, love that translates into action.

Second, David calls for the saints to be strong and take heart. In the midst of suffering and tribulation it can be very difficult to remain strong in the Lord. It is a great challenge for us to take heart and keep our hope in the Lord. Many quickly lose heart when things go badly in life. We must always remain steadfast and strong in the Lord regardless of the situation we may face.

When others see the victory, give God the glory

Our final application this evening is this: when others see the victory God has given to us, let us give God the glory. We need to let everyone know about the victory God has given to us in our times of suffering. We need to tell people about how we may have been saved from the brink of death. We need to tell people about how we have confidence in God even though we may be going through a time of suffering.

It is always important to give God the glory, not ourselves, not our doctors, and not any other person. If our trust is in God, then we believe God is watching over us and taking care of us. We are told that every good thing comes from God. We need to give more glory to God when good things happen to us.

This is David’s psalm. It is a reminder to us to trust in God when times are challenging and difficult. It is a reminder to us to go to God for mercy and grace in our times of trouble. It is a reminder to us to give God the glory when God brings through our circumstances.(NIV)

PSALM 31

EXPOSITION

This psalm might very well be described as a Mosaic of Misery and Mercy. Its most striking feature is, the bringing together of such varied experiences of suffering, that the reflective reader seems compelled to picture to himself several distinct types of sorrow; and herein probably lie the greatest charm and value of this psalm.

For two stanzas, we realize that we are at home with David: the dangers are his, and the deliverances; the favourite phrases also and figures are his. We may even go so far as to suggest that the subdued climax to which these stanzas rise in Psalms 31:7-8 admirably suits the time of the coronation of David in Hebron. He had not then reached the summit of dominion over all Israel, but his feet had become firmly planted in a roomy place. Many a time had the courtiers and soldiers of Saul, sought to catch him by a net of diplomacy or military stratagem. More than once, we know, he was in such imminent danger of death, as to have been moved to commit his imperiled spirit to his redeeming God.

The third stanza transports us into a widely different scene. We are in the presence of a stricken one, who is wasting away, who staggers under the humiliating blow which has fallen upon him. If he goes into the street, his old acquaintances flee from him: in dismay and disgust he stays in his “several” house until he is forgotten. We instinctively think of the leper-king Uzziah! Who, but an author having deep sympathy for lepers, would have introduced such a realistic picture into a psalm? But one touch of nature makes the whole world kin! And Hezekiah had felt that touch.

Again we are transported, by the fourth stanza, into a scene of persecution. We have set before us a victim of intrigue, whose likeness we recognize. He is a man with a nickname. They mockingly call him Magor missaviv, A terror round about. It is no other than Jeremiah. How he came here is another question. Ezra or one of the Sopherim may have let in his picture into this gallery of portraits of Famous Sufferers—in which Jeremiah well deserved a place.

But now, in the fifth stanza, we seem to be brought back to an earlier conclusion of the psalm. The voice is Hezekiah’s. The lawless foreigners are in evidence. They do not whisper like Jeremiah’s cowardly persecutors: no! they speak arrogantly with pride and contempt—like that “vile person”—Rabshakeh! And it is against an individual righteous one that the villain points his profane tongue. We count ourselves happy that we are beginning to know that righteous KING OF ISRAEL better than we did! He suffered of old for his momentary pride: we have long suffered for his modesty.

But the tones of his harp wax more fully and loud. Note to what a goodly theme he rises in the sixth stanza—how largely he generalises—how lofty are his conceptions of Jehovah’s goodness, as one while He hides his loved ones in his presence from the harshness of men and at another works his wonders before the sons of men.

More specific still, is the reminiscence of personal history contained in stanza seven. Over and over again, may Hezekiah have anticipated flight from the holy city. He had, in his alarm, imagined himself reproaching his Divine Protector—“I am driven out before thine eyes.” But the realisation of that extreme stage of desperation had been spared him. Jehovah had made his kindness so wonderful, as effectually to prevent it.

After this, what more fitting than that praise should be merged into exhortation? and, as the psalmist calls upon his men of kindness, official as well as unofficial, to love Jehovah as well as praise him, and remembers the preservation granted to himself and his fellow-believers, he seems to be glancing to the mountains on which the Assyrians fell when he says, But he repayeth abundantly the proud doer. Be strong, he says, almost signing his name, see footnote on Psalms 31:24) and let your heart be bold, all ye who, at any time for evermore, shall be waiting for Jehovah.

G. Campbell Morgan suggests this psalm contains an experience common to all of us—he says:

In this song we find the seasons of the soul as we all know them sooner or later. First autumn with its winds and gathering clouds, yet having sunlight, and a golden fruitage, even though the breath of death is everywhere (Psalms 31:1-8). Then follows winter, chill and lifeless, full of sobs and sighing (Psalms 31:9-13). After that the spring, with its hope and expectation, its sweeping rains, and bursting sun-gleams (Psalms 31:14-18). At last the glad and golden summer (Psalms 31:19-24). We need them all to complete our year! (Notes on the Psalms—p. 60)

Merciful Salvation

Psalms 32:1-11

Brent Kercheville

Blessed Is The One Whose Transgression Is Forgiven (Psalms 32:1-2)

Blessed

The psalm of David begins with the word “blessed.” This word should always awaken our attention because something important about our lives is being communicated to us. Some translations use the word “happy” but the word has a richer meaning and has greater depth do it than simply happiness.

Being blessed is not about feeling happy. To be blessed speaks to having a fullness and completeness in this life. Being blessed means by doing the prescribed actions, one will have an inner joy, peace, and happiness that goes beyond mere feelings and is greater than our physical circumstances.

This idea was evident in the sermon on the mount when Jesus preached that we are blessed when others insult us and persecute us. Obviously, insults and persecution do not bring immediate happiness. Happy would not be the right word here. Blessed, however, refers to the inner knowledge and joy of knowing we are suffering for the sake of the Lord, though we may not be happy while we endure the pain.

Looking at our sins

In these first three verses, David uses three different words to describe our sins. The first word found in verse 1 is “transgression.” “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven.” This description refers to a rebellion or a revolt. This word describes how we go away from God and his authority. This word reminds us that when we sin, we are sinning against God and departing from the course he has laid out for us.

The next word is also found in verse 1 and is translated “sin.” The rest of Psalms 32:1 reads, “whose sin is covered.” The word for “sin” used here is very similar to the Greek word found in the New Testament defined as “falling short” and “missing the mark.” This is used in archery of the arrow that falls short of its target. Regarding sin, the target is God’s law and we have failed to measure up to it.

The third word used for sin is found in Psalms 32:2, which is “iniquity.” “Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity.” The word “iniquity” means “corrupt, perverse, twisted, and crooked.” This word shows sin as twisting the right standards of God and corrupting ourselves in the process. These three words lay out the nature and the gravity of our sins. When we sin, we have departed from God and stand in rebellion against him. We have fallen short of God’s law and twisted and perverted the goodness of God for our own corruption.

Forgiveness

In the same way, David also uses three words to describe the forgiveness from our sins that is available through God. The forgiveness offered is the thrust of these two verses. The first verse describes the blessed person whose transgression is forgiven. The word “forgiven” literally means “to lift off.” God is describing our sins being carried off of our lives and taken from us. The burden of sin has been lifted off of our shoulders.

In Psalms 32:1 we also read that the blessed one is he or she whose sin is covered. This covering is taken from the imagery of the Day of Atonement. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest went into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled blood on the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant. Of course, there was not a seat or chair on top of the ark of the covenant. The mercy seat was considered the lid or the covering to the ark. Blessed is the one who has his sins atoned for by blood on the mercy seat (covering) of God.

Finally, in Psalms 32:2 we see the third word used to describe our forgiveness. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity. Some versions read “whom the Lord does not impute iniquity.” The word “impute” means to “count, account, or think.” It is a bookkeeping term. David is telling us that God does not count our sins on a ledger sheet when we are forgiven. The words of David are rather simple. All of our sins, our corruption, and our rebellion is lifted from us, atoned for, and not counted against us when forgiven by God. How blessed we are when God forgives us!

Paul and Psalms 32

Paul, however, sees much more than this being argued in this text. Turn in your Bibles to Romans 4:1-9. In Romans 4 Paul argues that we are not saved by a system of works, that is, doing more good things toward God than bad things against God. We are not saved by being good, moral people. Paul is going to use these first two verses of this psalm to prove the argument.

In Romans 4:4 Paul says that if we are living under a system of works by God’s law, then God is not imparting mercy or a favor to us, but what is due to us. But to the one who does not rely upon His own good works to be saved, his faith is credited to him as righteousness. In Romans 4:6-8 Paul argues that David expressly made this very point. David does not say that the one who is blessed is he who does many good deeds so that God must give forgiveness as something due to him. A system of works is not in view at all. Instead, Paul argues for a system of faith that brings about forgiveness. Blessed is the one whose sins are lifted off of him, are covered, and are not accounted against him. David does not describe a system of doing good deeds as the reason one is forgiven, but God’s mercy as the reason. We trust in God to remove our sins. We do not find forgiveness in doing more good deeds than evil deeds. How blessed we are that righteousness is not imparted based upon trying make up for our sins.

The Burden of Sin (Psalms 32:3-5)

Do not ignore sin

In Psalms 32:3-4 David describes how terrible it was to keep his sin to himself. His bones wasted away through his groaning all day long. His strength was dried up and the hand of the Lord was heavy upon him. David is describing the burden of the guilt of his sin. His sin is eating at him continually and the guilt is wearing him down.

We probably do not realize the toll that sin takes on our lives physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Ignoring sin always leads to committing more sins. In fact, what we think of as small sins grow into more serious sins. David is a good example of this. David began with lust in his heart for Bathsheba as she was bathing. But he did not take care of the sin at that time. This led to David committing adultery with Bathsheba. But he did not acknowledge his sin at this point either. David tries to cover up his sin by bringing Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba, home from battle hoping that the adultery would be covered up. This did not work and again, instead of acknowledging his sin, he had Uriah killed in battle. David still ignores his sin and makes Bathsheba his wife, hoping the marriage will cover up the sin of lust and the sin of adultery.

But no sin is covered up. God knows what happened. David knew what happened. God sends Nathan to rebuke David for all he had done. The great crime was ignoring the sin. When we ignore our sin, we are setting ourselves up to continue in sin. When we refuse to acknowledge our sin, we place ourselves down a path of committing even more grievous sins that will continue to harm ourselves, harm others, and grieve the Lord.

Our need for confession

David says in Psalms 32:5, “I acknowledged my sin to you and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.” This is the appropriate response to transgressions. For some reason we truly think we can get away with our actions. For some reason we think that since we can hide our sins for one another and from our family, God will not know. Adam and Eve exhibited this foolish behavior, trying to hide their actions from the Lord. But this course of action leads to our own spiritual, mental, and emotional destruction.

We must confess our sins to God. We must acknowledge our responsibility for what we have done. Only when we refuse to cover up our sins and openly acknowledge our sins to God can we be forgiven. David would not be forgiven of his sin as long as he continued to ignore what he had done. God sent Nathan so that David would open his eyes and see the evil he was committing. Only when David finally said, “I have sinned against the Lord” did Nathan tell David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die” (2 Samuel 12:13). Forgiveness cannot and will not come from the Lord while we try to hide our actions from God. Once we come clean, God will make us clean by forgiving us.

Seek the Lord (Psalms 32:6-7)

Today is the day of opportunity

David calls upon the godly to seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and he will be found. Search for the Lord and we will find God reaching out to us offering forgiveness. We cannot ignore our sins. We must confess our sins. Next, we see David telling us we need to pray.

Seeking the Lord means we must we talking to God at all times. After David confesses his sin, we see David fasting and praying concerning the consequences of his sins. Day and night David was fasting and praying, laying on the ground on behalf of his son who the Lord said was going to die. What a contrast to Saul who, when approached with his sin, blamed others and simply had an “oh well” attitude. David sees today as the opportunity to seek the Lord. We must have the same urgency to seek the Lord today, while he still may be found.

God will protect the godly

When we seek the Lord, David tells us that God will protect us. God is described in Psalms 32:7 as a hiding place. God preserves from trouble and surrounds him with shouts of deliverance.

We know that David is not saying that the godly have no troubles. David has numerous troubles in his life, one of which we have been alluding to concerning Bathsheba. David is saying that God can get us through the troubles. This is an ever-present reminder that God will help us through when we turn to him for help and not try to hide ourselves and our sins.

The Way of the Lord (Psalms 32:8-11)

God’s promise to us

In Psalms 32:8-9 we see God speaking himself, giving his promises to those who confess their sins. God says that he will instruct us and teach us in the way we ought to go. God promises to lead us in the right direction when we are submitting to God’s will. God promises to counsel us with his eye always on us. What a beautiful promise from the mouth of the Lord! God is watching us. He has his eye on us. Let us never think that God does not care about us and is not looking out for us as we go through this life.

God gets more direct with us in Psalms 32:9. Let us not act like senseless animals that have no understanding. Let us not be stubborn like horses and mules who need to be driven in the right direction because it will not work. God does not force us to go the way we ought to go. God will point to the proper path and we must choose to follow His direction.

God’s way

In the final two verses (Psalms 32:10-11) we are told the benefits of following the way of the Lord and the consequences for not following His will. Psalms 32:10 reminds us that the sorrow of the wicked are many. The sorrows of life will continue to heap themselves up on those who are wicked.

However, the steadfast love of the Lord surrounds those who trust in the Lord. Which would you rather have in life: the many of sorrows of the wicked or the steadfast love of the Lord? The answer is obvious, but to have the steadfast love of the Lord then we must put our trust in the Lord. We must completely submit our lives to God. In the context of this psalm, we must openly confess our sins to God and thank the Lord that our transgressions are forgiven, our sins are covered, and our iniquities are not counted.

Let us be glad in the Lord and rejoice for all that the Lord has done. Those who have their trust in the Lord have so much to be thankful for and have so much reason for joy. Praise God for his merciful salvation!

PSALM 32-33

EXPOSITION

“The headlines serve to individualize psalms . . . this fact will yield important results . . . There is no headline to Psalms 33, so on the surface it belongs to Psalms 32. A study of the material places the relation beyond question” (Thirtle, O.T.P., 102). This witness is true; and, in the present case, adds quite an unusual interest to the sequence thus assumed. Kirkpatrick had already called attention to the close relationship between the two psalms. At the commencement of his comments on Psalms 33, he says: “The psalm begins by repeating the call to praise with which the preceding psalm closed, and recites the grounds on which Jehovah is worthy to be praised. It stands here as an answer to the invitation of Psalms 32:11, an example of the ‘songs of deliverance’ spoken of in Psalms 32:7. Yet it differs widely in character from Psalms 32. That psalm is an instruction based upon a particular personal experience; this is a congregational hymn of praise, arising (if indeed any special event inspired it) out of some national deliverance.” If to these observations we add the suggestion, that it is when a man receives and enjoys the forgiveness of his personal sins, that he is prepared to unite “with all saints” in the celebration of public mercies, we shall perhaps have received the inwardness of the connection between these two psalms. Not that a single reference to the fact of such connection can by any means exhaust its fruitfulness. It is nothing less than thrilling, to hear David, when forgiven, calling out in spirit, to his son Hezekiah in Psalms 32:6; to think of the latter (Psalms 32:7) coming into just such a time of distress; in imminent danger of being swept away by the outburst of the mighty (Assyrian) waters (cp. Isaiah 8:7-8); and that nevertheless they did not reach him. Thus in Psalms 33:7 we may detect the response to Psalms 33:6. The earlier verse said “Let him pray”: in the later verse he does pray, and we seem to hear Hezekiah crying unto Jehovah, and promising at the close of his petitions the very thing that he promised more explicitly in Isaiah 38:20. To complete the entwining of these bonds of connection between the two psalms, and Isaiah, it may be observed how admirably Psalms 33:10-11 compares with Isaiah 8:10; Isaiah 14:24-27; Isaiah 46:10.

To the reader who has grounded himself carefully in the text of these psalms, and has also grasped the illuminating connection between the two, little more assistance need be offered than a few brief notes on the successive groups of verses as they’ are rapidly passed in review.

Psalms 32:1-4 (Psalms 32). The great thing here is to ponder well the undoubted truth, that unforgiven sin must sooner or later be punished. Second only to this, is the reflection, that unconfessed sin cannot be forgiven. It follows that all Divine chastisements, which—falling short of capital punishment—are fitted to lead to the confessing and forsaking of sin, are administered in mercy, whatever instruments are used to inflict them. How much misery might be spared us, if we would sooner humbly confess our transgressions!

Psalms 32:5-6. If sin can be pardoned, every other mercy may be hoped for and be made a subject of prayer. Hence the opening clause of Psalms 32:6 is perhaps wider than “For this”—namely forgiveness. Rather does it suggest: That the man whose heart is touched by the Divine kindness may embolden himself to pray that a pardoning God would become a delivering God. In passing, we may note how well the various reading distress in Psalms 32:6 prepares for the distress of Psalms 32:7.

Psalms 32:7. To perceive in this verse a response to the appeal of the previous, is to discover a reason for its abruptness and brevity. It is graphic: neither advice to pray, nor promise, but PRAYER. As already suggested: it seemed like Hezekiah’s practical response to David. What is stanzistical uniformity, compared with such tokens of life?

Psalms 32:8-9 are surely (with Kirkpatrick) Jehovah’s words rather than (with Delitzsch and Perowne) the psalmist’s. The reference to horse and mule seems to say, “Let us beware of becoming brutish, lest Divine Pity have to deal with us sternly.”

Psalms 32:10-11. The lawless one reminds us of Rabshakeh Psalms 1:1 note, Psalms 9:17, and he that trusteth in Jehovah of Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:5).

Psalms 33:1-5 (Psalms 33). Jehovah is no “tribal God,” as men sometimes mistakenly say: With the kindness of Jehovah, the earth, and not merely the land of Israel, is full; for this alone leads on to what follows.

Psalms 33:6-9. Creation is wide as the earth, and furnishes reason why all the world should revere Jehovah, who, as Hezekiah delights to tell us (Psalms 121:2; Psalms 134:3) is “Maker of heaven and earth.”

Psalms 33:10-12. Nevertheless vain are the counsels of the other nations, when directed against the nation whom Jehovah has chosen as his own inheritance.

Psalms 33:13-17. Far from neglecting the nations, Jehovah severely discounts their trust in brute force.

Psalms 33:18-22. He has a watchful regard for all who in any nation revere him; but happy are they who know him and trust him. So sings one of a remnant who can speak from experience of what Jehovah has done for their own soul: knowing what they do, they long, they rejoice, they trust, they pray they wait!

The Power and Providence of the Lord

Psalms 33:1-22

Brent Kercheville

The Lord & His Praise (Psalms 33:1-3)

Joyful people of God

The thirty-third psalm begins uniquely, “Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.” It is rather easy to misread this and think that the psalmist is calling for us to praise God. However, the psalmist is telling us that we need to be joyful in the Lord. The shout for joy is not to the Lord, but is in the Lord.

We have so many reasons to be joyful people in Christ. Paul commanded, “Be joyful always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16). We can forget too easily all the good that God has done and is doing in our lives that we become pessimistic, cold-hearted, angry, depressed people. But such attitudes do not display the love of Christ and the grace of God in our lives. This psalm will go about explaining and showing more reasons why we ought to always be joyful in the Lord.

Thankful worship

Psalms 33:2-3 is also interesting because of what the psalmist describes as worship. Notice the words “make melody,” “play,” and “sing” are used as encouragement to the people to participate in their worship under the law of Moses. But there is one other word that is part of this Hebrew parallelism that stands out, “give thanks.” This does not seem to fit with the other words make melody, sing, and play. What is being described for us is that our worship must also consist of giving thanks to God. To give thanks to the Lord is to praise and worship the Lord.

Part of this worship is singing a “new song.” Nine times the phrase “new song” is used in the scriptures. The phrase is found twice in Revelation, once in Isaiah, and the rest of the occurrences are in the Psalms. A new song seems to suggest a giving of praise and honor based a renewed perspective of God’s greatness. God will do something great, such as answer prayer or deliver, and a new song will then be encouraged from the worshipper. We see this in Revelation 5:9-10, “And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” This new song seems to show a renewed awareness of God’s power and greatness as the Lamb is able to take and open the scroll.

The psalmist is calling all the people of God to vigorously worship the Lord their God. Psalms 33:1 described the joy of the worshipper and Psalms 33:2-3 described the giving of thanks that should come from God’s joyful people. Worship is to be a joyful event to us, not something that must be done. It is hard to change our language from saying that we have to go to church to we want to go worship the Lord. But worship is to be joyful and desired by all of God’s people, not something that puts us to sleep or is considered a chore.

The Lord & His Power (Psalms 33:4-9)

The moral power of God’s word (Psalms 33:4-5)

Psalms 33:4-9 describes the power of the Lord. But the power of the Lord is described through the word of the Lord. Verse 4 tells us that the word of the Lord is upright. The word of the Lord does not cause evil. The word of the Lord is righteous and all the work of the Lord is faithful.

The word of the Lord is in keeping with God’s character. Unlike humans whose words often do not match their character, when we speak with lies, hypocrisy, and malice, God’s words cannot be anything but the revealing of His character. Therefore, through God’s word we see His love for righteousness and justice. The word of the Lord reveals the steadfast love of the Lord throughout all the earth.

Notice the Hebrew parallelism found again in these verses. The beginning of verse 4 describes the word of the Lord while the end of Psalms 33:4 changes to the work of the Lord. These are being considered one and the same thing in Hebrew poetry. God works through His words. God does not have to lift a finger to accomplish any task. God merely says the word and His will is accomplished. Consider the creation of the world. Did God have to perform any action? No, God simply said what He desired and it came into being. This concept leads us into the next couple of verses.

The visible power of God’s word (Psalms 33:6-7)

The power of God’s word is clearly seen in the creation. “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.” All that God wants to accomplish is done by His words. I do not think we can fully grasp that kind of power. We are impressed with those who have the power to build great things by their hands. We are awed by athletes who have the ability to perform great tasks with their bodies. But can you visualize the power for someone to accomplish something simply by saying, “let there be light” or “let us make man in our image?”

The visible creation testifies to the great power of God’s word. Psalms 33:7 describes more of the power of God’s word. God can gather the waters of the sea and place them in a heap. God can gather the water and place it in storehouses. This description seems to call to mind (at least my mind) the great waters of the flood. God stored water to destroy the world and move the waters from the land when He determined the time for judgment to cease.

Call to stand in awe of God (Psalms 33:8-9)

The psalmist declares that all the earth should fear the Lord and stand in awe of Him. How can we not stand in awe and fear the power that is able speak and have things come into existence! When God speaks, things happen. There is no doubt concerning God’s word. The word of God is not empty. When the word of the Lord goes out, what is said will certainly take place.

This should help us have a healthy awe and reverence for the word of the Lord which we hold in our hands. The word of God which we hold has the same power for it is still God’s voice. If God said something, it will surely happen and we have no reason for doubt. When God spoke of a judgment, it took place, no matter how impossible the judgment sounded.

One of my favorite proofs of God’s power is the city of Tyre. Ezekiel 26:3-14; Ezekiel 26:21, written about 593 BC, made great predictions about the city of Tyre. (1) Many nations would come against Tyre, (Ezekiel 26:3); (2) She would be made a bare rock, like the top of a rock, (Ezekiel 26:4); (3) Fishermen would spread their nets there, (Ezekiel 26:5); (4) Her stones, dust and timbers would be thrown in the water, (Ezekiel 26:12); (5) Never be rebuilt, (Ezekiel 26:14); and (6) Never be found again, (Ezekiel 26:21).

Consider the fulfillment of these prophecies:

Nebuchadnezzar sieged the mainland city in 585 BC and continued the siege for 13 years, the city being destroyed in 573 BC. When Nebuchadnezzar finally entered the city, most of the people had moved to an island one-half mile off the coast and fortified a new city there. he city remained a powerful city for several hundred years.

Alexander the Great laid siege to the city about 332 BC when they would not cooperate with him in his plans to conquer the Persians. Since Alexander possessed no fleet he demolished the mainland city and with the debris built a 200 foot wide causeway to the new city.

The history of Tyre was not complete after Alexander’s conquest though. The island city was rebuilt then destroyed again some 18 years after Alexander’s destruction by Antigonus. Many other countries fought against Tyre until the Moslems laid it in ruins in 1291 AD.

At the present the causeway still exists with the site of the mainland city being a bare rock occupied by fishermen. One can still look down into the water and view the granite columns and stone block that once stood on the mainland. A final point of interest needs comment concerning the prophecy. The prophecy seems to be contradictory. On one hand it says that the city would never be found again but on the other hand it says that it would be a place for the spreading of nets. The answer to this is that the wealthy merchant city of Tyre never has been found again. Instead, rising up from the same site is a fishing village which uses the bare rock of the mainland city site to dry their nets. Thus, the prophecy is fulfilled in a most unique way. There are many more examples that we could consider to show the power of God’s word. We must respect and believe every word God says for what He says will take place.

The Lord & His Providence (Psalms 33:10-19)

God rules over the nations (Psalms 33:10-12)

In verse 10 we read about an active God working against the nations of the world. The nations make their plans and attempt to achieve their foolish goals, but the Lord brings their plans to nothing. How often the nations are going against the will of God and believe that they can accomplish their own will! God rules the nations and will frustrate their plans.

We forget that God is at work among the nations. We think things are happening only by the will of man instead of realizing that the events of this world are through the hand of God. “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment” (Romans 13:1-2). God’s plans will be carried out to all generations (vs. 11). We are foolish if we think God will not accomplish his will or that we can thwart his plans.

Now the positive reward is expressed, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.” The morality of a nation matters to God. Who we choose to be our leaders matters to God. We are foolish if we think the workings of our government are inconsequential to God. A nation will not be blessed by the Lord when God is not their Lord. The decline of our country is proportional to our departure from God. The more our society rejects God, the more we will see darker times in this land.

God is the true sovereign (Psalms 33:13-17)

The Lord is looking down from heaven and sees all of our actions. The one who created each of us is watching all of our deeds. The nation is not saved by their own actions. The king is not saved by having a great army. The soldier is not delivered by his own strength and wits. By implication, God is declaring that He is the one who is overseeing and taking care of the nation.

We would like to think that the United States stands because of our immense military and warfare capabilities. I think September 11 should have reminded us that all the weapons in the world is not enough protection. God is the only protection we can rely upon. When we stray away from the Lord, we are losing the protection God has offered. God is the true rescuer.

Again, who we choose in this election, therefore, is very important. If we choose immoral, deceptive people to be our leaders, can we honestly expect God to protect this nation and look out for us? When we choose people who do not meet God’s values for more evil men simply based upon political party lines, economics, or some other reason besides the will of God, what do we expect to happen to us? God is the true ruler of this nation and this world. We must choose people to lead us that will care about that.

The Lord & His People

Fear the Lord (Psalms 33:18-19)

The psalmist ends the psalm with a fourfold admonition to the worshippers. The first admonition is to fear the Lord. The eye of the Lord is on those who fear the Lord. We saw this same beautiful promise made in Psalms 32:8, “I will counsel you with my eye upon you.“ This admonition also restates Psalms 33:8, “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.” We must have a respect and awe of the Lord because of the power of His word. We must always respect the words of God because of the sureness of His words. When God says something will take place, it certainly will happen.

Wait for the Lord (Psalms 33:20)

The second admonition is to wait for the Lord. Have patience in the power of God. God is our help and our shield, but that protection requires personal patience. God is the powerful creator and our lives are in His hands.

The psalmist is declaring that he and the people of God have every reason to be confident in the Lord. God is their help and is their shield. God will not let them down. God has the power to do what he says and must do what he says. The moral power of God’s word gives us great security.

Trust in His holy name (Psalms 33:21)

The psalm began by speaking about the joy that the people of God have in the Lord. This theme is renewed in Psalms 33:21 where the psalmist declares, “Our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.“ Our confidence in the Lord should bring us gladness. We can trust in the authority and the power of God to be with us and watch out for us. As Psalms 33:22 goes on to express, we have the steadfast love of God upon us. In Psalms 32, we saw the steadfast love of God described as surrounding us (Psalms 32:10). Not only is God’s unchanging and unfailing love surrounding us, but this love is also upon us.

Hope in the Lord (Psalms 33:22)

Finally, we are able to place our hope in the Lord. There is no reason to lose heart with God. There is no reason to give up in our prayers. There is no reason to think that God cannot change the hard times that we go through. There is never a reason to give up. Our hope is based upon much of what we have read in this psalm. God has made the entire universe by his mere word and by the breath of his mouth. He foils the evil plans, not only of individuals but of the nations. God’s purposes always prevail. God is always looking upon the affairs of this world and cares for his people. Our hope is in the Almighty God. Let us always put our trust in God no matter the circumstances and wait for God to help us.

PSALM 32-33

EXPOSITION

“The headlines serve to individualize psalms . . . this fact will yield important results . . . There is no headline to Psalms 33, so on the surface it belongs to Psalms 32. A study of the material places the relation beyond question” (Thirtle, O.T.P., 102). This witness is true; and, in the present case, adds quite an unusual interest to the sequence thus assumed. Kirkpatrick had already called attention to the close relationship between the two psalms. At the commencement of his comments on Psalms 33, he says: “The psalm begins by repeating the call to praise with which the preceding psalm closed, and recites the grounds on which Jehovah is worthy to be praised. It stands here as an answer to the invitation of Psalms 32:11, an example of the ‘songs of deliverance’ spoken of in Psalms 32:7. Yet it differs widely in character from Psalms 32. That psalm is an instruction based upon a particular personal experience; this is a congregational hymn of praise, arising (if indeed any special event inspired it) out of some national deliverance.” If to these observations we add the suggestion, that it is when a man receives and enjoys the forgiveness of his personal sins, that he is prepared to unite “with all saints” in the celebration of public mercies, we shall perhaps have received the inwardness of the connection between these two psalms. Not that a single reference to the fact of such connection can by any means exhaust its fruitfulness. It is nothing less than thrilling, to hear David, when forgiven, calling out in spirit, to his son Hezekiah in Psalms 32:6; to think of the latter (Psalms 32:7) coming into just such a time of distress; in imminent danger of being swept away by the outburst of the mighty (Assyrian) waters (cp. Isaiah 8:7-8); and that nevertheless they did not reach him. Thus in Psalms 33:7 we may detect the response to Psalms 33:6. The earlier verse said “Let him pray”: in the later verse he does pray, and we seem to hear Hezekiah crying unto Jehovah, and promising at the close of his petitions the very thing that he promised more explicitly in Isaiah 38:20. To complete the entwining of these bonds of connection between the two psalms, and Isaiah, it may be observed how admirably Psalms 33:10-11 compares with Isaiah 8:10; Isaiah 14:24-27; Isaiah 46:10.

To the reader who has grounded himself carefully in the text of these psalms, and has also grasped the illuminating connection between the two, little more assistance need be offered than a few brief notes on the successive groups of verses as they’ are rapidly passed in review.

Psalms 32:1-4 (Psalms 32). The great thing here is to ponder well the undoubted truth, that unforgiven sin must sooner or later be punished. Second only to this, is the reflection, that unconfessed sin cannot be forgiven. It follows that all Divine chastisements, which—falling short of capital punishment—are fitted to lead to the confessing and forsaking of sin, are administered in mercy, whatever instruments are used to inflict them. How much misery might be spared us, if we would sooner humbly confess our transgressions!

Psalms 32:5-6. If sin can be pardoned, every other mercy may be hoped for and be made a subject of prayer. Hence the opening clause of Psalms 32:6 is perhaps wider than “For this”—namely forgiveness. Rather does it suggest: That the man whose heart is touched by the Divine kindness may embolden himself to pray that a pardoning God would become a delivering God. In passing, we may note how well the various reading distress in Psalms 32:6 prepares for the distress of Psalms 32:7.

Psalms 32:7. To perceive in this verse a response to the appeal of the previous, is to discover a reason for its abruptness and brevity. It is graphic: neither advice to pray, nor promise, but PRAYER. As already suggested: it seemed like Hezekiah’s practical response to David. What is stanzistical uniformity, compared with such tokens of life?

Psalms 32:8-9 are surely (with Kirkpatrick) Jehovah’s words rather than (with Delitzsch and Perowne) the psalmist’s. The reference to horse and mule seems to say, “Let us beware of becoming brutish, lest Divine Pity have to deal with us sternly.”

Psalms 32:10-11. The lawless one reminds us of Rabshakeh Psalms 1:1 note, Psalms 9:17, and he that trusteth in Jehovah of Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:5).

Psalms 33:1-5 (Psalms 33). Jehovah is no “tribal God,” as men sometimes mistakenly say: With the kindness of Jehovah, the earth, and not merely the land of Israel, is full; for this alone leads on to what follows.

Psalms 33:6-9. Creation is wide as the earth, and furnishes reason why all the world should revere Jehovah, who, as Hezekiah delights to tell us (Psalms 121:2; Psalms 134:3) is “Maker of heaven and earth.”

Psalms 33:10-12. Nevertheless vain are the counsels of the other nations, when directed against the nation whom Jehovah has chosen as his own inheritance.

Psalms 33:13-17. Far from neglecting the nations, Jehovah severely discounts their trust in brute force.

Psalms 33:18-22. He has a watchful regard for all who in any nation revere him; but happy are they who know him and trust him. So sings one of a remnant who can speak from experience of what Jehovah has done for their own soul: knowing what they do, they long, they rejoice, they trust, they pray they wait!

Faith In Our Darkest Hour

Psalms 34:1-22

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

In contrast to many other psalms we have studied thus far, this psalm gives us information in the heading that helps us understand the situation surrounding the penning of these words.

First, let us notice that there are twenty-two verses in this psalm. Many times when a psalm has been given this many verses, it is a clue to us that we are looking at an acrostic psalm, since there are twenty-two letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Such is the case for Psalms 34. An acrostic psalm is one where the first line of each stanza begins with the successive letter of the alphabet. Of course, the acrostic is lost in translation into English and is why we do not see the acrostic in our scriptures.

Second, we are told the occasion for the writing of this psalm. The heading declares this was when David “pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech, who drove him out, and he departed.” This instance leads us to 1 Samuel 21:10-15. 1 Samuel 21 falls in the middle of the time when Saul is trying to kill David. Jonathan, Saul’s son, was instructed by Saul to go find David and bring him back to the city to be killed. Jonathan warns David of this and David flees to the land of the Philistines. The Philistines recognize David as the king of Israel who the people sang about him killing tens of thousands. But David was afraid of king Achish and began to act insane so as to not pose a threat to the king. David walked around scratching on the door and letting saliva run out of his mouth. Because of his actions, the king did not see David as a threat and did not arrest him or kill him. This time of near death is when David writes this psalm.

Praise the Lord (Psalms 34:1-3)

Always

The first three verses begin with David declaring he will praise the Lord. There are two main points to the praise David is giving. The first point David makes is that he will praise the Lord at all times. Praising God will always be on his lips.

Now this would be a great of David to say that he is always praising the Lord if he were standing in good circumstances. But let us not forget that David is running for his life. So bad are his circumstances that he must pretend he is insane just to preserve his life. David is the rightful king of Israel and he is forced to act like a madman in Philistia just to keep his own life. These were some of the darkest times in David’s life. Yet, in the midst of these dark times, David is able to say that he will praise the Lord at all times.

David’s call to you

In these first three verses, David is basically saying to us, “Look what I went through and I continued to praise the Lord. Should you not be able to always praise God?” Psalms 34:3 brings this concept in when David calls for everyone to glorify the Lord with him and exalt the Lord’s name together.

We really have no excuse as to why our lips should not always be full of praise to God. In the next few verses, David is going to give his testimony of God’s deliverance.

David’s Testimony

The great works of God (Psalms 34:4-7)

David tells us that he was seeking after the Lord and the Lord answered him. Further, the Lord delivered David from all his fears. David had quite a few good reasons to fear, but with the Lord was able to entrust his life to God’s hands. It is important that we always look to God when in our darkest hour.

David describes this importance in Psalms 34:5, “Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” God can brighten our lives and our days even in the midst of great turmoil. David reminds us that those who look to the Lord are never let down or disappointed by God. Instead, we are enlightened and radiant for the working of God in our lives.

There are many great lines in this psalm, but Psalms 34:6 is one of the best. “This poor man called, and the Lord heard him.” David was in a pitiful state. But even in our most pitiful states, God is there to hear us when we call to Him. God saved David from his troubles and delivered him through his trials. This deliverance is described as an angel of the Lord surrounding and delivering those who fear the Lord. This image brings the mind the power of the Lord coming to our aid. The Lord is ready to defend us, protect us, and fight for us. The angel of the Lord is used to describe God working in this world on our behalf.

Taste the Lord and see (Psalms 34:8-22)

David encourages us to give God a try. Taste and see that the Lord is good. This is our 100% money back guarantee that you and I will be totally satisfied when we try the Lord. We will see that He is good to those who seek and fear Him. Here are some of the things we will find when we taste the Lord.

Lacks nothing (Psalms 34:8-10). Those who fear the Lord will lack nothing. “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). We must try the Lord and see that God will take care of us. We typically do not believe in this statement. We think we have to supply all our needs. But God says He will take care of those who fear Him.

Longevity of life (Psalms 34:11-14). “Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.” David tells us that we must be servants of God if we want to have a prosperous life. God’s laws should not be considered a book of rules. God has given us these laws so that we can see long days and enjoy the time God has given us on the earth. God’s laws will help us maximize our physical lives to the fullest.

An attentive God (Psalms 34:15-16). God’s eyes are upon the righteous, watching over us. God’s ears are attentive to our cries. God’s face is toward us granting us with blessings, while His face is against those who do evil. Evildoers are cut off from God.

The Lord saves and delivers (Psalms 34:17-22). Look at the listing of all God does for the righteous: (1) the Lord hears them, (2) the Lord delivers them from all their troubles, (3) the Lord is close to the brokenhearted, (4) The Lord saves those who are crushed in spirit, and (5) The Lord delivers us from all troubles (this is repeated). These are words to encourage us in our times of suffering. Turn to 1 Peter 3:10-12 to see that Peter quotes this section of the psalm. Peter quotes this psalm to encourage us to continue to do good in times of suffering. Thus, Peter encourages, “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called, so that you may inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9). Taste the Lord and see that serve God is worthy of our efforts for God will do many things for us.

Not A Bone Shall Be Broken (Psalms 34:20)

God’s great blessings

I would like to spend the rest of our time on what I think is the most important verse in this psalm,Psalms 34:20. “He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.” Carefully read the context again and we will see that the psalmist is talking about the righteous. Verse 19 begins the thought concerning a righteous man who has many troubles but the Lord delivers him from them all. Further, God protects the bones of the righteous, not one of them will be broken. So what does this mean for us as righteous people that none of our bones will be broken?

When we turn to John 19:36 we see that the apostle John quotes this verse and applies it to Jesus. In the context of John 19 we are reading about the death of Jesus. Specifically, we read that when the soldiers came to break the legs of those crucified, they did not break the legs of Jesus because he was already dead. Their pierced Jesus’ side and blood and water flowed from him. By a simple reading of the passage, it seems that the scripture was fulfilled because Jesus did not suffer from any broken bones.

So what does this mean for us? Is David saying that those who are truly righteous will not have their bones broken? Is the passage and its fulfillment speaking about the physical state of our bodies? I believe we are missing something if we do not see that more is implied concerning the bones of the righteous never being broken.

The scriptures talk about the evil have their bones broken and scattered. “God brings him out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox; He shall consume the nations, his enemies; He shall break their bones and pierce them with his arrows” (Numbers 24:8). “There they are in great fear where no fear was, for God has scattered the bonesof him who encamps against you; You have put them to shame, because God has despised them” (Psalms 53:5). Therefore, when we read about bones, those who have broken bones are lacking the blessings, favor, and deliverance from God. Those whose bones are not broken are in favor with God.

This is the great message for our lives today. It does not matter how badly we may suffer in life, our bones are not broken, meaning we are still in favor with God and know that God can deliver us from what we are enduring. Is this not exactly what was meant concerning Jesus? Yes, none of his physical bones were broken. But more importantly, none of Jesus’ bones being broken meant He died in God’s favor and love. Though man considered Jesus smitten by God and afflicted by God, Jesus died in the favor of God. Further, none of his bones being broken meant he held to the promise of God’s deliverance. We know deliverance came three days later as Jesus conquered death, rose from the grave, and ascended to the Father where all glory and honor was bestowed upon him.

In the same way, when we are righteous none of our bones will be broken. Therefore, we may suffer but we are still in God’s favor. We may endure great tribulations, but we can hold on to God’s promise of deliverance. This is David’s message in this psalm. He had to pretend to be insane to protect his life. Saul was trying to kill him and David was running for his life. But God took care of David and delivered him. David was in favor with God, none of his bones were broken. We have the same promise given to us. Let us praise the Lord at all times and exalt his name together for his great deliverance. (NIV)

PSALM 34

EXPOSITION

The occasion of this psalm, as stated in the ancient headlines, is sufficiently extraordinary to appear romantic, if not incredible. There is no need, however, to make the occasion psychologically impossible, by overlooking the precise terms of the superscription; and assuredly the prima-facie evidence strongly suggests that such an account of the origin of the psalm could not easily have been placed where it is, had it been a mere afterthought. It would obviously be mere wanton oversight to suggest that David was disguising his sanity at the Court of King Achish (or Abimelek) and composing an acrostic at one and the same time. The legend distinctly enough points to David’s departure from Gath; and suggests the question—Whither went he when he so departed? Learning as we do (from 1 Samuel 22) that it was to the cave of Adullam, probably less of an incommodious hole in the rocks than a subterranean palace, large enough for multitudes to hide in, and comfortable enough to afford accommodation for David’s father and mother,—as we think of all this,—incredulity begins to retire, and an almost fascinating romance steps into its place. All sorts of realistic questions come to our aid. Did not David, in all probability, reach the cave of Adullam nearly alone? Ere yet comrades gathered to him, how spent he his time? What sort of man was he? Was he not devout? Was he not a poet and a musician? In his fleeing from place to place, did he never contrive to have his harp near him? A worshipper—a poet—a harpist—yea, and possessing an oriental memory, with genius enough in him to contrive those acrostics to aid it,—how far yet are we from the atmosphere of the credible? And then, supposing he had with him no writing-skins, were there no rock surfaces available for such a record? It is true, these are mere tentative questions; but at any rate they are ventilated in the interests of an indubitably ancient inscription: which inscription, be it said, was no more probable invention, than it was of easy insertion, when once the psalm had been continuously and closely written on tablet or parchment, and safely deposited in David’s palace library! Books were not then printed in thousands and scattered broadcast, that their readings should be tampered with by every scribe, and wild fancies gain admission and insertion by the royal librarian!

Turning now to the structure of this psalm, the two things which claim our attention are: first, that it is alphabetical or an abecedarian acrostic; and, second, that the letter waw is wanting, raising the enquiry—Why? As to the mere fact that it is alphabetical, there is this to add to a former suggestion, that such an arrangement may, under conceivable circumstances, have been due as much to the exigencies of the composer, as to his desire to help the memory of his readers (or hearers, when books were few). Not only were books few for readers; but occasionally papyrus or skins were scarce for authors. The absence of waw from the alphabetical arrangement, points to the suppression of a stanza, not for the purpose of reducing the lines to 21 (or 3 times 7) as Briggs suggests, but rather to make way for the additional REDEMPTION stanza at the end, without exceeding the number 22.

As to the sentiments of this psalm, they are in any case remarkable, and that for several reasons. The quiet, didactic character of the psalm, naturally springs from its artificial structure. That it should reveal clear kinship with what is now frequently called Wisdom Literature, is not to be denied, but by no means betokens a late date for that reason. Before conceding that, it would be well to inquire from whom the Wisdom Literature first sprang; and the opinion may again be hazarded, as when we first observed a strain of this is Psalms 18, that probably it should be traced back to the prophet Samuel, as familiarised by him in his school for the sons of the prophets. If so, even apart from especial Divine illumination, we need feel no surprise at the occasional appearance of such sententious moralising in David’s own psalms as we find here. When we next observe the air of lofty faith and calm joy which pervades this psalm, we begin to feel that we are treading upon holy ground. David had godly parents. His youth, spent in keeping his father’s sheep, was given to devout meditation. He had come into contact with Samuel, whom doubtless he regarded with great veneration. Besides all which, since the holy oil of anointing had been poured on his head, he had known the mighty inworking of the Spirit of Jehovah. He had a great destiny in store for him, and he knew it; and however long he might have to wait for its realisation, he knew that those noble heights would ultimately be attained. All these were formative influences of no common order; and, therefore, while we admire the lofty devotion of this psalm, we refrain from incredulous wonder; and it no longer seems impossible to the elasticity of David’s devout—as yet unspoiled—young manhood, and after several hairbreadth escapes, he should find the very cave of Adullam converted into a temple, as its spacious vaults echoed to his well-handled harp. We have not forgotten the motley crew that gathered about him in this romantic glen, nor do we doubt that it numbered some ne’er-do-wells; but, on the other hand, we may well surmise, that it included some of the finest spirits in Israel. Under such conditions, this restrained acrostic psalm almost palpitates with the life and fire of an oration. We catch the singer’s glance around as he exclaims—Ascribe ye greatness to Jehovah with me, and let us exalt his name together. Having made his own personal contribution to holy memories by saying—I inquired of Jehovah, and he answered me, he notes a group of witnesses to Divine faithfulness, and sings of them—They looked unto him and beamed, and their faces were not abashed; when, observing one signal trophy of Jehovah’s faithfulness, standing or reclining near him, he subdues his voice to say—This humbled one cried, and Jehovah heard, and out of all his distresses saved him. And so forth: calling to a group of doubters—O taste and see! then to group of listless young men—O come, sons, and hearken unto me! tendering them some excellent advice. But he must needs nerve his comrades to enter boldly into the strife between sin and righteousness, and so rises to that trumpet-like stanza with which the psalm concludes. Happy was Hezekiah to have such a literary treasure in the Royal Library, to pair off with the 25th: adding to that the note of Redemption as an imperial need, and to this the answering not of Redemption in realisation.

Lord, Who Is Like You?

Psalms 35:1-28

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

The first three verses of this psalm set the tone for how David is going to pray for deliverance. The first verse brings the argument in legal terms. David calls for the Lord to “contend” with those who contend against him. The word “contend” is used as of a defense attorney who is called to argue a case on another’s behalf.

David also takes a military angle in Psalms 35:2-3. David calls for the Lord to go to battle and fight for him against his pursuers. David speaks of God as a bodyguard, who in the midst of close combat is called to “take hold of shield and buckler” and “draw the spear and javelin.” The response David is longing to hear from the Lord is, “I am your salvation.” The warm words of God to encourage us to wait for God’s deliverance.

Be My Warrior (Psalms 35:4-10)

A call for retribution

As we read this section of the psalm, it is hard to miss all of the requests David prays to the Lord. David is praying a military call for deliverance and vengeance upon those who have without cause hid their net for him and dug a pit for his life (Psalms 35:7). David is calling upon God to act against these evildoers.

Let them be put to shame. David calls for his enemies who try to kill him without cause to be put to shame and dishonored. We have seen a number of times in the psalms that to be “put to shame” means to be disappointed or let down. David is saying he wants those who are trying to kill him to be disappointed. Let their plans not come to pass such that they are let down and discouraged.

Let them be turned back and confounded. Second, to those who are devising evil against him, David prays they are rebuffed and sent away. Let their attempts be futile and their plans confused so they will leave David alone.

Let them be like chaff before the wind. Third, let his enemies be blown away in the wind. Let those who pursue David be turned back and driven off by the angel of the Lord who protects the righteous (see Psalms 34:7 and its comments).

Let their way be dark and slippery. As they are being pursued, let their way be slippery and dark so that they will feel the wrath of God against their actions. Do not let them get away with what they are doing easily. They must find difficulty as consequence for their actions.

Let ruin come on them unawares. Bring destruction and run upon these evil people. Let them fall into their own traps and catch themselves in their own deceitful schemes. David is simply praying for God to bring upon these people what they deserve.

Promise of praise

David declares he will rejoice in the Lord and in his salvation when these things happen to his enemies. When vindication and justice come, he will rejoice all the more in the Lord. Even all his bones will say, “O Lord, who is like you?“ The answer, of course, is no one is like the Lord. He delivers the weak from those who are too strong for them. The Lord delivers the weak and the needy from those rob from them. Only God can bring true justice to those who are suffering. Only God can bring consequences on those who have done such evil. No one can bring retribution for their actions like God.

Be My Defense Attorney (Psalms 35:11-18)

Know their godless attacks

David describes the situation that confronts him, painting a legal picture instead of a military picture we saw earlier. David says that malicious witnesses rise up asking him things he does not know about. The picture is that David is on the stand testifying as violent witnesses cross-examine him. David does not know what they are asking about, which signifies his innocence in the matter against which he is charged. These violent, malicious witnesses repay David’s good with their own evil.

Notice how good David has been to these malicious people. When they were ill, he put on sackcloth and humbled himself by fasting. David had compassion on these people to the point he made petitions to God on their behalf. These petitions were earnest to God as he even fasted and put on sackcloth show his sincerity and zeal in the matter. When his prayers came back to him, he went about mourning and grieving as though for a friend, a brother, or a mother.

But when he stumbled, these same people all gathered in glee. They did not show the same compassion and sympathy that David showed for these malicious people in their time of distress and need. Instead, they gathered to attack David while he was unaware. They slandered him without ceasing, maliciously mocking him, and gnashing their teeth toward him.

Rescue me

David cries out, “How long, O Lord, will you look on?” How long will these things continue? David has done good toward these people. But when the tables were turned, instead of showing mercy and compassion as he did, they used it as an opportunity to ruin David. Therefore, David cries out to God to be rescued.

This is David’s defense as he calls upon God to be his advocate in this situation. David is declaring his innocence, showing that his actions have been righteous toward these malicious witnesses. He is not the guilty one, but those who have tried to ruin him are the guilty ones.

David makes another promise to thank the Lord in the great congregation and praise the Lord among the throngs of people. David will rejoice and give thanks when the Lord defends him from his enemies.

Be My God (Psalms 35:19-28)

You saw it…do something!

David asks the Lord to not let these treacherous enemies rejoice over him. They are schemers and plotters of evil. They do not speak peace but conceivers of deceit against those who are quiet and righteous in the land. These false witnesses open their mouths and declare they have seen David do these wicked things.

David says, “You have seen O Lord; do not be silent! O Lord, do not be far from me!” David says that the Lord has seen what has happened. It is time for the Lord to do something about it. “Awake and rouse yourself for my defense” is what David is longing for from God. Again, David is speaking of God as his defense attorney in these matters. Stand for my cause, Lord! Vindicate me, Lord!

Let the righteous rejoice

David calls for the Lord to allow the righteous to rejoice and the wicked to be disappointed altogether. This can only happen when justice is given against evil and righteousness is vindicated. Do not allow the evildoers to claim victory.

Let the righteous be able to shout, “Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant.” This is the promise and hope the righteous have in the Lord. Our vindication will come from the Lord. Our oppression and suffering will not go unseen by God and will not forgotten when it is time for judgment. The psalm ends with David’s third promise to tell of God’s righteousness and tell of God’s praise all day long.

Applications

The incomparability of God

What a great reminder David offers us in Psalms 35:10 : “Who is like you?” There is no one like God. There is nothing can compare to the greatness of the Lord. How often we are trading the greatness of God for the worthless things of this world! How often we put our trust in the physical things in this life to get us through our troubles instead of seeing that there is no one like God who can get us through these circumstances.

David saw the need to place his petitions on God. We have a song that says, “Be with me, Lord, I cannot live without thee. I dare not try to take one step alone. I cannot bear the loads of life unaided. I need thy strength to feel that thou art near.” Only God can get us through the loads of life. Do we feel these are accurate words concerning our relationship with God? Can we honestly say that we dare not try to take one step alone? Or have we run most of life’s race without God, attempting the bear these heavy loads ourselves? We need to ask God for more guidance in our lives. We need to ask God to show us the way we ought to go. We need to consult the word of the Lord to be sure our actions are in line with God’s righteousness. We do not know what is best for us and what we need. God knows what is best and only God can get us through.

God is our warrior and our advocate

I really like the images found in this psalm which describe God as a help for us. God will take hold of a shield, spear, and javelin and go to battle on our behalf. God can drive off those who devise evil like the wind drives off the worthless chaff. If God is for us, who can be against us? God is going to battle for us. He is on our side and with God on our side, we cannot lose and cannot fail.

I also like the imagery of God as our defense attorney. God is our advocate who sees our innocence and will defend us. We will be vindicated and proven righteous. God see the ways of the wicked and hears the slanders of evil. God will prevail and we have every reason to trust God will not disappoint us.

Continue in righteousness

Perhaps the most difficult application of this psalm is noticing how David treated these evildoers. He calls out for their ruin and for his own vindication in the events which surround him. But do we see how David treated these people? He still showed compassion and sympathy, which is absolutely amazing. When they were sick, he wore sackcloth and fasted. When the prayers returned, he grieved with them as if it were his own family members.

We are to repay evil with good. We are not to bring our personal vengeance upon others with our own hands. We are not given the authority to treat others the way they treat us. We are called to be models of God’s righteousness, even though some may be unworthy of such good treatment. Let God vindicate. Let our actions always reflect goodness and righteousness.

PSALM 35

EXPOSITION

Probably the endeavour to get at the authorship of this psalm, will go further than the pursuit of any other line of enquiry, to place the meaning of the psalm within our grasp. The psalm as a whole is inscribed to David, nor is there the slightest perceptible reason to doubt the validity of this inscription, especially so long as we confine ourselves to Stanzas I. and II. When careful attention is bestowed on Stanza III., little by little we recognise a difference between the tone of this and that of the previous two; and this perception makes the Davidic authorship of what has gone before, still more evident than it was at first. There is a difference, however, even between Stanzas I., and II. also,—to lay hold of which is to become more completely penetrated than ever with the assurance that David wrote both these stanzas, but under the domination of two successive moods. The governing note of Stanza I. is indignation: that of Stanza II. is wounded love. The indication is fiery, and finds vent in imprecation (Cp. on 69)—nothing is too bad to ask from Jehovah in avengement of the wrong the petitioner has received from his enemies at court, especially from one of them. But when, in the second stanza, his memory passes from the supreme wrong this one has done him, to other false witnesses that come up before his mind, and he recalls his intimate friendship with some of them, indignation melts into a wail of anguish, as he remembers how keenly he had suffered in their behalf when they were in trouble. He perceives all the meanness of their conduct—all the perfidy of it; but he does not imprecate. He looks their ingratitude and treachery full in the face: the enormous wrong they have done him is revolting, like the ravages of lions; but he cannot curse them. He has been robbed of the precious jewel of friendship, and he feels it as a mother feels the loss of her children. All he can do in resentment, is to ask how long his Sovereign Lord will look on. It is David all over: both stanzas are from David—if we know anything of David: David at the court of Saul, with jealous courtiers passing in and out before the king, suddenly asking ensnaring questions, throwing out innuendoes, to David’s hurt to which no reply can at once be made. The most casual reader can see this situation reflected in the first stanza; nor does anyone need to be told how exquisitely fitted for friendship was the son of Jesse, and therefore how open to feel the anguish so graphically portrayed in the second stanza.

It is not so easy at first to realise the change of situation which almost imperceptibly comes into view in Stanza III. Kirkpatrick recognises the change of tone, as is evident from his anticipatory summary of it: “Psalms 35:19-28. Renewed prayer in a somewhat calmer tone.” But something more than the “tone” here changes: very informally is here introduced a new situation. In a word, it is no longer David who writes; but rather Prince Hezekiah, in the latter years of his father’s degenerate reign; as the prince’s ripening godly manhood moves to concealed hatred the sycophants at his father’s court. The writer notes with some vexation the withholding of a salutation which he was well-entitled to expect, he is intimate with the quiet of the land, learns the treacherous things that are devised against them, and hears the malicious insinuations thrown out regarding himself. The injured one is no longer the high-spirited warrior of Stanza I., nor the wounded personal friend of Stanza II., but one who can afford to wait a little and yet eagerly looks forward to vindication—a vindication which will cover his detractors with shame. If, as prince, the writer penned this stanza—or at least lived it, it may well have been as king that he added to it the beautiful climax which now brings it to a conclusion; and fitted it to be soon passed on To the Chief Musician.

The Refrains to this psalm contribute something material towards the exegesis of the whole. In the first place they serve to mark real divisions in the psalm where otherwise the lines of transition would be less perceptible. It cannot, for example, be denied, that Psalms 35:9-10 form a natural resting-place. And this assists the perception that, although the second stanza, resumes the same general thought, yet it is with a difference: the one enemy is lost sight of by the succession of accusers which comes into view, bringing in those perfidious friends who cause such anguish to the psalmist’s mind. Then the close of the second stanza, in Psalms 35:17-18, is especially arresting, inasmuch as each verse strongly reminds us of Psalms 22 : the lions recalling Psalms 22:13; Psalms 22:21 of that psalm, and the solitary self its 20th verse; the large assembly also linking itself with the same not very usual designation in Psalms 22:25 of Psalms 22;—small things in themselves, it may be thought; but if, as we saw reason to suppose, they came from David’s pen in the earlier psalm, then the probability is increased that David wrote them here. Again, the strong climax here reached, distinctly awakens us to note with some surprise that, however well the psalm might have ended here, in point of fact it does not; and so, however quiet the transition to what follows and however neat the “seam” of attachment thereby formed, yet we really do enter upon a new situation as well as perceive a calmer tone. Needless to say the actual conclusion of the psalm, Psalms 22:27-28, are in every way worthy of that UPRIGHT KING whose harp (Isaiah 38:20) was solemnly enlisted to celebrate the triumphant vindication that ultimately came, and which, when it did come, awoke the respectful acknowledgements of all nations.

The Evildoers Lie Fallen!

Psalms 36:1-12

Brent Kercheville

The Nature of the Wicked

No fear of God

The beginning of wickedness is a lack of concerning for God and His character. I do not know that we fully appreciate this point as the determining point of our character and where we stand with God. Solomon said, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7).

The first six verses of Proverbs 1 describes all the benefits of fearing the Lord. “To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.” The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all these things.

By contrast, a lack of the fear of the Lord is the beginning of our own destruction. In Romans 1, Paul is describing people who have been given over to a debased mind, plunging themselves into the lusts of their hearts to impurity, and committing shameful acts. Notice their beginning, “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21). They knew God, but did not fear Him. They realized there is a God, but did not honor Him as such. This is the beginning of wickedness: our decisions to not honor, revere, and worship the Lord.

In fact, Paul condemns the whole world to this way of thinking in Romans 3:18 he quotes these very words, “there is no fear of God before his eyes.” All of us have not had the fear of God that we ought to have. This is the first step down the road to evil and wickedness.

Deeper depravity

David continues by describing how we fall deeper and deeper into our own sinfulness, becoming futile in our thinking and darkening our hearts. First, having displaced God, the wicked person becomes the center of his or her own universe and is self-deceived. Verse 2 describes how a person flatters himself to such a point that he cannot see his own sin and does not hate his own actions. We fall prey to thinking that we do things so well that we cannot be the one who is in error for a particular problem. We cannot see that we are instigator and the sinner. Rather, we look upon our own actions as tolerable and righteous.

Having refused God, the wicked speak deceitfully, act unwise, and do not do good. It is not long that wickedness is a way of life. The person is unable to see that their words are not truthful, nor that they are acting without wisdom or righteousness. Many times the reason why we are making foolish and irrational decisions is because God is not the basis for our decision making process.

Eventually, the wicked abandon themselves to continual evil, plotting ways to maintain themselves in a wicked lifestyle. The person is not merely molded to the ways of wickedness, but now is scheming and devising ways to maintain their wicked behavior. The person is fully caught in Satan’s grasp and he continues to plunge himself into great iniquities. No longer does the person distinguish between right and wrong. Evil is now approved and called righteous in the eyes of the wicked. The wicked is completely committed to their sinful course.

The Blessings of God

God’s great attributes

Loving kindness. “Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens.” Translators have struggled trying to communicate the meaning of this Hebrew word hesed, translated here as love. The New American Standard translates, “loving kindness” while the English Standard Version and New Revised Standard Version translates, “steadfast love.” The New King James Version translates the word as “mercy.” These versions are trying to capture the richness of this word. God’s merciful love, His steadfast love, His lovingkindness reaches to the heavens. This gives us a vast picture of how wide and deep the love of God is toward us.

Faithfulness. God’s faithfulness and loving kindness are tied closely together by David in this psalm. The faithfulness of God usually relates to God’s spoken promises to His people. We would not understand or know God’s faithfulness without seeing God keep His word throughout time. To every promise God has ever made and to every word God has ever said, God has fulfilled those words and promises. Faithfulness is the character of God.

Righteousness. God’s righteousness is described as mighty mountains. Mighty mountains make us think of such attributes as steadfast, immoveable, and constant. The mountain imagery also causes us to consider the vastness and power of God’s righteousness. God always acts righteously toward all the earth, especially His children. God always does what is right toward us.

Justice. God’s justice is like the great deep. We will never find an end to God’s justice. The justice of God will not fail. All of these characteristics are described through the creation to show how vast and continual God is in His steadfast love, faithfulness, righteousness, and justice. These are attributes we can rely upon as we put our trust in God.

Blessings to the righteous

David now describes how God’s blessings filter down to those who are His disciples. The first blessing David identifies is abundance. People who take refuge in the shadow of God’s wings will find abundance from God’s house. As we read these blessings, consider how these blessings are a contrast to what we saw with the sinfulness of the wicked. The wicked were full of deceit, lacked wisdom, and committed themselves to a sinful course. In contrast, the righteous receives blessings from the storehouse of God.

Delight. Those who take refuge in the Lord can drink from God’s river of delights. There is great joy is relying upon the Lord as a refuge for our lives. But there is a subtle teaching in the text that is lost in our English translation. The word translated “delights” in our English versions is the Hebrew word eden. Now, when we read this text we see much more being taught to us by David when he says, “you give them drink from your river of Eden.” Those who take their refuge in the Lord and fear the Lord are in the paradise of God. What a great blessing we have as God’s children.

Fountain of life and light. Tied closely to the imagery of the rivers of Eden is David’s words, “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” It is interesting that the apostle John took this imagery and applied it to Jesus, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men” (John 1:4). Jesus said of Himself in John 4:14, “But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountainof water springing up into everlasting life.” Only with the Lord can we see our purpose in life and see where we are to be going in this world. God lights our path to righteousness and holiness so that we can be with the Lord. These are just a few of the great blessings we have when we fear the Lord.

This is the hospitality of God. The Lord has brought those who fear Him into His house and has given them His bountiful riches. God is offering us abundant, full living. He is offering us the paradise of God with rivers of delight. God has opened the fountain of life and guides us with the light of His word and the light of His Son. Yet we keep looking for physical riches, when God is offering so much. Let us see the need to reject the way of the wicked and accept God’s gracious invitation.

Prayer of Protection From Evil

Plea for divine love

Our spiritual state with God is the determining factor whether we are receiving the blessings of God or are fools rejecting wisdom. David prays that God’s love continue “to those who know you.” How well do we know the Lord? Let us examine ourselves for a moment and reflect on the possibility that we do not truly know the Lord. We are not spending time getting to know Him nor drawing near to Him in prayer, readings, study, meditation, or spiritual thinking. Day in and day out we are tied to our schedules and our way of life and we are not truly concerned about knowing the Lord.

The scriptures remind us about our need to truly know the Lord. The apostle John said, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:8). We have to show that we love God by wanting to pay attention to God and learn more about Him so He can change our lives. God’s love will continue only with those who truly know Him.

Blessings to the upright

David also declares that the blessings of God fall on the upright in heart. It is not enough to think we know God, but we must apply that knowledge to become more like God’s character and image. Paul said in Titus 1:16, “They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.”

Nor is it enough to pursue God in some sort of academic way. The knowledge which enters our minds must filter into our hearts so that we can be a changed people. I believe we miss out on many of God’s blessings because we are satisfied with the scraps. We have not embarked on a journey to truly change our life for the Lord because we think what we have now is all God has to offer. I think we have only approached the tip of the iceberg of what God can do for His people. Paul said God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to the power at work within us (Ephesians 3:20). We must want to find a deeper knowledge and deeper relationship with God to find the depths of God’s love and righteousness.

Confident fall of the wicked

David concludes the psalm with his knowledge of the outcome of the wicked. The evildoers are lie fallen, thrown down and are unable to rise. The evildoers will be given the knock out punch.

We fight in a very unique war against Satan. Most wars are fought to determine who will be victorious. But that is not the war we are involved in. Our war against principalities, powers, and darkness already has the outcome determined. God has won and the evildoers lie fallen, thrown to the ground. The question left to answer is if you and I will fight for the winners or for the losers. The victory was sealed when Christ raised from the dead. Victory is the Lord’s as death has lost its sting and the grave no longer has victory. Let us fear the Lord and take our refuge in His wings so that we can partake of the blessings of God.

PSALM 36

EXPOSITION

It is easy to assert that this is a composite psalm, and yet fail to grasp its life-history. Composite it manifestly is, in that its component parts undoubtedly came into existence on distinct and successive occasions, but none the less does it now stand before us as a living unit. Starting with David, as in duty bound by the superscript line exhibiting a palace-library tradition behind which we cannot go; and with David—probably in his strength of devotion to Jehovah, as if by reason of some signal service rendered by his heroic faith, and so with David as emphatically the servant of Jehovah;—we awake to the perception that in Stanza I. we have such a startling picture of practical Atheism as could never have been sung alone. Acting as a moral tonic, this fragment prompts the mind that selected it, to appease Devotion’s hunger, by finding a fragrant antidote to the poison of Lawlessness to which for some reason it was desired to give currency. This antidote is discovered in the beautiful Song, probably equally Davidic, which now forms Stanzas II. and III. of our psalm: a song, first glowing with all the beauty of Jehovah’s kindness, as sustained and strengthened by the associate attributes of faithfulness, righteousness and justice; and then eliciting the appreciation of the sons of men, as they are thereby drawn under the shadow of Jehovah’s wings, emboldened to partake of the rich provisions of Jehovah’s house, and even to drink of the full stream of Jehovah’s delights.

A notable song, indeed; well serving as an antidote to the deadly oracle of transgression which here precedes it. But who could find these fragments,—who feel the need to risk the circulation of the poison, and yet lay ready hand on so effective a counter-active? We can conjecture who it was, as soon as we can discover among David’s sons a man who could see the chilling shadow of another Lawless One extending over the land; and yet, in the face of it, could still sing in faith the antidote Song: especially if, in this inheritor of the Sweet Singer’s mantle, we can discover a CO-AUTHOR, who has the gift to adapt these fragments to a new and urgent occasion, and the authority to get them sung. Thus prompted, we eagerly scan the final stanza of this psalm; and by the time we have read its first couplet and found all the previous praise turned into PRAYER, we bethink us of the man who knew Jehovah, who was undoubtedly upright in heart but still had urgent need to PRAY! the name of the man is on our lips! But before we pronounce it, we read another couplet; and since this couplet apprehends invasion and deprecates the flight of a fugitive, we hesitate no longer to pronounce the name: it is HEZEKIAH! But there is this more to be said. The entire life-history of this psalm is chequered. This final stanza, we must believe, at first only mounted a little higher in prayer, or concluded with trustful benediction. Soon was the prayer answered; soon, the trustful benediction vindicated; and the same hand that wrote it, gladly erased enough to make way for the thrilling announcement:—

There are fallen the workers of trouble,

Thrust down, and not able to rise!

A Proverbial Psalm

Psalms 37:1-31

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Psalms 37 is another acrostic psalm of David. In this psalm, each letter of the Hebrew alphabet appears only once in order, with each successive letter introducing a unit of four lines, with a couple minor exceptions. This psalm is also unique in that is reads like the Proverbs. Instead of having a thematic structure, this psalm consists of short wise sayings concerning wicked and the righteous. Since there is not a readily discernable thematic structure, we will approach the study of this psalm differently. We will notice some key jewels of wisdom in this psalm and make appropriate applications.

Trust In the Lord (Psalms 37:1-11)

Do not worry

David begins the psalm with the admonition not to worry or fret because of evil men. The worry seems to be concerning how evil people seem to flourish and prosper. Hence, David says, “do not…be envious of those who do wrong.” We are not to look longingly at the actions of the world, thinking that they are in better circumstances than we are. When we look at them and think they have things better, we are only considering physical and material things. We are not considering the things that are truly important, such as God, families, and relationships.

David reminds us that those who do wrong will soon wither like grace and die away like green plants. Just as a plant looks green and hearty, eventually it must pass away. The outer actions do not reveal what is truly going on within their lives. It may appear that everything is going well for them, just as a plant appears green and healthy. But, something will happen to cause the evildoers to wither.

Do good

David says that we are not worry but we are to continue doing good. There are five admonitions David gives to encourage us to not fret or envy the wicked.

Trust in the Lord. First, David calls for us to trust in the Lord. We are to look at all we have in the Lord and enjoy the blessings of God. Too often we do not enjoy what we have because we are too busy looking at someone else’s possessions or circumstances. Trust God to take care of you and to continue to provide for you.

Delight yourself in the Lord. Second, David tells us to find our delight in the Lord. Do not try to find happiness in the things of this world. Material things just continue to let us down. As much we think the next possession will not let us down, it will. Our possessions always let us down and never give us the true happiness we long to achieve. Instead, look to find your joy in the Lord. There is not a greater joy than knowing we have done what God has wanted.

Commit your way to the Lord. Third, David says we have to make a commitment to God to serve him. We cannot be wishy-washy, half-hearted servants and expect to receive God’s promises. We are called to have a purpose in life. We are called to have a firm resolve in our life decisions to have our way match God’s way.

David declares that God will do great things when we commit our way to the Lord. God will make our righteousness shine like the dawn. Our good deeds will stand out. God will notice our works and those works will shine like the sun at dawn. We will be seen as God’s servants by our actions for they will contrast the works of darkness. Further, David says, “He will make…the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.”

Be still and wait patiently. Our challenge is to wait for God. Justice will come. Do not fret when men succeed in their ways and when they carry out their wicked schemes. Wait for God and he will take care of these people, holding them accountable for their actions.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath. How easy it is to be consumed in anger when we see what the wicked are doing. Do not harbor the anger within you. Why? When we keep this anger it leads only to evil. We have lost our trust in God and we build up an anger that wants to bring about our own personal vengeance upon people for their actions. Let God be angry and repay, not ourselves.

The Meek Will Inherit the Earth (Psalms 37:11)

Call to meekness

David said, “But the meek will inherit the land, and enjoy great peace.” David is contrasting this end result with consequence of the wicked. The wicked will be cut off and in a little while they will be no more. God is going to strike down those people who practice evil. However, the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.

Does this passage sound familiar? I hope it does. Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). David used these words to the people of Israel, understanding the land to be the promised land of Canaan. Jesus expands upon this promise, offering the earth as our inheritance. Meekness is the important characteristic for us to mold into our lives.

What is meekness? The New American Standard translates “Blessed are the gentle.” Gentleness is certainly a key component of meekness. A few people have translated this word as “mildness.” But we are missing something because Jesus was not saying we are to laid back. Neither was Jesus saying that he is laid back when he said he is meek and lowly in heart. Robertson says that meekness describes “gentleness in strength.” Now I think we are able to get our hands on what we are called to be.

Becoming the meek of the earth

Meekness sees the right to act with power but remains controlled. Meekness chooses not to exercise its power over other people. Meekness does not demand to heard, demand to be seen, or demand its rights. Meekness practices submission when other options are available.

We want to be heard. We want to forge our way so that we will be appreciated by others. We think we are important and we are willing to take action to show the power and strength we have. Meekness does not use that strength. Meekness does not use the power available to justify oneself. This is the example of Jesus who had the power to end his arrest, to compel people to worship him, and who had the right to be king. But he showed us meekness by submitting himself to God even though he was deserving of these things. Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.

The Wicked Have Their Day Coming

The Lord laughs at the wicked (Psalms 37:12-13)

Watch what David says: “The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them.” We are terrified at these words. The wicked are plotting against those of us who are trying to be righteous. The wicked desire to see our doom. What is God doing in all of this?

God laughs at the wicked. God laughs at their plots and their schemes. Why does God laugh? How can God sit back and laugh? The Lord laughs because he knows their day is coming. This also can be our response to the wicked. We know their day is coming and they will get what they deserve for God has promised it.

The wicked will perish (Psalms 37:20)

David said, “The wicked will perish: the Lord’s enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish—vanish like smoke.” Their end will come. The appeal of the wicked will fade like the beauty of the field. In fact, they will vanish like smoke. This is why we are not to fret because of evil men. This is why we are not to be envious of those who do wrong. If we want to follow after them our end result will be the same: we will vanish like smoke.

The Righteous’ End Result

God uphold them (Psalms 37:24)

“If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand” (Psalms 37:23-24). God will stabilize our way and make our feet step on firm ground when we are following his will. We may have some rough patches in life. We may have weak moments and times when we stumble. But we will never fall because God is upholding us by his hand.

What a beautiful thought to be in the hand of the Lord. Always in God’s sight and always on God’s mind. He watches over us and takes care of us. God is always with us. “The Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off” (Psalms 37:28).

God provides for them (Psalms 37:25-26)

What a statement by David: “I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging for bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.” David declares that he has lived a long life. Over the span of those years he has never seen the righteous forsaken. God always takes care of the righteous.

What is the unique characteristic of the righteous? The righteous are always generous and lending freely. The righteous realize that the things of this world are God’s and by being generous, we are trusting that God will take care of our needs. God says that he will take care of us when we will let go of material things and be generous with all we have. We fight against the religions that preach “health and wealth” from God, and rightly so. But let us not overlook this principle while fighting that error. When we entrust our possessions to God, God will entrust us with more important possessions. Show ourselves to be good stewards of God’s physical blessings and we will be entrusted with God’s spiritual blessings (see the parable of the talents and the parable of the minas-Luke 19:11-27 & Matthew 25:14-30).

God gives them wisdom (Psalms 37:30-31)

“The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.” We must have the law of the Lord in our hearts and in our minds at all times. Too often we are focused on things that are not intended to draw our attention. We focus on money, jobs, family, possessions, and our desires and forget to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.

When we lose sight of Jesus is when our feet can slip. Then we make decisions and reap our consequences because our foundation has not been on the Lord but on ourselves. Our mouths speak what is in our hearts. If our hearts are in tune with God, then our mouth will utter the righteous things of God.

To Go Home

Better is the little

“Better is little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked” (Psalms 37:16). It better for us to be righteous and have little than do all we can to have great wealth. The power of the wicked will be broken and all their wealth will be lost. The righteous may have little now, but will never be broken and will inherit far more in the great day of the Lord.

Let us practice contentment. Let us see that we have so much from God. While we may not have all our neighbors have and all we see on television, we will never been lacking and never be wanting as long as we are righteous. God is the giver of every gift. Let us trust him to give us all we need. (NIV)

PSALM 37

EXPOSITION

While the artificial character of this psalm as an alphabetical acrostic, and its practical aim to encourage saints in well-doing, fully account for all that is discursive in it; it is obviously weighted with the great moral problem—How to account for the undeniable facts, that the lawless are often prosperous in life, whereas the righteous are not infrequently called to pass through adversity. How these facts can be reconciled with the gracious equity of God, is a problem which in all ages has perplexed observant and thoughtful minds; and many parts of Holy Scripture are devoted to endeavours to solve the problem; among them, the book of Job and several psalms are conspicuous. Among such psalms, this one and Psalms 49, 73 are worthy of special mention; the present one being remarkable for its buoyant courage in confronting the difficulty; the 49th, for the beauty of its form in stating the problem and the unexpected and irregular way in which its solution is proposed; and the 73rd, for the revelation it makes of a soul’s struggles before it successfully rises above doubt. They are indeed a remarkable triad of psalms, specially devoted to this very grave, but yet most fascinating theme.

This psalm boldly meets the difficulty by presenting time as the chief solution. Subsidiary mitigations, no doubt, are simultaneously presented, to console the suffering saint; and among them is discovered the enhanced delight found in Jehovah himself which significantly anticipates the same mighty consolation which comes out so triumphantly in Psalms 73 the third of the series. But the dominant exhortation here turns on the question of time: the burden of the advice tendered being this: “Wait! All will come right in the end. The triumph of the flourishing lawless will be short. When he has been cut off, thou, O patient wronged one, will be inheriting the earth.” This is the note struck at the beginning of the psalm, and this carries us through up to the climax at its close: a climax which confessedly comes with all the greater force when the crowning words are adequately translated: There is a future for the man of peace; But transgressors have been destroyed together, the future of lawless men hath been cut off. This forms a worthy climax to the psalm, and adequately meets the difficulty calling for solution. Only grant that there is a future for the patient well-doer; and that, for the lawless, however long they may live and flourish, there is no future worthy of the name,—and the solution is felt to be complete.

It is true, indeed, that the edge of the psalmist’s argument has been rather blunted by critics of note through their acceptance of the term “posterity,” in place of future, in Psalms 37:37-38. To such a weakening of the solution it may be permitted us to object, for two or three reasons: first, that the main current of the psalm points to survival in person rather than by proxy; second, that in the parallel use of the same word (aharith) in Psalms 73:17 it is impossible to accept “posterity” as an adequate translation, seeing that, there, the writer’s resolve is to enter “the great sanctuary” for the purpose of considering, not the “posterity” of the lawless but their own latter end or hereafter or future, as the sequel to that passage conclusively shows; and third, that the prophetic word itself elsewhere—notably in Jeremiah 31:29-30 and Ezekiel 18:1-4—expressly discounts the principle of punishment by proxy, so making it exceedingly unlikely that this far-seeing and forth-reaching psalm intends us to be content with either substitutionary punishment or substitutionary reward. Hence, as “posterity” is by no means the primary or customary meaning of aharith, we can confidently rely on the solid reasons above given for declining it; and for preferring the well-sustained rendering which concludes the psalm with such fine effect.

Will it be objected, that the rewards of the righteous appear in this psalm to be too earthly to be eternal, and the punishment of the lawless to be too summary to be final? Such objection may be safely dismissed as virtually demanding that no Old Testament rays shall penetrate the great Hereafter unless they flood it with all-revealing light. What if the heaven of the Old Testament, as well as that of the New, should prove to be a heaven upon earth? and what if the expansion of the hints here discovered should, after all, find room for all the details subsequently revealed? If we at all apprehend that God hath yet more light to break forth from his word, let us beware of closing up the very avenues by which that light may reach us!

The Pain of Sin

Psalms 38:1-22

Brent Kercheville

The Pain of Sin

The weight of sin (Psalms 38:1-4)

David begins this psalm by requesting God to not discipline him in anger or wrath. Throughout this psalm we will see that David has committed sin (what sin we do not know) and is dealing with the pain of sin. The pain of the consequence of his sin is described as arrows piercing him.

David describes the burden of sin as a weight that is upon him. He feels the heavy hand of the Lord upon him. If we have not totally seared our conscience then sinful activities leave us feeling the burden and guilt of our actions. We are disgusted with ourselves. Something feels “off” or not quite what it ought to be. Guilt weighs upon us like a sack of bricks.

Psalms 38:4 describes the guilt as overwhelming David. We are swept out to see and completely immerse in the guilt of our actions. David says his burden is too heavy to bear. Sin takes a terrible toll on our minds and our emotions. Many times the reason for our discouragement, anxiety, and anger is due to our own sinfulness overwhelming our lives.

The suffering of sin (Psalms 38:5-8)

Not only does sin take an emotional toll on us, but it also takes a physical toll on our lives. Notice all the physical suffering David is enduring because of his sin. Notice in Psalms 38:5 David clearly identifies this pain to be the result of his sinful folly. David is distressed and diseased with pain.

David goes in mourning all day long. His back is filled with searing pain. There is no health in his body. He is feeble and utterly crushed. These descriptions of his pain from sin are very real. Sexual sins often bring about such emotional and physical havoc that we often choose to ignore. We do not think about what will happen if we go through with a particular sin.

The movies show us the pleasure and joy of the affair. Rarely does anyone show all the ramifications for such sinful behavior. We do not think about what life will be like at home. We do not think about how the trust of the marriage and of the family is shattered. We do not think about the effect such actions will have on our children when they learn the truth. We do not think about how everything we have known with our partner will be turned upside down. As young adults, we do not think about the consequences of pregnancy in high school. We do not think about how our lives will be forever altered by diseases and illness from such activity. We do not consider the emotional scarring and damage that ensues from cheaply throwing our bodies around to whomever says they love us. Sin is devastating and we underestimate its destructive and corrupting effects in our lives.

The Star Wars movies try to depict this physical toll of evil in a very exaggerated way with physical bodies of those who are on the “dark side” falling apart, requiring technology to remain alive. It is an extreme picture to draw the point of what happens with those who continually plunge their lives into evil.

David says that his sin has brought anguish into his heart. We think that we will not be caught. We like to think that we will not pay for our sins. Somehow we will get away with what we have done and no one will ever know. But it is a lie. David is experiencing the devastating effects of sin as his heart is heavy with anguish. He is torn up with all that he must endure.

The sorrow of sin (Psalms 38:9-14)

All of this says nothing about the sorrow of sin. It is hard to describe the tremendous amount of sorrow that comes from sinful activity. Yet David tries to express his sorrow from his actions.

David begins by expressing his sighing to God. Psalms 38:9-10 seems to describe the emotional and spiritual sorrow he feels. David says he has laid completely laid himself out before God. To those who have a close relationship with God as David has, to be severed from God through sin is a sorrowful and painful experience in the soul.

David’s sorrow continues in that all those around him avoid him. He is experiencing social sorrow as friends, companions, and neighbors stay away from him. Sin taints us. People know what we have done and do not want to be around us because of what we have done. The person paying for the consequences of sin is not popular. The single pregnant girl on the high school campus does not have friends flocking to her. The adulterer does not have company but falls into isolation for their evil.

This is especially true in a local church that is obeying the Lord’s commands. At the knowledge of unrepentant sin, disciples must withdraw themselves with those who will not return to God in hopes of repentance. Sin severs us not only from God, but from those most important to us in our lives.

In all of this, David says he is silenced. What else can be said? David has done wrong, deserving of punishment, and asks that he not be disciplined in the anger of the Lord. What else can we say about our sins? We cannot justify ourselves. We cannot excuse ourselves. We have done wrong and we are deserving of punishment. What should be our response to our sins?

The Response to Sin

“I wait for you, O Lord” (Psalms 38:15-17)

It is time to begin by submitting ourselves to the hand of God. We must stop ourselves and realize that we are under God’s control and God’s will, not our own. We also cannot expect our suffering to suddenly come to an end. We have put ourselves in a precarious position and are paying the consequences for what we have done.

A time of testing. This is a time where our faith can be purified if we will allow it. Too often we just want to get out of what we have done. It is too late for that. But it is a chance for us to be molded by what has just happened.

A time of learning. We ought to be able to learn from our actions. We need to see what caused us to fall so we can put up roadblocks to help keep us from going down that road again. We need to learn the consequences for our actions so they will be a deterrent for any future rebellion.

A time of strengthening. If we allow our faith to be purified, we can be strengthened so that we will not fall into this sin again. We need to make ourselves more resolute to stand with God and against sin. Too often we just want to quit, give up, and move on. But we need to wait upon the Lord and learn from the experience.

“I confess my iniquity” (Psalms 38:18-20)

We must also respond to sin with confession of our actions. This is no time to try to cover up what we have done. Our presidents of the last 30 years should be negative examples of what happens when we try to cover things up. Concealing sin only make things worse.

We need to confess our sins. We need to accept responsibility for what we have done, no longer blaming others for our problems. As we know, Adam and Eve from the very beginning perfected the art of passing excuses for sinful actions. We must come to God with our sin-stained hands because he knows what we have done. We are not going to get away with any sin. God sees the deeds of man on the earth.

I petition God to draw near (Psalms 38:21-22)

Instead of running from God, we must run to God. Adam and Eve exemplified the wrong actions by running away from the presence of God. But our sin has severed us from God and we need to return to God so he will return to us. “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Return to Me,” says the LORD of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 1:3).

We have to return to God for him to return to us. If we turn our back on God, then all hope is lost and we are dead in our sins. We must show that we want to be near God. We must show that we love God by rededicating ourselves to keep his commands. When we return to God, he has promised to return to us.

Thoughts to go home

Know the consequences of sin. We need to remember the guilt, suffering, sorrow, and pain we experience when we engage in sin. None of like it. None of us like the potential consequences for our actions. We need to stop risking sin and start committing ourselves to the Lord.

Know how to respond to sin. When we do fall, let us be sure to learn the lessons from the temptation and from the fall. If we do not learn, we will likely fall again. It is our chance to become stronger so that Satan does not ensnare us again. Immediately confess our sins and draw near to God.

PSALM 38

EXPOSITION

Our analysis suggests that this psalm is divisible into two parts; not because there are any outward signs of such division, but solely for the purpose of drawing attention to the fact, which becomes clear on examination, that there are two distinct strains of thought in the psalm, however closely they are conjoined. For three stanzas the prayer is solely for the removal of disease, without any allusion to enemies. Then, for three more stanzas, there is a sustained reference to enemies, with only a bare allusion to disease. In both parts of the psalm the writer acknowledges that he has sinned; but this confession is naturally more frank and solemn in the former part than in the latter. The whole psalm may well have been indited by David, even as it is inscribed to him: the only surprising—but by no means incredible—thing is, as we are beginning to discover, that David was severely chastised for his great sin by the direct infliction, from Jehovah’s own hand, of a loathsome disease, concerning which the history in Samuel and Chronicles is silent. However surprising such silence may at first sight appear, it is so far from being incredible that on reflection it seems natural, or at least excusable. No royal scribe would feel called on to record the damaging fact in the public chronicles; and it may well have been that even the faithful prophetic historian of the time felt relieved of any duty to insert in his narrative an account of an affliction endured in almost unbroken silence by the erring but still beloved monarch. Notwithstanding which, however, now that, after all these centuries, we look back on those distant times, and realise afresh the dishonour done by David to the name of Jehovah and to the sanctity of his ways,—we cannot fail to discover something more than poetic justice, that the terrible secret should long ago have come out; and THAT in just the very best way conceivable,—namely, by disclosure from the offending monarch’s own mouth,—slightly veiled by poetic allusion rather than by blunt narration, and divulged amidst the solemnities of the worship of Him who is of too pure eyes to behold iniquity, yet still plainly confessed and sorely lamented. If anything were yet wanting to impart a finishing-touch of moral and aesthetic fitness to the manner of the revelation, it would be found in the reflection, which Dr. Thirtle has brought home to us, that we probably owe it to David’s loving son Hezekiah that these Davidic confessions of Divinely inflicted disease ever saw the light.

When once Hezekiah had himself groaned under a similar Divine infliction—though not perhaps for the like cause—and been again mercifully raised up from his couch of tears, then was prepared a joint-author of psalmody of sufficiently refined and sanctified culture to be entrusted with the delicate task of deciding that these snatches of leper-songs should find place in Temple worship. He, finding the leper-wail of Uzziah in the palace library, could be trusted to find place for it in his gallery of sufferers in Psalms 31, where it could serve to strike a preliminary note and thus prepare us—as the sixth psalm had in a measure prepared us—for the fuller and more personal confessions of the psalm now before us, and then for the further confessions of Psalms 39, in both of which the leper-wail is heard and leper-disfigurement is seen; after which the renewed confessions of Psalms 40, 41, 51 and others no longer surprise us. Henceforth, it may be surmised, we shall handle these reminiscences of an exciting creative age in Israel, with a tender reverence which only a measurably adequate appreciation of their spiritual origin could have inspired. After this, it seems but commonplace to observe, as before noted, that David’s wail over a Divinely inflicted disease, as a direct punishment for his sin, is pointed with a franker and more explicit confession of his transgressions, than are his complaints of the treacherous friends who had now turned against him. Doubtless, it was due to his sin that they were permitted thus to wrong him, and it was well even in this connection, that he should declare his iniquity and be anxious by reason of his sin; but we can well understand that the royal transgressor felt that many of the wounds he was now receiving from his enemies were such as they, at least, had no right to inflict, of which infliction therefore he had good cause to complain. If these things are noted, the psalm will be ready to all the greater and more varied edification. We have only to add that the Chief Musician’s assignment of this pathetic psalm to Jeduthun, as leader of the Male Choir, commends itself as most appropriate, and would probably hold good for the similar psalm that follows.

The Brevity of Life

Psalms 39:1-13

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Psalms 39 is another psalm of David. However, the superscription of the psalm tells us that this psalm is to Jeduthun. We can read a little information about Jeduthun in 1 Chronicles 16:37-42; 1 Chronicles 25:1-8 and 2 Chronicles 5:12; 2 Chronicles 35:15. Perhaps the most information is revealed to us in 1 Chronicles 25:1-8.

“David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who prophesied with lyre, with harps, and with cymbals. The list of those who did the work and of their duties was: Of Jeduthun, the son of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with the lyre in thanksgiving and praise to the Lord” (1 Chronicles 25:1; 1 Chronicles 25:3).

No other information is given to us concerning Jeduthun. From what we read we can determine that Jeduthun and his sons were in charge of the instrumental worship and thanksgiving to the Lord. We are also told that Jeduthun was prophesying through the use of his instrumental talents. We are not told why, yet for some reason of David’s he chooses to dedicate this psalm to Jeduthun.

Many believe that Psalms 39 was written in conjunction with Psalms 38. In Psalms 39 we see David is being struck down for his sins, similarly to what we read in Psalms 38 (Psalms 39:9-11). Therefore, we may see this psalm as a continuation of David’s description from Psalms 38 about the pain of sin.

Wisdom to Muzzle the Tongue (Psalms 39:1-3)

Holding silence

The first three verses explain the circumstances surrounding the psalm. David declares he will guard his ways and hold his tongue so that he will not sin. Something is going on in David’s life that he feels compelled to speak, but will not speak because he does not want to sin with his tongue.

We are not told what the particular circumstance is that is causing David to want to speak. However, we are told the reason he would hold his tongue was because “the wicked are in my presence.” There seem to be two possibilities for why David is refraining from speaking.

David may be refraining because the words he wants to say would be sinful. This seems to be the implication from Psalms 39:1. But David also may be keeping silent because the words he would say would be taken wrong by those around him because those people are wicked. These evil people will not understand what David is trying to say and his words would be used against him by these evil people. This situation reminds us of the agony of Job. Job, in his frustration and suffering, utters words that were taken wrong by his friends and used against him in a series of discourses. Perhaps David does not want this to happen to him.

Self-control

What we must see in David is the great quality of self-control. There are things he desires to say, but he will guard his ways and muzzle his tongue. In the middle of suffering, surrounded by enemies, and feeling the rebuke of sin, David is able to keep control of his tongue so that he will not sin.

David shows us that it is possible, even in the middle of difficult circumstances, to keep our heads about us and do and say what is right. How often we excuse our actions and words because “we are having a bad day.” This is not a justifiable excuse before God. David refuses to suggest he has a right to let his tongue go because of all he is enduring.

Rather than say what should not be said, David keeps silent. But as he is holding his peace, his distress grew worse. David is getting more upset concerning what is taking place with the enemies and the circumstances he is enduring. He says his heart became hot within him and the fire burned (Psalms 39:3). But David does not lash out with his tongue. Notice when silence was not working and he felt like he needed to say something, he talked to God and not those around him.

This is a needed lesson for us today. Too many times we feel that we are compelled to speak. We have the burning in our hearts that David speaks of, and when we feel that fire, we think we must express ourselves. When we feel this way, rather than express ourselves to others, let us speak to God. We need to keep silent and still toward others and speak our minds to the Lord.

Brevity of Life (Psalms 39:4-6)

Life is a breath

David’s problem centers around comprehending the brevity of life. In Psalms 39:4-6 David contemplates the insignificance of our lives in the greater scheme of this world. In Psalms 39:5 David says that our days are a few handbreadths. One handbreadth is the distance of the four fingers together on one’s hand. Therefore, David is saying our days are very short. David further says that a lifetime is nothing is the sight of the eternal God. We are but a shadow and a breath in this world.

Even more interesting is the Hebrew word in Psalms 39:5 translated “breath” in most versions is the same word the Teacher in Ecclesiastes used when he said, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” To speak of life as a breath or a vapor is to understand the vanity in pursuing the things of this world. David is drawing the same conclusion that the Teacher in Ecclesiastes drew: life is meaningless and vanity without God.

James also tried to remind us of the vanity of life in James 4:13-16 : “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.’ Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.”

Recognizing our frailty

How rare it is for us to stop and appreciate the brevity of our lives! We assume that things will continue the way we they are day in and day out. The people in many of the countries on the Indian Ocean assumed it would be another vacation day. Little did anyone know that a cataclysmic tsunami would engulf and kill over 130,000 people. We simply assume that tomorrow will be like today and today will be like yesterday without thought about the brevity of life and that our time is truly a vapor.

David prays that he understand this truth more fully in Psalms 39:4. We need to understand that how fleeting our lives are. We need to understand the measure of our days to be short. We need to appreciate the day and not assume tomorrow is available to us. We leave so much unsaid and undone. How often we see people who have lost loved ones wishing they had another few hours to say or do some final things. They never imagined they would not have time to offer those final important words. They assumed tomorrow would come.

We must seize each day that is given to us. Paul said as much to us in Ephesians 5:16, telling us to “redeem the time, because the days are evil” (NKJV). Other translations help us understand this phrase “redeem the time” by saying, “making the most of every opportunity” (NIV) and “making the best use of the time” (ESV). The pursuit of the things in the world is vanity. We need to pursue the things that are most important: God and our relationships with family and believers.

Turning To God (Psalms 39:7-13)

Disciplined for sin (Psalms 39:7-11)

David now is calling for deliverance from his punishment. David’s hope is in the Lord to help him in his time of suffering. David again speaks about the punishment and suffering he is enduring because of his own sinful activities. Verse 11 strongly makes this point: “you chastise mortals in punishment for sin.”

Often we neglect the possibility that the reason for our suffering is because of our sins. We know there are other reasons for suffering. Job shows us that the suffering he endured came from Satan. Job also shows us that suffering is a testing of faith. But this psalm and the proverbs remind us that our suffering also is because of our own choices. We may not be able to see the direct correlation between our sins and the consequences. In fact, many times the consequences we endure are due to the sins of others. David recognizes that his punishment is due to his own sins.

Discipline is to turn us from the error of our ways. We discipline our children so they will learn what they are to do and what they are not to do. We do not love our children when we refuse to discipline them and teach them about the way of life. In the same way, God must discipline us because he loves us and wants what is best for our lives. Discipline is painful, but necessary to correct us. This very point was what the writer of Hebrews was saying in Hebrews 12:5-11. Discipline is for our own good, to bring us to his holiness (Hebrews 12:10).

Pilgrims in this world (Psalms 39:12-13)

David closes his prayer by recognizing he is a stranger and alien in this world. Our way of living must always reflect that we are children of God and not permanent residents in this world.

Such a thought reminds me of the powerful words the writer of Hebrews expresses concerning the heroes of faith in chapter 11. “All of these died in faith, without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:13-16).

Are we willing to leave this land behind for the heavenly city prepared for those who have given their lives to the Lord? Are we looking forward toward the eternal goal or are we looking backward, missing the ways of this physical world? Our citizenship is to be in heaven and our lifestyle shows if we are citizens of God or citizens of the earth. Let us always desire a better country, seeking a better homeland with the Lord. (NRSV)

PSALM 39

EXPOSITION

The first thing in this psalm to arrest our attention is its likeliness to the previous psalm; and then, the next thing, its unlikeness; which, indeed, is so great as to divert attention from its similarity. To describe this psalm, as some have done, as merely an Elegy on The Vanity of Life, is quite to miss its especial characteristic. First and foremost it is the Wail of one who has been Stricken of God with a plague on account of Transgression. The Vanity of Life is merely the background of the picture, to enhance the pity of it, that one who in any case had but a short life to live should have his comeliness disfigured and his life made shorter still. The plague—probably leprosy—which appeared in Psalms 38, re-appears here in Ph. 39: that is the striking but greatly overlooked fact. As will be seen, the same technical word (nega‘) which was used in Psalms 39:11 of the previous psalm, is again used in Psalms 39:10 of this; and as, there, a descriptive confirmation was found (Psalms 39:10-11) giving unmistakable effect to the suspicious word, so here an equally sure confirmation of it is discovered in the unquestionable allusion to his own marred looks in Psalms 39:11. To catch this reference to his own lamentable bodily condition, is to feel a new point in his plea that he might have declared to him the measure of his days. He already knew the ordinary brevity of human life, and feels it so strongly that he employs it as a refrain; but, for that very reason, he was not likely, in an ordinary way, to make it the point of a special petition. But now, as the case is, he would be glad to know the worst. Hence it can be no longer open to question that, as in the previous psalm, so in this,—the petitioner has fallen under the punitive stroke of Divine displeasure.

It is just when this similarity has been put beyond further question, that our apprehension of the wide contrast between the two psalms becomes keen and inquisitive. Is this another plague-stricken psalmist; or if the same, what has happened to impart such a different tone to his present effusion? The similarity being conceded, the contrast is so great as to become almost startling. There, enemies were in evidence: here, there are none. There, all was excitement and turmoil: here, all is as restful as it is sad. There, no general reflections on the brevity of life were indulged in: here, they abound, and are set forth so forcibly as to mislead the casual reader into the mistake of regarding this composition as a dirge to the note of “Vanity of vanities! all is vanity!” Besides all which, there is a tone of resignation here, and an extreme moderation of request, which are in the greatest contrast with the previous psalm.

How is this contrast to be accounted for? Is the writer of this psalm another man than he that wrote the previous? But for the inscription, we should quite readily have come to that conclusion; and should have unhesitatingly fixed upon the leper-King Uzziah as the probable author. We should have called attention to the probable fact that Uzziah was smitten for life—which would have accounted for his resignation and for his seeming to say: “And if there may be no complete and early removal of the stroke, let there be at least a brightening up before I go hence.” This, too would have given especial point to the seeming apprehension of the sufferer that he might, in his distress be overheard by an attendant apparently sinning with his tongue. The previous psalm, however, warns us against being hasty in concluding against the authorship of David, even here. According to that psalm, his wives withdrew from him, his lovers and friends stood aloof, his neighbours kept at a distance; and, under these circumstances, although David may not have been formally banished to a “several” house like that to which Uzziah had to retire, he may have been confined to his own apartments during his sickness, and may have had ample opportunities to bridle his tongue while uncertain attendants were in his presence. Then, moreover, it must be remembered that sick people are proverbially subject to moody fluctuations—fiery one day; subdued the next; besides which, time works wonders,—by giving space for reflection; and reflection, on a sensitive mind like David’s, may have added to the wonder, by soon transforming the high-spirited and resentful statesman of the 38th psalm, into the resigned and patient moraliser of the 39th; especially may this have in part come about by influences due to changing circumstances in the state: as, for instance, by a recrudescence of the bodily plague, after Absaloms’ rebellion had become a thing of the past, when the sadder but wiser king had ample time and increased motive to dwell, as he had never done, on the vanity of human life. It is, in any case, significant, that, in his pathetic address on the consecration of the offerings for the building of Solomon’s temple as recorded in 1 Chronicles 29:15, the venerable monarch should, in fellowship with his people, have used language precisely similar to that which closes this psalm: language which we shall do well to keep in mind, as suggesting that Messianic hope did not always run high in Israel, and, indeed, by the very reaction of its occasional brilliance was apt to make it appear that only in this life had those ancients hope in Jehovah their God—that they were, indeed, for a brief span, sojourners and settlers with their God in the enjoyment of the good things of his house; and then departed into the land of forgetfulness.

Enduring Through Muddy Times

Psalms 40:1-17

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Psalms 40 is a psalm of David that continues the same line of thinking as Psalms 38, 39. Psalms 40 continues to describe the despair David feels as the result of his own sins.

As we examine this psalm, we will notice a layout that some may consider backward. The first section of the psalm describes God delivering David. The rest of the psalm describes how David was praying for the deliverance before he received it.

Describing God’s Deliverance (Psalms 40:1-3; NIV)

Life in the pits

The first sentence of this psalm shows us that David is practicing what he has been preaching in the past two psalms. David has offered counsel to those in similar circumstances as David to wait for the Lord (Psalms 38:15; Psalms 39:2). David begins this psalm declaring that he is waiting patiently for the Lord. Even though he was being disciplined by the Lord and describing his suffering as receiving blows from a hand, David is patiently waiting for these things to end.

In Psalms 40:2, David brings out some imagery of what it is like to be in sin and paying the punishment for sins. David described it as a “slimy pit,” “mud,” and “mire.” All of us have and will endure times that are truly “the pits,” just as David describes.

Many times we must deal with the pits of sin. We can find ourselves caught in the muddiness of sin. Many times one sin leads to another sin and we have great difficulty trying to extract ourselves from the mire. The help we need is not simply one another, because we are in our own slimy pits of sin. Each of us must call to the Lord for help us out of our mess.

Many times our pit is dealing with failure. If we have set our heart to desire to be like God, it is a devastating thing to continue to fail. We want to do better and we have great intentions to improve our lives, but it just is not working out how we would like. We have all failed. We must bring our failures in life and with God to the Lord.

One of the more difficult pits to extract ourselves from are destructive habits. We have habits that are very difficult to manage and difficult to break. From uncontrolled temper, to alcohol, from laziness toward God to drugs, from patterns of self-pity to sexual sins, we all have to deal with habits that are not acceptable and work to break them. But we need God to help us out of these pits.

Many times the circumstances of our lives are the pits. How many times do we find Paul in terrible circumstances? We read of Paul being beaten, stoned, imprisoned, shipwrecked, persecuted, and finally sacrificed his life before the emperor of Rome. In the midst of all that pain and mess, Paul could say, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).

God can bring us through

Look at what David says God did for him.

(1) He turned and heard my cry,

(2) He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire,

(3) He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand, and

(4) He put a new song in my mouth. Great things can happen in our lives when we put our trust in the Lord.

God will turn to us and hear our pleas when we draw near to him. We have previously noticed in these psalms of David that we must draw near to God for God to draw near to us. As David turns his cries to the Lord, the Lord responds by turning to David, noticing his plight and hearing his cry. But more important, God can do something about our lives. He can change our circumstances. He can take the mud of our sinful clothes and give us holy, white robes. He can be the replacement to help us overcome our destructive habits. We underestimate the impact that God can make in our lives.

Not only can God get us through, God can make things better than they were before. He has the ability to help us become better people, living in better circumstances, and giving the stability to our lives that we yearn for daily. We will be able to sing the new song of victory when God lifts us up. The problem, I believe, is that we do not believe God is this active in our lives. We have the tendency to think God cannot make these radical changes in our lives. But David is telling us it happened to him and it can happen to us.

Praising God’s Goodness (Psalms 40:4-10; ESV)

Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord

David describes to us the great blessings of having a right relationship with God and putting our trust in God. David declares that he is able to put his trust in the Lord because of the great works that God has done in the past. Psalms 40:5 says, “The things you planned for us no one can recount to you” (NIV). Some versions say, “You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you” (ESV). The implication is that all that God has done for us is so numerous that no one could remotely recount it all. Psalms 40:5 concludes, “they would be too many to declare.”

Keeping this in mind can certainly help us get through the times when we are in the slimy pit. We must remember that God has carried us through other terrible circumstances. It may not have been easy, but we made it because the Lord was there for us. God can get us through the pits of life today as well as he could in the past.

Further, what God desires of us is not mere deeds. David declares to the Lord, “Sacrifice and offering you have not desired.” However, we know that God commanded sacrifices and offerings be made to the Lord. David is trying to tell us that doing good deeds does not appease God. Good actions are not what God is looking for. First, good actions do not take care of our sins. God does not desire good deeds when we have violated His law. Second, these acts toward God are not the full requirements of God, according to Psalms 40:6. Rather, God wants us to desire to do His will and have His law in our hearts (Psalms 40:8).

Application to the work of Christ (Hebrews 10:5-10)

Perhaps of greater interest is this section of scripture is quoted by the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 10:5-10 and applied to Jesus. Verses 5-7 are the quotation from Psalms 40 : “Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”

Our first point of interest in the quotation is that the writer of Hebrews states the quotation as Christ speaking these words, not David. Therefore, either David was prophesying and not speaking of himself in Psalms 40, or the writer of Hebrews by inspiration applies David’s words to Christ also.

The writer of Hebrews now explains how these words apply to Jesus: “When he said above, ‘You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings’ (these are offered according to the law), then he added, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will.’ He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:8-10).

The writer of Hebrews continues to refer these words as spoken by Jesus himself. After saying that God did not desire sacrifices and offerings, Jesus says that he came to this earth to do the will of God. What did Christ come to do? The scripture says He came to abolish the first in order to establish the second. Abolish the first what and establish the second what? Verse 10 says that it is by the second will that we have been sanctified. The writer of Hebrews is talking about wills, or covenants. In our day, we would call this a “last will and testament.” Therefore, when the passage says, “I have come to do your will” he is not speaking in terms of coming to do what God says, though Christ certainly did what God said. But that is not the point. When it says that he came to do God’s will, it is speaking about God’s covenant or testament. Christ came to fulfill or complete God’s covenant.

Now the writer of Hebrews explains what it means for Christ to fulfill God’s will (covenant). Christ took away the first will (covenant) and established a second will (covenant). It is through this second will (covenant) that we are sanctified (made holy) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ.

In quoting Psalms 40, the writer of Hebrews has made two important points. First, the blood of animals does not take away sins. If they had, God would desire sacrifice and burnt offerings. But these requirements of the law do not take away sins. Second, by Christ fulfilling the law, he was able to set aside the first covenant with its condemnation for our sins and establish a new covenant that does take away our sins (sanctifies us). The old covenant sacrifices did not take care of our sins nor the reminder of guilt caused by the sacrifices. But the sacrifice of Jesus Christ removes our sins and our guilt away from us. This is one of the great blessings we miss in this text. The blood of Christ takes away the reminder of sin because our sins have been fully dealt with by Christ and we are now sanctified. How great it is to be washed in the blood of the Lamb!

Praying For Forgiveness and Deliverance (Psalms 40:11-17; NIV)

Needing God’s love and mercy

David continues his cry to the Lord by declaring his need for God’s mercy, love, and truth to always be around him. Some commentators have trouble seeing the connection between the last section of this psalm and these final verses. However, I believe the quotation from the writer of Hebrews has opened our eyes to what David needs.

Psalms 40:12 shows the connection: “For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me.” David needs forgiveness for all his sins. David realizes, however, that the sacrifices and burnt offerings are not going to remove his sins from him. Thus, David said earlier in this psalm, “Sacrifices and offerings you did not desire…burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.”

David sees his need for God to take care of his sins. Is it any wonder that the Lord declares David to be a man after his own heart? Clearly this was one of the reasons why David was a man after God’s own heart. David understood that sacrifices were not going to be enough. David understood that there was nothing he could do to remove the stain of sin that were on his hands. Further, David understood that he was deserving of the just punishment for his sins.

We must see that we have the same need as David. We need to see that there is nothing we can do for our sins. We must see that we cannot remove the stain of sins that is on us. We can do good deeds, be good moral people, and have changed lives, but that does not remove our sins. This is the point Paul made in Ephesians 2:5 when he told those Christians “by grace you have been saved.” Paul said it again to the Ephesians three verses later in Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Rejoicing in our salvation

“May those who love your salvation always say, ‘The Lord be exalted.’” We must always see that our lives are continually in a slimy, muddy pit. But God has lifted us out of that mire, set us on stable ground, and made us victorious.

Let us never take for granted the salvation we have in the Lord. Let us always be mindful and thankful for the forgiveness of sins that has been extended to us despite our sins. Let us never be like the Jews we read about in the days of Jesus who assumed that they had done something special that God took notice of them over others.

“So do not become proud, but stand in awe. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you too will be cut off” (Romans 11:20-22).

PSALM 40

EXPOSITION

Not only is there no sufficient internal evidence to throw doubt upon the Davidic authorship of this psalm; but the assumption of the correctness of the superscription By David probably leads to a clearer insight into the bearing of the different parts, and a firmer grasp of the unity of the whole, than can by any other means be obtained. Who ever waited more intently for anything than David for the kingship of Israel? How could more suitable images be found to picture the trials through which he had to pass on his way to the kingdom, when endlessly harassed by King Saul, than those of the swampy mire and the engulfing pit? How can be better represent the completeness of his deliverance from these trying delays, than to represent him as having his feet at length set high upon a cliff and a new song put into his mouth,—his exaltation being seen and known of all men? Moreover the very figures employed strongly remind us of David’s great song preserved in Psalms 18. Assuredly David could speak from experience of the happiness of trusting in Jehovah—he never turned aside to the vanities and falsehood of idolatry; and, when once finally delivered, how many things had he to tell of signal mercies in the past—things already done,—and wonderful plans yet to be carried forward into fulfilment! It is, however, when we reach the stanza (III.) regarding sacrifices, that we are most impressed. It was on this rock of sacrifice, that David’s predecessor Saul struck his foot to his grievous injury: he could not trust Jehovah’s will as prophetically made known to him through Samuel, and so he took the priestly law into his own hand, and brought on himself the severe reprimand of Samuel:—

Doth that which is pleasing unto Jehovah consist in

ascending-offerings and sacrifices,

So much as in hearkening unto the voice of Jehovah?

Lo! to hearken is better than sacrifice,

And to give heed, than the fat of rams.

We must surely be short-sighted not to discover in these ringing tones of remonstrance the very motif of the stanza before us: the Which, indeed, sounds like a glorified revulsion from the sin of Saul. For a king after his own heart, Jehovah has other and nobler work to do, than the slaughter of animals in ritual worship. He has to set before priests and people the sublimer example of loving Jehovah’s will supremely, and doing it; delighting in it, embedding it in his deepest affections, and heralding the good-tidings of it to such a large assembly as a king could easily command, whether at Hebron or at Jerusalem. This, indeed, had been prescribed to him in the written scroll: how he was to write out the law, that he might have it ever by him, and read therein daily, and revere Jehovah his God, and keep his statutes, and not be lifted up above his brethren (Deuteronomy 17:18-20); and now he solemnly covenants that he will do it—that it will be his delight to do it; yea, moreover, he proclaims his delight in an assembly so large, that those who cannot hear his voice may at least witness the movements of his covenanting lips—Behold my lips! Moreover, the very righteousness which he pledges himself to proclaim is glorified on his covenanting lips; for it is no longer merely the obedience of Israel to the law, but the faithfulness of God to Israel. First and foremost, it is Jehovah’s faithfulness to himself, in giving him the kingship at last, after so long keeping him waiting for it. And so law is turned into Gospel: David declares that the righteousness which he will herald, will be good-tidings. And so it will; and therefore his eagerness to proclaim it overflows into another stanza: that he may call Jehovah to witness that he will not conceal such a righteousness as falls nothing short of kindness, faithfulness and salvation. Sure the singer is: That if he withhold not his testimony to Jehovah’s law and providence, so neither will Jehovah withhold his compassions, his kindness, his truth, his preservation. And if that does not amount to a Coronation Oath and a Kingly Covenant,—we may boldly ask what would. And before a large assembly too!

Thus freely have we woven into our Exposition the word covenant as shrewdly conjectured by Dr. Briggs to have been the word originally employed by the psalmist in the place where now the M.T. and the Sep. unfortunately differ; and, indeed, when the consonants of krth and brth (which are in question in the doubtful place in the text), are compared in Hebrew as coming extremely near to each other, there need be little surprise felt that such a transcriptional error should have crept in. At any rate, the word covenant bids fair to fill so effectively the place here assigned it, that still another covenant strain of thought is now in addition suggested, as extremely pertinent to this very juncture in David’s life and this precise place in his writings: then had I a covenant. When David came to the throne, then was granted to him the covenant concerning his seed—reaching out to and including the Messiah—which the prophet Nathan propounded according to 2 Samuel 7. As much as to say: The grand purpose of Jehovah, even in ordaining sacrifices, being to educate Israel to love and practise his will; and then, in providing an approved King, his purpose being still the same; there was vouchsafed to that King the covenant to bring forth out of his family the Messiah, who should still further throw animal sacrifices into the shade, and still further commend and advance the grand principle of doing and delighting in Jehovah’s will, as his people’s highest satisfaction and blessedness. So much for the first Part of our psalm.

Turning now to the second Part (Psalms 40:12), which we have not hesitated to call a mere fragment,—it is obvious to observe what an important fragment it is, and what an essential link it furnishes in any comprehensive survey of David’s reign. Misfortunes closed in upon him, even after he had become Israel’s king:—wherefore? Alas! his iniquities overtook him; and the sad fact was that he had committed them. And they dimmed his spiritual vision—he could not see. It may be, that the larger offences brought to mind the smaller which had opened the door to the larger; and were in turn followed by the smaller though very grievous sins of persistence, impenitence, denial, prevarication, hardness of heart, disparagement of spiritual blessedness; until at length, now that remorse is setting in, they appear more numerous than the hairs of his head. And when to all things else the humbled man adds his confession that his heart failed him, we are probably to understand—not merely that his courage failed him, which may very well have been included, but—that his mental powers failed him, for such is the comprehensiveness of the Hebrew word for heart. And, perhaps, it is precisely to this dimming of spiritual vision, this failure of mental power, that we are to attribute that spiritual vacillation—that failure to hold steadfastly to Messianic hopes—which at the close of Psalms 39 struck us as so remarkable.

Happily, the humbled and forgiven soul returns to its God; and though troubles abound, and enemies appear, and base souls point the tongue and finger of scorn at the late offending monarch, yet prayer is once more brought into active exercise; and if there are men who rejoice in iniquity, there are also men who sympathisingly rejoice in the truth: the scoffers may, to their shame, cry “Aha! Aha!”; but the godly and considerate exclaim, to the increase of holy joy, Jehovah be magnified! And so the humbled and needy king is encouraged to seek with new faith and hope for speedy help from the God of his salvation. Satisfactory as it thus appears to trace each successive part of the psalm to David’s own composing, it is by no means certain that David himself brought them together into one psalm as they now appear. In fact the selection of the pieces for permanent Temple worship, and the welding them into one, seem naturally to fall to Hezekiah, whose practised judgment would on the one hand suggest that Parts I. and III. required Part II. to unite them; and on the other hand recommend the detachment of Part III. as now Psalms 70 for occasional separate use.

Have Mercy On Me

Psalms 41:1-13

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Psalms 41 closes the first book of the psalms and is penned by David. As we have noted in the previous few psalms, Psalms 38, 39, , 40 all seem to be written during the same time of circumstances in David’s life. All of these psalms describing bearing punishment from the Lord for personal sins committed. Psalms 41 continues this theme as seen in Psalms 41:4, “I said, ‘O Lord, have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you.’”

As we read this psalm, David will describe for us more actions we need to take when we find ourselves in sin. After describing more actions required of us by the Lord, David will then describe the confidence we can have, though sinners, in the presence of the Lord.

Blessed Is He Who Has Regard For the Weak (Psalms 41:1-3)

The commands of God

In his sorrowful state of being punished for sins, David describes the character of the one who is blessed. David begins this psalm by instructing the worshippers to think about others in the time of trouble. “Blessed is he who has regard for the weak.”

What a fascinating statement to make in the midst of the suffering David is enduring! How often we forget to look to the needs of others when we are in the midst of suffering! It is rare for us to not dwell upon our own difficulties. David tells us to have regard for the weak and care for them.

I hope we can see why this is useful for us. Becoming centered upon our own problems and suffering only continues to plunge us into deeper depression and self-pity. Too often we participate in what I call “one-upping.” If you say you have been suffering, I have a story to show you I have it worse. Something happened to you, then you need to hear about what happened to me. Rather than having regard for the weak, we try to tell them that we have it worse than they do. Instead of making people look to us, we need to listen and help those who are in times of trouble.

The rewards of God

David expresses the numerous rewards the Lord gives to those who show this concern for the weak. Notice the six acts of God toward those who have regard for the weak: (1) delivered, (2) protected/preserved, (3) blessed, (4) not abandoned, (5) sustained, and (6) restored.

These are words of great confidence and remind that God is always with us when we are serving the Lord. Even when the times are extremely dire, David expresses a continued hope in the Lord despite the circumstances. Notice David’s words in Psalms 41:3, “The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness.” The scriptures record many instances of people whose continued faith in the Lord was answered by God that they could overcome those dire circumstances. Hezekiah prayed concerning his fatal illness and was healed. Daniel and his three friends were delivered from their ordeals of the lion’s den and the fiery furnace. Esther and the Jewish people were delivered by God. We have a song “Our God Is Able To Deliver Thee.”

2 Peter 2:5-9 is our confidence that God can deliver us. After counting the deliverance of Noah from the flood and Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, God makes us this promise: “So the Lord knows how to save those who serve him when troubles come” (2 Peter 2:9). We must have a confidence that God can deliver us through any circumstance, just as we see this kind of faith in the heroes of the scriptures.

God Shows Mercy (Psalms 41:4-10)

David’s torment

David describes how bad it is in his life at this moment. David declares that the enemies speak about him in malice, hoping for the day he dies. Others come to him and speak falsely, slandering his reputation. All of his enemies whisper against him, imagining the worst for him. They say that David will never recover from the disease he has. Even his close friends, those whom he trusted, have betrayed him.

What a terrible situation to be found in! Everyone seems to be against David. Many are slandering him and speaking lies about him. Everyone wants to see the worst happen against him. Worst yet, even those in whom he trust and befriended have turned against him. In the midst of all of this turmoil, David calls out to God for mercy (Psalms 41:4; Psalms 41:10).

New Testament fulfillment

Perhaps you recall that you have read these words in the New Testament as well. Understanding the difficult circumstances of David brings to light the quotation used concerning Judas toward Jesus. “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: ‘He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.’” In John 13:26 Jesus reveals that Judas is the one who has lifted his heel against Jesus.

Now when we read these words in John 13:18 we have a much better understanding of what Jesus means when he says these words. Now we see why the disciples are shocked and want to know who is the one who has lifted his heel against Jesus. But this quotation draws from the scene of David’s life in Psalms 41.

The whole quotation is “Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.” We probably have underemphasized the significance of Judas betraying Jesus. We typically think of Judas as a rogue apostle that no one liked who was an outcast from the beginning. But the prophecy shows that Jesus and Judas were close, as we would expect all of the twelve to be extremely close friends with Jesus. Further, David’s words also predict the way Jesus would show who was the betrayer by sharing bread in the final meal with the twelve.

Further, as we reread this prophecy looking through the lens of messianic foretelling, we are able to truly see the circumstances of Jesus’ life just before his arrest and death. There is no doubt David is speaking of himself in this psalm as he describes that he has sinned. This certainly cannot be applied to Jesus. But the circumstances are very similar as we read about the enemies desiring Jesus’ death and conspiring to kill him. Then, to reveal that the one who would bring about Jesus’ death was a close friend, one of the chosen apostles, is a stunning revelation to the apostles.

But Psalms 41:10 seems to be almost certainly messianic. “But you, O Lord, have mercy on me; raise me up, that I may repay them.” As I originally read this verse, it did not seem to make any sense. We have repeatedly noticed how David always relied upon God to repay his enemies. This verse, however, suggests that David himself wants to repay his enemies, unless this is also part of the messianic prophecy. In view of Christ, a day before his death, Jesus prays for mercy, to be raised up, and to repay his enemies. This repayment was repeated on numerous occasions to those who were putting him to death. Mark 14:62 records one instance: “‘I am,’ said Jesus. ‘And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.’” Speaking about the coming destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus said: “At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27).

“You Are Pleased With Me” (Psalms 41:11-13)

David’s great confidence

“I know that you are pleased with me.” I am encouraged by these words. In the midst of David’s suffering, with his enemies who desire his death, David is able to realize that God is still with him and pleased with him. David says that he is in the presence of the Lord. We have to maintain our faith and confidence despite the circumstances we face in life.

Too often life’s trials cause us to doubt the existence of God, the favor of God, or the love of God toward us. I recently had a conversation with someone who claimed they had lost their faith in God because of the difficult circumstances the person was facing. In fact, the person had no trouble saying that God was to blame.

But how can we think in such ways? Do we really think that God does not care about us any more. Do we really think that God has decided to turn his back on us now, after already giving his Son for our sins to save our souls? The idea does not make any sense, yet how often men and women buy into these lies of Satan.

Praise be to the Lord

Rather than not believing and trusting in God, we need to continue praising God, as David does despite his suffering. Job leaves us an excellent example of living a life of integrity. For God to be pleased with us, we must also live lives filled with integrity even during our darkest times. Satan is attempting to strip us away from God. We cannot allow Satan to win.

God is watching to see how we deal with the tribulations of life. It is easy to serve when God seems to be acting favorably toward us. The great challenge of life is to maintain our faith in the midst of great despair. Yet this was Job’s test. This was David’s test. This is our test.

PSALM 41

EXPOSITION

By substituting the word “helpless” for “poor” in the first line of this psalm, we at once obviate the appearance of self-righteousness, which would have been seen and been in no wise welcome as a commencement to the psalm. It would have appeared to say, “I have always been considerate of the ‘poor,’ and therefore might have hoped for better treatment than I am receiving.” The word “poor” would have seemed to refer to others than himself, and so the line would have looked like sounding his own praise. But the moment we substitute the equally correct rendering “helpless,” then we detect a pathetic reference to himself as confessedly in a deplorably “helpless” bodily condition, and can credit the psalmist with a genuine feeling of regret that he had not received such commiseration under his “stroke” as would have called forth from him the blessings on his comforters which in this stanza he amplifies.

It must be admitted, however, that although this corrected keynote seems well fitted to introduce the psalm, yet the sound of the keynote appears rather muffled by lines 4 and 6; because line 4 sounds like a wish weakly inserted amidst assurances strong enough to bear out the initial exclamation “How happy:” “How happy—because Jehovah will deliver him,” &c., &c. Line 6 seems to disturb the stanza for an opposite reason: it is too strong: it is too much an announcement of prayer already answered: as a further reason for felicitating the considerate man it equally disturbs the stanza. One has only to think of Hezekiah as adapting the psalm to his own circumstances, and interpolating first line 4, and then, after his recovery, adding line 6,—to feel how naturally these disturbances might have occurred, and yet how unspeakably too precious they are to be removed for mere symmetrical reasons.

The emphasis on the pronoun “I” at the head of Psalms 41:4 has, after the foregoing introduction, a welcome effect. It appears to stand out in anticipatory contrast with what his enemies have to say, as recorded in the following verse: as much as to imply—“Whatever mine enemies have to say about me, what before thee, O Jehovah, I have to say of myself, is this, That I have sinned, and implore the healing which thou alone canst bestow.” This, indeed, is a welcome note to catch from the psalmist. His sin has many times of late come before us, and it materially contributes to our edification to observe that, however naturally he resents blows from enemies and friends which they might have spared him, yet at the same time, before God there is no equivocation, no sparing of himself. Before Jehovah, he lies in the dust crying for mercy.

The picture given of the visits of perfidious enemies coming to visit the psalmist with hypocritical professions of friendship on their lips, their malicious eyes closely noting everything that might be construed to the Royal Sufferer’s disadvantage, and then their lips divulging every damaging appearance and incident to those outside waiting for the verdict,—is far too lifelike to need much comment. That a trusted counsellor—for doubtless it was Ahithophel—should have given his late Master an insidious blow—this was one of the hardest things to bear; and the thing which most tended to make David, as shamefully betrayed, a type of his Son and Lord (John 13:18; John 17:12).

We should be glad to think, with Dr. Briggs, that the purpose of retaliation expressed in Psalms 41:11 was an interpolation; but there is just enough reason to suppose that, in his public capacity, David felt compelled to punish so glaring an offence, to make us hesitate to omit a clause which the ancient versions with the Massoretic text retain; and therefore we are content to remind ourselves that we may not curse, but must overcome evil with good!

Before closing our comments on this series of psalms, satisfaction may be expressed that so able an expositor as Kirkpatrick admits how weak are the objections which can be urged against the belief that King David really did suffer the terrible infliction of bodily disease which sufficiently comes to light in these psalms. He says: “It is true that the narrative in 2 Samuel makes no reference to an illness such as here described; but that narrative necessarily passes over many details. Such an illness would account for the remissness in attending to his official duties, which Absalom’s words to the suitors for justice seemed to imply (2 Samuel 15:3). It would account also for the strange failure of David’s natural courage which his flight from Jerusalem at the first outbreak of the rebellion appears to indicate. Unnerved by sickness, in which he recognized a just punishment for his sins, David watched the growing disloyalty of his courtiers, and in particular of Ahithophel, without feeling able to strike and crush the conspiracy before it came to a head. Compare generally Psalms 55.” Compare, further, the “Exposition” of Psalms 38, ante.

In a word, it is impossible to overestimate the moral gain to revealed truth rendered by restoring David to his proper place in these penitential psalms. Every one knows how grievously David sinned: nothing can blot out the sad story from the historical records of the time. Let everyone equally know how ignominiously he suffered; how severely he had to be chastised before he repented. Let us be permitted in these psalms to hear his groans, not indeed to our pleasure, but to our lasting profit. Our honour—the honour of our God—the honour of the whole history of Redemption—is bound up with the sincerity of David’s repentance. Grant us, then, the melancholy and yet salutary opportunity of becoming witnesses to its genuineness and its depth. There is no gain, but much loss, to be had by transferring these penitential psalms bodily to the nation, as their primary subject. And therefore we hope that those critics who have been teaching us to date their origin in and after the exile, will show willingness to revise their conclusions; will not only admit how greatly transmissional and historical evidence is against them, but also how strongly exegetical considerations appeal to us to find their authors in men whom we know, and in occasions clearly indicated for us by evidence which can be no longer overlooked.

Looking Up When Feeling Down

Psalms 42:1 to Psalms 43:5

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Psalms 42 begins a new book in the psalms. For the first time we are told a psalm is written by a different author than David. The sons of Korah penned this psalm and few of the other psalms found in Book 2.

We are going to study this psalm in connection with Psalms 43. I believe that Psalms 42 and Psalms 43 were originally one psalm containing the same theme. There are at least three reasons why we can assume Psalms 42, 43 were originally joined together. (1) There are a number of ancient manuscripts that have both of these psalms as just one continuous psalm. (2) Psalms 43 has no title for it. All of the psalms in Book 2 have a title assigned to them except Psalms 43, making it more likely that it was connected to Psalms 42. (3) The repeated refrains are found in both Psalms 42 and Psalms 43. “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in the God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” This refrain is found in Psalms 42:5; Psalms 42:11, and Psalms 43:5, which is equal distant throughout both the psalms.

Longing to Meet God (Psalms 42:1-5)

Thirsting for the living God

The scriptures will use creation as a teaching tool for our lives. The proverbs tell the person to “go to the ant” and “learn from the sloth.” In Psalms 42, we are learning from the deer’s thirst for water. This visually helps us understand the zeal and longing that we are to have for the Lord. Just as a deer needs the streams of waters for survival and pants for those refreshing waters, so also our souls should long for God. The thirst is so strong that the psalmist asks when he can go and meet with God.

Testing our thirst is one of the best test we can perform on our hearts to determine our love for God. Do we thirst to talk about spiritual things? Do we thirst to study God’s revealed word? Do we thirst to worship the Lord? Do we thirst to study the word with other disciples? Do we have the thirst that causes us to ask “When can I go and meet with God?”

This is exactly what the Lord meant when he told the Pharisees to learn what “I desire mercy and not sacrifice” meant (Matthew 9:13). The question is not if we are showing up, but if we want to show up. The question is not if we are just reading, but if we want to read and study. Have we developed a thirst for the things of God?

Now we must realize that we cannot have a thirst without trying something first. I do not have a strong thirst for potato chips until after I have had the first one. I do not have a strong thirst for popcorn until I have had the first kernel. The thirst dies the longer we remove ourselves away from a particular action.

Further, thirsting for the living God only begins when we realize that it is a matter of our own soul’s life and death. Just as the deer requires water for life and therefore thirsts for it, so also we will thirst for the living waters of God if we will see its need.

The psalmist’s desire is so strong that he wants to “meet with God.” It is not enough to go and worship for God. Nor is it enough to have a longing for the Lord. The thirst can only be quenched when he goes to meet God. This is the drive and goal of life. The psalmist wants to experience God, be with God, and spend time with God. The psalmist does not see worship, knowledge, and reading as God’s rules to keep. Rather, the psalmist realizes that worship, knowledge, and reading are the ways to be with God. These are the only ways to get to know and experience God until we can see him face to face.

We also must see that this thirst is sustained even through his personal times of oppression and skepticism. We see the psalmist’s pain in the words, “My tears have been my food day and night.” We also see the scorn the psalmist is enduring as others say to him all day long “Where is your God?” He is remembering the good times with God and continues to thirst for God even though he is enduring an undisclosed oppression.

The need for self-talk

I have told this to many people in my efforts to help others deal with their emotions and now I see the scriptural foundation for this advice in this psalm. We have to talk to ourselves when we are enduring oppression, suffering, or begin to be skeptical of what God is doing for us. Notice how the psalmist talks to himself, “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?“

The psalmist is speaking to his emotions. He is not allowing his emotions to dictate his mind. He is going to keep his feelings in check, realizing that he must keep his hope in the Lord. This is absolutely critical for us to understand and commit ourselves to do in the midst of trouble. We cannot allow our emotions to get the best of us and control our lives. We cannot allow our actions and rationale be dictated by how we feel. To be governed by our feelings and emotions is spiritual suicide and makes us an emotional disaster. The psalmist is telling us that we have to talk ourselves through many of the hard times of life. The next section of the psalm describes for us how bad things have been for him.

Overwhelmed and Forgotten (Psalms 42:6-11)

The downcast soul

Consider the feelings of the psalmist: his soul is downcast and the waves have swept over him. He cries out to God “Why have your forgotten me?” He is oppressed by his enemies and, in the midst of his suffering, is enduring the taunting words of his foes. The enemies continue to say to him, “Where is your God?“

Does this sound familiar to your soul? Have you ever experienced these feelings? Have you ever been overcome by these emotions? The psalmist is not speaking from his ivory tower, declaring to us all what we ought to do. Rather, the psalmist is speaking from experience and is teaching us by telling us about his life and how he got through his difficulties. Life is not easy when we feel overwhelmed and forgotten. Life is hard when we feel that God has completely forgotten about us while being struck down by others. What should we do in the midst of these feelings?

Lift yourself up!

The psalmist again addresses his soul. I would like to focus on the next statement in this repeated refrain, “Put your hope in God.” The psalmist is reminding himself to put his hope and trust in the Lord. When are backs are to the wall and things do not seem to be working out the way we expected, it is time to repeatedly tell ourselves to put our trust in God.

The repetition of the phrase should tell us that it is not going to be enough to tell ourselves to trust God once. We have to keep reminding ourselves of this! Things will not go according to plan and how we deal with it is a test to our ability to trust in the Lord.

Plea For Rescue (Psalms 43:1-5)

Give me guidance

The psalmist now asks for vindication. Evil surrounds him in the midst of his suffering. He further states that God has been his stronghold and strength and does not understand why it seems that God has rejected him.

Rather than keeping his focus on himself, he turns his attention to the Lord. The psalmist calls to God to send forth “your light and your truth” and “let them guide me.” The psalmist offers a beautiful call of dependence upon God to guide him through his turmoil. It is always important for us to keep our eyes on God during our troubles. Rather than allow our emotions to spin us into despair, we must keep our eyes heavenward awaiting God’s deliverance.

I will yet praise Him

Perhaps the most fascinating part of this psalm is the ending. The psalmist declares that even though he does not understand and feels rejected and oppressed, he will continue to praise God. God is his joy and his delight (Psalms 43:4). When God is what really matters in life, then we may lose the things of this world but we will always have what is most important and what brings us lasting joy: God.

The psalm concludes with the same refrain of self-talk. “For I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” We must tell ourselves what is most important. When the going in our lives do get tough, we have to be tough with ourselves to get through our misery. Our emotions will lead us into self-pity and agony. Keeping our eyes on what matters will help us endure till our suffering ends.

Conclusion:

God has called us to pick ourselves up in times of trouble. I believe this is the point of the thrice repeated refrain “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” To get through the turmoil, we need God. While we wait for God, we cannot allow our emotions to spin out of control and rule our lives. Nor should we sit back and expect everyone to come rushing to our aid. We are to pull ourselves up and endure. God will get us through.

PSALM 42-43

(Psalms 42:1 to Psalms 43:5)

EXPOSITION

The crowning feature of this (double) psalm is its lofty and intense spirituality: A soul athirst for God; moved by strong desire for fellowship with God—to be conscious of his nearness, to be face to face with him; assured that such a realisation will be as satisfying as for a thirsty animal to drink of the cooling stream.

The next thing noticeable in this (double) psalm, is the beauty of its form—in three stanzas, each with a refrain repeated in identical words; and easily detected when this structure is observed, a gradual advance from sheer sorrow, to circumspect petition, and then to bold entreaty.

Perhaps the third thing to arrest our attention is, the psychological wonder of a Sufferer striving to master his sorrow and to rise above it.

Probably the surest way to observe these three leading features with interest and profit is to institute an investigation into the probable authorship of the psalm.

David has been thought of: though we are no longer under any obligation to presuppose that he wrote it, inasmuch as this psalm is really an “orphan” psalm, since undoubtedly “the sons of korah” were singers, or a class of singers, and not authors. Nevertheless, it is an interesting fact, that David has been regarded as the probable writer of this pathetic composition; several circumstances combining to give this hypothesis an air of probability—chiefly his intense love for the worship of Jehovah’s house in Jerusalem, and his flight from the holy city on occasion of Absalom’s rebellion. That David crossed over the Jordan, and then turned north, ascending the high lands of Gilead as far as Mahanaim, and so came into full view of Mount Hermon on the north is another circumstance rather favourable to this conclusion. The objections to this view are: first, That, even so, David did not go far enough north to get among the “waterfalls” of the Upper Jordan; and, second, That he was surrounded by faithful friends, all the time, and not by enemies who would keep mocking him with the taunt, “Where is thy God?”—to which we may add, third, That, formidable as was Absalom’s rebellion, David would scarcely refer to it as “the oppression of an enemy.” These considerations preclude our deciding for David. Some would add, that the very absence of David’s name from the head of the psalm should, among other reasons, count for something, why David could not have penned this psalm,—seeing the many evidences of care to place his name wherever it had any right to stand.

Under these circumstances, some have thought of an unknown Levite as author, on account of the memory, so vividly preserved by the writer, of having headed processions to the Temple in happier days. This conjecture has little else to support it; and, in Short, it can scarcely be said that any Levite occupied so important and central a position as this psalm requires. The desperate suggestion that this psalm may have been written by King Jehbiachin on his way to Babylon, may safely be dismissed; since the writer, at any rate, hoped soon to return to the holy city; and we must not go out of our way to court failure for the hope of the psalm.

It is time to say: That for no man, as author of this psalm, can such numerous and strong reasons be advanced as for King Hezekiah, notwithstanding one or two apparent reasons to the contrary. Let us look at the reasons for and against.

In favour of this conclusion the following weighty reasons may be alleged:—First, the writer appears to be suffering from two chief causes: one personal to himself, and one of a more public character. He is apparently suffering from some personal disease, which amounts to a disfigurement of his face or disablement of his person. Hence the force of his description of God as the health of his countenance; or the salvation of his person, or the triumph of his presence. And then there is an enemy, under whose oppression he has to groan, whose taunts he has to bear. Now the significant thing is: That in Hezekiah both these causes of suffering met: He was struck for death with leprosy, and the Assyrian army was at the gate of Jerusalem:—the Assyrian, a mighty and oppressive nation indeed—well answering to the description, “A nation without kindness,” whose foul-mouthed representative the villain Rabshakeh was, who mercilessly hurled his taunts against Hezekiah, and deceitfully perverted facts to degrade Hezekiah in the eyes of his own people. To these leading reasons in favour of the authorship of Hezekiah, there are several others to be added: Such as his “tears”—mentioned here, and mentioned in the history; his “lyre”—of which also we read both here and in the history; his enthusiastic participation in the worship of the Temple, in reference to which it may safely be said that the very word in the 4th verse (of Psalms 42) “passed over” or “crossed over” is exquisitely adapted to describe the king’s procession from the Royal Palace to the Temple, since there was a splendid viaduct connecting the two. It is extremely unlikely that such a combination of reasons for any other author can be found.

The one objection that may be urged can easily be obviated. The writer, it may be said, was not merely a “debarred” worshipper but a banished worshipper; since he prays to be led back into the holy mountain, proving that he was away from Jerusalem. Standing alone, that objection might have been plausible, though not conclusive; seeing that the language is perfectly consistent with mere enforced banishment from Mount Moriah—“the mountain of the house” (Cp. 2 Chronicles 3:1; 2 Chronicles 35:15, Isaiah 2:2; Isaiah 30:29, Jeremiah 26:18, Micah 3:12), and we know that Hezekiah regarded it as an ascent to visit Jehovah’s temple (Isaiah 38:22). From that holy place, while his plague was upon him, he was debarred. Perhaps a still stronger objection to the claims of Hezekiah to be regarded as the author of this psalm, will be framed upon the assumption that the writer was far away from Jerusalem when he penned it—that, in fact, he was still among the waterfalls of the upper Jordan. But this assumption is quite to mistake that allusion—quite to lose grip of the fact that that allusion was a memory; a memory not recalled while he was in the north, but a memory of a thrilling experience which befell him when he was in the north. To be sure of this, we have only to adhere to an accurate rendering of Psalms 42:6 : “Over myself—over my own deplorable bodily condition, my soul keeps despairing—keeps falling into fits of despondency: therefore—because of this, that I may repress altogether this tendency to hopelessness, I will remember—I will recall an incident which befell me when I was a young man visiting the Upper Jordan: I will remember thee—in thy ‘marvellous kindness’ which was then ‘made wonderful to me’ by rescuing me from drowning in the rapids of the Upper Jordan. A storm came on; the waters, rolling down the mountain sides, caused a ‘spate’; the waterfalls were roused to activity; the lakes into which their waters descended answered to each other, deep calling unto deep. I was in personal peril, all thy breakers and thy billows passed over me—all seemed lost, when I found myself landed on a cliff; the flood that engulfed me, saved me, it carried me to a safe spot—my feet were on a rock: the waters abated, and I was saved! Yea, O my Cliff, O thou God of my life, the gladdener of my youthful days,—thus will I remember thee, and fortify myself against these fits of despondency.” The beauty of the poet’s picturesque reference can with difficulty be suppressed, however slovenly the translator’s’ rendering, however dull the expositor’s imagination. Nevertheless, it may perhaps be remarked, without presumption, that, for lack of a correct historical point of observation, the psalmist’s graphic allusion has been deplorably enfeebled. The words have been inexactly rendered; the incident has been represented as part fact and part figure, to the enfeebling of both, instead of being first taken as a connected whole in its literal completeness, and then employed as a whole in its metaphorical application to the sufferer’s now present bodily condition—as by no means excluding hope; the preposition mem, “from,” has been assumed to bind the writer to be at the Jordan when he remembers, instead of leaving him free afterwards to recall the incidents from the Jordan: and thus, in fine, one of the most beautiful things in the Psalms has dwindled into very small dimensions indeed, and become unavailable for any practical purpose. Whereas, on the other hand, the treating of the whole thing as a memory, throws into delightful vividness both the singular designation of Jehovah as the writer’s Cliff, and the peculiarly touching allusion to Jehovah as the gladdener of his youth. And thus, in fact, we are getting back not only Heze-kiah’s name into the authorship of the Psalms; but, as a consequence, we are recovering precious snatches of his autobiography.

Thus refreshed by our study, let us turn back again and make the first thing noticed, also the last thing to abide in our hearts. This we may do by the trite observation that we do not thirst for things of which we have no knowledge. To thirst for God as a living God, we must first know him to be such; and know the incomparable satisfaction to be thence derived. Hezekiah knew the living God of Israel: he had seen his face—only figuratively, representatively, adumbratively, it may be. But there was divine reality in it. The cloud of glory was there—behind the veil: the fire consumed the sacrifices: the Urim and Thummim gave responses: the prophets brought messages. The character of God gave the soul perfect satisfaction—his might gave protection—his promises imparted hope—his pardon inspired love. These things, Hezekiah had known and enjoyed; and, though for the present there was a hiding of Jehovah’s face, the memory of the brightness and blessedness of its revelation was not lost. What he had once enjoyed he desired to enjoy again—desired with an intensity of desire and keen sense of need which only the figure of thirst could represent. We, too, must know God in order to thirst for him. May the blessed sense of nearness to him abide with us in all the freshness and force of the fuller revelation of himself which he has made in Christ Jesus our Lord!

The Suffering of the Faithful

Psalms 44:1-26

Brent Kercheville

God’s Past Acts of Deliverance (Psalms 44:1-8)

The distant past (Psalms 44:1-3)

The psalm begins by the sons of Korah recalling the distant past how God had delivered their forefathers. The passage seems to certainly describe the time when God led the people of Israel into Canaan, driving out the other nations (Psalms 44:2).

Furthermore, the author recalls how the victory came from the arm of the Lord and not the sword of the people. One cannot help but think about the conquest of Jericho and the victory given to Gideon in the days of the judges. They have heard these stories and are aware of the mighty hand of God who was leading Israel in the past.

The nearer past (Psalms 44:4-8)

Not only does the author remember what the Lord had done for his people in the distant past, he also remembers what God has done for the people lately. God has saved them from their foes (Psalms 44:7) and tread down any of the enemies that had previously risen up (Psalms 44:5).

Due to all the great deeds of the Lord and victory given from the Lord, the people continue to praise the name of the Lord and give him thanks. As we read this psalm, we may think this psalm is a psalm of praise or a psalm of thanksgiving for the mighty deeds of God. However, the psalm now takes a turn and describes the suffering they are enduring now. If you recall, David repeatedly reminded the worshippers to remember how God has delivered us in the past to give us faith in God as we deal with current and future problems. The sons of Korah and the people of Israel have heeded this advice and do recall all the mighty works of God and are thankful for all God has done. But the people are suffering.

The Problems of the Present (Psalms 44:9-22)

Dealing with adversity

Psalms 44:9 brings about the complete change of theme. Notice the words, “But now you have rejected and humbled us.” The cry of the people is their desire to know why the Lord no longer is going out with them into battle and giving them victory.

As you read this section of scripture, notice the defeat the people have suffered. “You made us retreat before the enemy and our adversaries plundered us” (Psalms 44:10). “You gave us up to be devoured like sheep and have scattered us among the nations” (Psalms 44:11). God had sold them for next to nothing (44:12). “You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, the scorn and derision of those around us” (Psalms 44:13). “You have made us a byword among the nations; the peoples shake their heads at us” (Psalms 44:14). They are a disgrace, covered with shame, a reproach, and reviled by their enemies (Psalms 44:15-16).

The people are in the midst of great suffering. They are being defeated by their enemies. It seems that God is not with them as they go into battle. They are being plundered by their enemies and the nations around ridicule and mock Israel. The people want to know what is going on!

Disaster during faithfulness

If I were to take a poll and ask each of us to give a reason why the nation is going through this disaster, what you would response be? The psalm declares that God has rejected them and they are being driven away by their enemies. What is the reason for this disaster?

I believe all of us would believe that the nation has sinned. In fact, as we read this information, it sounds like the time Assyria conquered the northern nation of Israel and scattered them across the land. I believe we would expect that the nation had sinned and because of their sins, God had abandoned them and allowed the surrounding nations to conquer them.

But read Psalms 44:17-22 carefully. “All this happened to us, though we had not forgotten you or been false to your covenant” (Psalms 44:17). “Our hearts have not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path” (Psalms 44:18). Let these words sink down into our ears and hearts: disaster had struck Israel and sin was not the reason for the calamity. The people had not turned away from the laws of the Lord nor had their hearts left the Lord. Though the people had not broken their covenant with the Lord, they were being crushed and covered in darkness.

Too often we do not allow for ourselves that disaster can strike our lives though we have not committed sin. We especially do not allow room for this possibility in other people’s lives. Consider the strain of the words written in this psalm. The people of Israel are being destroyed by their enemies. They are being plundered and scorned by their enemies.

More than conquerors

Psalms 44:22 is quoted in the New Testament, where Paul is making the same application to the Christians in the heart of Satan’s throne: Rome. Paul says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered‘” (Romans 8:35-37).

I believe we can look at Paul’s life and, in terms of the physical, declare it a disaster. Paul suffered the trouble, hardships, persecutions, famine, nakedness, danger, and sword throughout his whole Christian life. Paul died at the hands of one of the more evil emperors to sit on Rome’s throne, Nero. Paul could have very well written this psalm as well. Paul had not turned his heart from the Lord and his feet had not strayed from the way of the Lord.

There are many times in life when we will serve God faithfully, yet still be made to suffer. But in the midst of these words Paul says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” What can put room between us and the love of Christ? Can anyone put a distance between Christ’s love and us? Can anyone lead Christ to stop loving us? Paul is telling us that there is nothing that can happening that will cause Christ to stop loving us or place a distance between us and Christ’s love.

What a challenge it is for us to continue to rely upon God and believe in the love of Christ when we are suffering to such a degree! But notice what Paul reminds us: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” In all of these things we are more than conquerors. How are we more than conquerors in all these things?

First, we are more than conquerors because the love of Christ remains with us while we endure. Though we may feel rejected, there has been no distance that has been placed between us and Christ’s love. Second, we are more than conquerors because we will conquer whatever adversity we face because of Christ’s love. We have conquered many past trials and we will conquer again. This conquering is the theme of Revelation.

Revelation 2:7 “To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” Revelation 2:11 “The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.” Revelation 2:17 “To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.” Revelation 2:26 “The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations….” Revelation 3:5 “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.” Revelation 3:12 “The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.” Revelation 3:21 “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.” Revelation 21:7 “The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” We have been given the challenge to conquer in this life with the help of Jesus Christ and we can do it.

Prayer for the Future

Continue turning to God for help

How do we endure such times of suffering so that we also can conquer? I believe the psalmist shows us by his actions. We see the author continuing to turn to God for help. In Psalms 44:23 the psalmist cries out to the Lord to arise and help. Some have well expressed this psalm like this: “You helped us in the past. You must help us now. But you are not helping us, even though we have done nothing to prohibit your helping us. So help us.”

Do not give up on God. Even though we may not see the immediate results of our requests, we cannot give up on God and his love toward us. Continue to call out to God for actions. Let us never forget Jesus’ parable about the persistent widow and the unjust judge. Jesus taught us to continue to ask God and be persistent in our declaring our needs and desires to God. Be repetitive and be steadfast in your requests to God.

Trust in God’s unfailing love

The psalm ends in such amazing words, “because of your unfailing love.” In the midst of great suffering, the call continues to go out “Rise up and help us; redeem us because of your unfailing love.” Such words match the great words of Paul as he wrote about his suffering in the eighth chapter of Romans. Also, as you read these words, notice the equal spacing of these words throughout the chapter. “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Romans 8:17). We must suffer before we can obtain glory. “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). The reward cannot even be compared with what we are sacrificing now.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). God is always on our side and always working for us. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

Final Thoughts:

Sometimes there is no explanation for the suffering of the faithful. In all of this psalm, there is no explanation given for the why the people are suffering loss in the way described. Paul does not give an explanation as to why we are suffering the things we suffer. But we must always realize that the faithful will and do suffer.

Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Despite all we endure and all we suffering, God is still with us. There has been no distance placed between us and the love of God. We cannot look at others and think they are closer to God’s love because they are not suffering. Though suffering, Christ’s endless love is still around us.

In all the things we suffer, we are made to be more than conquerors. We can and will be victorious and conquer all strife when we continue to place our lives in God’s hands. We will endure and will see that the present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory we will have in the Lord.

PSALM 44

EXPOSITION

It is quite possible that, in the course of adaptation and transmission, this valuable psalm has suffered some disturbances of its outward form as regards both metre and stanza. It is doubtful, however, whether successful attempts can now be made to restore the original symmetry which may well have existed. For example, it is not unlikely that the psalm was a trimeter throughout, including the opening lines, which now appear as pentameters. But it would not only take a bold hand to reduce the lines to a severer metre, but that bold hand might strike off accretions which are equally authentic with the original verse, as may appear when once the principle of joint-authorship is admitted. If Hezekiah’s harp could adapt itself to those grand pentameters which open the psalm as we now have it—and, we may add, which appear to have offered themselves to the ancient Greek translators—who are we, and what know we of any rigidity in harping exigencies, that we should deliberately lop off syllables which, at all events, are very ancient. Similar caution must stay our hand from undue meddling with the stanzas. They are slightly irregular, as it is, undoubtedly; but we may justly refuse to mutilate the psalm, especially when the very lines we should sacrifice might prove of the highest value in bringing the historical occasion of its production into clear perspective.

That this psalm was written by David, notwithstanding the absence of his name from the inscription, at once becomes in the highest degree probable by merely comparing it with Psalms 60, which bears witness to the occasion which gave it birth. Then, when we ponder the weighty fact that, when this psalm was written, Israel was free from the taint of idolatry; and come to realize, for that reason, our choice lies between a very early and a very late date—the time of David, on the one hand, and the time of the Maccabees, on the other; we shall perhaps find, at every step, how reasons multiply for preferring the early date. The very changes which literary criticism plausibly suggests, and the adaptations to after occasions which historical criticism more strongly claims, all required time before they originally appeared. Public texts are not modified in a day: especially where copies are few, and for the most part are jealously preserved in royal libraries. So that, if we assume that changes had already been made in the days when the Septuagint was executed, it is but reasonable to allow those changes ample time in which to appear—which requires us rather to push back authorship than to draw it forward. Besides all which the more the Davidic authorship of this psalm is candidly examined, the more does it commend itself.

Let us now recall the undoubted fact, that the work of Joshua was left for David to complete. What more natural, then, than that David should strengthen himself in God for the arduous work that remained, by steeping his spirit in remembrances of the work Divinely done now so long ago? Those brave ancestors drew the sword, indeed; but it was their God who gave them the victory: Not by their own sword possessed they the land; but thine own right hand—thine own arm—the light of thy face—these were the sources of strength by which Joshua and his men had gone on from victory to victory. And David realises that it still is so:

Thou thyself art my King my God,

The commander of the victories of Jacob.

It is David all over:—the intense personal faith—the fellowship with his brethren: in swift alternation, first the man, then his people, then himself again: our adversaries, our assailants; mine own bow, mine own sword. The stripling who before Goliath strengthened himself in his God, and boasted of him, do so still.

In God have we boasted all the day.

And unto thy name unto the ages will we give thanks.

Then comes the sudden reverse, the astounding fact of disaster: in the portrayal of which some otherwise excellent critics have failed to see David. In particular, they think that the language of the second stanza indicates something more than temporary defeat. Thus Perowne says: “The language of the psalm is altogether too large to be applied to a sudden attack. It describes a more serious and lasting calamity.” But it is respectfully submitted that this estimate of the poet’s language results from some failure to apprehend the psychological elements in the situation. David was nothing if not intense. He believed his mission to be Divine. If his God failed him, no general could save him. If Jehovah failed him once, he might fail him again: if he continued to fail him, all would be lost. The present reverse was evidently most serious: David’s men had been slain and captured and sold as slaves. The small surrounding nations were on the watch, ready to join in the fray as soon as they deemed it safe. The larger nations at a distance were being kept well-informed and ready to point the finger of contempt at valiant little Israel. Then see how the profoundly moved monarch took it all home to himself:

All the day is mine ignominy before me,

The shame of my face hath covered me;

At the voice of him who reproacheth and revileth,

At the face of the foe and avenger:

using the very language of the 8th psalm. Moreover, the 19th verse, graphic as it is, describes rather one terrible defeat than a long series of reverses. One can see the individual battle-field, whereupon the defeat happened: the carcasses of David’s men Consumed by jackals: calamitous enough to David—who was only used to victory, and only expectant of it—to make him feel how deep was the darkness which for the moment covered Israel: “for the moment!” yes, but that moment was equal to days of mortal agony. Intensifying the agony and turning it into temporary despair, was the mystery of it: there had been no unfaithfulness on the national covenant—no drawing back to idolatry.

And so was learned the lesson, to be learned again and again through the ages, that Israel may be called upon to suffer even where Israel has not sinned. It is comparatively a new lesson, leading up to a higher level than that hitherto frequented by mortal feet; but it is a lesson which God’s saints are to be privileged to learn; and, therefore, so beloved a man as David must have his share. By-and-by, one of his descendants will be called upon to drink more deeply of the cup of undeserved—and therefore Divine—suffering; and, finding this psalm in the royal library, will be able to appreciate its teaching, and will be moved to add to it a few words growing out of an experience of which David has had little or no share: words pointing to the peculiar combination of sorrows due to the fact that when the soul hath sunk down to the dust under the weight of public calamity, the body also hath cleaved to the earth under a loathsome though only temporary and comparatively undeserved disease; imparting an additional pathos to the plea that God would arise to succor and ransom by a new display of his well-known kindness. On the whole, we may deem this to have formed a grand passover psalm, in the musical execution of which the patriarchs of song could most appropriately take a conspicuous share.

A Royal Wedding Song

Psalms 45:1-17

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Psalms 45 is a unique psalm to the psalter. Most of the versions word this psalm as a love song. The NIV declares Psalms 45 to be a wedding song, according to the title. As one reads the psalm, it has a similar style and layout as the Song of Solomon. The psalm is addressed to two people, first to the king who is the groom and second to the bride.

As we read this psalm, knowledge of Jewish understanding concerning these prophetic psalms is also needed. If you have not done so, please read the lesson titled, “Grasping the Gospel: The Resurrection of Jesus” to understand how the Jews interpreted psalms like Psalms 45. The first verse of Psalms 45 simply is the introduction declaring the psalmist’s purpose to write verses about the king.

In Praise of the King (Psalms 45:2-9)

The king and his beauty (Psalms 45:2-5)

The psalmist begins by describing the beauty of the king. As we read Psalms 45:2-4, we must try to visualize the king in his grandeur. The king is described as most handsome among men. The king is further described as a mighty warrior who straps a sword to his side. We see the king riding on a horse in majesty and splendor. The king is a victorious warrior who has triumphed for the cause of justice, humility, and truth. The works of the king are awe-inspiring to the people.

It does not seem that the psalmist is praising the appearance of the king. Rather, the king is handsome because of what the king has accomplished. The king is handsome because of his mighty deeds which has brought about truth and justice. The king is beautiful because of his military might.

The king and his rule (Psalms 45:6-9)

The psalmist continues that the king’s throne is forever and ever. We must not be troubled by the usage of the Hebrew word elohim in Psalms 45:6. It is clear by the context that the psalmist is still speaking about the king. Psalms 45:7 shows this point clearly where he says concerning the king, “Therefore God, your God, has anointed you, more than your companions, with the oil of joy.” The psalmist is praising the king as he has been anointed by God.

There are times in the Old Testament, though rare, where the Hebrew word elohim is used for a master or ruler. Most of the time the Hebrew word elohim is used in reference to the Almighty God. But there are times where that is not the case, such as Psalms 82:6-7 and Exodus 21:6. Again, the context tells us the psalmist is still addressing the king. The subject in Psalms 45:6 and Psalms 45:7 is the same subject. Therefore, when the psalmist decrees the king’s throne to be forever, he is not talking eternally. Rather, he is simply using an idiomatic expression to say, “long live the king.”

In Praise of the Bride (Psalms 45:10-16)

Forget the past (Psalms 45:10)

The bride is admonished to not look back. Do not think about your people and family that are being left behind. The bride is joining to the groom, who is the king. This will be your new life.

The bride was not to ruin the marriage by always thinking back to the ways things used to be. She was not to recall the old life but fully give herself to the king and begin a new life together.

Honor your lord (Psalms 45:11)

The bride is admonished to have humble reverence for the groom. She is to bow down and give him the respect that is due him. She is submitting her will to the will of the husband.

Of course, this is what was described by Paul in Ephesians 5:22-23. The husband is to love and cherish the bride and the wife is to submit to the groom. A marriage can only succeed where both people are loving and honoring one another.

Look to the future (Psalms 45:11-16)

Finally, the bride is also instructed to look to the future glory to be received. People will come desiring her favor. She will be clothed in a beautiful array of garments. She will live a life full of gladness and rejoicing in the palace of the king. Her sons will succeed and be made princes to rule throughout the land.

This final point seems to be a helpful consolation as she was told to forget the past. Since she is not to look longingly back to her former country, former people, and former family, she is to look ahead to how much she will receive and how bright the future is for her.

The psalm concludes describing how the union between the king and his bride will cause all the generations to remember the name and praise them forever and ever.

Viewing the Messiah

Understanding Jewish interpretation

We must remember that the Jews saw these inspired writings as applicable to every generation. Particularly, the Jews had a great emphasis on the end times, meaning, the time of the coming of the Messiah.

Therefore, this psalm would be used by many kings who would be wed to their bride. But it looked forward to the day when the Messiah would come and establish his throne. We will spend the rest of the study looking at the psalm again, now looking at it with the context of the Messiah.

Messianic bridegroom (Psalms 45:2-9)

As we reread Psalms 45:2-9 it is easy to see the Messiah as the greater fulfillment of these words. We see the beauty and splendor of the Messiah riding on a horse, claiming victory, and bringing truth, humility, and justice to the land.

This splendor is depicted similarly by John in Revelation 19:11-16. (11) “Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. (12) His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knows except Himself. (13) He wore a robe stained with blood, and His name is called the Word of God. (14) The armies that were in heaven followed Him on white horses, wearing pure white linen. (15) From His mouth came a sharp sword, so that with it He might strike the nations. He will shepherd them with an iron scepter. He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Almighty. (16) And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Furthermore, Psalms 45:6-7 is directly applied to Jesus in Hebrews 1:8-9. Jesus is the king of kings. His throne truly is forever and ever and his rule is a rule of justice. Because of his love of righteousness and hating of lawlessness, God anointed him. The Jews understood Psalms 45 to ultimately refer to the Messiah. The writer of Hebrews shows how perfectly Jesus, the Son of God, fits this prophecy.

We are the bride (Psalms 45:10-16)

If the Messiah is the groom, then who is the bride? “For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior” (Ephesians 5:23). “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:25-27). The bride refers to those who are saved, the disciples of Jesus, called the church.

“Let us be glad, rejoice, and give Him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself” (Revelation 19:7). “I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2). Clearly, we are in view as the bride of Christ. Therefore, we must apply the three principles to ourselves that were applied to the bride.

Forget the past. Christ has called us to forget our family, friends, and country and follow him. “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). “But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead…” (Philippians 3:13). We are not look back longing for our previous lives. The Israelites sinned when they looked back to Egypt longingly. Lot’s wife sinned when she looked back to view Sodom. We sin when we look back longingly to the life of sin and lusts. We can never be the bride of Christ if we are looking to another man, Satan and his ways.

Honor your Lord. We are to bow down before the Messiah and give him all honor and respect. We are to fully submit our lives to God. Jesus has shown and proven his love for us. Jesus has shown us great respect and devotion. We are required to honor our Lord and submit to his will. Our marriage to Christ will never work if we do not submit our wills to his will.

Look to the future. In the psalm, the bride is told to consider all that is available from the king. We will receive the glorious robes: “She was permitted to wear fine linen, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints” (Revelation 19:8). With joy and gladness we will enter the palace of the king. “Look! God’s dwelling is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will exist no longer; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4). The Messiah, Jesus, reigns on the throne. We are to prepare ourselves to be his bride. Do not look back to the old life. Why would we look back to the life of a peasant when we will be accepted into the royal house of God? Honor and obey the Lord and look forward to the excellent blessings we will receive. (HCSB)

PSALM 45

EXPOSITION

Two things at the outset may be taken for granted: first, that the ultimate Hero of this psalm is the Messiah; and, second, that if we can find a Type of the Messiah in fair measure answering to the terms of the psalm, it will be a gain to allow that type to speak to us of the Antitype—as far as it may: this limitation being intended to remind us of the caution thrown out in dealing with Psalms 2, to the effect that we must not assume that the Spirit of Prophecy may not leave the type behind, and reach forth to greater things than any shadow can express. Adequately to fill up the terms of the psalm must be our governing aim: using the type as a help, and not becoming enslaved to it.

In the present instance the type and the writer are associated in a remarkable way. Dr. Thirtle has suggested (O.T.P., 49f, 318) that Hezekiah is the type; and instantly our deepest interest is excited. By all means Hezekiah, provided that the requirements of the psalm are thereby fairly met: much rather Hezekiah than Solomon, Joram, Jehu, or any of the rest whose names have been mentioned as probable; for, of these, we either know too little to feel drawn to them, or else what we do know renders them decidedly unacceptable for the honour of adumbrating the Messiah in a psalm of such pure and lofty idealism as this. Hezekiah, by all means: subject to necessary conditions. The one objection to his name, probably will turn out to be a commendation. We know that Hezekiah married a wife named Hephzibah, and Jewish tradition has it, that she was daughter to Isaiah the prophet. Hezekiah’s trusty friend. Delightful, indeed, to think of the good King Hejekiah as marrying Isaiah’s daughter. But then the psalm, it is thought, indicates that the Bride, in this marriage, is of Gentile descent. Nor can it be denied that to such a bride the advice would be peculiarly appropriate. Forget thine own people, and the house of thy father. Still, this indication alone can scarcely be said to be decisive; since “people” may mean, less widely, tribe, clan, or general circle of relatives; as to which it may be said that, not being of the royal family, the spirit of the advice would still be appropriate. Moreover, this measure of inferiority in the type may be regarded as sufficient to hint at a larger measure of inferiority in the Antitype: the non-royal element in the ancestry of Hezekiah’s bride being regarded as enough to suggest the non-Israelitish strain in the Bride of the Messiah. Leaving these suggestions for the consideration of the thoughtful, it may be frankly admitted that the name of Hezekiah has an undeniable fascination—if for this reason only: The Jewish tradition that the Hephzibah who became Hezekiah’s wife was Isaiah’s daughter, naturally raises the question whether Isaiah himself was not the author of this psalm. Who so likely as he, to have been delighted with the restored monarch’s “beauty”? Who so likely, to have admitted by implication, that the Queen’s beauty was less striking than the King’s? Who so likely and so fitting to have addressed the Bride in the fatherly terms with which the writer of the psalm is credited: Hearken, O daughter? And, finally, if some commentators have concluded that Isaiah wrote the psalms immediately succeeding this, why may he not have written this also, when for this task he presumably had such a mighty impulse and such supreme qualifications? Isaiah’s genius as a poet was transcendent; but is not this magnificent epithalamium worthy of it? And, to go for a moment deeper than to poetic genius, from whose pen could so appropriately have come the surprising words of the psalm, Thy throne, O God, as from his who declared that the Messiah’s name should be called El gibbor—“God hero”? (Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 10:21).

It is easy to admit that Hezekiah does not completely fill up the terms of the psalm: who, as type does? But this at least may be maintained: That, on the whole, Hezekiah goes further than Solomon, and much further than Jehoram, Jehu, or any of the rest, to fill the outline required. Suffice it, that there is nothing incongruous in the type, as such, so long as we think of the good king, Hezekiah.

That every possible type comes short of fully answering to the large terms of the psalms,—that, no matter who may be fixed on as probable, it must finally be allowed that he falls behind the description in almost every particular,—THIS is the contention herewith most earnestly made, and for the consistent maintenance of which the preliminary caution was submitted, against being bound down by types When interpreting the prophetic word. Allowance must ever be made for the possible bearing away of the prophet under the mighty afflatus of the Divine Spirit of wisdom and knowledge. In interpreting the Holy Scriptures, we have to reckon, not only upon their sight of things present, but also upon their foresight (Galatians 3:8) of things to come; and, therefore, if we are to expound them congenially, we must be prepared to see with their eyes. If it be said, that if God is at all to speak to man, then we must presuppose his condescension to the employment of human speech, with its limitations,—it may be said in reply: Granted; and yet the impress of a new genius and a new spirit on the old forms may at any time appear; and though types may be accepted as a species of Divine-human alphabet, to which we must needs submit our minds, and which we have no right to suppose that the Spirit of Prophecy will discard or wholly transcend, yet may we venture to challenge any man’s claim to confine to a single type the reachings forth of that Spirit towards the Antitype. For anything we know to the contrary, there may yet lie in the future an August Union in consummation of the tenderness and purity of Divine Love, which it may tax all the purest Royal Marriages in Israel only faintly to foreshadow. Still, we are glad of the types: without them we could not hope to spell out the revealed mind of God. In the present instance, for the forth-shadowing of royal magnificence, we might prefer Solomon; for proved skill as an archer, we might prefer Jehu; for the yet higher qualities of faith and suffering nobleness—yea and possibly of deferred marital blessedness—we might greatly prefer Hezekiah: all we protest against is a crude and over-stringent typology. Let our Divine Father speak to us as he pleases.

But what, precisely, have we here, in the psalm now before us? Let us make sure of our facts, as far as we can.

First and foremost (Stanza I.) we have a poet deeply moved by his theme; and if he knows that his mind has ever travailed in birth with grand and godly conceptions almost too big for utterance, he is conscious that it is so now.

Next (Stanza II.) we have an observable inversion of the usual delicacy of male preference for female beauty: here it is the King’s surpassing beauty which throws its radiance over all the canvas; the queen’s beauty being only incidentally alluded to later on. Either the poet is a sycophant; or he has before him a King most wonderful. Nor is it beauty of form and feature alone which attracts his admiration. To beauty of appearance is added the worthy concomitant consisting in graciousness of discourse: charming the ear and delighting the mind at the same time that the eye rests upon the pleasing vision of his person. That is all: no more is said for the present. These two things, the poet feels, must please God as well as man. Therefore hath God blessed thee to the ages. The first and most natural sense of the word therefore is, that these qualities satisfy God and evoke his abiding benediction. Such a king he will delight to bless for so long a time that the poet cannot see beyond it. Short is this stanza, but it is complete; and the refrain marks that it is so.

A surprise now awaits us (Stanza III.) in the sudden summons of the beautiful and eloquent king to make ready for war. Had the poet merely clad his hero with armour, and bade him ride in his chariot for display and for impressive suggestion of what on occasion he might be trusted to achieve,—we could have admired the poet’s art, and been ready to pass on to the next scene. But it is far otherwise. An occasion for war has arisen. The king has to vindicate his faithfulness to the implied obligations of his kingship. Righteousness has been humiliated within his domain, and for this cause he is summoned to interpose. An enemy has arisen on whom avengement must be inflicted, involving fearful punishment. No plan of campaign can be assigned the avenging monarch: his own skilled right hand will teach him what to do, first and last. No companion warriors are named, yet the king’s arrows are sharp and their execution is so widespread that peoples fall under them; and the overthrow of the king’s foes is so sudden that the description is broken, that the reader may behold it. As intimated, not only is the issue of the battle seemingly immediate; but the summons to wage this war is inferentially unexpected. So, at least, the poet’s art suggests; since, to permit of this royal campaign, the royal marriage is postponed. This may, in exegesis, mean little; but it may mean much, and the poet’s skill will be best vindicated should it appear to have been carefully designed. The foreseen issue of this war furnishes the poet with an occasion to speak the praises of the Warrior’s throne, sceptre, and character; and then to crown this view of the King with another logical refrain, longer and larger than the first. His throne is an abiding throne, says the poet; and he takes pains to negative the thought of its overthrow or removal or disuse, by adding a word to his time reference: to the ages and beyond shall that throne stand! It may be naturally inferred, that it is the King’s promptitude and prowess in making the war for the vindication of downtrodden righteousness, already noticed, which occasion the poet’s reflection on the stability of his throne. And the same may be said of the notice of his scepture. But this is now distinctly traced to the King’s character: He loveth righteousness and hateth lawlessness—the which, indeed, is thrown into the form of direct address, and stated in the complete tense which is fitted to comprehend an abiding quality with its recent manifestation. Therefore—because of this, the triumphant hero is anointed with the oil of gladness above his partners. It is a Divine anointing: Jehovah his God has bestowed it. It is a festive gift: causing joy to its recipient. This joy is superlative in degree: above thy partners—whoever these may be, which is not yet declared. Placed where this anointing is: after the war—before the marriage: it looks in both directions. The Hero is made supremely glad, inasmuch as he has been able to deal so decisive a blow to lawlessness: being so made glad, he is ready for his Bride.

The marriage approaches (Stanza IV.). Again the King most wonderful comes into view, not now clad in armour, but with flowing robes redolent of sweetest spices, as though woven of nothing else. In the near distance music is heard: reminding him of the happy occasion, in response to which his heart leaps for joy, King’s daughters are proud to serve as menials in his household. And now the Queen, his Bride, is stationed at his right hand, place of highest honour; clad in gold-decked raiment. The poet recites these facts in language addressed to the King: thy garments—delighted thee—thy servants—thy right hand. This prepares us for a marked change of address, which is thereby rendered impressive.

For hearken! the venerable poet (Stanza V.), who may be regarded as at once giving away the Bride and solemnising the nuptials, presumes to address the Queen. His address is familiar, for he calls the Bride daughter; but his words are few, and much to the point—if the Lady whom he accosts has either been brought from a foreign land or promoted from a lowly station: one caution, one inference, one sanction. One caution: let the Bride be supremely devoted to her husband, comparatively forgetting all else. One inference: thus will the king long, for thy beauty. One sanction: he is thy lord—he owns thee, thou art his, he will be within his rights. No more. That short line from the Septuagint is splendidly eloquent in its stern reticence. Nothing can be added without spoiling it. How the harpist would deal with so short a line, is a minor question: we recall several such short lines, left short for emphasis (Psalms 1:1; Psalms 1:4, Psalms 8:1; Psalms 8:9, Psalms 150:6); or the musician by a simple repeat could expand this line into a tetrameter, a measure which is characteristic of this psalm. Let the bowing down in homage be reverently (with the Septuagint) handed on for the daughters of Tyre, and so help to form a well-balanced line to match the respectful suit for the Queen’s favour pressed by the rich men of the honoured nation to whom the King is related.

After this address to the Queen, it is at least poetically correct to conceive of all eyes as now (Stanza VI.) directed to her, and to have her resplendent appearance made the subject of admiring exclamations. Ere the King finally disappears in his palace, and the Queen is conducted to him, and her companions follow in her train, appropriate good wishes are by the poet addressed to them both (Stanza VII.): first, as Dr. Ginsburg has pointed out, to the Queen; to whom is assigned the privilege, in the event of the fulfillment of the good wishes, of furnishing rulers for all the land, or as better suiting the wide outlook of the psalm, all the earth, a wish not more notable for its delicacy than for its boldness; and then, finally, the address passes over to the King—good wishes for whom take the form of a positive intention, as the avowed motive on the poet’s part. It might have passed as an obvious and natural compliment, to have merely said, that he, the poet, hoped to memorialise his hero’s name to all succeeding generations: but, when he gees on to foretell that the thanks of all coming time will, by virtue of this marriage-song, be tendered to his hero by peoples or nations, then we feel that the poet is either guilty of extravagance or is assuming the role of a prophet. Only by assuming that he is a prophet, and that the Messiah is his ultimate theme, can be acquit him of such suspicion. Shall we lower our estimate of holy men of God, or shall we elevate our conceptions of their message? This question brings us to the crux of the interpretation of this psalm.

The foregoing survey of the actual contents of the psalm will have served its purpose, if it should now be deemed needless to urge with any prolonged tenacity any question concerning the Types: it is time that all our interest should converge on the Antitype. No mere type can stay the psalm from collapsing on our hands. It is a good start, in quest of the Antitype, to find Jewish expositors frankly admitting that Messiah himself is THE hero of the psalm (The Targum paraphrasing Psalms 45:2 thus: “Thy beauty, O King Messiah, exceeds that of the children of men; a spirit of prophecy is bestowed on thy lips)”—Kp.; but it is a sorry finish, to find any of them protesting, that no other Messiah than Hezekiah need be looked for by their nation (“Rabbi Hillel” saying, “Israel shall have no more Messiah: for they have had him in the days of Hezekiah”—Talmud, quoted by Thirtle, O.T.P., 277). In truth, the key to the psalm is in the Christian Expositor’s hands; and it is merely a question of degree, how far his use of the key can be pronounced satisfactory. All Christians are agreed in finding in Jesus of Nazareth the King most beautiful, most wonderful, of whom this psalm speaks. He is, indeed, most beautiful in their eyes: they admire and love him with a passionate devotion which has led myriads of them to die for his sake. So far the solution is perfect. But Christian Expositors have been driven against two rocks which have well-nigh shattered their exegesis. In the first place, they have wrongfully applied the war-picture, which delays the marriage, to the gracious delivery—by their King’s heralds to the nations of the wooing message of his love, which they rightly call their “gospel.” Had they restricted this feature of their exegesis to the apostolic prediction of their Messiah’s personal onslaught on “The Lawless One” by direct interposition from heaven (2 Thessalonians 2), and resolutely thrown forward the alleged fulfillment of that prediction into the future when “that Wicked One” shall incontestably have appeared, this rock would have been avoided, and we should have been spared the humiliation of being chargeable with such a gross misapplication of terms as that which confounds the Messiah’s sudden overthrow of his enemies on a fearfully vast scale, with the gently elective process by which he wins individual friends and disciples from among the nations. The second rock on which Christian exegesis has been well-nigh wrecked, is the double error of failing to regard the Church, considered as Messiah’s Bride, in the light of an absolutely spiritual incorporation, to be rendered spotless before being presented beside her Lord; and concomitantly with that, failing to regard “the Marriage of the Lamb” as a future consummation, consisting of the blessed union with its Head, in immortal glory, of the Corporate Body, the completed Ecclesia. This rock also escaped, there is nothing to hinder the triumphant sailing of Christian Interpretation into the harbour of an invincible application of this psalm to its true prospective realisation. Kirkpatrick well says that “Such poems as this . . . are ennobled and consecrated by being thus made the vehicle for lofty thoughts and the type of spiritual mysteries (Ephesians 5:23 ff)”; but the way in which some expositors excuse themselves just where, as it might be supposed, the type ought to be regarded as profoundly significant, probably proves neither more nor less than the loss of the correct prophetic point of view from which to interpret a psalm like the present. Let all thoughts of the Messiah’s Bride, as realisable in the Church, be resolutely held fast to the following most obvious and most necessary restrictions—that by “the Church,” in such a connection, we mean the Church collective, and therefore no mere individual soul, the Church final, and therefore no temporary organization, and consequently the Church immortal, freed from all the desires of earth, from whose communion with her Lord is banished every thought of fellowship other than the heavenly and spiritual communion in the high interests of the kingdom of God, only let these restrictions be observed, and there need be no shrinking from the broad and bold expectation, that the consummating crisis which lies between this Dispensation and the next will be fruitful in blessedness to the nations of the earth, in providing them with “rulers” worthy and capable of sharing with the Messiah the honour and responsibility of reigning over all the earth in righteousness, and ruling it in justice (Isaiah 32:1). Patience, dear suffering souls. Keep the word intact—and wait!

Nothing now remains but to add: That the provision of an Elect Assembly—consisting chiefly of Gentiles—as the Bride of the Messiah, is indeed a Sacred Secret, unrevealed in the olden prophetic days (Ephesians 3:3-7; Ephesians 5:32; Colossians 1:26-27); and, therefore; that had it been plainly disclosed in this psalm—the sagacity at least of the Apostle Paul, to whom we are indebted for our knowledge of it, would have been shown to be at fault. But such a thought cannot be entertained, inasmuch as a fair treatment of the psalm leaves it absolutely true that it contains nothing beyond a veiled allusion of the Queen’s gentilic descent, with no reference at all to her corporate character. We thank the authors of the Targum for suggesting, on Psalms 45:10, that Messiah’s Bride was to be a “congregation,” and not an individual. But, as Christians, we cannot but be content to follow the guidance of our beloved Apostle Paul in his identification of the one pure Bride designed for the Messiah (Ephesians 5:25 ff)—for whom in an especial sense he gave up his life. And again we have to thank the ancient Greek Translators for providing our Apostle with a word (pareste), of which he has not failed to make good use in his triumphant note to the Ephesians (para-stese) which we have been very dull in not sooner discerning to mean this: “that HE might present—with himself—all glorious—the ecclesia.” “With himself” (heauto) ; for so, assuredly, should it be rendered, seeing that there it is, in the psalm, before our eyes: the King, with the Queen placed at his right hand. Dull, indeed, must we have been, if we have not before seen this, and have not found our exact Pauline parallel in Colossians 3:4 :—As soon as the Christ shall be made manifest—our Life!

Then ye also, together with him, shall be made manifest in glory. In view of these fruitful suggestions, we can afford to wait and see how near to mortal view the Queen will be brought, before we permit ourselves to be entangled in any small questions as to how far literal and how far figurative the language may be which describes the daughters of Tyre as bowing down in homage to our King, and the rich men of the people (of Israel) as seeking a smile on the fair face of his Queen. Enough has already been fulfilled in the King, in pursuance of this magnificent psalm, and enough has been suggested as already in preparation with regard to the Queen, to make us patiently expectant of the solving and harmonising effects of complete accomplishment. To be of any use beforehand, the general drift of prophecy should be plain; but it must be left to fulfillment to solve questions of detail. In deference to the severe “beauty of holiness” demanded in the Messiah’s Ecclesia, we may well expect that the first exclamation, on occasion of her unveiling will be—All glorious! and that the discovery of the Divine Fatherhood of the Ecclesia will occasion a second acclaim—Daughter of a King! After which it will be fitting that the Hallelujahs of heaven should burst upon the World’s astonished ear, and that Earth should respond with a loud “AMEN!”

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

Psalms 46:1-11

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Psalms 46 is a psalm is a song of the sons of Korah, which has been a common feature in Book 2 of the psalms. This psalm was also one of Martin Luther’s favorite psalms, which motivated him to pen the song that we know today “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” Psalms 46 can be broken into three sections. These breaks are identified with the ending “selah.” This is a psalm that paints an image for our minds. Therefore, as we read, we need to visualize the points the psalmist makes as he describes the help and power of the Lord.

God Is For Us (Psalms 46:1-3)

Relying on God

The psalm begins by describing the confidence we have to rely upon the Lord. God is a refuge for us. God is our strength for us. God is an ever-present help for us in times of trouble. This is the literal force of what the Hebrew language is saying to us. God is all of these things for us. These images call to mind the numerous times David described God as a refuge. God is the place to run to in times of trouble.

This knowledge should give us a quiet confidence. God is not against us. Rather, God is for us. Further, God is doing many things for us in this life. God is an ever-present help for us. This is a Hebrew idiom that means God is a help that can be found when you need it. God is reliable and dependable. One of the disappointments with our human friends is that they are not always dependable. Sometimes they cannot or will not be there when you need them most. But God says he could be found in our time of trouble.

We will not fear

This is the reason why the psalmist says “we will not fear.” It does not matter what may happen, there is no need for fear because God is our refuge and our ever-present help. He is always there when we need him.

Notice how strong of a confidence we are to have in the Lord. The earth may tremble and give way, but we have no need to fear. The mountains may fall into the heart of the sea, but we will not fear. The water may roar and foam, but we have no reason for fear. The mountains may quake with their surging, but we will not be afraid. These images describe such terrifying disaster that people would be put into a panic to see or hear about such events. We are not to be shaken even when the world seems to be falling apart.

I believe this is the symbolism the psalmist is bringing to mind. It is when our lives feel like a natural disaster that we are to remember that God is for us and can be found in our time of trouble. Our world may collapse around us but we will have confidence because of the Lord. Too often when our world is falling apart, we think God has left. But God is there. We simply need to run to the Lord.

Run to the city of God

In the first act of this psalm, we are called to run to the city of God. The first step to having this lack of fear in the face of disaster is that we have put our full trust in God. In this psalm, God is described as a powerful fortress and city.

When enemies attacked in Old Testament days, the people who lived outside the city could not have confidence if they did not go inside the fortress. We cannot stand outside the fortress of God and think we are safe because God is our fortress. Responsibility is first placed upon us to go to the refuge for God’s safety. This means you and I must believe God is there to protect us so that we will turn to him. This psalm tries to remind of us that God is reliable and worthy of our trust.

God Is With Us (Psalms 46:4-7)

Life in the city of God

In the second act of this psalm, life inside the city is described. There is a river going through the city of God. The river makes the inhabitants of the city glad. This imagery parallels what we read in Revelation 22:1-2. “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city.” The imagery also calls to mind the garden of Eden as a river flowed through the garden and was the source of four rivers of the earth. In each of these instances we are picturing God with his people.

The city of God is where the Most High dwells. God is within her. “The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him” (Revelation 22:3). “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:3).

Since God is within the city, the city will not fall to any enemies or any troubles. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall, and the earth melts when the Lord lifts his voice. The book of Revelation pictures the hope of the gates of God remaining open at all times since God has conquered all the enemies. The psalmist does not look to the end, but look to the present, where God will destroy kingdoms at the mere sounding of his voice.

All of this was to be physically true under the old covenant. God was pictured as dwelling in the temple. Since God was with the people, the nation would not fall. But the people under the old covenant misunderstood, thinking that God dwelled with them regardless of their actions and motives. Jeremiah identifies the problem: “Correct your ways and your deeds, and I will allow you to live in this place. Do not trust deceitful words, chanting: This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord” (Jeremiah 7:3-4). God was no longer with the people when they disobeyed God.

This was a picture for us to learn today about what we must do to have God abiding with us. Similarly, Paul said, “For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people’” (2 Corinthians 6:16). God does not dwell in buildings made with hands, as Solomon declared at the dedication of the temple. God dwells within us but this only can be when we are obedient to the Lord. The benefits are great when God is dwelling with us.

The Lord of Hosts is with us

To summarize the point of these images, the psalmist declares in Psalms 46:7, “The Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” This is the repeated picture in this psalm and throughout the scriptures. God wants to be with us. As a child was born to Mary, the angel told her his name would be Immanuel, meaning “God with us.”

I think we can forget the great desire God has to be with his people. The true and living God is far different from all other gods that humans have come up with. We imagine gods as far away, wrathful, and indifferent to people. God shows his love and desire to be with us so much that God created us to be with him in the garden of Eden. It is actions of humankind that separated us from God. But God still wanted to dwell with his people. A tabernacle and, later, a temple were built so that the presence of God would be with the people, showing how near God is to us. God then sends his only Son, Jesus, to be live with us and among us, to show us the way to the Father. Now God says he abides with us when we are walking according to the Spirit.

God is for us and God is with us. In the name “the Lord of hosts,” the word “hosts” is a military word used commonly to speak of armies engaged in war. It is the battle imagery that leads us into the final section of Psalms 46.

God Is Victorious Among Us (Psalms 46:8-11)

Shattering the nations

In the third act of this psalm we read about the Lord’s works and how the Lord is victorious. The psalmist encourages the worshippers to “come and see the works of the Lord.” Particularly, the people are to notice the desolations God has brought on the earth.

Verse 9 describes how the Lord has gone about the earth bringing an end to war. Notice that God has brought an end to war through war. God break the bow and shatters the spear. God burns the chariots with fire. God’s kingdom will always win the battle.

Be still and know that I am God

Stop getting out of sorts when things go wrong. Sometimes we can put our life into a tailspin because we are not putting our trust in God. We have forgotten that he is the one in charge. God rules the earth and will accomplish his purposes. As we approach a new hurricane season, we will fret and worry about what may happen? Will we forget how God provided for each family here this last year? When things in our lives do not go as planned, will we take matters into our own hands or rely upon God? If our job is not what we wanted, will we make a decision that will spiritually hurt us or trust God to work out something for us? We must decide for ourselves if we truly believe God has a vested interested in our lives and cares about what happens to us. When we unravel we are declaring that we do not believe God cares. We need to stop many times in a day and throughout the week remember that God is in charge.

We will not fear. No matter what happens in life, we should not be afraid. Of course, this is easier said than done. I am sure we want to argue with the statement made. We think we have many reasons to be afraid. We have so much going on that no one understands what we are enduring. As Israel was led out of Egypt, they ended up boxed in against the Red Sea. Pharaoh realizes that the Israelites seem to be wandering aimlessly and goes after them. We read in Exodus 14:10-12, “And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD. Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, “Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.” The people become afraid. We would argue that they were afraid with good reason. But look at what was expected from the people. “And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever” (Exodus 14:13).

This is the start of a common problem with the people of Israel. When something went wrong, the people would try to take matters into their own hands and panic. When there was no food, the people cried out and panicked. When they spied out the land, they decided they would stone Moses and Aaron and go back to Egypt. Moses tells the people in Exodus 14 to quiet down, be still, and let the Lord work. We need to do the same thing.

Surrender to God’s might. Therefore, we must surrender our will to God’s might. God will be exalted in the earth and among the nations. If we will surrender our will and let God be in control, we will see that the Lord of hosts is with us and will find refuge in him. Take refuge in the fortress of the Lord, the city of God, to find hope and confidence in any disaster that may come our way. (NKJV)

PSALM 46

EXPOSITION

The three psalms now coming before us are nearly connected, and yet differ considerably from each other. Psalms 46 immediately reflects some historical event—possibly the invasion of Judaea in the days of Jehoshaphat as recorded in 2 Chronicles 20, but more probably the later invasion by Sennacherib in the days of Hezekiah, as narrated in 1 Kings 18, 2 Chronicles 32, Isaiah 36. Psalms 47, while doubtless suggested by the same event, is an ideal prediction and prophetic celebration of Jehovah’s reign over the earth through Israel; and Psalms 48, which again reflects the past deliverance of the Holy City, is probably as much prophetic as it is historical; and strongly presses forward towards the final establishment of Jerusalem as the Metropolis of the World.

The spirit of Psalms 46 is that of stout-hearted trust in God. God is nearer than any enemy, and more powerful to relieve from danger than the enemy is to inflict it. The images employed in the psalm are bold, being formed by depicting such convulsions of nature as are seldom or never witnessed, yet are easily conceived. The terrible roar of the land in an earthquake, when the mountains are seen staggering into the midst of the sea, and the resentful sea is witnessed dashing its mighty waves on the mountains that overhang the shore: such is the scene which the poet’s art presents as a figure of disturbed nations. At first this picture is presented without express application: amid even these convulsions, God is our refuge and lofty retreat. In the second stanza the national application is made prominent. They are nations that roar, kingdoms that stagger: still our trust is in the mighty God who governs nature, holding its tremendous forces in check, and who in like manner controls kings and peoples. But before this application is made, a contrast in natural images is introduced, which is the more effective because a literal realisation in the holy city is assumed to be well known to those who sing this anthem of deliverance. The God of the mighty sea is also the God of the springs which supply water to the holy city. These springs have lately been captured by Hezekiah through the formation of channels and enclosing walls which direct all the water to the city itself, while concealing and denying the supply from the enemy. The springs form the city’s Divine supply; the wit and wisdom which have utilised them to the utmost and conserved them with so much care, being regarded as God’s gifts, it could be well said that his channels make glad the city; and not only glad, but patient, bold and defiant (Isaiah 37:22) in presence of the besieger. Louder than the roar of nations is the voice of God; at the resounding of which earth melteth and the courage of her most valiant sons becomes weak as water. The minds of the singers of this song are left to supply the rest. Assyria has been overthrown in the land. The scene is one of terrible devastation. We are invited to view it, and to learn its great lesson. Wars will cease when Jehovah inflicts such wastes and horrors on those who wage them, that they will be compelled to stay the carnage. He will say Desist in such manner that they will know that He who speaks is God and must be obeyed. Then will he be exalted among the nations: “scattering those who in war take delight” (Psalms 68:30) and giving the nation rest and peace.

God Reigns Today

Psalm 47:1-9

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Psalms 47 is another psalm written by the sons of Korah. This is all the information we are given in the superscription concerning this psalm. Psalms 47 can be divided into two sections. The first five verses describe God subjugating the peoples while the last four verses describe God as king over the earth.

Praising God In Subjugating the People (Psalms 47:1-5)

Clap your hands

At first reading it would seem the psalmist is asking the worshippers to clap their hands for joy. If we in the twenty-first century were called to clap our hands, we would think of it as a joyful cheer. But that is not exactly what the word means in the Hebrew. The Hebrew idiom “to clap the hands” normally means to strike hands with another individual confirming an agreement between parties (NIV Application Commentary).

If this is the case, then the psalmist is not asking for the applause of the people. Rather, the psalmist is calling on the people to come to a contractual agreement with God. This call to be in agreement with God is the thesis for the psalm. The reason for coming into this contract with God is because God reigns. Psalms 47:2 makes this point, describing God as “a great king over all the earth.” The psalmist does not declare the Lord to be merely the God over Israel. The Lord is the real king over all other kings on the earth.

Jesus taught this very concept to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor over Judea. Pilate, desiring for Jesus to make a defense, asked Jesus if he knew that he had the power to crucify him or to kill him. Jesus responded that this power was only exercised because God had given that power to Pilate (John 19:10-11). God is the real king who has given power and authority to the rulers of the earth.

In the context of this psalm, it is fitting for God to be called the Lord, the Most High. The language clearly states that there is no one or no thing higher than God. To acknowledge the Lord as Most High is to submit to God’s authority. Overall, this is a call for all people to have a humble awareness of their absolute dependence on God. God is awesome. God is king. Therefore, be in agreement with God.

Subdue peoples under us

Those who do not come into agreement with God will be subdued. This is illustrated through the conquering of the nation of Israel. Nations were not destroyed simply to give a place for Israel to live nor to expand its borders. God was bringing judgment on these nations because of their wickedness. The peoples who lived in the land of Canaan required judgment. Therefore God used Israel to bring that judgment, destroying the peoples, and giving the land as an inheritance to Israel.

To bring about this nation, God subdued the people of Egypt. God then subdued the Canaanites and other peoples in the land. God subdued the Amalekites, Philistines, Moabites, Edomites, Ammonites, and any other peoples that came up against Israel while they were in agreement with Him. God continued this conquering of people while the people remained in the covenant relationship with him. When the people broke the covenant with God, however, is when we see Assyria and Babylon destroying Israel. God subdues the nations and chooses his people when his people remain in agreement with him.

God’s ascension

In Psalms 47:5 we read that God has ascended with a shout. This likely is a reference to the glory of God rising up (same Hebrew word), to which to ark of the covenant would be lifted up and the people would shout and follow the cloud of God till it stopped. “Meanwhile, the cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they set out from the camp. Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say: Arise, Lord! Let Your enemies be scattered, and those who hate You flee from Your presence. When it came to rest, he would say: Return, Lord, to the countless thousands of Israel” (Numbers 10:34-36).

When God rose up, it would be to defend his people and conquer their enemies. This is why so many psalms are prayers calling for God to rise up and defend. This imagery began with the ark of the covenant and the glory of the Lord rising up against the nations as they progressed to the promised land.

Praising God As King Over Earth (Psalms 47:6-9)

God reigns

In Psalms 47:6-7 the psalmist calls upon the people five times to sing to the Lord. “Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. Sing praises with a skillful psalm.” Let the praises never cease to the Lord. The reason for the call of this fivefold command to sing is because God is king of all the earth.

“God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne.” This statement pictures God as actively ruling over the earth. God is not described as asleep, but sitting on the holy throne reigning over the peoples. This was the great hope of Israel as they believed God was with them, conquering for them, and protecting them from all harm.

The peoples of the earth have become the people of God

Psalms 47:9 concludes the psalm speaking about how the pagan peoples have become the people of God. The princes, as representatives of the people of the earth, now are the people of God.

There is debate as to exactly what this means. Some commentators think that this is a prophetic statement that has not been fulfilled yet. But I believe we can see what the people of Israel were looking toward as they sang these words and offered God this praise.

Application

Ultimate reality in Christ

As we examine this psalm we must remember that the Jews understood the psalms not only in an historical context but also in a current context and Messianic context. After this psalm was written, the Jews throughout time would apply these words to their current situation, while recognizing that its meaning was originally in the past. But the Jews believed that the ultimate fulfillment of these words would be found in the Messiah. I believe this is certainly true for Psalms 47.

Taking the view of the Messiah, we see that the Messiah would be the king over all the earth, subduing nations under their feet. This helps give us a perspective and understanding as to why the Jews in expected the Messiah to free them from the Roman Empire. The Jews expected the Messiah to rule over the kings of the earth by overthrowing Rome.

Christ the King. Jesus declared himself to be king. ” Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me” (John 18:37). But he was not the king the Jews were expecting. When Jews read that the Messiah would be king of the earth, they assumed he would be king by physical means. But Jesus declared, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over the Jews. As it is, My kingdom does not have its origin here” (John 18:36).

Furthermore, the apostles recognized Jesus as king, even after his death. “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (1 Timothy 1:17). In speaking about the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul said: “He is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords, the only One who has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom none of mankind has seen or can see, to whom be honor and eternal might. Amen” (1 Timothy 6:15-16). Jesus is the kingly Messiah, but not a kingdom of this world. However, the Messiah does rule over the kings of the earth from a heavenly throne.

Christ’s kingdom. “He demonstrated this power in the Messiah by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavens—far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and ever title given, no only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put everything under His feet…” (Ephesians 1:20-21). This kingdom was prophesied by Daniel concerning the Messiah. “I continued watching in the night visions, and I saw One like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. He was given authority to rule, and glory, and a kingdom; so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14).

It is fascinating to me that in the midst of all this description of God ruling is the imagery of God ascending (Psalms 47:5). The reason this is fascinating is because it is at the ascension of the Messiah that he would receive an everlasting kingdom and have everlasting dominion (Daniel 7:13-14). Daniel, in a vision, is seeing the Son of Man (the Messiah) coming in the clouds to the Ancient of Days (the Father).

Commentators think that Psalms 47:9 has not been fulfilled. But when we view this psalm in a Messianic context, we can see the peoples of the earth have assembled themselves as the people of the God of Abraham. This psalm is not picturing every person who is alive being a servant of God. Rather, it is picturing what people are able to do that did not exist before. Under the reign of the Messiah, the peoples of the earth (the Gentiles) can now assemble themselves as the people of the God of Abraham. To be the people of the God of Abraham is to be Israel. Now all people, including Gentiles, would have the opportunity to be called Israel, the people of God.

Paul made this point a couple of times. “But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Neither are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants. On the contrary, in Isaac your seed will be called. That is, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but the children of the promise are considered seed” (Romans 9:6-8). Paul says that not all of physical Israel was the true Israel because being God’s people was not about physical descent but about being a child of promise through obedience to God.

Paul explains further in Ephesians 2:11-20 : “ 11 So then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh—called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,” done by hand in the flesh. 12 At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, with no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah. 14 For He is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In His flesh, 15 He did away with the law of the commandments in regulations, so that He might create in Himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. 16 He did this so that He might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross and put the hostility to death by it. 17 When Christ came, He proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.” We see that Christ has fulfilled Psalms 47:9 by reconciling all people to him, making them all the people of the God of Abraham.

Christ rules now

The overwhelming message and hope in Psalms 47 is that God is currently ruling. God did not set up Israel and leave them to deal with the powers of the world. When Psalms 47:8 says “God sits on His holy throne” it means that God is currently in charge over the affairs of the earth.

In the same way, what does it mean for Christ to reign on the throne? It must mean the same as in the context we are reading in this psalm. Christ is reigning over the nations now. Christ is not like the monarchy in England, simply a figurehead with no real power. The real meaning is the Christ has power and control over the nations of the earth. This was the very point being made in Daniel 7 after describing the Son of Man ascending and receiving the kingdom: “The kingdom, dominion, and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be given to the people, the holy ones of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will serve and obey Him” (Daniel 7:27).

Christ is in charge of the nations now. This is the subtle point Paul made in Romans 13:1, “Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God.” Just as God made the nations rise and fall in the Old Testament (Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece) so also God has made nations rise and fall in the New Testament (Rome, Jerusalem). God still institutes governments and destroys governments.

This is a message of hope to the holy ones of God. We are part of a kingdom that cannot be shaken and will never end (Hebrews 12:28). We need to think more about the rule that we are truly under. While we live in the United States of America, we are under the rule of Christ. We are fellow heirs and fellow partakers in the true kingdom of this earth that cannot be seen but truly exists. God’s power will never fail even if all the world powers were to come against.

Therefore, we need to clap our hands. We are not to clap our hands in applause, though we ought to appreciate what God has done for us in giving us such a kingdom. Rather we are to clap our hands with God. We need to be in agreement with his covenant. We must uphold our end of the covenant or we will be removed from God’s kingdom. Are we living like citizens of God’s kingdom or like citizens of prince of the power of air? It is our choice as to which kingdom we will be citizens.

PSALM 47

EXPOSITION

The scope of this psalm is our surest guide in the settlement of questions which mere verbal criticism cannot set at rest. Ought we to render, in the second stanza,—“He subdued,” “He subdueth,” or “He will subdue”; “He chose,” “He chooseth,” or “He will choose”? The mere circumstance that the tenses here used are imperfects, with an incipient, initialling, or repeating force will not determine this point—strange as this may seem to those who are accustomed only to Western grammars. In such cases, the known facts, or the main scope, are our best guides. Now it cannot be overlooked that this psalm is first and last an invitation to the nations of the earth to rejoice in the newly assumed Divine Sovereignty over the whole earth. This at once strongly impresses on the psalm a future reference: not only a then future but a still future reference. For if it is difficult to see how the overthrow of the Assyrians under Sennacherib could form the basis of an invitation to all nations to come and acknowledge themselves under Jehovah and at the same time under the feet of Israel; still more difficult must it be to discover such a ground of joyful submission, in the action of Israel when in the time of the Maccabees she took up arms against foreign nations, Briggs sees and frankly admits this difficulty; and his words are worth quoting. Against the witness of the Heb., Greek, and Latin, in support of the pronouns under us, under our feet, and in favour of a conjectural emendation, “under Him,” “under His feet,” he truly says: “The triumph of the people of Israel . . . certainly would have been no ground for the rejoicing of foreign nations . . . which in fact had no realistation until the Maccabean times. Then the victories were so exclusively national and hostile to other nations, that no one would have thought of asking them to share in Israel’s triumph.” But the remarkable thing is that even this purely conjectural change in the text, leaves the broad outlook of the psalm untouched: it still remains an enthusiastic invitation to all nations to acknowledge with gladness the newly assumed, or newly proclaimed, sovereignty of the God of Abraham over all the earth. And though “under Him,” “under His feet,” may look less repugnant to the nations than the present authentic reading, yet will the broad testimony of the prophets as illustrated by such passages as Isaiah 14:2; Isaiah 60:12, Mi. Psalms 4:8, remain unsilenced as a standing protest in favour of Hebrew supremacy in the coming kingdom, and against tampering with the witness of this psalm. Such supremacy, we must indeed suppose, will ultimately be so obtained as to make reasonable Israel’s invitation to the nations of the earth to clap their hands over the new assumption of world-wide sovereignty by Israel’s God. All we have any right to say, in face of the inviolable Scriptures of God, is: That, if Israel has never yet been in circumstances to tender such an invitation with any chance of its being accepted, then, in the providence of Him who is “excellent in counsel and wonderful in working,” she will yet have it put in her power to sing this psalm with such sincerity and force of appeal that it shall evoke a willing response from the nations. Under the influence of considerations such as these, we may very well content ourselves to represent Israel as saying with the abiding force of a recurrent truth: He subdueth—He chooseth. “I am inclined, therefore,” says Perowne, “with Ewald, Hengst., and Bunsen, to take both verbs as presents (which the previous context seems to require), either as referring to a recent act of God, or (as Delitzsch )to a continued act—’God is ever choosing Israel’s inheritance anew, inasmuch as He shows Himself to be the true and mighty Protector thereof.’ The present may be used, as in Psalms 104:2, where the act of creation is spoken of as present, because its results are present. Comp. Is. 14:1, where Israel’s restoration is described as another choosing.”

The same breadth of outlook which has assisted us in the interpretation of the second stanza of this psalm, may perhaps throw light on the reference of the third, and help us to just thoughts regarding the ascension there spoken of: To what throne hath God ascended? On what occasion—one or many? Instead of urging either of these questions at present, it may be better to confine ourselves to two elementary facts: first, that no argument can be based upon the difference between “gone up” and “come up”—it is either, and therefore the neutral word “ascend” is better; second, that a form of the Hebrew word ‘alah, “to ascend,” is used both in Psalms 47:9 of this psalm and in Psalms 97:9, “Very high hath he ascended above all messengers divine”; which forcibly suggests that the ascension intended is not so much local, as relative to other beings—God’s manifest placing of inferior rulers beneath himself. This of itself subordinates the mere question of locality to more important considerations. The grand fact celebrated is Divine rule manifestly supreme; the act particularised is the assumption of proclamation or demonstration of that rule. The event forms an epoch in history. It takes place at a particular time. It can be joyfully celebrated. All nations can be called upon to celebrate it. That is what is done in this psalm. Therefore the psalm is unfulfilled. Fulfilment will settle all questions of detail. Meanwhile, side-lights of probability may fall on the general question of Divine Ascension from other sources. Cp. Exposition on Psalms 2, and see Intro., Chap. III., “Kingdom.”

There is but one other matter of interpretation here needing attention: The Massoretic text of the second line of Psalms 47:9, says Kirkpatrick, “must be rendered ‘To be the people of the God of Abraham’ . . . ‘Unto the people’ is scarcely legitimate . . . The consonants of the word ‘am, ‘people,’ are identical with those of ‘un, ‘with’ . . . It is a natural conjecture that we should restore the preposition and render:

The princes of the peoples are gathered together,

Along with the people of the God of Abraham.

The title (God of Abraham recalls the promises of blessing to the nations through Abraham (Genesis 12:2 f, etc.) . . . Princes are called (the shields of the earth) as the protectors of their people. Jehovah is their overlord, and they come to acknowledge their dependence. The title shield is often applied to God, and sometimes to the kings and princes of Israel (Hosea 4:18, Psalms 89:18).”

Zion, The City of God

Psalms 48:1-14

Brent Kercheville

Understanding the Psalm

The Lord is present in Zion (Psalms 48:1-3)

The psalm begins typically for a psalm of praise to God by declaring the Lord as great and most worthy of praise. But the greatness of the Lord is going to be praised in regards to Zion, the city of our God, his holy mountain. To the Israelites, especially during the times of the psalms, Zion was definitively understood to be the city of Jerusalem. Thus, as we read this psalm we need to consider how Israel is depicting God’s love to Jerusalem.

In Psalms 48:2 the psalmist declares that the holy mountain of God is beautiful in its loftiness. Zion is the joy of all the earth as Israel expected God to rule over all the nations with a throne in Jerusalem. Further, Zion is compared to the utmost heights of the north. Zion was not a large mountain by any means in comparison to the surrounding mountains of Palestine. But the psalmist speaks of Zion as if it were one of the highest peaks because it is the holy mountain of God. This is the city of the Great King.

By stating that Zion is the city of the Great King, we understand why Israel considered the city so lofty. It is not because of its physical grandeur that Zion is lofty. Rather, it is because God is in the city that gives Zion its greatness. This is what the psalmist says in verse 3, “God is in her citadels.” The Lord’s presence is in Zion. God dwells there. God has made himself the defender of Zion. God is the walls to Zion. God is the city’s defense.

The Lord defeats Zion’s opponents (Psalms 48:4-7)

Psalms 48:4-7 describe the victory the Lord has given to His people in protecting the city of God. Since God was in Zion, Zion could not be conquered by any enemies that came against it.

The imagery of this section of the psalm seems to be a reminder of the victory of Hezekiah against the Assyrians. The Assyrians were conquering the fortified cities of Judah and were about to come up against Jerusalem. Sennecherib, the king of Assyria, gave Hezekiah the opportunity to surrender to Assyria’s military forces. Hezekiah prayed to God for deliverance and that night an angel of the Lord killed 185,000 of Assyria’s forces. Due to this slaughter, Sennecherib retreated to Ninevah where he was killed by the sword. Assyria no longer was a threat to Jerusalem for God had provided deliverance.

Psalms 48:7 also has a history in the days of the kings. The ships of Tarshish are a reminder to the days of King Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat had built a fleet of ships to go to Tarshish. But because Jehoshaphat had made an alliance with Ahaziah the king of Israel, the Lord utterly destroyed the ships (2 Chronicles 20:37; 1 Kings 22:48). Therefore, the Lord utterly destroys the enemies of Zion.

Eternal Security of Zion (Psalms 48:8)

The defense of Zion is not only something that the people of Israel had told from generation to generation, but even the generation alive at the penning of the psalm had personally seen God defend Zion. Zion is the city of the Lord of Hosts, which literally describes God as the Lord of armies. Zion is the city of God and is the city of the Lord of Hosts.

This verse is the thematic center of the psalm. Great confidence and encouragement was to come to the residents of Jerusalem with the knowledge of God being its defender. God establishes and secures Zion forever.

This was not a false belief in regards to Zion remaining established and secure forever. God made such a promise to Solomon after the construction of the temple, “I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there” (1 Kings 9:3). God did not look upon Zion as nothing. God would put his name there forever and God’s eyes and heart would always remain there. Thus, the people are worshipping God’s righteousness in his continued defense of Zion.

Celebration of the Lord’s mighty acts on behalf of Zion (Psalms 48:9-11)

In Psalms 48:9-11 we read about how the people rejoice because of the mighty works of God. Specifically, they are joyful in the fact that God has continued to defend Zion. The people recognize God’s unfailing love. When they go to worship the Lord they are mindful of God’s continued love toward them. There is no comparison to God’s love.

God’s name and God’s praise should reach to the ends of the earth because of the mighty works of God toward Zion. God’s right hand is filled with righteousness. God has kept his promises to his people and has defended Jerusalem, as he declared he would while the people remained obedient. The people are rejoicing for the judgments of God have come against the enemies of Zion and against the nations.

Declarations to future generation (Psalms 48:12-14)

The psalm concludes with a walking tour of the city of God. The psalmist encourages the people to consider the towers, ramparts, and citadels. Then, tell what you have seen to the coming generations. Tell the generations how great God has made Jerusalem. Tell the future peoples how God made Zion powerful and unconquerable.

The power of Zion is in the fact that God dwells in Zion. This is our God…a God who will defend his people and protect. This God is our God forever and ever and will be our guide until death.

Applications

The future of Zion

Throughout the psalm we see the psalmist declaring the eternal nature of Zion. But Zion was not contained in the physical city of Jerusalem. Rather, Zion is the inhabitants of the people of God where God himself also dwells.

The promises of Zion did not die when Jerusalem was captured by the Babylonians and destroyed. Nor did the promises of Zion die when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. Consider the prophecy of Joel in Joel 2:28-32, which is quoted by Peter in Acts 2:17-21. Peter ends the quotation with, “and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But notice the rest of Joel’s prophecy that would be fulfilled in conjunction with the coming of the Messiah:

“And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the survivors whom the Lord calls” (Joel 2:32).

Joel’s prophecy also concludes with Messianic references to Zion: “So you shall know that I, the LORD your God, dwell in Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it. In that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, the hills shall flow with milk, and all the stream beds of Judah shall flow with water; a fountain shall come forth from the house of the LORD and water the Wadi Shittim. Egypt shall become a desolation and Edom a desolate wilderness, because of the violence done to the people of Judah, in whose land they have shed innocent blood. But Judah shall be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem to all generations. I will avenge their blood, and I will not clear the guilty, for the LORD dwells in Zion“(Joel 3:17-21, NRSV). Zion still remained and it would continue to be the dwelling place of God. Zion has nothing unholy within it and no strangers are allowed to pass through it. This describes Zion as a spiritual concept rather than an earthly city. God is still defending Zion and still dwells in Zion.

Christ is the entrance to Zion

So how can one enter into Zion today? Peter said, “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:6). Christ is the foundation of Zion and those who put their trust in Christ are living stone in Zion who will be defended and never be put to shame.

Paul quoted the same passage from Isaiah twice in his letter to the Romans. He used the reference to show how Israel would be saved. “And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins” (Romans 11:26-27). The Deliverer (the Messiah) would come from Zion. He will have the purpose of turning godlessness away from Jacob. Jesus would become the doorway through which people can enter into a covenant with God. Jesus will not allow the ungodliness to exist. Nothing evil will enter in the city of God. By coming to Jesus we become part of the covenant made that the Messiah would come and take away sins. In this way all of Israel would be saved. Paul is not speaking about the physical people of Israel, for he already argued earlier in chapter 9 that not all of Israel is truly Israel. Only those who would come to Jesus would receive the blessing of the Messiah of forgiven sins and entrance into the city of God. We can dwell in the city of God.

We are invited to Zion

We see that the opportunity to be in Zion is given to all people. To those who have already obeyed the words of Jesus have become part of Zion. “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:22-24).

I think I have taken for granted what it means to have come to Mount Zion until I had studied this psalm. For us to be part of Zion means all that we have seen in this psalm.

a) We are in the presence of God

b) God has shown himself to defend Zion against attack

c) God defeats the enemies of Zion

d) We have eternal security in Zion

e) We must celebrate God’s acts on our behalf ( Zion)

f) We must declare to future generations all we have seen and heard

g) God must be our guide even to death

PSALM 48

EXPOSITION

As critically revised above, this psalm as a whole does not seem of very difficult interpretation. It naturally follows the previous psalm, by detaining the reader’s thoughts on the palace where “the nobles gather themselves together with the people of the God of Abraham”; and this naturalness reacts, so as to account for the informal way in which it is here first named as “the city.” But being now the joy of all the earth, it is to be expected that “the nobles” should delight to visit her, and when they approach should be struck with her beauty, though chiefly attracted by her King. Moreover, the fourth line of this fourth stanza, at once forges for itself a link with Psalms 46. Jehovah had indeed striven in her citadels by the “devastations he had wrought in the earth” from thence, thereby proving himself a lofty retreat for his beleaguered people.

This naturally brings on the second stanza, the extreme graphic beauty of which, of course, every eye can see. It should, however, be remarked in all candour, that the scene there depicted is highly idealised—that is, assuming that the reference is to the historical fact of the miraculous overthrow of the hosts of Sennacherib. For though the proud Assyrian monarch might call his “generals kings,” it scarcely follows that a Hebrew bard would so name them, unless he were being guided to make his language fit a later and larger scene. It looks very much as though those ships of Tarshish had brought the confederate kings to the holy land, in which case the panic into which they are thrown is the more readily understood. In passing, it may be noted they do not “hasten away,” as some render the last word in Psalms 48:5; for they cannot get away, but are arrested on the spot—there! as the poet graphically declares. They have just time in their anguish to gasp out that opposition to the holy city is hopeless. All of which may excuse the conclusion that this wonderful picture of consternation is as much prophetic as it is historic.

After the storm comes the calm: after the shrieks of anguish comes the voice of praise. Worshippers in the temple have quiet and impulse to ponder well the mighty doings of their God. Jehovah has fulfilled his name so undeniably in the sight of all nations as to call forth praise to the ends of the earth. This again imparts a prophetic tone to words which, though poetically justifiable as suggested by the Assyrian overthrow, are large enough to prompt comparison with predictions yet unfulfilled. The righteousness with which Jehovah’s right hand is filled being vindicatory, gives cause why Mount Zion should be glad and the daughters, or cities, of Judah should exult.

The time being now one of peace, with no enemy near to threaten, dwellers in Zion, and visitors with them, can deliberately go about Zion, count her towers, and, recalling her chequered history, can learn the lessons of the past and hand them on to the future: language singularly inappropriate had it been spoken of a heavenly Zion, rather fantastic if referred to ecclesiastical Zions, but very forcibly rooting itself in the past, as a mould of the chief ideas suggested, if connected with the thrilling events which signalised the reign of King Hezekiah, Death, as a king of terrors, gazed both on the nation and, by a special and concurrent providence, on her king—Israel’s God as a Shepherd led both king and people through the valley against the monster—and he fled, overcome! Of course not, then, finally; for Hezekiah died afterwards, and the nation has been invaded and carried into captivity since. But in little—in shadow—in outline—in prophecy—Jehovah led them against death! Significant words. They will find an echo in the very next psalm; or rather perhaps a clearer note will there be struck; and if Isaiah wrote this psalm, then about this time he is elsewhere renewing the theme (Isaiah 25:6-9; Isaiah 26:19).

Trusting In Riches

Psalms 49:1-20

Brent Kercheville

Introduction (Psalms 49:1-4)

The first four verses of Psalms 49 are a call to the peoples and the worshippers to listen to the words of wisdom about to be spoken. This message is for those who are both “low and high.” Regardless of status or class, all people can learn from the words of this psalm. Immediately we see that this psalm is different than all the other psalms. This psalm begins more like a proverb than a song. These words of wisdom are for “all who live in this world.”

Why Trust In Riches?

The futility and foolishness of riches (Psalms 49:5-12)

The psalmist makes many arguments in Psalms 49:5-12 to show the foolishness of riches. I believe the writer gives us six reasons why riches are foolish to seek after and foolish to put our trust in.

Cannot purchase our lives. The psalmist begins by noting that wealth cannot purchase our lives. “No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him.” When we talk about our own lives and the lives of those we love, money becomes worthless. Unfortunately, we usually do not realize this until we find our lives in dire circumstances. It is when terminal illness strikes the rich man that the rich man realizes that his money is of no value to him. This point is one of the main messages of Jesus’ parable concerning the rich man who had built his bigger barns. His wealth was useless when it came to the time to meet God. Why trust in riches when it will not help us in our defense before God in judgment.

Wealth is no cushion. The psalmist is trying to help us see that wealth provides no cushion for people. We try to insulate ourselves from harm and abandonment by heaping up wealth. Our television shows try to convince us that money is the way to keep bad things from happening to us. Also, society tries to make us believe that money will keep us happy if bad things for some reason do happen. Does anyone think Donald Trump has lived a life that we would want to have? He has had numerous blown marriages, financial problems and worries, family troubles, and who knows what other difficulties that have not been reported. Yet everyone wants to be like him because they have forgotten that Trump’s wealth has not kept him from great troubles. The rich and poor experience problems alike. In fact, Ecclesiastes argues that the rich experience more problems than the poor.

All will experience death. What advantage do the rich have in this world? They will experience death just like the poor man. “For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish.” We are sometimes deceived into thinking that riches are able to prevent the inevitable. It is a well-known proverb that there are two sure things in life: death and taxes. Yet it is the world’s pursuit to try to cheat death. Now the rich think they can put their bodies on ice and live again when technology is good enough to bring them back to life. These are the thoughts of desperate people who have not found a purpose for living. They need more time to enjoy the mundane things of this world. Why trust in riches when death is assured to the rich as it is to the poor? There is no advantage to rich concerning death.

Wealth is left to others. The teacher in Ecclesiastes saw the folly of accumulating wealth when all the hard work is lost when the wealth is given to another who will waste it away. The psalmist notes the same problem. The rich perish and leave their wealth to others. What joy is there in working so hard to accumulate wealth only to leave it for another? The dead cannot enjoy nor experience the fruit of their labors. We may have money in the bank. So what? We may have stocks, bonds, options, CDs, and other financial instruments. So what? We may have large houses, multiple cars, and numerous possessions. So what? What does it mean to our lives? Nothing, for these things are emptiness.

The grave becomes our home. Though the rich have large homes and fine estates, the grave becomes everyone’ s home. All of us will have a tomb for our bodies to decay in. So we have fine homes. What good does it do for us? Our final resting place is no different than the poor.

Despite riches, people perish like animals. Psalms 49:12 really drives the reality of the point home. In the end, we are no different than the animals in regards to the outcome of our physical bodies. Our physical bodies must die, just the animals. Our physical bodies must decay, just like the animals. There is nothing we can do to stop the reality of what will happen to us. As much as we like to think that death is avoidable when we are young and that we will never age as our parents have, no one has cheated death. Death will be experienced by all.

The fate of those who trust in riches (Psalms 49:13-20)

The second half of the psalm describes the end result of those who decide to put their hope and trust in the riches of this world. The outcome is not good for those who trust in wealth. We are to see the fate of the rich and not go down the same path.

Like sheep appointed for the grave. It really is a terrifying image the psalmist draws to mind: “Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them.” What difference is there between man and animal if we reject God? The purpose of their lives becomes the same: to live and die. If riches are where we put our trust, our lives have as much value as a sheep. We will leave, we will enjoy some pastures, and then we will die. Our lives have no purpose except to go to the grave.

The upright will rule, not the rich. God tells us that rule and power will be given to the upright and not to the rich of this world. What can man really rule? At best we see the powerful men and women of this world ruling a corporation or ruling a government/nation. Yet all the wealth belongs to God and God is in control of all the governments. Would you rather rule now for a few years over a small piece of land, or would you rather rule in the kingdom of God, which is far above all powers, rulers, and dominions eternally? The psalmist is encouraging us to keep our eyes on what is most important.

God will not redeem their lives. The rich believe that God will redeem their lives. However, God says that they are mistaken. I suppose every rich man believes they are going to heaven. I suppose the rich believe that they are able to have the wealth of this world and will be able to be with God. We should not delude ourselves in any way into thinking that we will be redeemed by the Lord when we are pursuing after the ways of this world. Everyone seems to think that everyone goes to heaven. God says that those who seek after riches will not be purchased by God but will remain in death, separated from God.

Do not be in awe of them…they cannot take wealth with them. The psalmist reminds us not to be in awe of the rich, when the splendor of the house increases. Why should we not be in awe of the accumulation of wealth that the Bill Gates and Donald Trumps of the world have attained? The reason why we should not be in awe of them is because they cannot take it with them. Their wealth is for a moment but their judgment is for an eternity. Their glory and wealth will not go with them. No one glories in the wealth of those in the past. Who has heard of William Randolph Hearst? Who cares today about William Randolph Hearst? He was so rich that he built a huge mansion in northern California. The mansion is so large that there are multiple tours of his house because in one day you cannot see it. But no one cares about the wealth of the past. The rich cannot take their splendor with them.

Though the rich seem to have it all, they will not see the light of life. The rich are missing out on the things that are most important in life. Though everyone counted the rich man blessed and people praise these people for their prosperity, they simply join the millions of other men who had great wealth but never saw the light of true life. Be mindful of the story Jesus told about the rich man and Lazarus: did the rich man care about his wealth when he entered torment? No, rather his only concern was to have relief from his pain. Lazarus had it good, though poor. The rich man had it painful, though wealthy.

Not understanding these things makes us act as foolish as the beasts. When we do not understand these truths, we make foolish decisions. When we fail to realize that God truly matters in life and we begin to seek after the worldly pursuits of life, the decisions we make are irrational. How smart will it sound on the day of judgment to explain to the Lord and the cloud of witnesses that we thought it more important to put a few more dollars in the bank account rather than spend eternity with God? How foolish will be appear when we tell the heavenly hosts that heaven did not seem as good as pursuing the things of this world? We will look foolish and we will feel foolish for making such bad decisions.

Applications

Do not trust in riches

The application of this psalm is rather straightforward: do not trust in riches. We need to stop thinking that wealth is so important. We must see that riches offer us no advantages. Wealth does not prevent death. Wealth will not save us from problems. Riches will not extend our lives. All our efforts will simply be wasted by others who come after us.

Riches do not change the outcome of events. God is the only one who has any control or say in how things will turn out in life. To trust in riches is to trust in ourselves with the belief that we have the ability to change the course of this world with a few more dollars. But such thinking is foolishness.

Remember the end result

So what can we do to help us remember not to trust in riches? I would like for us to try this exercise for the decisions we make: ask ourselves if it will sound foolish on the day of judgment. Will the choice that I am about to make sound foolish when I stand before God and the host of heaven? Will my explanation be reasonable against losing eternal life, eternal blessings, and eternal comfort?

Are you ready to trade God’s power to redeem our lives from the grave so that we can have more in the bank account? Are you ready to sacrifice true joy and peace so that we can have a bigger house or another car? In this context, the decision to chase riches sounds foolish. So let us always keep riches in this context. The pursuit of riches is trading in God. Do not exchange the immortal and glorious God for the corruptible and temporary pleasures of this world.

PSALM 49

EXPOSITION

This psalm is one of great beauty and power. Its breadth is at once evidence; since it appeals to men everywhere, of all sorts and conditions: peoples—low, high, rich, needy. Its elevation is clear; inasmuch as it implies that the present order of things is temporary—a mere passing world, during which the days may be evil, and the wealthy iniquitous, overbearing and boastful; but beyond which God may interpose in redemption. Its insight is penetrating; for it pierces through to man’s true worth, which money cannot measure. Its structure is simple: one stanza, containing proem and problem, and two stanzas of argument, crowned each by an identical refrain. Its unity is complete; rendering the psalm, to a large extent, self-interpretive. But, withal, its chief characteristic is, that it is parabolic, enigmatic and ironical: its sarcasm is as biting as it is benevolent. It has its surface meanings, and its deeper intentions. It plays upon words. Its wise men are only clever: they perish, or at least they pass into the land of shadows. They are brutes in behaviour; yet, if they were really only brutes, they would not thus be blamed. They think much of themselves; and yet how little! if they would only think more of themselves, they would not think so little of their poor neighbours. Such is the style; and it is this which makes successful translation and exegesis difficult. The more difficult these are, however, the more need is there that the unity of the psalm should be held fast, and the interpretation be made as self-consistent as possible.

The proem or exordium, so far from being an afterthought of a later date, strikes the key-note of the psalm. It is the utterance of a man who is conscious of having something weighty to say, and is inwardly compelled to give it expression. He has glimpses of a coming better time, or he would not speak of the present as a passing age; esteems his solution radical, or he would not propound it for the consideration of all classes. He bespeaks attention to a by-word, and warrants our expectation of finding one in the sequel. He promises to open his enigma, by the help of his harp; and therefore justifies us in looking for a real solution of his problem—his music should at least do something to calm the troubled breast.

The problem itself is stated in terms sufficiently explicit to reveal its bearings. It is not the brevity of life which perplexes the psalmist, for of that he makes no mention. Nor are the inequalities of life what chiefly trouble him; but mainly the iniquitous scheming and vainglorious boasting of those who have the larger share of this world’s goods. They plot and they plunder; they do as they please, and boast that so they will continue to do. Such neighbors are as formidable as they are unscrupulous. They may well be feared. And if the writer nevertheless asks why he should fear,—it can only be because he has good reasons for not being afraid of the injuriousness which he is powerless to arrest. It cannot be merely that these boasters will soon be in the graves; for the same, in the ordinary course of things, may be said of those who are suffering such wrongs.

The solution strikes home, though it takes the form of a paradox. The injurious boasters do not really think enough of themselves: it is for their adventitious wealth that they have such an inordinate affection. If they more highly esteemed their essential selves, they would more highly esteem their poor neighbours. If they would but think of it, they themselves are so precious, that not all their wealth can bribe God to add to their life a single day—how much less to extend their life indefinitely? And is not every other man essentially as precious as they? They deem themselves wise, and they are very clever; but—as any one can see—clever people die as well as the foolish and brutish. And the clever rich afford contrasts, when they die, which their poor neighbours do not occasion: the large mansion, and the little grave—how different they appear! and the tenants of these “along homes” have left their names on broad acres! Ah! if these, whose helpless relics are thus housed, had only risen to the high level of esteeming themselves aright, they would have esteemed all others as essentially their equals; and would have scorned to brow-beat them with the brute-force of wealth. But now the scorners are scorned. These men lowered themselves to do as the brutes; they intimidated and trampled on the weak. They forgot that they themselves were men!

The poet returns to the charge. His sarcasm bites more bitterly. Look on their late way of self-gloriousness—as the folly of it; and look on the end of the way—the future at which they have arrived. They are My Lord Hades’ small cattle, under the care of his shepherd—Death! Begrudge them not ease, comfort, plenty, on the road to such an inglorious end. Let them down gently. Let them take with them their good looks—which will soon enough fade!

“But who art thou, O scornful poet? What of thyself? Shalt not thou, too, soon become weak as we?” might not these shades of the rich reply? The poet’s answer is ready:—“God,” saith he, “will do for me, what your money could not do for you,”—and the words are suited to the time of waiting for Messiah’s first advent,—God will ransom my soul—my person—my essential self.—from the hand of Hades will he surely take me. The words have just that measure of ambiguity which fits them to their time; but they have all the point and force needed to adjust them to their context. They are ambiguous so far as this: That they may denote either the fore-stalling of the grasp of Hades by TRANSFORMATION; or the rescuing out of the hand of Hades by RESURRECTION. But they have all the point and force which the context requires. “God” will place me in such a position of realised immortality, that I shall live on continually, and not see the pit,—which is what riches have never yet accomplished. And, looking forward, as I do, for such Divine redemption,—I will not fear the worst that iniquitous circumventors can do unto me during the days of evil.

But this final stanza is not yet complete. Having given conclusive reason why he should not fear, the poet counsels others to be equally bold: Do not fear! But as, in his first reply, he descended from argument to irony, so does he, in this his second answer: only, as the argument is stronger now than then, so is the irony keener and more prolonged. Then the argument was drawn from the inherent worth of man: now it is derived from the redeeming purpose of God. And, accordingly, we are here treated to an exquisite picture of the rich man’s pampering and flattering of his superficial self, which is terminated only by the fall of a curtain of thick darkness—suited to those premessianic times, when the future of the wicked was as yet unrevealed. The “shade” of the once great man may penetrate as far into the dark vault of Hades as to bring him into the circle of his fathers; but—no more at present can be said: silence reigns—and the familiar by-word is once more heard. The clever but foolish tyrant has brought it on himself—no better than brutes! In finally reviewing the psalm, one is struck with its numerous points of contact with other scriptures. Kirkpatrick well says: “The theme of the psalm is akin to that of Psalms 37, 73.” It “reminds us of the parables of Rich Fool (Luke 12:16 ff) and the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19 ff).” Moreover, this psalm “contains numerous parallels of thought and language to the Books of Job and Proverbs.” “There seems to be an allusion in Psalms 49:11 to the vast estates which are condemned by Isaiah and Micah.” See Isaiah 2:9; Isaiah 2:11; Isaiah 2:17; Isaiah 3:14-15; Isaiah 5:8; Isaiah 5:15; Isaiah 59:9-15; Mi. Psalms 2:1-2, Psalms 3:1-3. But perhaps the most significant reference should be to Matthew 6:26.

God’s Righteous Judgment

Psalms 50:1-23

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Psalms 50 is written by Asaph. This is the first psalm we have encountered that is written by Asaph. The rest of Asaph’s psalms are found in Psalms 73-83. Asaph is the chief of the Levitical singers mentioned in 1 Chronicles 6:39. He was in charge of the song service in the temple at Jerusalem and was appointed to serve before the ark of the Lord, make petition, give thanks, and praise the Lord (1 Chronicles 16:4). This psalm is a psalm about God’s judgment on the peoples.

God Convenes the Courtroom (Psalms 50:1-6)

God the judge comes

The first six verses (Psalms 50:1-6) describe the convening of the court for judgment. God, the Lord, God, speaks as he summons all the earth from the east and from the west. Out of Zion comes the Lord, shining forth in splendor, perfect in beauty.

Notice the description of how the Lord comes: a devouring fire precedes him and a storm rages around him. This would call to the Jewish mind the coming of the Lord to Mount Sinai, as a great storm of fire, smoke, and noise shook the earth.

God the judge summons

Further, God has summoned all the people of the earth, from east and west, in order to execute judgment. Judgment time has come against all the peoples. God will not be silent. Therefore, God begins with his faithful ones, which are those who are in a covenant relationship with the Lord.

We must remember that God has promised for judgments to begin with his own people first. “For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17). We often think of judgment strictly against the wicked. But judgment must be reached against all peoples. So God comes forth as the righteous judge, summoning the world to the courtroom, where God will begin judgment upon his faithful ones.

God’s First Judgment (Psalms 50:7-15)

Proper worship

God begins in Psalms 50:8 by telling his covenant people that they are not judged for their sacrifices. The burnt offerings remained before the Lord. The sacrifices did not cease. But within the sacrifices we see that there was a problem. Though not explicitly stated, the Lord begins to correct a false view that the covenant people had regarding their sacrifices and worship. It seems the people believed that God needed them to perform these acts for him.

God says he does not need the animal sacrifices because every animal of the forest, the cattle on a thousand hills, every bird of the mountains, and all the creatures of the field are his. It is not as if God is hungry. And even if God were hungry, he would not tell us since all of the world is his and all that is in the world is his. What we may not realize is that the other gods of Mesopotamia required humans to provide them meals three times a day. God says he is not like the gods that man makes up in their minds where the god needs man to do things for him. Our God has no need at all. Does God need to eat and drink? Not at all!

Man’s duty is to offer thanks to God. Since God does not need us, how true are the words, “what is man that you are mindful of him?” (Psalms 8:4). God is not like what man conjures in his own mind. The duties of worship are not about performing an act because God needs it for his existence. We need to worship God for our own sakes. The sacrifices were acts that caused Israel to acknowledge and repent of their sins, give thanks for deliverance, and celebrate fellowship with God.

Application

Therefore, when we worship God, we must not think that these things are done because God needs these things done. God prescribed the various acts of worship because we need them so that we will acknowledge and repent of our sins. God gave us worship so that we would be thankful people who would be encouraged and motivated to remain in fellowship with God. God is pleased when our worship strikes the chords of our hearts. The act itself does not sustain the Lord.

Therefore, God commands the people to offer their sacrifices of thanks with this knowledge. By doing so, God promises to be there for his people in the day of trouble. How we treat God is important to what kind of relationship we have with God.

God’s Second Judgment (Psalms 50:16-23)

Hypocrisy

In Psalms 50:16 we see a shift in the audience as the Lord now addresses the wicked rather than those in a covenant relationship with the Lord. As we read Psalms 50:16 we clearly see that these people believe they are in a covenant relationship with God, since they recite the statutes of the Lord and recite God’s covenant with their lips.

The hypocrisy was evident to the Lord. These people hated the instruction of the Lord and turn their backs on God’s words. This is a very deep problem that God identifies. How can God’s people not want to be instructed by God? How can God’s people turn their backs on God’s word? Yet we must examine ourselves to be sure that do not fall into the same trap of hypocrisy. We may have the law of God on our lips, but are we desiring to be instructed by the Lord? God wants hearts that will transform to his teachings.

But the hypocrisy went further. These people consent to the evil deeds of others. When they saw a thief, they consented with him. They joined in with the adulterers. Their mouths were full of evil and their tongues were full of deceit. These hypocrites even continually speak against their own families, slandering every person they know. It is amazing to read these words that these were the actions of those who claimed to be in a covenant relationship with God. But even still, this is also true today. While we may not have the known problem of sexual sins and may not give our consent to thieves, we certainly find ourselves falling into the trap of slandering others. God defines those who speak words against another person as a wicked person. Our tongues are no small matter and we need to be so careful concerning the words we say about others.

Warnings

“You have done these things, and I kept silent; you thought I was just like you.” What a strong warning that God gives against these wicked hypocrites. These people thought they were getting away with what they were doing. They assumed by the silence of God that they were still acceptable to God. God does not strike lightning upon us when we error and sin. God remains silent and watches our response. The problem is that we have the tendency to think that God is just like us. We like bringing God down to our level, assuming that what we deem to be acceptable is acceptable to God. But we are fooling ourselves. Therefore we are warned to not assume that God accepts our ways.

“But I will rebuke you and lay out the case before you.” But now God is ready to bring judgment against the actions of the hypocrites. The Lord returns to using litigation language as God speaks of laying out the case against them. God is pictured as prosecuting the hypocrites based upon their own deeds and the evidence is mounting. God is aware of our actions and the evidence builds against us when we are not repentant and confessing our sins.

” I will tear you apart.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Forgetting God has severe consequences. The image used for divine judgment is that of a lion or similar beast tearing its helpless prey. Further, there will be no one to rescue these people from this judgment. We must never allow our worship to simply become an external action that lacks zeal and love for God. When we are merely going through the routine of having God on our lips, yet our lives do not conform to the standards of God, the Lord says he will tear us apart in judgment. We cannot think that we are God’s covenant people when we are exercising such obvious disobedience.

Salvation of God will come to those who offerings praise and glorify God. Salvation of God will come for those who order the conduct of their lives in the ways of righteousness. We cannot and will not fool God with hypocritical lives. The Hebrew word in Psalms 50:23 that is translated “orders” is a word that depicts the imagery of the athlete’s determined fixation on the goal or finish line. God is calling for a focused concentration that will not allow the runner to deviate to the left or to the right. The athlete’s path is fixed. So the call is for us to run the race, fix our eyes on the goal, and not deviate from the path of God to receive the salvation of God.

PSALM 50

EXPOSITION

This impressive psalm includes many things which require and will repay careful consideration. It is clear that the Judgment it describes is held on Israel as a nation. This being the case, it is the more remarkable that earth and heaven are summoned to interest themselves in the proceedings: thus teaching the momentous character of the issues involved, the Divine Equity and Grace in desiring that whatever can be said in Israel’s favour shall be advanced, and the Divine Determination that right shall be done. That the Divine Glory comes shining forth out of Zion, intimates that the issues to be tried are connected with Jehovah’s settlement as King in Israel, and grow out of the worship established in Jerusalem. That the Divine Majesty comes forth with fiery tempest and raging storm betokens that God’s holy anger with his people is roused, and therefore that the time is one of national degeneracy. The summons to gather Israel does not perhaps imply that the greater Dispersions have yet taken place, so much as simply that the gathering is to be national, one of the whole people, on the largest scale possible, so that all classes may be reached, and a general verdict on the nation be pronounced. The description of the nation in the summons as the men of Jehovah’s kindness is probably designed to remind the people of what by their national calling they ought to be (Cy. Intro., Chap. III., “Kindness”); and though, in a suitable context, the further description of the people as those having solemnised Jehovah’s covenant over a peace-offering, might very well have directly pointed to Moses and the Elders who so accepted the covenant at Mount Sinai, according to the sublime account in Exodus 24,—yet it would seem less imaginative, and more pointedly practical, rather to think of some recent confirming of the Sinai Covenant, such as we read of in the history of Hezekiah and Josiah (2 Chronicles 29:10; 2 Chronicles 34:31). To go no further than Hezekiah, we can easily see from the very opening of Isaiah’s prophecies, how easy it was for Israel to sink from national reform into national formalism. And, truth to tell, heavy as are the charges against Israel which follow in this psalm, they do not go beyond the corrupt state of things which at that time characterised the people as a whole. The voluntative moods of the verbs which open the climax to this stanza (let me speak, let me admonish) may usefully remind us of the patience of Jehovah in listening so long in silence to the calumnious speeches of men; while the assertion by Jehovah of his relation to Israel as her Redeemer may remind us of the reasonableness of all Divine demands, seeing that they are based on privilege already bestowed (cp. Isa. v.: “my vineyard—what more could I have done to it?”).

The great lesson of the second stanza appears to be, that stated and especially national worship is apt to degenerate into formalism; and, what is still worse, may lead worshippers to feel as though by its regular maintenance they were conferring a favour upon the Object of their worship. Hence the indignant protests of Jehovah of his independence of any material service which men can render him (cp. Acts 17:24-25). What he desires is men’s gratitude; and as thank-offerings are personal and spontaneous, and so more certain expressions of gratitude than stated public offerings, they are here preferred—especially where they have been promised by voivs; in which case faithfulness as well as thankfulness is involved. It seems to be further taught that thankful returns for the more common of special blessings, laid a basis for the outcry of the soul to God in the severer trials of life. Thus may days of sunshine prepare us for days of storm; and pervading thankfulness may slowly generate the confidence in God needful to draw us near to him in times of distress. Deliverance then will prompt the soul to a public glorifying of the Deliverer.

In a soil of formalism the germs of apostacy may take root. Men may become so accustomed to repeating “the commandments,” that they may keep up the appearance of piety even when the practice of profanity is seducing them into rebellion and unutterable meanness. This appears to be the underlying thought of Stanza III. The Apostle Paul might have had this stanza in mind when he wrote, “Thou that proclaimest—Do not steal! Art thou stealing?” (Romans 2:21). Presuming on God’s silence as though it were indifference, is a sure way to become forgetters of God; and to forget Him is to be startled and convicted when he pleases to speak. The climax of the third stanza seems to fold back on the whole foregoing psalm: the thank-offering counselled at the end of the second stanza, is now invested with the dignity of a standing proclamation of habitual truth; and whereas thankfulness appeared in Psalms 50:14-15 as only the beginning of a course which would end in glorifying God, it is now (Psalms 50:23) said to be in itself a rendering of glory to the Divine Majesty. There is frequently a difficulty in suitably rendering in English the small Hebrew word tarn, which Ginsberg here prefers to sham (“there”) or sum (“put” or “place”). It means “wholeness,” “completeness”; and so in some contexts may be translated “wholehearted,” “devoted,” “perfect.” Perhaps, here, “consistent,” “all-of-a-piece” sufficiently represents it. Taking the word derek, “way,” as here equivalent to “way-of-life,” “behaviour,” and connecting the two, we get the simple and practical conception—which admirably folds back over this third stanza—him who is consistent in behaviour: who does not profess one thing and practise another, who does not uphold the national covenant in words and then deliberately break its great and vital commands one after another,—him will I cause to view with delight the salvation of God: a very remarkable ending. It is not: “he is already saved”—from the point of view of Hebrew twilight and imperfection, that could hardly be said. Besides, there may be a forward glance towards a great national deliverance. We know of some who were spared to view with delight the salvation of God when the Assyrians were overthrown; and who doubtless rang out the words, “Lo our God is this! We waited for him that he might save us,—This is Jehovah! We waited for him. Let us rejoice and exult in his salvation” (Isaiah 25:9). And even the Christian may remind himself that as yet he is only “saved in hope”—that he yet “waits for the redemption of the body,” and “for the revealing of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19). But to return for a moment to him who is consistent in behaviour, it is clear that he need not be a work-monger, or a self-righteous person; but that there are such things as “works meet for repentance”—that, though sincerity cannot save, yet there can be no saving without sincerity; that, in short, though the kingdom of heaven can only spring from the word of the kingdom, which is the seed, yet the very heart to receive that seed is the “noble and good” heart that feels its emptiness and poverty.

Into what historical situation does this psalm, by its terms and tenor, fit itself? It is the first of the psalms attributed To Asaph; but who was he? Was there a seer of that name in Hezekiah’s days as well as one in David’s? Dr. Thirtle (O.T.P., 91) thinks there was; but the evidence he submits does not appear conclusive. Yet he may be right; and the more we reflect on the inner elements of the situation revealed by this psalm, the more it identifies itself with the state of things known to have existed in Hezekiah’s days. In David’s time there may have been some formalism; but we have no ground to think there was any apostacy, even incipient; nor—to be quite candid—is formalism just the sin we should have charged on Israel in the days of David. But, in Hezekiah’s time, there was not only rampant formalism, as Isaiah so pungently witnesses, but there was that sort of lawlessness which wavered in its adherence to the worship of Jehovah? That “villain” Rabshakeh doubtless appealed to faltering hearts in Israel. His bold plausibilities and blasphemies and insinuations were bearing fruit in some restive and resilient hearts. Gross corruption and practical atheism had eaten out the moral life of some places in Israel, as the fourteenth psalm disclosed to us. The day of distress was near; and some would soon need all the comfort derivable from the promise of deliverance. The day of secret apostacy had come. These elements constitute a situation which strikingly suits this psalm.

Create In Me A Clean Heart

Psalms 51:1-19

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

The guilt of sin weighs heavy on the heart and the mind of a person. Certain sins bring a greater burden on the soul than others. It is a pain that everyone has felt in his or her efforts to serve God. David expresses this great pain in the fifty-first psalm. The background for the writing of this psalm is after David’s murder of Uriah to cover up his adulterous affair with Bathsheba. Nathan has confronted David with his sin and now he is dealing with a tortured conscience because of his actions. How David deals with his sin and guilty conscience teaches us what we need to do after we recognize our sins.

Plea For Forgiveness (Psalms 51:1-2)

The three “three’s”

In the first two verses (Psalms 52:1-2), David expresses his deep need for forgiveness for his sins. David writes his need by using Hebrew parallelism, which most English translations retain. There are three triples that are written by David to reinforce his plea for forgiveness.

First, David’s plea is based on God’s mercy, unfailing love, and compassion. David does not rely upon any of his past service in his plea. David does not ask God to look at how good of a king he has been up to this point and therefore grant his plea. David strictly relies upon God’s mercy, unfailing love, and compassion. Though David has failed through sin, God does not fail but continues his commitment to those who rely upon his mercy, love, and compassion.

Second, David also describes his error with three different words: transgressions, iniquity, and sin. David does not focus on any specific sin, but is comprehensive in his description. David does not need mercy just for his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah. Rather, David needs mercy for his whole life because his life has been full of sin (see verse 5). David truly realizes his spiritual condition before God.

Finally, David uses this triple form to describe what he is asking God to do with his sins. David calls to God to “blot out,” “wash thoroughly,” and “cleanse” him from his sins. The movement of these three words is also interesting. The blotting out of transgressions speaks to David’s accountability before God. He asks that “the slate be wiped clean” before God’s eyes. But David not only wants the slate of accountability before God wiped clean, but he also wants his soul thoroughly washed and cleansed. He is asking to be made clean himself, so that he can be in God’s presence.

David’s response

It is important to see how David begins this prayer to God. David does not make any excuses. David does not try to justify himself. He does not state that Bathsheba should have never been on the rooftop. He does not declare himself human and everyone makes mistakes.

David is completely honest with God. He does not try to hide his sin now that he has been confronted with the error. He does not go on pretending that God does not care. He knows he must make confession of his sin before God.

Confession of Sin (Psalms 51:3-6)

Sinned against God

In Psalms 51:3 David describes the burden of the guilt of his sins which he has been carrying. David says, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.” David speaks of the great pain that people carry within themselves when they have done things that are grievous errors. Your conscience does not let you go. You know you should not have done what you did. The error rests before your mind. It keeps you up at night.

David openly proclaims to God that he has sinned. David is not in denial about what he has done. But he realizes the gravity of his sin when he declares that he has sinned against God. Sin hurts ourselves and sin hurts other people. But the ultimate violation is truly against God for we have violated his very character as expressed through His laws.

Any punishment given by God is just and blameless. David recognizes that punishment is due to him. He realizes that his actions are violations and are worthy of condemnation. The charges against David are right and the judgment will be fair.

Surrounded by sin

Psalms 51:5 has been used to grant many different meanings by commentators and scholars. Modern versions have attempted to make Psalms 51:5 read something that is not said by David. The NASB, ESV, and NKJV read, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” This is the literal reading of the original Hebrew from the psalm.

It should be obvious to us that David is not breaking into a theological discussion in the midst of his prayer of need for mercy. We ought to recognize that David is not attempting to prove or disprove original sin. In fact, based upon what David is saying, we must accept that David is not at all teaching original sin. If David was teaching original sin, then David is removing the guilt of his sin from himself and placing it upon Adam. Yet we know from the context that this is not at all what David is doing. David has declared powerfully, “Against you, you only, have I sinned.” David’s guilt is from his own actions and not from another’s sins.

In keeping with the first three verses of this psalm, David is stating that he has been sinning all his life. There is so much sin in his life that it is as if he has been sinning since the day of his birth. I know we have felt the same way when we fail toward God. We often feel like we have been “screwing up” ever since we have born. We feel like regular failures. This is the point David is making about his own circumstances.

Many have attempted to make this verse show that David is teaching the doctrine of original sin and that all children are born in sin because the sin of the parents (and Adam) are transferred upon them. Notice how some modern translation attempt to press this interpretation: “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (NIV). “Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me” (NRSV). David is not saying that he was born guilty or born a sinner. Rather, David is saying he has led a life full of transgressions, iniquities, and sins and he needs God’s mercy, unfailing love, and compassion.

Appeal For Cleansing (Psalms 51:7-12)

Purge me

Having confessed his sins, David is pleading for cleansing from his guilt. The word for “purge” means “to be free from (the effects of) sin.” In regards to being “purged with hyssop,” the Expositor’s Bible Commentary states, “The unclean, such as lepers, used to present themselves before the priest on the occasion of their purification. The priest, being satisfied that the unclean person had met the requirements for purification, would take a bunch of ‘hyssop’ and sprinkle the person with water, symbolic of ritual cleansing. Here the psalmist petitions the Lord to be his priest by taking the hyssop and by declaring him cleansed from all sin.”

David is asking God for full purification from sins so that he will not longer be considered unclean by God. Remember that in the Old Testament an unclean person had to remain outside the camp until purification was made by the priests (see Numbers 12). This symbolized the severing of fellowship with the rest of God’s people and from God Himself when one was found unclean. David, in a symbolic way, is asking for a restoration of fellowship with God.

Psalms 51:11 strongly points out that this is David’s concern: “Cast me not away from your presence and take not your Holy Spirit from me.” David understands that he has separated himself from God but that is not the result he wants in his life. He wants to remain with God and not to be cast away because of his iniquities. But David knows he needs God to be gracious to him so he can remain in fellowship with God. David requests that he be washed so he can be whiter than snow. David carries a guilty conscience and bloodstained hands that only God can wash and make clean.

Restore me

David is pleading for spiritual restoration. David desires to hear joy and gladness again. Sin removes the joy of life and brings severe consequences. David wants to return to the days of joy and gladness. In Psalms 51:12 David requests a restoration of the joy of salvation. How keenly aware David is of his spiritual condition! David realizes that sin ends the relationship and only God’s mercy can restore David.

Perhaps the greatest and most beautiful request of David is found in Psalms 51:10 : “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” David does not want to simply be made clean. He realizes that he needs some life and heart changes. Purge the heart of its wickedness and evil desires so that we can serve the Lord! David wants all that is impure removed from the heart.

Sometimes we need a wake-up call in life to realize that our spirit is not right and needs renewal. This idea of spirit renewal is not merely an old covenant concept. Recall Paul’s words to Titus: “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:4-6).

Do not the scriptures teach us that our spirits have been corrupted by sin? We have allowed evil to dwell in our minds and wickedness to make a home in our hearts. But we can be renewed by God when we seek God’s mercy. Paul uses all the same terms that David used in regards to the forgiveness of sins. God’s mercy has come through our Savior, Jesus the Christ. Christ has saved us according to his mercy and not by our actions, because our actions are sinful. We are saved by the “washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” The washing which we read about in the New Testament is baptism. This is when our sins are washed away (Acts 22:16) and when our spirits are renewed (made clean). I suggest to you that Paul’s words to Titus parallel Peter’s words to Pentecost crowd. Peter to the people to “repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Paul said the same thing. The washing of regeneration is to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. The gift of the Holy Spirit is the renewal of the Holy Spirit as we receive clear consciences. I will elaborate on this concept more in our Sunday evening lesson next week.

God’s Desired Responses from Man (Psalms 51:13-17)

Teach the transgressors (Psalms 51:13)

We are called upon to teach others about God’s ways. We have to tell other people about God’s mercy and what God has done for us. We have to show people that we also have been mired in sins but that God has made a sacrifice for our sins so that we can be have our spirits renewed and our relationship with God restored.

We have duty based upon God’s mercy to tell this great news to others. How can we keep quiet when we have been given such a great gift? How can we not share with others the great news of God’s unfailing love? All of us are to be God’s teachers.

Sing praises (Psalms 51:14-15)

Our tongues must sing aloud of the righteousness of God. I love when the hymns that we sing are not about us, but about God and what he has done for us. God calls for us to declare our praises to him concerning his great righteousness.

This is not saying that when we come together for one hour a week that we need to make sure that we sing a few songs. This is the worship of the heart morning and night. David declares that our hearts need to be tuned into God and our hearts need to be singing as we go through the day. Take the songs that we sing and continue to sing them in your heart, in your mind, at home, and in the car before the Lord. We are blessed people with many reasons to give thanks and praise.

A broken, contrite heart

This is the very essence of what God desires. God desires our hearts and not our sacrifices. Our worship has no meaning if our hearts are not involved. Our good deeds are meaningless if we do not have humble, thankful hearts to God. All that we do must always come from the love of our hearts or else it is despised. Only when those things are right will God delight in our worship to him.

A broken heart can only come from a person who has surrendered. We have to destroy our strong will and allow God to rule in our hearts. We have to be moved by our sins and not allow ourselves to become callous concerning the evil in our hearts. We need to recognize our errors, be sorrowful, make changes, and move forward in our relationship with God. Do not let guilt eat us to the point we do not do what God desires of us. Satan wants us to be immobilized by our guilt. Satan wants us to give up and not restore the relationship with God. God will blot out our transgressions and continue his unfailing love when we confess our sins to him.

PSALM 51

EXPOSITION

The lesson of the First Psalm is, Blessed is the man who has not sinned. The lesson of the Thirty Second, is, Blessed is the man who, though he has sinned, has been forgiven. The lesson of this psalm is, That the removal of sin by pardon and purification is so difficult, that none but God can accomplish it. This ultimate lesson is here so taught as to make it deeply impressive. There is in this psalm no cheap promise of amendment—in fact no promise at all, until, by every form of supplication, God himself has been importuned to grant deliverance from the condemnation and stain and power of sin.

Of all the one hundred and fifty Psalms, this is pre-eminently the Penitential Psalm. There are others; but this is the chief. In fact, throughout all the Bible, this prayer for pardon stands pre-eminent. It is all prayer, and its prayer is so personal, so comprehensive, so sustained, that it naturally serves for all time as a fund of feeling and storehouse of words, to help all petitioners who are craving for pardon at the hands of Infinite Love. It includes no fewer than seventeen distinct petitions, two of which are repeated, so as to total nineteen; and these are urged with great fulness and urgency of pleading. Many of the petitions are winged with considerations which at once embolden the petitioner and present pleas for a favourable answer: according to thy kindness—in the multitude of thy compassions—that I may be pure—that I may be whiter than snow; coming down to physical results, the bones thou hast crushed will exult; going out to the good of others, sinners unto thee would return.

The STRUCTURE of the psalm is worth notice. After the historical occasion, which the whole psalm sustains, the petitioner leads off with four petitions, the first general, then three specific, touching transgressions, iniquity, sin. These are followed by frank confession, the psalmist condemning himself, and vindicating his Divine Judge, before whom he feels himself to be arraigned; succeeded by two discoveries (lo! lo!) both of which form an aggravation of the condition of the suppliant—he comes of a corrupted stock, and has to do with a God whose requirements are exacting. He is thus driven back to petitions for Divine mercy and help as his only hope, three of which are “consenting petitions”—thou shalt cleanse, wash, satisfy, which have all the appearance of being a laying hold of promises expressed or implied, and an accepting of the Divine method of restoration; the two remaining petitions being the bare imperatives of urgency—Hide, blot out.

Having devoted two stanzas (twenty lines) mainly to entreaties for pardon, the psalmist now goes more deeply into the need for renewal. His need is for a heart—mind, inner man—that is pure from the trail and stain of sin; and for a spirit—a directing inward energy—that is constant in its action, in holding him unwaveringly to the higher ends of life. The supply of a need so deep must come from God: the offender has no hope in himself. Hence his prayer: create, renew or make anew. The precise nature of such Divine action need not perplex us. It may be said, that to re-create a man is a greater work than to create him. And yet, if creation itself does not necessarily include the production of new material, but rather the new disposal and fashioning of the old, as the history of bara’ plainly shows (see especially Numbers 16); much more must it be so in re-creation, which is the new fashioning of the same man, and not the making of another independent being. Personal identity must remain. But herein lies the supreme wonder of the new creation—that with the preservation of personal identity, should be harmonised the new fashioning of its moral character. To remember the sin of the past, and yet no longer to feel its fascination: this is indeed a wonderful thing. To own responsibility for the past, and yet no longer to dread capital punishment: this is another wonder, equally great. Both wonders demand the creative energy of God for their production.

Probably this is no mere academical discussion; although, it must be owned, that the succeeding deprecatory petitions of the psalmist form links with a better past than with most men can be assumed to have existed; for it is much to be feared that heaven does not lie about all human beings in their infancy. The psalmist, at any rate, knew what it was to live in God’s presence; hence his prayer not to be cast away from it: knew what it was to possess God’s Holy Spirit; hence his cry not to be bereft of it: knew by experience the joy of God’s salvation hence his entreaty to have it restored to him. And doubtless this happier past colours all he has yet to say: suggests the generous care for others which flows therefrom, which would fain teach transgressors the right way, and would work for them with a hope of inducing them also to return. But now suddenly starts up a spectre—the horrible spectre of conscious blood-guiltiness. It is as though in the realm of the spirit could be seen a Blood-Avenger in hot pursuit. Snatch me away, he cries, to God himself. Nothing so vivid could have sprung to a brave man’s lips as to any of the ordinary dangers of war; and of any feeling of revenge, moving to the shedding of any other man’s blood, there is certainly no trace in this psalm. Hence we are psychologically compelled to endorse the avowed occasion of the psalm which stands at its head. It is not surprising that the psalmist should reveal his assurance that such a display of Divine mercy would be sure to result in a public outburst of thankfulness,—an assurance well vindicated by the composition of Psalms 32, which was evidently written after this; but the wonder is, that God’s righteousness should be signalised as the Divine attribute to be celebrated. Had he here written, “My tongue will ring out thy COMPASSION,” we should not have been surprised; but righteousness! that is another matter, and demands thought; for the great demonstration of Divine rectitude, even when forgiving offenders, had not then been displayed (Romans 3:25-26). Still, of course, it is right that God should exercise his right to forgive. He will not, cannot, exercise it wrongfully. It is well that we should at least see how thorough was this offender’s repentance.

The opening of David’s lips is instructive; for they had doubtless been significantly closed, first in obstinacy (Psalms 32:3), and then in shame. Now that they are opened once more, it is to good purpose. The Levitical sacrifices were never intended to cover wilful and flagrant sin. David ought to have been cut off from among his people. His double crime richly deserved it. But then, who could set the law in motion against him? He could only be left in the hands of that Heavenly Lord whose vicegerent he himself was; and if He, in loving severity, had already been chastising him, as from several psalms (such as 32, 38, 39) we have seen reason to believe was the case,—who are WE that we should wish to stay the hand of Divine Mercy? Admitting all this, it is fitting that we should see how little disposed the Royal Penitent was to daub with untempered mortar his own desperate case; which he would have been doing, had he piled up animal sacrifices to atone for his awful guilt. Of unspeakably more worth than they, for the purpose of restoring fellowship with God, was that offering which David had left him to render,—the presentation of a broken spirit,—of a broken and crushed heart. These, men might despise-—excusably despise, but David’s merciful God would know how to value them, as being in fact beyond all price. It is any great wonder that, for such a truly humbled spirit, there should come a rebound? that the feet of a man thus uplifted out of the abysses of degradation and despair should already show signs of being consciously placed on a rock (40 ;2)? Hence we need not resort, with many critics, to the hypothesis of a later origin for the conclusion of this psalm. With Dr. Briggs, we prefer to regard the psalm as a consistent whole; only, unlike him, we cannot for a moment think that in the first instance this penitent suppliant was a nation: the conscience of a nation, though not to be despised, is a very conglomerate product, compared with an individual conscience with such exquisitely delicate folds in it as this which quivers and groans and is made glad in this psalm. In any case, the walls of Jerusalem were as yet unfinished, as the history plainly shows (1 Kings 3:1); and it seems like a natural outburst of patriotism that the true worth of the Temple ritual should now at length come into the view of the better self of that King David whom we otherwise know to have been so profoundly interested in the orderly ritual worship of Jehovah his God.

There are still a few words and phrases scattered throughout this precious psalm, which will repay us for a parting recognition. The reader is presumably familiar with the words transgression, iniquity, sin here used, as “meaning respectively, (1) defection from God or rebellion against Him: (2) the perversion of right, depravity of conduct: (3) error, wandering from the right way, missing the mark in life”—Kp. The phrases to express the removal of sin are also worthy of note: (1) blot out, twice employed (Psalms 51:1; Psalms 51:9), which regards sin as a debt recorded in God’s book which needs to be erased or cancelled—who then can cancel it but God? (2) wash, which it is remarkable properly applies to clothes, yielding the profound suggestion, that no mere skin-deep cleansing meets the sinner’s case; but that, as garments become ingrained with ‘filth, so the very fibers of our minds become defiled, so that a process of much treading and rinsing is needed to detach and remove sin therefrom-—again who can thus “wash” but God? (3) cleanse, for which we lack a literal rendering in English, seeing that the Hebrew word is an intensification of the verb “to miss the mark,” or “lose,” or “sin,” and we have no such word as unsin, which Edersheim suggests. (4) To render pure, physically, ceremonially, morally—the Levitical association of this and the foregoing with the removal of leprosy, being another profound suggestion, calling to mind the corroding and contaminating and generally loathsome nature of that which has to be removed. (5) But perhaps the association of hyssop with the process of “unsinning,” is most striking of all—far more significant than would at first sight appear. Hyssop is “a well-known aromatic plant which grows on walls (1 Kings 5:13), and when bound in bunches serves as a brush or fan in sacred sprinklings (Exodus 12:22; Leviticus 14:4-6; Leviticus 14:49; Leviticus 14:51).” Its significance lies in the fact that, when employed in ceremonial sprinkling, it was always closely or remotely connected with blood-shedding; closely, when dipped in blood (Exodus 12:22) or in blood and water (Leviticus 14:6-7; Leviticus 14:49-52), remotely though not less really when dipped in the water of separation (Numbers 19); when thus remotely then even the more impressively, as furnishing the singular idea of sacrifice perpetuated any length of time, and individually applied to any person or thing. It is surely remarkable, that in this very psalm in which the penitent declares the inapplicability of animal sacrifices to his case, he should nevertheless employ terms so intimately bound up with the sacrificial system. This, at least, may be said: that when a Christian intelligently rejoices that his “heart has been sprinkled from an evil conscience,” his gladness is intensified by the realisation of an individual bringing home to him of an offering made once for all away in the past whose efficacy has not yet been lost. This survey of the sacrificial and cleansing terms employed in this psalm, especially as bringing leprosy into view, may perhaps throw a welcome sidelight on the word “righteousness, which rather puzzled us when we came across it in our general survey of this psalm. “Righteousness,” as faithfulness to promise, we can easily understand; but had God then ever promised the forgiveness of deadly sin to David? In literal explicitness—no: by gracious construction of his plighted word—yes! In his covenant with David by the mouth of Nathan the prophet concerning David’s descendants (2 Samuel 7) Jehovah had promised never to remove his kindness from David as he had removed it from Saul. If his sons should commit iniquity—alas! the father himself has done that now: Jehovah would correct them with the rod of men—David is even yet smarting under that rod: and with the stripes, the plague-strokes, or leprosy-strokes, of the sons of common men—even these we have already seen have not been withheld from David. What a mercy! David himself has thus been brought within the very terms of the covenant formulated for his sons. And now, if God will only answer David’s outcry for mercy: that mercy will be the righteousness which fulfills the Divine word to the letter:—

My tongue will ring out thy righteousness!

Righteous in smiting—righteous in sparing: a covenant-keeping God is Jehovah “the Becoming One,” who thus “becometh” the gracious interpreter of his own covenant; so as to treasure up unlooked-for grace, and, when unveiling it, shewing it to be at the same time unsullied righteousness.

One thought more. David—as we have seen—had enjoyed the presence of the Holy Spirit, or he could not have prayed, Take it not from me. Was that Spirit, not hallowing, as well as illuminating and revealing? Can we really enter into the undercurrent of this psalm, without perceiving that a hallowing Divine Presence had lain at the roots of the writer’s spiritual life; without recognising that this anxious petitioner is craving, not only again to sing psalms, but also and mainly to live a pure life? By how much soever this is clear, by so much also must it be clear that the Evangelist spoke comparatively when he said (John 7:39) that the Spirit could not be given until Jesus was glorified. If then the inward presence of the Holy Spirit meant so much to David, how much more, as a dynamic working out righteousness, ought it not to be to ourselves unto whom the ages have reached forth their gifts!

Knowing The Wicked Man

Psalms 52:1-9

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

The psalm begins with a superscription telling us the background of the psalm revolves around Doeg the Edomite. We read about Doeg in 1 Samuel 21, 22. Doeg was one of Saul’s chief shepherds (1 Samuel 21:7). Saul is chasing after David, trying to kill him. Doeg informs Saul that David had gone to Ahimelech, the priest at Nob, and received provisions and Goliath’s sword from him. Doeg tells Saul this in an attempt to take an opportunity to gain greater favor with Saul. Saul charges Ahimelech with conspiracy and ordered his guards to kill Ahimelech and his whole family. The guards refuse, recognizing that it was sinful to raise their hands against the anointed servants of the Lord. Saul orders Doeg to kill Ahimelech and his family. “So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep” (1 Samuel 22:18-19). It is a horrific scene which compels David to pen this psalm.

The Characteristics of a Wicked Man (Psalms 52:1-4)

Proud

The first verse charges this sin: “Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?” What Doeg did was a horrible evil. As bad as his actions were, how much worse it was for Doeg to be proud of what he had done! What a perversity!

This is the nature and characteristic of the wicked. They are proud of their actions. They do not see that what they have done is evil. Their consciences are not moved when they act with such guile. According to Boice, the thought of the Hebrew word is not necessarily that the wicked one goes about making claims about what he has done. Rather, he or she is smug, convinced of his or her superiority. The person thinks of himself as clever and is absorbed in his own supposed wisdom.

Sometimes we forget this side of boasting. Many times we may think of boasting as proclaiming ourselves to other people. But just as sinful is the boast of ourselves to ourselves. Within our own minds we uphold our own wisdom, considering the ways of others as foolish. To allow this attitude to dwell within us is to take on the characteristics of Doeg and to be condemned from God.

Sharp tongue

“Your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor, you who practice deceit.” The wicked have a tongue like a razor blade. This is a truthful description of the wicked. They always say things that are cutting and hurtful to others. It becomes second nature to speak things that cause emotional pain.

We need to be so careful about what we say and how we say things to people. Sometimes we intend to say sharp words to others because we want to make a point. However, we are needlessly inflicting hurt on others. Our tongues are dangerous weapons that either help others or hurt others. In speaking about the tongue, James said, “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things should not be this way” (James 3:9-10). These should not be, yet they are. How can we praise God and curse others made in God’s image with the same tongue? This shows hypocrisy in our lives. We must control our tongues and speak only things that are proper to one another.

Love evil

The third characteristic described is a love of evil. “You who love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth. You love every harmful word, O you deceitful tongue!” This may be the worst part of the description. The wicked person takes joy in evil and loves harmful words.

This reaches to the darkness of the heart. To intend another’s harm and enjoy its effects is of the utmost evil. To be happy with evil deeds performed and attempt to justify people’s unlawful actions is an abomination to the Lord. The nation of Israel, though the people of God, were condemned and judged for loving evil rather than loving good.

The End of the Wicked (Psalms 52:5-7)

Brought to ruin

David proclaims that the end of the wicked is total ruin. In verse 5 David describes the everlasting ruin that will come upon these who love evil and whose tongue is like a razor. First, David says “surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin.” You may be sitting in a lofty place, in your own mind and in reality, but God will bring you down from that high place and ruin you. Second, David says that the wicked will be snatch up and torn from your tent. There is no safe place for the wicked to hide. Their lives will be turned over by God.

Third, God will uproot the wicked form the land of the living. The end is destruction. The wicked will not live forever. The wicked do not have an advantage over the righteous. They will be taken from the land of the living and will be judged.

Lessons for the righteous

But David is not just gloating over the end result of the wicked in this world. The righteous are to learn from the end result of the wicked. First, “the righteous will see and fear.” We need to watch what happens to the lives of those who practice evil and see that such a lifestyle is not for us.

Second, the righteous will see the foolishness of wicked living. “Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!” David says that others simply laugh at those who trust in riches. This seems to picture a funeral eulogy, as everyone stands around noting that he trusted in riches, yet he is still dead. This reminds me of how everyone gave such praise to Frank Sinatra when he died because “he did it his way.” Did living life “his way” change anything? No, he still died and now he can explain to the Lord why he did things his way. Wealth is no buffer against tragedy and problems in life. Wealth will not prevent death from coming upon us when we are not ready. The righteous laugh at those who think they have done something so great, yet have accomplished nothing.

The Character of the Righteous (Psalms 52:8-9)

Strong and fruitful

David concludes his psalm by describing the character of the righteous in the last two verses. David declares, “But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of the God.” These words share imagery from Psalms 1 (a tree planted by the waters) and Psalms 23 (I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever).

David pictures the righteous standing tall and standing strong with God, enduring any storms that may come. Not only are the righteous strong, but they are fruitful and flourishing. The righteous are growing. All of this is taking place in the house of God. The righteous are pictured as being near God and as family members of God. By implication, David is stating that the wicked are none of these things. Evildoers will not flourish nor endure the storms of life. Further, the wicked are not near God and not in the family of God.

Trusting in God’s love

Even though evil things happen and the righteous will experience persecution and rejection from the world, the righteous must continue to trust in God’s unfailing love. The key word must be “unfailing.” God’s love is unfailing and that gives us reason to trust in God. Though the righteous suffer at the hands of the wicked, justice will come against the wicked.

This is one way we get through our difficult times. We must truly have faith in God’s unfailing love. We must continue to believe that God is with us, cares about us, will never abandon us, and will work out things to His glory.

Praising God

Finally, one characteristic of the righteous is always praising God. David praises God for what God has done. David is able to look at the past (even though a horrible thing has happen with Doeg and Ahimelech) and see all the good that God has done. Many times we want to ask “where is God?” Can you imagine what this world would be like if there was not a good involved in this world? To think that God is not involved is to believe that this is as bad as the world could be. But this would be a far darker world if God had completely abandoned His creation.

David is also praising God in hope. We need to remember that God is so good to us. It is shameful that we can be so focused upon the few things that do not go our way and forget the goodness that God has shown toward us on a daily basis every year of our lives.

Finally, David will praise God in the presence of all the saints. The righteous do not keep their faith hidden from others. He will praise God in the presence of all. This praising of God is not just simply giving thanks and singing songs. This is a picture of the righteous explaining to others the goodness of God in our lives. We need to tell each other about God’s goodness toward us. This will encourage one another to continue trusting in God’s unfailing love. (NIV)

PSALM 52

EXPOSITION

It would be a fair inference from the superscription of this psalm alone, that there was a man of the name of Doeg, bearing the character here described, when David wrote this psalm. But seeing that, in 1 Samuel 21:7; 1 Samuel 22:9-19, we find a man of that name, evidently capable of the baseness here attributed to him, there is no excuse for declining the identification. By some, indeed, it has been regarded as a matter of surprise, that the psalmist should go no further than notice Doeg’s mischievous tongue, and should not also have alluded to his atrocious cruelty in slaying the priests of Nob. This difficulty is removed by pushing the writing of the psalm just far enough back to make way for the easy supposition—which the very wording of this superscription favours—that Doeg privately gave Saul the information about David, before he publicly proclaimed it in the presence of all Saul’s servants. He entered and told Saul, before he openly proclaimed it. Doeg was overheard; and David informed of this private communication. That hypothesis exactly meets the case. It is to be observed from David’s words to Abiathar on receiving from him the news of the massacre (1 Samuel 22:22) that he already knew enough of Doeg’s character, to be at once apprehensive when he met him at Nob that he would go and tell Saul. The spirit of prophecy at once seized David and moved him to write as he here does. To the known facts may be added two expressions in the psalm itself slightly confirmatory of its superscriptional origin. Doeg was a foreigner, but had not come, like Ruth (Psalms 2:12), to take refuge under the wings of the God of Israel. The tabernacle was at this time at Nob, which “was the northern summit of Olivet, a mountain which derived its name from the olives and olive-yards with which it once was clothed”—Per. Hence with peculiar aptness the psalmist says: But I am like a luxuriant olive-tree in the house of God.

Of the psalm itself, there remains little to be said. By its pointed denunciation of a particular man, it comes into line with Isaiah’s denunciation of Shebna (Isaiah 22) and Jeremiah’s denunciation of Passhur (Jeremiah 20) and of Hananiah (Jeremiah 28).

The Portrait of a Fool

Psalms 53:1 to Psalms 54:7

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

When God speaks, our attention is demanded. When God wants to emphasize something, he will say it twice. For example, there are many instances where Jesus would say, “Truly, truly, I say to you,” and then expound upon a teaching to the crowds. But when God says something three times, it is evident that God wants to wake up and truly accept the principle of his teaching.

This must be the case as we study Psalms 53. As you read the psalm you may notice that is sounds familiar. It should be very familiar to us because this psalm is very similar to Psalms 14. While not a verbatim repetition, both psalms are very similar in words and teaching. Not only this, but the thrust of this psalm, found in Psalms 53:2-3 are quoted by Paul in Romans 3:10-12. Three times God says these words to the human race. Therefore, it is important for us to learn the message being taught. This psalm is a reminder about the portrait of a fool. This is our picture to see the ways a fool acts so that we are not caught up in foolish living.

The Folly of the Fool (Psalms 53:1-3)

Declares “no god”

It perhaps the most foolish statement one can make: “there is no God” or “no God for me.” It is a statement of ignorance. Now, I am not saying that someone is stupid for saying “there is no God” or saying that they do not want God in his or her life. It is a statement of ignorance because the person is choosing to ignore some logical proofs and logical understanding.

To live a life without concern for God is to ignore that he has created us and has power over us. To choose do things our way and live our lives the way we see fit is to ignore that we are held accountable to a greater being than ourselves, the Creator. To say there is no God is to ignore the complexity of creation. To say that there is no God is to ignore the conscience within us that tells us that there is something after death and that there is a higher power than ourselves.

No one likes to be called ignorant and no one likes to be called foolish. But when we are choosing to ignore the obvious evidences of the universe, ignore the revelation of the scriptures about God, and ignore our own conscience which seeks out a higher power, then we are being Ignorant. A fool ignores the facts. A fool ignores the evidence and rejects the proof.

David says that the reason people ignore these evidences and declare within their hearts and by their actions that there is no God is because their ways are vile and corrupt. They want to do things that are right in their own eyes and not right in the eyes of God. Corruption is also the end result of rejecting the existence of God in our lives. By ignoring God, we do not become a better person but a corrupt and vile person. The world wonders why society seems to have more crime and more problems as each decade passes. But I can tell you a reason why: because people are ignoring God. When we ignore God, we do selfish things which hurt other people.

The Lord looks down from heaven

God is pictured in heaven looking down upon the affairs of people on the earth. God wants to find out if there is anyone who gets it. Is there any person who has understanding? Does anyone comprehend that we exist by the power and might of the Lord? God looks to see if people are not ignoring him in their lives.

Will this world seek after God? God looks down from heaven to see if anyone understands what he requires? The answer is given in Psalms 53:3, “Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.” The answer is not a good answer. All of us, at one time or another or on a continual basis, are fools because we ignore God in our lives. We choose to live how we want to live and do not place God as the primary importance in our decisions.

To this, the Lord speaks, “Will the evildoers never learn—those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on God?” God simply shakes his head at us for the ignorance we show as we repeated turn aside from God and plunge ourselves into folly.

The Way of the Fool (Psalms 53:4-6)

The fool never learns

The Lord goes further to describe for us the way of the fool. The first point we see is in Psalms 53:4 that the fool never learns. “A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools” (Proverbs 26:3). Just as these animals need a continual reminder to go the proper path, so also the fool never learns, requiring a rod for repeated discipline. “Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly” (Proverbs 26:11). These proverbs simply prove the point that the Lord makes in Psalms 14 : the fool never learns.

This is a true point that also condemns us all. We never seem to learn either. We are materialists, we take advantage of one another, and in general do not have the Lord as the ruler in our lives. We have not given our lives over to God. We still go down our own paths while we claim to be believers in God.

We go through life never changing our ways. We continue to remain in our corrupt ways never forming ourselves into the image that God has left for us. Why do we continue in our abominable deeds and not call upon the Lord? We have shown that we are worthy of judgment for our actions. None of us can say that we have learned our lesson. All of us continue to play the fool when it comes to our service and worship to the Lord. How often we accept the blessings of God and yet do not put Him first! How often we will take all that we can receive from the Lord but never offer ourselves in return! We must put God first always and do what He asks.

The fool should live in terror

Further, the fool ought to live in terror. God is with the righteous, but is against those who have not turned their lives over to God. It must be a terrifying thought to our minds to be standing against the Lord. When we noticed Paul’s words concerning the fools who suppress the truth of the knowledge of God, Paul said, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men” (Romans 1:18).

We can see the wrath of God revealed many times in the scriptures. In the days of Noah, the wrath of God was revealed against ungodliness through the destruction of the world with a flood of water. In the days of the Lot, the wrath of God was revealed against evil when it rained fire and brimstone from heaven. The wrath of God was revealed against Nadab and Abihu who were struck dead for not worshipping God as He had authorized. The wrath of God was revealed against Korah who led a rebellion against Moses. God’s wrath has been revealed repeatedly and we must be in fear and trembling that the wrath of God will be against us if we continue to walk the path of fools.

To the righteous, the Lord is a refuge. If you have been following this series on the psalms you will recognize that this theme has been repeated in most of the psalms up to this point. God is the place that we are to run to. This is one way we renounce our foolish ways: by turning to God for relief and rest. We show that we have gained understanding when we stop turning to the world for relief and start turning to God for all our needs.

God Scatters the Bones

“God scatters the bones of those who attacked you”

The Old Testament places relevance on the bones of people. We can see such in this psalm where David declares that God scatters the bones of the attackers. One of the early Old Testament images of judgment regarding bones is found in Numbers 24:8, “God brings him out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox; He shall consume the nations, his enemies; He shall break their bones and pierce them with his arrows” (NKJV).

Notice this unusual prophecy: “Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, “O altar, altar! Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bonesshall be burned on you.’”” (1 Kings 13:2, NKJV). God wanted there to be something symbolic when bones were burned and scattered.

This prophecy was fulfilled in the days of Josiah. “As Josiah turned, he saw the tombs that were there on the mountain. And he sent and took the bones out of the tombs and burned them on the altar, and defiled it according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words. Then he said, “What gravestone is this that I see?” So the men of the city told him, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar of Bethel.” And he said, “Let him alone; let no one move his bones.” So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria” (2 Kings 23:16-18, NKJV).

We see from these scriptures that the righteous bones were allowed to be at rest while the wicked and immoral had their bones broken, scattered, or burned. This background is important to our understanding about what David is saying about God scattering the bones of the attackers in Psalms 53. In Psalms 14 we read that God frustrates their plans, rather than describing the scattering of their bones. I believe these images of bones are used to describe the end result of people after death. The righteous are at rest with God and cannot be moved from God. However, the wicked are not at rest and are not at peace with God. They are in turmoil and will burn from their iniquities. The bones are picture of the afterlife and what will happen in the resurrection.

Conclusion

The psalm ends with a call for salvation and restoration of Israel. In the face of the fool, David still puts his hope and trust in God to bring restoration to the people of God. I believe this is an important ending because Psalms 54 shows this faith in action. Psalms 54 is set in a similar time frame as Psalms 52 when David is being chased by Saul.

Psalms 54 is a straight forward psalm where David calls out to God for strength and help while be surrounded by the foolish. Psalms 54:4 is the pinnacle of the psalm as David declares his trust in God, “Surely God is my help, the Lord is the one who sustains me.”

David is not a fool. David seeks after the ways of God while being surrounded by fools who give no regard for the Lord. Let us learn from the ways of fool and avoid being ignorant by living with God in our lives. Only the fool says there is no God. Only the fool says there is no room for God in my life. Have faith in God and live your life trusting in him.

PSALM 53 & 54

EXPOSITION

It is easy to see how psalm-collectors would be unwilling to let these little personal snatches of song die, and equally-obvious how in after times these minor compositions could be adapted to occasions bearing some similarity to those which gave them birth. The wonder is, not that they found their way into the psalm-books of Israel, but that they were ever originated under the romantic circumstances which their superscriptions set forth. Yet it would be an irreparable loss to the history of revelation if we were to allow our wonder to land us in scepticism. Rather ought we to say:—This is the sort of man David was—at least in his unsullied youth and young manhood, while yet waiting for the kingdom: hunted, fleeing, hard-pressed, deceived by men who acted as spies and informers, circumvented at the royal headquarters by hirelings and foreigners and envious old companions now turned traitors; yet all the while maintaining his faith in his Divinely given destiny, cast down by fresh troubles, cheered by new mercies; discovering in a loving message from Jonathan, or in the arrival of a few fresh adherents tokens that God was bringing him help, that his Sovereign Lord was among the upholders of his life—not, of course, as one upholder among many, but chief mover and upholder of them all.

As for these officious Ziphites, we know too little of them to say much. The inhabitants of a little town fifteen miles to the southeast of Hebron,—though within the bounds of Judah, may very well have included some influential men of alien birth or at least of insolent disposition; and as for tyrants, there may have been several at Court, like Doeg and Cush, deserving of that name; among whom the writer may have mentally included the arch-tyrant Saul himself, though not more pointedly alluding to him.

The more thoroughly we enter into David’s especial circumstances, the more easily shall we be able to see how naturally—nay almost inevitably—he could only conceive of the removal of such enemies from a kingdom over which he was to reign, by looking forward to their extermination. Even Israel as a nation might afterwards feel justified in appropriating the same language, without excusing Christians from the supreme duty of forgiving their enemies. “The ‘salvation’ for which the psalmist prays is a temporal deliverance, which can only be effected at the expense of the implacable enemies who are seeking his life; and it will be a vindication of God’s faithfulness and a proof of His righteous government at which he cannot but rejoice”—Kp.

“The perfect tense” hath rescued, hath looked, “looks back from the hour of thanksgiving upon an answered prayer”—Kp. as also Per.; and therefore in the above rendering these clauses have been included in the quotation marks.

Betrayal of a Close Friend

Psalms 55:1-23

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Psalms 55 is a psalm penned by David that deals with what can be one of the more painful experiences that people endure in life. David is dealing with the betrayal of a close friend. But David has not been betrayed by just any close friend, but by someone “with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God” (Psalms 55:14). It is an extremely emotionally painful experience to have someone with whom you put your trust break that trust and turn against you. It is even more painful when it is one of our brothers or sisters in Christ who breaks this trust. David has been betrayed by another child of God, with whom he had shared worshipping the Lord. In this psalm we will look at how David deals with this betrayal and make some applications for ourselves.

The Psalmist’s First Discourse (Psalms 55:1-11)

Call to God (Psalms 55:1-2 a)

David begins this psalm by pleading to God to hear his words and listen to his prayer. The beginning of Psalms 55:2 declares, “hear me and answer me” (NIV). Immediately we see in this psalm that David is not simply complaining or bemoaning the things he is enduring in this betrayal. Instead, David is going to make requests of God and asks for God to answer his petition.

It seems that David feels abandoned by God from his words in Psalms 55:1 : “Do not hide yourself from my supplication” (NRSV). There is no doubt that when such dramatic tragedies and painful situations arise, we feel that God has left us and that God is no longer on our side.

We must be reminded of the important lesson David has taught us repeatedly throughout the psalms he has written: turn to God first. When something happens in life that is hard to deal with and burdens our souls, we need to be sure to speak to God first. David has the right inclination to take his pain to God and make his requests know to him, rather than complain or curse God for what has happened.

David’s distress (Psalms 55:2-8)

This first discourse by David describes the emotional and mental distress he is feeling. David says, “I am troubled in my complaint. I am distraught by the noise of the enemy, because of the clamor of the wicked” (NRSV). What an accurate description for what is happening when going through a great amount of suffering! This is especially true when speaking about when someone who is a close friend puts the “knife in the back.”

David says in Psalms 55:4 : “My heart is in anguish within me, the terrors of death have fallen upon me.” One can hardly understand the feelings that David is expressing. Look at the word pictures that David gives to describe his desperate situation: anguish, terrors, fear, trembling, and horror.

The horrors that David is facing are so terrible that he wishes “O that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest” (NRSV). In fact, David says that he would flee far away and stay in the desert, to a place of shelter far from the tempest.

David feels like he needs to run. I know we all have these kinds of feelings. Sometimes we think that going away or starting at another place would make things better. But it is not possible to run from our problems. In fact, many times trying to run makes things worse. Why? Things can be worse because your problems did not go away, but your support group of friends and Christians are gone because of the move. Most problems are not a matter of geography, but a matter of emotional pain. David could have fled, but that would not resolve the pain he is experiencing due to the betrayal of his friend. But David feels the reaction that we all feel: run. Just move away, go to a different place believing a change of location will make everything better. David desires an escape from the terror around him.

Plea for judgment (Psalms 55:9-11)

David calls upon the Lord to take action. The ways of his enemies are extremely wicked. In Psalms 55:9 we read that the city is full of violence, strife, iniquity, and trouble. Oppression and fraud are found in the marketplace. David tells the Lord that people are cheating other people in the marketplace. The city is a horrible scene of evil.

Therefore, David calls upon God to confuse and confound their speech. This judgment request is likely a reference to the tower of Babel where God confounded and confused the languages of the people who worked together to make a name for themselves. In the same way, David is calling upon God to disrupt the plans of the wicked so they cannot accomplish their goals.

The Psalmist’s Second Discourse (Psalms 55:12-19)

Pain of betrayal (Psalms 55:12-15)

In Psalms 55:12 we come to the heart of the problem and the reason why David is experiencing such deep pain. “It is not the enemies who taunt me—I could bear that.” These are not just simply strangers who are attacking David nor are these people acquaintances. The person who is causing the pain is a close friend. In fact, he is a companion and with whom David has spent good times together.

Perhaps the most devastating part of this cry is the knowledge that it is not just a close friend who has betrayed David, but it is someone with whom they have shared time worshipping the Lord. David says, “We walked in the house of God with the throng.” The betrayer is another person who is a disciple of God. Losing friends can be painful as it is, but it is worse when a close Christian friend turns against you as an enemy. Now the person attacks you with words, slanders your reputation, and desires to see you ruined.

Notice the sharp words of David concerning this person in Psalms 55:15 : “Let death come upon them; let them go down alive to Sheol; for evil is in their homes and in their hearts” (NRSV). David has no trouble desiring severe judgment come upon them. We see a couple important lessons from this response of David. First, we cannot overlook the wickedness of a person simply because they are a “Christian friend.” We are not talking about a person who makes a mistake. David says the person has evil in the home and in the heart. We are talking about the person who makes a calculated decision to deceive, to sway the hearts of the people, to slander, to cause ruin, and bring pain. They want to inflict harm on you. David says to God, “let death come upon them”

But, the second lesson we learn is that David left these things in God’s hands. David did not become a vigilante and try to bring death on his betrayer. David’s plea is for God to bring death upon them for their actions. There are people who have done things to me in my life and have exhibited this kind of evil in their hearts that I can honestly say to the Lord, “I hope they burn for what they have done.” They deserve judgment for their evil. I can pray to God to bring justice upon the evildoers. David has been afflicted severely by close friend who is acting with evil in his heart. David calls for judgment.

Reliance on God (Psalms 55:16-19)

David now speaks directly about his reliance upon God. David says, “But I will call upon God, and the Lord will save me.” While feeling abandoned at the start of this prayerful psalm, David realizes that God is listening and God will act on his behalf. Psalms 55:17-18 shows David’s confidence in the Lord: “I utter my complaint and moan, and he will hear my voice. He will redeem me unharmed from the battle that I wage.”

This shows us one of the reasons why we are to be perseverant in prayer. Prayer is not only a petition to God but also a way to mold our faith. Continual prayer helps us change our exasperation to dependence on God. Talking to God helps our souls become relieved and have rest as we know that God is listening and will respond for us. God will do something because these who have harmed David “do not change and do not fear God” (vs. 19; NRSV).

The Psalmist’s Third Discourse (Psalms 55:20-23)

The character of the betrayer (Psalms 55:20-21)

This companion of David’s has violated a covenant of friendship that exists between two people. Notice that David points out that the violation of the covenant was from the words that were said. In Psalms 55:21 David says the covenant was violated “with speech smoother than butter, but with a heart set on war; with words that were softer than oil, but in fact were drawn swords.”

David points out that this person’s words seemed to be flattering. The words of this person seemed to be righteous and innocent. But they really were not. The speech is as smooth as butter but the heart was intent on war. The words seemed to be as soft as oil but behind the words were drawn sword ready to wound.

It is imperative that we realize the damage that the tongue can cause. Remember the words of James, ” And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell ” (James 3:6; NASU). We can sever our relationship with God because of our tongues. Are we so naïve to think that our words cannot destroy friendships? While we may forgive the person for their error, the tongue can alter a relationship and completely end a relationship. There is only so long that a person can be under fire from someone’s tongue before they will not be able to be in fellowship with that person. I believe this is exactly what David is describing concerning his companion. Years may go by the pain may not dissipate.

Confidence in God (Psalms 55:22-23)

David concludes by reminding himself and teaching others to place their burdens on God during these troublesome times. God can sustain us through a turbulent time as this and will never allow the righteous to be moved. There have been times in my life where people attempted to run my name through the mud. These supposed Christians rallied other churches and preachers to attempt to have my father and I (who were preaching together) run out of town. It is demoralizing and depressing to have a member of your own congregation turn on you and bring every weapon they can against you. Especially when you have spent many late nights around their dining room table enjoying each other’s company, eating food together, and play games. It is crushing when such a close friend turns against you.

But God will sustain you. God will get you through it. Eventually, these charges blew over and have been almost forgotten by all the people who were stirred up by this troublemaker. Eventually a resolution will come and your faith and integrity will be stronger for going through the terrible ordeal.

David also relies upon God to take care of the evildoer. God will cast them down into the lowest pit. The psalm ends, “But I will trust in you.” Justice does not come immediately against those who try to destroy us. But we have confidence in the promise of God that they will be cast down.

Conclusion:

One cannot help as they read this psalm to think of Jesus as he also was betrayed by a close friend, Judas. We do not always think of Judas as a close friend. But Jesus was with Judas and the other apostles for more than three years. There were many times when Jesus was alone with his apostles, sharing with them the intimate details concerning the kingdom of God . We need to remember that Jesus has gone through the pain of betrayal. He knows our pain and wants us to cast our burden on him.

PSALM 55

EXPOSITION

The abrupt transitions observable in this psalm seem to have been noticed by all expositors, by some of whom dislocation has been suspected and transpositions accordingly proposed. It is comparatively easy to translate fragments, though always with risks due to losing the thread; but, in the present case, as soon as a resolute attempt was made at continuous interpretation, the irresistible conclusion was brought home that some ACCIDENT must have happened in the early history of this psalm, as violent as that which may be expected to result from the tearing out of a leaf and its re-insertion in the wrong place. Such readers as cannot be induced to believe that such an accident might happen, can restore the psalm to its traditional form by following the marginal notation of verses; and by the same means open-minded critics can trace and test the endeavour here made to present the psalm in an intelligible and profitable shape. Perfect success is not claimed for the result; but it is hoped that the candid will at least benefit by the endeavour now made—an endeavour reluctantly begun and cautiously executed.

The problems confronted by the exposition of this psalm on its merits, become absorbingly interesting in proportion as they are understood. It is possible that David wrote this psalm? and if he did, what light is thrown on the events of his reign, additional to that which is obtainable elsewhere? For some, indeed, the bare fact of the ascription of this psalm To David will be conclusive evidence that he wrote it. Others there are, who, while regarding that fact as presumptive evidence of the Davidic authorship, are not at all disinclined to the testing of such presumption by internal evidence; and at least are prepared to give a candid consideration to any difficulties which can be legitimately shewn to stand in the way of such conclusion. There seems to be a general consent that if David wrote the Psalm, then AHITHOPHEL, his counsellor, must have been the treacherous friend who is so vividly portrayed in it. But then it is said by some, that a king could never have so emphatically called his servant his equal. Surely those who raise this objection underestimate the generosity of David’s nature; and assuming, as we must, that David’s counsellor was an exceedingly able man, and believing, as we well may, that he had until lately readily promoted the public interests which he knew lay near his master’s heart, it is easy to think that the more David’s’ kingly position put a distance between himself and many of his subjects, the more would his heart be drawn out to the gifted man whose counsels he had learned to prize. The difficulty then may be dismissed as imaginary. A far more plausible objection may be based on the unlikelihood that David could ever have written of Jerusalem in such terms as are here employed of the city in which the psalmist finds himself—especially considering David’s undoubted responsibility for the condition of the city. “It is difficult to believe, says Kirkpatrick with great force, “that Jerusalem can have been such a hotbed of discord and disorder and iniquity as the psalm describes; and still more difficult to imagine that David should use the language of this psalm in regard to a state of things for which he was largely responsible.” The great responsibility of David in such a case no one can question. Whether, if such a deplorable state of things existed, David would have been likely so frankly to confess it, is a psychological problem depending for its solution on the play of some of the most subtle capabilities of the human heart. If we can imagine, as we readily may, that the unhappy king was now in a state of mind predisposed to make a clean breast of everything, and at least to look the ugliest facts full in the face; then, even though he is not now consciously weighing his own responsibility, but rather inclining to dwell on the responsibility of others, we may credit him with the rising courage to abate nothing of the truth, and therefore to give frank expression to his convictions, however appalling. Besides, all that was noblest in David’s ideals of what Jerusalem ought to be, and all that he had to be most proud of in his past endeavours to bring her up to those ideals, would now tend to make him—if otherwise in a likely state of mind—a severe critic of Jerusalem’s present condition. So that the only serious question we have to confront is whether Jerusalem’s moral condition was in as bad a way (or nearly as bad, allowing something for unconscious exaggeration, due to morbid apprehensions) as is so forcibly set forth in this psalm. Alas! it may. The evidence is growing upon us—that it may. The connected study of foregoing psalms has been gradually preparing us to perceive the alarming possibility—that it may. What are the principal factors of the situation? They are these. David has for years been the chief judge in Jerusalem; and he has now for a good long while been neglecting his judicial duties. His people have grown used vainly to look for him in the gate of the city. Grievances and wrongs have been unredressed. Justice delayed has been justice denied. Unvisited offences have fast begotten others, and worse. The chief judge absent, his subordinates have grown remiss. Even Kirkpatrick admits that “David’s administration of justice seems to have been lax or inadequate (2 Samuel 15; 2 Samuel 2 ff.). A well-grounded admission! How long has this royal remissness been working out its consequences? We cannot exactly say; but we have several baleful influences to reckon with, for the play of which allowance must be made: the adultery—the murder—the impenitence: indisposing for attention to duty; the leper-stroke—the pain—the disfigurement—the shame, naturally and inevitably increasing and prolonging such indisposition. And then the habit of neglect would breed excuse for further neglect. All these influences would be additional to those absences from home on warlike expeditions, which would all tend indefinitely to prolong David’s absence from his post as judge in Israel. So that it is a natural surmise, that David’s neglect of his judicial functions in Jerusalem had extended to many months’ complete absence from his post in the gate of the city; and that, during those weary months, civic disorders had been growing apace. He awakes at length to the stern realities of Jerusalem’s internal condition; institutes inquiries, receives information, compares the notes of his informants; and this is what he sees; and, being a poet, this is the graphic picture drawn by his muse: Violence, Strife, Trouble, Mischief, Engulfing Ruin, Oppression, Deceit, walking abroad, stalking through the city, circumambulating her walls, by day, by night—causing a rapid and awful moral deterioration and even devastation. Alas! in the circumstances, it is not too bad to be true; but it is a terrible revelation. Instead, therefore, of being content, with Kirk-patrick, with a “negative conclusion,” by saying we cannot tell Who wrote this psalm, much rather are we entitled to revert to David’s terrible fall, and to discover here, drawn by his own hand, this further effect of his sin.

Further: it just like him,—not as though he were essentially a revengeful man, but as undoubtedly a passionately devoted lover of Zion and an inborn hater of perversity,—that, on surveying the picture his own hand has drawn, he should break out in terrible imprecations on those who had done so much to degrade the city of his love! Desolations on them!

But is it fully as much like him, to have—if not whined like a whipt cur—at least mournfully cooed like a timid, disconsolate dove? This too is life-like—under the circumstances, the peculiarities of which should not for a moment be forgotten. Months of suffering and shame have wrought havoc on his personal condition. He is fitful, moody, morbidly imaginative. He is so conscious of his disturbed mental condition, that, when he begins to compose this psalm, he anticipates he shall wander. The voice of an enemy, which he overhears, alas! is the voice of an old friend. He can perceive, acting on his old friends, the pressure of a lawless one, and enigmatic phrase, most apt and illuminating when understood as an allusion to the as yet absent Absalom,—whose name, we have before noted David’s reluctance to mention. Ahithophel has set the ball of calumny rolling. One damaging fact after another has been whispered in conclave; so that, to David’s heated imagination, his enemies are rolling down boulders upon him! No wonder, then, that for a few moments, he longs for the strong pinions of a dove in the vain hope of leaving all trouble behind him—at least till the tempest of rebellion has passed. For a few moments only! For although the timid spirit of the dove still lingers on him, after he has in his own imagination finished his flight far away, yet his cooing soon turns to cursing, especially when fired with dark memories of Ahithophel.

It has been too hastily concluded, from 2 Samuel 15:31, that David could not have known of his counsellor’s treachery when he wrote this psalm. That, however, is not in evidence. He may have been well aware of that some time before Absalom’s Insurrection had become an accomplished fact.

The suicide of Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23) comes into a most suggestive relation to Psalms 55:23 of this psalm; and, on the whole, the ancient Jewish expositors seem to have had a truer insight into this relation than modern Christian interpreters. “The Talmud and Midrashim occasionally refer to him (Ahithophel). In the latter he is classed with Balaam as an instance of the ruin which overtakes wisdom that is not the gift of Heaven; and in the former (Baba bathra, b 7) the great lesson of his life is said to be, ‘Be not in strife with the house of David, and break off from none of its rule’”—Hastings’ “Bible Dictionary,” Vol. I., p. 57.

What Can Man Do To Me?

Psalms 56:1-13

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

What can man do to me? Have you ever thought in your mind: “a lot!” There are a lot of things that people can do to us. It does not take us much thought to think of all the terrible things people can do to each other. People can oppress, slander, hurt, hate, maim, and kill me. However, David tells us that the answer is: “nothing.” There is nothing man can do to us.

Now David does not write these words as he sits back in luxury on the throne as king in Jerusalem. David does not make this declaration when things were going well for him, as if he is stating these words as a boastful claim of the good life he enjoyed. Notice the superscription given to the psalm: “when the Philistines had seized him in Gath.” Things were not going well for David at this moment in time. He is being chased by Saul in 1 Samuel 21 and is in the hand of Achish the king of Gath. David has to pretend to be a madman to preserve his life. So how can David say that there is nothing that man can do to him? Let us read the psalm and look for David’s explanation.

Plea For Mercy (Psalms 56:1-4)

Attacked all day long

David begins the psalm by describing the severity of the attacks he is suffering. Notice David’s emphasis upon the repeated phrase “all day long.” “All day long they press their attack.” “My slanderer pursue me all day long.” David is experiencing a wearing attack from his enemies. The beginning of the first verse describes how men are hotly pursuing him. The language depicts a military struggle.

Therefore, in the midst of these conditions, David cries out to God, “be merciful to me.” In the middle of this situation, I think it is clear what man can do to David. They are pursuing him across the wilderness. They are pressing their attacks on David all day long. The slanderers are pursuing him all day long. Many are attacking him from a higher position.

David’s response

“When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” In the face of these enemies, David expresses a confidence in God that removes his fear.

As I read these words, I cannot help but see that David is working through his emotions as he pens this psalm. He is afraid, but knows within himself that he does not need to be afraid because he has God. Therefore, he puts his confidence in God and will praise his word.

I believe this is valuable for us to see as we encounter life’s difficulties. It is not that we will not have the feeling of fear or that we will not go through times of distress. Rather, we know what we are supposed to do when these tough times come. We know we are to trust God. We must remind ourselves of what we are supposed to do in these times.

Desired Defeat of the Enemy (Psalms 56:5-13)

Work of the enemies

David returns to describing the evil works of his enemies. “All day long they twist my words.” Again, David uses the phrase “all day long” to show the punishing duration of what David is enduring. The assault that David is receiving is not deserved. His enemies are twisting his words to give reason to attack all the more.

It is shameful that this kind of activity can take place among Christians. I know of one preacher who was intent on attacking the church that my father and I were working with and serving. Anything that was ever said to him was simply twisted into another form of attack. Rather than listen to our explanations and reasons for our actions, he simply was listening to find something wrong which he could use to promote himself in writing in the brotherhood publications. I know I have had times where someone said that I said such and such and came up to me about it. I would respond that this was not at all what I was saying nor intended to say. But that did not matter. The person heard things the way they wanted to hear it and that would be the end of the matter. Such an attitude is an attitude of evil. How evil it is to twist people’s words and plot the harm of others! We will come across people who will want to destroy us. “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

Judgment called upon the enemies

David declares to the Lord, “On no account let them escape!” Let justice come upon them for their actions against David. In fact, David says, “In your anger, O God, bring down the nations.” Other versions say “bring down the peoples.” We have seen David call for righteous judgment many times in the scriptures.

Notice Psalms 56:8 carefully: “Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll—are they not in your record.” This language reflects the way kings kept a record of significant events that occurred during their reign. We see this happening in the days of Esther when King Xerxes read a portion of the record where Mordecai’s service was described. David is calling upon God to make a record of this event.

The imagery pictures David’s tears are being recorded by God and kept in a wineskin or bottle. Of course this is not literally take place, but the imagery make a very assuring point: God knows our pain. God sees our tears and our afflictions are recorded in his sight. In fact, it seems that the reason for our tears being noticed and recorded is so that God will not allow those who cause our tears escape judgment.

In verse 9 we see that the enemies of David will be forced to retreat because of the works of God. David expresses a great confidence that when he talks to God, God will respond. Thus, Psalms 56:9 concludes with these powerful words: “This I know: God is for me.”

David’s confident response

In Psalms 56:10-11 David makes a similar confident declaration like in verse 4. “In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” However, there is an added phrase in this verse: “in the Lord, whose word I praise.” This time David invokes the holy name of Yahweh.

In the first section, we saw that David was calling out to God for mercy since he was being trampled by his enemies all day long. In the midst of that adversity, David knew to trust in God and this would subside his fears. In this second section, the purpose is slightly different. David trusts in God on the basis that God knows what he is going through. God has recorded David’s pain who will cause the enemies to retreat when David calls out.

Therefore, what can man do to him? If God knows my pain, sees my suffering, and will make my enemies retreat, then there is nothing that you and I have to fear. This explains why David says the words he says in verses 12-13. David will make his offerings of thanksgiving because God delivered him from death. God even delivered his feet from stumbling so that he can walk before God in the light of life.

Applications

God’s promise today

“Therefore, we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6). The promise that David relied upon is also the promise given to us. In fact, the writer of Hebrews is quoted this very psalm in his desire to help us understand what kind of helper God is for us. Therefore, the message of Psalms 56 is certainly applicable to our lives. How does trusting in God remove fear?

God’s Word is a source of confidence. Repeatedly, David states that he will praise the word of the Lord. When we are attacked, we need to be able to draw on the stable assurance of God’s word rather than the ever-changing perspectives of public opinion. A lack of knowledge of the scriptures is crippling to the Christian. Today, too many people have too much of their faith based solely on emotions and feelings. But our emotions can rapidly change. When we are under attack, it is our emotions that fail and our feelings that become a rollercoaster ride. It is when we are under attack and our emotions are frayed that we need to be able to know and rely upon God’s word.

God’s Word put our minds on a spiritual plain. Things are the most difficult when we keep our focus on the problems of this world and lose sight of our heavenly purpose. Trusting God means that I am going to look for God’s help and will be reminded that God is in charge of the big picture. There are many times when we are suffering or under attack that we do not think that we can endure another day. How many times, however, God has offered relief for the moment to help us get our head about us and continue to press forward.

God’s Word reminds us that God is for us. Despite all that David went through in his life, he returned to this theme: If God is for us, who can be against us? When God is on our side, it is possible to find a refuge in the midst of the storm. Our relationship with God has greater value than simply trying to stop the present suffering. We are able to surrender ourselves to God’s control and allow the Creator to help us through our difficulties. This is the picture of the apostles who would experience tremendous suffering, yet were able to count these things as a joy for the cause of Christ. As Christians, we are called to experience suffering. But suffering does not equal abandonment from God. There is a trust of ultimate justice in the end as well as a reward for our obedience to the Lord. It is in these things that we are able to remove fear in dire times.

PSALM 56

EXPOSITION

Nothing is lost, but much is gained, by letting this bright little psalm into the niche provided for it by its superscription. It can still be regarded as subsequently employed in national worship, with the obvious gain of bringing up afresh into the memories of the people the story of their beloved hero-king. Any analogies between the chequered experiences of the nation and those of David, would leave intact those snatches of Davidic autobiography thus preserved, which become increasingly precious when dovetailed into each other so as to furnish an inner history, illuminative of the outer facts with which we are already familiar in the study of David’s life.

It has been assumed by critics, with good reason, that David’s first sojourn with the King of Gath, as narrated in 1 Samuel 21, 22, though half voluntary in the impulse to risk it as a method of escaping from Saul, was nevertheless in the experience of it a species of “durance vile,” which sufficiently answers to the circumstances assumed by the psalm to be existent. But, in truth, there need be no feverish anxiety on our part to reach absolute certainty in our attempts to fix on the particular seizure of David by the men of Gath, presupposed by this psalm. After the slaying of Goliath by the young Bethlehemite, it must always have been a tempting thing to the Gittites to get that famous but yet perhaps personally unknown stripling into their hands, and to wreak on him some of the vengeance, the chief volume of which nevertheless was pent up for bursting on the more formidable head of King Saul. We cannot therefore be sure that David individually did not find himself more than once a captive in Gath.

It is more to the point to open our eyes to perceive the realistic fitness of the language of this psalm to apply to such a captivity. We no sooner do this, than we see the whole thing set vividly before our eyes. With his living faith in Jehovah, these stalwart Gittites are, in David’s sight, no more than mere men. Nevertheless, for the time, they have crushed him. All the day long a warrior-guard annoys and vexes him, needlessly making him feel how irksome are his chains. Outside are watchers, taking good care he shall not escape. Multitudes of warlike men, carrying, loftily their heads, are ready to slay him. Is he afraid? He takes up his harp, and directing his trust to Jehovah, improvises thus: In God will I boast, as my theme. How much of his language his warders understand at its full value, we know not, but he holds on: All the day my words do they wrest; and so on, gathering strength, he proceeds. If they do attend, and can decipher his words; one while, they may well tremble as he alludes to their iniquity, or laugh him to scorn as he foretells their turning back before his face in the yet coming days when he shall proclaim war against them; another while, they may almost relent, as they catch him confessing his tears. Again, he rings out his Refrain, made more strong and more bold; nor forgets to promise how in happier times he will make good his vows.

God Fulfills His Purpose For Me

Psalms 57:1-11

Brent Kercheville

Safe In the Shadow of Your Wings (Psalms 57:1-5)

Hiding

Up to this point, we have read many psalms that were penned during the time when David was running for his life from King Saul. Psalms 57 is another instance where David continues to write down his songs to God as he runs to preserve himself from death. The title of the psalm states that this psalm was written “when he fled before Saul in the cave.” This information sets an important backdrop the psalm David writes.

David begins this psalm in the same fashion that he began Psalms 56. “Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me.” A call for God’s mercy is a trademark of David, who relies completely on the power of the Lord. But David continues, “I will seek refuge in the shadow of Your wings until danger passes.” David does not say that he has found refuge in the cave where he is hiding from David. The cave is not David’s refuge. David’s refuge is in the Lord. The Hebrew indicates a past reliance on God. When David says, “In will seek refuge in the shadow of Your wings until danger passes,” the Hebrew is in the imperfect tense, meaning that David will continue to seek refuge in the shadow of God’s wings. So what does this mean?

The imagery of hiding in divine wings is a common illustration. “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles’ wing and brought you to Me” (Exodus 19:4). Jesus said, ” Jerusalem, Jerusalem! The city who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, yet you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37). Wings are used as symbols of protection and deliverance in Middle Eastern language. Therefore, David is hiding is the shadows of God’s protection, expecting God to be merciful to him.

Having a place of refuge did not mean that David expected to escape all points of suffering. David never expresses such an expectation in this psalm. Rather, David is declaring that when trouble does come, he has an enduring confidence even when there seems to be no reason for confidence. David describes this confidence in Psalms 57:3-5.

God delivers

David uses imagery of God reaching down from heaven to save him from the one who tramples him. David desires God’s intervention in the matter from which he runs for his life from Saul. Not only does David depict God’s help, but also God putting to shame his enemies. The middle part of Psalms 57:3 seems to suggest a turning point in the psalm. Notice the marker “Selah” which many scholars believe to be a musical notation depicting a rest or quiet. Then we read, “God sends His faithful love and truth.” This seems to be the point where God has intervened with answered prayer.

In Psalms 57:4 we read that David is now able to lie down even though the enemies surround him. I believe this is David describing the safety he is experiencing with God, such that he can be at rest even though surrounded by those who want to devour him. We cannot escape the reality that part of the attack is by the words of the enemies. Notice that “their teeth are spears and arrows” and “their tongues are sharp swords.” Therefore “God, be exalted above the heavens; let Your glory be above the whole earth” (Psalms 57:5).

God’s Faithfulness (Psalms 57:6-11)

Tables turned

In Psalms 57:6 we read that the tables have turned against David’s enemies. The enemies prepared a net for the footsteps of David, which caused David to be downcast. However, the pit that they had dug they themselves ended up falling into.

This has been another important principle taught in the psalms: what goes around comes around. Those who plot evil will have evil befall them. Those who stir up strife and trouble will experience troubles themselves. There are instances where we get what we deserve relatively quickly. Many times we must pay the consequences for evil decisions immediately and justice does not wait. Psalms 57:6 ends with another Selah calling for the people to quietly reflect on these truths.

Song of confidence

In Psalms 57:7-9 we read about the confidence of David because the tables have been turned on his enemies. Thus, David says, “My heart is steadfast, God, my heart is steadfast.” Compare the structure of this sentence to the first verse: “Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me.” Despite the oppression David has endured, his heart remains steadfast in his faith in God.

David has seen God come through for him again. Thus, his soul is stirred and he will sing praises with instruments and sing God’s praises among the people. He will be sure to inform all the peoples about what God has done in delivering him.

God’s faithfulness

In the final two verses, David extols the faithful love of God. “For Your faithful love is as high as the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.” During these troublesome times, God’s faithful love remains. What a great confidence it must bring to our souls to know that God’s love for us is faithful and true. God’s love is steady and will never depart us, no matter what we may experience or feel.

David declares that God’s glory must be exalted throughout the whole earth and above the heavens. The goodness of God cannot be overstated. God is the source of all confidence. We should be overwhelmed by God’s continued loyalty toward us, especially since we have lacked a loyalty to God as seen through our sins. God keeps His covenant love with us. David prays that God will be exalted through the way David has depended on God during these difficult circumstances. God is exalted when he brings us through hard times.

Applications

Exalt God

In our lives. Our lives are supposed to exalt God and reflect his love. “And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17). We often apply this teaching to simply keeping the commands of God. But it goes further than this, as David illustrates with his life.

Our lives, by the very turmoil we endure, must exalt God. Through our weaknesses God is glorified for it is God that is helping us overcome the trial and giving us strength to endure. When we remain faithful servants during the good times and the bad times, then God is glorified. When we overcome temptations, God is glorified. When we make it through a trial then God is glorified because God is the only way to enduring these challenges. But God is discredited when we lose our steadfastness and waiver in our faith toward God. God is discredited when we verbally challenge God when hard times afflict us. We should see this in the apostle Paul’s life. We marvel at all that he endured. But the only way he endured all the punishment he took was because God was with him.

Among the people. But it is not only our lives that are to reflect God’s glory but also our words. We should praise God among the people, telling people that it is God that helped us through. How will people know about the steadfast love of God unless we tell them about how God’s love endured in our darkest hours? When people ask how we are doing with our difficulties, do we give God the credit for getting us through? Or do we chalk it up to dumb luck or our own wisdom? God must be verbally praised to the people for what he has done in our lives.

God fulfills his purpose for me

Psalms 57:2 has one of the most amazing truths contained within it: “I call to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me.” These words of David are very important. Even in the face of disaster, God has a purpose that cannot be frustrated. God’s plans will come to pass.

Today, many in the religious world speak of God having a purpose for each person’s life. This teaching pushes that there is only thing in life God wants us to do, and until we submit to God we can never fulfill that purpose. However, this makes our lives like a convoluted maze, with many choices but only one single right path, and every misstep leads us deeper into the maze and further from God’s will. But I do not believe this is the meaning of the text.

Rather than saying that God has a predetermined plan for us, I believe David is saying that wherever we are in life, God can accomplish his will. It is not about trying to figure out if God wants me to be a preacher or to be an accountant. It is about accomplishing God’s will regardless of my job, my position, or my circumstances. God can use any circumstance to bring about his will. When bad things happen, good things can come because God can make it happen in my life.

David was experiencing bad things. David did not experience these things because he had made the wrong choice or had done something wrong. Bad things happen and David was being affected by Saul’s evil. But God would still redeem David and grow him into God’s servant even though he was sitting in a cave hiding. God could still use David and show His glory even though David was in dire circumstances.

This is how God fulfills his purpose for me. God can take anything I am doing and use me to be his instrument. When Paul was imprisoned, God accomplished his purpose. When Paul was traveling, God accomplished his purpose. Even when Paul was persecuting the saints, God’s will could be accomplished as those Christians went into the world preaching the good news of Jesus. No matter where you are in life or how bad things have been, God can accomplish his will and fulfill things in your life.

PSALM 57

EXPOSITION

It is with confidence submitted that the early portion of this psalm abundantly sustains its ascription To David. The latter part was probably added at a later period: hence its duplicate appearance as the early portion of Psalms 108,—a conclusion confirmed by the unshadowed brightness of Psalms 57:7-10. The singular reappearance of trouble in Psalms 57:6, after the first occurrence of the joyful refrain in Psalms 57:5, raises some doubt as to the preservation of this part of the psalm. But, for the moment, it seems fitting to give ourselves up to the undisturbed persuasion that in Psalms 57:1-4, not excluding Psalms 57:6, we have a genuine Davidic fragment. It is just like David; and, by several delicate strokes, exactly reflects the peculiar position he occupied in those early days when he was harassed by Saul. He is not in a fighting mood; but is hunted, seeks refuge, is prepared to wait for deliverance. His cause is in God’s hands, who (Psalms 57:2) will carry through his cause for him: an expectation which finds fitting use for the unusual word gmr, which has given the critics trouble—it is exactly the happy word. Then, too, Psalms 57:3 vividly reminds us of Psalms 18:16; and the allusion to Saul himself in Psalms 57:3 b is so unmistakable, and yet so delicate, as to sustain the conviction that it was conceived just to suit such a reference; Psalms 57:3 c being almost as vivid an assurance that the breastplate of the high-priest would not fail him (Cp. 1 Samuel 23:9-12) ; while the spears and tongues of Saul’s warriors, in the midst of which he now was, formed a closely compacted series of dangers, which David was the last man to underrate. Even the awkwardly recurring danger of Psalms 57:6 is too apt not to have originally belonged to the Davidic representation. Although it may, plausibly, be alleged that this part of the psalm fitted the troublous days before Nehemiah’s arrival at Jerusalem, yet that does not stop us from saying that here, in David’s own unique situation and experience, we discover the actual genesis of the words. Their subsequent adaptation to a different set of circumstances, bearing some resemblance to the original, was a comparatively easy matter.

With respect to the latter half of the psalm—namely, the joyful portion of it,—it is quite natural to conclude it to have been of later origin than the former half. This, however, is no reason why David himself should not have written it, after his position was secured. Or Hezekiah may have penned it. Even Isaiah may have supplied it. It is of small importance; and the evidence is perhaps too scanty to warrant a conclusion. This may be said: That Psalms 57:9 reminds us of Psalms 18:49 and Psalms 57:5; Psalms 57:11 are similar to Psalms 57:1; Psalms 8:9. We may be sure that in the earlier days of David’s reign over all Israel, a great joy filled his heart; and congenial influences would predispose him to just such an outburst of song as here delights us: when the sweet singer would anticipate the dawn, awaken it with song to the accompaniment of lute or lyre, give expression to his messianic hopes for the nations of the earth, and mount to the skies in his grateful recognition of the kindness and faithfulness of his God.

With all those memories and hopes of his noble ancestor to inspire him in the dark days of Sennecherib’s invasion, HEZEKIAH could most appropriately commit this psalm to his Chief Musician with the injunction to associate it with the sentiment Do not destroy.

There Is A God Who Judges On Earth

Psalms 58:1-11

Brent Kercheville

The Influence of the Wicked (Psalms 58:1-5)

The silent ones

David begins the psalm, “Do you really speak righteously, you silent ones? Do you judge the people fairly?” There are some difficulties with the translation of this first verse and is the reason why the various Bible versions differ. The NKJV says that David is speaking to “you silent ones.” It is evident from the text that David is condemning the rulers of the earth for their lack of equitable and righteous judgment. Thus, the NIV simply says “rulers” and the HCSB says “mighty ones.” However, the NASB, NRSV, and ESV read, “O gods.” The only way these translations come about is by emending the original Hebrew word. I do not like emending the text, no matter how reasonable, when the original is understandable.

It seems that David is making a play on words. I believe David is saying to the rulers, “How can you speak righteously when you keep silent?” The rulers and judges are keeping quiet when they ought to be speaking. Psalms 58:2 brings the condemnation against the rulers: “No, you practice injustice in your hearts; with your hands you weigh out violence in the land.”

Failure of the rulers

David is declaring that these rulers are failing to accomplish their God given task. David does not simply say, “That’s the way people are” or that we simply must resign ourselves to expecting corruption in our political rulers. David does not accept this corruption and cries out against them for their wickedness. Paul gave a more involved description about the purpose of governments in Romans 13. “For government is God’s servant to you for good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For government is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong” (Romans 13:4).

The purpose of the government is to bring about justice by protecting the innocent and bringing wrath against the evildoer. The problem is that many governments forget that this is their purpose. David points out that the rulers are not judging fairly but practice injustice in their hearts and violence by their hands.

We need to not be silent when governments and rulers are corrupt and evil. We need to be sure that we are reminding people and making people aware of the corruption that is in our government so that changes can be made. It is sad that so many people are willing to overlook the injustice of our rulers. While we may be stuck having to choose between “the lesser of evils,” we need to be sure that we do pick the lesser evil rather than those who are full of great evil and corruption.

Do not conform to their character

Psalms 58:3-5 shows how evil these rulers truly are. Their whole lives have been full of wickedness, as if they have been liars from birth. They are deadly in their actions like a venomous cobra. But they are even more dangerous because they lack control. They do not listen to what other people say. Rather, they are going to act according to their evil ways regardless of what the people say or do.

We must be sure that we do not conform to their character. There is a historical problem that people follow the morality of their leaders. This was the great problem for the people of Israel. Morality and righteous would rise with good kings, but would plummet under the reign of wicked kings. We cannot allow our characters to be molded into our leaders simply because they act so evil. We can have the tendency to justify our evil actions simply because they are not as bad as our president’s actions, governor’s actions, or other politicians’ actions.

We need to seek out righteousness and justice. We must never shut our ears to the cries of the innocent, the helpless, and the needy. When we do, we have become just like these evil workers.

Plea For Divine Judgment (Psalms 58:6-11)

Act, O Lord

Knock their teeth out. I love the beginning of Psalms 58:6 : “God, knock the teeth out of their mouths.” Now, in our language this sounds like David is saying to punch the enemies in the face. But we need to see the parallel phrase in Psalms 58:6, “Lord, tear out the young lions’ fangs.” David is acknowledging that these rulers and judges have power, but requests to God that their power be shattered.

Make them flow away. In Psalms 58:7 David presents another unique image of what he wants to happen to these rulers. “They will vanish like water that flows away.” Water has great strength, as we have seen in recent hurricanes. But water must also vanish, flowing back to its boundaries. David calls for God to make these rulers flow away.

Make them blunted, headless arrows. Another unique image is offered to us by David. The NIV says, “When they draw the bow, let their arrows be blunted.” The New American Standard says “let them [the arrows] be headless shafts.” Basically, David calls to God to dull their attack upon the innocent. It is shameful to see government rulers use their power unjustly. Yet it happens even in our society today. David calls to God that their power be broken.

Make them melt like a slug. David uses a picture of watching a snail or a slug moving across the way. As they move, they leave a trail of slime, as if the snail or slug is dissolving and melting away. David says these rulers are like slugs that he prays will also melt away because of their unjust acts.

Ended from the beginning. David wishes these rulers end would have come at their very beginning of life. If their lives were going to led with wickedness and evil as the goal, then it would have been better if they had never been born in the first place. David desires to see the oppressive wicked cease from enjoying their power and rule.

Hope in the Lord

The final verses of the psalm speak about David’s confidence that God will bring about the justice that has been lacking. The wicked will be judged and the righteous will be rewarded. David seems to recognize that judgment against the wicked may take some time in coming, but it will come. But eventually, God will sweep the wicked away.

Psalms 58:9 describes this judgment in very chilling terms: “He shall take them away as with a whirlwind, as in His living and burning wrath.” This sentence describes the wrath of God in very destructive terms. First, they will be taken away as with a whirlwind. The imagery of the whirlwind is intended to conjure a feeling of terror. Similarly, the wrath of God is described as “living and burning.” From the whirlwind to fire, God is trying to help us understand what we are up against when we act wickedly.

Consider how God explained it to the people of Israel: “Listen, Israel: Today you are about to cross the Jordan to go and drive out nations greater and stronger than you with large cities fortified to the heavens. The people are strong and tall, the descendants of the Anakim. You know about them and you have heard it said about them, ‘Who can stand up to the sons of Anak? ‘But understand that today the Lord your God will cross over ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will devastate and subdue them before you. You will drive them out and destroy them swiftly, as the Lord has told you. When the Lord your God drives them out before you, do not say to yourself, ‘The Lord brought me in to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.’ Instead, the Lord will drive out these nations before you because of their wickedness. You are not going to take possession of their land because of your righteousness or your integrity. Instead, the Lord your God will drive out these nations before you because of their wickedness, in order to keep the promise He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Understand that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people”(Deuteronomy 9:1-6).

I have to believe that it was this background upon which the writer uses similar language for the Christians. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29). We have received the promised kingdom as they received the promised land. But let us not think that it is by our goodness that God has given us these blessings. God told the people of Israel that they did not receive the land because they were righteous but because the people that lived there were wicked. God was going to consume them for their wickedness with great destruction.

Notice that the writer of Hebrews says that we also need the grace of God. In essence, let us never forget that it is by the grace of God that we live and are not consumed for our own wickedness. We must continue to serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, or else we will be swept away with the wicked.

Coming back to Psalms 58, David goes on to say that the righteous will rejoice when the wicked fall. The wicked will be repaid according to their deeds. What a graphic picture in Psalms 58:10, “He will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.” This is a picture of the conquering victor walking through a bloody battlefield as the slain lie all around. God will be successful in his campaign against the wicked.

Surety in life

The final hope is expressed in Psalms 58:11 : “People will say, ‘Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth.’” We have a common saying in our culture that there are two things that you can count on: death and taxes. There is no doubt that we will pay taxes and there is no doubt we will die.

David declares there are two more assured events in life. (1) There is a reward for the righteous. Paul said the same, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism” (Colossians 3:23-25). Our lives ought to reflect this sure truth: we will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. However, Paul stated the condition that we need to do all things with all of our heart as if working for the Lord. David said the righteous will receive the reward. The writer of Hebrews says we need to serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, to receive the reward. The reward is sure.

But there is another assured event in life. (2) There is a God who judges on earth. The rulers of the nations will not get away with wickedness. God will judge the earth. The rulers who choose to ignore the will of God and ignore justice for the people, God will judge. Referring back to Paul’s words in Colossians 3, “Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.” No person will be able to get out of being repaid for his or her actions.

Yes, there are death and taxes that are assured in life. But God has also assured us that the righteous will receive a just reward and the wicked will receive their due penalty. God will judge the earth. What awaits your life? How will you be judged? Will you receive a reward or penalty for your actions? By the grace of God, we can receive the reward when we submit our lives to God and worship Him acceptably. No longer obey your will but obey God’s will as revealed in the scriptures.
(NKJV/HCSB)

PSALM 58

EXPOSITION

So little excuse is there for discrediting the superscription of this psalm by David, that we no sooner accept for it the proffered historical setting, than we become conscious of a powerful appeal to our sense of the fitness of things. There is nothing inherently improbable in the supposition, that, when David began to reign, he found occupying the position of judges throughout the land, men utterly unfit for it: wealthy, overbearing, careless; accustomed to falsehood from their youth up. Carry forward the state of things known to have existed from the time of “the judges”; recall how little the sons of Eli and of Samuel did to inculcate a high standard of national righteousness; notice how conspicuous by their absence are any efforts by King Saul to elevate the practical godliness of the nation; then remember how, as we have lately seen (Psalms 55), a comparatively short period of royal remissness, somewhere after this time, brought forth an enormous crop of noxious weeds in Jerusalem itself—and the conclusion will no longer seem far-fetched, if we assume that, when David came to the throne, he discovered judicial conditions so corrupt as to cause to flame out his known passion for righteousness. We know, from Psalms 101, the purity he deemed essential to his court; and, from Psalms 82, the estimate formed by his Chief Singer Asaph of the enormous wrongs easily inflicted on the helpless by a lax administration of justice. Hence we need feel no surprise to find him, in this psalm, equal to the occasion of giving corrupt judges notice, in solemn psalmody, of the drastic treatment which their perversion of righteousness might expect at his hands: no surprise to discover what a mighty instrument he was thus employing to create a purified and elevated public sentiment, likely to aid him in subsequent detailed endeavours to make Israel a law-abiding and holy people.

From this point of view, survey this psalm; and how fitting an instrument it appears for the forwarding of these noble ends. It grips these high-placed evil-doers with a will; sets their wrong-doing plainly before their faces; shows them that their characters have been thoroughly reckoned up; warns them that little is expected of them by way of reform—even the spell of a psalm is unlikely to save them from the consequences of their inborn and long-practised depravity. Such is the purport, under poetic guise, of the first Stanza of this psalm. The warning is veiled; but men must be stupid as well as stubborn if they cannot see through it.

The King, however (Stanza II.), has them in his power; and he knows it. They may yet be as fierce as lions; but in setting over them his righteous servant David, God has already, in effect, broken their teeth in their mouth; yea, let the young magnates, who are prepared to exceed their fathers in highhanded injustice, know, that Jehovah hath already knocked out their terrible incisors! The best thing they can do, is to disappear like water that drieth up; like grass for which the sun is too hot, whose luxuriating hours are done; like snails crawling away and wasting as they go. Otherwise, if they will not be admonished, let them beware lest they be suddenly made like unto thorns; yea, even though they be like green brambles, lest the fierce fire and strong wind of Divine wrath scorch and scatter them as in a storm of retribution!

Is it terrible? Yea, but it is just? Is it unmerciful? Nay, for they are thus publicly warned. The tempest will clear the air, and bring about health and peace. Justice is the foundation of grace. The common man has to be cared for. Well-doers must be encouraged—must have given back to them the conviction, that there is fruit for a righteous man: that, as there are visible representatives of God judging in the land, so there is an invisible God judging on the earth and in heaven.

God Is My Stronghold

Psalms 59:1-17

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

We have read many psalms of lament in Book 2 of the Psalms. We have read an especially interesting string of laments by David concerning the enemies that have been oppressing him. One reason these psalms are interesting is that the Israelites used these psalms in captivity, praying from justice against the nations and their enemies. The psalms have always been regarded by the Jews as having a moving context, adapting the lament to apply to the person’s current circumstances.

The specific context of this psalm is given to us in the title: “when Saul sent agents to watch the house and kill him.” This description links the background of this psalm to the situation recorded in 1 Samuel 19. In 1 Samuel 19:11-18 says: 11 Saul sent men to David’s house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.” 12 So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped. 13 Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats’ hair at the head. 14 When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said, “He is ill.” 15 Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him.” 16 But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats’ hair. 17 Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?” Michal told him, “He said to me, ‘Let me get away. Why should I kill you?’” 18 When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there.”(NIV)

It is amazing how many times Saul attempts to take David’s life. In 1 Samuel 19 Saul sends men to David’s house to kill him. Michal spares David’s life and gives him time by pretending that he is sleeping in his bed and is sick. Notice that Saul did not care that David was sick. Saul commands the men to get him up out of the bed so he can kill him. David writes this psalm under the stress of this life threatening circumstance.

God, the Deliverer (Psalms 59:1-8)

Deliver me (Psalms 59:1-2)

The first two verses describes David’s plea for deliverance. As you read the first two verses, there is no doubt that the circumstance in which David writes is about these men who have been sent by Saul to kill him. David asks for help with three different words in four places in the first two verses. David cries to God: “deliver me,” “set me securely on high” (NASU), “deliver me,” and “save me.” Most of the versions translate the second word in the second phrase of the first verse as “protect me” or “defend me.” But the word literally means to be set in a high place.

David asks for salvation from these men who have risen up against him and are intent on shedding his blood. David is depicting an image of God setting him on a high place where he cannot be attacked from his enemies and particularly those who have come to his house to kill him.

Lord, look! (Psalms 59:3-5)

David continues his prayer by asking God to see some things that are going on in David’s life. First, look they set an ambush. Fierce men conspire against him and powerful men are attacking him. David is crying out to God see the troubling circumstances he is in.

Second, look and see that I am innocent. David declares, “Powerful men attack me, but not because of any sin or rebellion of mine. For no fault of mine, they run and take up a position.” I do not believe that David is saying that he completely free of any sin ever in his life, from the context of David’s circumstances. Rather, I believe David is saying that he innocent in regards to Saul and has not done anything deserving of death. David has not violated the law that would cause Saul to send men after him. David has not acted in any way that would cause Saul to come against him. There would be no reason for David to call out for mercy from God if David was deserving of death and deserving of the actions of Saul.

Third, David calls for the Lord to awake, arise, and punish. We see in Psalms 59:5 how the psalm was expanded to be used by Israel toward their national enemies and not just any one person’s individual enemy. David says, “Rise up to punish the nations; do not show grace to any wicked traitors.” This is David’s request to God.

I think this is a good time to point out how many times David told God what he wanted to have happen. David was not fearful of telling the Lord what outcome he desired. While God’s wisdom is certainly greater than our own, we must see that can tell God what outcome we desire. Instead of asking God to generally “be with them” as we have the tendency to pray for people in difficult circumstances, let us work more on talking to God exactly what we want. We want the disease to go away. We want a person to come back to the Lord. We want a person to be made well. Let us try to avoid the generalities and tell God what the problem is and what we think would be the best solution. Then leave it in God’s hands and God’s wisdom to arise on our behalf.

Description of the enemies’ attack (Psalms 59:6-8)

In Psalms 59:6-8 David describes the attacks of the enemies. The first description David gives is that they are “snarling like dogs.” Obviously calling someone a dog or that someone is acting like a dog is very insulting. Dogs were not looked upon as gentle, domesticated pets in antiquity. In this passage David points out that his enemies are acting like a pack of roving, snarling dogs. This is a picture of danger that anyone would feel when confronted with a pack of wild dogs who are snarling because they are ready to attack.

The nature of the attack is not only physically threatening, but also verbal. David says, “See what they spew from their mouths—they spew out swords from their lips.” We can too easily forget the devastating nature of hurtful, sharp words. The pain inflicted from sharp words can be so severe that it seems more painful than dying. In fact, we often speak that if someone is going to act this way, we would just as soon die. Our words can comfort and heal. But our words can also bring great pain.

We also see the arrogance of these people who use their lips as swords against David because they say, “who can hear us?” These people think they can say whatever they like, believing they will get away with their verbal attacks. We would not say the evil things we say about people if we did not think that we would be able to get away with it. We always assume that we will not be held accountable for our words. We assume that the person we are speaking evil about will never know. Therefore, in our arrogance we destroy friendship, relationships, and any trust that could exist between people. Too many times Christians are acting like snarling dogs, ready to bite just for the sake of biting. We need to watch our tongues and watch our words otherwise we are violating God’s command: “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6).

Notice that God does hear our words and has a response. As hurtful as these words can be, especially when the swords come from the people we love, God simply laughs at those who would be so foolish to use their tongues for harm. David says, “But you laugh at them, LORD; You ridicule all the nations.” David pictures God simply shaking his head at humanity when our tongues are swords. We are forgetting that God will judge. We are forgetting that we will be held accountable for these hurtful words. Jesus said, “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken” (Matthew 12:36).

David’s Confidence and Conclusion (Psalms 59:9-17)

God will judge

In Psalms 59:9 the psalm takes a shift as David describes his confidence and expectations in the Lord. Notice these confident words, “I will keep watch for You, my strength, because God is my stronghold.” Further, we ought to see that David speaks about his expectations as God coming. David says he will be watching for God. Psalms 59:10 is more direct, “My faithful God will come to meet me.” To speak of the coming of the Lord was to speak of judgment, not about the end of the world. This judgment is clearly identified in Psalms 59:11.

David desires God’s judgment not to be in the evildoers’ death, but to crush the evildoers. David is not making this prayer as revenge for himself. Rather, David wants these people to be made as an example to all of Israel that those who use their tongues for evil will feel God’s wrath. David does not want the people to forget what happens to those who act with such evil. David wants them to be caught in their lies and brought down in their pride. David calls for the judgment be done in a process so that the people would see and learn about God’s justice. The point of judgment is to let the earth know, but especially God’s people, that God rules.

Concluding trust

Though David knows these things to be true, evildoers still exist. Psalms 59:14-15 go back to describing the continued evil of the “dogs.” Though the evildoers continue to snarl like dogs, David will sing of God’s strength and proclaim God’s faithful love. This is an impressive display of confidence because, based upon what we have read, David’s circumstances have not changed. How can David have this confidence?

David’s words in Psalms 59:16 give the explanation: “For you have been a stronghold for me, a refuge in my day of trouble.” As Psalms 59:17 basically states, God has always been there for him before and will continue to be with him. God is faithful, meaning that during this time of trouble David knows that God is still with him.

Final life lessons and reminders

Watch our words for we will be judged by them.

God hears our prayers. We cannot miss the way David deals with his circumstances. Prayer is our avenue and God listens.

God knows our hearts. There is great pain in the midst of our trials. It is hard to do what is right when people commit evil against us. Even worse, it is a challenge when people think that our trials are punishment for our actions. God knows our hearts, humans do not. It would be very easy to look at David’s life and assume he had been deserving of his trouble. We are not able to judge the hearts. Even when people judge us improperly, we can stand before God knowing that God is able to see our motives and see our hearts.

God defends our cause. David has confidence that God will stand behind him and give him assistance because God has done it in the past. It is one way we able to get through hard times, by reminding ourselves that God has helped in the past.

PSALM 59

EXPOSITION

Most of this psalm answers well to the historical occasion named in its superscription; and though, both in form and in substance, it suggests subsequent and adaptations and additions, yet these are comparatively unimportant, and need not divert us from the fruitful reflections which spring from the origin of this striking composition as a whole.

The writer is beset by enemies: just such enemies as we know David had in the court of King Saul—workers of iniquity, men of bloodshed, foreigners who had taken the oath of allegiance to Israel and yet could boast of the deception they had practised in accepting it; probably, like Doeg, the Edomite, rich and powerful, with ready access to the ear of Saul, and more willing than David’s fellow-Hebrews to become the tools of that fickle and jealous monarch. Such men, in David’s intensely patriotic eyes, would appear like unclean dogs, ravenous, cruel, dangerous.

At the hands of these enemies, the writer is now in imminent danger. They have been lying in wait for him, keep gathering together against him, saying false and cruel things about him, thereby converting their tongues into swords; they not only gather against him, but watch, one or two by day and a larger number by night, surrounding the city, so as to guard every avenue of escape. So far, a graphic picture of the way in which Saul’s emissaries would seek David for the purpose of killing him.

There is surely little cause for wonder that so much importance should be attached to the active use of their tongues in hunting for David. For though scouts and watchers when thus on duty would naturally do that part of their work in silence and by stealth; yet the most effective part taken by these men, would be their use of their tongues when they had Saul’s ear, and when rallying their own and David’s fellow-servants to join in the pursuit and the waylaying. No doubt there would be times of actual watching, when their policy would be silence; but there would be times of discovery that they had lost their prey, when volleys of cursing would be poured forth by their mouth; and when compelled to return to their master with the confession that the young Bethlehemite had escaped them, it is likely that their crestfallen looks and abject words made them appear not a little like curs whining as if in fear of a beating. And, if David could foresee their shame overtaking them, he might very well say: If not satisfied, then let them whine! Whether it be supremely dignified or not, at least it is life-like! So far, both the conditions presupposed by the psalm, and the movements evident therein, are unmistakably such as suit the crisis named in the superscription.

But, in two places of the psalm, it must be admitted to be open to question whether we have an original sentiment, or a later addition. These two places are at Psalms 59:5; Psalms 59:8 respectively. At the former point, there is the outburst of the prayer—Awake to visit all nations; and at the latter, there is the positive assurance—But thou, O Jehovah, will laugh at them, Thou wilt mock at all nations. Here it may, plausibly, be contended, we have traces of a later time. And it may be so. It may be, that it is too soon yet for the antagonism of Gentile nations to Jehovah and of His antagonism to them to be thus anticipated. Such a forecast would more naturally become the later times of Hezekiah, when Sennacherib came against Israel with his Assyrians; or of Jeremiah, when Nebuchadnezzar was coming with his Babylonian hosts; or, still more, the troublous times of the return from the Exile when the little Gentile nations around Israel were so persistent and so malicious in their conspiracies and attacks on Israel. These outbursts in the psalm against Gentiles may very plausibly be attributed to such a later time. And there we might be content to leave the problem; especially as not raising any real objection against the Davidic authorship of the main body of the psalm, when the known habit of adapting psalms to later occasions has due allowance made for it.

On this point we should not have lingered, but for the desire of protesting that even this concession to the probability of a later date for a few lines in this psalm cannot be compelled. It is probable—no more. It may have been given to David himself, thus early in his prophetic career, to catch glimpses of later events in the history of Israel: to be led on to catch such glimpses from nothing more developed than the antagonism and treacheries of a few Doegs among the retainers of Saul.

Worthy of observation is that unique prayer in Psalms 59:11 of this psalm: Do not slay them, lest my people forget, cause them to wander. On the one hand this reminds us of Pharaoh, who instead of being at once slain, was preserved to permit him to develop all the obstinacy that was in him—to the brighter manifestation of the glory of Jehovah; and, on the other hand, it quickens our inquisitiveness to learn from later prophecies whether or not the restored Israel of the future may not be similarly kept in mind by the monumental sparing of enemies who would otherwise be summarily destroyed (cp. Daniel 7:12).

“They—let them whine; but I will sing”: a contrast, almost harsh in its sharpness; yet how suggestive. Ours be the faith in the Right, and in the God of Rightness, that by detestation of all meanness, and the wholehearted love of nobleness, we may know how to escape the whine and ensure the song.

Prayer In Difficult Times

Psalms 60:1-12

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Unfortunately, the sixtieth psalm is the last of the psalms with a historical setting from the life of David. Psalms 60 also has one of the longest descriptive titles given to it. We are told that this psalm’s background is when David “fought with Aram Naharaim and Aram Zobah, and when Joab returned and struck down twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.” This descriptive title points us to the events of 2 Samuel 8:1-14. After reading the psalm and reading the background found in 2 Samuel 8:1-14, we immediately find something strange in reading these. The psalm begins by talking about how God had rejected David and the people of Israel. However, 2 Samuel 8 describes the numerous victories of David and his armies against the surrounding nations.

The only way to reconcile this situation is to assume that while David is away defeating the Philistines and the Syrians, the Edomites make an invasion into Israel. The Valley of Salt seems to be the border area between the nation of Edom and the nation of Israel. This leads us to believe that this psalm was written during good times and bad times. While it seemed to be good times as David is able to subdue the surrounding nations, the Edomites took this as an opportunity to “backdoor” Israel while the armies were off fighting. It is with this background in mind that we ought to read this psalm.

Lament From Great Defeat (Psalms 60:1-4)

You have rejected us

The first verse contains a startling beginning to the psalm. “God, You have rejected us; You have broken out against us.” The psalm’s beginning describes a particularly significant defeat that came to Israel. This defeat was being interpreted by David as a divine judgment on Israel.

This divine judgment is depicted in a couple of ways. First, in Psalms 60:2 this judgment is depicted as an earthquake: “You have shaken the land and split it open.” We have seen on the news recently how damaging and devastating an earthquake can be. Therefore, earthquakes are used in the Old and the New Testaments as symbols of God’s judgment (Revelation 6:12; Revelation 8:5; Revelation 11:13; Revelation 11:19; Revelation 16:18).

The second image is in Psalms 60:3 : “You have given us a wine to drink that made us stagger.” The imagery of drunkenness is also commonly used in the scriptures as describing divine judgment. “This is what the Lord God says: You will drink your sister’s cup, which is deep and wide. You will be an object of ridicule and scorn, for it holds so much. You will be filled with drunkenness and grief with a cup of devastation and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria. You will drink it and drain it, then you will gnaw its broken pieces, and tear your breasts. For I have spoken, declares the Lord God” (Ezekiel 23:32-34).

Therefore, we recognize that David is describing a crushing defeat and he believes the reason this devastation has taken place is that God has rejected them. God gave very clear reasons why rejection would take place. God never becomes fickle and suddenly decides to no longer be with his people. God does not wake up on the wrong side of the bed deciding that he no longer wants these people. We know why God rejects and that is due to sin. “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children. The more the priests increased, the more they sinned against me; they exchanged their Glory for something disgraceful. They feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness. And it will be: Like people, like priests. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds”(Hosea 4:6-9, NIV).

The likelihood of sin being the reason for God’s rejection is increased because 2 Samuel records that David was successful in all his military battles, showing that God was with him. There must have been some unmentioned event that caused the Edomites to be successful in their invasion into Israel.

You have raised a banner

In the midst of this crushing time, David is calling upon God for restoration. In Psalms 60:1 David says “restore us.” In Psalms 60:2 David says “mend its fractures.” David is asking the Lord to mend them as a broken body needs healing. They are in need of the Lord to make them whole.

Then David makes a single declaration: “But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow” (Psalms 60:4). The banner was a type of flag used during war by the army as a signaling device and a rallying point.

In trying to put these images together, I believe David is saying this: We were attacked and devastating by the opposing army. They were broken down and found it to be desperate times. But God raised up his banner to signal to the people that there was the place to rally together. David then declares that the banner and the cause to be rallied around is truth. God has raised the banner calling for his people to come back to the truth.

Appeal To God & God’s Answer (Psalms 60:5-8)

Save us

After recognizing the need for the people to rally under the banner of truth, David calls out to God for deliverance and salvation. In the midst of this turmoil, David is calling out to God for divine intervention. David needs God to act “so that those whom you love may be rescued.”

The call for the right hand of God comes from the victory that God delivered against Egypt on behalf of Israel in the days of Moses. After destroying the Egyptians in the Red Sea and delivering Israel from slavery, they sang these words in Exodus 15 : “Your right hand, O Lord, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble…. You stretched out your right hand and the earth swallowed them” (Exodus 15:6-8; Exodus 15:12).

This is what is entailed by David asking God to act with his right hand. David is asking God to strike down the enemies of Israel. The nation’s deliverance will come through the judgment against the nations who are attacking.

God speaks

Psalms 60:6 David records the words of God speaking from the sanctuary. The sanctuary was a symbol of God’s presence and holiness. He was dwelling with his people, but still must be worship and honored for his holiness. Listen to the words of the Lord:

“In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter. Moab is my washbasin, upon Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph”(Psalms 60:6-8, NIV).

God’s response takes the reader back to the days of Joshua and the conquest of the land of Canaan. The Lord is declaring that he will divide up the land and give it to the tribes. God declares that he will triumph just as he did before. Remember that the Canaanites were far better equipped to win against the Israelites when they invaded the land in the days of Joshua. However, through the power of the Lord, the Israelites quickly conquered the land. God will subdue the enemies and give the spoils to his people. In Psalms 60:7 God is describing all of Israel’s territory and stating that it is all the Lord’s. But notice that God is using images that show a special relationship between his people. Judah and Ephraim are symbols of God’s power and kingship.

But in Psalms 60:8 God describes the nature of the surrounding nations. “Moab is my washbasin; on Edom I throw My sandal. Over Philistia I shout in triumph.” Essentially the Lord is saying that Moab is in servitude to you and Edom is subjected under foot. The point is that god is powerful and in control, even in the face of enemy threats.

Lessons Drawn (Psalms 60:9-12)

Only God can give victory

David sums up this psalm by declaring that only God can give victory. We cannot find the victory in ourselves. We cannot be true successes without God’s help. We have no hope unless God is willing to act on our behalf. God will fulfill his covenant promises. Only with God’s help can the seemingly impossible take place.

Too often we see the physical challenge and forget that all things can be accomplished through the power of God. Too often we see the difficulty ahead and know that it is something we cannot do ourselves. But we forget to turn to the one who can bring help.

David also reminds us of a very important principle in life. God will reject us when we are not under his banner of truth. God will not remain with us simply because we call ourselves Christians if we are not following his lead and are rallying for his cause.

Spiritual analogy

So much of the Old Testament was a shadow of a spiritual reality. Things that took place in the physical world of Israel were spiritual parables or representations of a spiritual realities with God. I think this is certainly true in what we learn in this psalm.

Psalms 60 may be passed off by some as a lesson pertaining in the days of the New Testament for what to do when the nations attack with armies. But there is a spiritual reality is the battle we are engaged in with Satan. There are many times that we endure very hard times in our lives when we feel that we are rejected by God. It is during those times that we need to remember rally under God’s banner and run to his word of truth.

Sin is the great element that interferes with our relationship with God. If we could only see how sin separates us from God it would maybe help us flee from temptations. How badly we need to see that God rejects us when we are choosing to go down the roads we want to go down without any consideration for God! When we become selfish and give no concern for the things of God, we are put into a position of being without God as we go through life.

It is time for us to have our eyes wide open and be aware that we may struggle and find ourselves in difficult circumstances because of our own foolish choices. Too many decisions are not based upon our own spiritual wellbeing, but our based upon physical wants and needs. Far too many of our decisions are based on the lust of our own eyes, the lusts of our flesh, and our own personal pride. We have separated ourselves from God by our own foolish mistakes and it is time for us to get ourselves out of the physical things and look for God’s banner and rally to it. It is time to seek out God’s answers and God’s truth for our lives. God has the victory but we cannot win by ourselves.

PSALM 60

EXPOSITION

By reference to Psalms 44, text and notes, it will be recalled that this psalm as well as that was written in the interval of suspense that occurred between the alarming raid of Edomites while the main portion of David’s army was in Syria, and the effective relief obtained by Joab’s sanguinary defeat of these their trouble-some neighbours. The exact circumstances have to be inferred from a few known facts; but, notwithstanding the disadvantage under which we thus labour, this psalm offers a few outstanding features, which are not a little impressive and instructive. It is needless to speak of the temporary alarm, almost amounting to panic, which is so often caused in the history of warfare, by reverses which are serious enough at the time, but soon overcome and forgotten. It is not often that their effect is so vividly described as in the opening stanza of this psalm: this raid from the south seemed for the time like the driving home of a wedge splitting open the whole fabric of the nation; like the administering of a poisoned draught stupefying the senses of the people, It is seen at a glance how both weal and woe are ever closely associated with Jehovah’s providence over Israel. It is specially observable how the psalmist bases his plea for restored success to his arms on the records of the past. As we have had repeated occasion to remark, David’s wars were first and foremost a resumption and continuance of those of Joshua. Here is an old record, dating from the conquest, from which the inferiority of Edom’s assigned relation to Israel is clearly foretold. And is Edom thus to seize a favorurable chance to overrun the whole land? This can never be tolerated: Who will conduct me to the fortified city among the rocks? We cannot say whether Joab, in his terrible slaughter of Edomites, exceeded his commission, or made more than necessary reprisals, but this we can see—that David, at least, desired, from the outset of this southern expedition, to act in unreserved submission to Divine guidance. To the student of prophecy it is enough to say, Watch Edom, for developments not even yet complete! To the humble saint, who cannot well grasp national and world-wide problems, it may suffice to address the watch-words: Who will conduct me? Vain is a victory by Man! In God we shall do valiantly. May no readers of these lines have adversaries other than those whom God himself will tread down!

“Shechem at the foot of Mt. Gerizim, the chief gathering-place in the time of Joshua, stands for the country west of the Jordan: cp. Joshua 24:1. The Valley of Succoth, in the valley of the Jordan on the eastern side, near the Jabbok . . . stands for the country east of the Jordan . . . Gilead, as distinguished from Manasseh, must indicate with it the two chief divisions east of the Jordan, as Ephraim and Judah, the two chief divisions on the west. Accordingly Gilead here is for the southern portion assigned to Reuben and Gad, Numbers 32:1-29, and Manasseh for the northern portion, or the land of Bashan. . . . Moab was the troublesome neighbour of Israel, occupying the region east of the Dead Sea, He is to be so reduced that he becomes the wash-basin which is carried by a slave to pour water over his master’s hands or feet. . . . Edom, the troublesome neighbour of Judah on the south-east, was also so reduced as to become another slave to whom the master kicks off the sandals when he would have them removed to wash his feet”—Br.

Hope and Help When Overwhelmed

Psalms 61:1-8

HOPE AND HELP WHEN MY HEART IS OVERWHELMED

This psalm is titled To the Chief Musician. On a stringed instrument. A Psalm of David. David was often in trouble; we don’t know the life circumstances which prompted this psalm. It does seem to come after he came to the throne. Because of a reference to the end of the earth, some have thought it comes from the time of Absalom’s rebellion or on his military campaign near the Euphrates (2 Samuel 8:3-4). Those are possible, but by no means certain settings for this psalm.

On a stringed instrument: “The word Neginah (the singular of Neginoth) may be understood to be synonymous with the kinnor or harp: that is to say, the instrument of eight strings, probably played with a bow or plectrum.” (John Jebb, cited in Charles Spurgeon)

THE PRAYER

Psalms 60:1-3

Crying out for rescue when overwhelmed.

Hear my cry, O God;

Attend to my prayer.

From the end of the earth I will cry to You

,When my heart is overwhelmed;

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer:

This was wise praying from David. He understood that though God hears all prayer in one sense, in the sense of answering and responding favorably, God does not hear or attend to all prayer. Opening his prayer this way, David did not presume a response from God, but actively asked for the response.

“Pharisees may rest in their prayers; true believers are eager for an answer to them: ritualists may be satisfied when they have ‘said or sung’ their litanies and collects, but living children of God will never rest till their supplications have entered the ears of the Lord God of Sabaoth.” (Spurgeon)

From the end of the earth I will cry to You:

From what we know, David did not travel far outside the Promised Land. Yet figuratively he was at the end of human understanding and strength and resources; there was a real and powerful sense in which this prayer was offered from the end of the earth.

“Though the phrase ‘from the ends of the earth’ may denote a geographical distance away from the land (cf. Psalms 46:9; Deuteronomy 28:49), it is also a metaphor for despair, alienation, and spiritual distance from the Lord.” (VanGemeren) David did not say, from the end of the earth I will give up hope or from the end of the earth I will deny that You love me. At the limit of his wisdom, endurance, and ability, David said, I will cry to You.

“Observe that David never dreamed of seeking any other God; he did not imagine the dominion of Jehovah to be local: he was at the end of the promised land, but he knew himself to be still in the territory of the Great King.” (Spurgeon)

When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I: David knew there would be times when his heart was overwhelmed. In those moments he needed at least three things. He needed the rock, a place of stability and security, something strong enough to stand against crashing waves or quaking earth. He needed a rock that is higher than I, a place above himself, above his wisdom, above his abilities. He needed God to lead him to that rock. David was unable to get to the firm-footed place above his crisis on his own.

Overwhelmed: The same word is translated faints in Jonah 2:7. “Here David had the added trial of depression or exhaustion; cf. the same word…[is found] in the title of Psalms 102, where the condition is subsequently described at some length.” (Kidner) We are not told why David was overwhelmed, and it is better that we do not know. If we knew his specific circumstances, we would be strongly tempted to limit God’s rescue only to those in the same situation. God wanted this prayer to be prayed by His people no matter the reason their heart is overwhelmed.

To the rock: “The thought of God being a rock is prominent in the Davidic psalms because David had used the rocks of the Judean wilderness as places of refuge and protection.” (Boice)

“His imagination sees towering above him a great cliff, on which, if he could be planted, he might defy pursuit or assault. But he is distant from it, and the inaccessibility which, were he in its clefts, would be his safety, is now his despair. Therefore he turns to God and asks Him to bear him up in His hands, that he may set his foot on that rock.” (Maclaren)

To the rock that is higher than I: Assuming David wrote this as king, humanly speaking he had reached the top of the ladder. He still realized that wasn’t enough, and needed something higher than himself. That is higher than I: “Thus his prayer was for elevation above self in God.” (Morgan) Ultimately Jesus Christ is the Rock that is higher than I. “Higher than I, because of His divine origin; higher, because of His perfect obedience; higher, because of His supreme sufferings; higher, because of his ascension to the right hand of power.” (Meyer)

Present trust based on past faithfulness.(Psalms 61:3-4)

Psalms 61:3-4

For You have been a shelter for me,

A strong tower from the enemy.

I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;

I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah

For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy:

David remembered that God had answered such prayers in the past. In the past God Himself had been a shelter and strong tower for David.

I will abide in Your tabernacle forever: The word tabernacle is simply the word for tent. David had one of two (or perhaps both) ideas in mind: The tent of God as a refuge for the weary traveler, the place where protection and hospitality are given to the honored guest. The tent of God as the tabernacle of meeting, the center of Israel’s sacrifice and worship. “The imagery of dwelling in the tent goes back to the desert experience (cf. Exodus 33:7-11; Numbers 11:16-17) when the Lord resided among the tribes of Israel in a tent.” (VanGemeren) “He saith not, I shall abide in my palace, but in thy tabernacle, which he more highly esteemed.” (Trapp)

I will trust in the shelter of Your wings: Again there may be one of two ideas or the conscious reference to both ideas. Wings as the near and protected place that a mother bird gives to her offspring, protecting her chicks under the shelter of her wings. Wings as that which marked and surrounded the interior of God’s tabernacle of meeting and the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant, which included the designs of cherubim and their wings.

A shelter…a strong tower…Your tabernacle…the shelter of Your wings: With image after image, David built upon the idea of the rock that is higher than I first stated in Psalms 61:2. No one image could fully express the greatness of God’s help to David.

The answer to the prayer (Psalms 61:5-7)

GOD’S CARE FOR KING DAVID

Psalms 61:5-7

For You, O God, have heard my vows;

You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name

You will prolong the king’s life,

His years as many generations.

He shall abide before God forever.

Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him!

For You, O God, have heard my vows: David probably referred to past vows of grateful allegiance to God, which he continued to honor. God heard these vows and responded to them, giving David rule over God’s people (the heritage of those who fear Your name).

You, O God, have heard my vows: “Often have I purposed to be wholly thine, – to serve thee alone, – to give up my whole life to thy service: and thou hast heard me, and taken me at my word; and given me that heritage, the privilege of enjoying thee in thy ordinances, which is the lot of them that fear thy name.” (Clarke)

You will prolong the king’s life: David confidently expected God’s blessing upon his reign. It was not because he thought so highly of himself; it was because he thought so highly of the God who keeps His promises. “Long ‘life’ (literally, ‘days’) is an idiom for the prosperity of the reigning monarch as well as for the preservation of his dynasty, similar to the British ‘God save the queen.’” (VanGemeren)

His years as many generations: “Thus he speaks, partly because his kingdom was not like Saul’s, a matter of one age, expiring with his life, but established to him and his heirs for ever; and partly because Christ, his Son and Heir, should actually and in his own person possess the kingdom for ever.” (Poole)

He shall abide before God forever: David could only say this in reference to himself in a very limited way. He could say it without limitation of the Messiah that was promised to come from his lineage (2 Samuel 7:11-16).

He shall abide before God forever: “Literally, ‘He shall sit for ever before the faces of God.’ He shall ever appear in the presence of God for us.” (Clarke)

“The psalm is…[so] Messianic that the everlasting kingdom of the Christ alone fulfils its prayer.” (Maclaren)

“The promises of the Lord have found their focus in the messiahship of Jesus the Christ, whose rule is established by the promise and reward of the Father (Ephesians 4:7-13).” (VanGemeren)

Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him: David himself needed this mercy and truth, but he also knew that his Greater Son, the promised Messiah, would also rely upon God’s mercy and truth.

“Let these two (thy mercy and thy truth) be the supporters of his throne, let them be of his lifeguard, let them be his due and prepared portion.” (Trapp)

ii. “As men cry, ‘Long live the king,’ so we hail with acclamation our enthroned Immanuel, and cry, ‘Let mercy and truth preserve him.’ Eternal love and immutable faithfulness are the bodyguards of Jesus’ throne.” (Spurgeon)

Praising God forever.(Psalms 61:8)

Psalms 61:8

So I will sing praise to Your name forever,

That I may daily perform my vows.

So I will sing praise to Your name forever: David began the psalm desperately crying out to God with a heart that was fainting and overwhelmed. The song ends with praise, honoring the character of God as expressed in His name, and doing so forever.

That I may daily perform my vows: David knew he had an unending obligation to thank and honor God. It could and should be done daily and that forever.

“God daily performs his promises, let us daily perform our vows; he keeps his covenant, let us not forget ours.” (Spurgeon)

Forever…daily: “Here the word ever carries the mind illimitably forward, while day after day directs it first to what lies immediately ahead.” (Kidner)

PSALM 61

EXPOSITION

No better origin in David’s life for this sweet little psalm need be sought, than when the psalmist was at Mahanaim; Absalom’s rebellion having been crushed, and the King waiting to return to Jerusalem. It is only a snatch of song, revealing but a glimpse into the experiences of the Monarch; but it is striking, and well worthy, not only of preservation, but of occasional use in the liturgy of the Temple.

Far from home, far from the services of the Sacred Tent, the petitioner cries out to be permitted to return. He is occasionally depressed, but finds solace in his harp, whereon he formulates his plea. He recalls past mercies, and the memory of them emboldens his present requests. To be again Jehovah’s guest and to realize the sense of nestling under His protection, is his foremost wish.

Reverting to the past, he remembers that those past mercies had been granted in answer to vows previously made; and, in particular, that to his brethren as well as to himself, the Sanctuary had been granted as a priceless possession. Continued life then comes into the field of his desire; and, at this point, he is carried away in what we may describe as a Messianic Ecstasy; asking for such a prolonged continuance of days as far transcended ordinary human existence. What mortal, though crowned, could reasonably expect to live generation after generation? to be enthroned age-abiding before God? It may be that, as some interpret, David was thinking rather of his dynasty (according to 2 Samuel 7) than of his own person. But the mind soon tires of the thought of a mere dynasty abiding, while the members who in succession sustain it, are all, one after the other, swept away by death. At all events it is a welcome and instructive relief to find the ancient Targum-writing Rabbis discovering, in the prospect of the dynasty, the brighter prospect of a Final Holder of dynastic promises—the Messiah? Thus on Psalms 61:8 : “Very pathetic is the paraphrase of the Targum (=interpretation or translation). ‘So will I pay my vows in the day of the redemption of Israel, even in the day when King Messiah is anointed to reign’ “—Kp.

Rest In God Alone

Psalms 62:1-12

Brent Kercheville

David’s Trust

Silent rest (Psalms 62:1-2)

The first two verses describe a peace and rest that David has found in God. David says, “I am at rest in God alone.” The NASU says, “My soul waits in silence for God alone.” David simply describes a tranquility that he has in the Lord. Our culture endless seeks out perfect rest. So much of the activities of the people today center around the attempts to become wealthy so that one can rest. Our society believes that rest can only be found in immense wealth. But we can tell that wealth does not bring rest. None of us are resting because of the wealth we have. Do you know anyone who is resting because of his wealth? Even the wealthy we see on television are not at rest, but are in greater turmoil. Wealth does not bring rest. Wealth brings the turmoil of trying to maintain that wealth and that standard of living.

But real rest is found in God alone. David does not find rest in his possessions or his royalty. Only God brought his rest since salvation comes only from God. In Psalms 62:2 David declares that God alone is his rock, his salvation, and his stronghold. Because of these three things, David will never be shaken.

In reading these words, I would suppose that David offers these words of praise during favorable times in his life. I would assume that things were going well in David’s life for his to praise God as his rock, salvation, and stronghold that gives him rest. But as we will read, this is not the case. David is not going through easy times but challenging times.

The assault of the wicked (Psalms 62:3-4)

In Psalms 62:3-4, David now addresses the wicked who bring their attack. The wicked are cowardly in the form of their attack. David points out that they attack those who are already weakened. “How long will you assail a person, will you batter your victim, all of you, as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence?” (NRSV). It is not too hard to knocked over a leaning wall or knock down a tottering fence. This is the shot that David makes at the wicked who continue their attacks. The wicked seek out the weakened to pounce upon and destroy.

We understand this characteristic of the wicked. David is not the first to notice how evil people kick others while they are down, and we will not be the last to notice this attribute of the wicked. It is an interesting picture that David using describing the wicked as a sort of bully, if you will, against the weak.

The evil of the wicked is further described in Psalms 62:4. Psalms 62:4 seems to indicate that David is speaking of himself in the third person. David declares that the wicked “Plan to bring him down from his high position.” It seems that David is likely speaking about himself who is the king over Israel. David occupies the high position and the enemies are trying to bring him down to destruction. David has gone through great difficulties in his life and rather than simply let him alone, the wicked continue to kick him while he is done.

We cannot be surprised that these are the actions of the wicked. It is hard to deal with people who act this way in our times of distress. As we can see from the rest of Psalms 62:4, with friends like these who needs enemies. David states, “They take pleasure in lying; they bless with their mouths, but they curse inwardly.” Once again, as we have notice in many of the psalms, David is not describing a physical attack from a warring army. Rather, the attack is from the lips of those around him. These wicked people plan on bringing David and other righteous people down by using deceit and hypocrisy.

It is interesting to think about how many times David has mentioned the pain of the attacks from people who say kind things to your face but destroy you with their words when not around. This is a characteristic of a wicked person. You and I cannot think that we can use our tongues in this way and still be in fellowship with God.

Only trust God (Psalms 62:5-8)

In Psalms 62:5-8 David expands upon the themes set forward in the first two verses of this psalm. David declares with greater detail why he is able to rest in the Lord. Notice that Psalms 62:5-6 parallels Psalms 62:1-2. The only distinction is that in Psalms 62:1 David said that his salvation comes from God while in Psalms 62:5 David says that his hope comes from God.

David then expands upon this theme: “My salvation and glory depend on God; my strong rock, my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge.”

David brings out an interesting point. All of claim to trust God and all of us have put our trust in God. But do we only trust God? I think this is a significant question. Six times in these verses David has repeated that his hope, salvation, and trust are found in God alone. There is nothing else that David will put his trust in for his life, his welfare, for his salvation, for his strength, or for his hope.

We have the tendency to trust God, but only so long as we can trust other things with God. We trust God, as long as there is a good amount of money in the bank. We trust God, as long as we have a nice home. We trust God, as long as things are going well in our lives. We trust God, as long as we have nice possessions. We trust God, as long as we have a good paying job that we are happy with. You see, we really do not trust in God because we have put conditions upon our trust. We need things to be going just the way we want and then we think we are trusting God.

Do we trust God alone? We see this faith exhibited by Job because he lost it all. When faced with the loss of family, friends, occupation, welfare, and health, Job trusted in God alone. What safety net do you need to trust God? This is why we see such an appeal to the health and wealth kind of teaching of the gospel. We want to think we are trusting in God because God is going to make things good for us. We want all our desires and wishes met and we want to call that trusting in God. These things are a safety net and we are typically unwilling to fully trust in God and in Him alone if all of these things were removed.

Look at Psalms 62:8 again: “Trust in Him at all times, you people.” This is one way that we know that we are trusting in God only: we trust him in any circumstance and any situation. No matter how difficult it gets and no matter how challenging our lives become, we do not let go of God for anything.

Look at Psalms 62:8 one more time: “Pour out your hearts before Him.” This is one more way that we show that we trust God only. Who do you turn to in times of trouble? Who do you speak with when things are going well? Our hearts need to be poured out to God. We need to speak to God and tell him what is going on. We need to talk to God so often that we could say that we have poured out our heart to him.

Final reminders

People are a vapor. David uses the final section of the psalm to make some final points of encouragement to the people. David begins by stating that people are just a vapor. Why does David speak about the brevity of life suddenly in this text? I believe David is pointing out the tribulations that we endure from such people are temporary. It does not matter if someone is of high estate or of low estate, every person is just a vapor that passes quickly. Do not let the wicked bring you down. Do not allow their actions to make you distraught. They are a vapor. They will pass and they will be judged.

These wicked are worthless. To drive home the point, David states that if these evil ones were put on a balance scale, they would go up. A scale was a way to measure the value of money. The weighting ought to be equal and this would be a way to see if someone was cheating you or using counterfeit money. To say that these people are put on the scale and they go up teaches that these people are worthless. They do not have any value. They are counterfeit friends with us and counterfeit friends with God.

Ignore them. Because of these facts, we ought to place no trust in these people, their words, or their actions. Essentially, ignore them. Why should we put any effort in with such people? Since life is just a vapor, why should we waste our precious time worrying about the evildoers? Do not spend your time obsessing about them. Do not be so concerned about them. You need to do what is right. Sometimes we get so concerned about what others are doing we forget to look at what we are doing. How are living our lives? God will take care of everyone else.

God has spoken, so do not forget his words. (1) Strength belongs to God. To get through the hard times in life, we need to have God. The trials from Satan and the hardships of life’s circumstance can be crushing. We need the Lord to get us through. (2) Faithful love belongs to God. God’s love for us will never fail. It does not matter what may happen to us in life or how bad our circumstances may be, God still loves us and his covenant with us will never be broken. As Paul said, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. (3) God will repay each according to his works. No one will avoid the recompense that God will bring. Every person will be repaid for their deeds. If we have done the righteous things of God, then we will be rewarded for our sacrifices and for our actions. But if we have committed evil, as described in this psalm, then God will repay us with wrath and punishment. Serve the Lord today while time remains.

PSALM 62

EXPOSITION

Successfully to adjust this unique psalm to the life of David requires some alertness of apprehension in regard to psychological possibilities. If, however, we assume that the great sin of his life is in the past; that the sore smiting has been borne; that the deep repentance has been felt; that assured pardon has come; and that, in the strength of renewed spiritual health, the mind of this man of God has now become attuned to public duty: if we then further assume that the first consternation on discovery of Absalom’s unfaithfulness, has driven the King to his God, with strong crying and tears, and that thus the monarch’s soul has been calmed to face the situation as best he may;—we can possibly then bring, into the realm of the conceivable, the peculiar emotions evident in this psalm. The psalmist is being schooled to calm trust. He has poured out his complaint, wrestled with his fears, and he has tested the sweetness of fellowship with God in his present and prospective troubles; yet not so assuredly, but that he feels the need of again and again girding up the loins of his mind, and fully settling it that now, at length, there is no becoming attitude of mind Godward other than one of silence, the silence that is resolved to distrust no longer—so that instead of repeating petitions identical with those already offered, he is determined calmly to await the issue. This resolve is what we see crystallising itself into the remarkable introductory refrain to this psalm. The piling up of epithets—my rock, my salvation, my lofty retreat—shows the mind actively at work upbuilding its confidence; needless to say, these epithets are strikingly Davidic. But duty has to be faced; and, to this end, is confidence carefully husbanded. The king must make no mistakes about the real situation: his own position has for some time appeared weak in the eyes of his faltering friends,—a little more, and the leaning wall will sway over and go down; and there are those who are ready to give a concerted rush at it and overthrow it. It is his dignity from which they would thrust him, that they may set up another in his place. In some given conclave, he learns that he has not a true friend left. Some, in that conclave, who still maintain the appearance of friendliness, are showing treachery in act: With his mouth doth each of them bless, but inwardly they curse. So ends the first stanza.

But there is another danger: the people are wavering! The first need is to let them see that the king does not waver; and therefore, after repeating his self-assuring refrain with its inspiring array of Divine epithets, he deliberately declares his expectation to be firm as a rock. Would the congregation of the people share this trust? let them seek it as the psalmist has done, by pouring out their heart before God so as to find in him a refuge. It will be noticed that the prelude to this stanza is made stronger than when it was set before the first: then the psalmist was sure he should not be greatly shaken, now he is confident that he shall not be shaken! This is, at least, very life-like!

Finally, the writer of this psalm strongly asserts the stability of Divine order in contrast with human rebellion against it. What is man in opposition to God. Mere breath or worse; Whether of low degree or of high degree in these balances he kicks the beam. And man is mere man when he resorts to extortion and robbery; moreover David by this time was wealthy; and though we have no reason to think that he unworthily regarded his riches, yet can it easily be conceived that base promises were being quietly circulated, as to the gains to be secured by a transfer of allegiance from David to Absalom. There may be some flavour of Wisdom Literature in the noble moralising with which this psalm is concluded; but that literature did not grow up in a day, and David may well have been a link in the chain of writers that, starting from Samuel, gave it birth; as we were reminded by certain sententious sayings in Psalms 18. Certainly, nothing could seem to be more fitting for imparting a strong finish to this psalm, than to be oracularly reminded that power belongeth unto God, to bestow as he pleases. David had not sought power; through prophetic channels it had sought him (1 Samuel 16) and been confirmed to him (2 Samuel 7). It is especially life-like, as if with a bright gleam of Davidic inspiration, that the thought of power bestowed should be coupled with an appreciation of the kindness that moved to the gift (cp. 2 Samuel 7:15 w. Isaiah 55:3); and, if any little stroke were wanting to make it seem the more natural, it might be found in the irregularity of suddenly passing from speaking of God to the speaking to God; and thine, Sovereign Lord, is kindness! It appears to come warm from a heart accustomed to sun itself in “the kindness of God” (Cp. Intro., Chap. III., “Kindness”) Remarkable, too, it is, that judgment should be logically linked with kindness—of course it is “vindicatory righteousness” (cp. Intro., Chap. III., “Righteousness”) which is chiefly prominent in such cases. Still, it is a precious association of ideas; and it is extremely satisfactory that it is, as clothed with such an association, that the closing words of this psalm meet with such an extended response, as our numerous references reveal, throughout the Bible.

Your Love Is Better Than Life

Psalms 63:1-11

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

The superscription to Psalms 63 informs us that this psalm is penned by David while he was in the wilderness. There were two times that we read about David running in the wilderness for his life. Once was when Saul was king and he was trying to kill David. The other time was when David was king and his son Absalom was chasing him for his life. In this psalm we see David refer to himself as the king, so this psalm was likely penned during the time when Absalom was seeking David’s life and David had fled to the wilderness. This background will help us understand the pain David is experiencing as he is separated from the city of Jerusalem.

Longing For God (Psalms 63:1)

Appetite described

David begins by describing his appetite for the things of God. “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you.” We are going to read about how David is not passively content with God. David is earnestly seeking after God. In this first verse, David tries to describe the nature of David’s seeking.

David takes the imagery of his surrounding environment, “in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” David uses his physical environment to describe the spiritual condition God desires from his people. David does not describe his physical needs, but uses his physical needs to represent his spiritual need for God.

Application

“My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you.” David pictures an intense longing for God. How often we do not realize what our souls are longing and desiring! We think that the void in our lives is coming from other problems. We think that we need a new car, more money, and some other new toy to fill the void we feel. We think that if our relationships with our spouses, children, or parents will fill the void we feel. We think that if we had a better job we would be happier and our void would be filled. David does not make this mistake. He does not say that if he were back in Jerusalem everything would be fine. David says that the only thing that can fill the void in life is a close relationship with God.

Too often we are looking in the wrong places for fulfillment in this world. We think that we can find satisfaction in other things. This is why we can be so spiritually weak. This is why we can struggle so much while living on this earth. We fail to see that the void is only going to be filled by God. Isn’t interesting that everything we think will fill the void never does? Have we never noticed that the thing that we think is missing our lives continues to change into different things? If it was not the car that would make me happy, it would be a better job. So we get a better job, but that doesn’t fix it. So we move, we get married, we get divorced, and yet nothing has changed. So we try all of these other things and we continue to feel the same void. It is a void that only a deep relationship with God can fill.

There is a longing and thirsting that is inside every individual. We cannot be blinded to think that God is not what we are looking for to be satisfied. We want to deny this possibility and continue to delude ourselves into thinking that surely God is not the answer. I did the same walk in my life but found that God is truly the place for contentment and satisfaction.

Satisfaction In God

Time with God

David longingly reflects back upon the time when he is able to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and worship Him. David thinks back upon seeing the glory and power of God.

Quite simply, David is reflecting back to the times he was able to spend with God and thinks upon that time longingly. How do we think about our worship time with God? Do we think of having to go to Bible classes? Do we think of having to come to worship services? Do we think of having to read our Bibles? Do we have to prepare for Sunday and Wednesday Bible studies? Do we have to lead a prayer, teach a class, serve the Lord’s Supper, or participate in some other fashion? David describes joy to be part of the formal worship in the sanctuary of God. This is one way we can see if our souls truly thirst and hunger for God. David does not describe spending time with God as a chore.

God’s love is better than life

David’s second point to show that he has found satisfaction in God is describing God’s love for him. What David says expresses very strong emotions toward God: “your love is better than life.” This Hebrew word for love is the same word we have seen used in many of the psalms. This word describes God’s faithful, covenant love. This word for “love” pictures God keeping his word and keeping his promises. David knows God’s promise to him to be king of Israel and David put his trust in God for deliverance from the wilderness.

Now look at the whole sentence: “I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory because your love is better than life.”(Psalms 62:2-3). I believe David is stating the reason for his desire to worship God. David says that there is nothing better in life than God’s love. Again, this returns us to David’s theme of satisfaction being found in the Lord. In all the activities of life you will not find contentment. I loved the recent Today Show segment helping people to live out their dreams. People were going to exotic locations on the earth and doing some really fun things. But then what are you going to do with your life? Now that it has been done, do you think the void in your life will be filled? Is sleeping in this morning giving you life-long satisfaction? Activities for God are far better than any of life’s activities.

David describes the depth of satisfaction that can be found in the Lord in Psalms 63:4-5. The worship, praising, and singing to the Lord is described as deep satisfaction to David. David is being sustained by the Lord.

In view of God’s great love, why do we spend so much time trying to find satisfaction elsewhere. Why would we try to be satisfied by the physical things in this world? We spend too much time seeking after the physical things of life and never enough time seeking the spiritual things of God.

When we are actively and diligently seeking after the things of God, we will find ourselves near to God, even when we are suffering. Remember that David is on the run, being attacked by his own son. But David is able to “sing in the shadow of your wings.” Further, David says “my soul clings to you and your right hand upholds me.” This is a confidence for our lives and brings strength to our faith. God is with us and he never will break his promises. God can pick us up even in terribly depressing and difficult times. David is experiencing this closeness with God.

Vindication By God (Psalms 63:9-11)

God comes through

Probably the best way to describe the final verses of this psalm is to say that God comes through. We cannot miss how David repeatedly ends his psalms with the full confidence that God is going to answer his prayer and show mercy toward him. Further, David always expresses the knowledge that vindication will be brought against his enemies.

The enemies will be destroyed. They will go to the pits of the earth. They will be given to the sword. No one will stand when God bring his righteous justice and judgments.

Conclusion

The final picture is that in the midst of this world’s disappointments we can still be satisfied. During the hard times we have God’s right hand to hold us up. We will not find such help anywhere else. We can fret and worry, plunging ourselves into a fit of despair, but none of these things help nor change the outcome. God can change things and we are able to rely on his right hand, a right hand that acts on behalf of his people.

But we need to develop the longing that David expresses. We cannot expect God to rescue out of the blue sky. We need to draw near to God and nurture and thirst for God. It is interesting that David said what Jesus commanded: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6). Jesus also said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:37).

One way to develop the longing is to realize that nothing else is going to satisfy. Working will not. Other relationships will not. Money will not. Possessions will not. Nothing is going to satisfy. So let us fill the void placed within us by seeking God.

Finally, expect an answer from God. Expect vindication against the enemies. Expect justice. Expect God to take care of you. Expect God to uphold you with his right hand.

PSALM 63

EXPOSITION

This is a psalm to be experienced rather than expounded. Apart from experience it seems unreal. It has but little framework to sustain it, though what little there is helps us to get to the inner sense. The king is in banishment, passing through a dry and weary land—probably the northern border of the wilderness of Judah, on his way to the Jordan. Had his mind been moving on a lower level than at present, he would naturally have lamented his absence from the sanctuary, and longed to return. But, for the time, he is borne up to a higher altitude. He has brought with him a vision of God, obtained in sanctuary-worship, but outliving it. He has brought with him an assurance, that “the God of vision” there, is still with him here; ready, even under these altered circumstances, to verify the foregoing vision, by revealing his strength to sustain him here in the wilderness, and his glory to bring him home again.

God’s kindness has been seen in his life, but it is felt to be better than life; and therefore shall call forth abiding praise. He has begun a life of praise, and banishment cannot silence his praise: he will keep on praising as long as he lives. His lips shall make the welkin ring: here, in the open, he will solemnly lift up his hands in prayer, and so find a new and larger sanctuary under the spacious dome of heaven.

Such worship will not be barren. His soul will be fed to satisfaction, and his lips in jubilant strains will break forth anew. The night may come on, and its shadows close him in as he reclines on his tent-bed; but he will not be alone. Should he awake in the night, and inviting theme of meditation will await him, even the inspiring theme of his ever-present God of kindness—a theme he can never exhaust; it will move him to soliloquy, perchance entice him to song. A sense of safety will encompass him. He will be under the shadow of Divine wings, and there will he tarry. He thus speaks, not as to an absent God: My soul hath come clinging to thee. Not in vain, does he thus come: On me hath laid hold thy right hand.

This is the glory of the psalm: that the worshipper brings his sanctuary with him—his thoughts, his feelings, his trust are filled with God. To this extent it is a psalm for all time—for every dispensation—for every place—in assembly or out of it—at home or abroad—in prosperity or adversity. It may be an ecstacy, but it is real, and bears abiding fruit. Such an ecstasy would appear all the more astonishing were we to suppose that it was experienced on occasion of his restoration from his terrible fall; and yet it is in that direction that the time-indication points. The psalmist may soon have to descend to a lower level, but the mountain heights will leave precious memories behind. The valley cannot swallow up the mountain.

In truth, the last two stanzas of this psalm may in a general way serve a useful purpose. As Bp. Perowne well says: “We pass all at once into a different atmosphere. We have come down, as it were, from the mount of holy aspirations, into the common everyday world, where human enemies are struggling, and human passions are strong. Yet this very transition, harsh as it is, gives us a wonderful sense of reality. In some respects it brings the psalm nearer to our own level.”

Still, we must remember, that “the common everyday world” of the psalmist was not quite the same as ours. Our lives are not in continual danger, as was his life; nor are we warranted to assume that the doom of our enemies will be their consignment to the lowest hades, the finding of their way thither through the terrors of the battlefield. Nevertheless, our own joy is enhanced by the joy of every righteous king who rejoices in God; and whether, like our Lord, we accept of an oath-taking which we cannot prevent, and “swear not at all” of our own free will, or like the ancient Hebrews and the Apostle Paul sometimes voluntarily solemnly swear by God,—this at least may furnish us with a prospect to glory in: that the mouth of such as speak falsehood shall sooner or later be stopped, and truth be triumphant.

Secret Plots and Sudden Shots

Psalms 64:1-10

This psalm is titled To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. As with many of David’s psalms, it concerns a crisis that made him cry out to God. It is impossible to connect this psalm to a specific event in David’s life with certainty.

THE WICKED ATTACK

Psalms 64:1-4

WORD WEAPONS OF THE WICKED

Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation;

Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,

From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity,

Who sharpen their tongue like a sword,

And bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words,

That they may shoot in secret at the blameless;

Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.

Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation: This is an interesting turn of phrase. Either David meant that his meditation was vocal so that God could hear his voice, or that God would hear the silent expression of his heart as his voice. Either way, as with many times in the psalms, David cried out to God for help.

“He can but pray, but he can pray; and no man is helpless who can look up. However high and closely engirdling may be the walls that men or sorrows build around us, there is always an opening in the dungeon roof, through which heaven is visible and prayers can mount.” (Maclaren)

Preserve my life from fear of the enemy: The word fear is commonly translated dread and speaks of something greater than the normal fear of battle. David knew how crippling this kind of dread could be and prayed to be kept from it.

“In the second line, note the word dread, which is paralyzing, whereas fear can be sobering and healthy.” (Kidner)

“Every sentence reveals the relentless fury and remorseless subtlety and cruelty of the foes by whom he was surrounded. Conscious of all this he had one fear, and that was that he should be afraid of them.” (Morgan)

“We need to pray as the psalmist does, not so much for the deliverance from enemies as for deliverance from fear of them.” (Morgan)

Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked: David knew there were dangerous enemies plotting his destruction. He felt powerless to make them stop, so he prayed. The New International Version gives a good sense of this in translating, Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked.

“This is the singer’s distress. The warfare is unequal. His foes are not out in the open, but under cover.” (Morgan)

“Their methods cannot afford to be those of honest opposition (‘the open statement of the truth’, 2 Corinthians 4:2; cf. ‘I opposed him to his face’, Galatians 2:11).” (Kidner)

Who sharpen their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows – bitter words: The secret plots against David consisted in words and lies against him, all pushing toward his destruction and death. This was not a case of words merely hurting; this was an active conspiracy to kill.

“In the context of this war of lies and innuendo, the ambush will be either the prepared situation which ‘frames’ an innocent man, or the shelter of anonymity from which a rumour can be launched without fear.” (Kidner)

“An open liar is an angel compared with this demon. Vipers and cobras are harmless and amiable creatures compared with such a reptile. The devil himself might blush at being the father of so base an offspring.” (Spurgeon)

Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear: David knew that his enemies fired their bitter words as arrows against him, and when they did, it didn’t bother them in the least. They did not fear either David or God. Psalms 64 emphasizes the devious nature of David’s enemies. They use secret plots. They shoot in secret. They attack suddenly. Especially because David mentions an attack by arrows from a hidden or secret position, his enemies act like the ancient version of snipers.

ii. “The key word in Psalms 64 is suddenly, meaning ‘unexpectedly’ or ‘without warning.’” (Boice)

David knew how dangerous it was in battle if a hidden archer worked as a sniper. If he could see and confront his enemy one-on-one, a warrior such as David liked his chances. The hidden sniper was of great concern, to be put down by an arrow he never saw coming. David’s enemies didn’t use literal arrows, but they attacked him secretly, anonymously, without the courage to say things to his face. They shot at him like a sniper shoots at a man who has no way to defend himself.

Psalms 64:5-6

THE SECRET PLOTTING OF AN EVIL MATTER

They encourage themselves in an evil matter;

They talk of laying snares secretly;

They say, “Who will see them?”

They devise iniquities:

“We have perfected a shrewd scheme.”

Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep.

They encourage themselves in an evil matter: It would be bad enough that an individual purposed this against David, but it was worse than that. Many people had conspired against him, planning secret traps and snares, unafraid before God or man (Who will see them?).

“They foolishly believe that they are not accountable to anyone, as is expressed by their confident question.” (VanGemeren)

They encourage themselves: “Good men are frequently discouraged, and not unfrequently discourage one another, but the children of darkness are wise in their generation and keep their spirits up, and each one has a cheering word to say to his fellow villain.” (Spurgeon)

We have perfected a shrewd scheme: They were proud in their evil plotting. They boasted of their sins, showing the dark depth of their thought and heart.

They devise iniquities: “They search the devil’s skull for new inventions; who is ready enough to lend them his seven heads to plot and his ten horns to push at good people.” (Trapp)

The inward thought and heart of man are deep: “The Hebrew literally speaks of men’s hearts as being ‘deep,’ the idea being that they are almost bottomless in their supply of evil deeds and cunning.” (Boice)

God responds (Psalms 64:7-9)

Psalms 64:7-9

GOD ANSWERS BACK WITH HIS OWN ARROW

But God shall shoot at them with an arrow;

Suddenly they shall be wounded.

So He will make them stumble over their own tongue;

All who see them shall flee away.

All men shall fear,

And shall declare the work of God;

For they shall wisely consider His doing.

But God shall shoot at them with an arrow: The evil men opposing David acted as if they had all the arrows, but David knew that God was his defense, and God was well-armed. God had an arrow of His own, and suddenly they shall be wounded.. David’s enemies shot at him like snipers, from hidden and high positions. David’s friend was God, in a higher and more hidden position. They shot their poisonous words at David unexpectedly, without warning [suddenly, Psalms 64:4]. God would shoot back at them unexpectedly, without warning – suddenly. God had them in His sights.

Suddenly they shall be wounded reminds us that often the judgment of God comes upon the wicked unexpectedly, without any warning. They think everything is fine until they are wounded. “The brevity of God’s countermeasures, after the elaborate scheming of the wicked, tells its own decisive tale.” (Kidner)

He will make them stumble over their own tongue: They used their lies and slanders to attack David, but God would find a way to make their own words their ruin. They would trip in the very way they hoped to trap David.

All men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God: David was confident that God would use His dealings against these wicked men as a lesson to others. When they saw the evil plotters wounded by God, they would learn. Previously the wicked asked, “Who will see them?” (Psalms 64:5). The answer is, everyone will see them, because God will use them to teach a lesson to all men.

“When Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.” (Isaiah 26:9 b)

“Those who might have been bold in sin shall be made to tremble and to stand in awe of the righteous Judge.” (Spurgeon)

Psalms 64:10

RESOLUTION FOR THE RIGHTEOUS

The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and trust in Him.

And all the upright in heart shall glory.

The righteous shall be glad in the LORD: God’s dealing with the wicked would be a lesson to all men, but it would be special joy to the righteous. They had special reason to be glad that God was vindicated and His servant was protected. “As sorrow, sooner or later, will be the portion of Messiah’s enemies, so joy is the high privilege of his friends and disciples.” (Horne)

And trust in Him: It would not only bring joy, but also increase faith. God’s faithful answer to prayer would demonstrate that He is worthy of trust, and build the faith of the righteous.“Their observation of providence shall increase their faith; since he who fulfils his threatenings will not forget his promises.” (Spurgeon)

“So the answer of Psalms 64:1, to be preserved from panic, is more than answered. The judgment is still future, but joy can break out already. It is a sober joy, with the facts faced at their worst, but also at their overwhelming best.” (Kidner)

PSALM 64

EXPOSITION

It is easy to see that at times David suffered severely from false and venomous tongues. This method of assailing him was naturally most employed before the power of suppression came into his hands; also when for the time he had lost it, or it was already slipping from him. Doeg (52) represents the former period of exposure to this weapon, and Ahithophel (55, 62) the latter. Probably the former period was the more extended, and offered the more numerous occasions of defamation to David’s detractors. It is possible to say how soon the earlier crusade of the tongue against David began: probably as soon as Saul showed himself ready to listen to evil reports concerning him, and therefore while yet Jonathan stood between his father and the young Bethlehemite; and therefore Jonathan may naturally have been an unknown and unsuspected instrument Divinely made ready for putting evil tongues to shame. We cannot, of course, dogmatise, where we are without detailed information; but it is, to say the least, quite conceivable, that when the detractors had succeeded in gaining Saul’s ear, and had been pouring into it carefully and maliciously concocted stories to David’s hurt, the appearance of his son on the scene, with newer and more authentic information, might have served to blow to the winds the cobwebs of venomous slander, and for the time being at least bring down on the slanderers’ heads the wrath of the monarch thus baulked of his prey. Some such climax as this seems to be required to give a realistic verisimiltude to this remarkable psalm. One can almost see the conspirators drawing near to Saul with plots hidden in their inscrutable minds, suddenly dismayed as by an arrow from God by the unexpected appearance and report of a man whom with all their cunning, they had left out of their account. Their surprise and confusion would naturally turn their tongues against themselves, and complete the failure of their deep-laid plots. Coming to the young harpist’s knowledge, what more natural than that he should embalm the memory of these early God-given triumphs in song! The difficulty perhaps is, to people those early days with the needful factors of such experiences. And yet, human nature must then have been very different from what it is now, if there were not several Doegs among Saul’s retainers; and if, under every appearance to the contrary, David had not several rivals at heart. There were probably several aspirants for Merab’s hand and for Michal’s; and, young as he was, the son of Jesse was probably well advised by his native good sense and caution when he suspected foul play, as he appears to have done, in being incited to aspire to wed one of the king’s daughters (1 Samuel 18:23).

From some such point of view as that suggested by these reminiscences, we can reperuse this psalm with added interest. Unused to the wicked ways of the world, the youthful courtier may well have felt keenly those early slanders as so many sharpened swords—as envenomed arrows. But even slanders must be made colourable; and so, to give effect to the bitter word, there must be invented a wicked thing. A plausible story must be worked out of incidents false and true: the unsuspecting object of envy must be entrapped unawares into sayings and doings which can easily be made to appear suspicious; and so the bitter word is let fly as part of a plot. Sayings and doings are interwoven with sufficient cunning to fit the story to do fatal damage; until, by God, they are suddenly exploded, and the slanderers are held up to infamy. Such decisive victories of truth have many a time—in David’s history, in Israel’s history, and in our own—made righteous men glad in Jehovah, and sustained in just glorying the upright in heart.

God of Blessings

Psalms 65:1-13

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Psalms 65 is another psalm penned by David. This psalm centers around describing the great blessings of God. As we can see in verse 1, this is a psalm of praise for the great wonders and works of God through creation. We will see David praise God for God’s grace, God’s might, and God’s prosperity to humanity. This is a worship psalm that could have been sung at any time. But due to the language of fulfilling vows and receiving plentiful harvests, this was like a psalm used during the Feast of Tabernacles. This feast was one of the most joyful feasts of the Jewish people, lasting eight days in which the people of Israel celebrated the abundance of the harvest crops. Further, this is only one of three psalms that uses the word “atone” or “atonement.” This helps us tie this psalm to the Feast of Tabernacles because the Day of Atonement occurred five days before the Feast of Tabernacles.

God of Grace (Psalms 65:1-4)

The psalm begins with David declaring that praise rightfully belongs to God in Zion. The psalm begins with what seems to be a very nationalistic psalm about the people of Israel and their feasts and offerings being performed at the sanctuary in Jerusalem. But Psalms 65:2 expands this worship psalm to all people. “O you who hears prayer; to you shall all flesh come” (ESV). This psalm expresses the universal need to come to God. All people on the earth, not just the Jewish people, not just God’s chosen people, must come to God.

Psalms 65:3 describes the crux of the problem for humanity. “When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions”(ESV). When we read these words before the coming of Christ, we recognize that this is what the people of Israel understood God to be doing for them. The people recognized that their sins were against them and that God was making atonement for their sins. God was willing to make a covering for our sins. Notice that David does not say that the animals sacrificed atone for the people’s transgressions. David knew better than this. He says that it is God who is covering over the people’s sins. David is declaring what Paul would teaching to the Ephesians: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)…” (Ephesians 2:4-5; NASU). The people needed a Savior. God continued to show mercy toward the people by covering over their sins. But justification for God’s favorable treatment of us had to come through the death of His own Son. One of the roles of the Messiah was to come to the people of Israel and save them from their sins.

But there is another blessing that comes from the God of grace. Not only were the people’s sins covered, but the people could be brought near to God. “Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts!” This is a beautiful picture of our ability to come near to God. Can you imagine what a source of confidence it was to the people to have God dwelling in the center of the camp? God dwelling in the tabernacle. A cloud over the tabernacle in the day and a fire over the tabernacle at night. God was with his people and it was a great blessing to see God dwelling in their midst each day. “We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!” The connection is that when God is near us, we can be satisfied. We will find provisions from the Lord when we remain near the Lord. God’s goodness overflows from his presence. Goodness and righteousness surround God and we should desire to be near it all.

God of Might (Psalms 65:5-8)

The second section of this psalm describes the power and might of the Lord. This stanza mentions two specific displays of God’s power in the earth. In Psalms 65:6 we read, “The one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might.” The mountains of the earth show God’s power and might. We cannot move the mountains. It is a feat for us just to blaze a tunnel through a mighty mountain. The mountains of Yosemite speak to the power of God. The lofty Rocky Mountains shows God’s might. To stand on top of any of the mountains of the earth is a majestic experience. God put these mountains on the earth to show his might.

The second way God shows his might is described in Psalms 65:7 : “Who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples.” The waves of the ocean are absolutely fascinating when you consider their power. The power of a wave is unbelievable. Stand in the ocean and notice how a wave will push you back. Even with all of your might to walk forward, you will be pushed back by the ocean’s waves. Dive under a wave and you will feel the great force of it as it passes. We do not get to experience much of this on the east coast, but one of my favorite memories as a child was the sound of the waves. We would pull into the parking lot and when you opened the door, you could hear the sound of the waves crashing. A calming yet powerful sound of the waves crashing on the shore reminds us of God’s power.

Why does the psalmist record these events in nature? Verse 8 tells us that we are to be in awe of the signs of God. These things exist so that we would seek after God. These are permanent signs that our parents enjoyed, that we enjoy, and that our children and their children’s children can enjoy. All of it speaks to the power of God. The power is there to show us something very important. Notice Psalms 65:5 : “By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas” (Psalms 65:5; ESV). These things remind us of God’s power to answer prayer. David is telling us to look at the earth to see what God can do and remember that this same power is working to answer us.

God of Prosperity (Psalms 65:9-13)

The third and final section of this psalm describes the bountifulness of God to his people. We are not much of an agrarian society anymore. So we need to place ourselves back in history as people who lived off of the land and farmed it for sustenance and pay.

The first part describes the watering of the land for crops. David declares that it is God who visits the earth and waters it. This brings about the grain from planting. Further, God brings the showers on the earth to soften it for farming, by which people receive the blessing of growth from their harvest. In Psalms 65:11 David continues by describing the harvest that people enjoy because God has made the earth profitable. Isn’t it interesting the different type of soils that exist on the earth so that all sorts of crops can be planted and harvested? This is not random chance but a thoughtful God who has prepared these things for humanity. Psalms 65:12-13 describes the blessings of God as the pastures and the hills are made ready for the animals to eat and find provision. The earth is made ready by God for the people to harvest.

One of the keys to this section is the description of the abundance of the harvest. In Psalms 65:9, “you greatly enrich it” and “the river of God is full of water.” Notice Psalms 65:10, “You water its furrows abundantly.” Psalms 65:11,--“You crown the year with your bounty” and “your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.” Here is a picture of the cart having so much crop that some of the harvest is falling off the cart and being left behind on the ground. Finally, in Psalms 65:12 we read, “The pastures of the wilderness overflow.” This final section is all about how God blesses abundantly. God is not stingy when he does these things for the earth. God is overflowing with his blessings to all flesh.

Applications:

We need to see that God blesses us abundantly in so many various ways. David tries to remind us of how much God gives to the people of the earth. God blesses us through material things. We must consider that the things we have are a blessing from God. God has set the earth up in such a way that we can be prosperous while we live here. There are other planets in our own solar system that cannot sustain life, but are desolate wastelands. How amazing that we are placed on this planet that not only has the ability to sustain life, but is able to give great abundance to the people who live on it. The earth continues to remain and be productive, even though people may think that we are destroying it. God has not made a delicate earth, but has created a planet that could be useful for people with their technology in 2000 B.C. as it could in 2000 A.D.

Second, God has given us the beautiful things that we see in creation to know that he exists. We are able to look at the mountains and the waves and know that there is power in this world and someone put these things in motion for us. The earth is accomplishing God’s purpose. God’s love is so great that these things were placed here so we would know that there is a powerful Creator who answers our prayers. If God can set these things in motion by His own divine will and accomplish His purpose, how much more can God do for those that He loves so much that He created all of this for us and gave up His Son for us.

Finally, we see God’s blessings through the grace he has offered to all of humanity. Our iniquities continue to prevail against us. We are not living the way we should. All of us sin and are falling short of the holiness and glory of God. But God, rather than issue wrath against us, made atonement for our sins. God is merciful and covers over the sins we have committed. But he must remain just. Just as much as a judge can be merciful, he must also be fair, just, and keep to the requirements of the law. To be able to show us mercy, a price had to paid. The price was the sacrifice of His only Son. This would allow God to be just by covering our sins. This atonement is found in the blood of Christ. But this forgiveness is not automatically applied. We are required to come in contact with the blood of Christ through repentance and immersion in water. We can become pure in the sight of God if we will simply come to Jesus and serve Him today.

PSALM 65

EXPOSITION

It is difficult to say which feature of this psalm is most worthy of admiration: whether the beauty of its twin-pictures of seed-time and harvest; or the broad and sympathetic setting which turns these in combination into a song for all nations; or the quiet presuppositions which place Israel at the head of the nations in rendering this tribute of praise. When we have satisfied our powers of discriminations in tracing these features of the psalm, we have still to congratulate the joint-author that he had such gems at his disposal as the two snatches of song for the ever recurring seasons to which he here gives such an appropriate setting; and still more that, having them in his repertoire, he had so signal an occasion as we assume he had for weaving his materials into such a complete and beautiful whole.

To begin at the end of these points of observation, we can assume, with the general concurrence of commentators so far as our observation extends, that the occasion for which this psalm was prepared for temple-service was a no less remarkable occasion than the first full harvest reaped in Palestine after the Assyrians had been either destroyed in the land or driven from it as it was foretold by Isaiah that they should be (Isaiah 37:30). Surely never was a harvest-song composed with so many grateful hearts bursting with eager joy to waft to heaven its strains. Assuming this as the occasion, we instinctively think of King Hezekiah as the poet-musician who acted as co-author in constructing this psalm and adapting it for actual use in the temple at Jerusalem. Just as naturally do we think of David as the composer of the seed-time and harvest gems, here so happily brought together; and we do so for the two good reasons,—first, that David’s name is at the head of the psalm; and, second, that he, rather than Hezekiah, was a son of the soil, born on the land, familiar from boyhood with its hills and glens, its pastures and its prairies, its wagon-tracks and its sheep-walks, its sowing-seasons and its harvest-times, its want of water and its bountiful supplies; he, rather than his descendant of princely birth, had enjoyed many a quiet opportunity of admiring the mountain and hills as enrobed in the flocks which were spread over them, and of hearing valley answering to valley with voices calling forth and answering his own songs; he, moreover, having elsewhere given his night-view (8) and his day-view (19) of the heavens, and glimpses of flocks peacefully resting beside still waters (23); and being, as we know, skilled with his harp, and therefore fond of it, and therefore oft sweeping its strings, what more likely in the nature of things than that he should have left behind him these hitherto unused fragments, which we are the more entitled to call “fragments,” if, according to Dr. Briggs, the one consists of “five tetrameters,” and the other is “a trimeter heptastich”—just the polished gems that Hezekiah knew how to appreciate and on fitting occasion to employ, The setting is not David’s, Other times, other manners. The temple has now been reared; and by the best minds (Isaiah 56:7) has come to be regarded as “a house of prayer for all nations.” And so, while Zion and Jerusalem are placed in the forefront of this psalm, there is an immediate reference to Jehovah as a hearer of prayer to whom all flesh shall come. But Hezekiah had been born in a decadent reign, and had known what it was to be slighted as prince (35), to be thwarted as king (Isaiah 22); and therefore no wonder that, before his enthusiastic gratitude (Isaiah 38) for recovery from sickness and deliverance from Sennacherib could find full and fitting public expression, he should feel his praise a little belated and should complain that reports of iniquity from all parts of the land (14, 53) had been too strong for him; and that, in fact, his own transgressions and those of his people only God himself could effectually remove. Thinking thus of propitiation, he thinks of the priests—chosen, brought near, inhabiting the temple-chambers; and prays that he and his people may be satisfied with the blessedness of God’s house, the holiness of his temple. By characteristic features judged, this first Stanza is certainly from the pen or by the suggestion of King Hezekiah.

And now see how again the psalm widens out. It can take in, as familiar, the thought of chastisements to be revered, because hard to bear, like his own and his people’s, yet administered in righteousness; and there are more such answers to come (Isaiah 39:6-7). Nevertheless, the God of Israel’s salvation is exalted; and the more, in humble submission to him, King and people realise their national calling as “a kingdom of priests” (Exodus 19:6) the more are they qualified to fear and to rejoice with the nations of the earth—in common alarms and common reliefs. And so the psalmist—this co-author, as he plainly is—looks out on nature and up to nature’s God with a feeling of real fellowship with the peoples dwelling in the ends of the land, and of the sea far away; he looks on the same strong mountains, and hearkens to the same surging and thundering seas as they do. Just like Hezekiah to have added, and the tumult of populations. Moreover, on this common ground, their signs are ours, and ours are theirs; and they, in their measure and way, revere the same great manifestations of Divine power as do we. And so we help them to express the reverence we all feel. But, besides the common signs, inspiring fear,—the storm, the flood, the earthquake, the popular tumults,—there are the common blessings of life, the sweet and gentle ministries of nature, which with us they share. They rise with the lark, refreshed; and sing as do we; they return to their homes after their toil is, done and sing in their homes like ourselves. It is the good God who gladdens all. Wars make terrible upheaving and pour out an awful roar; but the music of morning and evening is more constant as well as more sweet. “Therefore praise we thee, in thy temple, O Jehovah;—for ourselves, for the nations who, with less clear vision, behold thy glory and thy love.”

That the first stanza of this psalm distinctively celebrates “seed-time” rather than “harvest,” though still of course with a view to harvest, becomes evident as soon as candidly examined with this idea in mind. It begins with the early rains that prepare for the seed, and culminates with the sprouting of the seed when sown. There it stops; which it scarcely could have done had not seed-time been, so far, its one dominant topic. That seed-time has harvest in view, is a matter of course; but very beautifully does the main thought turn back on the preparing of the land; and this is pictured in a few graphic touches as the detailed way in which the grain itself is prepared. You see the plough at work, scooping out furrows and turning up ridges by one and the same process: and the Divine Co-operator dealing with both according to need and capacity. The furrows are naturally receptive of the streams which flow in abundance from those upper and invisible channels of God which are full of water; and what they thus receive, they hold and convey to the roots of the young plants. The turned-up ridges need to be settled down and closed well in upon the precious seed which they have received. The same rain that does the one does the other: fills the furrows, settles the ridges. Divine agriculture is economic of means, various in adaptations. But soon the surface becomes encrusted, and might imprison the tender blade, did not the gentler after-showers with their myriad drops come to soften the soil and make it easily permeable. And so, as eyes of wonder look on, and discreet judgment calculates how many dangers have been passed as the green crop carpets the earth, Devotion exclaims, The sprouting thereof thou dost bless.

It is harvest, however, that is set as a crown on the head of the year of bounty: harvest largely viewed as presenting in perfection the result of earlier processes. The very thought of a crown gives a glimpse of the golden grain. As if in special recognition of the latter rains, securing a full harvest, the laden clouds are conceived as the chariot of God leaving in its tracks fruits of fatness and plenty. The refreshed pastures of the open lands—the wilderness or prairie land—will shew the tracks of the chariot of God. The hills made vocal with the tuneful voices of harvesters seem to lift up a loud voice of exultation. The mountains, nearly to their summits, are well-nigh hidden by their robe of goats, sheep and lambs: the vales, running between the hills are clad with a rich mantle of corn; and happy voices, shouting and echoing and ringing and singing, celebrate the Divine Coronation of the year.

Shout To The Lord

Psalms 66:1 to Psalms 67:7

Brent Kercheville

Introduction

Psalms 66 appears to have an anonymous author. We are not told who wrote this psalm. However, it is interesting that Psalms 66 connects well with Psalms 65. The end of Psalms 65 is a declaration that the earth, with is pastures, hills, and valleys, “shout for you, yes, they sing” (65:13; NAS95). Psalms 66 begins, “Shout joyfully to God, all the earth” (66:1; NAS95). Psalms 66 is a psalm of praise to the Lord that has three movements: a universal call of praise (1-7), a call of praise from the Israel community (8-12), and a call of praise from the individual (13-20).

Universal Call of Praise (Psalms 66:1-7)

The first four verses is a call to the whole earth to shout, sing, and praise the glorious name of God. All of God’s creation must praise God for his awesome works. Psalms 66:3 declares the need to shout praise to God because of God’s triumph over the enemies. Every person will bow his and her knee to God, whether willingly or unwillingly. I believe this is what is pictured for us in verse 3. Notice also in Psalms 66:4 that the earth always worships and gives praises to God. Everything about the creation praises God. Unfortunately, we do not always praise God. This is where the psalm turns in Psalms 66:5-7.

In Psalms 66:5-7 the people are called to “come and see the works of God.” We need to jump start our praise to the Lord and make it continual before him just like the earth is continually praising God. We can initiate this by “coming and seeing” the mighty works of God. Psalms 66:5-7 offers some reminders concerning the mighty works of God. In Psalms 66:6 the psalmist reminds us, “He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot; there let us rejoice in him!” This is an obvious reference to the parting of the Red Sea as the children of Israel left Egypt.

It is interesting to me that God always expects to remember his powerful acts in the past. God does not issue another miracle to the people during this psalmist’s life to get them to obey and praise God. They are to remember what God did in the past. In the same way, God does not continue to work miracles today but are called upon to remember the past. The life and death of Jesus is fashioned the same way. We are to know and remember that Jesus came to the earth and died for all people. He is not going to appear on the earth for every generation. The parting of the Red Sea would have been more than 500 years in history if the psalmist lived during David’s day. If the psalmist lived during the captivity it would have been more than 1000 years since the parting of the Red Sea. Yet the Red Sea parting was the key act that the psalmist wanted the people of Israel to remember.

But God does simply perform one time acts. “He rules by His might forever; his eyes keep watch on the nations; let not the rebellious exalt themselves” (Psalms 66:7; NAS95). God still rules and continues to watch over the nations. People should not think that God is not in charge or that God is not aware of the actions of humanity on the earth. Just because God does not work a daily miracle to keep people focused on him does not mean that God does not exist or that God is not involved in the affairs of the earth. We are simply told to remember and it is unfortunate that we have become so bad at remembering historical, important events. Proof of this is our treatment of remembrance of 9/11 and our corresponding remembrance of Pearl Harbor. We simply do not care about things that do not happen today, and a lack of remembrance will be our downfall.

Community of Praise (Psalms 66:8-12)

In verse 8 the psalmist returns to calling upon the worshippers to praise God. In this section of text, the psalmist is explaining why the people ought to “sound his praise abroad.” The reason is found in Psalms 66:9 : “He has preserved our lives” (NIV). Specifically, the psalmist refers to the fact that our lives have been preserved in the face of great trials. This is seen in the rest of Psalms 66:9, “And does not allow our feet to slip” (NAS95). Psalms 66:10-12 describes the nature of the trials the people have felt. Notice the language: “you have refined us as silver,” “brought us into the net,” “laid an oppressive burden upon our loins,” “made men ride over our heads,” and “went through fire and through water.” The psalmist is simply describing a tremendous burden on the shoulders’ of the people.

The question must be: “why should we praise God when we are going through all of this turmoil?” Psalms 66:9 was one answer: God has preserved our lives through all that we have to endure. The second reason is in Psalms 66:12 : “Yet You have brought us out into a place of abundance.” The words “a place of” are added by the translator to help, but really detract from the message. “Yet You have brought us out into abundance.” Despite all that we must endure and suffer, we are always brought out into the abundance and blessings of God. God keeps us in life and goes with us through the fire into abundance and blessing. There is the other side that we come out from that we cannot see when in the midst of the storm of life. We have no comprehension how any thing good could happen or even how our lives would work out in the trial. As we walk through fire and water, our faith is being refined and God is with us.

Going “through fire and water” has a foundation in Isaiah’s prophecy. In speaking about the restoration of Israel, God said, “I will be with you when you pass through the waters, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. You will not be scorched when you walk through the fire, and the flame will not burn you” (Isaiah 43:2). God can bring us through to abundance. Therefore we praise God for his goodness.

Individual Praise (Psalms 66:13-20)

In the final movement of this psalm, the psalmist speaks about the praise he will give as an individual. He begins by describing how he comes into the house of God with offerings and payment of vows. In the midst of his distress, the psalmist praises God and pays homage through obedience and worship. The psalmist continues to offer thanksgiving to God through the difficult times and through the blessed times.

Psalms 66:16-20 describe the personal responsibility the psalmist feels to tell others about the blessings of God. All who fear God are invited to hear about God’s gracious acts in his life. He wants to share his praise to God with others so they can know what God has done. But notice the careful teaching of the psalmist that begins in Psalms 66:18. “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Psalms 66:18, ESV). This is another good verse to remember when wondering if the wicked are heard by God. The conclusion is very obvious: absolutely not. If we cherish or regard wickedness in our hearts, then God is not going to listen to us. We should not be surprised to see our prayers unanswered if we do not care to remove iniquity from our hearts.

But God does hear his people. He will not turn away our prayers and he will not turn away his steadfast love from us. These are great promises in which we can put our confidence. God does not send away the prayers of his people. God will not turn back the prayers of the righteous. Further, God does not remove his love from us. These are important reminders during our trials. These are the two things that we often feel like have left us when we are going through the fire and submerge under the waters of life. God is still listening to us and God continues to extend his steadfast love toward us.

The Message of Psalms 67:1-7

The ending of Psalms 66 connects well with the message of Psalms 67. Psalms 67 is a call to the people to praise God because God blesses us and is gracious to us (Psalms 67:1; Psalms 67:7).

Lessons For Life

1. Glorify God by looking to His awesome deeds.

2. Glorify God because he preserve us and brings into abundance in trials.

3. Glorify God because he answers prayers and his steadfast love remains through trials.

PSALM 66

EXPOSITION

Instead of speaking of this psalm as “composite” (w. Br.), it would probably be more accurate to term it various, passing from scene to scene, from the remote past to the recent past, and from the nation to the individual; but threaded through with a clear and strong principal of unity; namely, the inspiring occasion that gave it birth. The overthrow of the Assyrians, and simultaneously therewith the recovery of King Hezekiah from sickness, form a cluster of events worthy of being the occasion to inspire this beautiful and significant psalm. It is indeed Israel’s song of praise; but all nations are invited to join in singing it, and to make Israel’s joys their own. The spirit of prophecy which inspired the predictions of Isaiah, Micah, and others, pulsates strongly throughout this song, imparting to it an outlook and an onlook adapted to justify it more effectively than a mere foreglance at immediately following events in Israel could have done. Its companion psalms are notably the 46th and 47th; and its ultimate sphere of fulfilment is nothing less than that manifest dominion of Jehovah, under the person of the Returned Messiah, which is the burden of prophecy, and which alone, from among all known or foretold combinations of events, supplies the conditions needed for the complete realisation of this psalm. Never during the Monarchy prior to the Exile, never during the stand made by the Maccabees after the Exile, and—needless to say—never since, has there been such a conjunction of events as could induce Israel’s foes, or Jehovah’s foes, to come cringing unto Him, while Earth as a whole was singing and harping to his name. Least of all, with any show of New Testament sanction, can cringing foes, feigning an obedience they dare not withhold, be regarded as possessing the essential qualifications for membership in the Christian Church. No: in its ultimate outlook, this is a song for the Coming Kingdom; while nevertheless the inspiration to compose it, and begin singing it, sprang, under God, from the significant deliverance in Hezekiah’s days, a deliverance adumbrative of a larger deliverance from Antichrist’s dread domination.

But, clear as is the general outlook of the psalm, there meet us in the study of it a few minor difficulties which it were to be wished could be removed; though possibly, since they may be due to accidents of transmission, they may for the present have to remain unresolved. In any case it will repay us to endeavour to trace the changeful current of thought as it passes from stanza to stanza: before attempting which however, it may frankly be admitted that the stanzical division itself cannot probably be placed beyond question, without resorting to drastic changes and excisions for which we are by no means prepared; though happily the Selahs []), and the evident changes of person in the speaker, go some way to supply the defect. Submitting our division of the psalm as tentative and practical only, we proceed.

In Stanza I., an invitation is boldly given to all the earth, to join in the public worship of God, by the employment of the teru’ah, or sacred shout, the lute or lyre as leading in song, and therefore in accompanying words; and so, by shouting and harping and singing (implied) to the glory of God’s name, to establish the glory of his praise on a basis of worldwide faith and unison. Words are then suggested for use in such worship by the formula: Say unto God; and the tenor of the words which follow shows two things: first that some fearful manifestation of Divine Power has recently been witnessed in the earth; and second, that, while foes will come crestfallen in submission, the earth as a whole will, to all appearance, join heartily in the praise.

In Stanza II., the mighty deeds of God are still the theme; but now, by examples from history, the past is called on for its testimony; which it renders by (probably two) conspicuous specimens, the one at the Red Sea, and the other at the Jordan. It cannot, indeed, be dogmatically affirmed that there are two events, rather than a duplicated narration of the one great event when Pharaoh was overthrown; but, in favour of including both passages through water, may be urged: that thereby the entire transfer of the nation into the promised land is comprehended; and more especially that thereby a point of connection is provided for the following line, which has given critics some trouble: There let us be glad in him. If the one journey out of Egypt into Canaan has been covered by the two lines preceding, then this line may be taken to apply to the Holy Land itself. There—namely in the land so reached, equivalent to “HERE, in our own land, into which we were so miraculously brought; HERE, in our own land in which we again realise that we are a free people now that the invading Assyrians have disappeared, let us be glad in him: with the old joy renewed.” Otherwise, if both the preceding lines refer to the transit through the Red Sea, then the line following ought to have read, as in most English versions: There were we made glad in him; which would indeed have brightly suggested the song of Miriam, but is strongly represented by Perowne as an ungrammatical rendering of the Hebrew word. It is barely possible that, in the ancient risks of copying, the whole line has been accidentally brought back from (say) the end of Psalms 66:12, where slightly modified into “Here let us be glad in thee”—“Here,” in this spacious place, it might well have stood; but, meantime, the previous suggestion is submitted to thoughtful readers: There—in the land so miraculously given to us (and now afresh made our own)—let us be glad in him.

However this small difficulty may be disposed of—and small relatively it certainly is—it is evident that the transit through sea and stream (or through the sea regarded as the same as the stream) is but a stepping-stone to the larger thought of the age-abiding rule of God. His work for Israel was not then ended, when he so brought Israel into this delightful land: he continues to care for Israel, and therefore His eyes over the nations still keep watch; first, for Israel’s sake; but second, also to their own good; for only the rebellious among them have need to beware of exalting themselves against Israel’s God.

In Stanza III., we perceive the inspiring spirit going forth to the non-Israelitish nations with new and stronger impulse, in order to impress upon them this lesson: that Israel’s history is theirs, Israel’s deliverances are ultimately fraught with blessing for them. Hence, now, this recent Divine interposition is brought forward and elaborated in seven lines of graphic life and power, which need no detailed comment. They are Hezekiah’s reading of the event of the Assyrian invasion—the reading also of all the godly in Israel—in respect of the disciplinary improvement it was hoped would follow from that invasion and that deliverance. It was hoped that the nation was refined as silver is refined through the fire; and so undoubtedly, in a measure, it was. Nor did Israel only profit: even Gentile nations are still being instructed by those thrilling and exemplary events.

And now at length, in Stanza IV., there steps into view an INDIVIDUAL, whom we instantly recognize as Hezekiah himself. We know that Hezekiah’s heart was set on going up to the house of Jehovah, when his sickness should be ended (Isaiah 38:22) ; we know also the liberality of the provision of sacrifices which he made on other occasions (2 Chronicles 29:20-35); and therefore we instinctively feel that the resolution which is amplified in this stanza is like him and worthy of him. The most liberal offerings which he could now make would not be more than commensurate with his abounding gratitude.

And, finally, in the last stanza of the psalm, we are invited to hear him tell the story of his prayer in his sickness. He does not indeed tell us all. He makes no mention of the nature of his sickness. That is was nothing less than leprosy, we have already learned incidentally from various sources: that, however, he does not here divulge. Nevertheless, his language betokens that his complaint was of grave import, moving him to earnest supplication; and two additional touches enhance the interest of this his personal reminiscence: there was faith in his outcry, and no allowance of iniquity marred his prayer. There was faith; for this, cherished in a warmth of rising gratitude, is what is implied by the highly poetic representation: With high praise under my tongue—prayer on the tongue, praise under it! And there was a sincere renunciation of evil (2 Kings 20:3, 2 Chronicles 32:26, Isaiah 38:3). Had he cloaked iniquity, or still tolerated in his heart an inclination towards it, his prayer would not have been heard. But his prayer has been heard—the leprosy has been removed; and so the happy event confirms the clear consciousness of renunciation of sin.

PSALM 67

EXPOSITION

The most marked characteristic of this psalm is its clear and quiet blending of Primary Blessing on Israel with Consequent Blessing on All Nations. The leading position of Israel is clearly indicated. The pronouns us and they (implied) at once strike the keynote of the relationship assumed to exist between the one nation and the many. “In the Messiah,” there is neither Jew or Gentile: under the Messiah, there are both—blended but not confounded. Let the reader note how in this psalm the people who speak of themselves as “us” occupy the foreground. With a clear reminiscence of the blessing which Aaron and his sons were authorized to bestow on the sons of Israel (Numbers 6:22-27) the fulfilment of that prayer-blessing is here first sought for Israel as the people on whom Jehovah had thus “put his name,” and which formula He himself had promised to make good. Then immediately an outspread of blessing, proceeding from the one nation to the many, is besought: That men throughout the earth may know thy way, as exemplified in the long recorded history of Israel; and thy victory first over them and then for them over their enemies. Only in that long history, as prophecy enables us to complete it, can that victory be traced. Then, for a whole stanza the psalm is engrossed with the nations, so introduced. Not only for what they behold in Israel will they thank God, but also and more immediately for immeasurable benefits brought home to themselves: they themselves will be judged, that is governed, in equity; and He who governs them will guide them as a shepherd leads his flock (as a comparison of the references will show). When Israel gets her blessing, the nations, as nations, will get theirs; yea all of them will get it, as the poet is careful to repeat. He who thus governs and guides the nations will assuredly lead them to peace and industry and honesty, and thereby also to plenty: Earth will give her increase—no doubt a covenant promise to Israel (cp. Leviticus 26:4, Psalms 85:12, Ezekiel 26, 27) but a promise doubtless overflowing to the teeming populations of earth. The blessings previously named—governance, guidance—rise up from the political into the spiritual realm, probably to a large extent annihilating the distinction between them; but this—like the “daily bread” petition in the prayer given by Jesus to his disciples—is undisguisedly temporal, as why should it not? Why should not national blessing come down: as do the dews of heaven and the showers that water the earth; as does redemption, that delivers first the soul from the bondage of sin, and then the body from the bondage of decay (Romans 8:20); as will the Heavenly Jerusalem itself, so that “the Tent of God” may be “with men” (Revelation 21:3)? Therefore do we feel at home with one plainly temporal blessing in this comprehensive prayer. Yet—as here we are not on Church ground but on Kingdom ground—we are once more reminded that Israel is here the intercessor; and the circumference of blessing for the whole earth is set around the centre of the covenant-nation. “Jehovah our God” will bless us: will bless us AND all the ends of the earth will revere him.

What then is Jehovah’s way; and, especially, wherein will consist the victory which will yet thrill all nations and tune their hearts as well as their harps to this song? His way is seen in his dealings with the nation of Israel: trace it! Note their birth as a people; their enslavement in Egypt; their deliverance; their journeyings in the wilderness; their settlement in Canaan; their degeneracy; their captivities; their partial restorations; their treatment of their Messiah; their present long-continued banishment from their beautiful land; their sorrows, so heavily pressed on them; their sufferings, so often cruelly unjust; and, applying to the mind’s eye the telescope of the prophetic word, note the issue of all this in national regeneration and restoration:—THERE, along that chequered course, is to be seen Jehovah’s way, as nowhere else! And the victory—where and what is that? In psalms yet lying ahead of us, will it be repeatedly seen; but perhaps nowhere more brightly and suggestively than in the shortest psalm of this priceless psalter, the 117th. One word therein goes straight to the root of this matter of Jehovah’s victory: it may be a victory over the jealousies and oppressions of Gentile nations, it may be a victory over the beleaguring forces of Antichrist; but it will be, first and last and foremost, a victory over the Hebrew nation itself. And when Israel can say to the nations, concerning Yahweh their God, His kindness hath prevailed over us, then those who listen to the story will no longer be slow to believe that His faithfulness is age-abiding.

Our Victorious God

Psalms 68:1-35

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

The 68th Psalm is a psalm of David that describes God using military language. David writes about God as a victorious military leader who takes his throne in Zion. The psalm can be broken down into seven sections, which reveals a chronological movement of God conquering his enemies and taking his rightful position as king in Zion.

God Arises, Enemies Scatter (Psalms 68:1-3)

The first word of Psalms 68 is the Hebrew word elohim, God. Beginning a discussion about God with his name makes a dramatic impact (see Hebrews 1:1). “God arises. His enemies scatter, and those who hate Him flee from His presence” (Psalms 68:1). The first three verses (Psalms 68:1-3) depict the movements as a powerful force driving away the enemies. The wicked are destroyed like smoke is blown away and like wax melts before the fire. As God marches into battle, all who stand in the way are brought to the dust. The imagery of destroying the enemies is particularly strong because this is the exact language used by the people of Israel when the ark of the covenant was lifted up as they traveled in the desert to Canaan. Numbers 10:35-36 records the cry of Israel: “Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say: Arise, Lord! Let Your enemies be scattered, and those who hate You flee from Your presence. When it came to rest, he would say: Return, Lord, to the countless thousands of Israel.” Therefore, as we read this psalm, we need to visualize in our minds what the ancient readers would have visualized, that is, the lifting up of the ark of the covenant as God moves forward to the promised land.

God’s Righteousness: A King of Goodness (Psalms 68:4-6)

As Israel travels through the desert the people are singing praises to God. As the dust is kicked up from the people walking through the desert, the people proclaim: “Exalt Him who rides on the clouds” (Psalms 68:4). Recall that the ark of the covenant was carried on the shoulders of the Levites from the sons of Kohath. Thus, as the people walked through the desert it would appear that God, symbolized by the ark of the covenant, was riding on top of the clouds. As the people march, they are also proclaiming the goodness and righteousness of God their king. Their king is a father to the fatherless, a champion and defender of widows, a provider of homes for the deserted, and a leader of prisoners to prosperity. The king of Israel is not a tyrannical despot, but is offering goodness to the peoples as he triumphs.

God, Giver of Blessings (Psalms 68:7-10)

The imagery of God leading his people through the desert is explicitly pictured in Psalms 68:7. As Israel marched through the desert the earth trembled and the skies poured down (dropped; NASB) before God, the God of Sinai and the God of Israel. Notice that the word “rain” in Psalms 68:8 is not in the original text, but is supplied by the translators. I do not think it is a proper addition in light of the context of the earth trembling. I believe the picture is that all creation crumbles and bows before the presence of the moving God. The earth and heavens are in the subjection to God and God takes the subjected creation and blesses his people. Therefore, in verse 9 we see God showering abundant rain. The showering of abundant rain is not only a figure picturing God refreshing the people as they walk through the desert, but also is a figure of God abundantly showering blessings upon Israel. This very point is made in Psalms 68:10 : “Your people settled in it; by Your goodness You provided for the poor, God.” The end of verse 9 and verse 10 shows the people making it through the desert and receiving their inheritance in the promised land of Canaan.

The Conquering God (Psalms 68:11-14)

Psalms 68:11-14 pictures God having conquered the armies that were standing against Israel. A company of women comes to the people bringing the good news, “The kings of the armies flee—they flee!” The cry of victory is spreading throughout the camp of Israel as the enemies flee from the Almighty God, the Lord of Hosts. The second part of Psalms 68:12 along with Psalms 68:13 are recognized by scholars to be a very difficult text to translate and interpret. The NIV changes the subject from the women dividing the spoil to men dividing the spoil. This is an emendation without warrant. Also, the NIV’s translation of “campfires” is also without linguistic justification (see Expositor’s Bible Commentary notes). The New English Bible is perhaps the most helpful translation of this text: “O mighty host, will you linger among the sheepfolds while the women in your tents divide the spoil—an image of a dove, its wings sheathed in silver and its pinions in yellow gold?” However the text should be read, the interpretation from the context is the spoils of victory going to the people of God.

God in Zion (Psalms 68:15-18)

The next picture presented to us in this psalm is God dwelling in Zion. But the picture is unique because it is from the vantage point of one of the great and lofty mountains in Palestine, Mount Bashan. Bashan is described as having envy because God chose Mount Zion. Zion is not much of a mountain, but Zion receives the glory because God has chosen her as his dwelling place. Psalms 68:17 shows God moving in his mighty chariots (as a victorious military leader) from Mount Sinai to Mount Zion. The conquering God takes his place on high in Zion and establishes his throne there. In Psalms 68:18 we see the people coming to king with gifts, even the enemies who have been subjugated.

God of Salvation and Death (Psalms 68:19-23)

The tone changes momentarily in verse 19 as God is praised for bearing the burdens of the people and offering salvation to them. But verse 20 goes back to the military power of God when the psalmist declares that only God offers escape from death. The enemies are crushed and the wicked are destroyed. The victory is pictured graphically in Psalms 68:23 as the victorious king wades through the blood of his enemies. While Psalms 68:23 seems needlessly graphic to our 21st century senses, this was common language used among the nations to describe the utter defeat of one’s enemies. “The similar image of wading through the blood of one’s enemies is also found in the Ugaritic epic of Baal and Anath. There the goddess gleefully slaughtered whole armies and ‘waded knee-deep in the warriors’ blood’” (The IVP Bible Background Commentary OT, pg. 538). Thus, God is depicted as being completely victorious over his enemies.

Processional of Praise (Psalms 68:24-35)

The final verses of Psalms 68 describe the processional of praise as the king reigns from the throne in Zion. Praise from all the peoples is given to God, including the musicians and singers. Everyone from every tribe in the assembly praising God. In Psalms 68:28-31 we read of the rulers of the nations also coming to the temple and bringing their tribute, a symbol of subjection to the king. The kingdom of God has been established and all the nations are subjected and all of Israel is assembled before the throne of God. In Psalms 68:32-35 the final call is given to all the people of the earth to sing their praises to God. God is great in power and majesty and gives power and strength to his people.

Messianic Implications

The Jewish people always read the scriptures in a moving context. That is, if a psalm were speaking about the victory of a king, they would apply it to themselves. Further, they would apply the text to the coming Messiah and the Messianic Age. This method of interpretation can be seen as the New Testament writers interpreted the Old Testament texts in reference to their own day and to the Messiah. For example, Jesus said in Mark 7:6, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: These people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.” Isaiah, of course, was not prophesying about the people in 30 A.D. but of his own people in 740 B.C. But the psalms and the prophets were understood in a moving context and Jesus simply applies the passage to those in his day, a common practice for the Jewish people.

A portion of Psalms 68 is quoted by Paul in Ephesians 4:7-8, “Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of the Messiah’s gift. For it says: When He ascended on high, He took prisoners into captivity; He gave gifts to people.” Now we cannot go back through Psalms 68 and say that the whole psalm is Messianic and David was not speaking about his day and time. Interpreting the psalm in the manner leaves much to be desired and causes many problems. We need to interpret Psalms 68 as we just did, but now we need to realize that this psalm also was understood to speak of the victory the Messiah would have over the world. Now we are better able to comprehend the Jewish expectation of the Messiah coming and overthrowing the nations of the world, most notably the Roman Empire.

By quoting this psalm, Paul is stating that Jesus is the king who now sits on the throne, ruling over the nations. But Paul amplified this psalm in a number of ways. First, the psalm spoke about the ascension of a king to the throne over the enemies’ armies. Paul applies this meaning to Jesus, but expands the meaning to include Jesus descending to the earth, his body being laid in a tomb, then resurrecting and ascending back to the Father in heaven (Ephesians 4:9-10). Second, the psalm speaks about the people, even the rebellious, bringing gifts to the king. Paul applies this psalm to Christ, but rather than us giving gifts to him, Christ is giving gifts to us. This is a natural interpretation of Psalms 68 because God has been pictured as being victorious over the nations and acquiring the spoils of victory. Paul is not denying this fact, but is amplifying this truth. Christ is victorious over the nations and has acquired the spoils of victory. However, as king, Christ has distributed these spoils (or gifts) to the people, as stated in Ephesians 4:7, “Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of the Messiah’s gift.” Ephesians 4:11 names these gifts to include the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.

The final important implication, though unstated, is that in Psalms 68 we see God establishing his kingdom in Zion. Since Jesus is the Messiah, he is the fulfillment of this psalm. Jesus established the kingdom of God in Zion. When did the establishment of the kingdom take place? Again, we read Paul’s words: “the One who descended is the same as the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things” (Ephesians 4:10). How appropriate the ending of Psalms 68 is with this powerful teaching of Paul: “God, You are awe-inspiring in Your sanctuaries. The God of Israel gives power and strength to His people. May God be praised” (Psalms 68:35).

PSALM 68

EXPOSITION

The interpretation of this magnificent psalm is beset with difficulty; owing in part to its highly dramatic character, and in part to its subtle allusions to ancient history and song. Neither time nor space permits of even a statement of the differences of opinion to which it has given rise among expositors. The only thing which can here be attempted, is, if possible, to do something towards reducing those differences by earnestly endeavouring to hold fast to sound principles of exegesis, and by paying due regard to correct readings and renderings.

The first thing to be sought is the scope of the psalm as a whole: what is this theme? what its keynote? To set this forth has already been aimed at by the “Descriptive Title”: “Glimpses of the visible reign of Jehovah over Israel and the Nations.” That the reign is that of Jehovah, no one can doubt. That his reign is first over Israel and then over the kingdoms of the earth, is plainly evident when the whole psalm is connectedly read. That the reign at first appears to be a visible dominion, will not be denied—so long as Israel only is taken into account. It is only when the kingdoms of the earth outside Israel come into view that the applicability of the term “visible” is likely to be questioned. It is therefore at once submitted, that only by the extension of the idea of visibility or open manifestation to the whole psalm, is consistency preserved and the entire trend of Prophecy duly regarded. Under this Divine Reign, there are kingdoms, recognised as such: in the Ecclesia of the Messiah, in other words in the Church of Jesus Christ, there are no kingdoms. In this psalm from first to last, Israel stands out peerlessly distinct from the other kingdoms of the earth: in the Church of the New Testament this distinction disappears. Therefore the Kingdom here is not the Church; and the essential idea intended to be conveyed by the qualifying term “visible” or “manifest” is seen to be needed to preserve the unity of the psalm. Only thus can the several seemingly disconnected glimpses afforded by this psalm be brought into relation as an organic whole. This conclusion, it is believed, will be found well sustained by a rapid survey of the seven divisions into which the psalm naturally falls.

DIVISION I.—AS soon as the unity of the psalm is perceived, the dominate note of its first division is heard. The idea is not formally stated, but is incidentally—because dramatically—conveyed. It is helped out in clearness by a very slight modification of the language of Numbers 10:35, out of which its first couplet is framed. The words of Moses are a prayer—“Arise, O Jehovah.” The words of the psalmist are either a prediction—“God will arise;” or, more probably, a generalised statement of fact—“God ariseth”: as much as to say—“When God ariseth, then are his foes scattered.” Who then is he whose mere arising disperses his enemies? The answer fills Psalms 68:1-3 : behold then his prowess! But note also his mercy, hidden behind his majesty: God is love, and, even in the Old Testament, this cannot be concealed. Therefore must come into view the mighty movement of tenderness which prompts God to arise and scatter his foes, the oppressors of his people. In Yah=Jehovah=The Becoming One = consisteth his name. Therefore must he become—the father of the fatherless, the advocate of the widow: a song to be sung, only with deep emotion by a people in prisons and in exile; and yet with searchings of heart, seeing that the stubborn may be left, for further chastening, in a sun-burnt land. Thus simply, yet broadly and grandly, is Israel’s King portrayed. His character gives character to his reign. Here the whole psalm rests on stable foundations. No matter what desert plains may lie between Israel and her own land, here is a psalm fitted for the banished ones to sing.

DIVISION II—Visible reign: therefore manifest interposition when needed. It was needed and granted, to bring Israel out of Egypt. When Jehovah went forth before his people, in the pillar of cloud and fire, it was the march of a Divine Conqueror. Only unbelief hid this at any time from view. The poet sees it all now, and deftly expresses it: by one stroke revealing majesty; and then, by another, depicting tenderness: Earth quaked, the heavens dripped, how refreshing must the latter have been in the desert! That is all—all the stanza, all the “Division.” But it is enough. Israel’s God is no mere tribal Deity; but the Lord of earth and heaven. Creation subserves Redemption. The Unseen knows how to make his presence seen.

DIVISION III—The mention of an occasional dripping in the desert, suggests an even more essential dripping: the ever-recurring showers in the land to which the people came. This was Jehovah’s inheritance, which, for needed discipline, was occasionally exhausted by drought, and was then restored by copious rains to its accustomed fruitfulness: the inheritance wherein dwelt a living host of animals and men, for all of whom provideth in his bounty Israel’s God. Thus provideth he for the humbled people, once a family of slaves. The God of Redemption and Creation is also the God of providence.

DIVISION IV.—Here we must pick our path with care. It cannot perhaps be dogmatically determined whether the original “conquest” under Joshua here comes into view, or whether a re-conquest of a portion of it as under Deborah and Barak, may not be intended. The allusions to Deborah’s song (Judges 5) are fairly evident; and it is possible that one such incident may stand for all similar interpositions. Still, the opinion may be hazarded that, while some of the language is taken from the song of the prophetess, it is here generalised to suit the entire conception of both conquering and re-conquering the. land of Israel’s inheritance. This conclusion is favoured by the turn given to Psalms 68:13, which no longer seems framed to apply as a well-merited reproach to home-loving cowards like Reuben (Judges 5:16), but rather to be intended as a simple congratulation on the abundance of spoil falling to the lot of the gentle “dove” of Israel when her enemies disappear before the manifested presence of her God. However this may be, and it is wise not to magnify the difficulty of following the allusion—the chief point evidently is, that success, whether in conquest or reconquest, depends upon the commanding word of the Sovereign Lord of the land. When he gives the word (“maketh the summons resound”), whether the mandate be regarded as past, present, or future, then decisive results follow: herald bands—probably not women as some venturously interpret, seeing that the word for herald band both here and in Isaiah 40:9 may be feminine merely as a linguistic matter of course, and especially seeing that this very passage appears to give the hint that, in war, the place for woman is to stay at home—the heralds, whoever they may be, convey the King’s word to his ready hosts; concerning whom it may be “taken as read” that they make their onset, but that victory so speedily follows that the next thing to be actually noted is, concerning the opposing Kings, that they flee—flee! Joshua’s conquests were rapid; and there may lie concealed in the future flights more rapid still. The Almighty—if we hearken to prophecy—has not yet made an end of scattering Kings therein. The reference to the falling of snow in Zalmon is probably merely a proverbial way of depicting the fate of the hapless kings so scattered.

DIVISION V.—It would be uncandid not to admit some difficulty here respecting the original text. The Sep. shows a considerable divergence from the Massoretic Hebrew; and Dr. Briggs, in his own drastic way, has reconstructed the two stanzas of which this Division is constituted, so as to show a rather wide departure from what is familiar to us in this part of the psalm. The best way will be to give Dr. Briggs’ result intact; and then say why we hesitate to follow him implicitly, and to point out how valuable a remainder survives criticism. Psalms 68:15-18, as revised and abbreviated by Dr. Briggs, appear thus:—

O mount of Yahweh, fertile mountain!

O mount of summits, fertile mountain!

Mount Yahweh desired for his throne!

Yahweh thou didst ride in thy chariot from Sinai

into the sanctuary.

Thou didst ascend up on high. Thou didst lead

captives captive.

Thou didst accept gifts, to dwell among mankind.

In the first place, we are predisposed to admit that in many places where Dr. Briggs substitutes “Yahweh” for “Elohim” in this Elohistic Book (Psalms 42-47) he is right; and that doubts as to particular passages become mere questions of detail, since no one denies that both Divine names may in many instances appear side by side. This matter affects the present passage thus: that whereas mountain of Elohim may mean no more than mighty mountain, mountain of Yehweh would naturally apply solely, in this connection, to Mount Zion. Now, since the Sep. goes on to speak of the mountain in question as “fertile mountain,” as in Dr. Briggs’ rendering above,—it is impossible not to feel that the ancient translators may have read, in their Hebrew exemplar, D SH N, “fertile,” where we now read B SH N, “Bashan.” To that extent there is legitimate room to doubt what was the true, most ancient text. In the second place, to other of Dr. Briggs’ changes, we can only say—That as he goes behind all known texts and resorts to conjecture, we must reserve our consent till we see more difficulty than we do at present in the M.T. as needfully emended in a word or two. In the third place, it is especially satisfactory to find Dr. Briggs practically confirming Dr. Ginsburg’s conclusion in favour of the beautiful and significant phrase From Sinai into the sanctuary—of which anon: most of all satisfactory is it to discover that the great ascension passage is left in substance intact, including in it such helpful accuracies as captives for “captivity,” and the dwelling among mankind as the great object of the ascension—though, to that result, we come by a different route, which enables us to retain the clause yea even the stubborn (“rebellious”) with a grip which nothing can at present induce us to relinquish. These explanations made, we attempt a brief survey of the passage.

The essential thing contained in the earlier part of it is, Jehovah’s choice of Jerusalem as his fixed abode. The unquestioned clearness with which this is asserted, and the concurrence of O.T. testimony confirming it, may well make us chary of admitting that the present lapsed condition of Jerusalem is more than temporary. Nevertheless, we shall be well advised if we open our eyes to the magnitude of the Divine movement which is expressed in the solid line, The Sovereign Lord hath come from Sinai into the sanctuary. That he came escorted by myriads of angelic chariots may safely remain in the background; not, indeed, as in anywise incredible, but as not elsewhere distinctly asserted, and as in any case a generalised expression of a journey from Sinai to Zion which certainly did not at once take place, seeing that it was centuries after the entry into the land that the hill of Zion was captured. But the transition of the Divine Manifestation from Sinai into the sanctuary remains unquestioned; appealing strongly to what may be called the theological imagination, as a crystallised expression of a profound truth:—Sinai, the dark mountain of thunder and terror and law; Zion, the sunny mount of grace and praise. They are, indeed, in line with each other in historical continuity; but, in other ways, they are almost at opposite poles of Divine O.T. Manifestation. At the one end, Angel hosts: at the other, Levitical choirs. At the outset, Moses trembling in fear; at the close, David with his harp in an ecstasy of adoration and praise. It is true that Sinai came into the sanctuary, and that, accordingly, the Dispensation remained that of Sinai still; and further true that, to the last, Jerusalem, Hagar-like, was and is “in bondage with her children.” The “grace” and the “truth” did not and could not come by Moses. Nevertheless, Moses became witness to a grace he did not himself minister; and Jerusalem, with its Davidic ministry of praise, had given to it the function not only of pointing back to Sinai, but of pointing onward and upward to its heavenly counterpart; so that, indeed, the towers and palaces and temple of Jerusalem are ever pointing to the sky; and Jehovah’s home below becomes the counterpart of his home above; as in this very psalm, before we are well aware of it, we behold Jehovah riding upon the ancient heaven of heaven; and seem ourselves, in his strength, to mount up to the fleecy clouds.

Suddenly, however, we are brought back to earth, to recognize that we are slowly learning by types. Thou (0 God, O Sovereign Lord—where note the abrupt direct address, Thou) hast ascended on high. In the first instance the language, as all admit, is used of the ascent of the ark to its resting place in Jerusalem, at which point Psalms 15, 24, and in some measure 47, come into line, comparison with which renders needless further comment here. But the very next clause—hast captured a body of captives—once more usefully revives the whole question of prophetic typology, or typological prediction. Expression has already been given, in the Exposition of Psalms 2, 24, 45, to the conviction that types should be regarded as hints rather than programmes—as pencilled sketches rather than architect’s plans; so that we never need conclude that, because a certain future is feeble in the type, therefore it must have either a small place or no place at all in the antitype. It is of the essence of types that they should be comparatively feeble. What, indeed, was the ascent of the ark up to Jerusalem, compared with the ascent of the Messiah into heaven? Therefore would it seem to be little better than trifling to ask, with any anxiety, whether David or Joab seized a “body of captives” when the ark was carried up the hill, or whether the captives presumably taken when Jebus was captured, were in evidence, as the spoils of a conqueror, when the ascent was made. It is surely abundantly sufficient that the ark was triumphantly carried up into its destined place in spite of all the difficulties that had to be surmounted: the custom of conquerors may answer for the rest. It is customary with conquerors to capture a body of captives; customary, for them to accept presents consisting of men, yea even the stubborn. And therefore, the very feebleness of any known facts that happened in David’s day to fill out the language of the psalm at this point, may well make us conclude that something far transcending the type is here forthshadowed. Hence we turn with relief .,to the teaching of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4, and discover with delight how wonderfully well the great facts connected with the Messiah’s ascension to the right hand of God in heaven, do something more than justice to the comprehensive language used in the psalm: “more than justice,” in that the verbal departure of the apostle from the psalmist at a single point melts away into higher harmony when set in the light of the great fulfilling facts. The Messiah both received gifts consisting of men—his Apostles, his Church, all mankind—and, in turn, gave gifts to men, which gifts themselves were men, namely apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers! Critics truly affirm that the Hebrew itself cannot mean “gave gifts to men”; but it is submitted that all of them should have done what some have done; and, instead of being content with the phrase: “among men”—which leaves it very questionable what to do with the rebellious or stubborn—seeing that it is not very likely that Yah Elohim would “dwell” peacefully “among them,”—should have gone just the one step further,—on the strength of the beth-essential, as it is called, which is well exemplified in Psalms 68:4 of this very psalm,—by saying, here, gifts consisting of men, yea even the stubborn; especially considering how clear and solemn a N.T. truth it is that “the Father hath given all judgment unto the Son” (John 5:22), and that Jesus “died and lived again that he might be lord of both dead and living” (Romans 14:9). Surely, right thoroughly does the New Testament pledge itself to fill the Old Testament to the full, seeing that it can suggest how really and grandly the Messiah, out of “the wicked spirits” darkening the lower “heavenly places” (Ephesians 6), captured a body of captives when on his way to the central throne to accept gifts consisting of men, so “spoiling principalities and powers” (Colossians 2) in demonstration of what more in that direction he will yet achieve when the time shall arrive for him to make his great and warlike descent into this lower sphere, and so further prepare the way for the final consummation, when “the tent of God” shall permanently “be with men.”

DIVISION VI.—If the reader will accept these Divisional summaries, not as exhaustive descriptions of contents, but as interpretive hints of special features, helping out the main theme of the psalm, it will be found that the point here made plain is, WHAT PEOPLE it is which, here and elsewhere through the psalm, comes into peculiarly close relationship to God: carrieth a load for US—OUR salvation—is for US a God of saving deeds. It is by taking into account in their entirety all the characteristics of this people, that we arrive at anything like certainty as to that people’s identity. All worshippers of the one true and living God—all saints among the Gentiles—all members of Christian churches the world over—may not unnaturally deem themselves to be included, so long as the Divine bearing of daily burdens and salvation itself are the benefits which come into view as calling forth praise; but, when it comes to bathing thy foot in blood, it becomes a question as to whether we had not better hark back, and reopen the inquiry as to the people intended. Surely, better leave it to the Twelve-tribed Nation, to sit for the portrait, as the people intended by the we and the our and the us throughout the psalm; than to throw the whole psalm into confusion, by overlooking the fact that Gentiles also are found here in their own right, so far as description is concerned: kings, messengers out of Egypt, Ethiopians, Kingdoms of the earth, are surely comprehensive enough designations to do ample justice to all Non-Israelites.

In view of other prophecies, especially those which touch on the great biblical question of the bringing of life and incorruption to light, perhaps the line in this division of the psalm which most strongly attracts us is that which says: And to Jehovah Sovereign Lord belong escapes in view of death. Here, as in so many cases, translation and interpretation reciprocally serve each other: the right rendering helps out the true exegesis; and, vice versa. Until we are satisfied that we have seized the true exegesis, we cannot be quite sure that we have hit upon the happy rendering. Escapes in view of death. More literal than escapes is outgoings, and various “outgoings” are conceivable; “sallies,” “outlets,” “issues” or “results” each being worthy of a moment’s thought. Indeed, had the Hebrew phrase been quite literally, “the outgoings of death,” we might have thought of DEATH’S OWN EXITS, his departures from first one sphere and then another of his former dominion; so that first the Messiah dieth no more, then the Church dieth no more, until at length Death itself is swallowed up in victory. But probably this would in any case have been too great a stride to suppose here taken by the revealing Spirit, whose disclosures ordinarily advance by gently graduated degrees. Hence, and the Hebrew being literally as peculiar as it is, and the English phrase “escapes in view of death” being as striking and satisfying as it is, probably we shall be doing wisely to content ourselves with its obvious suggestions. The moment we do this, we bethink us of the numberless “escapes in view of death” which David himself had experienced; of the one marvellous “escape” of Hezekiah “in view of death;” then, rising to the level of national outlook, we recall the “escape in view of death” granted by the passage through the Red Sea; the resuscitation of the nation by deliverance from captivity; and realise how ample were the reasons for the insertion of such a line as this in such an ode, and how mighty is the impulse of devout thankfulness to attribute all such “escapes in view of death” to Jehovah Sovereign Lord. After submitting all which, it is difficult not to feel that even this rich line of things scarcely fills up the passage;—which apprehension, however, is partly due to the immediately succeeding lines, which, to say the least, countenance the surmise of a two-fold allusion; namely one to Jehovah’s enemies, as well as one to his friends. In other words, Psalms 68:21-23 suggest an enlarged application of the previous words, so far as this: “To Jehovah, Sovereign Lord, belong escapes in view of death”—which he grants or withholds according to his holy will; so that neither by death nor from death can his enemies escape the visitation of his righteous wrath, This extension of the sense will appear the more called for the more we find in Amos 9:1-4 a parallel to Psalms 68:21-22 of this psalm. The decisive force of Psalms 68:23 in determining who are the us and the we of the psalm has already been indicated.

DIVISION VII.—It seems possible and convenient to comprehend all the remainder of this psalm under the one compound division-line placed at its head. The goings of God . . . into the sanctuary are pretty clearly pictured as “a procession,” or, still more probably, as “processions”: the whole being uplifted into the realm of the ideal, so as to comprehend not only an allusion to the original bringing up of the ark by David, and the repeated bringings home of the ark after it had gone out before the hosts of Israel to battle (2 Samuel 11:11) but also any procession which the future may have in store. Whether, in Psalms 68:25 a, we should read with some authorities sharim, “singers,” or with others sarim “princes,” is a nice question, which perhaps cannot be dogmatically decided: the verses following (especially Psalms 68:27) perhaps favour “princes;” and the more readily, when two things are considered—first, that procession without “princes” would be very incomplete; and, second, that a procession with “princes” leading the way, would even then not be without “singers,”—that is to say, if we may gather from Revelation 15:2-4 that harpers need not be tongue-tied, but may sing as well as play.

It seems quite fitting that the psalmist should, in Psalms 68:26 a, address the processionists in anticipation of the assemblies which they are about to form in the temple courts; and further that (in Psalms 68:26 b) he should synonymously term those “assemblies” the elect of Israel—to appropriate the word which Ginsburg decides should stand in the text; and which prepares us to find an elect group of tribes in Psalms 68:27—probably as representatives of the whole twelve-tribed nation: before leaving which we may ask, without assuming that David himself wrote this part of the psalm, Who so likely as David to have set Benjamin at the head of the group? That David—partly out of his old habit of reverence for Saul and partly out of his love for Jonathan—should have done it is conceivable. No later singer would have been likely to indulge in such a stroke of antiquated chivalry.

From this point onward for some way in the psalm, there is little that demands comment: save, perhaps, chiefly, to note how admirable a parallel with Psalms 68:28 b is found in Isaiah 26:12; to observe that by the beasts of the reeds we are, by general consent, to understand the “hippopotamus” as the symbol of Egypt, in which case the mighty oxen which follow would naturally suggest the monarchs of Assyria and Babylon, and thus prepare us to favour Dr. Briggs’ emendation of Psalms 68:30 c, remembering how repeatedly, between West and East, Israel was trampled in the mire.

After the direct address to God—Command, Rebuke, Scatter (Psalms 68:23-31)—which may itself form part of the song which the processionists sing; we come upon the exhilarating climax of the entire psalm, in which (as it would appear) Israel in her gladness invites the outlying nations to join her in praise: a climax which is indeed exhilarating, by reason of the comprehensive vision it gives of earth and heaven united, and the frank and grateful strains in which we hear the nations themselves recognising that the God of the heavens is the God of Israel: He rideth on the ancient heavens of heavens, yet over Israel is his majesty; His strength is in the skies, yet the God of Israel it is who giveth strength and abundant might to the people. It is this very blending of earth and heaven, of the past and the future, which for once induces a slight uncertainty as to which sanctuary is intended in the last verse of the psalm. If we felt bound to restrict the outlook of Psalms 68:35 to that of Psalms 68:17; Psalms 68:24, we should decide for the earthly sanctuary; but, perceiving as we do the delightful way in which, here at the close, the vision of the psalmist seems to alternate and vibrate between earth and heaven with a general uplifting effect, we are disposed to leave this nice point for the event of fulfilment to determine. It is probably more important to note that, whether the Divine Manifestation intended be made from the heavenly sanctuary or the earthly, there will be in it a sufficiently marked element of terror to render it fear-inspiring. So far—no further as yet—does the vision reach. Nevertheless, coupling the end of the psalm with its beginning, and noting well the promising transition from Sinai to Zion in the centre of this magnificent composition, we can be well content to rest in the final note—Blessed be God! and can felicitate ISRAEL that, under the leadership of such men as David, Hezekiah and undoubtedly Isaiah, such strains as these were in the earlier centuries of the Monarchy prepared for the celebration of the “lily” feast at the beginning of the year, that is, for the Passover; according to Dr. Thirtle’s principle for the re-adjustment of the musical inscriptions. “Undoubtedly Isaiah” may be thought to be going beyond the evidence; but after the weighty arguments for attributing the authorship of Isaiah 40-66 to the known Isaiah of Hezekiah’s day, which have been advanced by Dr. Thirtle, in his “Old Testament Problems,” it may soon be open to us to turn the tables upon Kirkpatrick, for example (who infers the late date of this psalm from its numerous resemblances to “Isaiah II.”), by contending that, on the contrary, those very resemblances go far to prove that the closing chapters of Isaiah as well as the psalm were written early enough to justify the librarian’s mark inscribing even this psalm to (or by) David: from whom we may well believe its fundamental strains actually came. That Hezekiah probably added to it and adapted it to temple worship, does not really throw doubt on the traditional heading; any more than does an addition or two by an exilic editor, who may, for example, easily have supplement Division I. by the line, Howbeit the stubborn remain in a sunburnt land. Even this supposition, however, is by no means necessary to the assumption of the Davidic authorship and the Hezekian co-authorship, seeing that extensive deportations to sunburnt eastern lands had already taken place in Hezekiah’s day.

The Man of Sorrows

Psalms 69:1-36

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

The 69th Psalm has long been considered to be a Messianic Psalm. In fact, many commentators and scholars believe that this psalm has nothing to do with David, but David is only speaking prophetically of the Messiah to come. While we must accept that David was not only king but was also a prophet (Acts 2:29-30). This teaching can be seen clearly in one commentary I own: Exploring Psalms volume one by John Phillips. He says, “From beginning to end it points forward to Christ. This is not about David, but about great David’s greater Son” (553). But it is not reasonable for us to view this psalm in the way John Phillips declares. The reason why should be evident to us once we read Psalms 69:5, “God, You know my foolishness, and my guilty acts are not hidden from You.” This cannot refer to Jesus since the scriptures are filled with passages arguing Christ’s sinlessness. So it is not possible to say that this psalm exclusively speaks of the Christ and not of David. However, neither can we say that this psalm speaks exclusively of David because at least three times the New Testament writers quote from this psalm and apply its fulfillment to Christ.

This dilemma is a problem for many scholars. Phil Roberts states the problem well: “We often feel embarrassed when attempting to ‘justify’ the hermeneutical practices of the New Testament. Perhaps the real hermeneutical problem is the difficulty of fully participating in the first century view of Scripture.” I believe this is our problem in understanding the Old and the New Testaments. We are having difficulty viewing the scriptures with the mind of the original audience.

Jewish Exegesis

We need to understand how the Jews interpreted the scriptures if we are going to fully understand the argument that Peter is making in Acts 2. The following is a list of premises the Jews had when interpreting the scriptures.

First, the Old Testament scriptures were inspired of God. In our series “Is the Bible the Word of God,” we have gone to great lengths to prove this very truth to ourselves. The Jews believed this fundamental premise also. Therefore, the scriptures are one book given by God to the people.

Second, the Old Testament scriptures speak to every generation, with special relevance for “the end time.” Since the scriptures are the word of God, then the scriptures are timeless. The scriptures spoke to every generation that would come along and read the word of God. Further, the scriptures have special relevance to the time of the coming of the Messiah, otherwise called the “last days” or “end time.”

Third, context gives words their meaning. The same words, read in a new context, might state another true point. To understand this point, we need to recognize this truth in our own culture. Francis Scott Key wrote the Star-Spangled Banner during the War of 1812. Those words had a special meaning to those people at that time in the context of that war. However, the song has a different but related meaning to soldiers today who have fought in recent wars. The words “the bombs bursting in air” does not call to their minds the war of 1812 but the war they just fought in.

Similarly, we know the P.P. Bliss penned the song “It Is Well With My Soul” as upon the knowledge of losing his family at sea. The despair and loss of his family on a ship sinking was the context and meaning of the song. However, we do not sing the song today in our worship thinking about poor Mr. Bliss and how we lost his family. Today the song has a different meaning to us, though related, about how God can carry us through whatever losses we may endure.

This is the way we must understand the Psalms as we study each one. David is clearly writing about himself and his difficulties (note Psalms 69:5). David uses figurative language to describe the severity of his suffering (see Psalms 69:21). However, this psalm was also to be understood in the context of the coming Messiah. Thus, what David spoke of himself in a figurative sense is, in many places in Psalms 69, fulfilled literally through the suffering of Jesus. With this background in mind, let us study Psalms 69.

A Crushing Blow (Psalms 69:1-4)

David begins the psalm with a description of how he feels from the suffering he is enduring. David describes his pain as if he was drowning in the sea, sinking in deep mud, and crushed by a flood of waves. David goes on to describe his physical state, declaring that he is weary from crying, his throat is dry, and his eyes fail. David’s pain comes from his enemies who hate him without cause. The injustice is so great against David that he is forced to restore what he did not steal (Psalms 69:4).

This fourth verse is the first passage of this psalm that is quoted in the New Testament and applied to Jesus. As Jesus is teaching his disciples in the upper room the night before his death, he said, “If I had not done the works among them that no one else has done, they would not have sin. Now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father. But this happened so that the statement written in their law might be fulfilled: They hated Me for no reason” (John 15:24-25). The concept of this part of the fulfillment of the prophecy is not only that the Jewish leaders hated Jesus, but they were accusing him falsely. Jesus is predicting this element of his upcoming trials that would happen in a matter of hours. Jesus is telling his disciples that he was going to pay the price for things that he had not done and a great act of injustice was about to take place.

Scorn and Shame (Psalms 69:5-12)

David goes on to describe the scorn and shame that he is enduring through this suffering. In the midst of this suffering David admits that he is not perfect, but does have error in his life. David prays that his actions do not cause the God of Israel to be humiliated (Psalms 69:5-6). We see an important truth expressed by David: suffering causes self-examination. Anyone going through great difficulty usually does not need to be told that they have made bad decisions in his or her life and has committed sin. David also points out another important truth: our sins have an impact on how people view God. Further, other people who trust God are impacted by the sins of another (Psalms 69:6).

There are many Messianic allusions and quotations in this section of the psalm. The first allusion is found in Psalms 69:8, “I have become a stranger to my brothers and a foreigner to my mother’s sons.” We also know through the words of John that the brothers of Jesus did not believe him to the Messiah, along with the Jewish leaders. “For not even His brothers believed in Him” (John 7:5).

Two Messianic quotations are found in Psalms 69:9. The first quotation is the first part of Psalms 69:9, “For zeal for Your house has consumed me.” This is the passage the disciples of Jesus remember after Jesus cleanses the temple in John 2:17. The second quotation is the second part of Psalms 69:9, “And the insults of those who insult You have fallen on me.” Paul’s application of this passage is interesting in Romans 15:2-3 : “Each one of us must please his neighbor for his good, in order to build him up. For even the Messiah did not please Himself. On the contrary, as it is written, The reproaches of those who insult You have fallen on Me.” In the psalm, David declares that the suffering he is enduring is because of his desire for righteousness and being a follower of God. Paul uses the quotation of the psalm to show that Jesus suffered because of His righteousness. But Paul goes a step further to show that we need to look out for our neighbors’ interests and be unselfish because that is what Christ did.

Call For God’s Favor (Psalms 69:13-21)

In Psalms 69:13 we read that David is praying for a time of favor from God and that God answer his prayer with his abundant and faithful love. Psalms 69:14-15 refers back to the first two verses (Psalms 69:1-2) of the psalm, requesting to God that he not sink in the deep mud nor be overwhelmed by the deep floodwaters. David calls for deliverance from the Lord. Psalms 69:19-21 describes the shame and insults that David experiences. David looks for sympathy or comforters, but finds none. Instead of finding comfort or help, he finds continued mistreatment. This mistreatment is symbolized in the thirst David has is not quenched by water, but with vinegar and gall.

Most everyone will recognize the fulfillment of this Messianic language in Jesus. “When they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Skull Place), they gave Him sour wine mixed with gall to drink. But when He tasted it, He would not drink it” (Matthew 27:33-34). The gall and vinegar was not only literally given to Jesus but was also symbolic of the brutal treatment he received from the people.

Call For Judgment (Psalms 69:22-28)

David then calls out to God for judgment to fall upon his enemies on this section of the psalm. The prayer for judgment is so strong and so grime that David even asks, “let them be erased from the book of life and no be recorded with the righteous” (Psalms 69:28). This section of the psalm is fervent plea for God’s wrath to be vented against the enemies and that they fall into their own trap. In a very interesting twist, this is also quoted in the New Testament. In Romans 11, Paul is about the fulfillment of God’s prophecies and promises to Israel. We pick up this theme in verses 7-10:

“7 What then? Israel did not find what it was looking for, but the elect did find it. The rest were hardened,

8 as it is written: God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that cannot see and ears that cannot hear, to this day.

9 And David says: Let their table become a snare and a trap, a pitfall and a retribution to them.

10 Let their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent continually.”

Paul quotes Psalm Psalms 69:22-23 in Romans 11:9-10 to show that the elect of Israel received God’s promises but not all of Israel did. Just as in the days of David there were enemies against God’s chosen ones, so also there continues to be enemies of God’s chosen, specifically His anointed, Jesus. They refused to see the truth that Jesus is the Messiah and so the wrath of God comes against them.

Perhaps the most difficult quotation of this psalm is Psalms 69:25 which is quoted in Acts 1:20 and is applied to Judas. The point we continue to see is that the Jews understood the scriptures as applying to the end times of the Messiah as well as to the original author. Thus, Peter can look to this psalm and use it as an argument that Judas would leave his position and another would need to be appointed.

Praise To God (Psalms 69:29-36)

The psalm ends with David praising God and giving thanks for His salvation. David continues to be impressive in his ability to keep praising God in the midst of severe suffering. God desires our praise and is not impressed with outward sacrifices. In Psalms 69:34 David calls upon all of creation to praise God. The final verses are forward looking to the Messianic age as David speaks of deliverance of Zion and the building of the cities of Judah. Psalms 69:34 alone sounds very physical but the final verse seems to point to spiritual Jerusalem: “The descendants of His servants will inherit it, and those who love His name will live in it.” This sounds like a forward promise fulfilled by Christ as the writer of Hebrews expressed: “Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God (the heavenly Jerusalem), to myriads of angels in festive gathering, to the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven, to God who is the judge of all, to the spirits of righteous people made perfect, to Jesus (mediator of a new covenant), and to the sprinkled blood, which says better things than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:22-24).

In spite of our suffering and despite the trials that come in life, we know that we have our home in Zion, the city of the living God. God will continue to bless us, continue to love us, and continue to save us as we continue to praise the Lord our God. We have been given a wealthy inheritance and a great blessing to dwell with God.

PSALM 69

EXPOSITION

This psalm is remarkable, on the one hand, for its terrible imprecations on enemies; and, on the other, for the frequency with which it is quoted in the New Testament: also, in a minor degree, for its manifestly composite structure, which sets stanzical arrangement at defiance—as may be seen by observing the varying indentations of the lines, which in the present rendering call attention to the numerous metrical changes evident in the Hebrew.

As to this past peculiarity, it may at once be remarked: That only by a drastic re-arrangement of its parts, can continuity of measure and symmetry of form be secured; and, even so, only at the risk of obliterating traces of living adaptation to his own circumstances effected by the final author: whose spontaneous comments on the two original psalms before him, we can here and there with probability distinguish. Readers caring to follow up this suggestion may find assistance by noting: That lines here set fully out in the margin are regarded as pentameters, those pushed in one degree at tetrameters, and those indented two degrees as trimeters, counting with Dr. Briggs by word-group beats. After making reasonable allowance for possible contractions and expansions of the lines without serious disturbance of the sense, there will still surely emerge to the critical eye clear indications that, in its present form, the psalm is decidedly composite.

Neatly connected with these matters of form arises the always interesting question of authorship. The traditional headline traces the psalm ultimately to David; nor is this note of origin probably so easily discredited as some critics appear to suppose. The opening lines of this psalm remind us of the first stanza of Psalms 40, which we saw reason to conclude came from David’s pen; and at the close of those lines (namely at Psalms 69:4 c) is a statement so peculiar that scholars have pronounced it a mere proverbial saying, the exact meaning of which is not to be pressed; when I had seized nothing then had I to make good. It seems not to have occurred to them to reflect how naturally this would become literally true of David, in those early days when he was accustomed to make raids in the name of King Saul into the territories of the Philistines and others, and when the hatred of the meaner spirits amongst Saul’s courtiers had already begun to show itself. As, however, there is no temptation to attribute the entire psalms to David, it becomes easy to remark how well many parts of the psalm could have come from Hezekiah—especially its close. To what extent the early life of Hezekiah was conformed to that of David in respect of the stern discipline of suffering and waiting, perhaps we shall never know, but from slight indications, discovered in Psalms 35, 42, 43, our minds are familiarised with the possibility that Hezekiah had a considerable share in sufferings such as are so emphatically memorialised in this psalm. Naturally, JEREMIAH stands preeminent as a prince of sufferers; and if in Psalms 31 we felt constrained to admit “the weeping prophet” into that gallery of portraits—even though placed there by the Sopherim (Intro., chap. I.)—it would be taking an extreme position to assume that we have none of Jeremiah’s work in this psalm. Nevertheless the reasons for so late a date to the whole psalm are probably by no means so conclusive as, for instance, Kirkpatrick deems them to be. But, in truth, anything like adequacy in experience of suffering to prepare the psalmist for penning the more sorrowful of the strains before us, is the less anxiously to be sought, the more we perceive the spirit of the Messiah to have been at work in preparing these lines of lamentation. If even Briggs has to say: “This sufferer is doubtless the ideal community of Psalms 22, Is. 53; “how readily may we assure ourselves that “the ideal community” has to be summed up and made possible by the patiently borne sufferings of the IDEAL MAN who, to our eyes, is in those scriptures so plainly delineated. In point of fact, as in previous psalms, so in this, the reachings forth of the Divine Spirit towards something more than types could express, are plainly visible; so that, for instance, as in Psalms 45 no “king most beautiful” can be found in Israel fully answering to the description there given, so probably it would be vain to expect to find in Israel any typical sufferer—or circle of sufferers—exhausting the terms of this psalm. Suffice it to observe, at this point, that whether with types or without them, many and undeserved are the woes which lead up to the great imprecatory passage which fills Psalms 69:22-28 of this psalm: which, indeed, for length and intensity, is really not exceeded by Psalms 109.

Now there are several considerations which may well be urged in mitigation of the difficulty widely felt respecting the OUTCRIES FOR VENGEANCE which are scattered throughout the Old Testament; and which, in the devotional atmosphere of the Psalms, are, to many sensitive minds, painfully unacceptable.

In the first place, it should be considered: That desire for the punishment of persistent evil-doers, is an ineradicable instinct of the human breast, rooted in the persuasion that the Judge of all the earth must needs do right, and in the apprehension that, were it otherwise, all faith in the government of God would necessarily come to an end.

In the second place it should be remarked: That vengeance is seldom if ever expressed, with any show of Divine approval, except as provoked by atrocious crimes of wilful cruelty and bloodshed. In this very psalm, an aggravation of offence is alleged against those against whom imprecations are uttered:

Because whom thou thyself had smitted they pursued,

And unto the pain of thy wounded ones they must needs add.

With which may be compared Isaiah 47:6 and other passages.

In the third place, it should be remembered: That there was no clear revelation, in those older times when the Old Testament was being written, of the reservation of rewards and punishments to a future life. Under such conditions the feeling naturally sprang up: “Now or never must justice be done!” Hence it was inevitable that, in periods of strain due to the triumph of the wicked, good men should cry out for early Divine intervention; so that normal moral conditions of life might be restored, and men generally be reassured that “there is fruit to the righteous.” Given, then, the instinctive impulse, the bitter occasion, and the time urgency—what wonder that grossly injured men should cry out to God for vengeance?

But in the fourth place, it should be called to mind: That to a large extent, times have been constitutionally changed since those Old Testament imprecations were uttered. For the Church of Christ, at least, a new Era has set in; seeing that the example, the commands, and especially the spirit of the Lord Jesus not only forbid outcries for vengeance, but render indulgence in them abhorrent to our better natures: so that what was excusable under the Law is unpardonable under the Gospel. We ourselves have been forgiven; and, at the risk of having our own pardon withdrawn (Matthew 18:21-35), we are solemnly bound by our Master to forgive even our enemies. Their repentance we must seek; and be ready to pardon. Hence we live in the atmosphere of forgiveness, human and divine. This is very much the reason why we are so shocked at the imprecations of the older time, and have to excuse ourselves from making them our own.

But this is not all. We have now, in the fifth place, to brace up our minds and to sharpen our vision to perceive and to realise: That the forgiveness of injuries is only a partial and after all temporary manifestation of the spirit of Christ. It is binding on individual Christians, and binding on the collective Church; but it is certainly not binding on the civil magistrate, or he would indeed “hold the sword in vain;” and even on individual Christians and the collective Church, it is, though binding, yet transitionally educative rather than of absolute and permanent obligation. For the present, retaliation is forbidden: for the present, forgiveness of injuries is enjoined: for the present, the forcible suppression of evil is to a real and serious degree postponed: for the present, prayers for the punishment of evil-doers naturally falter on our lips. Adequately to realise this is to reach a vantage ground which reveals on the one hand to what a spiritual elevation our Lord Christ has uplifted us, and on the other hand that the kingdom of God comprehensively viewed has in it lower levels which must be included. The most effective way to bring this home to us to study, not the earthly life only of our Master, but his entire commission as Redeemer and Monarch of mankind. On earth, he did not curse; he only blessed. But he warned, and uttered woes; he denounced, and he predicted; and the woes that trembled on his lips seemed to forecast the terrible “accursed” which he knew he should have to utter when he should sit as king on his throne of glory (Matthew 25:41). And, finally, “the wrath of the Lamb,” in its partial unveiling, is seen in the Apocalypse to strike apprehensive consternation into the hearts of men who would if they could hide themselves from its terrors (Revelation 6:16-17). So that, when we declare that the spirit of Christ is opposed to imprecations on the doers of wrong, this statement needs to be brought under the regulative restriction: That the Messiah in his humiliation, while as yet he was learning obedience by the things that he suffered (Hebrews 2:10) might not curse, and did not; but that, when released by his Father from that severe course of discipline, his “love of righteousness and hatred of lawlessness,” may and must so flame forth that “his own right hand shall teach him fearful things” (Psalms 45:4). Whether as it is now with him so it will hereafter be with us, when vested with immortal strength to bear so weighty a responsibility, may to some minds seem speculative and doubtful, and in any case probably remains to be seen. Ideally considered, it might seem fitting that, even to the Church, regarded as the Bride of the Lamb, should NOT be given the work of inflicting punishment on offenders, nor even be assigned the duty of offering prayers for its infliction; but, if not to Christians as such, yet almost certainly to Hebrews, there is in store a prerogative of vengeance of which the most formidable of Gentile nations might do well to stand in fear. Anything more solemnly admonitory in that direction than Psalms 149 cannot well be conceived; seeing that therein Jehovah’s very “men of kindness” are taught that it will be nothing less than a splendid service which they shall render when they are commissioned to—

“Let extollings of God be in their throats,

And a two-edged sword be in their hand;

To execute an avenging on the nations,

(To inflict) chastisements on the peoples;

To bind their kings with chains,

And their honorables with fetters of iron,—

To execute upon them the sentence written.”

Let Turkey beware! Let Russia beware! And let us British Christians learn to respect and not be wholly ashamed of the punitive element in our Holy Oracles.

The QUOTATIONS made from this psalm in the N.T. are too instructive to be passed over in silence. From Matthew 27:34 and John 19:28-29; also from John 2:17; John 15:25, and Romans 15:3, we see how clearly the Apostles discovered in their Lord the Sufferer of the psalm. From Acts 1:20, we gather how the imprecations of the psalm served the useful purpose of preparing the minds of his fellow-apostles for the falling of Judas out of their number. And, finally, from Romans 11:9-10, we perceive that this psalm assisted the Apostle Paul in accepting the unwelcome conviction that a temporary hardening of heart had been permitted by God to befall his own chosen people. In fine, while on the one hand there is in the N.T. no distinct echo of the maledictions of this psalm—no direct cursing therefrom repeated; yet, on the other hand, there is no shrinking from the practical use thereof in other ways—on the contrary, the evidence goes to shew how deeply its lessons had engraven themselves on the most godly minds in Israel. We ourselves also, in humble obedience to our Lord, must abstain from cursing—from making our own its prayers for the punishment for the wicked, even the maliciously injurious; but, if we enter intelligently into the reasons why this abstention becomes our duty, we can then study to profit this and the like examples of O.T. imprecations. The high standard of poetic beauty mostly attained by these stern lyrics may excite our reverent admiration; while the intense moral earnestness which they breathe may help to brace our minds to the strong and healthful conviction that in sacred things there should be no trifling, and that, after all, justice is the foundation of grace.

Story of the Aged

Psalms 70:1 to Psalms 71:24

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

According to the NIV Application Commentary, “Psalms 70, 71 are combined in many ancient manuscripts, indicating there were (in some traditions at least) read as a single psalm” (965). The other interesting aspect of these psalms is that Psalms 70 appears nearly verbatim in Psalms 40:13-17. Rather than teach these verses again, I would encourage our audience to study Psalms 40 which contains the words of Psalms 70. But we will read Psalms 70 along with Psalms 71 since these psalms were connected in Hebrew history. There are also some significant links between these two psalms. Both psalms also pray for the enemies to be ashamed: “Let those be ashamed and humiliated who seek my life” (Psalms 70:2). “Let those who are adversaries of my soul be ashamed and consumed” (Psalms 71:13). We also see similar wording in the pleas to God in these psalms. “O God, hasten to deliver me; O Lord, hasten to my help!” (Psalms 70:1). “O God, do not be far from me; O my God, hasten to my help!” (Psalms 71:12). Psalms 71 also lacks a heading in the superscription, while Psalms 70 contains a heading. So I think we have good reason to look at these psalms as a unit.

Psalms 70 is a call to God for deliverance and help to come quickly. Psalms 70:5 says, “But I am afflicted and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay.” In the composition, Psalms 70 ought to be looked at as the opening petition for God’s help. Psalms 71 continues David’s petition.

God, My Strong Refuge (Psalms 71:1-8)

David begins this psalm by openly declaring that he has put his hope and trust in the Lord. David is asking God to not let him down and not let him be put to shame by the outsiders because of his trust in the Lord. He uses three words to describe what he is looking for from God: deliver, rescue, and save. David wants the Lord to continue to be his rock that he can come to for deliverance, rescue, and salvation. His confession of the relationship with the Lord is: “For You are my rock and my fortress” (Psalms 71:3). This call and confidence is based upon God’s righteousness. We can infer from these words that David is being unjustly treated and he wants God to bring justice through judgment upon his enemies. We see this point more clearly in verse 4 where David asks God to rescue him from the hand of the wicked and ruthless. God’s righteousness is the basis for David’s confidence, a confidence he has had from his youth (Psalms 71:5). David uses the picture that God has been there watching over him and protecting him from the very beginning of life.

“I have become a marvel to many, for You are my strong refuge” (Psda 71:7). The word for “marvel” literally is “a wonder, a sign.” David’s life was a sign and a marvel to many people due to his ability to praise God continually and trust in God as a refuge even though he is in the hand of the wicked. Personally, I have found this to be an important way to deal with trials. You and I have the ability to become a wonder and a sign to many through our trust in God when suffering. We ought to be able to amaze people in our faith through life’s difficulties. We are a sign to our children and our family. We are a sign to our friends, neighbors, and co-workers. We are a sign to other Christians in our local church and sometimes throughout the state or country.

God, My Hope (Psalms 71:9-16)

Verse 9 informs us that we are late in David’s life. “Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength fails.” We would like to think that David was able to come to the end of his life in peace. But that was not the case. Even in his old age times of suffering still came and enemies still pressed against him. The attack of the enemies is with their tongues. The enemies gather together saying, “God has forsaken him; pursue and seize him, for there is no one to deliver.” Notice how David’s suffering is viewed in two different ways. The enemies see David’s problems as a sign that God had forsaken him. David saw himself as a sign of his faith in God despite the trials. Even with the disparaging view of the people, David puts his hope in God continually (Psalms 71:14). We cannot help but be impressed with the determination of David, even in his old age, to not give up on God. He continues to place his hope in God. David declares that he will praise God more and more and his mouth will continue to tell of God’s righteousness. How often does our suffering cause us to doubt God’s righteousness!!! We start think that God is not dealing with us in a fair manner. But notice that David all the more relies upon God’s righteousness despite the suffering he is enduring. In fact, David declares that we do not know or comprehend the sum of God’s righteousness (Psalms 71:16). Who are we to think that we understand the plan of God? Who are we to think that we know what is fair and just and what is not in our lives when we do not have the full knowledge that God has?

God, My Praise (Psalms 71:17-24)

In the final section of this psalm, David continues to describe the righteousness of God, and praise him for this attribute. “For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens, You who have done great things” (Psalms 71:19). David’s trust is great in the Lord. “You who have shown me many troubles and distresses will revive me again, and will bring me up again from the depths of the earth” (Psalms 71:20). David simply will not let go of God. How could David have this kind of strength all of his life through all the tragedies and sufferings he endured? I think there is one short sentence that David kept in his mind that we often forget: “O God, who is like You?” Who is like God? Where else will we turn in times of trouble? Where else will we place our confidence if we will not trust in God? David seems to be saying that the Lord has brought him to this point, through many trials, and God will continue to bring him through. There is no reason to give up on God now, when God has shown himself to be faithful throughout David’s life. God’s righteousness is where we can place our confidence.

The faithfulness of God is also praised in this psalm (Psalms 71:22). I believe these words of confidence fit well with our study this morning about Jesus’ words from the cross, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?” There will be many situations and times in our lives when it will look like we have been forsaken by God. Bad things will happen life. You and I have to be ready for those times and realize that God has not left us. The final two verses of this psalm seem to indicate that all of David’s confidence has not been misplaced. God has redeemed David’s life and those who caused David pain have been put to shame.

Applications

Early in his life and even in his old age, David triumphantly handled the trials of life. We see this turmoil that had come to David in his old age as he describes himself as nearing death (Psalms 71:20), losing strength (Psalms 71:9), and losing respect as the people believe God has forsaken him (Psalms 71:11). David endures by trusting in God to take care of all these matters. It simply will not do us any good to live our lives trusting God for the first three-fourths and then let go of God toward the end. David encourages us to remember the victories of the past and how God has been a deliverer even from the time of birth.

We cannot help but see this psalm in a moving context toward the Messiah. Under the Old Testament the Lord declared, “If a man guilty of a capital offense is put to death and his body is hung on a tree, you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse” (Deuteronomy 21:22-23). When the Jewish people saw Jesus on the cross, this is what they would have thought: he is cursed by God. This is the essence of the mockery of the people: “He has put His trust in God; let God rescue Him now—if He wants Him!” (Matthew 27:43). The Messiah would appear forsaken, but God would remain with Him. In fact, God would raise him from the dead. Look again at Psalms 71:20 with a view to the Messiah. “You who have shown me many troubles and distresses will revive me again, and will bring me up again from the depths of the earth.” While David was speaking about the prolonging of his life against his enemies, when set in the context of the Messiah we the picture of the resurrection, performed by God to show that he had not been forsaken.

PSALM 70 & 71

EXPOSITION

Although by this time the general terms and tenor of this compound psalm have become so familiar as to render detailed exposition needless, yet are there several most interesting questions which cluster around this composition as a whole. And first there is the position that it is a compound psalm—in other words that the two psalms are really one. Dr. Thirtle comes to the natural conclusion that, lacking any inscriptional line to divide them, they should be conjoined; and when we examine the contents in quest of confirmatory internal evidence, the result must be pronounced satisfactory, as the references appended to the two psalms will sufficiently indicate.

We next observe that, with a single exception, this psalm stands alone in its specific allusions to old age, and absolutely alone in the pathetic character of those allusions. In Psalms 92 the reference is wholly triumphant, as an outburst of joy in the assurance that the righteous do still bring forts fruit in old age. Here a very different note is struck. It is the plaintive appeal of an old man, that he may not be forsaken now that his vigour is departing from him. This note is the more touching in that it is deliberately repeated, and is set in striking contrast with the memories of a long and chequered life.

In point of fact, this feature of the psalm at once raises the familiar question of authorship, investing it, in the present instance, with an especial interest; inasmuch as we at once become inquisitive as to what psalm-composing saint of those olden times is likely to have been so deeply moved and so clearly depressed by the consciousness of advancing years, as the writer of this psalm manifestly is. The ascription of the psalm to David, naturally reminds us that this famous singer himself lived to become an old man; and the example of Psalms 39 would have prepared us for a sombre outlook, had that been all that is here in evidence; but it certainly would not have led us to look for an apprehension of being forsaken! The glimpse given us in Chronicles of the venerable monarch dedicating his bountiful gifts and those of his people for the building and furnishing of the Temple (1 Chronicles 29), utterly forbids the supposition that David could have feared being forsaken in his old age. We are not surprised, therefore, that these critics who are pre-disposed to post-date the authorship of the Psalms, should think of Jeremiah rather than of David as the writer, nor are we much surprised to find so conservative a critic as Delitzsch strongly inclining to that opinion; the drawback against that hypothesis being the not very serious one, that there is nothing beyond conjecture, or at most plausibility, to sustain the thought that the “weeping prophet” continued weeping till the last—though, even had he done so, it may be surmised it would rather have been over Jerusalem than over himself. But now, further noticing that, according to its superscription, this pathetic psalm was designed To bring to remembrance, the suggestion arises whether it may not enshrine memorials of the prophet Samuel himself: leaving David as the actual writer of the psalm, even as many of the incidents alluded to are Davidic, and much of the imagery is Davidic; still, embodying strains with which the youthful harpist first became familiar from the lips of the venerable president of the school of the prophets. The more we think of it, the more this supposition attracts us, at least as an alternative opinion—not the less so in that such a persuasion strikes a companion note to that which would trace to Samuel the first beginnings of the so-called Wisdom Literature. What, if in Samuel’s long and consecrated life, should be discovered the seeds of Sacred Song and the training of Sacred Minstrels, as well as the shaping of proverbs and aphorisms, the evolution of Sacred Drama? How did those sons of the prophets cultivate their gifts; they used musical instruments—therefore they sang, therefore they must have had, and probably composed, songs for singing. If his pupils did this must not he, their president, have had the gifts needed for their guidance? Assuming this probability, it is obvious to remark next, that Samuel had much in his old age to sadden him and to draw from him on a memorable occasion a pathetic reference to his grey hairs (1 Samuel 12:2): his sons not following in his steps, the people becoming envious and discontented, Saul a failure as king. We know that Samuel and David came into contact; and we ask whether it is not within the bounds of likelihood that, on some never-to-be forgotten occasion, the forebodings of Samuel’s troubled heart found rhythmical utterance in terms which made a profound impression on David’s mind; and that, although the latter may never have used them, hitherto, yet now at length, when his own age is advancing, with sufficient self-consciousness to move his sympathy from other ageing men, these strains are revived with sufficient strength to urge him to embalm them in a psalm of exquisite tenderness and deep pathos. As soon as this likelihood finds lodgment in our minds and we again peruse the psalm under its influence, expression after expression leaps out into vividness as even more suited to Samuel’s story than to any other with which we are familiar. Who, more fittingly than he could claim that Jehovah had been his trust and his teacher from his youthful days? Who, so justly as he, could assert that he had been spending his life hitherto in declaring God’s wonders? Who, so well as the trainer of prophets and minstrels, could plead with such force to be spared yet a little longer to prepare instructors for coming generations? We do not dogmatise; nor do we more than suggest the traces of an influence affecting the avowed singer’s mind. The psalm is David’s—at least, it has upon it the tokens of his experience, the abounding of his figures of speech; but it is enriched with memories other than his own, memories which strengthen rather than weaken the claims of the psalm to be attributed to him.

There is one other matter claiming attention before this psalm is dismissed, namely, its assertion of a hope of resurrection (Psalms 71:20). The surprising thing about this is the degree to which such an assertion has been obscured by translators and expositors; by translators, in softening down, to the ambiguous idea of “quickening,” of a word which primarily means to restore to life; and by expositors, in a rather hasty and needless turning aside to a mere national resuscitation. The correct principle of interpretation surely is—first, fact—then figure; first, the individual—then the national. Who would speak of the birth of a nation, to whom the birth of an individual was not familiar? In like manner, who would think of the re-birth, or resurrection, of a nation, to whom the re-birth or resurrection of the individual was not already pre-supposed, as the more familiar conception? It might have been thought that in a text like this, wherein the parallel of resuscitation is the being brought up out of the deeps of the earth, in clear recognition of the Hebrew doctrine of Sheol or Hades (cp. Intro., Chap. III., “Hades”), the assertion of individual resurrection would have been allowed a chance of asserting itself. But no! Delitzsch Perowne, and Kirkpatrick all fail us; and even the Massorites are blamed for preferring the singular “me” to the plural “us” in their various readings, notwithstanding the admitted fact that they had the Septuagint and other ancient versions to justify their preference, and the further fact that—according to the confession of Dr. Briggs—“the first person singular best suits the context.” The last-named critic does not hesitate to apply the entire Psalm to the Hebrew nation, with regard to its old age as well as with regard to its youth. Now, we can understand how a nation may not hesitate to count itself to be still young; but it is by no means so easy to acquiesce in the likelihood that it would complacently and pathetically confess itself to be aged and nearly worn out. In fact we cannot help wondering, at what precise stage of this nation’s existence, it settled down so easily to the admission that it had become decrepit, as to find heart to sing about its pitiable senility! And this concerning a race remarkable for its longevity, and whose embodied nationality may, after more than five-and-twenty centuries’ further lapse, be only in abeyance. Would it not be better to admit frankly, that a nation may easily, in song, regard itself as summed up in the persons of its chief heroes, without wiping those heroes out of personal existence, or assuming that they had no individual experience worth recording? And further, in the admitted infrequency of O.T. allusions to a future life and to incorruption, is it worthy of Christian scholars to pare down those allusions to the lowest possible number? Rather let us hear and individual hope, whether voiced by Samuel or by David or by Jeremiah, triumphantly expressing itself by saying:

Whereas thou hast let me see many distresses and misfortunes,

Thou shalt again restore me to life,

Yea out of the deeps of the earth shalt thou bring me up.

And then, if you will, leave it to Hezekiah, to bring up lute and lyre and lips and soul and tongue to celebrate the glowing expectation.

The Exalted King

Psalms 72:1-20

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

We have spent a lot of time trying to understand how the Jewish people understood the psalms and the prophets. Psalms 72 is an important psalm which requires us to look carefully at how the Hebrews interpreted the text.

The Jews understood these psalms in their original context, but also applied the psalms and the prophets to the days of the Messianic age. The Dead Sea Scrolls shows that this is the way the psalms and the prophets were used.

Notice this quotation from the Dead Sea Scrolls concerning Habakkuk 1:6 : “For I am now about to raise up the Chaldeans, that brutal and reckless people.” This refers to the Kittim, who are swift and mighty in war, annihilating many people, [and …] in the authority of the Kittim and the wic[ked …] and have no faith in the laws of God. (1QpHab; 2.10-15)

This shows that this is how the Jewish people understood their sacred books. Even though Habakkuk specifically prophesied against the Chaldeans (the Babylonians), the Qumran community, who lived from the first century B.C. to the first century A.D., believed this was speaking about the Kittim, a common Jewish term for the Romans. The text not only had application to the days of Habakkuk and his circumstances, but also applied to the Jewish in their own day and time, with special emphasis on the Messianic age.

The scriptures show this method of interpretation as well. In dealing with the Pharisees in the first century, Jesus said: “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me’” (Mark 7:6). When we go back to Isaiah 29:13 we realize that Isaiah was not speaking about the Pharisees in the first century but was speaking to the sinfulness of his own time. But the Jewish people took those prophecies and applied the teachings to their own day and time.

As we come back to Psalms 72, we see that this psalm requires this time of understanding. Solomon is the author and is speaking about his own conditions. However, the Jewish people understood this text to be looking forward to the Messianic age.

Psalms 72:1 reads: “O God, give your justice to the king and Your righteousness to the king’s son.” Compare Solomon’s words with the words of the Targum, an Aramaic translation of the scriptures which dates from the exile: “O God, give your just rulings to the King Messiah, and your righteousness to the son of King David.” Therefore, as we read this psalm we want to consider its meaning at the time of Solomon as well as what the Messianic kingdom will be like.

Character of the Kingdom (Psalms 72:1-4)

In the first four verses the essential character of the kingdom is described. The primary characteristic is righteousness and justice. The king will judge the people in righteousness. The fruit of this righteous judgment is peace to the people. This is exactly what Solomon prayed for at the beginning of his reign which the Lord found pleasing.

“Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” (1 Kings 3:7-9).

The Messiah would rule in righteousness, unlike Israel’s previous kings who acted in their own selfish interests. In this kingdom of righteous rule, peace would exist for the people.

Duration of the Kingdom (Psalms 72:5-7)

Psalms 72:5-7 describes the eternal nature of God’s kingdom. God’s throne will be established and remain forever. While the prayer is for the physical kingdom to exist forever, the fulfillment is found in the Messianic reign whose throne is established forever.

Expanse of the Kingdom (Psalms 72:8-11)

Solomon then describes the vast expanse of God’s kingdom. The kingdom of God is described as universal. The kingdom is “from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.” His rule is so extensive that even the desert nomads bow and kings of Tarshish (Spain) send tribute.

Nature of the Kingdom (Psalms 72:12-14)

The fourth characteristic of the Messianic kingdom is compassionate. The Messiah will deliver the need and the afflicted. He will have compassion on the poor and needy, even saving their lives. People who have been victimized by violence and suffered oppression will be rescued to love and serve the Messiah.

Blessing of the Kingdom (Psalms 72:15-17)

Prosperity is the final characteristic of the kingdom of the Messiah. Blessings will come from the rule of Christ. Verse 17 recalls the original promise the Lord made to Abraham that through his seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Here we see the Messianic tone of Psalms 72, “All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed” (NIV). The blessings of the Messiah are pointed out by Paul in the first chapter of Ephesians: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

Conclusion (Psalms 72:18-20)

This ending seems to not only be for Psalms 72 but also for the second book of the Psalter. God alone does marvelous works and must be praised for those works. Particularly, this praise is in the hope of the future work of the Messiah.

APPLICATIONS:

This kingdom exists now. It is sad to see people think that this is a kingdom that has not arrived yet. The Messiah is Jesus and he restored the kingdom. >”Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28). “I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation, kingdom, and perseverance in Jesus…” (Revelation 1:9).

Since we are part of this kingdom, we must open our eyes to the blessings we are enjoying in the kingdom. We are in the Messianic kingdom of righteousness and peace. We are in a kingdom extending compassion to each of us who have been hurt by the world and been hurt by sin. We can come to God for help and healing. This is a kingdom that will not end so it is our time to join the eternal reign of Christ to receive His many blessings.(NIV)

PSALM 72

EXPOSITION

If we assume that behind this psalm lay many prayers by David taking effect in the mind of Solomon his son by fostering a worthy ideal of what a good king might do for his people and a determination to fulfil that ideal; and that the youthful heir to the throne himself embodied that ideal and that determination in a prayer to be used by his people on his accession to the throne,—we shall probably form a correct conception of the origin of the psalm. The deep and wide desire here expressed is worthy of David; the form it assumes is Solomonic to a marked degree; and if, beyond this, there are conceptions going far beyond any which we should have thought it likely that Solomon would entertain,—these we may attribute in part to the educative influence which we have elsewhere seen cause to attribute to the Davidic Kingly covenant communicated through Nathan the prophet, and partly to the free action of the inspiring Spirit on the psalmist’s mind. There is certainly one element in the psalm, which might have seemed at first sight better suited to a later reign, such as that of Hezekiah—following the declension of King Ahaz’s days, or even of Josiah—succeeding to the corruptions of the reigns of Manasseh and Amon; namely, a background of existing oppression and wrong, loudly calling for relief, and which we can with difficulty imagine David to have bequeathed to his son Solomon. If, notwithstanding this, we feel, as well we may, that at no later period than that immediately succeeding David’s day, could there have been, in the atmosphere, such a constellation of bright hopes, ready for recognition and psalmody, as here bursts upon our view, then we must needs see, once more, the Antitype breaking loose from the Type, and going beyond it. And this is, in all probability, what we are here called upon to recognise; for, if, with the Targum, we hold that this Ideal King is ultimately the Messiah, and if we look for Messiah’s manifested reign to follow upon the evil domination of Antichrist, it is easy to see what a throng of wicked deeds of oppression, the world over, will be waiting for relief and redress when the Messiah himself ascends the Throne of David.

Not only in respect of manifold oppressions needing royal interposition in order to their removal, do we here perceive an element carrying us beyond Solomon, but in other ways besides; for example, in the universality of his dominion, in the peerless glory of his name, and in the realisation through the Ideal King of the worldwide blessing promised to Abraham. Leaving the thoughtful reader to conceive, as best he may, how mighty the Messianic impulse of the psalm thus appears, it may serve a useful purpose to emphasise one or two of the more obvious characteristics of the Ideal King as here portrayed.

The central position and causal efficacy of Stanza IV. are remarkable. This stanza is introduced by the only Because of the psalm. And here let us note what it is that leads up to this stronghold of the logical sense—that it is nothing less than the Imperial Supremacy which is desired for the Ideal King. Let his adversaries kneel before him; let his foes lick the dust; let distant kings come to render him homage with their rich gifts; in short, let all kings bow down to him and all nations do him service; BECAUSE he deserves it—because he deserves it in a peculiar way, with a worth proved by deeds, deeds of pity and love and matchless generosity; for note how the verbs are accumulated in support of this one strong because: “because” he rescueth, hath pity, saveth, redeemeth, and finally, if Delitzsch is correct in the striking climax to which he brings this stanza, endoweth, out of his own royal treasury, the lives that he spareth:—THEREFORE let all kings and nations do him willing homage and service, gladly acknowledging that never such a king bare rule before. Not by doings of power, but by deeds of love, is universal dominion here desired.

And yet there is power behind and along with the love: power wielded by love, power giving effect to love—no pity for the perverters of justice, to the extent of sparing them to be perverters again. No! the implied threats to those who wrong their poor neighbors, are strong as iron, fitted to strike terror into cruel hearts. In order that he may vindicate the humbled and bring salvation to the needy, let him—so it is expressly desired—let him crush the oppressor! May his foes lick the dust. Language like this ought to stand high and clear above the possibility of mistake.

Nevertheless, this Ideal King knows how to be gentle. It is desired that his beneficent influence be like rain coming down on a mowing, bringing the crop to perfection before it is cut. How much that beautiful phrase, coining down, suggests—of efficacious gentleness, descending into all the nooks and crannies and crevices of actual lowly life. Nor does the psalmist shrink from pointing to actual temporal benefits, anticipated to result from this gentle yet strong king’s dominion. In language which it would be a sin to spiritualize, he prays, that, instead of uncultivated wastes, agriculture may carry her triumphs, terrace above terrace, to the summits of the mountains; and then, while the breezes of Lebanon are still upon his cheeks, he thinks of the pale-faced city-dwellers, and desires that they may bloom like the fresh shoots of the earth.

Such is the picture. It is Messianic. But it is unfulfilled. It does not correspond with the spiritual and invisible reign of the Messiah in heaven. It is a mockery of the down-trodden of earth, to treat this psalm as if it were now in course of fulfilment. It is valid, but it is in reserve. It has never yet been fulfilled; but it will be fulfilled in the letter and in the spirit. Why its accomplishment has been so long delayed, must be sought elsewhere. Meantime, a comprehensive study of all the psalms which have a direct bearing on the Kingdom of God, will assist the student to get upon the high-road of correct and successful interpretation. When men are ready to do ungrudgingly honour to the God of Israel, then will the time not be far distant when the whole earth shall be filled with his glory. Cp. Intro., Chapter III., “Kingdom.”

The Challenge of Righteousness

Psalms 73:1-28

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Asaph was one of the members of the tribe of Levi whom David put in charge of the worship at the tabernacle (1 Chronicles 6:39). Most of the psalms were penned by David. However, Asaph is the author of Psalms 73. Asaph writes this psalm about the struggle of being righteous.

The psalm begins with a statement of hope and trust, which is important considering the road Asaph is going to take down in this psalm. “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart” (Psalms 73:1). This beginning is important because Asaph is praising and recognizing the goodness of God even though he has difficulty understanding the events of the world.

The Doubt of Asaph (Psalms 73:2-15)

Asaph says that he had some doubts that nearly caused him to slip. Why did his feet nearly slip? Asaph nearly lost his foothold because of the prosperity of the wicked. Asaph is looking around and seeing the success of the wicked. Asaph looks and it seems like the wicked have no struggles and their bodies are healthy and strong. Amid all of this prosperity, these people are committed all sorts of evil. They are callous toward iniquity. They clothe themselves in violence and pride. They are arrogant and full of malice, yet they are prosperous. In fact, the wicked give no concern toward God. They act like God does not know and does not see their wickedness.

This is an interesting view that Asaph takes, though I think we have all thought the same thing at various times in our lives. Do the wicked really have no problems? No, we know that is not true. We just blind ourselves to their problems because we see their prosperity. Do the wicked really have good health? No, they do not have any better health than the righteous. But we feel this way because we sometimes want to see the wicked receive justice now. We witness the righteous having difficulties in life and do not understand how the righteous are not prospering when they are trying to do what is right. The righteous are not ignoring God. The righteous are not scoffing in arrogance. But prosperity does not flood the righteous. We want God to give good health and wealth to only the righteous and strike down the wicked with poverty and illness now.

Psalms 73:12 epitomizes this view concerning the wicked: “This is what the wicked are like—always carefree, they increase in wealth.” It is interesting that we look so longingly toward the world. This is a tremendous temptation against our faith when we have this outlook toward the world. This is why Asaph said that his feet almost stumbled and his steps nearly slipped. The crux of the problem is stated in Psalms 73:13-14 : “Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning.”

The problem is that Asaph is going through a trial. He says that he has been plagued all day long and been punished every morning. Asaph is suffering and he does not understand why because he has kept his heart pure. Because Asaph does not see the wicked suffering like he is suffering, he declares that he has been righteous for no reason. Satan really presses us in the middle of a trial to look around and think that our righteousness has been in vain. This is why many people fall away from the Lord when the trial comes. It does not make sense to serve God if life is not easy. So this is the problem that Asaph is dealing with and it is a problem that we all encounter in a trial.

The Turning Point (Psalms 73:15-17)

But in Psalms 73:15-17 we come to a turning point in the psalm and the turning point in Asaph’s thinking. Deep within himself, Asaph knows that he is wrong for how he is feeling. Psalms 73:15 reflects this because Asaph was unwilling to speak these aloud to God’s children, the people of Israel. He has kept this turmoil to himself, not wanting to cause anyone to stumble. But trying to understand his own circumstances in contrast to the prosperity of the righteous still is causing him difficulty. But his inability to understand these circumstances changes when Asaph enters the sanctuary of God. Going into the sanctuary caused Asaph to see life from God’s perspective. One of the purposes of worship is to put God at the center of our vision. Asaph goes into the courtyard and perhaps he sits down and reads the mighty deeds of God in the scroll of Exodus. Asaph would see the fire burning from the altar, reminding him of his position before the Almighty God, reminding him of his sin, and reminding him of God’s mercy.

Friends, in a trial, one of our first acts we must take within ourselves is to center ourselves on God’s perspective. I cannot stand back and try to justify my circumstances versus the circumstances of other people I know. I cannot try to explain my parent’s divorce. I cannot explain why I have a special needs child. I am looking from a human, worldly perspective when I see the wicked who do not have the problems I have and charge God with being unjust, unfair, and useless. We are greatly tempted to say “why bother serving God” when severe trials come upon us. We must immediately adjust to a godly perspective. This seems to be what Asaph is able to do by going to the sanctuary of God.

Understanding From God’s Perspective (Psalms 73:18-28)

A new awareness of the wicked (Psalms 73:18-20).

Asaph realizes that the wicked will not go unpunished. We have such a limited view of our lives because we only look at the here and now. Our time on the earth is the shortest part of our lives. Justice will then be served by God to all people. God will be sure that every person receives their just reward and due punishment. Further, the wicked do not have a better life now. From our vantage point it seems that they have health and wealth. Yet, their health fades just like the righteous and their wealth will not endure. The wicked are not stable in this world. The wicked encounter the same problems in life that encounter and yet have no hope of justification from God at the judgment. God will arise and God will act against evildoers.

A new awareness of himself (Psalms 73:21-22).

When we put God at the center of our vision, then we realize that our thoughts were wrong and we have falsely charged God. To think that righteousness is worthless and that God will not deal with the wicked is to be senseless and ignorant. Asaph’s response is the same response that Job had at the end of his trial: “Then Job answered the LORD and said: ‘I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.’” (Job 42:1-6).

A new awareness of God’s blessings of the righteous (Psalms 73:23-26).

When we open our eyes to the spiritual realm and stop measuring life from the physical then we are able to see the blessings of God clearly. Asaph realizes that God holds him by his right hand. This is a beautiful picture of the Father holding the hand of the child through a difficult time. Any time we are in a parking lot, the girls have to hold my hand until we get to safety. Asaph now sees that God is holding Asaph’s hand to bring him to safety. God will never fail us, regardless of the pain we may suffer. Though everything in this world may fail us, God will not. Put your trust in the unchanging God.

Concluding hope (Psalms 73:27-28).

The final two verses (Psalms 73:27-28) of this psalm are the conclusion of the matter for Asaph and for the congregation. (1) Those who are far away from the Lord will perish. This is an important, unchanging truth. God will destroy the unfaithful. Therefore, do not be envious of their situation. (2) It is good to be near God. It is better to be near God than to be far away from God. As difficult as it can be to live the righteous life, it is better than leading a life without God. Problems will come to all; do you want God with you or against you when problems come. (3) Make the Lord your refuge. When trouble strikes, go to the sanctuary of the Lord. Set your focus upon God. Put God in the center of your vision. See life from God’s perspective. (4) Tell the world about the goodness of God. God’s deliverance is a powerful evangelistic tool to share with others. Tell them about how God helped you through your turbulent times. (NIV)

PSALM 73

EXPOSITION

It is fortunate that the uniform rendering of the expressive particle ah, in Psalms 73:1; Psalms 73:13; Psalms 73:18 of this psalm, has led to such a striking commencement of a poem which embraces a precious mental history; since, by the combination, in that little word, of an affirmative with a restrictive meaning, it so happily opens the whole case, as to suggest to Perowne the following amplification: “Yes, it is so; after all, God is good, notwithstanding all my doubts.” This entitles him to say of the psalmist: “That the result of the conflict is stated before the conflict itself is described. There is no parade of doubt merely as doubt. He states first, and in the most natural way, the final conviction of his heart.”

The next point of importance is suggested by a comparison of Psalms 18:26 (“To the pure thou didst shew thyself pure”) with the final clause of the psalmist’s first statement—to the pure in heart. Only a pure mind can vindicate a pure God. In confessing how nearly he had lost his confidence in God’s goodness, the psalmist admits that his thoughts had, in a measure, become defiled: he had looked, he had lusted—without taking moral quality into account. Happily, he looked again: until he saw something more than prosperity; and that later look helped to clarify his thoughts. But at first he lingeringly viewed the glitter and the show, until he felt his feet slipping from under him. His attention had clearly been arrested by fascinating examples of godless prosperity: examples shewing the absence of fettering restrictions, sound health, freedom from common troubles, immunity from providential inflictions. It should here be noted how a premature and disturbing notice of the “death” of those well-to-do godless men is avoided, by a critical revision of the Hebrew text, which after all amounts to no more than a re-grouping of the Hebrew letters. Premature such an allusion would certainly be; “for surely,” says Delitzsch, “the poet cannot begin the description of the prosperity of the ungodly with the painlessness of their death, and only then come to speak of their healthfulness.” Moreover, when afterwards, in Psalms 73:18-19, the psalmist does undoubtedly confront the death of the lawless, it is very doubtful whether he intends to imply that it is painless. At all events, in his first stanza he confines himself to the fascination of the godless lives to which his attention had been repeatedly drawn.

In the second stanza, however, while the fascination still lingers, certain repulsive features begin to obtrude themselves. A necklace and a flowing robe are, no doubt, signs of opulence and social importance; but, when the former of these is haughtiness and the latter is violence, then, alas! for those who have to suffer from them. Fatness generates iniquity: perverse imaginations overflow in speech. Mocking at things sacred and divine, such assuming and insolent men speak oppression, as their appropriate dialect. With open profanity, their mouth sets divine law at defiance, and their tongue presumes to propose laws concerning all men and things in the earth to please themselves—in their unmitigated selfishness. Such is the purport of the second stanza. It is the result of a second look at the prosperous ungodly. It is proof of a determination to look even worldly fascinations full in the face. The discovery is already being made that it is not all gold that glitters; and, as the result, the snare is already nearly broken.

But, as stanza three shews, there is another source of danger to be considered: “WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY” sometimes perverts our own judgment. What, then, do they say? let us not fear to examine it. That these prosperous lawless ones wield a great influence, is, indeed, too apparent. Not only do they influence their own clan—each wealthy prince his own people,—as some expositors take Psalms 73:10 a to intimate; but even among His people that is, God’s,—some there may be who are seduced into the expectation of discovering waters of abundance where these enviable wealthy men have already found them: And so these admirers reason themselves into scepticism. It is shallow reasoning, but it is taking. “Look you,” say these misguided onlookers, “these are such as good people call ‘lawless men’; and yet see how they get on: see how, for a life-time, they have been secure from providential visitation, and to what wealth they have attained! Talk of Providence—where is it? Does God—if there be one—know anything about it?” So much for Psalms 73:10-12 of this stanza.

It is probably best to take Psalms 73:13-14 as still continuing to describe “what other people say” who are unduly under the influence of the prosperous lawless ones: only, now, another class of them comes into view—namely the hitherto punctilious people, more alive to their religious “profit and loss account” than to abstract reasonings about the Divine Government. We need not deny that, by voicing the precise difficulty felt by these whining and selfish religionists, the psalmist, at the same time, provides that his own transient doubts of the like kind shall find expression. Suffice it, that the pernicious influence of the ungodly rich has been amply described.

But it is time that the tables were turned, and a decisive solution of the problem were given; and so, here, at Psalms 73:15, we come to the second part of the psalm. It is observable, that the psalmist resumes where he left off; namely, with the consideration of what others would say—only now the “others” are a very different class from those just described. He now brings before him those whom, in their collective capacity, he terms the circle of God’s sons, amongst whom, therefore, a sense of the Divine Fatherhood is still preserved. “What will these say,” he seems to ask, “if I frankly tell them of these admirations of the godless rich, and these shallow reasonings about their example; if, at least, I tell the story as though I for myself seriously felt its spell? Will they not be shocked that I have so betrayed the honour of our Divine Fatherhood?” Happy the reasoner who has a circle of brethren from whom such a counteracting and healing influence may be counted upon; so that, to think of frankly telling them of his mental difficulties, is to feel those difficulties more than half solved by anticipation. Thrice happy was Asaph, that he was one of such a companionship of pure hearted Israelites—the more so, because he was both a thinker and a prophet: as a thinker, able to appreciate the mental travail involved in working out a difficult problem (Psalms 73:16); and, as a prophet, knowing by experience how a sudden flash of light from the Spirit of God could at once remove difficulties which no mere thinking could solve (Psalms 73:17). Hence, as he here intimates, although he at once began to think, he was not sanguine of the results to be expected from that process alone: he counted much more for success upon such a REVELATION as he felt would be more likely to be vouchsafed amidst the congenial influences of the great sanctuary of God than elsewhere: the great sanctuary, with its leisure and quiet, with its sacred associations, with its solemn sacrifices, with its inspiring music, and especially with its songs old and new, some of which, like 37 and 49, might be found to have anticipated his present difficulties, or at least to favour the making of fresh discoveries by his own mind. It should be noted, however, that the psalmist’s late experience and present ponderings are already putting him on the right track for search; that, in fact, he knows the precise point on which he needs illumination: namely the future of these ungodly prosperous men: until I could consider their future. We do wisely to be thus careful to observe precisely where this stanza breaks off—the exact point to which it leads up; and there can be no mistake that now the language of the psalm leads over from reflection and resolve to that of discovery. In Psalms 73:17 it is resolve: in Psalms 73:18 it is discovery. The discovery is introduced by the significant term after all, to which reference has already been made; and the disclosure is thenceforward continued in the form of direct address to Deity. Note the wording: thou dost set them—thou hast let them fall—when thou bestirrest thyself—their image wilt thou despise. Plainly it is now the confident language of direct address to Deity. But the language is changed, because the scene has changed: the psalmist is now in the great sanctuary, and feels himself to be in the very presence of God, and by the confident directness and assurance of his words shews that he has now received the further light which he was resolved to seek concerning the future of these ungodly prosperous men. Thus, then, every word of the ensuing stanza demands our most careful attention—and our utmost confidence.

“After all,”—he exclaims, in the very language of discovery: “after all the wealth and all the power and show; after all the admiration and envy and the vain reasoning; after all the appearance of thine indifference, as though thou knewest not how thou wast being set at nought: after all, thou hast been very much in this very thing, carrying forward thy holy designs. For thou hast been setting these very men whom their fellows have so much envied, in slippery places of uttermost peril.” We naturally and rightly supply, in undertone, from our other and it may be fuller knowledge of the fairness and equity of God’s ways, the important qualification: “Thus—for sins already committed—hast thou been punishing them for their presumption in wilfully persisting in doing without thee.” And it was well, therefore, that we detected, in the first lines sketching the image of these men, the note of previous self-determination to evil: they had already become unfettered, having brushed aside Divine law and silenced the voice of conscience. “As a punishment for this previous course of sin and self-hardening; and (should we not add?) as a last Divine resort to convince them of their folly: thou dost set them in slippery places.” Alas! in the actual circumstances revealed to the psalmist, this punishment avails nothing for reformation, but takes effect as punishment with destructive effect. With startling fulness and vigour is this disclosure made: “Thou hast let them fall into ruins—like a bowing wall which comes down of its own weight with a crash, its ruin being sudden and complete.” With this revelation the psalmist’s mind is deeply impressed—as its exclamatory form shows: “How have they become a desolation in a moment—so complete! so sudden!” The final catastrophe is further described by terms piled up for effect: They have come to an end, have been consumed,—how could complete destruction be more strongly expressed? But, to this, the significant addition is made: in consequence of terrors—who shall venture to say what these terrors are? As in Job 18:11; Job 18:14; Job 24:17; Job 27:20; Job 30:15, they may be terrors within the bounds of this life, and closing it; or, as in Ezekiel 26:21; Ezekiel 27:36; Ezekiel 28:19, they may be terrors connected with the Hadean continuation of existence, and ending it. That they do terminate the being of these erewhile boasters, is the one thing which the disclosure makes plain. We have not yet done with this description. Let us complete our notice of it, before we turn back to ask what it all means. With a simple oriental audacity which has in it no particle of irreverence, the psalmist represents the Sovereign Lord as having been asleep while these godless rich have been indulging their lust of wealth and pomp and power—and cruelty: by all which we understand no more than that Adonai had interfered as little as though he had been asleep. But, working out this figurative vein, he says: “as a dream (is despised) by one who awakeneth, Sovereign Lord! when thou bestirrest thyself (to deal with their case as it demands and deserves) their image wilt thou despise.” Here, undoubtedly, much depends upon a right appreciation of the word image; since, whatever it is, it is something which Adonai despises, and it becomes us to be careful how we define an object of avowed Divine aversion! Scholars are not quite agreed in their renderings of this instance of the Hebrew zelem. The R.V., Perowne and Leeser follow the A.V. in translating it “image”; but Carter and Delitzsch represent it by “shadow,” Driver by “semblance,” Briggs and Wellhausen (in P.B.) by “phantom.” Now, undoubtedly, there is one passage, namely Psalms 39:6, in which—by reason of the context—some such rendering is required; and it is further undeniable that the notion of “shadow” lies at the root of the original word; for which very reason, however, it is submitted that “image” is the better translation in the present instance; not only as connecting his passage with the account of man’s creation in Genesis (Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 9:6), and usefully reminding us in passing that even there man’s likeness to his Maker—consisting in his capacity to rule (cp. Exposition on Psalms 8) was after all little more than a “shadow” of the Divine capacity and power to govern; but more particularly and most vitally that the very word “image” is the term which takes us to the heart of this most weighty passage. “Their image—as a mere caricature of thine own, it is, O Sovereign Lord, which thou wilt despise!” Assuredly, it is not the mere frailty of man’s ordinary mortal condition, which God despises; nor is it the attenuated semblance of man’s former self which alone can penetrate hades “as far as the circle of his fathers” (Psalms 49:19), which God despises. Out of the former, by transformation, he can raise up new men, mighty as angels and immortal as his own Son; and unto the latter, as still “the work of his own hands,” he may come to have a “longing,” as Job faintly hoped (Job 14:15). Therefore it is neither of these semblances, as such, that Adonai despises; for despises is a strong word, and in neither of the above cases is it consistent with the known condescension of “a faithful Creator” (1 Peter 4:19). No! far other than merely these, is the object which here starts forth from the canvas as, so to speak, exciting the contempt of an awakened and affronted God. It is the primary image of God, wickedly, wantonly disfigured. Even we, under Asaph’s sympathetic guidance, have, already—within the compass of this psalm—looked on that “image” and loathed it: the unfettered free-thinker and free-liver; the fat, sleek pamperer of his precious self; the so-called pet of Providence, stranger alike to ordinary and extraordinary trouble; deeming it an adornment to be haughty, and a becoming robe to be violent; whose gross mind concocts evil schemes; whose vile mouth propounds and promotes and defends unblushing villainies; whose tongue talks as if all the earth had been made for his convenience—a man therefore who practically deems himself to be his own God! alas turned devil! Have we by this time learned to detest him? How great a wonder, then, that a holy God should have left him to himself so long!

Such then, in full, is the description given by Asaph of the revelation which he had received in the great sanctuary of God, concerning the future of the lawless rich bearing this debased image of God.

And now what does it all mean? Does it merely mean sudden death; or does it rather mean total death: an utter destruction of personal being? If any elect to say, “Merely sudden death”; may we not turn upon them with the question, how mere sudden death meets the case? Suppose we could (as we cannot, for want of evidence) accept it as an observed fact, that such presumptuous men do uniformly die sudden deaths; how would that alone solve this mystery of providence? Is there, after all, any such broad distinction to be drawn between slow death and sudden death? What does it signify so much, whether a man is struck down in a moment, or whether he slowly wastes and wears away? It is not at all plain that there is anything material in the difference. Besides, it may with confidence be affirmed, that this is not the direction in which the text points. Certainly, suddenness is there—at least relative suddenness (in a moment). But the point emphasized by the accumulated terms of the passage is rather the completeness of the destruction, than the suddenness of the death. Indeed, it looks as though the word “death” had been carefully avoided; but while the common word “death” is avoided, the word terrors is emphatically brought in, and some scope must naturally be given in which those terrors may be supposed to effect the terrible overthrow intended: an overthrow so terrible and complete that before the psalm is ended, it is termed both a perishing and an extermination. In fine, the impression made by the whole passage is, that it is not what is understood as an ordinary sudden death that is meant; but an awful infliction of the utter destruction of the whole being by some unendurable manifestation of Divine wrath: as a Christian, availing himself of New Testament language, might say,—the first and second deaths being blended in one, and the terrors including the wrath of the Lamb (Revelation 6:16-17). These may be regarded as here foreshortened for the practical purpose of summary statement, and because the then current knowledge of the future could not bear the introduction of details. Reverting to what the O.T. itself does teach, we may usefully remind ourselves of that great passage in Isaiah (Isaiah 57:16) which plainly intimates that there is possible such a protracted manifestation of Divine anger, as no man could sustain; and though, there, the intention seems to be, to let in a hope of mercy, yet here the intention is equally visible of excluding such hope. Of course, if death were ordinarily to be taken as equivalent to total extinction of personal being, all this would amount to nothing; and our exposition would have to remain unfinished. But, assuredly, we may, with the general consent of Bible readers, dismiss that devastating conception of death as extravagantly unwarrantable; and therefore may reaffirm our present contention that the utter desolation and final extinction of personal being is the true meaning of this passage: first, because it completely fills up the terms employed, and, second, because it solves the providential mystery it was given to explain. After such a revelation, who dare pray to be rich, who can desire to be set in such slippery places? The temptation is gone; and therefore it follows that the answer is complete. In further confirmation of all which, as thus far advanced, suffice it to call attention to the broad, fundamental harmony which this exposition of the Psalms unfolds. In the first of this series of Psalms 37, 49, 73, it was submitted that for the righteous man there is a future: for transgressors there is not! The confident assurance of the truth of that conclusion has helped us so far through this psalm and nothing else could. That conclusion stands as an immovable principle. Details are yet needed, but some particulars are already being supplied. Here we see not only the principle confirmed; but the detailed and penetrating lesson taught, that even in this life the Divine image may be so defaced and caricatured as to become an offence to the Almighty and ripe for destruction, as a consequence of unknown terrors!

In at length advancing to Stanza VI. of this psalm (Psalms 73:21-22), we have to express immeasurable obligation to Delitzsch for suggesting and defending the hypothetic colouring thrown upon it. How disconcerting it would have been to find the psalmist still floundering in (or, if not floundering in, at least lingering over) the doubts, from which the vision in the great sanctuary was given to deliver him! How delightful, by contrast and by helpfulness onward, to perceive that he is now merely shaming his former doubts into perpetual silence. “How unmanly!” he is now heard saying, “to cherish such feelings any longer! How unworthy of the name of a man, to harbour such thoughts any more!” He had modestly assumed to be a thinker, before he could find opportunity to go into the great sanctuary of God. But now that he has been thither—or is still perhaps remaining there, since his address to God is as yet unbroken—he thinks again, and to some purpose; and his thought is, what “a colossus of stupidity” he would be, not now to be satisfied: “I, a man, who can converse with thee, and receive such counsel as thou hast now been giving me!” Furthermore, this merely hypothetic repetition of the old temptation enables us to advance at once, at the close of this stanza, to the natural rending of the preposition (with thee—Gk, rough breathing ’immaka) which has to do such important service in the very next line, namely the first of Stanza VII. The old doubt only hypothetically put, enables us to anticipate by saying “with thee,” here at the close of Psalms 73:22 : “Being, as I am, with thee, how stupid such a doubt would now appear.” And then he can follow on in Psalms 73:23 by saying, And yet I am continually with thee (’immaka). In contrast with the smoothness of which, how awkward and even suspicious to have to render the same preposition first “before thee” (Psalms 73:22) and then “with thee” (Psalms 73:23). We are thus particular down to a particle, because of the extreme value of Delitzsch’s hypothetical translation of Psalms 73:21-22 : which, thus defended, may now be dismissed.

Stanza VII. thus at once bears us along into the midstream of near fellowship with God and of consequent victorious confidence in Him. “Thou hast grasped my right hand, by thus disclosing to me that which for ever shames into silence my doubts. By Thy counsel wilt thou (continue to do as thou hast now done) guide me, And afterwards (leaving us easily to supply the thought, ‘after life’s journey’) gloriously take me.” He knows not precisely how it will be done, but glorious in the manner of it will it assuredly be; and the decisive act done, he says, will be to take one, even as Enoch was taken to be with God; or, as Psalms 49:15—if just sung in “the great sanctuary”—may have suggested, “wilt take me (out of the hand of hades, whether by transformation preventing death, or by resurrection reversing death)” The point of this revelation clearly cannot lie in details, which are confessedly not supplied; but in the broad and simple fact announced, of being taken by God. Obviously all turns on the character of him who takes. He who, as an enemy whom I hate, captures me, makes of me a slave, and excites my utmost fears; but he who, as a friend whom I admire and love, captures me, at the same time enraptures me, delights me, and excites my highest hopes. All, then, here turns on the character of God, and of his relation to me. And of this, the next stanza sings.

In language of extreme simplicity and brevity—like the lispings of a babe that has not yet learned to speak—and yet of extreme beauty, because everything is suggested that is not expressed, the psalmist (Stanza VII.) says, Who—for me—in the heavens? And—with thee: having thee—(whether there or here) I have no delight on the earth (where are, or have been, all I have known and loved). Of course, the language is comparative, even while it shrinks from comparison; but the one clear thing which it reveals is the delight in his God now felt, as never before, by this pure-hearted Israelite. It is on the tide of this delight in God himself that he is carried over into the unknown, and is moved to express a conception to convey which no exact words had yet been coined; and the approximate words to express which amount to a contradiction in terms: When have failed my flesh and my heart—(in other words, my body and my mind)—the rock of my heart and my portion (then and on and ever) is God age-abidingly. The mind that rests on that rock cannot sink. The essential Ego will somehow survive the wreck; if it have nothing else in which to inhere, it will inhere in God, or else a sorry portion would he be! But, indeed, we have gone too far, in saying that for this conception no language had yet been coined—although, it is true, Asaph may not have been familiar with it: “Into thy hands I commit my spirit” (Psalms 31:5) probably is a prayer which exactly meets the case, and at all events was honoured by being used by Jesus and by his first martyr Stephen. Nevertheless, in any case, love finds out how to make itself understood; and absolute triumph over death is here radiant as the rising sun. Perfect love to a perfect God gives the victory: the nearest possible approach to that God (Stanza IX.) constitutes the highest attainable blessedness, and must ever prompt the most joyful songs of Zion whether earthly or heavenly.

The Judgments of God

Psalms 74:1 to Psalms 76:12

Brent Kercheville

Psalms 74-76 are psalms composed by Asaph. Recall that Psalms 73 was also penned by Asaph where he questioned why the wicked seem to succeed but the righteous suffer. These next three psalms call for the judgments of God against the wicked. Yet these are confident calls for judgment but questioning calls for why God has not brought vengeance.

Psalms 74

“Why have you rejected us forever, O God? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?”

Do you feel like God has rejected you? Asaph did. In fact, Asaph feels this way on behalf of the whole nation of Israel. The chosen people of God have been rejected by God. They are experiencing the burning wrath of the Lord. Notice as we read Psalms 74:1-9 that this question is posed in a similar way as Psalms 73. The question is why are the people of God rejected and experiencing God’s anger when the wicked succeed in their fight against the Lord. Essentially, Asaph cries out, “Look at the evil committed against you, Lord!”

Therefore, Asaph says that they have been rejected by God. Do you feel rejected by God? It is a lonely feeling. Notice verse 9, “We do not see our signs; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be.” The people proclaiming in the name of the Lord have vanished. The wonders and signs of God are no longer available. The two most common questions that people ask in the midst of suffering, when we feel like we have been rejected by God: “why?” and “how long?”

Psalms 74:10 : “How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever?” How long will these continue this way? How long must we endure this suffering? How long will we continue to feel this way?

Psalms 74:11 : “Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!” Why are these things happening? Why will God not save us? Why doesn’t God change our circumstances?

The answer to these questions are not revealed. Asaph does not say that this is how long this suffering would continue. Nor does Asaph reveal the reason why the nation is enduring these problems. The inability to answer these questions causes us mental anguish. We do not know why these things are happening to us and we do not know how long these things will continue to be this way. Every trial consists of these two problematic questions: why and how long? So how does Asaph deal with this feeling of alienation? How does Asaph cope with his circumstances, not knowing how long or why these things are happening?

“But you, O God, are my king from of old.”

In Psalms 74:12-17 Asaph repeatedly refers to the mighty works that God has done in the past. Each verse begins with the word “You” or “Yours.” I like how the NIV renders “It was you” at the start of each verse. Asaph begins to recall the deeds of the Lord.

You, O God are my king from of old. Remember that God reigns and continues to rule.

You bring salvation upon the earth. God is the only place that deliverance can be found. If there is anyone who can help me in my turmoil, it is God. No one else can save. No one else has the power to deliver.

You split open the sea by your power; broke the heads of the monster in the waters. Asaph recalls the parting of the Red Sea and the exodus from Egypt. The Almighty and all-powerful God delivered the people of God from slavery. The monster is not a literal monster in the waters, but speaks of overcoming the trial. God overcame the trial of having their backs to the water as the Egyptians attacked by splitting open the sea.

You crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert. Similarly, this is not speaking of the actual animal, Leviathan that we read about in Job. Rather, Asaph also recalls the wandering in the desert. God destroyed the trial of hunger and lack of food in the desert by bringing manna and quail.

You opened up springs and streams and dried up ever flowing rivers. Opening the springs and streams likely refers to the many occasions where God provided water, most notably the water from the rock in the desert. Drying up the rivers probably refers to the drying up of the Jordan River as the nation crossed to take the land promised by God.

The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon; set the boundaries of the earth; made summer and winter. Asaph now remembers that God is the creator of all that we see in creation. God set things in motion and holds things in their places.

Asaph deals with the feeling of rejection by remember all of the mighty works of God. Asaph wants God to rise up and destroy the enemies. But until the situation is resolved, Asaph is going to remember God’s power to change any circumstance. God had made a promise to the people of Israel: “Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For it is the Lord your God who goes with you; He will not leave you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). This promise, along with God’s promises to Abraham, seem to be in view when Asaph says, “Have regard for your covenant” (Psalms 74:20). Essentially, Asaph’s cry is to remember and deliver us.

The point we learn from Psalms 74 is to remember the mighty works God has done for us in the past. We will elaborate on this point more at the end of the lesson. Psalms 75-76 seems to have been written at the same time as Psalms 74 because these continue cries for God to bring judgment.

Psalms 75

“We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds.”

The second thing Asaph is able to do besides remembering the good deeds of the Lord from the past is to give thanks to God while in the midst of suffering. If we are not thankful to God, then we are going to become bitter and angry about our circumstances.

Third, God is judge. “You say, ‘I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly. When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm.’” We want justice right now for what we are suffering. Job wanted the same. Justice now! God says that he will judge, but only at the time he has appointed. Judgment will not come on our schedule. We want to see consequences for those who commit evil acts against us. Justice will come, but it will come on God’s schedule. In all of this, God is in charge.

“For a cup is in the hand of the LORD, and the wine foams; it is well mixed, and He pours out of this; surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs” (Psalms 75:8). When God speaks about drinking the cup of wine that is in his hand, it always speaks of severe judgment. In Jeremiah 25:15-29 this image symbolized disaster and sword. Therefore, Asaph is realizing that though he wants judgment to come now, judgment will eventually come and it will bring disaster upon the wicked. The picture is the cup of the wrath of God and it is foaming and boiling over. The wrath of God is well mixed and is poured out on all the wicked, until the very last drop has been swallowed. There will be no mercy for the wicked. The Lord will not hold back in His judgment against them. When suffering, know that God will judge the wicked.

Psalms 76

Psalms 76 describes the wrath of God in action. God is breaking the flying arrows and shattering the swords and shields. The valiant soldiers lie plundered. Horse and chariot are stilled by the very word of the Lord. “You alone are to be feared. Who can stand before you when you are angry?” (Psalms 76:7). The wicked will not be able to stand against the Lord. When God’s judgment comes, none will be left standing. The wrath of God comes on behalf of the afflicted.

Applications:

When suffering or feeling rejected by God, we may not know the “why” or the “how long.” We want to know how long we will have to deal with our suffering. We also want to know why we are suffering. The answers to these questions are not readily available. We can want answers, but none will be forthcoming. Therefore, we need to remember: (1) God is the king and is still in charge over the affairs of the earth. (2) God has delivered us through difficulties is the past and will deliver again. (3) In every instance, it seems that there is no light at the end of the tunnel. Yet God makes a way. The backs of the Israelites are against the Red Sea and the Egyptians are attacking, God parts the sea to bring deliverance. Wandering in the desert without food, God sends food from heaven. Wandering the desert without water, God provides water from rocks. A river prevents Israel from crossing into the land of Canaan, God dries up the river.

Remember these four facts about God:

(1) When it seems that there are no remedies, God can create remedies we cannot imagine.

(2) God’s judgments will come at His appointed time, not ours.

(3) The wicked will not escape drinking the cup of God’s wrath.

(4) God’s judgments will be on behalf of the afflicted.

PSALM 74

EXPOSITION

It is clear that the composition of this psalm was occasioned by the desecration of the Temple and the oppression of the Land by some foreign invader; but precisely which event of this kind is here intended, is uncertain, Some have confidently pointed to the time of the Maccabees, when the temple was desecrated under Antiochus: against which may be urged the standing unlikelihood that any psalm had so late an origin, and yet found its way as did this, and the rest, into the ancient Septuagint version of the Old Testament; and the particular objection that the very line in the psalm which might otherwise have seemed to point to a Maccabean origin, viz. Psalms 74:8, “And they have burned up all the meeting-places of God in the land,” appears in the Sep. in the milder form, And they have caused to cease all the festivals of God in the land. It may be true, that the erection of synagogues cannot be traced further back than to the time of the Maccabees; but it is inconceivable that the Greek translators should have obliterated such an allusion, had it existed in their Hebrew exemplars, though quite possible that later Sopherim should have adapted the Hebrew of the old psalm, so as to conform it to later and more startling events. Others again, have advocated the time of the Chaldean invasion under Nebuchadnezzar, as having probably given birth to this psalm. And that is a possible date; although the lament over the want of a prophet or one who knew how long but ill agrees with the presence of Jeremiah and Ezekiel in those days. Even if, to avoid this awkwardness, the origin of the psalm be thrown further down the Exile, and in favour of that time the words be cited, “Lift up thy footsteps to the perpetual desolations,” as showing that now the desolation of Jerusalem had lasted a long time,—then it is at least disconcerting to note, what Briggs says, that the same consonants, otherwise vowel-pointed, may be read (surely more in harmony with the immediate context) Which thy footsteps exalted to perpetual dignity. Under these circumstances, it may be questioned whether the “Speaker’s Commentary” has not more nearly hit the mark in suggesting as the probable time and occasion of origin, the invasion of the Egyptian monarch Shishak in the days of Rehoboam. In favour of this comparatively early date, may be mentioned: the care which the psalmist observes to express rather a desecration than a demolition of the temple; and the aptness of his language in Psalms 74:5-6 to apply to a time when the building of the temple was yet a comparatively recent event. While yet the honour of having lifted an axe in the Lebanon to supply cedar for the erection, of the temple was well remembered, here are profane hatchets and hammers engaged in ruthlessly tearing off the plates of gold which covered the doors. It seems as though the psalm was written while this profanation was going on; and not merely concerning a conflagration viewed from afar! Given, a psalmist well remembering the glory of the erection of the temple; given also, the instinctive horror felt by such a man on occasion of the first intrusion of foreign feet within the sacred precincts;—and you have probably a more fitting psychological condition to suit the origin of this psalm than any other that can be imagined with due regard to known facts. It is difficult to say why the psalm does not contain a confession of sin, as the true reason why such a foreign invasion was permitted, especially as this is made so prominent in the history; but we may perhaps surmise that this element lay, for the moment, comparatively dormant in the psalmist’s mind, because of his ignorance of the lengths to which the invader might be permitted to go, and the vividness with which he saw in those broader views of God’s gracious purposes in calling Israel to be his people and in making Mount Zion his dwelling-place, such weighty pleas against the destruction which at the time appeared imminent. Whatever the cause of this absence of confession from the psalm, it should be remembered that the fact of its omission bears as much upon one foreign invasion as another: any such invasion—whether Egyptian, Chaldean or Syrian—must have in reality seemed permissible only because of grievous national sin committed.

The course of thought which the psalm actually pursues is noteworthy, especially in respect of the broad collateral facts in history and in nature by which the psalmist strengthens his pleading with God.

After reminding God of the wonderful way in which he had made the Hebrew congregation peculiarly his own (Psalms 74:1-3 a); and then vividly depicting the present devastation of the sanctuary (Psalms 74:3 b – Psalms 74:7), and the forlorn condition of the land, especially as regards religious privileges (Psalms 74:8-9); and after pleading with God no longer to delay his silencing of the profanity of the invader (Psalms 74:10-11);—the psalmist then enlarges on the almighty deeds of Israel’s King. He introduces the great facts clustering around the deliverance from Egypt and the admission into the promised land (Psalms 74:12-15)—facts which constituted an almighty handling of the powers of nature and pressing them into the service of creating and redeeming a Nation. At this point, in a stanza of great simplicity and beauty (Psalms 74:16-17) the poet passes on to a notice of the Divine relation to day and night, moon and sun, earth and seas, summer as presupposing spring and autumn as bringing after it winter. These allusions are not only beautiful in themselves, and a poetic relief to the mind of the reader but they are true aids to devotion, and give pleasing force to the petitions which they introduce. They suggest more than they formally articulate. They seem to say: “Such, O God, are the praises, which habitually ascend to thee from this holy place; but now, only hear the reproaches and the defiance which are from this very spot directed against thy Holy Name! Canst thou be the Divine King whom we thus adore, and not be able and willing to hearken to our prayers?” And then follows a volley of petitions: remember—do not give up—do not forget—look well—arise—remember—do not forget. The very close of the prayer is intercessionally dramatic. Instead of a final benediction, we hear the gentle but undaunted voice of this petitioner making a last effort to turn the sustained din and roar of the adversary in the sanctuary into so much prayer for speedy Divine Intervention. Noting these things, even Christian intercessors may learn valuable lessons from this psalm, as to the reality, boldness and scope of prayer. Moreover, it would be upardonable to forget what we owe to Dr. Thirtle for the collateral warrant he affords for moving the inscription Do not destroy, from the beginning of the next psalm, where its applicability is not very evident, to the foot of this, where its appropriateness must strike every unprejudiced mind: that has really been the prayer of this psalm—Do not destroy!

PSALM 75

EXPOSITION

Standing where it does, this psalm requires but a moderate exercise of the historical imagination, to bring out its practical effectiveness. It follows well the outcry of the previous psalm. “How long?” by declaring that, at the right time, Divine Interposition shall come. With equal fitness, it anticipates the exulting outburst of the psalm which follows it, already claiming the souls of those who are yet waiting, to the sore trial of their faith. It may thus be placed historically anywhere between the invasion of Shishak and the overthrow of Sennacherib the Assyrian, and could, with fine effect, be used in temple worship either during the days of trial which befell Jehoshaphat or during those which came upon Hezekiah.

When the dramatic structure of the psalm is perceived, its dignity and force rise to the sublime. The opening stanza reveals the congregation giving thanks as for an answer received, and as if in anticipation of Divine Wonders to follow.

Then, with an effective change of measure, Jehovah is represented as giving, in the first person, his assurance that in due time he will effectively interpose. Society—and perhaps especially the society of nations—may appear to be falling to pieces—dissolving—for lack of the effective grip of the bonds of equity; but already Jehovah prophetically declares he has adjusted the pillars of the social structure. That those “pillars” are to be understood as fundamental moral principles, is at once intimated by the two Divine behests—Do not boast, Do not lift up the horn, which two proclamations may perhaps be distributively applied: the former to Israel and the latter to the nations ready to oppress them; though, indeed, both may well be heeded by all concerned, seeing that boasting and oppression so often go hand in hand.

It is not quite certain at what point the direct Divine address ends; but, having regard to the propriety of letting an oracle appear brief, and to the difficulty of carrying on the direct address to the close of Psalms 75:7, it is probably best to close the quotation at the end of Psalms 75:4. This naturally leads us to take Psalms 75:5-7 as a continuing prophetic address, by the psalmist himself, in enforcement of the Divine Oracle. It seems to be fittingly left to the psalmist to emphasize, in amplified hortatory words (Psalms 75:5 a), the previous briefer oracular words (Psalms 75:4 b); and then that he, the psalmist, should go on (Psalms 75:5 b) to speak of Jehovah as a Rock, in the third person; just as, also, (in Psalms 75:7) he naturally refers to God, in the third person. These niceties may not appear very important, inasmuch as they respect the mere form of what must all, in substance, be regarded as a Divine utterance; but an approximately correct settlement of them, sensibly contributes to the impressiveness of the psalm.

The psalmist now, in Stanza IV., gives a highly figurative but effective reason for the urgency of his exhortations to prepare for judgment. Equitable as is the Divine Rule, in the long run, in dealing with both individuals and nations, it nevertheless is framed upon the pattern of “times and seasons,”—“times” of delay, in which God as judge is silent and seemingly inactive, as though he were taking no notice of the moral quality of human conduct; and then, “seasons” of activity, involving the principle of bringing up arrears, and dealing all at once with long series of actions; and implying, where wicked conduct has been in the ascendant, an accumulation of punishment, corresponding with the accumulation of unvisited sin. But an accumulation of punishment implies an accumulation of Divine displeasure, so far as its manifestation is concerned. And so we arrive at the conception of stored-up wrath: arrears of displeasure: intensified punishment, involving stroke upon stroke, when it does come. This is the revealed principle of Divine resentment of sin. No doubt this principle could be philosophically defended: as necessitated, not by infirmity in God, but by the limitation of man. But whether or not we can account for such a method of divine government, and successfully defend it, as probably we may; it suffices to maintain, that such in fact is God’s governmental method of dealing with the moral quality of the actions of men and of nations. This being so, that very fact lies at the root of such representations as that which here confronts us in this psalm: accumulated wrath breaking forth in accumulated punishment, being figuratively represented as a cup in the hand of Jehovah, a cup foaming in the activity of its contents, mixed as with stimulating spices in the intensity of its action, and held forth to the individuals who are to drink, and to be compelled to drain their cup to its dregs. Such is the figure. We may call it oriental. But, instead of therefore under-estimating it, our wisdom is to accept it as a common, and, in the East, most natural as well as effective style of speech; and at once seek to translate it into our own methods of thought. The following list of passages, alluding to the wine-cup. of wrath, will shew how familiar the figure is in the Old Testament, and will suggest the deeper principles to which our thoughts are thereby conducted: Job 21:20, Psalms 60:3, Isaiah 51:17, Jeremiah 25:15; Jeremiah 25:27; Jeremiah 49:12; Jeremiah 51:7, Obadiah 1:16.

Glancing, finally, at Stanza V. (Psalms 75:9-10), and connecting it with Stanza I., as together constituting the devotional framework of the psalm, we recognise the appropriateness of the observations of Delitzsch: “The prophetic picture stands upon a lyric background of gold; it rises up out of the depths of emotion and is withdrawn again into these same depths . . . The psalm closes as subjectively as it began. The prophetic picture is set in a lyric frame.” This is well said. But when the same expositor, in calling attention to the obvious fact that the psalmist in Psalms 75:10 ascribes to himself what he in Psalms 75:7 sets forth as God’s own doing, associates this human fellowship in the judicial rectification with the reigning “Church,” we respectfully withhold our consent; preferring to connect the hewing off of the horns of the lawless with the triumphant nation of Israel than with the triumphant ecclesia. The callings of the two communities are distinct, and as such should be carefully preserved

PSALM 76

EXPOSITION

The reference of this psalm to the overthrow of Sennacherib is so obvious as to explain the unanimity with which expositors find in it that allusion. Doubtless there are some minor points in the psalm which invite discussion, and as to which a difference of final opinion may be expected. But these are of little moment as compared with the remarkable statement regarding the wrath of man which occupies the 10th verse, as to which a perplexing amount of diversity exists. This verse stands as follows in the A.V.:—

Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee,

The remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.

The assurance thus conveyed may be said to meet with general devout acceptance, as is evident from the frequent acquiescent use of the words in public worship. The only difficulty they present is that scholars are unable to find the word “restrain” in the original of the second line. Accordingly, in the R.V., the following innovation appears:—

The residue of wrath shalt thou gird upon thee;

and with this rendering Dr., Per., Del., and others in the main agree. But it is distinctly unacceptable, apparently far-fetched, and gives rise to endless diversities when exposition is attempted. Whose wrath does God gird about him, whether by way of ornament, or for use? If his own, then why with only a “residue”? to say nothing of the awkwardness of taking the wrath to be human in one line and divine in the next. In short, there can be little doubt that the Sep. has here preserved the true reading, by the use of a word differing only by one letter from the M.T. (h-h-g-k) instead of (h-h-g-r) will keep festival to thee. A renewed study of the passage—giving to it a more literal turn and bringing it into closer touch with the context—brings out the force and beauty of this ancient variation. Note then (1) that mankind, instead of “man” (for a-d-m) in the first line, widens the outlook, and prepares us to discover that it is the excusable wrath of the down-trodden nations directed against the down-treading world-power, represented by Assyria, which, when Divine interposition effects deliverance, turns to give God thanks—“thanks” itself being more literal than “praise”—willing thanks rather than unwilling and merely enforced and constructive praise. (2) That keep festival in line 2, makes a good parallel with thank in line 1. (3) That the intense wrath of line 2 prepares for the strong verb keep festival which follows it; so that the stronger motive power produces the stronger result, implying that there are some among the lately downtrodden nations whose “wrath” was so intense that mere “thanks” will not serve for its outlet—it moves to nothing less than the keeping of a holy festival of praise. Note (4) how strongly this construction works out of the foregoing context and into the succeeding: Earth feared and was still when God arose to vindication (Psalms 76:8-9)—so deep was its emotion, and so potent to turn its wrath of resentment into thanksgiving for deliverance. Will ye, then, keep festival? Then, mind ye pay your vows (Psalms 76:11). All ye around him (ibid)—ye smaller neighboring nations, who, having shared in Israel’s peril, now share in her deliverance, bear along, in procession, a gift to the Inspirer of fear, even Israel’s God who has just smitten the Assyrians. It is distinctly pleasant thus to get a glimpse of mankind lying outside the dominant world-power, sharing in Israel’s deliverance, and fulfilling a more hopeful part than merely contributing unwitting and unwilling praise to the God of all the earth. Moreover, the student of unfulfilled prophecy will not fail to observe how, by exchanging earth for land in Psalms 76:9, he obtains a most significant adumbration of time yet to come when God will arise to the vindication of the humble through all the earth.

Confidence In Crisis

Psalms 77:1-20

Brent Kercheville

There is one thing you can appreciate about the psalms of Asaph: he is straightforward and honest. Asaph writes down his emotions while dealing with his problems and reading about his situation helps us relate to the feelings he has. We have read Asaph questioning God about the life circumstance he found himself living with. In Psalms 77 Asaph is in crisis again and we will read about how he deals with the situation.

Cries In The Night (Psalms 77:1-2)

Asaph begins the psalm by recording how he was crying out to the Lord. The first two verses describe how Asaph was seeking after the Lord in the midst of his turmoil. Any person who has ever endured a trial, endured suffering, endured emotional pain, or endured any life difficulties relates to the words of Asaph in the first two verses. Asaph is literally crying to God for help. Emotionally broken and spent, Asaph is in distress reaching out to God for help. The last clause of Psalms 77:2 especially describes the nature of the suffering: “…and my soul refused to be comforted.” Nothing can be said to Asaph that will make him feel better. The ordeal is so great that there is no place to find comfort. With the diagnosis of Prader-Willi Syndrome of our daughter, there was no comfort for a few days. There was simply a sharp emotional pain that is simply indescribable that rested upon me. I felt numb toward everything except that pain. We do not know what Asaph is enduring but we can relate to the circumstance where we could not find any comfort or release.

Remembering The “Good Old Days” (Psalms 77:3-6)

Psalms 77:3-6 seems to be Asaph recalling what we often call “the good old days.” In Psalms 77:5 Asaph says, “I thought about the former days, the year of long ago; I remembered my songs in the night.” It is amazing how often trials set apart a new time of life. I have two major life chasms that have forever changed my life. Life events that cause a person to try to remember back to before the ordeal started. Asaph seems to remember back to before his ordeal, a time that seems to be so long ago. He remembers the former days when he had pleasure in the night (songs). But now Asaph has tears and distress in the night.

Six Rhetorical Questions (Psalms 77:7-9)

Asaph records the feelings of every person in the middle of a difficult trial. These feelings are recorded as six questions to which he seeks the answers.

Will the Lord reject forever? It is hard not to have the feeling of being rejected by God in the middle of difficulties.

Will he never show his favor again? One of the difficulties of a trial is that it seems like the trial will never end. We feel rejected and that things will never be good again.

Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Asaph wonders if the blessings of God’s love will return.

Has his promise failed for all time? One of promises God was that he will never leave or forsake his people (Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5).

Has God forgotten to be merciful? Asaph wonders if God’s mercy has run out. Has he used up all of God’s mercy so now he must enduring suffering? Asaph feels like it, and in the midst of trial we often feel the same way.

Has he in anger withheld his compassion? We may even feel like we are experiencing the wrath of God because of the circumstances we are enduring. So, while in the midst of suffering we are going to read about what Asaph did to overcome these feelings.

What I Will Do (Psalms 77:10-12)

Psalms 77:10-12 record Asaph’s determination in the middle of the trial. There are three things that Asaph says he will do:

Remember the deeds of the Lord. We have repeatedly been instructed in the psalms that it is important to remember the past deeds of God while in distress. We will see Asaph instruct us more about this in a moment.

Remember the miracles. Asaph also remembers the history of God’s love toward his people. The followers of God did not have miracles in their own day to look for. They had to recall the miracles of the Exodus and of the conquest of Canaan and know that God continues his love for them because of what God did in their past.

Meditate on all of God’s works and consider all God’s mighty deeds. Think of the past and think of the current good things that God is doing in your life. It is easy to only dwell on the negative problems that are taking place right now. But we must move past and think about the many blessings we are still experiencing.

Remember God (Psalms 77:13-15) To endure his suffering, Asaph recounts the attributes of God. By thinking about God rather than himself, he is able to be proper centered to get through the distress.

God’s ways are holy. We have to remember that holiness is not simply about purity, but about how God is separated from everything else. Therefore we are not simply talking about how God’s ways are righteous. Asaph is asking us who we are to question God because his ways are different than our way of thinking. Who are we to question the ways of God? Who are we to declare that we should not have to go through a trial? Who are we to say that we have learned the lesson of the trial and our faith has been refined? Our ways are simply not the ways of God. God knows what we need. God has promised that we will not be tested beyond what we are capable of enduring.“No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13; NRSV).

God’s greatness is incomparable. God is able to put his holy ways into action. God has the power to accomplish his ways. God’s purposes will be accomplished. We do not have control over our own lives and cannot always accomplish our purposes. But God does have control over our lives and has the power, far above all else, to help us in our distress.

God’s power is visible. It is easy to forget about the power of God because we close our eyes to all that God has done. We forget God’s power in creation. We forget about God’s power in salvation. We forget about God’s power to change lives. We forget about how God’s power has been at work in our lives to make us better people than we were before.

God’s work as Redeemer. Asaph also remembers how God redeemed his people. This is a remembrance of the exodus. One of the earliest times that we read about the need for redemption is in the exodus and Passover which spared the firstborn of Israel. All the firstborn were to die. God had redeemed, or bought back, the firstborn from the dead. Israel had been delivered from Egyptian slavery and the firstborn had been spared death. How much more can we bring this to remembrance when we are in a trial! God has worked great things as our Redeemer. He has delivered us from the slavery of sin and has purchased us from the death that was owed to us for our sins. “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18-19; NIV). We must remember that God has done so much for us in redeeming our lives. We need to stay focused on what really matters: God’s spiritual blessings and spiritual workings for us.

God, The Redeemer Of The Exodus (Psalms 77:16-19)

Remembering God as his redeemer causes him to think about the great acts of God in redeeming Israel from Egyptian slavery. In verse 16 Asaph records the mighty working of God to part the waters for deliverance from the Egyptians. Psalms 77:17-18 seems to remind Israel about the pillar of cloud and fire that led the people to deliverance as well as protected the people from the Egyptians as they crosses the Red Sea. God was leading the people through that trial, though God’s footprints were not seen. God was with them through the whole event, even though the people did panic, believing they were about to die. God does not leave us to cope with our suffering alone, but leads to the light at the end of the tunnel.

The Lord Is Our Shepherd (Psalms 77:20)

Asaph concludes his psalm speaking of God as a shepherd who leads his people by his servants. One of the favorite images that God uses to picture his relationship with us is that of a shepherd. The picture is that God is in charge and we are supposed to follow him. One cannot help but think of David’s famous Psalms 23 which speaks of going through the valley of the shadow death, but God still leading us. We will go through difficult times. We will go through frightening times. But God is still leading us to the pasture. God is still walking in front of us, protecting us from danger.

Applications:

When in distress:

Remember all of God’s mighty deeds in your life.

Remember the attributes of God. His ways are not our ways and God has the power to accomplish his purposes.

Remember that God has redeemed you by the precious blood of his son. He will not leave you alone when he has done so much to give you every opportunity to be with the Lord forever. (NIV)

PSALM 77

EXPOSITION

This is emphatically a psalm of moods and tenses, so delicately expressed in the Hebrew that only clumsily and by the aid of quotation-marks can they be represented in English, and then not without risk of overdoing. The key to the psalm lies in this: That memories which ultimately yield consolation, when first recalled aggravate present sorrow. The right hand of the Most High: this is what, after diligent search, stays and consoles the psalmist’s mind—a hand put forth with redeeming efficacy in the doings that gave the nation birth. But the first apprehension concerning it is, the contrast between its former activity and its present supineness: a contrast so painful that the psalmist, though resolved on the contemplation, anticipates that it will cause him to moan in anguish, even to the extent of causing his spirit to swoon—to be enshrouded in mental darkness, to be able to think no more.

A day of anguish seems to have culminated in a night of agony. The outspoken petitions with which his prayers had been begun, not without hope of being heard, falter on his lips, and he can no longer pray—he can only ponder; but those apparently long-lost days culled out of aforetime are his theme, and he is determined, at whatever cost, to recall them. Fortunately, there comes back to his mind a string-song of his, embalming memories of those ancient redeeming days. He does not start singing that song forthwith. No! he is too gloomily critical for that; but he will recall it—he will study it—he will soliloquise on that as a text, talking aloud to himself as the manner of study then was. He can at least ask questions—his spirit shall make diligent search. And then the questions follow. They are so framed as to indicate that the psalmist’s mind is in process of recovering its balance. The answer suggested, without being expressed, is—“Surely not!” He cannot have rejected for ever! His kindness cannot have perpetually ceased! He may have changed his dealings; but surely He himself remains unchanged!

He takes breath. He feels he has made a beginning. Encouraged, he follows it up, He looks in the face the conception which like a spectre had projected itself before him. “This changing of the right hand of the Most High!” he seems to say, “let me examine it more closely!” And this he does, by thinking of its doings, its wonders, its works, its deeds. He is fortified to think out these topics, because he already sees that a change of dealings by God, does not necessitate the admission of a changed God! It is true (we may admit in passing) that the Hebrew word sh’noth may be rendered by the word “years” as well as by the word changing; but since the recalling of the “years of the right hand of the Most High” seems to bring with it, as an undertone, the change made between those ancient days of activity and the present days of inactivity, we may continue to let our thoughts run on the thread of the Septuagint rendering.

To resume, then. The study of the string-song is renewed to such good effect, that, whereas the previous stanza culminated in questions, this one rises to conclusions, confidently addressed to God himself, conclusions indicating a rest of spirit in them on the part of the psalmist. The very first word set after the Divine name in these conclusions is reassuring: O God in holiness is thy way—whether in manifest mercy or not. Again, it is what God is which leads on to what he has done; and what he is remains for renewed manifestation. Moreover, what was it that God did? Was it not to reveal himself to the nations around, and that, as redeeming for Himself a people—the people for whom the present petitioner is pleading? Clearly, this is logically the conclusion of the soliloquy—of the study! It is all reflective thus far. And it is a great gain to recognise this conclusiveness here, inasmuch as the apparent abruptness of the formal conclusion is thereby explained.

In fact, the four tristichs which now follow, so far from being out of place or a mere afterthought, are the very forethought of the whole psalm: at least from the moment when the favourite old string-song came up to the surface of the poet’s memory. Happy is it for men in a storm, to recall the charm of the still sunlit waters through which they have passed; who have something better than “dead selves” to help them to survive the stress of present trouble. This psalmist Asaph had improved an earlier and more auspicious time for song-making and song-singing and song-memorising; and now his song comes back to him in his night of agony, and he knows it well enough to hold it before his mind’s eye while he ponders and reasons and questions and summarises and concludes. And then he gives the string-song itself—altogether and compact, and of a sufficiently peculiar formal structure, as—without the aid of quotation marks or altered type, of which, of course, he was innocent—to make it recognisable by us after a long lapse of ages.

The Song speaks for itself. It is too boldly and elementally poetical to need detailed comment. Only in its final triplet (Psalms 77:19) does it betray as much subjectivity as to amount to a symbolical undertone. In the sea was thy way—as how often it is! And thy path in the mighty waters—too mighty for us to control! And thy footprints could not be known—and so it ever is, something withheld, something unknown. The. work remains: the Worker disappears. When—where—how will he next reveal his right-hand! O Asaph! wait: wait until the Assyrian draws nearer, and thou shalt see!

After the four triplets of the string-song, comes a couplet—only—in conclusion. How little it says, and yet how much: it seems to say everything needing to be added. Under the Divine Shepherd’s care, it starts the flock on its journey to its home. That flock is in itself a moving appeal to its Divine Redeemer.

With respect to the origin of this psalm, it may be added: That while, so far as direct evidence is concerned—“it remains obscure what kind of national affliction it is which impels him [the singer] to betake himself in flight from the God who is at present hidden to the God who was made manifest in olden times” (Del.); yet the earlier period of the Assyrian invasion probably afforded more than one conjuncture during which prophecy was silent, and it appeared to the strained hearts of the faithful that an end had come to prophetic speech, and God had forgotten to show favour. It is certainly “shown by the comfort sought in the revelations of power and grace made in connection with the earlier history of his people,” that it was “an affliction shared in common with the whole of the nation.” The place of this psalm, and the indications afforded by several of its companions, point in this direction.

Learning From Our Past

Psalms 78:1-72

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Psalms 78 is a rather lengthy psalm that was penned by Asaph. All of the psalms since Psalms 73 have been from Asaph. So he is a major contributor to the psalms in the scriptures. As we read Psalms 78 we will look for the key themes and main message of the song.

Teach The Generations! (Psalms 78:1-8)

Asaph begins the psalm by declaring the need to teach. The people, particularly the children, need to be taught about God’s works. Psalms 78:2-4 sets the stage for what Asaph is trying to accomplish. The events and teachings from the past that their fathers told them, they are going to tell to their children and to the next generation. This declaration is exactly what the Lord commanded:

“You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as emblems on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:7-9).

What was supposed to be taught? Asaph says that the mighty works of God need to be taught. Too often we think that we will teach our children by assumption. We assume they know our faith, but we never verbalize exactly what we believe in God and why. We simply think that our children know, but we never taught. We fear sitting our children down and explaining to them things about the Bible and explain why we are disciples. Moses said that children must be taught diligently. That means that we must be teaching them verbally on a regular basis. When we are sitting, walking, laying down, and rising up. In every place and at every time we are to be teaching about God’s laws and God’s mighty works.

The second thing Asaph says that we need to teach our children is to trust in God (Psalms 78:7). Here is a place where we have great difficulty. If our lives do not reflect that we have fully put our trust in God, then our faith will look hypocritical and we will not be able to effectively teach our children about trusting God. We must teach our children that trusting in God is not simply a mental affirmative, but a complete life change. We must show our children that trusting in God is putting him first above the things of the world that so often occupy our time.

The third thing Asaph says we need to teach our children is to not be stubborn like their forefathers. This requires the open admission of the parents to the children of what they did wrong and what the previous generations did wrong. For some reason, it seems that parents do not understand how to teach their parents that they did things wrong in life. Parents today may have experimented with drugs and engaged in premarital sex. Yet, because they did it, they think they must allow their children to do the same. But parents need to tell the child that what they did was wrong, the reasons why, and the consequences for those bad actions. Teach the children to not do wrong and be closed in heart toward God.

Recall the Works of the Exodus (Psalms 78:9-31)

Asaph now proceeds to tell the generations about the mighty acts of God during the exodus. But Asaph does not simply speak about all the miracles of God. Asaph also includes the reaction of the people, including their rebellion. The first problem that led to the people sinning was that they forgot what God had done (Psalms 78:11). The people forgot about the parting of the Red Sea. The people forgot about their miserable, enslaved lives in Egypt. The people forgot about being led by a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire. The people forgot about how God made water come from a rock. Despite all of these miracles, “they continued to sin against Him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High. They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved” (Psalms 78:17-18).

Asaph uses this situation to teach the children what happens when we forget what God has done. “When the LORD heard them, he was very angry; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel, for they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance” (Psalms 78:21-22). The wrath of God was kindled for their attitude, which all began because they forgot about what God was doing to provide for them.

The next part we see is God’s mercy. Even though the people rebelled against God and complained, God gave the command and rained manna from heaven (Psalms 78:23-24). God did not reject the people, but gave them what they asked.

Continued Rebellion (Psalms 78:32-39)

Despite God’s continued goodness and mercy, “they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe” (Psalms 78:32). The only time the people remembered God was when God punished them (Psalms 78:34). Does this sound familiar? How many times do we see people (and ourselves) seek after the Lord only after disaster strikes? God was executing punishments on the people while in the wilderness and they would seek after God only during the time of crisis. A great example was the fiery serpents that God sent because of the rebellion of the people. They cry out to God and God instructs Moses to build a bronze serpent for the people to look upon to receive healing. Even still, the people would not remain loyal to the Lord (Psalms 78:37). The people broke the covenant, but God remained faithful, forgiving them of their sins and did not destroy them. “Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath” (Psalms 78:38).

God Forgotten (Psalms 78:40-64)

Asaph spends a lot of time talking about all of the wonders the people forgot, which led them to rebel in the desert. Many of these verses are descriptions of the plagues that struck Egypt. The people forgot God’s great power against Egypt that let the people be free from slavery. The people also forgot how God drove the people out of the land of Canaan and gave them the land as their inheritance (Psalms 78:55).

Asaph makes one other really important point. When the people forgot God, God rejected their worship. We see this point made in Psalms 78:59-64. God abandoned the tabernacle in Shiloh. God sent the ark of the covenant into captivity. God gave the people over the sword. The priests were put to the sword. The worship of the people was rejected. The people were rejected. We cannot neglect the Lord and think that there will not be consequences for such a decision. The people continued to sin and they lost their relationship with God because of their unfaithfulness. The tabernacle, the place of worship to God, was abandoned by the Lord. The people could keep coming to worship, but God was not there. The ark of the covenant, a symbol of God’s mercy and forgiveness, was sent away into captivity. The people were killed, showing that the people were no longer found in God’s favor. When we forget God, God rejects us and our worship.

But… (Psalms 78:65-72)

Even though the people had committed these grievous sins against the Lord and the Lord had rejected the people, God still kept his promises. God chose Judah, for Judah would be the tribe through which the Messiah would come. God chose Zion as the place for his presence to dwell in the temple. God chose David to be the leader of the people. Even though the people rejected God, God continued to make a way for the people to return to him. The point is that God made a way to bring the people back if they would come to God.

Conclusion:

Teach the people-

1. The scriptures.

2. God is a jealous God.

3. God is a merciful God.

PSALM 78

EXPOSITION

To judge aright of the design of this psalm, it is important to notice both what it includes and what it omits; as well as to observe the special adaptation of its several parts to secure its main purpose. The psalm was most probably composed to promote the efforts of the Good King Hezekiah to secure the reunion of the Twelve Tribes. As Thrupp has well said, the king himself sought to bring the Northerners to worship at Jerusalem, modestly saying nothing of himself as their rightful monarch (2 Chronicles 30:6; 2 Chronicles 30:9). The psalmist goes further: claiming not only the Divine preference of Judah over Ephraim (the leading tribe of the north), and of Jerusalem over Shiloh (the first resting-place of the ark); but of David as the appointed Shepherd-King over all Israel.

It is observable that, though the psalmist goes back to the time of Moses, he comes no further forward than to the time of the Judges: an excellent stroke of policy, since the period thus spanned was abundantly sufficient to afford the historical parallels of which he desired to make use, while he could nevertheless avoid irritating references to later events, of which the Northerners had no need to be reminded. Again, the omission of Saul and Solomon on either side of David—to whom so much prominence is given at the close of the psalm—justifies itself in each case as a wise omission: of Saul, because the kingship was taken from him and his heirs, and because the opposition which had for a time lingered in the tribe of Benjamin (the tribe of Saul) against the Davidic Royalty had now died away; and of Solomon, because any allusion to him might have revived inconvenient memories of those oppressions of his which clearly paved the way for the great disruption. It was enough, for the end in view, to set David high on the pedestal of Divine approval and appointment: all hearers of the psalm could in a moment pass from David to David’s loyal and worthy son, Hezekiah—and that was enough. But though Solomon is not named, yet the Temple he built is brought into prominence: thus supporting the invitation to renewed worship there—in a shrine so magnificent and to all appearance so abiding.

Then if we pass on to notice the manner in which the assumed design of the psalm is sought to be obtained, we shall be able to detect many tokens of exquisite adaptation. Not only is there, in the psalm, all the winsomeness of poetic form and beauty; but a skilful appeal is at once made to the patriotic sentiment which loves to hear the story of one’s ancestors, especially as entwined around the formation of a unique nationality; which appeal is made the more telling when the poet avows that he is about to bring forth from the venerated past problems of present-day application.

It is true that the psalmist’s serious purpose compels him to lodge a grave complaint against one of the most powerful of the Northern Tribes—that of Ephraim; but both the way in which he leads up to this complaint and the terms in which he expresses it, are well fitted to secure for it attention. He breathes not a word against any single tribe, until he has first made against the nation’s ancestors as a body an indictment expressed in the startling terms in which parents were authorized by Moses to bring their refractory sons as rebellious and insulting before the elders of their city for condign punishment in the event of continued obstinacy. Then, although he does level his charge against the tribe of Ephraim thus early in the psalm (Psalms 78:9-11),—without which specification it is not easy to see how he could have quickened the apprehension of the Ephraimites to see their own likeness in the mirror which he was about to hold up to their gaze,—yet it is not difficult to detect in his allusion to their proficiency with the bow, a compliment, and a reminiscence of their father Joseph which were not likely to be lost upon them (Genesis 49:23-24). If their how was no longer “abiding in strength,” was that not due to moral defection? If they had turned in the day of battle (which, in the absence of specification, one may perhaps refer broadly to the day of entrance into the land under Joshua, followed by sinful compromise with idolatry), were they not the more chargeable with blame by reason of their high national aspirations?

There is no need here to dwell in detail on the historical reminiscences to which attention has been called by our “Analysis.” The one obvious thing to do, if we would use the “mirror” of history to profit, or at least perceive how the Northerners might be expected so to use it,—is to go back to the “prelude” and fetch up therefrom the significant term problems (Psalms 78:2) as applied to the history here in Part III. recited. In what way does this application of the word problems to the history furnish a suitable appeal to the Ten Tribes? This has already been suggested by the aforesaid Analysis. High above the limitations of “Time” and “Place” there sufficiently alluded to, stands the great question of the “Freedom of Divine Action.” Let us assume—as we reasonably may—that, at the time this psalm is composed and sent forth on its mission, the North has been overrun by Assyria, and that Samaria is already in siege, or if we would make the picture still blacker, that that city has already capitulated,—how and where do the problems find application? Look back over those historical details with this especial feature in view: How did God act in those sinful and perilous times of old? and note especially this: That the Divine action is various: always doubtless holy, always right; yet, in its springs, far above, out of our sight; in its activities and modifications, many a time taking us by surprise. Sometimes he is angry, and yet grants the blessing; sometimes his rising displeasure is checked—he will not stir up all his wrath; sometimes, pent-up wrath suddenly breaks forth as if to bring up arrears of displeasure, and make a clean sweep of the rebels whose insults can no longer be endured. Behind all these adjustments and adaptations, lies the great primal fact of Divine Redemption out of Egypt; and high above all is descried the Divine fountain-head of compassion and the Divine remembrance of human frailty. This, God never forgets. So that, as applied to Ephraim, the lesson briefly is this: It is yet problematical how Jehovah may deal with you: he may smite and yet spare; may carry away and yet bring back. Do not despair: Jehovah of old brought out of Egypt; and even now he can deliver from Assyria. Do not presume: beware of pent-up wrath; do not provoke once too often. Humble yourselves AND RETURN (2 Chronicles 30:6; 2 Chronicles 30:9). And, in your thoughts of return, forget not, that some forfeited honours may never be restored, some past provisions may never be renewed. Your leadership in Israel has been forfeited for ever. Shiloh has been abandoned for ever. You have lost the ark, and to you it may never return. The Shepherd of Israel may be now leading his flock to fresh pastures.” But this brings us up to Part IV., on which a few words will suffice.

If we wisely avoid resenting the anthropomorphism which likens Jehovah to a waking hero, and honestly endeavour to enter into the spirit of the teaching thereby conveyed, we shall not fail to perceive the new tone which now makes itself manifest. We have done with problems, so far as the poetic development of them is concerned; and are now brought face to face with facts—facts calculated to urge on a settlement of the great practical problem of the then immediate future: to return or not to return. It was time that the old enemies, the Philistines, were decisively dealt with; and so reproach was cast upon them when they were ignominiously smitten before the very ark they had taken captive; and later on (as we may supply) when they were finally subjugated at the hands of a shepherd stripling that reproach has been made notorious and age-abiding. But it was also time that the historic claims of Joseph and his son Ephraim were disposed of for ever by the choice of Judah, by the erection of the temple in Jerusalem, and by the selection of David as King for all Israel; and so the psalm comes to a powerful conclusion. It was left to silence, and other psalms, and other agencies, to do the rest.

May Your Face Shine Upon Us,

That We May Be Saved

Psalms 79:1 to Psalms 80:19

Brent Kercheville

Introduction:

Psalms 79-80 are penned by Asaph and concern the invasion and destruction of Jerusalem. Psalms 79 describes the horror of the destruction upon Jerusalem that took place when the Babylonians invaded. The psalmist calls out to God asking how long the anger of the Lord will burn against Jerusalem because of the sins of the people and their forefathers. Psalms 79:9 is the central part of the psalm: “Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.” Psalms 80 also is a cry out to the Lord for help in the face of the Lord’s anger.

Psalm 80

God, the Shepherd of Israel (Psalms 80:1-3)

Psalms 80 begins by describing God as the Shepherd of Israel. We particularly know that the psalmist is speaking about the Lord from the description given in verse 1: “you who sit enthroned between the cherubim.” Exodus 25 tells us that the presence of God dwelled between the cherubim on the ark of the covenant. “Set the mercy seat on top of the ark and put the testimony that I will give you into the ark. I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony; I will speak with you from there about all that I command you regarding the Israelites” (Exodus 25:21-22).

Psalms 80:3 seems to be a chorus which is repeated in verse 7 and verse 19. The chorus is a call from Israel to God for restoration. “Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us; that we may be saved.” This is the psalmist’s prayer on behalf of Israel for deliverance.

This description of God as a shepherd also occurs in Psalms 23, a famous psalm that many people know. Understanding that the Jewish people looked to God as their shepherd make the words of Jesus controversial. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:14-15). For Jesus to call himself the good shepherd of Israel was an obvious and direct declaration that he is God.

How Long? (Psalms 80:4-7)

The psalmist now asks how long God will continue to be anger with the people. The Lord’s wrath is described in three ways. First, God’s anger smolders against the prayers of the people. God does not want our prayers when our actions have kindled His anger. Second, the people have been fed with the bread of tears. The bread of blessings has been replaced with the painful situation of the enemy nations attacking Israel. The tears are so great that they are made to drink their tears by the bowlful. Third, Israel is a source of contention to the neighboring nations and a mockery to the enemies. How long will these things continue? We noted that this is one of the most common questions we have for God during difficult times. After asking the question of how long, the psalmist returns to the chorus, “Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.”

Israel, The Vine (Psalms 80:8-18)

The psalmist goes to a vine image to describe the nation of Israel. Isaiah made this connection of a vine/vineyard as Israel in Isaiah 5:1-7. Asaph describes Israel as a vine that was brought out of Egypt and planted. The vine grew so large that it filled the land and covered the mountains and mighty cedars with its shade. The psalmist is describing Israel as a prosperous nation that God established it to be, likely during the time of its pinnacle under kings David and Solomon.

However, the protection of the vine has been broken and now the vine is being plucked of its fruit. This image is a picture of the nations stripping Israel of its wealth and power. Therefore, the psalmist calls out to God to see what the nations are doing and to watch over the vine again.

Messianic Implications

There are many Messianic implications that fall out from this psalm. First, the psalmist himself calls for the Messiah for salvation and deliverance. “Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself” (Psalms 80:17). Here is a call to the person who is at the right hand of God, also called the son of man. Around the same time as the writing of this psalm the prophet Daniel prophesied about the son of man coming in the clouds and given authority, glory, and power over all the peoples and nations. The term “son of man” is rare in the Old Testament and is a reference to the coming Messiah. So the psalmist is calling for the Messiah to come and deliver the people from their troubles as they are enduring invasions from the surrounding nations. This is the ultimate call of the psalmist: to send the Messiah- “Restore us, O Lord God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.”

The psalmist presents three movements in the psalm, based upon the three calls for restoration. The first movement is in the first three verses, calling for the Shepherd who sits between the cherubim to awaken his might and save the people. The second movement is in Psalms 80:4-7 asking God how long God’s anger will burn against the people. The third movement is found in Psalms 80:8-18 where the psalmist recalls the greatness of Israel as a vine. But now the vine was been pruned and plucked of its fruit. The psalmist calls for the Messiah to come and restore and revive the vine, raising it up to its former greatness.

This psalm becomes very Messianic in nature when we see how Jesus would then speak to the Jewish people in the first century. We already noted that Jesus described himself as the good shepherd. This was a declaration that he is God.

In John 15 Jesus declares that he is the true vine. Notice that the psalmist has pointed out that the vine has been stripped of its fruit. This gives us another vantage point about Jesus’ teaching in John 15. “Abide in me, and I will abide in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5). Jesus is teaching how the fruitfulness of Israel can return. It would not be through their own works or their own righteousness. They needed to abide in Christ if they were going to be restored and revived, as the psalmist prayed would take place.

This vineyard imagery also explains the many parables that Jesus told about vineyards. In Matthew 20 Jesus told a parable about workers in a vineyard who were hired at different times. The teaching was how the kingdom of heaven was going to include people outside the original calling given to Israel. In Matthew 21:28 Jesus tells a parable about two sons who are commanded to work in the vineyard. The son refused but later entered the vineyard and worked. The second son said he would work in the vineyard, but then chose not to work. The point of the parable is that the sinners were entering the kingdom of heaven, but the Jews were not. In Matthew 21:33 Jesus tells another parable about a landowner who had a vineyard. The tenants of the vineyard killed the son of the landowner, showing how the Jewish people were rejecting the Son of Man that God had sent to save Israel. In Luke 13:6 Jesus told a parable about a fig tree that was planted in the vineyard but it did not bear fruit. One more year was going to be given before the tree would be cut down and removed from the vineyard. Again, Jesus was warning the Jewish nation that if they did not accept him, the nation would be removed from the kingdom.

These images are all found in Psalms 80 as the psalmist describes the glory of the vine being stripped away because of their sins. Jesus came and said that things had not changed. Jesus came to revive and restore the vine, but the people of Israel rejected him as the Messiah and would not abide in him. God had sent the Son of Man to raise up Israel. But Israel did not accept him. Therefore God would remove the people from the vineyard (from the kingdom).

Conclusion:

1. Reminder to not reject the commands of Jesus or else we will be removed from the kingdom of God.

PSALM 79

EXPOSITION

If this psalm now appears as it was first composed, its date must be assigned to the time of the Maccabees; since the time of the Chaldean invasion under Nebuchadnezzar does not suit all its leading features, whereas the persecutions and profanations of Antiochus Epiphanes, against which the Maccabean resistance was directed, serve to supply in counterpart the finishing-touches to this picture of Israel’s troubles. Such a late time of origin does, indeed, leave little space for translation into the Septuagint; but, as the date usually assigned to the execution of this Greek Bible does not necessarily apply to all the sacred books, and some of them, including the Psalms, may well have been added at a somewhat later time, candour must admit the practical possibility of a Maccabean origin of this psalm consistently with its appearance, in the Septuagint where it now stands, in close conformity with its Hebrew original. The alternative theory—that it was originally composed soon after the Chaldean invasion and subsequently freely adapted to the later time—is not wildly improbable, as the known free action of the Sopherim on the Sacred Text sufficiently shews; but, on the other hand, the unity and symmetry of the psalm as we have it, make strongly for one spirit working at one time in its production. In either case, an extract or two from the first book of Maccabees will be acceptable to the general reader. “And there came forth out of [‘them the servants of Alexander the Great, who bare rule in his place’] a sinful root, Antiochus Epiphanes, son of Antiochus the king, who had been a hostage in Rome, and he reigned in the hundred and thirty and seventh year of the kingdom of [the Greeks, circa B.C. 176] . . . And Antiochus, after that he had smitten Egypt, returned in the hundred and forty and third year [circa B.C. 170] and went up against Israel and Jerusalem with a great multitude, and entered presumptuously into the sanctuary, and took the golden altar, and the candlestick of the light, and all that pertained thereto, and the table of the shew-bread, and the cups to pour withal, and the bowls, and the golden censers, and the veil, and the crowns, and the adorning of gold which was on the face of the temple, and he scaled it all off. And he took the silver and the gold and the precious vessels; and he took the hidden treasures which he found. And when he had taken all, he went away into his own land, and he made a great slaughter and spake very presumptuously . . . And the land was moved for the inhabitants thereof, and all the house of Jacob was clothed with shame . . . And after two full years the king sent a chief collector of tribute unto the cities of Judah, and he came unto Jerusalem with a great multitude. And he spake words of peace unto them in subtlety, and they gave him credence; and he fell upon the city suddenly, and smote it very sore, and destroyed much people out of Israel. And he took the spoils of the city, and set it on fire, and pulled down the houses thereof and the walls thereof on every side . . . And they shed innocent blood on every side of the sanctuary, and defiled the sanctuary. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled because of them . . . And on the fifteenth day of Chislev, in the hundred and forty and fifth year [circa B.C. 168], they builded an abomination of desolation upon the altar, and in the cities of Judah on every side they builded idol altars. And at the doors of the houses and in the streets they burnt incense. And they rent in pieces the books of the law which they found, and set them on fire . . . On the five and twentieth day of the month they sacrificed on the idol altar, which was upon the altar of God” (1 Maccabees 1:10; 1 Maccabees 1:20-24; 1 Maccabees 1:29-31; 1 Maccabees 1:37-38; 1 Maccabees 1:54-56) . . . “And Jerusalem was without inhabitant as a wilderness, there was none of her offspring that went in or went out; and the sanctuary was trodden down, and the sons of strangers were in the citadel, the Gentiles lodged therein; and joy was taken away from Jacob, and the pipe and the harp ceased” (1 Maccabees 3:45).

The structure of the psalm, according to Del., followed above, is interesting; as revealing three stanzas of nine lines each, closed by a stimple tristich.

The course of thought running through the whole is natural and easy to follow.

The first stanza is filled with lamentation, which takes the obvious course of describing, step by step, Israel’s deep humiliation; the invasion of the land, the defiling of the temple, the demolition of city, the massacre of inhabitants—especially of the godly, the contemptuous treatment of the slain, the disregard of the heavy responsibility of shedding blood. This last might have seemed the fitting climax; but, as in Psalms 40 there was to be added “Many shall see, &c.” though in a totally different strain to that found here; so here there fell to be added a couplet describing the effect of Jerusalem’s humiliation upon the onlooking neighbouring nationalities, as to the renewed reference to whom in Psalms 79:12, Delitzsch well says: “That the prayer comes back in Psalms 79:12 to the neighboring peoples, is explained by the fact that these, seeing they might the soonest have attained to the knowledge of the God of Israel as the one true and living God, bear the greatest guilt on account of their reviling of Him.”

Naturally, a stanza follows, taken up with expostulation (How long? Psalms 79:5), and petitions (Pour out—Do not remember—Haste thee, Psalms 79:6-8), sustained, no doubt, by reasons, expressed and implied; among which may be singled out the prayer against heathen nations, for the purpose of interposing the caution to be careful not to exaggerate these imprecations, seeing that the simplicity of poetically expressed Eastern thought clearly allows us to understand positives as amounting to comparatives: “If thy wrath must be outpoured, let it be rather on the nations,” &c.

But these reasoned petitions, are, in the third stanza, followed by yet more urgent pleadings; which may usefully remind us how much of this element is to be found in the prayers of the faithful throughout the Holy Scriptures; as witness, especially, the prayers of Abraham (Genesis 18), (Daniel 9) and the writer of Psalms 119; and though, at first sight, it might appear to have been discountenanced by our Lord (Matthew 6:7-13), yet both his own teaching (Luke 11:8; Luke 18:1) and example (John 17, Mark 14:22-39) caution us to bear in mind that all repetition need not be “vain.” Indeed it may safely be said: That he who has not learned to plead in prayer, has not yet learned to pray at all—especially by way of intercession (1 Timothy 2:1-8). It will not be lost labour, if the devout reader look through this third stanza afresh, in order to note in how many directions there is an outgoing of sympathy to his suffering brethren, on the part of the psalmist, prompting to a holy boldness in drawing near to his God.

PSALM 80

EXPOSITION

The exceeding beauty of this psalm is obvious at a glance,—with its striking invocation, its threefold refrain, and its exquisite allegory of the Vine. Its power, however, cannot be felt to the full until its scope is observed and its spirit perceived. Its scope is, to reconcile all the tribes of Israel to each other and to their God: its spirit is, on the one hand, one of absolute loyalty to Jehovah, in his preference for Judah as the leading tribe, and to the house of David as the divinely appointed reigning dynasty; and, on the other hand, one of tender regard for the susceptibilities of the northern tribes. Whether Asaph, the author of this psalm, be Asaph the Second or Asaph the Seventh matters little, so long as we take him to have been the prophet compeer of King Hezekiah. While the King was inviting the tribes to come to Jerusalem, the psalmist was singing them in to Jehovah’s royal seat.

Viewed from this standpoint, what address is discovered in the opening invocation. When the term “Israel” did not mean the whole nation, it specially meant the Ten Tribes; and of “Joseph” the same may be said, with the especial consideration added, that as both Ephraim and Manasseh were integral members of the northern kingdom, “Joseph” would more emphatically point “North.” So far, then, the invocation counts two for the “North”; but when the third Divine Title is added, “Throned on the cherubim,” then, as the holy cherubic Throne was now located in Jerusalem, that was emphatically one for the South. So that, while this invocation, in the order of mention, yields the leading place to the North, and then weightily gravitates to the South, it may be truthfully described as a tribe-uniting Invocation.

In the same spirit the psalm proceeds, with the tact of a Divine winsomeness: “Thou who art throned in the South, before the North shew forth thy glorious presence!” “Before the North”: more in detail, Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh,—Ephraim and Manasseh being, of course, the two sons of Joseph; with little Benjamin placed between them, with exquisite good taste and with striking historical reminiscences clustering about the arrangement; first, as all being the descendants of the two sons of Rachel; and second, as having been placed in the rear of the Ark in the appointed order of march through the wilderness: “Thou who are throned in the Ark before them, before them shine forth, as thou leadest them on to victory and glory.” Nor was this association of Benjamin with Ephraim and Manasseh without historical propriety or hortatory necessity. “At first sight,” says Kirkpatrick, “it may seem strange that Benjamin is reckoned among the northern tribes, for partially at any rate it sided with Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:21, 2 Chronicles 11:3; 2 Chronicles 11:23; 2 Chronicles 15:8-9); but the one tribe remaining to David was Judah (1 Kings 11:13; 1 Kings 11:32; 1 Kings 11:36), and Benjamin must be reckoned to the Northern Kingdom to make up Ten tribes, for Simeon had become merged in Judah and is not counted. The principal Benjamite towns of Bethel, Gilgal, and Jericho belonged to the Northern Kingdom.” To which we may add a sentence from Delitzsch as to these three cities: “But, like Ramah (1 Kings 15:21 f), not without being contested (cf. 2 Chronicles 13:19); the boundaries were therefore fluctuating.”

Thus wooed into united supplication, the twelve-tribed nation is led forward in impassioned pleading, as the repeated use of the “h-paragogic” shews: Oh give ear! Oh shine forth! Oh stir up! “O come!”

The refrain too is worthy of its place as the triple crown of the psalm. O God! restore us: or, bring us back—which would especially suit those who were in banishment;—or, bring us back to our former estate, Restore us—which would suit all who lamented their degeneracy and disunion. And light up thy face—with that smile which so gladdens all such as love thee. And, thus gladdened—united—guided, we shall be saved from foes and dangers and sins.

To this stanza of invocation and petition, succeeds a stanza of invocation and remonstrance. Only, now, the invocation is shorter: Jehovah=the Becoming One; God of Hosts, with saints and angels and elements at thy command, waiting to do thy will.—Invocations are useful, as the natural outcome of earnestness; as apt reminders, to the petitioner and his fellow-worshippers, of the nature of the weighty business in hand—that we are neither dreaming nor soliloquising, nor aimlessly wandering: we are in the court of the Divine Presence, speaking to the Almighty—that is our one present business. Moreover, Invocations are turned into pleadings by the choice of epithets to suit our need, and by the accumulation of them as so many avenues of approach to him whom we worship.—How long? is the key-note of the remonstrance, the spirit of which should undoubtedly be carried through the remainder of the stanza: up to and preparing for the supplicatory refrain. How long hast thou been thus angry and wilt thou continue to be? How long hast thou fed us with the bread of tears—so that our hungry lips open in vain for food, only to taste the salt tears that fall upon them? How long art thou going still further to make us a strife to our smaller neighbours, who are quarreling among themselves as to who first and who most shall insult us in our humiliation? How long are our more formidable foes to be permitted to turn on us with a scornful laugh when we groan under their unchecked atrocities?—Thus are we permitted to interweave the element of time with our prayers: How long? The longest may seem but “a small moment” to Him who sees the end from the beginning; but, to us, creatures of a day, it is a serious aggravation to our troubles that they are so long continued. And what we are here taught by Asaph is, that we may dare to remonstrate with God over the almost unbearable protraction of our trials. Thus, as least, shall we find an intensified refrain of petition welcome, as a relief to the burden which weighs down our spirits: O God of Hosts, restore us, And light up thy face, And we shall be saved.

And now comes the Vine—the parable, the allegory of the Vine—and let us remember that we are still, in prayer, speaking to Him whose vine it is: its Owner, its Planter and Transplanter, its Waterer and Fencer, its Devastator, its seeming Neglecter, its severe Inspector, its true and only Protector, its Redeemer and Restorer.

It is thus that this Vine comes before us:—1. Transplanted and Prosperous, 2. Endangered and Damaged, 3. Inspected and Protected, 4. Represented and Restored. Although these headings are not exactly conformed to the stanzical divisions of the psalm, they may be helpful as a basis of study. While paying a passing regard to the framework of the Allegory, let us chiefly endeavour to get at its true meaning.

1. The Vine—Israel: Transplanted and Prosperous. It began its growth in Egypt. But in Egypt there was neither room for its growth, nor an atmosphere to make it fruitful. Egypt was peopled by an oppressing nationality, unfavourable to the growth within it of a free nation; and Egypt was poisoned with idolatry, unfitted for the development of a pure nation. Jehovah desired a nation both free and pure: fitted to be a channel of blessing to all the other nations of the earth. Therefore he transplanted his Vine—lifted it, as a vine is lifted with its roots, or a vine-layer is lifted, and laid in its ample bed.

But it must have a cleared space to receive it. The Owner of this Vine foresaw this need and provided for it. Hence the psalmist says: Didst clear a space before it. And the Divine directions were, that the space should be cleared. The iniquity of the Amorites was now full; and therefore, being mindful that the space they occupied should be filled to better purpose, the Disposer of Nations commanded them to be extirpated—a severe but needful mandate; “severe,” because it involved the destruction of the innocent with the guilty; “needful,” because the seven nations of Canaan had become a pest and a peril to the world. Unmerciful? Verily: it would have been more merciful, if the terrible Divine Behest of Destruction had been sternly executed. It would have saved the lives as well as the morals of generations yet unborn.

Nevertheless, space was made; so that this Vine, transplanted from Egypt, grew rapidly: in the picturesque language of the psalm, it rooted its roots, and fitted the land. As if on purpose to recall and amplify the blessings on Joseph which fell from his father Jacob’s lips (Genesis 49), the psalmist proceeds: Covered were the mountains with its shade—the mountains of the South, And with its boughs the cedars of God—on the Lebanon to the North, a feat which the Vine, as a climbing plant, is able to accomplish; It thrust forth its branches, with the true thrusting power of growth, as far as the sea—the Mediterranean, to the West; and unto the River (Nahar=the Euphrates) its shoots (or suckers). Great (outward) prosperity, nearly if not quite realised in the days of Solomon. Is it strange that such prosperity should not have endured? Alas! there was a worm at the root of this Vine. Idolatry—the very thing that the God of Israel would not tolerate—had entered and was making rapid advances even in the days of Solomon.

2. Endangered and Damaged.—Inwardly, the danger was Sin—flagrant national Sin. The outward danger followed. The Owner of the Vine himself broke down its fences. His own character was involved: his purposes were being thwarted: there was a needs-be that he should interpose. Self-consistency and truth demanded it: all this had been threatened by Moses, and it must come. All who passed along the way—Egypt to meet Assyria, Assyria to meet Egypt—plucked of its fruit; and verily the fruit of this Vine was luscious and tempting; as, for example, the golden treasures of the Temple! Pity the defenceless Vine! when the boar out of the forest=the wild-boar of Assyria, Babylon, Greece or Rome, came that way (the Boar was anciently the symbol of Rome). The Vine, that is the Nation, more frequently pitied itself, than turned in true repentance to its offended God. True to the life it is, that Jewish scholars have punned on the very word which describes their punishment. The essential letters of the Hebrew word for forest are Y, R: if pronounced yaar, then it means forest; but if pronounced ye-or then it signifies river, and particularly the Nile. Now, they did not fear the Boar of the Nile so much as they stood in awe of the Boar of the forest east or west. The roaming beast of the field, in the next line, may mean—either any marauding power, or the smaller neighboring monarchs ever ready to browse on Israel’s most tender and promising shoots.

3. Inspected and Protected.—No wonder that the psalmist should again and more earnestly than ever betake himself to prayer. And, first, he prays for inspection: O God of hosts! return, we pray thee look around out of the, heavens—on the various nations; and see—whether there is any other nation that interests and concerns thee like this; and inspect this vine—look narrowly into its condition, and see what, in thy clemency and wisdom, can be done in its behalf. So far, we Gentiles hearken with complacency: it is doubtless right, we are ready to say, that this vine, on which so much culture has been lavished should be inspected! But are we equally prepared to follow Asaph in the next step which he takes? And be thou the protection of that which thy right-hand hath planted. Perhaps we are utterly and genuinely unable to say “what more” the Divine Husbandman “could have done for his vineyard which he has not done for it” (Isaiah 5). But how can he protect a nation which cannot and will not protect itself—cannot and will not come under his protection? And so we are straitened, not in God, but in ourselves, and in our own poverty of conception. We think we have reached the end of HIS ways which are “past finding out”! Is there never a bough in this Vine, which as a fresh layer can again be transplanted; and so a New Vine be produced therefrom? Perhaps, even to this length, the utmost stretch of our Gentile imaginations may extend. “Yes!” we say; “even that may be. ‘Salvation is of the Jews.’ The Messiah ‘comes of the seed of David.’ And, only give to the Messiah a new people; then he and his new people shall form a new Vine; and in that new Vine the old shall live again and so be perpetuated.” Good as far as it goes; only it does not go so far as the Apostle Paul would conduct us; for he exclaims, in a passage wherein Israel cannot mean the Church, “And so all Israel shall be saved.” Therefore we must yet stand firm to the text of this Asaphic Psalm.

4. Represented and Restored.—It was something that at the close of the previous stanza (Psalms 80:15) we saw a bough that was not likely to be destroyed, seeing that Jehovah had secured it for himself. The Psalmist sets the peril of Israel’s national destruction clearly before him. The natural doom of such a Vine is to be burned with fire; and, with a view to such a burning, to be cut down: there is reason, in Israel’s persistent sin, for Divine Rebuke stern enough to leave Israel to perish. But this apprehension on the part of the psalmist prompts to renewed and more explicit prayer. Let thy hand be protectingly over the man of thy right hand. Is this man an individual or a nation? There is something to be said for the opinion of some that it may be the whole nation of Israel; even as, in Psalms 80:15, that which thy right hand hath planted is clearly the nation. Still, we have already had brought before us the separating conception of a single bough, or son, of the Vine; and Jehovah’s first care is clearly to protect and preserve that bough; and this is the idea which is now, in supplication, brought forward anew—brought forward anew and amplified,—and, in the process of repetition and amplification, more fully described and more accurately defined. Even the phrase, the man of thy right hand seems irresistibly to carry us forward to the Messiah. But when the duplicate phrase follows, The son of Mankind—the Son of Adam; and the striking description is repeated, whom thou hast secured for thyself that conclusion is undoubtedly confirmed; so that we are relieved to find that even the Aramaean Targum giving scholarly Jewish opinion in the early Christian centuries is borne along in the same direction with its paraphrase: “And upon Messiah the king, whom thou hast made strong for thyself.” Still the question recurs—Does this gravitation of the psalm to the Messiah include or exclude the Nation? If we still follow the psalmist’s lead,—to say nothing more now of concurrent Scripture,—we shall undoubtedly answer in the affirmative—It will include and not exclude the Nation. For who are these who now join in the pleading—So shall we not draw back from thee, fully and finally. On the contrary, however dead we are at present, yea even generations of our people in Hades (Ezekiel 37), Thou wilt restore us to life, and as the priestly nation we were originally intended to be (Exodus 19) and which prophecy clearly foretells we yet shall be (Isaiah 61:6; Isaiah 66:20) And on thy name will we call. Jehovah, God of hosts, restore us—us, the nation, inheriting the name and honour of the Vine thou didst lift out of Egypt, Light up thy face, and we, the Vine, the Nation, shall be saved.

Recurring to the opening of the psalm, a weighty lesson may be drawn therefrom for the guidance of such as would seek the reunion of Christendom. There is in this realm also the unfaithfulness which fears to tell Ephraim his sin. For these the 78th psalm furnishes instruction: showing the possibility of faithfully admonishing Ephraim, that he has “turned back in the day of battle,” and yet so administering the lesson as to commend it to his attention. The present psalm furnishes the hint that, besides warning Ephraim, efforts to win him may be alternated with sterner remonstrances. Set the Ark of the Divine Presence before him, and entreat him to follow its lead; at the same time endeavouring to convince him that there are privileges to be enjoyed in Judah which Ephraim has forfeited. Let us hold fast the honour of having first denounced Divisionalism in Christendom: at the same time wooing back wanderers in a generous and winsome spirit.

“If You Would Listen To Me”

Psalms 81:1-16

Brent Kercheville

Call To Worship (Psalms 81:1-3)

Psalms 81 is another psalm of Asaph. In Psalms 79-80 we saw Asaph describing God’s wrath against Jerusalem and his plea for the “son of man” (the Messiah) to deliver the people. Psalms 81 begins with a call to worship. The first three verses call for Israel to sing aloud to God and to shout for joy. It is time for Israel to worship the Lord. Psalms 80:1 is probably a call to the whole congregation to sing and shout. Psalms 80:2 is probably a call to the Levites who were appointed in the temple as singers and musicians. Psalms 80:3 is probably a call to the priests who had the responsibility of blowing the trumpets. So this seems to be Asaph’s call to all the people to participate in worship. Psalms 80:3 speaks about the feast day. This psalm was probably written in the 7th month when Israel had three festivals: New Year festival (7th month, 1st day), Day of Atonement (7th month, 10th day), and Festival of Tabernacles (7th month, 15th day). The full moon also coincided with the Festival of Tabernacles. The purpose of these festivals was for the people to remember the mighty works of God, specifically Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. This is what Asaph tells the people to recall as they worship in the Lord in the next few verses.

Remember What The Lord Has Done (Psalms 81:4-7)

Asaph tells the people to recall the deliverance the Lord achieved for Israel in Egypt. Asaph says that the Lord went out over the land, which may be reference to the Passover, when God went through Egypt and struck down the firstborn of every child and animal that did not have the blood on the doorposts. In verse 6 the Lord Himself begins to speak. The Lord reminds the people how he relieved the people of their burdens in Egypt. The people repeatedly forgot the miserable lives they were leading in Egypt. Israel’s children at one point in time were being killed by the Egyptians. The people of Israel were forced labor and were treated harshly as the book of Exodus opens. The Lord says that he relieved the people from that labor and they are to remember that in the Passover and in the Festival of Tabernacles. Notice Psalms 81:7 :

“In distress you called, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah.”

God says that the people called out to him and he responded with deliverance. I believe the “secret place of thunder” is a reference to Mount Sinai when God descended upon that mountain and spoke the Ten Commandments. “And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder” (Exodus 19:19; ESV). Also, “Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off” (Exodus 20:18; ESV). Then God reminds the people of the events at Meribah where the people complained for water and Moses struck the rock to bring forth water to the people. God says that he tested the people in that situation and the people failed because they did not maintain their trust in God.

Listen To Me… (Psalms 81:8-10)

In Psalms 81:8-10 the Lord admonishes the people, calling for them to listen to the words He has to say. The Lord recognizes, however, that his plea for the people to listen to him is an empty request. The people will not listen. “O Israel, if you would but listen to me!” So the Lord reminds the people of the covenant that they are to keep with the Lord. They are not to have nor worship any other gods. However, we know one of the causes of the fall of Jerusalem and the captivity of the people was that their hearts had been turned toward the foreign gods of the Canaanites and Israel no longer worshipped the Lord in sincerity. Thus, the Lord reminds the people that they are not to bow down to any foreign gods because the Lord is their God. He is the one who brought the people out of Egypt. If the people will simply listen to the commands of the Lord, God says that he would provide for the people. “Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” God wants to take care of the people.

The People Continue To Rebel (Psalms 81:11-12)

The problem is that the people continue to ignore God’s commands. They do not listen to the voice of the Lord. “Israel would not submit to me.” So what is God supposed to do with a people who refuse to listen to his commands? What is God supposed to do with a people who will not submit their lives to the Lord? What shall God do towards people who will not bend their will to the Lord? God does not wait around for the people. The Lord does not chase after the people. Verse 12 tells us what God does: “So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.” If you want to do what you want to do, God is going to let you. God is not going to stop you from doing evil. Here is a good answer for people who ask the question why there is evil in the world if there is a God. God does not stop people from doing what they want to do. God is the author of free will and choice and we are allowed to follow our own desires and passions.

Paul reminds us of this concerning the Gentiles in Romans 1:22-28

“Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.” (ESV)

I would like to point out that three times in these handful of verses Paul says that God gave the people up (Romans 1:24; Romans 1:26; Romans 1:28). God gave them up to their lusts, their dishonorable passions, and their debased mind. God allows to live our lives how ever we would like to live them. But that does not mean that since we have free will that we are exempt from judgment and the wrath of God. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth”; (Romans 1:18; ESV). But rather than talk about the wrath that was to come against Israel (which there was no need to as the prophets had warned the people about the impending judgment), God talks about the good life the people are missing due to their stubbornness.

Repent, Return, and I Will Act (Psalms 81:13-16)

In verse 13 the Lord makes a similar cry again, desiring that the people would listen to the Lord and walk in his ways. If they would listen and obey, then God would act on their behalf. God says that he would take care of Israel’s enemies. God would subdue the enemies and turn his hand against their adversaries. Those who stood against God would be judged. But verse 16 describes the blessings God would bestow on the people of Israel. “But he would feed you with the finest of wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” God will give Israel the best if they would listen and submit.

Applications:

Listen to God. We may think that we are listening to God because we have been baptized and consider ourselves children of God. But the people of Israel also considered themselves children of God. But they were not listen because they were living their lives how they wanted to. Notice that they were not listening because they did not submit their lives to God. They were not listening because they bowed down to foreign gods. The Israelites were not listening because they forgot the deliverance God gave them in the past. So, though we are children of God, we need to ask ourselves if we are really listening to God. We need to really know God’s law. We need to make sure that we are not serving other gods. We have many gods in this nation: comfort, wealth, and sex, to name a few. We need to be sure that we do not serve the gods that this nation serves.

Recognize the benefits of submission. We often have a difficult time releasing control of our lives and giving it to God. We do not see all that God will do for us if we will place our complete trust in God to rule our lives. God says that we would be able to open our mouths wide and God will fill it. I believe God is telling Israel a principle that the Lord tells us in the New Testament: “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19; HCSB). Paul says this in the context of a letter to the Philippians about sacrificing ourselves for the glory of the Lord. By doing so, God will take care of us and supply our needs. In verse 16 of Psalms 81 God makes the promise again to take care of the people if they would only listen and submit to Him.

Learn the lesson of Israel: Disaster for Disobedience. While we have a choice as to what we will do with God, the outcome of our choice is determined. Submit to God and we will have the blessings of God. Reject God and God will turn us over to our lusts and we will face the wrath of God. There is no changing of the outcome. We cannot reject God by following after our desires and think that we will still have the blessings of God in this life. The Proverbs teach us to look at our lives and consider our ways. We may think we are with God, but disaster is falling on our lives trying to show us that we need to listen to God. Repent and return, then God will act.

PSALM 81

EXPOSITION

The best introduction to this psalm is the series of Asaphic psalms which leads up to it; yet, when thus reached, this psalm will be found to have features all its own, which immensely add to its interest and to its instructiveness for other times. Its adaptation to the Northern tribes is seen, in part, in the Divine and National titles which it employs—God of Jacob (Psalms 81:1; Psalms 81:4); Israel (Psalms 81:4; Psalms 81:8; Psalms 81:11; Psalms 81:13), Joseph (Psalms 81:5), My people (Psalms 81:8; Psalms 81:11; Psalms 81:13): in part also in its omission of any direct allusions to Judah, Jerusalem or the Temple: perhaps, moreover, in the probability that the Feast of Trumpets would be the last to fall out of observance among any of the tribes. It has often been remarked how lively an interest in the Northern tribes Asaph everywhere displays; nor is it difficult to account for this, when we call to mind the non-localisation of the tribe of Levi, and the distribution of the Levitical cities throughout all the land—North as well as South. It may thus quite easily have happened that this Asaph of Hezekiah’s days was, by domicile, a Northerner, while yet loyal to the Divine preference for the South. There needs but one touch further to make the picture live before us; and that is, the conception of a missionary Levite traversing the North, harp in hand, and trying to win back the wanderers by singing to them this song. Other songs of the series there were which he may have sung at other times, or in alternation with this. His was a harp of many strings. At one time he would gently remind Ephraim how he had “turned in the day of battle,” and how Joseph had irrevocably lost the honour of having the Sacred Tent within his bounds (78). At another time he would boldly claim for Judah the supreme honour of having the Cherubic Throne in his midst (80). But, even before he could win attention to those messages, here was one which would strike a winsome herald note, impinging on no susceptibilities save of aspostates wholly given to idolatry: containing no allusion to the South, no mention of David.

Radical reform, it is true, would demand the declaration of fuller truth in these regards; but all cannot be done at once—it is worth an effort, costing self-restraint, to win the ear of the rebellious, even for a moment, provided some essential thing can be successfully lodged therein. And truly the most essential thing of all, for Israelites wandering away into idolatry, is here: their covenant-relation to Jehovah, and his inexorable claim that their obligations under that covenant be fulfilled. From this point of view, how skilfully the story is told: with all the charms of music, introduced; with all the fascinations of ancient history, the famous and irreversible past, commenced; barbed with pointed reminiscences of old-time refractoriness; merged into the pathos of direct appeal; ascending to the height of positive mandate; coming down again to the attraction of bountiful and all-comprehensive promise; sobered by tones of Divine lament; invigorated by rapid transition from the irredeemable past to present lingering possibilities—Oh that my people were even now hearkening! hearkening to counsels which must still be maintained, walking in ways of obedience that must still be trodden: oh that they were! oh that they would! Right soon would I subdue their foes: these Syrians those Assyrians, yonder Greeks and Romans. Is there nothing here to give point to appeal and make it victorious? Only let Israel RETURN (2 Chronicles 30:6-9), and all shall yet be well. No real blessing should then be too rich, too good to be bestowed on obedient Israel: fattest wheat, freshest honey—nothing too good!

Earthly Judges Before The Great Judge

Psalms 82:1-8

This psalm is titled A Psalm of Asaph. The author Asaph was probably the great singer and musician of David and Solomon’s era (1 Chronicles 15:17-19; 1 Chronicles 16:5-7; 1 Chronicles 25:6). 1 Chronicles 25:1 and 2 Chronicles 29:30 add that Asaph was a prophet in his musical compositions.

“It takes us in a few words behind and beyond our present wrongs, to portray God’s unbounded jurisdiction, his delegation of power, his diagnosis of our condition and his drastic intentions.” (Derek Kidner)

God summons the judges.

God questions the unjust judges (Psalms 82:1-2).

God stands in the congregation of the mighty;

He judges among the gods.

How long will you judge unjustly,

And show partiality to the wicked? Selah

God stands in the congregation of the mighty: Asaph gives us the picture of God in the midst of the mighty, standing in authority.

He “Standeth, as a judge, diligently to observe all that is said or done there; and to give sentence accordingly. The judge sits when he heareth causes, but standeth up when he giveth sentence.” (Poole) He judges among the gods: God’s standing in the midst of these mighty ones is to bring judgment among them. The word gods here is Elohim, the plural for the generic word for god in Hebrew. The idea of God judging gods has led to several suggestions regarding the identity of these elohim, these gods.

Elohim is often used to describe the true God, Yahweh. It is in the plural to describe both the majesty of His person, and to be a hint of the triune nature of God, being One God in Three Persons.

Elohim is sometimes used as the plural of pagan deities, the false gods of the nations.

Elohim is sometimes used in reference to angelic beings.

Elohim is here best taken as a reference to human judges, who stand in the place of God in their ability to determine the fate of others.

“Gathered around Him is an assembly of judges who are called elohim, because they are His delegates; they administer His will; they are His executive agents.” (Morgan) “The judges and magistrates are compared in this psalm to God, because they exercise something of His power in the right ordering of human society.” (Meyer) Martin Luther “pointed out that Psalms 82:1; Psalms 82:6 both establishes and limits the authority of princes. It establishes it, because it is God who appoints the authorities; it is he who calls them ‘gods.’ It limits their authority because they are accountable to him, as the psalm shows.” (Boice)

“Earthly judicatories are the appointment of God. All magistrates act in his name, and by virtue of his commission. He is invisibly present at their assemblies, and superintends their proceedings. He receives appeals from their wrongful decisions; he will one day re-hear all causes at his own tribunal, and reverse every iniquitous sentence, before the great congregation of men and angels.” (Horne)

“Our Lord’s reference to Psalms 82:6 in John 10:34-38 is, by the present writer, accepted as authoritatively settling both the meaning and the ground of the remarkable name of ‘gods’ for human judges.” (Maclaren)

How long will you judge unjustly? As God calls together this assembly of judges, He did not do it to compliment them or pay them honor. He did it to confront them for judging unjustly and for showing partiality to the wicked. This confrontation shows that God Himself is the Judge at the ultimate Supreme Court.

“The judges in mind have erred in that they have shown respect for the persons of the wicked, and thus departed from that strict justice which ever characterises the dealings of God to Whom they are all responsible.” (Morgan)

“Will ye represent and express God to the world as a corrupt, crooked, and unrighteous judge?” (Trapp)

“Our village squires and country magistrates would do well to remember this. Some of them had need 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.” (Spurgeon)

Selah: The idea of God calling the judges of the earth into special judgment is worthy of sober reflection. Selah: “This gives the offenders pause for consideration and confession.” (Spurgeon)

God commands the unjust judges. (Psalms 82:3-4)

Defend the poor and fatherless;

Do justice to the afflicted and needy.

Deliver the poor and needy;

Free them from the hand of the wicked.

Defend the poor and fatherless: God’s instruction to the judges of this earth is to do their duty in defending those who are often treated unjustly. In Asaph’s day the poor and the fatherless were often the targets of unfair treatment. It was the job of the judges to defend them and to do justice to the afflicted and needy.

“You [judges] are their natural protectors under God. They are oppressed: punish their oppressors, however rich or powerful: and deliver them.” (Clarke)

“These…three verses, indeed the whole psalm, every prince should have painted on the wall of his chamber, on his bed, over his table, and on his garments. For here they find what lofty, princely, noble virtues their estate can practice, so that temporal government, next to the preaching office, is the highest service to God and the most useful office on earth.” (Luther, cited in Boice)

Free them from the hand of the wicked: One characteristic of the wicked is that they prey upon the poor and needy. It was the divinely directed duty of judges to free the vulnerable from those who oppressed them.

“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.” (Spurgeon)

King Jehoshaphat of Judah gave similar wise instruction to judges in 2 Chronicles 19:6-7 : And said to the judges, “Take heed to what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment. Now therefore, let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take care and do it, for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, no partiality, nor taking of bribes.”

“It is said of Francis the First, of France, that when a woman kneeled to him to beg justice, he bade her stand up; for, said he, Woman, it is justice that I owe thee, and justice thou shalt have; if thou beg anything of me, let it be mercy.” (Price, cited in Spurgeon)

God exposes the weakness of the unjust judges.(Psalms 82:5)

They do not know, nor do they understand;

They walk about in darkness;

All the foundations of the earth are unstable.

They do not know, nor do they understand: This should best be understood as a reference to the unjust judges themselves. Despite their high standing and higher opinion of themselves, they are often ignorant and easily overestimate their own understanding. “They know not, to wit, the truth and right of the cause, nor the duty of their place. Men are oft said in Scripture not to know what they do not love and practise.” (Poole)

Adam Clarke had a much better opinion of the judges of his own time (1822), but he understood the application to the judges in Asaph’s day: “They are ignorant and do not wish to be instructed. They will not learn; they cannot teach. Happy England! How different from Judea…in the days of Jehoshaphat! All thy judges are learned, righteous, and impartial. Never did greater men in their profession dignify any land or country.” (Clarke)

All the foundations of the earth are unstable: When judges walk in the darkness of their arrogant pride, the lives of everyday people are uncertain and unstable, as if the ground that should be firm under their feet is shaking.

Boice mentioned three perils that are the destined doom for governments that forget God:

1. Ignorance (they do not know).

2. Inept action (they walk about in darkness).

3. A society shaken (all the foundations of the earth are unstable).

“There is nothing the world needs today more than the administration of strict and impartial justice.” (Morgan)

“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.” (Spurgeon)

“A community, whether ecclesiastical or civil, consisteth of great numbers; but its well-being dependeth on a few, in whose hands the administration is placed.” (Horne)

God sentences the judges.

God pronounces judgment on the unjust judges.(Psalms 82:6-7)

I said, “You are gods,

And all of you are children of the Most High.

But you shall die like men,

And fall like one of the princes.”

You are gods: These human judges stood in the place of the gods above other people. They had the opportunity and the authority to change people’s lives with a word, or sometimes even to end a life. In John 10:34-39 Jesus quoted verse 6 in a debate with religious leaders when they accused Him of claiming to be God in a sinful, wrong way. Jesus reasoned, “If God gave these unjust judges the title ‘gods’ because of their office, why do you consider it blasphemy that I call Myself the ‘Son of God’ in light of the testimony of Me and My works?” Exodus 21:6 and Exodus 22:8-9 are other passages where God called earthly judges gods. In Psalms 82:6, gods translates the Hebrew word elohim. In Exodus 21:6; Exodus 22:8-9 the same word elohim is translated “judges.”

“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.” (Spurgeon)

“In his Lex Rex, Rutherford argues from this psalm that judges are not the creatures of kings, to execute their pleasure, and do not derive their power from the monarch, but are authorized by God himself as much as the king, and are therefore bound to execute justice whether the monarch desires it or no.” (Spurgeon)

And all of you are children of the Most High: In still speaking to Israel’s earthly judges, God reminded them that they – and all of humanity – are children of the Most High. This is true in the sense that every human being is made in the image of God and can be thought of as the offspring of God (Acts 17:28-29). When these unjust judges denied protection and justice to the poor, fatherless, afflicted, and needy, the judges treated them as less than fully humans made in the image of God who should be regarded as God’s creation, His offspring. The judges needed to remember this. There is another sense in which it cannot be said that all people are children of God. Some are children of God and others are children of their father the devil (John 8:44).

You shall die like men: The unjust judges of Israel needed to remember that others were greater than the judges thought, and they themselves were less than they thought. They were like gods only in a symbolic sense; they themselves would die like men and face judgment before the Judge of all the earth.

“Like men; or, like ordinary men, as the Hebrew word adam sometimes signifies, as it does in Psalms 49:12.” (Poole)

You shall die like men: “Ye shall wax old like others, then ye shall fall sick like others, then ye shall die like others, then ye shall be buried like others, then ye shall be consumed like others, then ye shall be judged like others, even like the beggars which cry at your gates.” (Smith, cited in Spurgeon)

Fall like one of the princes: “Our Henry VIII was told on his death bed that he should go to the place of princes; which was no great comfort, if the old proverb be true, that hell is paved with the crowns of princes and helmets of soldiers.” (Trapp)

Prayer for God to exercise His perfect judgment.(Psalms 82:8)

Arise, O God, judge the earth;

For You shall inherit all nations.

Arise, O God, judge the earth: Asaph closed the psalm with a plea to God to take His place as the ultimate Judge. The unjust judges of Israel had their own area of authority, but God’s authority is over all the earth. This prayer called upon God to do what the earthly judges would not do: properly judge the earth. Human judges had failed, so Asaph asked God to take judgment into His own hands.

You shall inherit all nations: This inheritance shows the greatness of God as judge. Earthly judges have their own greatness, but it is nothing compared to the Great Judge. This inheritance ultimately belongs to Jesus Messiah.

For You shall inherit all nations: “Does not this last verse contain a prophecy of our Lord, the calling of the Gentiles, and the prevalence of Christianity over the earth? Thus several of the fathers have understood the passage. It is only by the universal spread of Christianity over the world, that the reign of righteousness and justice is to be established: and of whom can it be said that he shall inherit all nations, but of Jesus Christ?” (Clarke)

“The last days shall see him enthroned, and all unrighteous potentates broken like potter’s vessels by his potent sceptre. The second advent is still earth’s brightest hope. Come quickly, even so, come, Lord Jesus.” (Spurgeon)

“It is great encouragement in missionary work to know that every nation is by right of gift and inheritance our Lord’s. He sold His all to purchase it…. It is ours to make it His in fact.” (Meyer)

PSALM 82

EXPOSITION

The introductory vision of this psalm serves the important practical purpose of teaching the Divine authority and heavy responsibility of the office of Judge among men. Judges are here (Psalms 82:1; Psalms 82:6) designated by one of the names of Deity (elohim) in accordance with Exodus 21:6; Exodus 22:9, for the purpose of teaching—that it is from God their authority is derived; that it is his justice they are appointed to maintain; and that the wrongs of men, in being referred to them to be righted, are supposed to be referred to Divine arbitrament, and therefore should be adjusted with inflexible impartiality (Cp. Deuteronomy 1:16-17; Deuteronomy 16:18-20, 1 Samuel 8:3, 2 Chronicles 19:5-7, Amos 5:12; Amos 5:15, Mi. Psalms 7:3, Isaiah 1:17; Isaiah 3:13-15, Jeremiah 21:12). At the same time, Judges are hereby reminded, that they themselves are under law, and are liable to be called to an account for the manner in which they discharge the duties of their high office. Hence the Supreme Judge here, in state, appears in their midst, and arraigns them at his bar.

The psalm, being designed for a time of corruption, deals exclusively with Judges who have long been negligent in their office. The words placed in the Divine mouth are weighty in the extreme, and worthy of being prophetically attributed to the Most High. After two lines of expostulation, asking these corrupt Judges how long their perversion of justice is to continue (Psalms 82:2), the Divine Speech, in four strong mandatory lines, charges them to do their duty; which is made to consist in caring for such as are unable to care for themselves (Psalms 82:3-4). The intention of the next three lines, forming Psalms 82:5, has been variously deciphered; able expositors being of opinion that they form a kind of Divine “aside,” in which the corrupt Judges are given up as hopeless, and, with aversion, spoken of in the third person. They know not, &c; nor can it be denied, that to some extent the language applies to them. Nevertheless, a divergent opinion of this verse may perhaps with good reason be maintained; since, on the one hand, it is not certain that these corrupt Judges are quite unaware of the suffering they are inflicting or of the wickedness of their partial and iniquitous decisions; and, on the other hand, an appeal to their compassion, rather than a giving them up as hopeless, seems to constitute a more telling climax to the Divine Expostulation. And when Psalms 82:5 is looked at in this light, it will be seen that every word enhances the weight and pathos of it as a portrayal of the wrong done and the suffering caused by unjust judicial sentences. They (the sufferers) know not, neither can they understand—how it is that justice has failed them, who it is that is their enemy in court, what are the bribes that have been tendered and accepted to rob them of their rights. They wander from the Gate of Justice in the darkness of despair, not knowing whither to turn for redress. In fact, all the foundations of the earth—of civilised society—seem to be trembling beneath their feet:—a circumstance of which their flippant judges, though causing it, may be almost wholly oblivious, and about which, if they have knowledge, they certainly have no solicitude. This exposition of the verse has the further merit, that, without any such break as must otherwise be admitted to occur between the fifth and the sixth verse, this crowning touch of Divine Pity for the wronged and suffering, most naturally leads on, without any change of persons addressed, to the indignant protest which closes the Divine Judge’s charge: “I myself said—by the mouth of my psalmist—Divine messengers are ye, Yea sons of the Most High all of you; nor do I withdraw the distinction which I designed to confer upon you; save as I now denounce you as utterly unworthy of it. As common mortals shall ye die, yea as princes whom I have overthrown in their rebellion shall ye ignominiously fall.” Some think that the very next psalm supplies the needed examples.

We seem to be carried forward on the wave of a Messianic flood as we read in the concluding couplet: As if to say, Oh arise, Elohim, oh judge the earth—thyself, in a clearer and nearer Divine Manifestation than at present; no longer permitting Justice to be perverted as now; and do this the rather that all nations are thine by right, thine by the claim of thy birth as earth’s King, into the full possession of which wilt thou be pleased soon to enter.

A Prayer For Help When War Threatens

Psalms 83:1-18

This psalm is titled A Psalm of Asaph. The author Asaph was probably the great singer and musician of David and Solomon’s era (1 Chronicles 15:17-19; 1 Chronicles 16:5-7; 1 Chronicles 25:6). 1 Chronicles 25:1 and 2 Chronicles 29:30 add that Asaph was a prophet in his musical compositions. Some commentators connect this psalm with 2 Chronicles 20:1-37 and the victory won in Jehoshaphat’s time. Others see the collection of 10 enemies set against Israel as not referring to one specific occasion, but to the constant danger of extermination Israel lived under – relevant in both the ancient and modern world.

The Appeal For Help.

Asking God to take action against those set on destroying Israel. (Psalms 83:1-4)

Do not keep silent, O God!

Do not hold Your peace,

And do not be still, O God!

For behold, Your enemies make a tumult;

And those who hate You have lifted up their head.

They have taken crafty counsel against Your people,

And consulted together against Your sheltered ones.

They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a

nation,

That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”

Do not keep silent, O God: Asaph sang this prayer in a time of national crisis. Enemies had come against Israel who were set on their national destruction. If God were to keep silent or hold His peace or be still on behalf of Israel, they would be destroyed.

Do not keep silent: “It is so difficult sometimes to go on living day by day without one authoritative word; and we are prone to rebuke Him for silence, that He is still, that He holds His peace…. But God has not kept silence. The Word was manifested. In Him the silence of eternity was broken.” (Meyer)

Your enemies make a tumult: Asaph asked God to behold this crisis and to regard the enemies of Israel as His own enemies, as those who hated Him. Asaph was confident that if God did this, He would act on behalf of Israel.

“They are not only enemies to us thy people, but also to thy will, and name, and glory.” (Poole)

Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation: This was the crafty counsel of the nations united against Israel. This desire of a confederation of nations to destroy Israel did not end in the days of Asaph. His prayer could be sung today as neighboring nations and the whole world community threaten Israel. Adam Clarke paraphrased the words of Psalms 83:4 : “Let us exterminate the whole race, that there may not be a record of them on the face of the earth.” (Clarke)

"In all the annals of recorded history there has never been a people so encircled by foes or as persecuted as the Jews have been. Yet surprisingly, the Jews have prospered. In 1836 a world census indicated that there were then three million Jews living in many countries. A century later, in 1936, in spite of severe persecutions in which many Jews were killed, particularly in Russia, a second census indicated that the Jewish world population had risen to sixteen million, an increase of thirteen million in a century. The Nazis killed more than six million Jews, but today there are more Jews in the world than before the Nazi era. The only explanation for this growth is that the hand of God has been on this people and that he has blessed them.” (Boice)

Israel has had its battles, ancient and modern. Christianity has also been opposed, and some have sought to completely cut Christians off.

One example was the Roman Emperor Diocletian (A.D. 284-305). Diocletian boasted that he had destroyed Christianity. He liked to think that he had defeated Christianity. He ordered a medal to be made with this inscription: “The name of Christianity being extinguished.” Diocletian also set up at least two monuments on the frontier of the empire with these inscriptions:

Diocletian Jovian Maximian Herculeus Caesares Augusti for having extended the Roman Empire in the east and the west and for having extinguished the name of Christians who brought the Republic to ruin. Diocletian Jovian Maximian Herculeus Caesares Augusti for having everywhere abolished the superstition of Christ for having extended the worship of the gods

Diocletian is dead and gone, comparatively a footnote on the pages of history. The fame and glory of Jesus Christ is spread over all the earth. God still takes care of His sheltered ones.

Sheltered ones: “The ten heathen nations conspired against Israel, but they could not really harm the chosen people, for God himself had hidden them as a hen hides her chickens under her wings when the kite hovers overhead, or as one who has found a treasure hides it away from the hands of the thief.” (Spurgeon)

The confederation of nations against Israel.(Psalms 83:5-8)

For they have consulted together with one consent;

They form a confederacy against You

The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites;

Moab and the Hagrites;

Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek;

Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;

Assyria also has joined with them;

They have helped the children of Lot. Selah

They form a confederacy against You: Asaph again emphasized that these enemies were not only against Israel, but against Yahweh, Israel’s God.

They form a confederacy: Enemies often come together to attack God and His people. That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other (Luke 23:12).

Against You: “The true antagonists are, not Israel and the world, but God and the world.” (Maclaren)

“What a motley group they were; a league against Israel is always attractive, and gathers whole nations within its bonds.” (Spurgeon)

“Let them come from east and west, south and north, and close round Israel; God alone is mightier than they.” (Maclaren)

The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites: The psalmist listed ten nations or peoples that were part of this confederacy against Israel and her God. It seems the children of Lot (specifically, Moab and Ammon) led this attack and the other eight nations helped them.

“The Hagarites (Psalms 83:6) were a tribe against whom the Transjordanian tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh fought at the time of the Jewish conquest of Palestine.” (Boice)

“Gebal is probably not the northern city of that name (better known as Byblos, and associated with Tyre: Joshua 13:5; 1 Kings 5:18) but a locality south of the Dead Sea.” (Kidner)

“The psalmist mentions ten different nations which had banded themselves together against God’s chosen people Israel. Ten against one is long odds but then God was on the side of Israel.” (Spurgeon)

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.” (Spurgeon)

The cry for vengeance.

Grant victory and deliverance as in the days of the Judges.(Psalms 83:9-12)

Deal with them as with Midian,

As with Sisera,

As with Jabin at the Brook Kishon,

Who perished at En Dor,

Who became as refuse on the earth.

Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb,

Yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,

Who said, “Let us take for ourselves

The pastures of God for a possession.”

Deal with them as with Midian: God’s victory over Midian through Gideon is described in Judges 6, 7, , 8.

“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.” (Spurgeon)

As with Sisera: God’s victory over the Canaanite king Jabin and his general Sisera, through Deborah and Barak, is described in Judges 4.

Who perished at En-Dor: “This refers to the defeat of the Midianites by Gideon, who were encamped in the valley of Jezreel, at the foot of Mount Gilboa, and near to Tabor, Judges 6:33; Judges 7:1, and consequently in the environs of En-dor. There Gideon attacked and defeated them; and, in various places during their flight, they were destroyed.” (Clarke)

Who became as refuse on the earth: John Trapp noted that this means “they lay unburied, rotted above ground.” This added to the defeat and disgrace of Israel’s enemies.

Make their nobles like Oreb. Oreb, Zeeb, Zebah and Zalmunna were all princes of the Midianites, defeated by Gideon in Judges 7.

Make their nobles: “Smite the great ones as well as the common ruck. Suffer not the ringleaders to escape. As Oreb fell at the rock and Zeeb at the winepress, so do thou mete out vengeance to Zion’s foes wherever thou mayest overtake them.” (Spurgeon)

“Oreb signifieth a crow, Zeeb a wolf, Zebah a cut-throat, Zalmunna a forbidder of shadow, or quiet, to his subjects; fit names for tyrants and persecutors of God’s people.” (Trapp)

Let us take for ourselves the pastures of God for a possession: Israel faced threats to her existence in the days of the Judges, and God delivered her. Asaph’s prayer reminded Israel of God’s previous rescue of Israel, using it as a reason to trust Him in the present crisis. The phrase, the pastures of God reminds us again of what high regard God has for the land of Israel. He regards it as His pastures. “So the enemy’s thoughts are re-phrased in the prayer, to bring out the truth about the territories they had coveted: these were the pastures of God, not simply the holdings of Israel.” (Kidner)

“The Midianites had despoiled the land of the crops and had caused great fear among the Israelites. This spoiling of Israel’s crops is probably referred to in the bold claim ‘Let us take possession of the pasturelands of God’.” (VanGemeren)

Bring them to destruction.(Psalms 83:13-15)

O my God, make them like the whirling dust

Like the chaff before the wind!

As the fire burns the woods,

And as the flame sets the mountains on fire,

So pursue them with Your tempest,

And frighten them with Your storm.

Like the chaff before the wind: Asaph prayed that God would take these many enemies, determined to destroy Israel, and scatter them like chaff before the wind and the whirling dust. He prayed they would be consumed like fire burns the woods.

Like the whirling dust: “The word rendered ‘whirling dust’ in Psalms 83:13 is somewhat doubtful. It literally means a rolling thing, but what particular thing of the sort is difficult to determine.” (Maclaren)

“‘Tumbleweed’ (galgal lit., ‘wheel’) is a plant of the wild artichoke family (Gundelia Tournefortii), a plant with wheel-shaped stems and thistles.” (VanGemeren)

Pursue them with Your tempest: To the ancient Hebrew, there was nothing more powerful than the tempest or the storm. The psalmist prayed that God would not only defeat Israel’s enemies, but also pursue and frighten them with His great power.

Bring these enemies to the knowledge of the true God.(Psalms 83:16-18)

Fill their faces with shame,

That they may seek Your name, O LORD.

Let them be confounded and dismayed forever;

Yes, let them be put to shame and perish,

That they may know that You, whose name alone is the LORD,

Are the Most High over all the earth.

Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek Your name: Asaph ended this psalm with an unexpected turn. After praying for the destruction of Israel’s enemies, he prayed that they would be thoroughly humbled (fill their faces with shame) so they would be led to seek Yahweh. Asaph understood what we often forget: people will often only seek the LORD if they are first laid low before His power. There is a sense in which God must defeat us before He will save us.

“But there is a deeper desire in the psalmist’s heart than the enemies’ destruction. He wishes that they should be turned into God’s friends and he wishes for their chastisement as the means to that end.” (Maclaren)

“Shame has often weaned men from their idols, and set them upon seeking the Lord.” (Spurgeon)

“The punishments inflicted by heaven upon wicked men are primarily intended to humble and convert them.” (Horne)

That they may know that You…are the Most High: This great humbling (let them be put to shame and perish) would lead to their surrender and submission to the God who is Most High over all the earth. This psalm began with a plea that God would not remain silent, and ends with the idea of His fame and glory going out to all the earth.

“When the silences of God are broken by His noises, men learn that the God of Grace is the Most High over all the earth.” (Morgan)

PSALM 83

EXPOSITION

Of the various dates proposed as suiting the origin of this psalm, the two more probable are the time of Jehoshaphat, and that of Jeroboam II.: the former as represented by the narrative in 2 Chronicles 20, the latter not being formally recorded at all, but probably conjectured from various data when brought into historical combination. Delitzsch inclines to the days of Jehoshaphat, in preference to those of the Maccabees. But Thrupp, with considerable plausibility, suggests rather the time of Jeroboam II.: arguing that the Assyrians could not yet have reached the zenith of their power under Pul and Tiglathpileser; that Amalek could not yet have been destroyed by the Simeonites in the days of Hezekiah (1 Chronicles 4:39-43); and that “only at this one period have we any indication of the Phoenicians of Tyre being in league with the eastern enemies of the Israelites.” He further thinks that “it was probably the contemporaneous victories of Uzziah and Jeroboam that the confederacy against which the psalmist prayed was finally broken up.” The especial feature in Thrupp’s view which interests us is his conclusion “that the psalm was composed in reference to a danger which especially threatened the kingdom of the ten tribes,” and which he bases on the appeal in prayer being made to events in which the northern tribes were specially interested, coupled with the absence of any allusion to the successes of David. It is true, of course, that Jehoshaphat’s prophetic helper was one of the sons of Asaph (2 Chronicles 20:14), and he may have been the author of this psalm; but, at all events, the more interested in the Northern Tribes the composer of this psalm was, the more this song is thrown into line with several which have preceded it, particularly the 78th and 81st.

There is little that needs to be said with reference to the general course and spirit of this psalm. It is obviously the barest justice to those who thus prayed for the destruction of their enemies to remember: That they were a miraculously redeemed and constituted nation; that they were the people of Jehovah, the appointed witnesses of his holiness, power and grace; that his honour was bound up with his people’s preservation and well-being; that the haters of Israel were the haters of Jehovah; and that the effacement of this nation meant the silencing of the only national testimony to Monotheism, and the extinction of the race through whom the World’s Redeemer was to come. More than this, the psalm contemplates the seeking of Jehovah’s face on the part of other nations, as a chief result of the overthrow of those now in conspiracy. Besides all which, there is the ever-present possibility,—mostly unspoken, but always involved in Jehovah’s readiness to shew mercy to the penitent,—that even these rebels on whom vengeance is invoked may by prompt repentance turn away Jehovah’s wrath.

It may be added, as a matter of translating interest, that the close of this psalm is one of the few instanced in which both A.V. and R.V. have felt constrained to unveil for the English reader the

A Deep Longing For God’s Presence

Psalms 84:1-12

Brent Kercheville

This psalm was written by the sons of Korah and centers around describing a love for being in the presence of God.

My Delight Is In The Lord (Psalms 84:1-4)

The psalmist begins by desiring to be where God dwells. He perceives the dwelling place of the Lord as lovely. His spirit desires to be in the courts of the Lord. In fact, his desire is so powerful that he says that he faints for the chance to be in the courts of the Lord. His heart and his flesh sing for joy to the living God when thinking about being in God’s presence. The psalmist is describing not a mere love for God, but an appetite for God. His spirit, his soul, and his flesh longs for God. The chorus of the song “Walking Alone At Eve” expresses this very concept that we often sing:

“O for a home with God, a place in His courts to rest, sure in a safe abode with Jesus and the blest.”

Psalms 84:3 goes on to describe how even the birds find a home in the dwelling place of God. This pictures the presence of God as an inviting place to come, not a place of fear. The creation of God is depicted as enjoying being in God’s presence. Even further, the psalmist seems to express a jealousy that the birds are able to have the courts of the Lord being their home. The birds never have to leave, while the psalmist longs to spend this amount of time in God’s presence. Thus, the praise of Psalms 84:4, “Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise!” Those who can always be in God’s presence have a great blessing and a great advantage.

How many of us feel the way the psalmist feels about being in God’s presence? How many of us look at being in God’s presence as an opportunity rather than a duty? How many of us joyfully long to worship the Lord? Too often we are the exact opposite. Why is it that there are so few people here at 9:30am showing their desire to study and learn from the Word of God? Why is it that so many only want to give God one meager hour, rather than longing to spend as much time as possible in worship? The psalmist describes a longing to be in the courts of the Lord, singing praises of joy to the Lord. We must develop this same love to be in the presence of the Lord.

My Strength Is In The Lord (Psalms 84:5-7)

Psalms 84:5-7 describe the efforts and work of traveling to Zion. I believe we are supposed to visualize the pilgrimage the people of Israel would have to make three times a year to keep the feasts of the Law of Moses. We are given the picture of the difficulties that they endured for the opportunity to worship the Lord. They go through the valley of Baca (which means the valley of weeping) to the place of springs. Passing from the valley of weeping, they go from strength to strength. But this is not simply picturing the physical movement of the people, but the actual heart of the people. This point is found in Psalms 84:5, “whose heart are in highways to Zion.”

The people not only needed to overcome physical hardships, but also the emotional hardships. The psalmist is picturing the rollercoaster of life. We go through the valley of weeping between the times of strength. There are times when life is smooth and easier. But in between those times we move through the valley of weeping. Too often these are the times in life that we give up. When we encounter physical hardships, we choose not to go worship the Lord. Many times it is not even a hardship, but would be more appropriately classified as an inconvenience. It is an inconvenience to worship the Lord, and so we do not. But this shows that our souls do not long for the presence of the Lord.

One of the old Puritan writers observed that the desires of the heart are the best proofs of our salvation. If you want to know if you are truly a child of God, examine your desires and you will quickly find out. There is no way to cover up our desires. We can fake the things that we say and the things we do. But you cannot distort your desires. What you want to do reflects your spiritual condition. Life is not going to be easy. We need to quit making excuses as to why we choose to not be in the presence of God. Do we suppose that being tired will be acceptable to God. Will the excuse of being too busy? Will the excuse of being inconvenienced? Will the excuse of family? Will the excuse of work? Will the excuse of school? Will the excuse of vacation? God is looking for hearts that are longing to speaking about spiritual things, energized to worship and serve!

Jesus says the same thing about the nature of the kingdom of God:

“When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’”Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ ” ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’” (Luke 14:15-23; NIV)

I do not want to give a full analysis of this text because we do not have the time. But notice that God ruled out all the excuses given that seem rational to us. These people were busy. One had just purchased a field that needed his attention. Another had family responsibilities and could not come to the banquet. Yet another had just purchased some oxen and he was on his way to use them. The point is that the people had things to be done. But God responds in anger and declares that none of them will be in the kingdom of God. The picture in this section of Psalms 84 is to teach that we will have disappointments and difficulties, but we must make sacrifices for the kingdom of God. The sacrifices are worth it because we are able to be in God’s presence. Let’s return to Psalms 84 and look at the rest of the picture.

My Trust Is In The Lord (Psalms 84:8-12)

Our love for God should make us want to sacrifice ourselves. Look at verse 10: “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.” A day in God’s presence worshiping is better than a thousand doing other things. I believe our desires reflect the opposite of this statement. We would rather do anything else than be in God’s presence. We do not want to go to gospel meetings and worship God at other times. Our desire reflects our sinful condition. The psalmist is not pictured as wanting to know when we can leave the temple courts! He is not looking at his watching wanting to get out of there. The psalmist does not want to be near God as little as possible. Yet these are the things we do, again reflecting our spiritual condition.

“I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” The psalmist says that he would rather be inconvenienced so as to be near the house of God rather than be in the comfort of tents but not near the Lord. Verse 11 shows the reasoning behind his actions. Not only has the psalmist expressed his love to be in God’s presence, but he sacrifices his desires because: “no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” God will bless us when we make this choice. We are not disciples of Jesus when we do not have this desire to worship and serve the Lord that the psalmist describes in this song.

Conclusion:

Psalms 84:12 is the summary of the point of the psalm. “O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!” The psalmist has perfectly described the true meaning of putting one’s trust in the Lord. Putting our trust in the Lord is not simply confessing that we believe that Jesus is the Son of God or is the Lord of our life. We truly trust in the Lord when our desire is to be in the presence of the Lord above all else (Psalms 84:2). We would rather serve God and worship God than enjoy the comforts of life. We must desire to ever sing God’s praises (Psalms 84:4). When our hearts on the highways to God, we will go through the valley of wailing, but enduring from strength to strength. God is our shield who hears our prayers and helps us through our difficult times. But we need to truly put our trust in the Lord. It is time to stop making excuses that we think justify us before God. We do what we want to do. Measure your wants. While you can fake your words and actions, you know what you want to do. If your desire does not match the desire of the psalmist, then we need to know that we are not in God’s grace. We have placed our desires above our own. Give God your time and full effort and you will find these things to be worth the effort.

PSALM 84

EXPOSITION

Probably no circumstances better suit the origin of this psalm than those with which the Asaphic psalms have already made us familiar. Given—a time when the Assyrians, after long devastating the North, are in abeyance, and pilgrim-bands are again frequenting the ways to Zion; and given—a Levite singer and door-keeper who has for weary years been prevented from going up to Jerusalem to discharge his duties, but is now fondly counting on a return to his place in the Temple courts; and conditions are provided well fitted to the composition of this beautiful pilgrim-song.

After an outburst of intense love and desire for the holy place where he has aforetime experienced so much blessing (Psalms 84:1-2), the writer shows his near intimacy with the courts of Jehovah, by one of those touches of memory which only a resident in the Temple-chambers would have had at his command. He had many a time of old watched the little birds building their nests in the nooks and crannies of the Temple courts; and perchance had little by little come to observe that the music of the choirs and congregation was accustomed to provoke the feathered songsters in their own way to join in the strains. Memory brings back the whole scene: Birds, nestling close by—and singing; priests and Levites, officiating—and singing; visiting worshippers, bringing their offerings—and singing: all in delightful unison. His reminiscence includes in it no awkward juxtaposition of the birds, rather than of the men, with the altar; but simply and naturally reproduces the harmonious whole; and excites his intense desire to share in such joy once more (Psalms 84:3-4).

But he is not there yet, and his mind is drawn to incidents likely to occur in the journey thither. Many a time has he traversed the roads leading to Zion; and he is able to clothe the ascent with probable incidents, such as he had aforetime known, or such as recent events would easily suggest. The highways are in the minds of pilgrims long before they start, as they think of the re-unions oft occurring as they go along; or, it may be, they wonder whether the highways will now be safe, or whether prudence may not suggest the preference of by-ways through secluded valleys, one such coming to his mind as his song is evolved—the memorable Valley of Baca, or Balsam-vale, or Vale of Weeping, entered with misgiving overnight in weariness and thirst, only to find that by morning the early rain has filled the pools and covered the sterile valley with a carpet of blessing. And, whereas, commonly, travellers become the more wearied the farther they go, he has often noticed that as they near their goal on this journey, enthusiasm rises, and at every step their strength increases. The alternative rendering of this clause is suggestive: they go from battlement to battlement—from one entrenched halting-place to another; which might be very prudent if any of the enemy were still lurking in the land. But the all-animating thought is: The God of gods will be seen in Zion!—some reflection of his shekinah glory; and therewith, it may be, some new prophetic discovery of his ways with Israel, and of his gracious purpose for the future (Psalms 84:5-7).

But this Levite thinks of his earthly king as well as of his heavenly; and calling to mind how much all Israel in general and the Levites in particular are indebted to the good King Hezekiah who is shielding them from foreign foes and home neglect, the psalmist waxes importunate in his prayers for him: Jehovah God of hosts! oh hear my prayer, Oh give ear, thou God of Jacob; and do this for us—Our shield behold thou, and shield him in mercy to us, O God, And look well, look intently, and with love as thou lookest, on the face of thine Anointed. Jehovah of hosts! how happy the man—who is like the good king whom thou hast now given to us—who, in presence of Sennacherib and all his hosts, has found that his stronghold is in thee.

But events move on. Our Levite has been once more in his office, and spent a happy day in Jehovah’s service. And he seems to say: “How much better this than the life I have lived of late!” Prevented from going up to Jerusalem, owning no possessions among the tribes, and compelled, it may be, to do menial work for a piece of bread in the tents of the invading foreigners, he has felt all the humiliation of it, all the bitterness. Better this—better thus—a thousand times better! And then in the ecstasy of his joy, his soul rises up to his God, and dwells upon the fruitful theme of his perfections. For a sun—giving heat and light, knowledge and love; and shield—affording protection from foes without and foes within, is Jehovah my God. Kindness and faithfulness he loveth, because they exist in himself, and he would have them exist also in me; kindness, first, without which he would not have created and redeemed, faithfulness also, by virtue of which he fulfils his promises and keeps his covenant. Grace and glory he giveth: grace, now, to enable me to resist the enticements of sinners and the clamourings of selfishness, and so become kind and faithful like himself; and glory, hereafter, when he has completed and perfected my character. For, truly, character he seeks, and hence would teach me to walk uprightly, perfectly, wholeheartedly, without blame; and from such he withholdeth no good thing: least of all the glory of a perpetual, perfected, personal existence. And this is Biblical Immortality. To produce this, is the end of Divine Revelation; and the subjective instrument of its production being faith in a Perfect God, therefore, O Jehovah of hosts,—thyself that Perfect One—how happy the man who trusteth in thee!

Praying For Revival And Restoration

Psalms 85:1-13

This psalm is titled To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. These sons of Korah were Levites, from the family of Kohath. By David’s time it seems they served in the musical aspect of the temple worship (2 Chronicles 20:19). Like several psalms, Psalms 85 (in some ways) seems to fit the period of Israel’s return from exile; in other ways it does not. Alexander Maclaren noted, “The book of Nehemiah supplies precisely such a background as fits the psalm. A part of the nation had returned indeed, but to a ruined city, a fallen Temple, and a mourning land, where they were surrounded by jealous and powerful enemies.” Even if this psalm belongs to an earlier period (such as the end of Saul’s reign), God’s people find themselves in this place from time to time, and this beautiful psalm is appropriate.

Gratitude for favor and restoration.

Brought back from captivity and sin(Psalms 85:1-2).

LORD, You have been favorable to Your land;

You have brought back the captivity of Jacob.

You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people;

You have covered all their sin. Selah

You have been favorable to Your land: The psalmist finds relief in God’s care for His land. Notably, the territory of Israel is called Your land. The Bible understands that all the earth belongs to the Lord (Psalms 24:1), and yet there is an undeniable way in which Israel is His special possession, with God having a special regard for His land.

You have brought back the captivity of Jacob: Many think this phrase means this psalm was written after the Babylonian captivity. This is possible, and some psalms clearly date to this period (such as Psalms 79). Yet the idea of Israel being in some kind of captivity also suits some other periods, such as the period of Philistine domination in the later years of Saul’s reign (1 Samuel 28-31).

“Israel is not pining for past glories, which are often an optical illusion…but remembering past mercies. This is realistic; it is also stimulating: it leads to prayers rather than dreams.” (Kidner)

You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people: The psalmist was not only interested in the land, but more importantly in relationship with God. The iniquity that once hindered relationship was now taken away. The idea was so important and precious to the psalmist that he repeated it in different words according to the style of Hebrew poetry.

Forgiven, covered: “He uses two significant words for pardon, both of which occur in Psalms 32:1-11. In Psalms 85:2 a, sin is regarded as a weight pressing down the nation, which God’s mercy lifts off and takes away; in Psalms 85:2 b, it is conceived of as a hideous stain or foulness, which His mercy hides, so that it is no longer an offence to heaven.” (Maclaren)

Forgiven their iniquity: “Thou hast borne, or carried away, the iniquity. An allusion to the ceremony of the scapegoat.” (Clarke)

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.” (Spurgeon)

Rescued from God’s righteous anger.(Psalms 85:3)

You have taken away all Your wrath;

You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger.

You have taken away all Your wrath: The psalmist found peace in the satisfaction of God’s wrath. Once they were the righteous subjects of God’s judgment, and now they were delivered from it. There is special beauty in the words all Your wrath, speaking of a complete work. As with the previous verse (covered all their sin), this looks forward to the complete work of Jesus on the cross, where He satisfied God’s righteous requirement to the full with a once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 7:27; Hebrews 9:12; Hebrews 10:10).

“Some of the strongest salvation language in Scripture is present in these verses. ‘Covered their sins’ describes what is meant by atonement. ‘Set aside your wrath’ is what is meant by the word propitiation.” (Boice)

You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger: There is great relief in knowing God’s anger has passed. This is especially true when considering the fierceness of His anger.

Prayer for continued favor and restoration.

A prayer for restoration.(Psalms 85:4-5)

Restore us, O God of our salvation,

And cause Your anger toward us to cease.

Will You be angry with us forever?

Will You prolong Your anger to all generations?

Restore us, O God of our salvation: The psalmist began by thanking God for return and restoration. In light of that past goodness, the psalmist now prays for continued and present restoration.

b. Will You be angry with us forever? Verse 3 thanked God for the turning of His fierce anger. That work in the past was the basis of this prayer, “Lord do it again.”

A prayer for revival.(Psalms 85:6-7)

Will You not revive us again,

That Your people may rejoice in You?

Show us Your mercy, LORD,

And grant us Your salvation.

Will You not revive us again: This is a simple and wonderful prayer for revival. It recognizes that revival is not man-made, but given by God. Yet it also recognizes that one may and should pray for revival, and pray with godly expectation. This prayer for revival “…implies that the people were alive once, have died in a spiritual sense, and now need to be given spiritual life again. This is what the church almost always needs, and it is how revivals come.” (Boice)

The context tells us when to pray for revival. We should pray for revival when we remember the great things God has done in the past (as in Psalms 85:1-3). We should pray for revival when we sense we are under a cloud of divine displeasure or an evident lack of blessing (as in Psalms 85:4-5).

The context tells us who to pray for. In praying for revival, pray for the preacher and elders. Ask God to personally revive them, to strengthen them against temptation and discouragement, and to fill them with faith. Ask God to bless their work with great spiritual power. In praying for revival, pray for the congregation. Pray for the congregation, not only on the preacher and leaders. In praying for revival, pray for the lost in your community. Pray for the community in general, that Jesus would answer the promise of John 16:7-8, sending the Holy Spirit to convict the world of sin through the power of the gospel. For it is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16).

That Your people may rejoice in You: Praying for revival means praying that God’s work among His people would cause them to find their joy in nothing else than in Him. So we pray:

Full of confidence, knowing that God can revive.

Full of boldness, pleading with God for revival.

Full of humility, desiring God’s glory and praise.

“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.” (Spurgeon)

Show us Your mercy: Revival is a work of God’s mercy. It isn’t earned or deserved. God graciously grants true revival.

Grant us Your salvation: True revival demonstrates that salvation is God’s work. Jonah saw a great work of revival in Nineveh, flowing from his embrace of the great principle: Salvation is of the LORD (Jonah 2:9).

Confidence in God’s response.

Hearing God’s word of peace.(Psalms 84:8-9)

I will hear what God the LORD will speak,

For He will speak peace

To His people and to His saints;

But let them not turn back to folly.

Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him,

That glory may dwell in our land.

I will hear what God the LORD will speak: In the last section of this psalm, the psalmist expressed surrender and submission to God. The proper attitude of the believer praying for revival is to surrender to the authority of God’s word.

“‘I will be silent. I have spoken to him; now I will hear what his answer is. I will hold my ear attentive to listen to his voice.’ O my dear hearers, when you are willing to hear God, there are good times coming to you!” (Spurgeon)

For He will speak peace: The psalmist was confident in the goodness of God, and that God would speak peace to His humble, surrendered people and to His saints.

“The gospel is accordingly styled by St. Peter ‘the word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ.’ Acts 10:36.” (Horne)

“He that will not hear the gospel of peace, shall never know the peace of the gospel. If you will not hear the Holy Spirit when he warns you of your sin, neither shall you hear him revealing peace through pardon.” (Spurgeon)

But let them not turn back to folly: Humility and surrender are proper attitudes for God’s people. They should turn to Him in true repentance, and not turn back to folly.

His salvation is near to those who fear Him: The humble and surrendered people of God enjoy the nearness of His salvation. As God moves among His people this way, glory may dwell in our land.

The good righteousness of God.(Psalms 85:10-13)

Mercy and truth have met together;

Righteousness and peace have kissed.

Truth shall spring out of the earth,

And righteousness shall look down from heaven.

Yes, the LORD will give what is good;

And our land will yield its increase.

Righteousness will go before Him,

And shall make His footsteps our pathway.

Mercy and truth have met together: In beautiful terms the psalmist describes the salvation God brings to His people. It might seem that mercy and truth are set against each other, with mercy looking to grant pardon and truth determined to condemn. In God’s great work of salvation, mercy and truth have met together.

Mercy and truth have met together: The word here translated mercy is the great Hebrew word hesed, which often has the idea of grace or loyal love. This verse may have been the inspiration for what John later wrote: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17).

Righteousness and peace have kissed: Even as mercy and truth meet, so righteousness and peace greet each other warmly. It might seem that righteousness would condemn me and prevent God’s shalom (peace) from ever reaching me. In God’s great work of salvation, His righteousness and peace are the best of friends.

These four divine attributes parted at the fall of Adam, and met again at the birth of Christ…. Mercy was ever inclined to save man, and Peace could not be his enemy; but Truth exacted the performance of God’s threat, ‘The soul that sinneth, it shall die’; and Righteousness could not but give to every one his due.” (Horne)

“Now, Where did these meet? In Christ Jesus. When were they reconciled? When he poured out his life on Calvary.” (Clarke)

Paul later expressed this idea in Romans 3:26 : That He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. At the cross, God demonstrated His righteousness by offering man justification (a legal verdict of “not guilty”), while remaining completely just (because the righteous penalty of sin had been paid at the cross). God could be only just, and simply send every guilty sinner to hell, as a just judge would do. Only God could find a way to be both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven: God pours out His truth and righteousness. They seem to spring forth from creation itself. Prophetically, we may say this refers not only to the reconciliation started at the cross, but also has in view its completion at the end of the age, when creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God (Romans 8:21).

“The devil is the great disrupter. He has brought disharmony to the universe. God brings harmony. In these verses four great attributes of God meet together…and then, like conquering generals, they march side by side to a victory that is the sure and certain hope of God’s people.” (Boice)

Righteousness will go before Him: Righteousness so marks God that it goes before Him, as the tail of a comet goes behind the comet. God’s righteousness is so rich that it also makes His footsteps our pathway – the pathway of His people.

“The psalmist began with a reflection of God’s past acts of salvation and leaves a canonical hope in the progression of redemption, as God’s ‘righteousness’ advances his kingdom.” (VanGemeren)

His footsteps our pathway: “God’s march…will leave a track wherein his people will joyfully follow.” (Spurgeon)

PSALM 85

EXPOSITION

There is a marked difference between the Praise with which this psalm opens and the Prayer which follows thereon. The Praise says—Thou hast withdrawn all thine indignation: the Prayer says—How long shall thine anger continue? How is this apparent contradiction to be removed? Some critics have proposed a time solution, by rendering—Thou hadst withdrawn it; but (as it has returned again)—How long shall it continue? And this is a possible reconciliation; since a season of Divine favour may be followed by one of Divine displeasure, and under the displeasure the former favour may be pleaded as a reason for its restoration. But perhaps a dramatic solution may be more commended, by supposing two parties to be successively represented: first those who are elated with what has already been done by restoring mercy, and who simply give thanks; and, second, those who are oppressed with the burden of what yet remains to be done, and who, in view of that, can scarcely believe that Jehovah’s displeasure has yet been turned away. To the successive representation of these two classes—the optimists and the pessimists—the well-known antiphonal character of the Temple-worship would easily lend itself; and, after one Choir had offered the Praise, another might give expression to the Prayer, and thus both classes be assisted to address Jehovah in the language which lay nearest their hearts. Perhaps what chiefly commends this dramatic solution of the difficulty is, that it thus gives occasion for a prophetic soloist to intervene with a proposal to seek a new Divine word which shall meet the whole present situation—Let me hear what the Mighty One, Jehovah, will speak; and then, in turn, this solo, in form as well as effect, furnishes a strong lead up to what in any case must be regarded as the climax of the psalm. The soloist says in effect—“Let me hear a new Divine word to meet our present need, about which we so greatly differ”; and then, in Psalms 85:10, the Divine Pronouncement begins—perhaps voiced by the united choirs—Kindness and Faithfulness have met together.

It is submitted that such a setting as this sends us back to what we have called the prophetic solo with new zest, to admire its comprehensive fulness: Surely he will speak peace, well-being, prosperity (shalom); and that, with a graciously manifold inclusiveness, unto his people, Israel, as a whole; And unto his men of kindness, the Levites, in particular, in the centre of his people, to whom many promises await fulfilment (cp. Intro., Chap III., “Kindness”); And—thanks to Dr. Ginsburg for the regrouping of the Hebrew letters whereby we are enriched with this new clause—unto such as turn their hearts unto him; including, not only the Ten Tribes, but all in any nation who seek him, especially as the concluding description, such as revere him, is in the New Testament the favourite phrase for denoting the reverers of Israel’s God lying on the outside of Israel. There is still another hint included in this significant solo which mightily helps us upwards to the high level of the coming climax; and it is found in the words—So shall Glory abide in our land; as to which, we could imagine how it would quiver on the lips of Hezekiah, Asaph, Micah and Isaiah in those days of intense excitement, when as yet the Glory of the Divine Presence had not departed! Right clearly then follows the climax at last, which assuredly lacks nothing of sublime beauty to render it worthy of being so regarded; namely, as the Divine Response to the Soloist’s appeal. We seem to have reached a land of Beulah, in which Angels are hovering around. Kindness and Faithfulness have met together—as if after fulfilling divergent missions, or serving opposing interests—have met for friendly parlance at last. Yea righteousness—if anything, sterner than “Faithfulness,” and Peace if anything more serene and practical than “Kindness,” have fallen into each other’s embrace, and kissed each other. The harmony of divergencies, the reconciling of opposites, is the clear note struck, and far resounding. Full many a time when Kindness has cried, “Forgive!” Faithfulness has had to protest, “Punish! Thou hast threatened!” When Righteousness reminds that there can be no peace while wrongs continue, Peace meekly pleads that the wrongs be stayed, that evil be overcome of good. And here, see, these heavenly messengers embracing and kissing each other! There can be no mistaking the significance of the representation. But it may be thought: “Yea, as Divine Attributes these are all harmonisable in God.” As if to check such a relinquishment of the human and practical, the figure is broken, and the personification of Faithfulness is dropped, for the express purpose of conveying the conception of the impartation of the Divine Quality of faithfulness to the hearts and lives of men.

Divine faithfulness therefore now becomes a seed for earthly sowing and human growth—rapid, vigorous growth: Faithfulness out of the earth doth spring forth. No wonder that when this point is reached Righteousness, the sterner brother of Faithfulness, retaining his personality, the better to suit his intelligent survey of the fruitful earth, looks down from heaven, with satisfied and delighted gaze on the fair prospect. Nor is all this mere poetic sentimentality: it is spoken to a nation which for the sins of their souls were being punished by the overthrow of their houses and the trampling down of their soil by the hands and feet of invading hosts. And therefore, not to mock such a nation, in whose history the heavenly and the earthly have ever gone hand-in-hand, the advancing promise condescends upon temporalities, first in general terms, seeing that the words that which is good will include earthly blessings as well as heavenly, political as well as social; and seeing further that this inclusion of temporalities is further made certain by the specific promise. And our land shall yield her increase. The great Reconciling Promise then runs onward in the further proviso, Righteousness before him—our heavenly King—marcheth along, seeing that nothing less can please him, nothing less durst meet his face; And Peace—if so, with Briggs, we should respell the words—And Peace hath made a path of his steps: so that as in this inspection of his inheritance he shews himself to be, so all his servants must be also: they must become imitators of Him.

A splendid climax—a worthy ideal—a practical standard—an inspiring prophecy! Yet, alas! largely unfulfilled! “Glory” once essayed to dwell in the land; but there was no room for it: it was veiled, and by the majority it was mistaken for Shame! Such of us as have caught a glimpse of him, as the glory of the Father, feel that all holy Reconciliation lies embosomed in Him. His life and teaching, his Death and Resurrection, and Spirit-ministry from Heaven, have in them the potent charm of the embrace and kissing of Angels. And for the rest we are content to work and wait.

Praying With Arguments

Psalms 86:1-17

Brent Kercheville

The theme of this psalm is the mercy and compassion of God. We are not given the details of the circumstance from which David is motivated to pray. But the situation is grim and appears to even be life threatening. Rather than simply make his pleas to God, David prays with arguments. David presents arguments for why God should answer his prayers.

The first thing that is interesting about this psalm is that David does not address exactly what he needs. David does not describe his circumstances. David does not describe the type of deliverance he needs. We have seen in many of the psalms David explain how he needs deliverance from his enemies or to have his life saved. In verse 1 David asks the Lord to listen and to answer him. David asks for his life to be protected in verse 2 and asks for mercy in Psalms 86:3 and Psalms 86:6. Graciousness is requested again in Psalms 86:16. So we are left in the dark as to what is going on. However, it is important to consider that we can go to God and pray without knowing what we want God to do. It seems that all David knows to ask for is mercy and protection. He does not know how that mercy may come about but seems to be entrusting his life to God to take of that. We need to remember to pray to God not only when we think we know what we need but also when we do not know what we need. You and I do not have to know what we need. We can just know that we need God and leave the rest in his hands to provide for us.

Arguments Based On David’s Need

“I am poor and needy” Psalms 86:1). David does not declare himself self-sufficient. Humility is a key to our prayer requests. As we come before God, we must see ourselves for who we truly are. We like to think and act that we have total control over life. But notice that David expresses that he is in need. When is the last time we told God that we are “needy?” Being needy is almost a bad word in our society. We aren’t supposed to need other people. We are supposed to be powerful and self-sufficient. But such an attitude before God is fruitless. Be needy with God. “Lord, I need you. That is why I need You to help.”

“I am faithful. You are my God; save Your servant who trust in You” (Psalms 86:2). The second argument is that David is in a covenant relationship with God. He is the servant of God. God is his master. As a servant of God, David acknowledges that he has duties toward God. As the master, God has certain duties toward His servants. I think it is important to realize that we need to correct our own spiritual situation before we start asking God for things. When I am practicing a life of sin, why would I suppose that God is going to listen to my appeals? We need to have repentant lives that sincerely try to serve God so that we can go to God in prayer saying that we are faithful and put our trust in God.

“I call to You all day long” (Psalms 86:3). The third argument made by David is based upon how he has made his appeal. God should listen and answer because David is making his appeal to the Lord all day long. The way we call to God is something has been lost upon us unfortunately. The people of the scriptures should the earnestness of their appeals in a number of ways. Fasting was a way to show fervency. Posture was a way to show the earnestness of the request. Praying on one’s knees, the tearing of clothes, and other such outward acts were performed. Frequency of our prayers also matters. We can use these things as our arguments to God for why we want him to answer our prayers.

“I set my hope on You, Lord” (Psalms 86:4). Most of the versions read “For to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.” To lift up our souls to the Lord is to say that we are resting our lives in God’s hands. Our hope of the future rests with God. Thus, David requests that the Lord bring joy to his life because all of life’s hopes are resting with the Lord. The argument that we can make to God in our prayers is that our confidence is resting upon God to act. We have hope in nothing else but God who has the power to give us what we request.

Arguments Based On God’s Character

The rest of the psalm makes a shift from arguing based upon David’s need to arguing based upon the character of God.

“You will answer me” (Psalms 86:7). In the first verse David asked for God to listen. Now David declares confidence that God will listen to him. David knows that praying works. David trust in God in the way James would later express in his letter, “The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective” (James 5:16; NRSV). This confidence comes from living righteous lives. I believe the times we question whether God will answer our prayers is when we are not living godly lives. We are right to be concerned about the effectiveness of our prayers when we are practicing sin. I believe we see throughout the scriptures that God answers the prayers of the righteous, when we ask according to God’s will and purposes. We just do not always find the answer we are seeking.

“For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God” (Psalms 86:10). Not only is God a prayer-listening and prayer-answering God, God is also able to do what the person praying requests. “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us…” (Ephesians 3:20). It is so important that we remember the goodness of God and praise him for his goodness. We need to think about how God is able to help us endure our difficult situations. I believe that God is doing wondrous things for Grace right now because she is succeeding in areas where most other children with PWS are not able. We can pray knowing that God is able to do anything, even beyond our requests. As we noted at the beginning of this study, we may not know what to pray, but we pray knowing that God is able to act beyond the solutions we imagine.

“Your faithful love for me is great” (Psalms 86:13). This phrase “faithful love” comes from one Hebrew word which pictures God’s love based upon the covenant he has made with us. This love is steadfast and unshakable. God’s love is something that can be relied upon such that we can present an argument to God to act based upon his faithfulness.

9 What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:9-11)

“You, Lord, have helped and comforted me” (Psalms 86:17). David’s final argument is recalling that God has helped and comforted in the past. This is an argument that is good for us as well as to the Lord. God helped me before and he will help me again.

Other Prayer Aspects

Praising God for who he is (Psalms 86:14-15). In the midst of describing the arrogant and the ruthless who are attacking him, David expresses praise for the character of God. The arrogant have no regard for the Lord. But they ought to regard him because he is compassionate and gracious. Lucky for them God is slow to anger and abundant in faithful love and truth. God is not evil like those who commit evil against us. God is loving toward us.

Spiritual requests (Psalms 86:10-12). Finally, we see that David is not only praying for physical deliverance but he also has some spiritual requests. David wants to know the way of the Lord so that he can live by God’s truths. This is a great request to make in prayer, that we know the way of the Lord so that we can live by his way. This is a covenant request. Teach me your ways and I will live by them. We need to be able to say that to God. When I learn what you want me to do and when I see I need to change, I will make those changes. I am upholding my end of the covenant. David further requests an undivided mind and heart. We are saying to God that we do not walk down any other paths. We do not want to serve our desires and lusts. We want to have a fully devoted heart to the Lord. We must stop practicing sins because that shows we have a divided heart. Sexual immorality, pornography, lying, deceit, stealing, and the like are all things that show we are fully devoted to the Lord.

The other covenant statement is that David will praise God with all of his heart and honor his name forever. We praise God with righteous living. We honor God with pure tongues and cleansed hearts, not lives full of wickedness. How dare we think that we can honor God when we are steeped in sin unwilling to change! David is declaring that he is honor the Lord and requests that God respond with mercy.

Applications:

1. We need mercy. This cannot be said enough because we so easily forget that we need God’s mercy.

2. God is full of mercy. Thankfully, God is full of mercy and we need him to be that way. Sin will be punished. God’s wrath is against the disobedient. But God offers mercy when we come to him on his terms with humble hearts.

3. We can appeal to his mercy. How wonderful that we can appeal to the mercy of God for ourselves spiritually! But how great is it that we can also appeal to God for mercy based upon the life circumstances we encounter! Remember the tax collector in Jesus’ story who would not raise his eyes to heaven, but simply proclaimed, “Be merciful to me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13).

PSALM 86

EXPOSITION

By the general consent of critics, this psalm is composite to such a degree as nearly to resolve itself into a mosaic, consisting of extracts from other scriptures; yet “even this psalm is not without a significance and beauty of its own”—Del. The psalmist is in a situation bearing considerable resemblance to that of David when persecuted by Saul. In other respects his position is like that of Hezekiah. The psalm is peculiar in having in it no fewer than seven occurrences of the Divine name Adonai, here rendered “Sovereign Lord” (as in Psalms 8:1; Psalms 8:9). It is notably distinguished by containing a prophecy of the gathering of all nations to worship. Although it takes note of mortal perils past and to come, there is a complete absence from it of pleadings for vengeance: the worst thing this wronged saint desires for his enemies is that they may be put to shame.

The Faithfulness of God

Psalms 87-89

Brent Kercheville

Psalm 87, Zion, Lovely Zion

Psalms 87 is a short psalm about Zion. Zion is described as being beloved above all else. In all of the places in Israel, Zion is loved the most. The second point of the psalm is that there is a blessing of being born in Zion. But notice who are the people born in Zion. They are people from the other nations who now know God. They are from the nations of Egypt (Rahab), Babylon, Philistia, Tyre, and Cush. The Gentiles are pictured as being of God’s registered people born in Zion. The final point of the psalm is found in the last verse where we see all the blessings of God are found in Zion. Springs and streams of water are used throughout the Old Testament as a symbol of God’s blessings (Isaiah 12:3; Isaiah 41:18; Isaiah 49:10).

This may seem like an irrelevant psalm because we are reading about the hope of the people being bound in Zion, the holy of city of Jerusalem. But it is important to first of all see how important Zion was to the people. The people understood this as a special privilege of God’s love to his people. The New Testament, based upon this understanding, describes these images in this psalm being fulfilled. People can come to God and be part of Zion, the holy city of God.

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel (Hebrews 12:22-24; NKJV).

Notice how this psalm pulls from the imagery in Psalms 87. We have come “to the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven.” This is what the sons of Korah are picturing in this psalm as they see the people of the surrounding nations knowing God and being registered with God. We are the ones who have this special relationship. We are the ones who have glorious things said about us because God dwells with us and loves us more than anything else. All of God’s blessings are with us.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3; ESV).

Psalm 88, Cry From Troubles

We looked in the last lesson at Psalms 86 where David is praying to God with arguments. In Psalms 88 we see a prayer that is an open discussion with God. The writer seems to have a life of sorrow. The psalm reveal the honest, raw emotions as he talks to God about his severe suffering. The key point of this psalm is in the first two verses. In the midst of great despair and lack of understanding concerning what is happening, the psalmist still goes to God in faith. He asks God to listen to his cry as he prays to God. It is very difficult to trust God in such hard times, but it is our challenge. The central message of the book of Job is that Job was to entrust his life to God. In Psalms 88 we are reading about a person who is still turning to God, but is speaking to God with the true pain that he is enduring. It is important to remember that we should have a relationship with God that causes us to feel comfortable enough to share with him our feelings.

Psalm 89, God’s Faithful Covenant Love

Psalms 89 is a more lengthy psalm and it is the last psalm of book 3. I believe this psalm was written after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Therefore, this psalm was written while Israel is in exile or after the exile when they return to the land. The psalm can be broken down into three key thoughts:

(1) Trusting in God’s Faithfulness (Psalms 89:1-17),

(2) God Speaks (Psalms 89:19-37), and

(3) Lament and Call for Renewal (Psalms 89:38-51).

Trusting In God’s Faithfulness (Psalms 89:1-17)

The first two verses (Psalms 89:1-2) begin with the psalmist proclaiming God’s faithful love. The point of praise throughout these 18 verses centers around God keeping his covenant, and we will see why as we move through this psalm. In Psalms 89:3 and Psalms 89:4 we see recall of God’s promise to establish his offspring forever and the throne to be built up for all generations. This is probably a recollection of the promise made by God to David in 2 Samuel 7. After praising God’s faithfulness, the psalmist continues by describing the power of God. Psalms 89:5-8 describes God’s great power in the heavens. Psalms 89:9-13 describes God’s great power over the earth. Psalms 89:14-17 describes God’s faithfulness and power toward his people.

God Speaks (Psalms 89:19-37)

The second section is unique because it is God speaking about Israel. These are exciting texts when we get to read about what God himself is speaking in response. God first speaks about the process of selecting David as his chosen one. In Psa 86:28 we see the psalm move back to God’s faithfulness to keep the covenant. God gives an explanation about what will happen to the sons of David.

If the sons forsake God’s instructions and disobey, then their rebellion will be called into account. They would be punished with the rod and their sins would be beaten with blows. Notice that this is picturing what parents are supposed to do to their children when they break the parents’ law: physical discipline. So also, God as the father is disciplining his children. However, God’s faithful love would remain even though Israel would require discipline for their rebellion. Psa 86:35 makes the covenant even more weighty because God has sworn by an oath by his own holiness.

Now there is a reason why the psalmist has been making all of these points about God’s faithfulness. The writer is taking us to an a particular argument that he wants to make in his prayer. God has promised to keep his covenant. Even if Israel sins and is punished, God was going to maintain his steadfast love.

Lament and Call for Revival (Psalms 89:38-51)

The psalmist now points out the current condition of Israel, and specifically the city of Jerusalem. Psa 86:38-45 describes the terrible situation the people find themselves in. God has rejected the people because of their sins. The people have been plundered, the cities are in ruins, and the walls are broken down.

Psalms 89:46 is the crux of the psalm: “How long, Lord? Will You hide Yourself forever? Will Your anger keep burning life fire?” The question is simply how long will all of these things continue. How much longer will Israel endure the punishment? In Psalms 89:47 and Psalms 89:48 the psalmist makes the point that life is short, and by implication, he desires to see the restoration of Israel before his death. He wants to see the steadfast love of God just as it was in the days past.

So I want you to see where we have come from in this psalm to get to this point. The psalmist begins by declaring the faithfulness of God. Then he notes God’s power in heaven, on earth, and towards his people. He then quotes the words of God to show what God has promised concerning his covenant. Then the psalmist asks the question: how long will the punishment for their sins continue? How long will God’s anger burn against them? When will God restore his covenant to the people?

I believe the prophets answered this question and Peter also answered this question on the day of the Pentecost. The covenant would be restored at the coming of the Holy Spirit. This was the blessings of God returning to the people and God remaining faithful to his covenant promises.

Applications:

1. The faithful disciples of Jesus are Zion, are registered in heaven, and are receiving the blessings of God dwelling with us.

2. Turn to God in difficulties and tell him how you are feeling during the trial.

3. God is faithful. We can ask God to act faithfully during times of difficulty.

PSALM 87

EXPOSITION

Two chief questions here present themselves: First, what city is this of which glorious things are said to be spoken? And, second, what is the sum of the glorious things affirmed of her?

I. The answer to the first question is easy, to the candid mind: The historical Jerusalem is the city meant,—whether regard be had to the name she bears, to the description given of her, to the countries with which she is here associated, or to the book in which the psalm is found. She is called Zion—one of the most familiar names of Jerusalem; she sits on holy mountains—a description of the hills of Palestine on which Jerusalem was built, and to no others; she is called the city of God, because Jehovah there took up his symbolical abode, and made her the seat of his Messianic King; she is brought into comparison with the dwellings of Jacob, as more loved than they,—Jacob being a favourite name borne by the nation of Israel; she is related here in the psalm to Rahab (Egypt), Babylon, Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia: nations known to have existed in, the day of Jerusalem’s ancient story and to have had dealings with the Hebrew nation. Add the fact, that this psalm is found in a collection of Israelitish songs, and the evidence is as complete as the most exacting could wish: That Jerusalem is the city engemmed in this psalm.—No objection can be raised against this conclusion, by merely alleging that the glorious things spoken of this city of God are too glorious ever to be made good of the earthly Jerusalem, unless we are quite sure that the glorious things are altogether beyond Jehovah’s power and will to make her own. In fine, this psalm, if never yet fulfilled, itself implies that Jerusalem has a future;—and why should she not? Numerous concurrent prophecies plainly teach the same thing: implies that Jerusalem will be made more glorious in the future than in the past,—and why should she not? again, many prophecies point to the same conclusion.

II. What then is the sum of the glorious things spoken of Jerusalem?

1. Let us remember that we have here a word for Jehovah, the Living God, the God of all the earth: of whom we have lately read: “All nations which thou hast made will come in and bow down before thee O Lord, and give glory to thy name; for great art thou, and a doer of wonders, Thou are God alone.” It may be, then, that here we have an intimation of some of the “wonders” which he purposes to do for and with the nations of the earth.

2. A hint is here given, at the outset of this psalm, to expect something fundamental in Jehovah’s dealings with Israel and the earth: His foundation on the holy mountains Jehovah loveth. “Foundation”—of what? Not of his Church; for that has no earthly foundation, and is not an earthly structure—its home is in the heavens. But of his Kingdom—yes; seeing that “the kingdom of the world” is to become “the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” (Revelation 11:15). The foundation—of his kingdom—Jehovah loveth; and that foundation is Zion, the city of God.

3. It is clear that pre-eminence of some kind is here reserved for Zion. Other places are mentioned as well as “Zion”; but there is a manifest intention to place “Zion” higher than the rest. Egypt and Babylon are described as knowing or even acknowledging Jehovah, and that is much. Nevertheless, it is not regarded as a special privilege to have been born in Egypt, Babylon, Philistia, Tyre or Ethiopia. It is quite the contrary with Zion. For, although Jehovah is represented as taking a census of the peoples in general, and thereby shewing an interest in them all, yet it is only when he comes to the names of certain individuals among the rest, that he exclaims—as if with the joy of a proprietor discovering his own property, or of a father detecting the names of his own children—This one was born there. That is, not “here” in Egypt (or, as the case may be); but there—in Zion. When, however, Zion herself is passed in review, the language is intentionally different: it is no longer “This one”; but, more sweepingly, (lit.) Man and man=man after man=one after another—was born in her. The multiplication of Zion’s children is the least that can be intended: their indefinite multiplication, as in a series ever running on, may very well be meant, as many critics suppose. In this concrete and dramatic way the preference of “Zion” to all other cities is plainly shewn.

4. But we are not left to inference in concluding this intention to be dominant: the second half of Psalms 87:5 appears to have been expressly intended to put this beyond doubt. If, with most critics, we render that clause, He himself, the Most High, will establish her,—it is still obvious that this is said of no other city or nation. Even then—taking the clause at its minimum value—it seems expressly designed to guard against the fear of Zion’s supremacy being endangered by her very prosperity, by the very multiplication of her children: a natural fear, surely,—if such children are adopted children, that is, Gentile converts counted as citizens of Zion; in which case, it might be feared that, with so many adopted children scattered throughout the nations of the earth, Zion herself would be de-Zionised, and made nearly as much Gentile as any avowed Gentile city. No! says this clause: the Most High himself will guard against that danger—will see to it that she does not lose the pre-eminence he designs her to have: He will establish her in it. So much, at the least, this clause means. But it is now submitted with confidence that, rightly rendered, it says more: it says—And he himself will set her up (or establish her) as highest. This point could scarcely have been missed if it had been observed that the same word (’elyon) is not only employed of the Messianic King in David’s line “Highest (’elyon) of (or to) the kings of the earth” (Psalms 89:27) but is actually twice used of Israel as a nation in Deuteronomy 26:19; Deuteronomy 28:1—“Jehovah (hath avowed) that he will set thee (’elyon) on high, above all the nations of the earth.” There can therefore be no reasonable doubt, especially if the order of the words here in the psalm is considered—that this clause should be rendered: And he himself will establish her as highest: namely, he will do that which the psalm as a whole attests to be his purpose; and so he will guard against the danger of Zion’s being lowered by the very multiplication of her citizen-converts. Jehovah intends her to be highest; and will take care that his intention in this respect is not frustrated.

5. But the more clearly this leading point in the psalm is discriminated, the more urgent does it become to grasp with firmness and tenacity a position already taken in passing: namely, that this psalm fully and directly, in its length and breadth, relates, not to the Church of Jesus, but more broadly to the Kingdom of God. For, let it be well observed, there is neither Jew nor Gentile in the Church; and, in the Church, certainly no such pre-eminence can be assigned to the literal Zion as is here assigned to her. Let us make up our minds. Does membership in the Church of Christ constitute us citizens of the earthly Jerusalem? So few will dare to say “Yes” to this question, that they may safely be disregarded. Practically, all Christians, with one voice, admit and proclaim that our “new birth” makes us citizens, not of the earthly Jerusalem, but of the heavenly. To abide by that conclusion, is no doubt to cut ourselves logically free from this psalm, since, as we have seen, IT unmistakably refers to the earthly Jerusalem. To be firm here, is to lose nothing of value, forasmuch as we can still use the psalm by analogy as a suggestion of things in the heavens. But, while we shall lose nothing of value, we shall lose much that is an encumbrance, apt to lead us continually into contradicting our heavenly standing and privileges. On the other hand, our gain will be immense: the Church of Christ being safe in her own New Testament rights, as based upon her peculiar promises, we can look beyond the completion of the present Church into the Kingdom which is to follow; and see a large territory of blessing in those regions beyond; and humbly claim a general right to those blessings in the name of our Heavenly Lord, who owns earth as well as heaven; and is the Redeemer of Israel and Jerusalem’s King-elect, as well as Head of his Ecclesia.

6. With the ground thus cleared of misconception, we can rejoice exceedingly in the prospect of blessings, in the coming Kingdom, which thus opens out before us. Jerusalem, restored—to her God, to her Messiah, to her Land—thus becomes the spiritual Metropolis of the peoples that are spared to enter into this latter-day comity of nations, Citizens of the honoured city Jerusalem will be found scattered through the nations. Jerusalem will be their spiritual home: frequently will these citizen converts go up to Jerusalem to worship: the mountain of the Lord’s House—the Temple restored—will be lifted up above the hills, and all nations will flow unto it. The Messiah will reign there: his will—his law—his instructions for the guidance of the nations—will be made known there, and propagated from thence. To fill out the picture would require the transcription of the prophecies in Isaiah and elsewhere. See especially Isaiah 2:2-4, Isaiah 4:2-6, Isaiah 19:21-24, Isaiah 25:6-9; Isaiah 54, 60, Isaiah 66:7-22, Zephaniah 3:14-20; with respect to which it should be observed—that they have only to be taken in their natural and obvious sense to suit them for being set in the frame-work which this psalm affords:—“their natural and obvious sense”—as opposed on the one hand to the purely allegorical and prematurely spiritualised interpretation, from which nothing comes out as it goes in, nothing really means what it appears to mean; and, on the other hand, as opposed to the slavishly literal, which, for example, insists that this enumeration of nations (in Psalms 87) must be pressed just as it stands, although it had of necessity to be fitted to the time when the psalm was composed, and be intelligible then, and that it may not be taken as indicating generally the larger and smaller nations by whom Zion is surrounded in the latter day. Holding thus to “the natural and obvious sense” of this psalm, and of the prophecies which properly go with it and explain it,—we can enter with appreciation into the concluding verse of the psalm.

7. Though other interpretations have been put upon Psalms 87:7, the following appears to be its meaning. We are allowed to catch a glimpse of a procession of Zion’s citizens—if of such as ordinarily dwell in foreign lands so much the better—drawing near to enter into her gates. They are full of joy: they sing and play and dance as they move along. And, looking to the city before them, they exclaim in their song, each speaking for himself: “All my fountains are in thee”—“all my sources of privilege, all my springs of delight are in thee, O city of God.” “Better than the dwellings of Jacob, better than our homes in Egypt, Babylon, Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia, where we commonly live and labour,—better far than all these, art thou, O Zion, object of Jehovah’s especial love!”

Logically, we thus close the psalm: analogically we still, for a moment, linger over it. This earthly Jerusalem reminds us of the heavenly; and it is the heavenly that is “our mother” (Galatians 4:26). Just as the earthly Jerusalem is constituted the Metropolis of the earth, so the heavenly Jerusalem is constituted the Metropolis of earth and heaven, brought into a higher unity, including angels and men. We who are now being born from above, are enrolled in Heaven (Hebrews 12:23); we are called to become the Bride of the Lamb: all the rights and possessions of our espoused Lord are to be made our own. He is the Son of God as well as the Son of David; and therefore we are to “inherit all things.” The earthly enrolment lingers: the heavenly is proceeding. Earth, for the present, has refused her King; but Heaven has given him welcome (Acts 3:21); and now, for the present, the heavenly advance has taken the precedence of the earthly. Instead of looking forward into the future to discover our Mother-city, we look straight up into the skies, and there by faith we behold her, with open arms waiting to receive us. And, as we look up, we exclaim with ecstasy—All my fountains—God, Christ, the Spirit, angels, the heirship of the Universe—all my fountains are in thee.

PSALM 88

EXPOSITION

This is the gloomiest psalm in the book, and one of the most touching; if not, also, one of the most encouraging—when all things are considered. It is an elaborate description of almost hopeless sorrow; but its spirit is peculiarly gentle and patient. It contains no reproaches of men, and no upbraidings of God. The sufferings portrayed are not traced to man’s infliction, but exclusively to the Divine hand; and yet the psalmist does not speak against God, far less does he turn away from him. He still clings to him,—it may be with a slender hope, but with evident tenacity. His hope is inarticulate; for he does not once say what it is he hopes for. Evidently he wishes not to die; and yet the life he has been living appears, from his own description of it, to have been little better than a living death—from which he might not unnaturally have desired to be freed once for all. But no! he unmistakably clings to life; and,—on the principle that, while there is life there is hope, we may fairly infer that restoration to health is tacitly included in his longing.

What is his affliction? Almost certainly, it is leprosy. With this agrees his separation from his friends, which he most bitterly feels; and his assertion that he has become to them an abomination. His separation from his friends involves confinement: he is shut up, and cannot, must not, go forth. This separation moreover is complete. They treat him as dead—are every day expecting to hear of his decease. They hold no communication with him. His leprosy is of long standing: it has plagued him from his youth up. Yet it seems to have fluctuated in intensity; coming back on him like surging fire, like returning breakers, by their violence ready to dash him in pieces. Connecting—as he does and as was commonly done in his day, especially in this disease—his affliction with the punitive hand of God, he terms the renewed onsets of his trouble bursts of Divine anger. They are alarming, from them there is no escape. Full many a time he has given himself up for lost—has, to his feeling, been exterminated. He is at death’s door now: he has anticipated being dead—being in hades—nay being in the lower hades: among those cast off and down into the lower pit of hades, among the especial objects of Divine indignation.

And yet he prays. He has been accustomed to pray every day; and especially of a morning: in the morning my prayer regularly cometh to meet thee—on thine approach in the daylight. And though, as regularly as he prays, he is rejected, still he prays.

And truly he has prayed to some purpose—to better purpose than he knows. This we have already seen in his restraining himself from reproaching either man or God; but we have yet to see it in the tenor of his prayer as he stands before Jehovah with uplifted palms (Psalms 88:10-12). He prays against Death: but why? What is the predominating motive pervading these six sustained interrogatories? Why does he pray against death? Self may run through all—this was inevitable; but self never once comes to the surface: it is Jehovah, his perfections and works; the fear that Jehovah should lack his due praise; these are the sentiments which animate these questions. They take for granted that such grounds for praise exist: that Jehovah is a doer of wonders, one who deserves thanks; a God of kindness and faithfulness and righteousness, manifested in such acts as can be enumerated and remembered. The psalmist clearly craves to take part in such thanks and praise. He may even be credited with a hope of adding to the sum of reasons for such praise by his own improved and brightened history. At all events, this is the sustained feeling which inspires this series of interrogations. He may be right, or he may be wrong, in assuming that such praise cannot be given by the dead—by the shades—in the grave, in destruction, in the dark, in the land of forgetfulness. At least, that is the view he entertains,—the groundwork of his conclusions; and he is anxious that his God should not be robbed of the praise due to him. And, therefore, on all grounds—because he incriminates neither man nor God for his lifelong sufferings, and also because he desires God to be praised—we conclude that he has not prayed in vain.

Probably he was not wholly wrong in assuming that God can gather no harvest of praise from the dead; that is, from the dead so long as they continue dead. What he needed was, to have “life and incorruption brought to light”—to have the prospect of Resurrection introduced into his thoughts, and therewith the conception of a revival of memory and a resumption of praise. Whether, to us who live after “life and incorruption” have been disclosed in Christ, there comes a double relief,—not only the prospect of an end to the hadean state and light at the end, but a decided lessening of the intermediate gloom, is an interesting question. It is hard to think that those ancient saints, so favourably commended to our respect as this great sufferer, were wholly wrong. They may have been nearly right as far as they were able to go. Right: if they thought of death only as a suspense of active memory and of public praise; the which, combined, do not amount to a final cessation of being,—an extreme view which few if any saints of old entertained, certainly as regards such as revered God. But always deficient: so long as they failed to grasp the prospect of a complete restoration to life, and therewith the revival of active memory and the resumption of the delightful duty of public praise. It is suggested that, along lines such as these, a complete harmonisation of Old Testament and New may, after the vacillation and oscillation of centuries, be reasonably expected to come. Meantime it is permitted us to hope, that this ancient psalmist, who suffered so much and knew so little, has already become conscious of Messiah’s triumph over death, and has the prospect—if not yet the realisation—of sharing therein. So chastened a sufferer as Heman the Ezrahite will assuredly “stand in his lot at the end of the days.”

PSALM 89

EXPOSITION

It is not difficult for the patient and thorough reader to grasp the scope of this psalm; but very easy for anyone perusing it in haste to miss its great argument, owing to the length of the psalm, and to the extraordinary development given to the Covenant made with David—a development so enthusiastic and long sustained as scarcely to suggest that a companion picture is to follow towards the close of the psalm, one of deep gloom, to which all the previous dazzling brightness is intended to serve as a mere foil. At the lowest estimate, this long delay to reveal the true object of the poem, springs from the consummate art of the poet: at the higher estimate of Divine intention, it suggests that there is more of the Plan of Redemption wrapped up in the Davidic Covenant than Gentile Christians are apt to suppose. Be that as it may, under patient observation this psalm discloses not only its high poetic merit, but the power of its pleading viewed as an Intercession, in behalf of the now Dishonored Heir of David’s Throne.

After striking the Keynotes of the psalm—Jehovah’s Kindness and Faithfulness (Psalms 89:1-2)—around which all the psalmist’s pleadings revolve, and to the express mention of which a return is made as far on as Psalms 89:49; and after, in Psalms 89:3-4, briefly summing up the Davidic covenant as made known through Nathan the prophet (2 Samuel 7),—the psalmist then (Psalms 89:5-14) eloquently enlarges on the incomparable excellences of the Covenant God, as known in heaven and on earth, as shewn in Israel’s history and displayed in Palestine, bringing this description to a climax by presenting as a bright constellation the four fundamental Divine attributes of righteousness, justice, kindness and faithfulness. He then (Psalms 89:15-18) by a natural transition passes to the enviable happiness of a people having such a God as their God; inferring their joy in worship, the strength of their national movements, and their sense of security under their king, who is to them Jehovah’s shield. From this second climax, the poet moves forward into an elaborate amplification of the Davidic Covenant (Psalms 89:19-37), taking especial care to emphasise its perpetual and unalterable character, by detailing the Divine provision made for punishing unworthy heirs to the Davidic Throne without abrogating the Covenant which secures it to David’s seed in perpetuity. From the past and the normal, the psalmist now (Psalms 89:38-45) passes to the abnormal and perplexing present. It is true he does not charge God with folly, nor at any point assert that Jehovah was shewing himself unfaithful to his covenant; but he goes as far in this direction as reverence permitted leaving no feature of the pitiable condition of David’s present son unnamed. Indeed the picture given of the existing heir is very pathetic: especially if, with many, we think of him as being the young king Jehoiakim, who, after reigning only three months in Jerusalem, was carried away to Babylon. And if, in addition to his youth, he was apparently virtuous and promising, and had already drawn forth the affections of his people, the pathos of this description becomes unspeakably touching.

It is natural enough that such a description of present calamity should issue in expostulation and entreaty that such an anomalous state of things should be ended; but we are scarcely prepared to find the shortness and vanity of life and the inevitableness of death brought into the pleading. In truth, there seems something flickering and uncertain in many O.T. references to this subject, as we realised when studying Psalms 39, 49, and others; and we can never be thankful enough for the clearer light which we now enjoy. We have forgotten, or have never realised, what it is to be shut up, as these ancient saints seem to have been, to the apprehension that now or never must the great promises of God be fulfilled.

A final word as to the extraordinary importance which this psalm attaches to the Covenant made with David. How best can we bring ourselves into sympathy with the undeniable fact, that such importance is attached to it? Is it enough to say that Jesus of Nazareth, whom we recognize as Son and Heir of David, has redeemed these lapsed promises? Or must we not go a step further, and discover in the Davidic Covenant provisions which, though now in abeyance, are awaiting a plenary fulfilment in the very region to which they appear to belong;—in a kingdom not of this world but nevertheless in it and for it, in which the Messiah shall in undeniable fact be Most High to the kings of the earth?

The Brevity of Life

Psalms 90:1-17

Brent Kercheville

Psalms 90 is a unique psalm because it is attributed to Moses. We do not think of Moses as a songwriter, however, there are a couple of songs that are attributed to him (Exodus 15; Deuteronomy 32). One scholar suggests that Psalms 90 was written after the traumatic events of Numbers 20. In Numbers 20 there are three painful events in Moses’ life: (1) The death of Miriam, (2) Moses’ sin of striking the rock, and (3) The death of Aaron. Moses loses his sister and his brother and also loses the right to enter the promised land because of his sin. Perhaps these are the circumstances that cause reflection in Moses’ song and prayer to God.

The Eternal Grandeur of God (Psalms 90:1-2)

The psalm begins with recognition of God as a refuge and dwelling place for His people in every generation. Then Moses praises God for His eternal nature. Psalms 90:2 states a fact that is hard for humans to wrap their minds around. Before there were mountains and before there was an earth, God existed. From eternity to eternity there is no beginning or end to God. This is difficult because everything we know in life is temporal. Everything has a beginning and an end. So we have to remember that God is eternal. God has seen it all and is able to see all things to know what is best for us.

The Frailty of Humanity (Psalms 90:3-12)

The eternal nature of God is contrasted with the frailty of humans. While God endures forever and ever, we return to the dust of the earth. A familiar statement is found in Psalms 90:4 :

For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.

This is merely a statement about how time is inconsequential to God. While everything in our life is dictated and controlled by time, God is not constrained by such concerns. Our work, our sleep, our eating, our schooling, and everything else in life is complete controlled by time. It is hard to think of a being that is not controlled by time. That is the point of Moses’ statement. Thousands of years are meaningless to God while to humans thousands of years are immense. The apostle Peter was trying to make the same point to his readers in 2 Peter 3:8 : But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

Please note the point that both Moses and Peter are making. The point is not to use this as a definition for interpreting the scriptures. The point is to help us grasp the eternal nature of God. God is not bound or constrained by time. The point Peter was making is that humans should not think that God is slow concerning his promises because God is not bound by time. We think it has been a long time for God’s promises to be fulfilled, but God does not operating within such time constraints. God is eternal and will not be forced to act simply because our lives are short. With Moses, he is simply contrasting our nature of being bound by time against God who is eternal and not bound by time.

The point about our temporal nature is clarified in Psalms 90:5-6. Humans are here one day and gone tomorrow. The images Moses uses to picture this brevity are vivid. We are like new grass that sprouts up, but under the heat quickly dies. This is what happened to our grass when we built our house. We put in new grass, went on vacation for a couple of weeks to California, and came back with grass that was weak and has never been able to fully recover. The other image Moses uses is morning and evening. Our lives are so short it is like a morning and evening against the eternal nature of God. We would like to think that we have an eternity of life ahead of us. Frequently we live our lives as if there is no end in sight. Such living is foolishness.

Moses goes on to talk about the frailty of humanity in light of our sins. Moses points out that our sins are linked to death. Our mortality traces back to judgment for our sins. Our sins stand before God. Our hidden sins are brought to light in God’s presence. How often we think that God is not aware of our sins! How often we think that we are not going to pay a penalty for our sins! But Moses reminds us that our sins are very visible to God.

Moses goes on to talk to about the brevity of our lives. In Psalms 90:10 Moses tells us that 70 years of life is to be expected and 80 years if we are strong. Yet these years are years of toil and trouble. But soon our days are gone and we are gone. None of us really like to think about the brevity of life. However, God wants us to be mindful that this is not all that there is to life. Our time is short to serve God and then be held accountable for our actions.

Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. (James 4:14)

Psalms 90:12 tells us the point of why we need to think about the brevity of life. We need to number our days so that we will learn to live wisely. When we think we have all of the time in the world, we will make foolish or wicked decisions. We neglect our family assuming that we have loads of time in the future to our enjoy our families. We neglect God thinking that we can return to him later. We plunge ourselves into sinful living thinking that there will always be time to repent. Jesus’ parable of the rich fool in Luke 12 is very appropriate for our consideration. When we think we have our whole lives ahead of us is when we act like the rich fool who is only concerned about “building bigger barns.” Little did he think that very night his life would be required of him. Because our lives are short, we need to make the most of our time, taking advantage of our opportunities to draw closer to God. As Christians, we should know to not assume that we have tomorrow.

Requesting God’s Favor (Psalms 90:13-17)

The final section of this psalm is Moses’ request for God to return his favor to him and the people. As we have seen in some of the last few psalms, the request centers around God’s steadfast love. The first request of Moses was that we be taught to number our days. The second request is that we will be satisfied with God’s faithful love. The void that we try to fill in our lives in seeking after God. We use possessions and wealth to try to fill the void. But the clamor will only find fulfillment with God. Trying to find happiness and satisfaction in other places will leave you empty. Christians have to be different than the world, particularly when we are talking about where we find our satisfaction. We should not look like the world when it comes to find joy in the physical things of the world. Our joy and our satisfaction must be in the Lord. We show that we have that joy by worshipping God, enjoying reading and studying our Bibles, and enjoying prayer. When we place a greater importance on after-school programs, extracurricular activities, sports, work, or anything else, we are not Christians finding their satisfaction in the Lord.

The final request of Moses is that the Lord establish the work of their hands. This places a responsibility on our part to live our lives in such a way that God can approve of our actions and establish our works. We cannot ask God to uphold and establish what we are doing in our lives if we are living sinful lives. We cannot ask God to be with our works when we are not actively seeking the interests of God above our own. Moses was a great example of putting the interests of God ahead of the interests of himself. Moses suffered much for the cause of the Lord. Moses left the riches of Egypt to live in the wilderness of Midian. Moses suffered the scorn of his own people who he was trying to deliver from slavery. Moses endured the criticisms of the people and the murder attempts on his life as they walked through the desert to the land of Canaan. But Moses was established by God because he trusted fully in the Lord through victories and through the difficulties.

PSALM 90

EXPOSITION

That Moses the Man of God, the Leader of Israel out of Egypt, did write this psalm according to the inscriptional headline, is strongly confirmed by internal evidence, especially by the lonely sublimity and strong originality of the psalm; and nearly all the objections against such authorship are met by carrying back the time of its composition to the close of Moses’ sojourn in Midian, instead of assuming that he wrote it at the end of the forty years’ wandering in the wilderness. This modification of the opinion which adheres to the Mosaic authorship, not only removes the difficulty of supposing that Moses wrote of seventy or eighty years as the common length of human life when he himself was nearly a hundred and twenty, but fully accounts for the absence of any allusion to the Exodus and the marvellous incidents of the journey through the desert. Not only so, but this slight shifting back of the presumed time of authorship intensifies the cry of the writer, How long? (Psalms 90:13), by placing behind it, not merely forty years’ seeming delay, but nearly four hundred. It is not likely that, in sight of Canaan, Moses would have said, “How long?” when he very well knew that the crossing of the Jordan could not be much longer delayed; whereas, at the close of nearly forty years’ waiting in Midian, and still no commission received to go and deliver Israel,—nothing could have been more natural than so to express himself respecting the threatening flight of years. Let thy work appear! would come with a hundred-fold more force from his pen when the first step in that “work” had not as yet been taken by the Divine Deliverer, than it would when a substantial and irreversible portion of that “work” like that of the Exodus had already been accomplished.

A FOUNDATION LAID FOR PRAYER (Stanza I., Psalms 90:1-2).—Most appropriately does the Divine governmental name ’Adonai, Sovereign Lord, stand as the first word in a psalm which touches some of the weightiest problems in the Divine government of mankind. A dwelling-place comes with peculiar pathos from a homeless sojourner belonging to a homeless race. A sense of being at home with God, impresses the writer with the Divine kindness in drawing so near to him; and at the same time brings him into conscious fellowship with the men of the past to whom the Sovereign Lord had in like manner drawn near: hence, most comprehensively, he says: A dwelling-place hast thou thyself become to us in generation after generation. This is indeed a broad stepping-stone to prayer, which plants Moses, the Exile, beside Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and other men spiritually akin, and comprehended under the uniting pronoun our: our dwelling-place. A sojourner among the mountains of Arabia, who, guided by the sacred books in his possession, had many times pondered on the birth of the world, finds it natural to go back—behind the race of believing servants of the Sovereign Lord to which he belongs—to the contemplation of the Mighty One Himself whose existence antedates both men and mountains: Before Mountains were born, Or ever were brought forth the earth and the world (THEN Thou wast, as Thou art still) the Mighty One. But, instead of taking two sentences to say the two things (wast—art), the writer,—taking advantage of the Hebrew custom of merely implying the verb “to be”,—crowds into one sentence what might have made two: Thou wast—Thou art. Before the mountains were born, &c, thou wast ’El, the Mighty One. Yea, from ‘olam to ‘olam—from æon to æon—from concealed time in the past to concealed time in the future—or (more simply) from age to age, thou art ’El, the Mighty One: the father of all existing things, yea also the father of all coming times. Thus broad and firm is a foundation here laid for prayer.

THE THEME OF THE PSALM (Stanza II., Psalms 90:3-4.)—Thou causest man to return even unto atoms, And (then) sayest—“Return ye sons of men” (Psalms 90:3). Are there here two returns, or is there only one? Is there first a “return” to dust, and then a “return” from dust? In other words, are the two clauses of which the verse is composed to be regarded as synonymous, both saying substantially the same thing; or as consecutive? With some confidence we reply, “consecutive.” There are two “returns.” The first clause expresses a “return” to dust; and the second, a “return” from dust. But the difference in result is so great as to lead us to ask how we may be sure which construction to prefer. Now there are two leading indications to guide us: first, the relation of these two clauses to each other, and then the connection between this verse and the next. First, as to the relation between the two clauses to each other: notice that the former clause expresses a fact, or states a Divine act, simply something done—Thou causest, &c; whereas the latter tells, not of something done, but of something said, a Divine word or decree: Thou sayest—Return. Mark this well: first a Divine act, then a Divine decree. Now, is it likely that they would stand in this order, if they both referred to the same thing? Is it not more probable that they would have stood in the reverse order,—first the decree, and then the act carrying out the decree? Would it not seem very awkward to represent God as first doing the act—inflicting death, and then passing the decree calling for the infliction. The very order of the clauses, therefore, already makes for the conclusion that there are two “returns” in the verse—one return executed, and then another decreed. But there is a second indication to help us; and that is, the connection between this third verse and the one which immediately follows it—the fourth. Evidently, there is a connection between the two, and that a logical connection; seeing that Psalms 90:4 opens with the important logical link For, thus shewing that the fourth verse gives a reason for the third. Hence, if we can seize upon the nature of this connection, we may hope to obtain further guidance as to how the point before us should be decided: namely, whether Psalms 90:3 speaks of two “returns” or of only one. What then, let us ask, is the general sense of Psalms 90:4 when put into simple language? That general sense is plainly this: That a long time in God’s sight is like a very short time in ours. Such being the case, Does that sense of Psalms 90:4 make for two “returns,” or for only one, in Psalms 90:3? Let us try these issues one by one. Assume that there is but one “return” in Psalms 90:3—that it speaks of the return to dust and nothing more; and then how does our “For” carry us forward: “Thou hast inflicted death on man, Because ‘a long time in thy sight is as a short time in ours’”? What reason is there in that? There is none, that we can discover, What has length of time—longer or shorter—to do with the one fact or process of inflicting death? It has no relation, that we can see. The infliction of death is going steadily on, occasioning no such sense of delay as to call for any explanation. Therefore, if only the infliction of death is comprehended in Psalms 90:3, Psalms 90:4 is wholly irrelevant. Now let us try the second issue, by asking: If there are two “returns” intended in Psalms 90:3, will that create a sufficient sense of delay, as to make welcome the soothing consideration supplied by Psalms 90:4? Obviously it will; seeing that, by including two great Divine processes, the second of which has scarcely if at all been begun, it instinctively calls forth the reflection: “Yes! but what a long time such a double process bids fair to demand: a first process of causing man to return to dust is itself filling ages; but the second process—bringing mankind back from the dust—why, it has not yet commenced. How long will it be ere it is begun? How much longer, before it is finished? Just the very feeling to which the consideration in Psalms 90:4 is fitted to be addressed; because its purport is: “A long time—perhaps thousands of years. Yea; but no length of time involved affects the Divine Worker: no amount of delay can either disable him or cause him to forget!” On these sure grounds may we regard as settled the grave point at issue: concluding with confidence, both from the order and nature of the clauses in Psalms 90:3, and from the logical connection between Psalms 90:3-4, That it is even so; that the worthy theme of Moses’ mighty prayer is nothing less than a pleading protest against the prolonged and unbroken dominion of death. We have thus discovered the poles on which the whole psalm turns, and are prepared to see all the remainder of the psalm naturally resolve itself, as it does, into—The Dominion of Death described; and, A Plea for the Overthrow of that dominion.

THE DOMINION OF DEATH DESCRIBED (Stanza III., Psalms 90:5-12).—And, first, it is Divinely caused. The “theme” itself has already stated this: Thou causest man to return to atoms. And now, at the very entrance on this description of death’s dominion, the same thing is reasserted: Thou didst flood them away with a rain-storm. It matters not at all whether this is an allusion to the Flood: the point is, that this “flooding away” is executed by the Sovereign Lord addressed, even by him to whom a thousand years are as yesterday. It will not do to try to break the force of these statements by reminding us that “every creature of God is good.” True? but death is not a CREATURE: it is neither person,’ place nor thing—it is essentially a negation, a negation in the sense of a withdrawal of life. It is therefore unwarranted, and indeed reckless, to assert that God cannot withdraw life when once he had bestowed it. It may be good for him to give it; and yet be both good and wise for him to withdraw it, after a time, longer or shorter. It may be good to withdraw it; either because it has served its purpose, or because it has been abused and forfeited. It may be just and wise and merciful, yea even necessary, to withdraw life as a Divine protest against sin already committed, and as a Divine prevention of further sin. It is, therefore, as unwise as it is unwarranted to allege that God cannot inflict death. It is taught here, and in endless other places of Holy Writ, that, in point of fact, God does inflict death.

Still, not without reason does he inflict it. In the case of other creatures, God may have other reasons for withdrawing life—that is, inflicting death; but, in the case of man, there is a revealed reason, and that reason is—SIN: Thou dost set our iniquities before thee, Our secret near the lamp of thy face. The “iniquities” here intended are the iniquities of the race; since individual iniquities do not count, as witness the death of infants and of the forgiven. In like manner, in all probability, “our secret” is the secret of our race; which, when “Genesis” was barely written and certainly not published, was in all likelihood in the keeping of Moses alone. This may seem a great and indeed startling thing to say; but let any man, with some strength of historical imagination, give a more likely application to this remarkable phrase, of which, be it observed, the plural word “sins” forms no part. This psalm, then, itself guides us to find the special reason for man’s death in man’s sin.

Nor is this all. Man’s sin is the occasion of God’s displeasure. With surprising strength is this taught in the present psalm. Five times is this explicitly asserted during the course of this single stanza dealing with Death’s Dominion: anger, wrath; wrath, anger; wrath (Psalms 90:7; Psalms 90:9; Psalms 90:11). It really appears as though the writer gave up all attempts to measure the intensity of God’s anger against man’s sin—the sin of the race—by taking refuge in a question: Who can know the strength of thine anger? And, if we rightly decipher the force of the duplicate question, it abundantly confirms the first member of the interrogatory: Or whether like (—or according—to) the fear of thee is thy wrath. Of “the fear” which unlimited power revealing itself by the infliction of death inspires, we all have some knowledge; and we can easily increase our apprehension thereof, either by studying ordinary histories of mankind or by noting this feature as seen for instance in such a classic as the Book of Job. Suffice it to claim that, according to this psalm, it is very unlikely that any of us can over-estimate the intensity of the Divine Displeasure with the sin of our race. We may make a one-sided study of it; we may omit to pass on to view the other side of the great complex question; we may amiably, but quite needlessly, plead man’s frailty—which assuredly God never forgets;—but we cannot be too deeply penetrated with the impressively taught truth that the reason for man’s death as a race, is man’s sin as a race. The more vividly you portray the ravages of death, the more cogently do you demonstrate God’s anger against our racial sin: comprehending, as that racial sin does, alike the secret offence of our first father and the resulting iniquities of his descendants.

We might here look back, for the purpose of observing what a peculiar flickering of lights and shadows is cast over Psalms 90:5-11 by what we might call the variations seen in the incidence of Death: the sweeping away of masses of men, as in the flood; the silent falling asleep of individuals who unobservedly fall out of the living race of men; and especially the remarkable way in which generations succeed each other. Also: we might point out how the travail and trouble of life enhance the impressiveness of its brevity. Life is slow and bright in coming, but swift in departing, and shadowed in retrospect. Seventy or eighty years seem long to the young; but to the aged they appear but as a few days. Many besides Jacob when brought before Pharaoh (Genesis 47:9) have, in the time of retrospect, been ready to exclaim: “Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life!”

But, instead of lingering over these details of the Stanza before us, it is more important to give good heed to the pivot prayer which forms the transition to the great prayer of the psalm. This pivot prayer is the outcry of the careful scholar, that he be not suffered to miss the main lesson for which he came into the Divine school: How to number our days, so make thou known, That we may get a mind that hath wisdom. The first point to note here is that there is an apprehended difficulty in making the desired calculation; and the next is, that Divine illumination is sought in order to overcome the difficulty. Let us carefully consider these two points in succession.

The words of this transitional little prayer do properly suppose a difficulty; nor does it seem legitimate to tone down and modify its point. The psalmist does not ask to be guided to apply his mind to a wise object: in other words, he does not say: “Having numbered my days, and easily discovered how frail and shortlived I am, teach me to regulate my life accordingly.” It is the wise mind itself which he covets; and he seeks it in a definite way, namely by numbering, and not by means of reflection. It is the numbering itself which occasions his difficulty. He wishes to know how to make the successful calculation—how to do the necessary sum. What is it? Is it to find out what is the average duration of human life? But he knows that already. Is it to discover what point he has reached in the scale of possibility? But he can find that out, if he has lost count, by domestic repute or an appeal to the family register. Is it to know, whether he personally shall reach the average outside limit? But no amount of counting can inform him of that. No man, starting from the known average, can say: “Therefore I have ten or twenty more years to live.” And though God could reveal it to him, that is not at all the point of the prayer.

And yet it is true, that it is a revelation—or at least instruction or information—which the psalmist seeks; for he says Make known. He clearly, then, wishes to know how to do the successful numbering. For this he feels he needs Divine guidance, and hopes for such guidance to be vouchsafed by way of making known to him something which at present he does not know, or as to which he feels uncertain.

Put these simple things together, and then see whether the solution will not appear. The psalmist desires a wise mind: he hopes to gain it by a process of numbering: he humbly seeks information that he may do the numbering aright. What, then, is the information he seeks? What does he need to know?

The whole psalm is eloquent with the answer. And, first, it is very plain that the psalmist gets his answer: the way in which his tone at once changes and deepens, and he forthwith opens up and boldly carries forward his great prayer against the continued dominion of Death, shews this. The informal way in which the result discloses itself, naturally suggests, that he obtains his answer by immediate—though perhaps unconscious—revelation. The materials for his answer already lie within the area of his mind. He is guided to put them together correctly; and the result is—a REVELATION: the thing he wished to know has been made clear!

Yes! he may and should take both “returns” into account: the little figures of this life and the large figures of the life to come. His survey must take in, not only the possible seventy or eighty years, with the uncertainties and humiliations and sorrows attendant on them, which are occupied in returning to dust, but the thousands, the thousands upon thousands, the illimitable ages of ages to be entered upon after returning from dust. Then and so he will indeed get a wise mind. The man who gets no further than the seventy or eighty years of this life, may, by thinking and moralising, discover a few stars of prudence twinkling in his midnight sky; but the man who by faith leaps forward into the renewed life that is to be, is greeted at once with the effulgence of a sun of Divine Wisdom which illumines all the heaven of his soul, and which will never set.

A PLEA FOR THE OVERTHROW OF DEATH’S DOMINION (Stanza IV., Psalms 90:13-17). Oh return thou, Jehovah! how long? It only needs that this outcry should be interpreted in the light of the context, to perceive its amazing breadth and boldness. It is then seen to mean no less than this: “Return from the anger with which, during generation after generation, thou hast been inflicting death: Reverse thy procedure. Thou hast long been turning frail man to atoms: wilt thou not now, with effect, say—Come again, ye sons of men? Thou hast been flooding them away: wilt thou not bring them back as a great army? Thou hast been putting them to sleep: wilt thou not awaken them? Shall the iniquities of our race never be adequately covered? Shall its secret shame and wrong never be expiated, by the morning of glory enough to redound to thy praise?

“And have compassion on thy servants, who have all along through these dark ages been serving thee. Pity them for their ill requital—for their unfinished tasks—for the obloquy they have endured. Satisfy us: we are hungry for fulfilment. We are longing for the turn of the morning. We are looking for the morning of a new day. We are expecting a day in which thy kindness shall be as publicly demonstrated as thy wrath has been during the long reign of death. Infants have been taken captive by premature removal: shall they never come back from the land of the enemy? Thy servants have been publicly dishonoured: they have fallen asleep unrewarded: shall they never be owned and crowned: We are looking for the morning that shall usher in that new day that shall make us feel we are but beginning our existence; being ushered into which, we shall give one long ringing shout for joy, and then go forward with gladness unto length of days.”

Granted, that this is, to some extent, necessarily, imaginary paraphrase: the only serious question is whether, in a form we can understand, it gives embodiment to the spirit of this prayer. But let us humbly endeavour to be more logical.

Make us glad, according to the days thou hast humbled us, The years we have seen misfortune. There is here a principle involved, as the ground of petition: it is the principle of proportion. Lest we should lose ourselves if we go so far afield as to keep the ancients in view, such as Noah and Abraham, although we ought to do that,—let us confine ourselves to the outlook of Moses himself. When he uses this language, what does he naturally mean? The days thou hast humbled us: how many have they been? The years we have seen misfortune: how long have they now lasted? Let us say, in round numbers: Four hundred years. Well, then, his petition cannot signify less than this: “Make us glad, for four hundred years, in the good land into which thou dost intend to bring us according to the promises made to our fathers.” But, after all, is this the rule of proportion between the gracious Jehovah and his loyal servants? Is it simply so much reward for so much suffering? Who can think it, of Him who in the natural world gives to some kernels, cast into the earth, thirty, to some sixty, and to some a hundred fold. Will he who takes four hundred years to form the sons of Israel into an organized nation, be content to give them a four hundred years’ run of national prosperity? No such conclusion can commend itself.

Shew unto thy servants thy work. What work has Jehovah in hand in forming this people? Is it not to make of them “a kingdom of priests, a holy nation”? (Exodus 19). And is this work never to be finished? And thy majesty upon their children. And will the promised cloud of glory (Isaiah 4) never rest upon them? And when it does, will the fathers and founders of the nation not be given to behold the ravishing sight?

And let the delightfulness—surely not for ever, the anger, the wrath; not merely the kindness, though that is bounded only by righteousness and is age-abiding; not alone the majesty, though that is awe-inspiring; but the delightfulness, comprehending all the beauty of form that can please the eye, all the sweetness of taste that can suggest entire mental satisfaction. “The delightfulness” of the Sovereign Lord—whose governmental designs are receiving satisfying accomplishment: “the Sovereign Lord” our God—approving himself to the nations of the earth, as the God of Israel. Let this be upon us: not merely “on them.” And the work of our hands. When the delightfully kind and gloriously majestic Jehovah shews his work unto his servants, his servants will be permitted to discover their own humble share therein—Moses his leadership and laws, Joshua his victories, David his songs and the like. This work of ours, which thou art pleased to accept as thine own: let it be established upon us, both on our children and on ourselves. This is the solidarity—this the fellowship—this the fruition in this abiding kingdom, for which we pray.

In submitting the foregoing as a fair exposition of the 90th psalm, it is deemed proper to guard against extravagant expectations, which can only yield disappointment. It should be remembered: That this psalm is poetry, and not didactic teaching, and therefore must be handled with such lightness of touch as allows for figures of speech and dramatic changes of points of view; That this is but a single, very early psalm, which may naturally have left in doubt what subsequent psalms and prophecies have made clear; and especially That it was penned centuries before “light and incorruption were illumined by the Gospel,” and hence cannot be expected to have formulated a consecutive account of that great process of Bringing Back from the dust of death the race of mankind which even now is, only just begun. It is, however, claimed—and it is for the candid student to judge whether the claim has been made good—that here, thus early in the history of Divine Revelation, the theme of a General Resurrection is effectively broached; and that the Initial Stages of that Resurrection are clearly implied—if, at least, the recall of Jehovah’s Servants from the dust of death bears any pledging and causal relation to the Bringing Back of the remainders of men. That the uplifting of the Nation of Israel to the high level of their national calling, is to issue in the Birth from the Grave of the nations of the world, is now seen by independent students to be really taught in Isaiah 26 (cp. Psalms 48 end). Why Israel has not yet been able to respond to her call; and why, therefore, she has not yet wrought such “deliverance in the earth” as awaits her accomplishment, are questions most vitally at issue between Jews and Christians. When Israel finds her Leader in the Great Return—the Coming Again—of this psalm, she will further find that He is not only by appointment a sufferer, but that He is also the First, the Chief, the Leader of an illuminating Resurrection from the dead, who proclaims Light to both the people of Israel and to the remaining Nations of the earth. So, at least, we have been taught by a Jew who was also a Christian (in Acts 26:23).

The Security of Life in the Face of Trouble

Psalms 91:1-16

LaVista church of Christ

One rule of understanding the Bible is that when we run into a conflict, then the cause is most often due to our assumptions than what is actually stated.

Nowhere in the Bible are God’s people told they will have a life free from troubles. Jesus warned people that they would be persecuted (Matthew 5:10-12), they would face divisions in their families (Matthew 10:34-36), and James said that there would be trials to bear (James 1:2-4). Therefore, there are assumptions you are making that are not found in the Bible. Let’s look closely to see what Psalm 91 has to say about our life and the trouble that awaits us. Before we begin, I want you to notice that there is no mention of prayer in the entire psalm. Thus, this is not about whether a person prays or not.

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty" (Psalms 91:1).

This is not a general promise for all people. It is a promise of safety for people who stick close to God. We have to abide (live) with God and He will abide with us (1 John 4:15-16). This describes a close fellowship, so close that it is as if we are living in God’s very shadow (Psalms 32:7). But notice that it is man’s choice to live in God’s shadow or not. "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe" (Proverbs 18:10).

"I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!"" (Psalms 91:2)

The writer declares that he has a relationship with God. He is "my God." It is in his God that he has placed his trust. But notice that God is his refuge and fortress. When do you need a fortress? It is when you have enemies and need a place of safety (Psalms 18:2). This psalm is not about never having problems; otherwise, there would be no need for a fortress. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psalms 46:1).

The psalmist then turns to the reader’s safety. Notice the use of the singular "you" through Psalms 91:3-13. This applies to every follower of God.

"For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence" (Psalms 91:3).

Snares are traps laid by evil men (Psalms 140:1-5). Deadly diseases strike people unaware. These are not troubles where personal strength can prevent. But God does shields us.

"He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark" (Psalms 91:4).

The imagery is of a mother bird protecting her young. God protects you because He cares for you. God is trustworthy. Our confidence in Him is our shield.

It doesn’t mean a Christian won’t suffer from an evil trap or get sick. The psalmist is saying we don’t need to worry about such things. God protects us from more things than we realize. And when it doesn’t happen, it is because there is some need. This is the attitude Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego expressed to the king. "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. "If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up"" (Daniel 3:16-18). Remember that Jesus died by crucifixion after being beaten. Why should we expect no harm to ourselves?

"You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day; of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or of the destruction that lays waste at noon" (Psalms 91:5-6).

It doesn’t matter the type of problem. It could be mental anxiety (terrors of the night), physical harm by people (the arrow), disease (pestilence), or disasters (destruction). There are things that scare people. A new disease breaks out and people panic or some terrorist group launches weapons of mass destruction. Some people live their lives in constant fear, but the Christian doesn’t (Matthew 6:25).

"A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not approach you" (Psalms 91:7).

It doesn’t matter how big the problem is, or how close it gets. God is still able to protect His people.

"You will only look on with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked" (Psalms 91:8).

Justice will come to the evil doer (Galatians 6:8).

"For you have made the LORD, my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place. No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent" (Psalms 91:9-10).

We have to stay close to God, making His dwelling our dwelling place. When we learn from God, then there is true peace (Philippians 4:9; Philippians 4:11). It is not that there will be no disasters, but that the disasters aren’t significant. "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:35-39).

"For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike your foot against a stone" (Psalms 91:11-12).

God will watch over you. This is the passage Satan used to tempt Jesus (Matthew 4:5-7), but notice that Satan skipped over "to guard you in all your ways." Recall that this psalm is about the person who makes God his refuge. He follows in God’s shadow. God’s ways are his ways (Psalms 91:1-2; Psalms 91:9). This is not a promise of protection for anything I choose to do, nor is it a promise to protect me from careless or reckless behavior.

"You will tread upon the lion and cobra, the young lion and the serpent you will trample down" (Psalms 91:13).

It isn’t that God’s people merely avoid or survive disasters. We triumph over them, crushing them. "For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil" (Romans 16:19-20). Paul saw this occur in his own life. "At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!" (2 Timothy 4:16-18).

"Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With a long life I will satisfy him and let him see My salvation." (Psalms 91:14-16).

Because a person clings to God in love, God will give him security. Knowing God’s name is a way to say that we recognize God’s authority. For an example of this, the apostles asked by what authority they acted (Acts 4:7) and they replied that they acted in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:10). To call up a name is to claim a right that was authorized by that person. For example, Paul called upon the name of Caesar during his trial to invoke his right to be tried before Caesar (Acts 25:11-12). God saves those who call upon him. "I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ’This is My people’; and each one will say, ’The LORD is my God’" (Zechariah 13:9). But notice that they go through fire and are tested.

God also promises a long life (or length of days). This is not necessarily a long physical life. "He asked life from You, and You gave it to him - length of days forever and ever" (Psalms 21:4; see also Psalms 23:6). We don’t live forever on this earth. But it is a promise of having a complete, full, and satisfying life, with eternal life following. "For length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. ... Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor" (Proverbs 3:2; Proverbs 3:16).

The point of Psalms 91 is not that the follower of God will never face troubles. It is a promise that no trouble can truly harm a child of God. "As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:36-37).

PSALM 91

EXPOSITION

Two things are clear. This psalm is no part of the Prayer of Moses; and yet it was occasioned thereby. All the evidence that confirms the Mosaic authorship of Psalms 90, turns round and rebuts the assumption that Psalms 91 also was written by him. The lonely grandeur is gone. The large outlook has closed. The sweeping comprehensiveness is at an end. And yet a very close relationship is evident. The first verse of this psalm might have been written as a label on the previous one; and for a time left in that form; tautological,—probably because incomplete; a mere suggestion to be expanded at a more convenient season. It is as though Samuel, or David, or Hezekiah had just perused afresh his precious treasure, handed down from the great Lawgiver; and, impressed with its sublime beauty and power and its fitness to be turned to practical use, had penned on it just the two lines which now open it: which lines, by himself or some other prophetic singer, were afterwards taken up, in hortatory mood, not improbably addressed to the fortunate royal possessor himself: Say thou (“O my master”; or, Say thou, O my soul”)! We thus reach the idea that Psalms 91 is strictly an Appendix to Psalms 90; which hypothesis at once accounts for the fact that it has no inscription above or below. It is quite easy, and not altogether vain, to think—how aptly Nathan may have addressed Stanza I. (Psalms 91:2-8) to his royal master David, or how readily David himself may thus have addressed his own soul—in either case naturally introducing large shield and (smaller) buckler. It is equally feasible to think of some such poet as Isaiah adding another stanza or two to this Appendix; and, if we could imagine him as striking in at Psalms 91:9 with Hezekiah in view,—that would quite well account for the otherwise unaccountable emphasis on the pronoun thou! As much as to say: “My royal Master! thine ancestor David full well knew what it was to be preserved from dread and arrow and pestilence and destruction—to be saved alone while thousands were falling by his side; and he did indeed live to see recompense falling upon lawless ones. But thou, too, even as he did, hast said, ‘Jehovah is my refuge.’ Nor shalt THOU be disappointed.” Not necessarily vain, are such imaginings, if they hover over the realm of actuality, and rebuke the dry dogmatism that is so very sure that things hinted at could never have happened.

There is probably a further and deeper reason why it cannot be vain to seek to actualise such poetic writings as these; and that is, to check the easy assumption that there can be no fulfilment at all of such promises as these, unless, without break, fulfilment runs steadily on and up to the climax of complete accomplishment. A moment ago, we suddenly pulled up in sight of the word plague, remembering that, literally, and for the time, the plague did draw near in the tent of Hezekiah. Was this Appendix-writer—therefore—dishonored? Surely we have need to follow our Lord’s own example, by saying “It is written again!” Yea, it is written again, in this same Appendix, He shall cry unto me; and truly Hezekiah did cry (2 Kings 20:3, Isaiah 38:2); and I will answer him; and truly Jehovah did answer (2 Kings 20:5-6, Isaiah 38:4-8): in short, was with him in distress—did rescue—did glorify. Whether the restored monarch was actually satisfied with ‘his fifteen additional years and content with the remainder of his life, history informeth us not. Possibly he was not; because nearly all such promises as these have in them an element of extension and expansion ever ready to require more than this life to fill to the full their accomplishment. In other words, the length of days of these ancient Hebrew songs is ever crying out—dumbly but really—for Resurrection and Incorruption!

In now taking a retrospect of this psalm, it is extremely important to remark—that its promises are essentially conditional: they all depend on actually making the Most High a refuge—a habitation. The opening inscription of Psalms 91:1 calls for this. So does the injunction of Psalms 91:2. So also does the emphatic and extended reason given in Psalms 91:9. And this condition, be it carefully noted, consists of a living experience: of an intention, carried out; of a believing recognition of the all-encompassing and protecting presence of the Most High. And this goes far beyond the heathenish employment of this psalm, or any other formula of words, as a protection from evil. It is not: He that carries in his pocket a piece of paper or parchment containing these words, or any such words. It is not: He that carries these words in his memory: which may be nothing more than a clever feat of formalism. But: He that does the thing described; which cannot mean less than an habitual and believing walk with God. Moreover: He who is walking with God, can neither knowingly step aside from the path of duty; nor, uninvited, make experiments with God. If God really commands his servants to prove him, then doubtless they may obediently respond. Otherwise, they cannot go along that path; because, in the absence of any such Divine challenge, the prohibition comes in:—“Thou shalt not put the Lord thy God to the proof.” Neither Satan nor the Scientific Doubter has authority to suspend this Divine Prohibition. The Almighty does not put his power into commission, to be used at any creature’s pleasure. It is well he does not. This is not to deny that there is a charm in the promises of God, but it is to protest that their true charm comes from treating them not as mere charms, but as the living words of a living God.

But this psalm furnishes another lesson: it puts before us, with all the vividness of an object-lesson, the importance of setting the various commands and promises of Scripture side by side, that we may gather their true sense and make of them a legitimate application. The final stanza of this psalm comes before us with an especial appealing force, because it purports to give us Jehovah’s own direct words, revealing the response of his love to his servant’s love: Because on me he hath set his love. Being at the same time the close of the psalm, it is in every way fitting that this stanza should be invested with any explaining and harmonising power needed for practical guidance. From this point of view, note especially, that Jehovah himself prepares his loving servants for the possibility that—after all the promises which have gone before—they may yet come into distress. for such a temporary non-fulfilment of his promises, Jehovah holds himself responsible—with him will I myself be, in distress. He makes our distresses his own. He bears the burden of his unfulfilled promises. He says: “Wait! and I will more than fulfil them all.” And then to Grace he adds Glory!

A Song of Worship

Psalms 92:1-15

Brent Kercheville

The psalms teach us how the believer should react, live, and feel like as servants of God in a fallen, sinful world. This psalm is a psalm for worship. Notice the description before Psalms 92:1, “A song for the Sabbath.” Therefore, this psalm teaches us how we ought to approach the gathered, public worship.

Believers Delight In Worship (Psalms 92:1-4)

The psalmist says that it is good to give thanks and sing praises. It is good to speak about God’s steadfast love and faithfulness in song. In seeing what God has done we sing for joy! The Lord’s day worship is to be a delight for us. The first day of the week is a day to look forward to and anticipate. It must not be viewed as another day that we have to endure. How do we approach Sunday? How do we approach worship? Do we see our worship as a duty or a delight? Is our Sunday worship merely a habit or something that has to be done? This is supposed to be a time of delight and joy. The singing of songs should never be viewed as worthless or pointless.

Praising God is good for us. Praising God should never seem boring. We will certainly have a problem in eternity if we think praising God is boring because that is all we read the spiritual beings doing. If we find singing boring, worship boring, and praising God boring, it is not because you know God and found him to be a bore. It is because we do not know God very well. We are too worldly if we cannot find the joy in coming together to worship. We come because we want God. We do everything to enjoy God. If you are not enjoying yourself, you are not here to enjoy God. Further, we must teach our children that worship is enjoyable and is not a time for video games and toys. Our delight is in God.

Fools Do Not Delight In God (Psalms 92:5-9)

Senseless people and fools do not appreciate this. If we cannot see that delighting in God is not what life is all about, then we are facing eternal punishment. If our joy is in the things of this world and do not find our joy in God, but in our worldly activities, then we are senseless enemies of God who do not understand. Your life joy and life value is found in your job, in your possessions, in your family, or in your status. The fool delights in all the wrong things.

We forget that it all goes back in the box. I suppose most of us have played the board game, Monopoly. The purpose is to accumulate money and property to put others out of the game. When we win the game, we do not want to walk away. We bask in the glory of our accomplishment. Look at how well we played the game. Look at all we acquired. Look at all the people we put out. But then what happens? It all goes back in the box. There is nothing lasting that comes from it. In the same way, at the end of this life, it all goes back in the box. Everything you have, every dollar, every possession, every bit of status, all of it simply goes back in the box. And if we do not have God, then we have nothing to show for our lives at the end of the game.

The Righteous Flourish (Psalms 92:10-15)

Delighting in God is the secret for flourishing in life. This flourishing is the same language that is used in Psalms 1. We are like a tree that is planted and grows like the cedars in Lebanon. We are immoveable and strong in the face of life’s difficulties. Further, we are planted in the house of the Lord. We are in the right place, the place where our value and love comes from. Even as we approach old age and are not able to do what we did before, we are still valuable and fruitful for the Lord. As we get older we lose all the things that seemed to be so important and begin to realize that these worldly things do not matter. The good life is not about finding joy in the things of this world. The good life comes from finding joy in God. He is the rock who keeps us and loves us throughout all of life’s changes. Come and see that the Lord is good. Find your joy in God by loving him and obeying his will.

PSALM 92

EXPOSITION

Psalms 92 is intensely personal: as witness the phrases hast made me glad—I will ring out my joy (Psalms 92:4)—my horn—I am anointed—mine eyes—my lurking foes—my wicked assailants—mine ears (Psalms 92:10-11). It is at the same time thoroughly experimental: which is evident, not only from the above expressions, but also from the writer’s thankfulness (Psalms 92:1), and from his persuasion that he has been blessed with some insight into Jehovah’s works and plans (Psalms 92:5), as well as from that sense of nearness to God which leads him to designate him My Rock (Psalms 92:15). The writer of the psalm is probably a king in the line of David: which accounts for his expectation that his horn will be exalted, in spite of his unscrupulous foes (Psalms 92:10-11). He is not only a king, but an enthusiastic musician: understanding what it is to sweep the strings (Psalms 92:1), and appreciating differences in musical instruments, as his selection of the deeptoned lyre to accompany his poetic soliloquy in his royal chambers sufficiently indicates. Out of these observations emerges the natural conclusion, that its writer was King Hezekiah.

The Sovereignty of God

Psalms 93:1-5

Brent Kercheville

In our country we have many different people take office. Different people take the office of president every four or eight years. We have different people take office in Congress every two and six years. Everyone must be elected into office. However, God has always been enthroned. God did not take office. He is the permanent king. The psalmist is going to describe the nature of God’s rule as king. During the second temple period this psalm was sung before the Sabbath.

The Lord Reigns As King (Psalms 93:1-2)

He is robed in majesty. The first point is that God and his kingdom are covered in majesty. He is fully of dignity, sovereign power, stateliness, and grandeur. “Robed in majesty” means that all of God’s works are glorious. One of the scenes of majesty revealed to us in scriptures is Isaiah 6:1-4 as Isaiah sees in a vision the majesty of God and his throne. Isaiah was so distraught by God’s majesty and holiness that he cried out that he is ruined because of his own uncleanness.

He is enveloped in strength.The second characteristic noted is the power and strength of God. God is armed with strength. His majesty is not a show. His power is not a facade or a deception. God truly has power. His power undergirds his rule.

The world and his throne are firmly established.This highlights the immovable and unchangeable nature of God. His rule has been from everlasting. His throne has always been established. He always has been in charge. The emphasis is not on God existing eternally (which is true) but on his eternal rule. God has existed eternally and therefore his rule exists eternally.

The Lord Is Greater Than Creation (Psalms 93:3-4)

Psalms 93:3 is intended for us to picture in our minds the power and sounds of flooding waters. One of my favorite childhood memories is our annual beach vacation. When we arrived at our rental, I would open the car door and the first thing I would hear is the crash of the waves. It is a fantastic sound that those on the coast of the Atlantic do not get to hear. The Pacific Ocean with its 5-8 foot waves makes an amazing crashing sound. You cannot stop a wave. Stand in the ocean and try to stop a wave. Dive under a wave and you will feel its power as it tosses you every direction. Stand in the face of the wave and you will be moved backward.

Mightier than the roaring waves, the crashing seas, and flowing rivers is the might of the Lord. Though the waters rise up and pound, destroying the seashore and people’s property, the Lord is mightier. God is greater, stronger, and mightier than anything in creation that we think is powerful. The first point we are to learn from these images of God’s majesty and power is that he is in charge. The world is not out of God’s control. Though the world is out of our control and the world seems out of control, God is powerful and majestic. He remains in control.

The Lord’s Rule (Psalms 93:5)

The final verse (Psalms 93:5) tells us two things about God’s rule. First, his laws stand firm. His laws are trustworthy and completely reliable. They do not change. One of the frustrating things about the tax code in this country is that the rules are always changing. You buy a tax program this year and it is completely obsolete next year. God’s statutes never change. They are reliable and trustworthy. God’s word given through the revelation of the Holy Spirit is like a foundation on which you can build your life. It is stable and true. God’s word is the unchanging foundation to learn and obey.

Second, God is holy, his house is holy, and we are his house. The psalmist says that holiness adorns God’s house forever. Holiness is the beauty of the house of God. We must live in holiness if we are going to live in God’s house. His laws are firm and trustworthy. Listen to his word and do as he teaches. Be separate from the world and have changed lives for Christ. God is holy. Therefore we must be holy in our conduct (1 Peter 1:15).

PSALM 93

EXPOSITION

Psalms 93 forms a striking contrast. It is by no means personal; but public, lofty, grand. It propounds a thesis worthy of the most far-seeing prophetic gift: for it tells of nothing less than an especial assumption of sovereignty by Jehovah himself, who on the basis of his ancient rule and being makes a new Divine advance to manifested kingship over the earth. The psalm is but brief, calling sea-streams to witness to the Divine Majesty, and claiming that the Divine Testimonies and Temple-worship are confirmed by Jehovah’s Royal Proclamation. The two most remarkable things about this short psalm are: first, that it gives the key-note of the series; in which, be it noted, Jehovah is proclaimed King three times, which key-note is carried over to the abbreviated Sabbath Service of Song which we may assume to be formed by Psalms 98, 99; so that four times in the double series is this Proclamation made; second, another remarkable thing is that King Hezekiah—himself a king in the royal, covenant line of David—should have given so much prominence to such a theme, if he prepared this Service of Song, a theme to give currency to which looks greatly like an act of self-effacement on his part, as though neither he nor any of his descendants could be regarded as The Coming King. Not only, then, does this psalm demand a lofty prophetic gift for its production, but it requires a prophet of unquestionable standing and commanding weight to secure its insertion in this Service of Song. These conditions are remarkably well fulfilled in ISAIAH; especially if we may safely come back—as it would appear we may—to the old-fashioned custom of regarding him as the author of the whole of the book which goes under his name. For, in that case, we have not only the vision of Isaiah, chapter 6, to give a commanding place to the conception of Jehovah’s becoming King of all the earth, but we have patterned by Isaiah himself—of course under Divine guidance—in Psalms 52:7 almost the exact formula for proclaiming Divine Kingship which stands out so prominently in these psalms. Isaiah is the man who has had the vision, and who is possessed by the conception which the vision conveys. And he has the age, the standing, and the unquestionable spiritual authority to secure Hezekiah’s ready acceptance of Jehovah’s own Royal proclamation of Himself as suitable for a large place in this Sabbath Service of Song. From this point of view, the bringing together of the two men—Isaiah and Hezekiah—under the dominancy of a great expectation, throws an unexpected but most welcome sidelight on that strange wail of disappointment issuing from Hezekiah’s sick-room (Isaiah 38) that now—if he must at once die—he will “not see Yah in the land of the living,” as under Isaiah’s tuition he had conceived that he might. So that any imagined unlikelihood that Hezekiah would make such a theme so prominent in his Sabbath Service of Song, is completely overborne by the evidence which shews how naturally he might have done this very thing.

The Lord Does Not Forsake His People

Psalms 94:1-23

Brent Kercheville

Rise Up, God of Vengeance (Psalms 94:1-7)

The psalm begins with a description of God, not as a God of love or mercy, but as a God of vengeance. It is a call for God to rise up and act by bringing justice. Particular, the psalmist is calling for judgment against the proud, that they receive what they deserve. Again, we see that there is not a problem with asking God to administer justice. There is not a problem with asking God to give evil people what is due to them. God is a God of justice, which is vengeance. This term “vengeance” should not cause us any trouble or concern.

The question is then brought in prayer: how long will the wicked and the proud be allowed to gloat in their evil? How long will they be allowed to maintain their arrogance? How long will evil people continue to boast? The psalmist goes on to describe their evil actions. They are crushing God’s people. They hurt the righteous. Some evildoers even kill widows and orphans.

Consider the thought process of the evildoers. They think that God does not notice. They think that God is not looking. They think that God does not care what they are doing. This is the typical thinking when we sin. We think that God does not notice. We think that God does not really care. Listen to the answer to such thinking.

God Knows (Psalms 94:8-11)

You who think that God does not care and God does not notice, think again! Is the one who made our ears not hearing the things we say? Is the one who made our eyes not seeing the things we do? Do we think that the God who punishes the nations will not also punish us for our actions? God knows everything. Why would we think that God does not know what we are doing? Consider Psalms 94:11 : God even knows our thoughts! He knows that our thoughts are worthless and simply a vapor. Anyone who thinks they are getting away with anything just because judgment is not immediate is a senseless fool. Only a fool thinks that the all-seeing God does not see or that the judge of all the earth will not bring justice at the proper time. God not only knows our thoughts, he knows that our thoughts are futile. Leupold properly said, “There has, perhaps, never been a more devastating demonstration of the foolish thinking which men occasionally become guilty of when they imagine that the Lord is not aware of what they are doing.”

The Blessing of God’s Discipline (Psalms 94:12-15)

The psalmist now points out the need for the righteous to find the blessings in life’s difficulties. Hard times help us learn the way of the Lord. We become more reliant upon God and hopefully are more diligent to follow God’s instructions. When we read about this discipline, we should not think of it as being punished for wrongdoing. Rather, discipline is merely God’s training tool. We are being trained when we go through hard times. This is why the psalmist links discipline with learning from God’s instructions. The writer of Hebrews also discusses the value of hard times and calls it discipline:

3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, so that you won’t grow weary and lose heart. 4 In struggling against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly, or faint when you are reproved by Him; 6 for the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and punishes every son whom He receives. 7 Endure it as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there whom a father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline—which all receive —then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had natural fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but He does it for our benefit, so that we can share His holiness. 11 No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but healed instead. (Hebrews 12:3-13; HCSB)

We must take the times of oppression and suffering and learn from those circumstances, as hard as it is to endure. There are benefits when we choose to learn from our ordeals. Next, the psalmist describes four promises that God gives to his people.

1. Relief from troubled times (Psalms 94:13). God does provide relief. We are never crushed beyond hope. God will make sure to give us a breather, and get our feet back under us before the next challenge comes.

2. Eventual punishment of the wicked (Psalms 94:13). A time will come with the pit will be dug for the wicked and they will be ensnared for their sins. Justice will eventually come.

3. God’s faithfulness (Psalms 94:14). God will not reject his people. He will not abandon his special possession. Deliverance may be delayed, and time may be difficult, but God does not leave his people.

4. The triumph of righteousness (Psalms 94:15). Ultimately, righteousness and justice will triumph. But right now, justice and righteousness are delayed. Immediate judgment rarely occurs. We are not to be shaken by this fact. Rather, we are to know that the righteous will triumph and we must continue to pursue righteousness.

God, Our Rescuer (Psalms 94:16-19)

Psalms 94:16 contains great rhetorical questions. Who is going to protect us from the wicked? Who is going stand up for us against evildoers? The answer is resounding: no one. There is no one to deliver except God. God is the only deliverer to rely upon. Unless the Lord helps, we would be nothing. God gives us comfort. God is there with his unfailing love. It is his unfailing love that can support us through the difficulties and ordeals of life. In Jesus’ hour of crisis, all of the disciples deserted him. Recall Paul in prison and writing that all had abandoned him. No one came to his defense and no one stood by his side.

At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. (2 Timothy 4:16-17; ESV)

But God the Father was with Jesus on the cross. God the Father was with Paul in prison. When our minds fill with doubt, as they certainly do, turn to God.

The Lord Is My Fortress (Psalms 94:20-23)

The final stanza of the psalm brings us back to the beginning. Unjust leaders can claim that God is on their side, but it is not true because their actions do not reflect the character of God. Those in charge can act in wicked ways, but we will put our trust in the Lord. He is our refuge and he is our rock. We will rely upon him because of the promises we have studied in this lesson. Justice will eventually come and God will give us relief from our sorrows. God will turn their sins back upon themselves. This leads us back to the original cry of the psalm: how long will the wicked be allowed to gloat and speak with arrogance? The answer is that God will repay them for their sins. They will be destroyed for their actions. We have confidence in this truth.

Conclusion

1. Though painful, suffering is to be used as God’s training tool.

2. God knows the thoughts and actions of all. Everyone will be repaid.

3. No one gets away with anything. The wicked will be judged and the righteous will be vindicated.

PSALM 94

EXPOSTION

Psalms 94 differs from both the preceding: from 92 by not being mainly joyous, and from 93 by rather lamenting that Jehovah has not become King, than by proclaiming that he has ascended his earthly Royal Seat. This psalm, again, has a rather strong personal note, and may very well have been written by Hezekiah himself or at his dictation. If so, however, its totally different tone would drive us to conclude that it must have been written at another and probably an earlier time, evidently a time of sore national trouble. Indeed, so predominant is the note of lamentation throughout this psalm, that some critics have concluded it to be wholly out of its place where it now stands. Perhaps they have been hasty in their judgment. But let us glance through the psalm. Three stanzas (Psalms 94:1-7) suffice to make it clear that Israel’s foes are dominant, relentless and persecuting. That they are foreigners is already made probable by their being called lawless (Psalms 94:3) and practically certain by the way they speak of the God of Jacob (Psalms 94:7). Their doings are so wicked as to call for the vengeance of the Judge of all the earth, and so protracted as to lead the sufferers to cry out How long, O Jehovah! Their pride and arrogance strongly remind us of the haughty speeches of that “villain” Rabshakeh, the Assyrian general. Stanza IV. (Psalms 94:8-11) induces the belief that even some Israelites were in danger of falling away to the foreigner, and needed to be severely reasoned with. Stanza V. (Psalms 94:12-15) might have been a photograph for which Hezekiah himself sat; and goes far to persuade us that the actual writer of this psalm was one of Hezekiah’s men, who could say of his master what his master would scarcely have said of himself. In Stanza V. (Psalms 94:16-19) the voice of Hezekiah is again plainly heard: the drawing is true to the life—Hezekiah has confronted the silence of death—has slipped—has had disquieting thoughts and restorative consolations. Stanza VI. (Psalms 94:20-23) reminds us that all the while, behind the arrogant menaces of Rabshakeh, stood the iniquitous throne of Assyria, which, as cruel and God-defying, could well be described by a godly Israelite as a throne of engulfing ruin. Suffice it to remind ourselves of the signal way in which these perfect tenses of prophetic certainty—hath become a lofty retreat, hath brought back on themselves their trouble were at least typically fulfilled in the overthrow of Sennacherib. Such is the psalm. Is there need any longer to ask, what it does here in this Sabbath-day Service of Song: as though the Jewish Sabbath were not, above all things, a day of hallowed memories? On what principle it appears so interlocked, as it does here, with Jehovah’s Royal Advent, we may yet discover. After this, we need not concern ourselves further with the question of authorship in its bearing on this Sabbath-day Service of Song. With Hezekiah and Isaiah at work in its production, we are ready for any contingency which Hezekiah’s Chief Musician could suggest; since we can conceive of no suggestion as to either words or music, which Hezekiah and his godly helpers could not easily supply. But let us rapidly push forward this survey to a conclusion.

Psalms 95 is remarkable for the facility with which, after a 4-line invitation to worship, it resolves itself into two 10-line stanzas, the former joyous, and the later admonitory. As to the fitness of the latter to find place here,—with such waverers in view as the previous psalm reveals (Psalms 94:8-11), it cannot be said that the solemn warning of this psalm (Psalms 95:7-11) is in any wise out of place. It is, further, something to remember—that this Sabbath-day’s Service of Song points onwards to a Divine Sabbath of Sabbaths, which undoubtedly will be inaugurated by the Coming Divine King.

Psalms 96 enriches us with fresh thoughts: by bringing us into sight of a new manifestation of Divine Kingship, calling for a song that is new; that it commissions a particular land to herald the glad tidings of the Coming Divine Reign to the other nations of the earth (Psalms 96:2-3; Psalms 96:10); that, while there are Divine representatives (Elohim) who are real beings (Psalms 96:4), there are other so-called Elohim (“gods”) who have no existence (Psalms 96:5); that even in the Coming Divine Reign, there will be a sanctuary (Psalms 96:6) into which the families of the peoples (Psalms 96:7) can enter with their presents (Psalms 96:8) and there worship (Psalms 96:9); and that such a changed state of things will amount to a New Birth for or a Readjustment of the world (Psalms 96:9-10), whereat all Nature—including the heavens, the earth, the sea, the plain, the forest—may well go into ecstasies; for the good reason that Jehovah is coming to reign over all the peoples of the world in righteousness and faithfulness (Psalms 96:10; Psalms 96:13).

Psalms 97, the last of this longer Sabbath-day series, is notable in that, whatever cause for fear and trembling any of the individuals and nations of the world may have, in prospect of this new and immediate Divine Rule, the great event itself is mainly an occasion for joy: Let the earth exult. Probably not without peculiar interest to Europeans (and it may be Americans also) the West—under the significant Biblical name of Coastlands—is particularly called upon to rejoice:—a glimpse into the future which was, as we know, vouchsafed to Isaiah, independently of this psalm (Isaiah 24:15; Isaiah 41:1; Isaiah 42:4; Isaiah 49:1; Isaiah 59:18; Isaiah 60:9; Isaiah 66:19). Other things observable in this closing psalm of the first series are: that the promised Divine Advent is to be, in some way, open and palpable to the whole earth; conveying its testimony of Divine righteousness to all men’s minds (Psalms 97:4-6); that it will be sufficiently sudden to put some boastful idolaters to shame (Psalms 97:7); sufficiently demonstrative to cause all true messengers divine to prostrate themselves before the world’s Divine King (Psalms 97:7); and yet sufficiently local in some phases of its manifestation to give occasion to carry the joyful tidings thereof to Zion and the daughters of Judah (Psalms 97:8). Real divine messengers, such as kings and judges, will be permitted to govern longer, only on condition of being manifestly in subjection to Jehovah as Most High over all the earth (Psalms 97:9). No wonder that such good news as this should be finally employed by way of admonition: Ye lovers of Jehovah! hate ye wrong (Psalms 97:10). They who persist in wrong will be punished. The wronged—the imperiled—are to be preserved, to be rescued (Psalms 97:10). Truly we may say, light has arisen for the righteous king Hezekiah (Psalms 97:11), and for myriads besides who will open their eyes. And, ye righteous, who are made glad in Jehovah, forget not to give thanks to his Holy Memorial; with the understanding that “his Holy Memorial” is “his Holy Name,” Jehovah (Exodus 3:15, Psalms 135:1-3); that is, Yahweh; that is, the Becoming One; and that here, in this beautiful Sabbath Service of Song, He hath prophetically BECOME the King of all the earth, as unveiled to your believing and’ rejoicing eyes.

For further “General Reflections,” see at the close of Psalms 99.

A Call To Worship

Psalms 95:1-11

Brent Kercheville

This psalm is a call to worship the Lord. The psalm can be outlined into three distinct sections: Come to Worship (Psalms 95:1-2), Reasons to Worship (Psalms 95:3-7), and a Warning (Psalms 95:7-11).

Come To Worship (Psalms 95:1-2)

God calls us to come and worship him. God wants us to worship him. He wants us to sing to the rock of our salvation. Make a joyful noise as we praise the Lord. God does not merely want us to sing. As the apostle Paul would write to the Ephesians, God wants us to make melody in our hearts to the Lord. The strings of the heart are to be strummed. Singing is the outpouring of our heart to God, an expression of our praise and thanksgiving. When we suggest that we do not like singing or do not see the point in it we are going directly against God desire for us to sing praises to him. We are failing to grasp that song is the outflow of the heart. If singing is not flowing out from the heart then we are not worshiping the Lord.

We need to appreciate that we can even come into the presence of the Lord. We must recognize that it was the blood of His Son that allows us to be called into his presence to worship. Without the blood of Christ, we stand on the outside of the tabernacle of God, separated from the worship. With messianic hope we come into the presence of God and sing joyfully to the rock of our salvation.

Reasons To Worship (Psalms 95:3-7)

Why should we sing and worship God? Why should we come to worship the Lord? There are three reasons the psalmist gives for worshiping God. First, the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods. God deserves worship because of who he is. Second, we should worship God because all creation is his. God made everything. He owns in all, including us. Third, we must bow down and worship because we are sheep. He is OUR God. The first reason was that he is God. Now we are told that he is OUR God. We are the sheep in his pasture and we must listen to our shepherd.

The Warning (Psalms 95:7-11)

The first seven verses describe a positive, upbeat thought of our need to worship God. “Come, let us sing to the Lord.” “Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving.” There is a notable shift in the tone of this psalm in the last words of Psalms 95:7-11. A warning is given to the people.

You cannot worship God with an unbelieving heart. Be warned about having apathy toward worshiping God. Do not harden your hearts against God. Do not become uncaring about worshiping the Lord. He is a great God who owns all creation and we are his sheep. Do not be apathetic to these truths. Do not harden your hearts like the Israelites did in the wilderness. They put God to the test. They complained against the Lord and his provisions. They did not have hearts of worship and thankfulness. God swore in his wrath that they would not enter into God’s rest and they did not.

The writer of Hebrews quotes these verses four times in his sermon. The reason was to warn Christians to not fall into the same error as the Israelites did. Today is the day for action. Today is the day to not harden your heart. Today is the day to worship the Lord. “If you would only hear his voice today!” (Psalms 95:7; NLT) I fear our hearts have gone astray. We may fool others that we have given our hearts to God by coming to worship. But the look in our eyes and the lack of love in our actions reveal that our hearts have gone astray. We do not sing heartily and joyfully to the Lord. We do not listen to the message. We pass the bread and the cup of the Lord’s Supper without thinking about the death of our Lord. We think about other things during the prayer. Hear his voice today. Do not harden your hearts! The writer of Hebrews tells us that the rest still remains for us.

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. (Hebrews 4:1 ESV)

Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:11-13 ESV)

PSALM 95

EXPOSITION

Psalms 95 is remarkable for the facility with which, after a 4-line invitation to worship, it resolves itself into two 10-line stanzas, the former joyous, and the later admonitory. As to the fitness of the latter to find place here,—with such waverers in view as the previous psalm reveals (Psalms 94:8-11), it cannot be said that the solemn warning of this psalm (Psalms 95:7-11) is in any wise out of place. It is, further, something to remember—that this Sabbath-day’s Service of Song points onwards to a Divine Sabbath of Sabbaths, which undoubtedly will be inaugurated by the Coming Divine King.

Worship The King

Psalms 96:1-13

Brent Kercheville

Psalms 96 calls all people to worship the Lord as king. The psalm can be outlined into four sections. (1) The call to worship (Psalms 96:1-3), (2) The reason for worship (Psalms 96:4-6), (3) The content of worship (Psalms 96:7-10), and (4) The coming of the Judge (Psalms 96:11-13).

The Call to Worship (Psalms 96:1-3)

All the earth is instructed to sing a new song. We learned in our Revelation study that a new song represents a victory song and a song of deliverance (cf. Revelation 5:9; Revelation 14:3). All the inhabitants of the earth are to praise God for the victory he has brought. Sing to the Lord and bless his name. Tell of his salvation every day to every person. We are told to declare the glory of the Lord to the lost world. The acts of the Lord are acts of deliverance to assure his people. The forgiveness of sins that we have been so graciously granted should be all that we need to worship and praise the name of the Lord. Even if we had nothing else to praise God for (but the psalmist will give us more reasons later in this psalm), the salvation extended to the world is magnificent and worthy of our perpetual praise. The psalm teaches that worship should not be a private thing between ourselves and God. Worship includes proclamation.

The Reason for Worship (Psalms 96:4-6)

Psalms 96:4-6 explains the reasoning for singing praises and blessing the name of the Lord. The first reason is because the Lord is great. He is great and therefore must be greatly praised and greatly feared. We must never lose the greatness of God in our minds and hearts. The creation helps us remain in awe of God’s greatness. I love the vacations we can take and see the greatness of God seen in creation in our country alone. We are surrounded by the evidences of his royal presence. God is glorious in because he is our King and Creator.

The second reason for worship is because everyone else is worthless idols. Notice Psalms 96:5, “For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols.” Everything else that we worship has no power or might. We worship the money god but it does not protect us from disaster and does not offer any hope. God is the true God. He is the Creator. He made all that we see.

The third reason for worship is found in Psalms 96:6. He is full of splendor, majesty, strength, and beauty. God is glorious and worthy of our worship. Greatness is not found in idols. Only God is full of splendor and majesty. Everything else is simply worthless.

The Content of Worship (Psalms 96:7-9)

Psalms 96:7-9 tells us what we need to give to the Lord in our worship. We need to ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Recognize his glory. Recognize his strength and praise him for those attributes. Further, give glory to his name. Bring an offering and make your sacrifice to God. Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness. Come before him trembling as you honor his greatness. The psalmist gives us a beautiful picture of the heart of worship. Give God glory and honor as you recognize his glory and greatness. Our singing to the Lord is an excellent expression of thankfulness and appreciation for our Lord.

The Coming of the Judge (Psalms 96:10-13)

Verse 10 exhorts us to teach the world about the glory and rule of God. Tell the world that the Lord reigns. God has created and established this world. He will judge the earth as a righteous judge. The Lord reigns and the Lord is the judge.

Finally, the psalmist concludes with imagery of the coming of the Lord to judge. All the creation is again called to rejoice and worship the Lord. Everyone is to exalt the Lord before the Lord because he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the earth in righteousness and in his faithfulness. Notice that the psalmist pictures the coming of the Judge as something to anticipate. The psalmist looks forward to the coming of the Lord. The earth is to rejoice because the Lord is coming in judgment. It is not that the earth is to fear. The earth is to be excited about the coming of the Lord. Praise God that he will judge in the earth in righteousness when everything will be put back to right and justice will prevail.

PSALM 96

EXPOSITION

Psalms 96 enriches us with fresh thoughts: by bringing us into sight of a new manifestation of Divine Kingship, calling for a song that is new; that it commissions a particular land to herald the glad tidings of the Coming Divine Reign to the other nations of the earth (Psalms 96:2-3; Psalms 96:10); that, while there are Divine representatives (Elohim) who are real beings (Psalms 96:4), there are other so-called Elohim (“gods”) who have no existence (Psalms 96:5); that even in the Coming Divine Reign, there will be a sanctuary (Psalms 96:6) into which the families of the peoples (Psalms 96:7) can enter with their presents (Psalms 96:8) and there worship (Psalms 96:9); and that such a changed state of things will amount to a New Birth for or a Readjustment of the world (Psalms 96:9-10), whereat all Nature—including the heavens, the earth, the sea, the plain, the forest—may well go into ecstasies; for the good reason that Jehovah is coming to reign over all the peoples of the world in righteousness and faithfulness (Psalms 96:10; Psalms 96:13).

The Lord Reigns….And Why It Matters

Psalms 97:1-12

Brent Kercheville

Psalms 97 begins with the declaration that the Lord reigns. The rest of the psalm tells everyone why it matters that the Lord reigns. What should it mean for how we live our lives when we understand that the Lord reigns? Sometimes people will flippantly make statements about the reign of the Lord, not realizing the impact this is supposed to make. For example, for a long time I have heard people say that they did not need to study the book of Revelation because the message is simply, “God wins.” While I do not agree that this is the only message of the book, we must recognize that the message, “God wins,” is supposed to mean something to us and change how we live. If God wins and God reigns, then what does that look like in the earth and what does that look like in our lives? Psalms 97 helps us understand this.

The Appearing of the Lord (Psalms 97:1-6)

The reigning of the Lord means that the whole earth is supposed to rejoice. Even the farthest reaches of the earth, like the coastlands, are to be glad and rejoice over the reign of the Lord. The reign of the Lord is everything and this is why we are to rejoice. The reign of the Lord is why we worship. God is sovereign and he rules over the earth. The knowledge that the Lord reigns should cause joy to all people in the world. Joy is supposed to characterize the lives of God’s people on earth. We read the apostle Paul commanding the Philippian Christians and the Thessalonians Christians to “rejoice always” (Philippians 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16). Paul even said it of himself that he was treat as sorrowful yet always rejoicing (2 Corinthians 6:10). But how can we rejoice always when the hand of the wicked seems to be everywhere? Even in verse 10 the psalmist observes that God’s saints are in the hand of the wicked. We see violence and shootings in our nation. We see around the globe organizations that are beheading those who claim to have faith in Jesus, like ISIS. How can we rejoice? How can there be joy? How shall we rejoice always? Psalms 97:1 is the answer. The Lord reigns! Our strength and comfort amid the storms of life are given to us in the knowledge that the Lord reigns. This is why we can have joy, for we know that God rules. God is in charge.

Psalms 97:2-5 pictures the arrival of the Lord. The imagery is what we read in other Old Testament scriptures when the Lord arrives (cf. Exodus 20:18; Deuteronomy 4:11; Deuteronomy 5:22; 2 Samuel 22:10; 1 Kings 8:12; Job 22:13; Jeremiah 13:16). Psalms 97:2 tells us the basis of the Lord’s rule and the Lord’s appearing. The foundation of his reign is righteousness and justice. That is the basis of the Lord’s actions. Psalms 97:3 tells us that the reign of the Lord means the judgment of his enemies. The images reveal the Lord as a divine warrior coming to establish right order by removing all who stand opposed to him and that order. His appearance is to right the wrongs and administer justice.

Nothing will be able to stand before the coming of the Divine Warrior. The earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the Lord. All that is stable and enduring cannot be stable or endure before the Lord of all the earth. The Lord is going to do something. He does not reign but do nothing. All peoples are going to see his glory and the heavens declare the righteousness of our God. He will respond because he reigns.

Human Reactions To The Lord’s Appearing (Psalms 97:7-12)

Therefore, the world must worship the Lord, not idols. Persisting in idolatry will only put the idolator to shame. Our idols and our gods are nothing before the true God. The typical Christian life has irony in it when it comes to false gods. The psalmist tells us that we need to worship the Lord, not gods and idols. All must worship the Lord. We recognize that there are no other gods. But we worship things like they were gods, and this is the irony. We know there are no other gods but we give worldly things the weight of being gods and treat them like gods. How we boast in worthless idols! How we trust in our jobs, money, health, possessions, families, and the like! Please notice that the psalmist pictures that people are either boasting in idols or worshiping God. Those who are trusting in idols are going to be judged. They are going to lose. They are going to be counted as the adversaries of the Lord.

The judgments of the Lord are not to be feared. Rather, God’s people hear and are glad. Verse 11 says that there is joy in the upright in heart. God’s people rejoice at the news of God’s judgments. Think about how this reaction always happens in the scriptures when God comes in judgment.

7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!” (Revelation 12:7-12 ESV)

There is joy at the judgments of God. Notice that when God judges, he is exercising his rule and reign. Consider how these two ideas are tied together in Revelation.

15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” 16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. 18 The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.” (Revelation 11:15-18 ESV)

Notice God’s judgment causes his people to thank God and recognize that God is reigning. Notice the same idea later in the book of Revelation.

21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more; 22 and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more, 23 and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.”

1 After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2 for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”

3 Once more they cried out, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”

4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5 And from the throne came a voice saying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.” 6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;

8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. (Revelation 18:21 to Revelation 19:8 ESV)

God brings judgment because the nation had killed the prophets and saints (Revelation 18:24). The next thing heard after this judgment is rejoicing. What are they saying as the multitude rejoice? “Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just” (19:1-2). The cry of praise to the Lord (this is what “hallelujah” means) happens again (19:3) and a voice from the throne praises God. Everyone is rejoicing because God is judging. God is exercising his rule over the earth and God’s people are to take joy in that. Notice in the Revelation context that God’s people are delivered. The same point is declared in Psalms 97:10. God delivers and our hope is in him. Judgment is not to be feared because we love the Lord and hate evil. The psalmist expressed this hope earlier in this collection.

3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. 4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? (Psalms 56:3-4 ESV)

God reigns. Therefore we have nothing to fear. Hold fast to the Lord and hate evil. God’s reign is the basis for our continued righteous living. We do not look at the idolators and evildoers, desiring to live like them. We know that God reigns. Judgment is coming and we rejoice in the knowledge that God will judge.

Notice that this is our hope and the hope Isaiah gave regarding the coming of Christ. Why is the coming of Christ good news? Listen to Isaiah.

7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” 8 The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion. 9 Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. (Isaiah 52:7-10 ESV)

Remember that the suffering servant prophecy begins in verse 13 of Isaiah 52. The good news is that our God reigns. But it does not look like that God reigns! How do we know that God reigns? Isaiah’s answer is the suffering servant. The cross is how we know that God reigns and will judge with righteousness and justice. The New Testament makes the same point.

5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6 It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:5-9 ESV)

We do not see God ruling. We do not see our ruling over the earth that God had given to humanity (cf. Genesis 1:28. But there is something that we do see. To be more precise, there is someone that we see. We see Jesus crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death on the cross. The resurrection of Jesus is how we know God reigns. The apostle Paul made the point that Jesus is on the throne and reigning right now.

23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1 Corinthians 15:23-26 ESV)

Our God reigns. Though the Jewish nation was persecuting the Christians in the first century, the book of Revelation showed that God was reigning. God would deliver his people and judge the adversaries (Revelation 11). Though the Roman Empire was persecuting the Christians for more than three centuries, the book of Revelation showed that God was reigning. God would deliver his people and judge the adversaries (Revelation 17-19). The book of Revelation shows Satan afflicting and attacking people. But God reigns and Satan is condemned to be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20).

Conclusion

When you watch the news and you feel discouraged or dismayed, tell yourself, “The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice!” When you suffer difficulty and tragedy, tell yourself, “The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice!” When evildoers afflict you at work, God reigns. The foundation of God’s reign is righteousness and justice. This is where you hope lies. This knowledge of our reigning Lord changes our lives because I do not have to be troubled by injustice, inequity, and unrighteousness. God is ruling and he has promised to vindicate. God repeatedly did so in the past and he will do it again. We see the cross of Jesus and we know he is ruling and he will deliver his people. Let us end with the command of verse 12.

“Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!

PSALM 97

EXPOSITION

Psalms 97, the last of this longer Sabbath-day series, is notable in that, whatever cause for fear and trembling any of the individuals and nations of the world may have, in prospect of this new and immediate Divine Rule, the great event itself is mainly an occasion for joy: Let the earth exult. Probably not without peculiar interest to Europeans (and it may be Americans also) the West—under the significant Biblical name of Coastlands—is particularly called upon to rejoice:—a glimpse into the future which was, as we know, vouchsafed to Isaiah, independently of this psalm (Isaiah 24:15; Isaiah 41:1; Isaiah 42:4; Isaiah 49:1; Isaiah 59:18; Isaiah 60:9; Isaiah 66:19). Other things observable in this closing psalm of the first series are: that the promised Divine Advent is to be, in some way, open and palpable to the whole earth; conveying its testimony of Divine righteousness to all men’s minds (Psalms 97:4-6); that it will be sufficiently sudden to put some boastful idolaters to shame (Psalms 97:7); sufficiently demonstrative to cause all true messengers divine to prostrate themselves before the world’s Divine King (Psalms 97:7); and yet sufficiently local in some phases of its manifestation to give occasion to carry the joyful tidings thereof to Zion and the daughters of Judah (Psalms 97:8). Real divine messengers, such as kings and judges, will be permitted to govern longer, only on condition of being manifestly in subjection to Jehovah as Most High over all the earth (Psalms 97:9). No wonder that such good news as this should be finally employed by way of admonition: Ye lovers of Jehovah! hate ye wrong (Psalms 97:10). They who persist in wrong will be punished. The wronged—the imperiled—are to be preserved, to be rescued (Psalms 97:10). Truly we may say, light has arisen for the righteous king Hezekiah (Psalms 97:11), and for myriads besides who will open their eyes. And, ye righteous, who are made glad in Jehovah, forget not to give thanks to his Holy Memorial; with the understanding that “his Holy Memorial” is “his Holy Name,” Jehovah (Exodus 3:15, Psalms 135:1-3); that is, Yahweh; that is, the Becoming One; and that here, in this beautiful Sabbath Service of Song, He hath prophetically BECOME the King of all the earth, as unveiled to your believing and’ rejoicing eyes.

For further “General Reflections,” see at the close of Psalms 99.

Hope In Who God Is

Psalms 98:1-9

Brent Kercheville

When we see all that is happening in the world, how are we to have joy? When we consider our own personal struggles in life, how can we find joy and hope? The psalms are always a great place to turn to find strength and words of hope during difficult times. Many of the psalms were written during personal distresses experienced by God’s people. Some of the psalms were written after the nation of Judah was invaded, captured, and carried away into captivity at the hands of foreigners. The psalms become God’s book of hope to his people.

Before we look at the meaning of Psalms 98 and how it can help us today, I want you to notice how often the psalm calls for joy and singing. Psalms 98:1 reads, “Sing to the Lord.” Psalms 98:4 reads, “Make a joyful noise, sing praises, break forth into joyous song.” Psalms 98:5-6 repeats these calls for joyous songs and joyful noises. Psalms 98:8 says to clap the hands and sing for joy together. The point of this psalm is for his people to sing and have joy. So how is this possible? How can we have joy in a world that seems to be crumbling down to its very foundations? Let us read Psalms 98 and consider the Lord’s answer.

The Sovereign Savior (Psalms 98:1-3)

First, the instruction given in Psalms 98:1 is to “sing to the Lord a new song.” Singing a new song does not mean that God is tired of hearing old songs and is looking for a new tune. A “new song” is a celebration of a new victory accomplished by the Lord. What is typically being sung is a song of salvation offered to the Lord in the context of military victory.

The reason the people are to sing is because they are to remember God’s deliverance for them. The Lord’s right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. I love this declaration. God is powerful and he brings about salvation for himself. It is by his own power that he brings victory for himself. This is the great hope we have: God will act for his own purposes and to defend his own name and holiness. Yes, we know that God will act on behalf of his people. But consider that God will act on his own behalf which gives us hope.

God’s faithfulness and righteousness is revealed through his salvation to Israel and to the ends of the earth. God is conducting a great international campaign of redemption. God remembers his steadfast love and faithfulness at this is our hope today. God’s people are continuing to sing the new song.

And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:8-10 ESV)

Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. (Revelation 14:1-3 ESV)

Notice the message of the new song in the book of Revelation is the message of victory and salvation. By the blood of the Lamb, God’s people have been ransomed (5:9) and redeemed (14:3) and made a kingdom and priests to the Lord. God’s victory is our victory. God acting for his benefit is our benefit.

For us, we look at God’s deliverance from our sins when we see the cross. Our hope in difficult times is the knowledge of God’s deliverance that he has revealed to the earth through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. We sing by faith in the midst of distress because we rest in the joy of salvation accomplished by our Lord.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4 ESV)

In the days of despair and hopelessness, think of God’s love for you and the salvation he brought to you through Christ Jesus.

The Sovereign King (Psalms 98:4-6)

Psalms 98:4-6 is a call for all the earth to make joyful noises and sing praises to the King, the Lord. Notice again that our worship is to be joyful. Our worship is not to come from a feeling of obligation but from the joy in our heart that the Lord is king. Our God reigns.

The picture of God as king over all the earth is the second reason we can have joy in the midst of distress and fear. God is ruling. God rules over the earth.

20 Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. (Daniel 2:20-22 ESV)

28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” 31 While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, 32 and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” (Daniel 4:28-32 ESV)

Consider the title that is on the thigh of Jesus in the book of Revelation:

On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. (Revelation 19:16 ESV)

Since Jesus is the King over all other kings and the Lord over all other masters, then our joy rests in the knowledge of God’s sovereign rule over the events of the earth. This was the message of the book of Revelation. You can have joy and comfort in the knowledge that Jesus is King and Jesus rules over the earth.

The Sovereign Judge (Psalms 98:7-9)

All of the earth is called upon to rejoice in the Lord. We have already seen that our joy comes from our God as our savior and our God as our king. But we also see in Psalms 98:7-9 that we have joy in distress because God is the judge. Notice this in Psalms 98:8-9. “Let the hills sing for joy together before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.”

The judgment of the Lord is the occasion for joy! Jesus will judge the world. Sing of the coming judgment day. Look forward to the return of Christ. Jesus will make things right. We find joy and hope in the judgment of the Lord. Listen to some of the New Testament expressions of this truth.

13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind 16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last! (1 Thessalonians 2:13-16 ESV)

5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— 6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. 11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:5-12 ESV)

When it comes to your enemies, God will right the wrongs you have experienced. When it comes to the world’s evils, like terrorism and ISIS and the like, God is the righteous judge and he will judge them according to their deeds. The world seemed to collapse in the first three centuries as Christians were being killed for their love of the Lord, but God judged those evildoers. We may be entering another time of global distress but we know that God will judged every evil act committed by every evil person. Our joy is in the return of our Lord.

Our joy and hope come, not from ourselves, but from the Lord who saves, rules, and judges the earth. We do not have to be disturbed by life problems or political issues or global events because God reigns and he will put all his enemies under his feet (1 Corinthians 15:24-26).

PSALM 98 & 99

EXPOSITION

The warrant for regarding Psalms 98, 99 as a Shorter Service of Song for Sabbath Worship is informal, but probably sufficient. The comparative brevity of this “Service” is obvious. Its distinctness from what has gone before is marked by the superscribed word Psalm over 98. Its substantial identity of theme with Psalms 92-97 is easily perceived; and chiefly appears in the recurrence of the Proclamation of Jehovah’s Kingship, sustained by similar invitations to worship, and a repetition, in Psalms 98:9, of the hearld note of Psalms 96:13.

Psalms 98 opens like 96, only with a clearer statement of the precise nature of Jehovah’s victory: that it amounts to an unveiling of his righteousness, by fulfilling his promises to the house of Israel.

Psalms 99 contains a considerable amount of new matter: as, for example, Jehovah’s occupancy of his cherubic throne; Zion being the especial place where his greatness is displayed; with a tolerable clear reminder of the “trisagion” or “thrice holy” cry of the Seraphim in Isaiah 6. Again, it is very pointedly said that Jehovah himself has wrought justice and righteousness in Jacob—the use of which name, for “Israel,” offers a further assurance that it is to the historic nation of the Twelve Tribes that the psalm refers. It is perhaps a little difficult to determine the motive for referring by name to Moses, Aaron and Samuel: probably not so much to generalise, by intimating that even now they have among them a Moses, an Aaron, and a Samuel to intercede for them (as Kp. suggests) as to connect, in a more general way the old history with the new, and to enjoin the lesson of holy fear as not out of place in the coming glorious time.

The foregoing rapid survey of the two Sabbath Services of Song has been submitted for the purpose of preparing the reader for the following.

GENERAL REFLECTIONS

on the entire twofold series of psalms whose Keynote is Jehovah hath become King.

The first reflection is: That here we have intimated some NEW DIVINE ACTION based upon the abiding and unalterable Sovereignty of God, but in advance of it; coming into effect at a special time and place and under special circumstances; and furthermore leading to results so stupendous as naturally to raise the question how far they have even yet been fulfilled. It is satisfactory to observe with what practical unanimity Expositors agree that such “New Divine Action” is affirmed by the great words of proclamation four times over used in these psalms: Yahweh malak=Jehovah hath become King. Thus the “Speakers’ Commentary” says: “The verb rendered ‘is (now) king’ is here used in reference to the inauguration of the Theocracy in its final and complete manifestation.” Similarly Perowne: “Is KING. More exactly, ‘hath become King,’ as if by a solemn coronation (comp. the same expression of a new monarch ascending the throne, 2 Samuel 15:10, 1 Kings 1:11, 2 Kings 9:13). He has been King from everlasting, but now His kingdom is visibly set up, His power and His majesty fully displayed and acknowledged.” More fully Delitzsch: “Heretofore Jahve’s rule, seeing He has waived the use of His omnipotence, has been self-abasement and self-renunciation; now, however, He manifests Himself in all His majesty, which soars above everything; He has put this on as a garment; He is King and now shows himself to the world in His royal robe.” In like manner Thrupp: “There is in the words themselves, as Hengstenberg just remarks, an allusion to the form used at the proclamation of the commencement of the reign of an earthly sovereign; and hence it follows that the language does not apply to the constant government of God, but to a new glorious manifestation of his dominion.” With equal explicitness, Briggs: “Not the assertion of his everlasting royal prerogative, but the joyous celebration of the fact that He has now shown Himself to be King by a royal advent, taking His place on His throne to govern the world Himself, and no longer through inefficient or wicked servants.” (Cp. Intro., Chap. III., “Kingdom.”)

The second reflection is: That these psalms are JEHOVISTIC RATHER THAN MESSIANIC, as a glance through them will at once shew. No Messiah, no Son of David, is once named in them. At first this is startling: ultimately it seems less strange. For, let us consider: Since “No man can see God and live” (Exodus 33:20), since “No man hath seen God himself at any time” (John 1:18), it follows that whenever men have been held to have seen him, it can only have been through a veil. It is well known that there are incidents and suggestions even in the Old. Testament looking in this direction, particularly with regard to the Messenger in whom is the name Jehovah (Genesis 16:10-13; Genesis 19:24, Exodus 23:20-21; Exodus 33:14-15). Then, too, Christians, holding Jesus of Nazareth to have been the Messiah, consistently conceive of him as the veiled manifestation of Deity—veiled “in self-renunciation and self-abasement”; and therefore no man was compelled to see his glory; which glory, now, for the present, is “hid in God” (Colossians 3:3) and ready at any time to burst forth as in these Theocratic psalms.

A third reflection naturally follows: That these psalms, for their fulfilment, await THE MESSIAH’S SECOND ADVENT. The psalms are highly poetic, and even dramatic, as all sober interpreters admit. Still, it by no means follows that they have no clear burden to deliver; and therefore the dictate of sanctified common sense would appear to be to say, Will the burden of these psalms, when due allowance has been made for figures of speech, be well met when the Messiah returns, according to the plain sense of his own and his apostles’ sayings about his Second Coming?

We may here strengthen these reflections by quoting the weighty words of Delitzsch: “In addition to such psalms as behold in anticipation the Messianic future, whether it be prophetically or only typically, or typically and prophetically at once, as the world-overcoming and world-blessing kingship of the Anointed of Jahve, there are others, in which the perfected theocracy as such is seen beforehand, not as the parousia of a human king, but as the parousia of Jahve himself, as the kingdom of God manifest in all its glory. These theocratic psalms form along with the Christocratic two series of prophecies, referring to the last time, which run parallel with one another. The one has for its goal the Anointed of Jahve, who from out of Zion rules over all peoples; while the other has Jahve, seated above the cherubim, to whom the whole world pays homage. Although these two series converge in the Old Testament, they do not come together; it is the historical fulfilment that first of all makes it clear that the parousia of the Anointed One and the parousia of Jahve are one and the same. It is only at a few climaxes of prophecy that this thought flashes forth in the Old Testament”—Intro. to Psalms 93.

A fourth reflection is: That as soon as the ultimate blending of the Theocratic and the Christocratic prophecies is accepted, and information is accordingly sought in the New Testament regarding the Messiah’s Second Coming as destined to fulfil these psalms, particularly as to the Destruction of the Lawless One by that Second Coming, according to 2 Thessalonians 2,—so soon is THE POSITION OF Psalms 94 IN THIS SABBATH SERVICE OF SONG TRIUMPHANTLY VINDICATED. It cannot be denied that its position here is extraordinary; nor can it be doubted that the psalm itself—both in its description of so gigantic a development of Lawlessness, as is portrayed therein, and in its outcries for Divine Vengeance there-upon—readily carries us beyond Hezekiah and beyond Sennacherib. It would surpass the wit of man to coin a more apt phrase for describing the COMING LAWLESS ONE, in the awful doings to be permitted him, than as the Throne of Engulfing Ruin framing Mischief by Statute. Given, then, the conclusions that this Throne of Iniquity will yet prove specially disastrous to Hezekiah’s nation; and that Jehovah’s overthrow of that Throne will constitute the great Victory by which the Theocracy will be visibly set up on earth, and Jehovah’s final reign inaugurated,—then nothing could be more appropriate than the insertion of this psalm just here in Hezekiah’s larger Sabbathday’s Service of Song. Indeed, only to see this, is nothing short of discovering a new, unexpected and most welcome proof of Jehovah’s wondrous overruling ways; and it may be forgiven any Christian if, under such an impulse, with bowed head he here sends up to< heaven his welcome to YAHWEH-CHRIST as EARTH’S COMING KING.

THE HOLY GOD, PRESENT AND REVEALED

Psalms 99:1-9

This psalm, without title in the Hebrew text, is a triple proclamation of God’s holiness, as Isaiah would later do (Isaiah 6:3).

“Here, after the carefree delight of Psalms 98, we recollect how exalted and holy he is, and how profound is the reverence we owe him.” (Derek Kidner)

The holy presence of God.

God is present in His sanctuary. (Psalms 99:1)

The LORD reigns;

Let the peoples tremble!

He dwells between the cherubim;

Let the earth be moved!

The LORD reigns: For the third time, a psalm begins with this phrase (see also Psalms 93:1; Psalms 97:1). Psalms 99 speaks of God’s presence (He dwells between the cherubim), but in His presence He reigns. God isn’t simply there; He is a reigning king.

Let the peoples tremble: In the presence of a sovereign God, it is appropriate to tremble. Even the earth can be moved at His presence – much more so should the peoples be moved.

“Saints quiver with devout emotion, and sinners quiver with terror when the rule of Jehovah is fully perceived and felt.” (Spurgeon)

“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.” (Spurgeon)

He dwells between the cherubim: God is enthroned in His sanctuary. It is difficult to say whether the psalmist had in mind the heavenly sanctuary of God or the earthly representation of it (the tabernacle or temple); both are true and either one fits.

“His living throne of cherubim – not the weaponless cupids of religious art but the mighty beings whose forms summed up for Ezekiel the whole kingdom of earthly creatures – this living throne is a flying chariot, fiery with judgment and salvation.” (Kidner)

God is present in Zion.(Psalms 99:2-3)

The LORD is great in Zion,

And He is high above all the peoples.

Let them praise Your great and awesome name—

He is holy.

The LORD is great in Zion: God is present in heaven and in all the earth, but He has special regard for Zion, the city of Jerusalem. In that city set in the hills, He is high above the peoples.

The LORD is great in Zion: “In the Hebrew text the words lie in this order, The Lord in Zion…is great.” (Poole)

Let them praise Your great and awesome name: God rightfully receives praise because of His greatness and because He is holy.

He is holy: Holiness, at its root, has the idea of apartness. It describes someone, or something, which is set apart from other people or things. An object can be holy if it is set apart for sacred service. A person is holy if he is are set apart for God’s will and purpose.

“Holy is a word to emphasize the distance between God and man: not only morally, as between the pure and the polluted, but in the realm of being, between the eternal and the creaturely.” (Kidner)

God Himself is set apart in many senses. He is set apart from creation, in that the Lord God is not a creature, and He exists outside of all creation. If all creation were to dissolve, the Lord God would remain. He is set apart from humanity, in that His nature or essence is Divine, not human. God is not a super-man or the ultimate man. God is not merely smarter than any man, stronger than any man, older than any man, or better than any man. You can’t measure God on man’s chart at all. He is Divine, and we are human.

God’s holiness is a part of everything He is and does. God’s power is a holy power. God’s love is a holy love. God’s wisdom is a holy wisdom. Holiness is not an aspect of God’s personality; it is the essence of His entire Being.

“While the word itself signifies simply separateness, and was used with reference to other gods by other peoples, it acquired a new significance in this Divine revelation…. God was revealed as separated from everything unjust, untrue, evil, in His character, and therefore in all His dealings with men, whether in the giving of law, or in the activities of government.” (Morgan)

He is holy: “As this not only ends this verse but the fifth also, and in effect the ninth, it seems to be a [kind] of chorus which was sung in a very solemn manner at the conclusion of each of these parts. His holiness – the immaculate purity of his nature, was the reason why he should be exalted, praised, and worshipped.” (Clarke)

The holy strength of God.

The strong righteousness of God. (Psalms 99:4)

The King’s strength also loves justice;

You have established equity;

You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.

The King’s strength also loves justice: God’s great strength and sovereignty could, in theory, be used for evil. Yet Yahweh the King loves justice and has established equity.

“He is no arbitrary ruler. His reign is for the furtherance of justice.” (Maclaren)

“God abuseth not his kingly power to tyranny, but joineth it with his justice and uprightness. Regiment without righteousness is but robbery with authority.” (Trapp)

You have executed justice: With God, justice and equity are not mere slogans or promises. He has executed justice among His people and in the world and will continue to do so.

“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.” (Spurgeon)

“That king-craft which delights in cunning, favouritism, 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.” (Spurgeon)

The proper response to His holy strength. (Psalms 99:5)

Exalt the LORD our God,

And worship at His footstool—

He is holy.

Exalt the LORD our God: Understanding the power, holiness, and goodness of God should lead us to exalt Him and to humbly worship Him.

Worship at His footstool: Most commentators regard this as the ark of the covenant, connected to their understanding of between the cherubim in verse 1. The ark of the covenant is called His footstool (1 Chronicles 28:2), but so are Jerusalem (Lamentations 2:1) and the earth as a whole (Isaiah 66:1, Matthew 5:35, Acts 7:49).

“The object of the exaltation and ‘worship at his footstool’ is to submit oneself to his sovereignty and to respond properly to his holy presence.” (VanGemeren)

He is holy: The statement from verse 3 is repeated for emphasis. God is holy in all He is and all He does.

“The Bible calls God holy more than anything else, more than sovereign, more than just, more than merciful or loving. In fact ‘holy’ is the only epithet of God that is repeated three times for emphasis, like this: ‘Holy, holy, holy’ (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8).” (Boice)

“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.” (Spurgeon)

The holy revelation of God.

God revealed to His priests. (Psalms 99:6-7)

Moses and Aaron were among His priests,

And Samuel was among those who called upon His name;

They called upon the LORD, and He answered them.

He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar;

They kept His testimonies and the ordinance He gave them.

Moses and Aaron were among His priests: The psalmist listed three notable priests in the history of Israel – Moses, Aaron, and Samuel. These were ones who prayed (called upon His name) and God revealed Himself (He answered them).

“To encourage the faithful in the worship of God, the examples of Moses, Aaron, and Samuel are [cited as evidence], men of like infirmities with ourselves, whose prayers were heard, both for themselves and others.” (Horne)

“Priestly functions were exercised by Moses, as in sprinkling the blood of the covenant, [Exodus 24:1-18] and in the ceremonial connected with the consecration of Aaron and his sons, [Leviticus 8:1-36] as well as at the first celebration of worship in the Tabernacle [Exodus 40:18-33].” (Maclaren)

Priests: “The noun is a participial form from the verb ‘serve’ and is here loosely used for ‘servants’ or ‘intercessors.’ Moses, Aaron, and Samuel interceded on Israel’s behalf.” (VanGemeren)

Among those who called upon His name: “Evidently those that call upon the name of God compose a separate class…. It is a high honor to be included among them that call upon His name. If you cannot find your place in any other class, perhaps it is here.” (Meyer)

He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar: The pillar of cloud was the physical representation of God’s presence with Israel in the wilderness. God spoke to Moses from that cloudy pillar (Exodus 33:9).

They kept His testimonies: The psalmist noted the general obedience of Moses, Aaron, and Samuel.

God revealed in forgiveness and holiness.(Psalms 99:8-9)

You answered them, O LORD our God;

You were to them God-Who-Forgives,

Though You took vengeance on their deeds.

Exalt the LORD our God,

And worship at His holy hill;

For the LORD our God is holy.

You were to them God-Who-Forgives: God answered these men (and others) who sought Him. He revealed Himself to them as the God-Who-Forgives. Significantly, even these men of whom it was said, they kept His testimonies (Psalms 99:7) need this revelation of the God-Who-Forgives.

Though You took vengeance on their deeds: It isn’t clear if the ones referred to here are the priests mentioned in verse 6 (Moses, Aaron, and Samuel) or if it is referring to the people they prayed for (Israel as a whole). Most commentators regard their deeds as referring to Israel’s deeds, but it is also true that Moses, Aaron, and Samuel were each disciplined by God in some way.

“God spared them, but showed his displeasure at their misdoings. He chastised, but did not consume them. This is amply proved in the history of this people.” (Clarke)

“Through all the history of His people He has been faithful, both in forgiveness and in vengeance, and that because He is holy. Therein is the reason for worship. Herein also is the reason for trembling.” (Morgan)

Exalt the LORD our God: Once more the reader is compelled to exalt God, to worship Him, and to recognize God’s holiness.

For the LORD our God is holy: For the emphatic third time, God’s holiness is proclaimed. Later, in heavenly visions, the Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6:3) and the Apostle John (Revelation 4:8) would hear this three-time declaration of holiness combined into a single sentence.

"This is the supreme reason for confidence in Him, and so the supreme inspiration of worship.” (Morgan)

A Psalm of Thanksgiving For All Lands

Psalms 100:1-5

This psalm is simply titled A Psalm of Thanksgiving, and it is the only psalm in the collection to bear this title. It speaks of an invitation to the whole earth to know and to worship God. “It is jubilant with confidence for the whole earth, as it contemplates the glory of that earth, when all its people are submitted to the reign of Jehovah.” (G. Campbell Morgan)

The what and why of giving praise.

What to do: Praise God (Psalms 100:1-2)

Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!

Serve the LORD with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Make a joyful shout to the LORD: Unlike the several previous psalms, Psalms 100 does not begin with a declaration of God’s sovereignty or character. It begins with the simple and direct exhortation to all you lands to praise God with a joyful shout. This is a call to the nations, extending far beyond Israel’s borders.

A joyful shout: “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.” (Spurgeon)

“The joyful noise is…the equivalent in worship to the homage-shout or fanfare to a king.” (Kidner)

All you lands: “The nations must recognize who the Lord is. He is Yahweh, by whose grace and blessings his people exist. The nations too are invited to sing hymns to the Lord and to worship him.” (VanGemeren)

Serve the LORD with gladness: The whole earth is invited to serve the LORD. The psalmist likely had in mind the service of worship or temple rituals, but the principle applies to any service directed to God. Those who serve the LORD should do it with gladness.

Serve the LORD with gladness: “It is your privilege and duty to be happy in your religious worship. The religion of the true God is intended to remove human misery, and to make mankind happy. He whom the religion of Christ has not made happy does not understand that religion, or does not make a proper use of it.” (Clarke)

“As for the true believer in Jesus, he serves his God because he loves to serve him; he assembles with the great congregation because it is his delight to worship the Most High.” (Spurgeon)

Come before His presence with singing: As in many places in the psalms, praise is expressed in song. Singing is not the only way to praise God, but it is the chief way to praise Him.

Why to do it: He is our Creator and Shepherd.(Psalms 100:3)

Know that the LORD, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Know that the LORD, He is God: The praise that comes to God from His people and all lands should be mindful. We have many reasons to worship Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel, and the reasons begin with the recognition that He is God.

“To know is to have firm ground underfoot, the prerequisite of praise (cf. 40:2f.), and this knowledge is ours by gift; indeed by command.” (Kidner)

Know that the LORD, He is God: “Be convinced of it, ye heathens, whose fantasies have forged false gods.” (Trapp)

It is He who has made us: The next reason to worship God is in appropriate recognition of His work as Creator. The idea that we could make ourselves is absurd, and we should worship the One who has made us.

“The sense of God’s proprietorship is the true basis of our consecration. We must realize His rights over us before we can freely give Him His due. Those rights are manifold in their sweet reasonableness; but amongst them all, this of creation is one of the chief. God has a right to us because He has made us.” (Meyer)

“Of course, if we do not need God as our Creator, then we do not need to be thankful. Why should we? We got here by ourselves, thank you. We have no one but ourselves to thank.” (Boice)

Under the New Covenant, the believer has a second and greater reason for praise: he or she is a new creation in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

And not we ourselves: “Therefore we owe him homage and service, and him only, and not other gods, who made us not.” (Poole)

“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.” (Spurgeon)

“Some men live as if they made themselves; they call themselves ‘self-made men,’ and they adore their supposed creators.” (Spurgeon)

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture: The third reason to worship God is because He has chosen a people (originally the Jewish people, then added the followers of Jesus Christ), and He cares for us as the sheep of His pasture.

The what and why of giving thanks.

What to do: Come to His house with thanks and praise.(Psalms 100:4)

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving: Now the psalmist pictures the people of God from all you lands (Psalms 100:1) entering through the gates and into the courts of the temple. As God’s people approach, we should do so with thanksgiving, recognizing how much God has done for us.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving: “Publicly worship God; and when ye come to the house of prayer, be thankful that you have such a privilege; and when you enter his courts, praise him for the permission.” (Clarke)

“It teaches that there is a special aspect of thanksgiving that involves the whole people of God together and not just the private prayers of individuals.” (Boice)

Into His courts with praise: Thanks and praise merge together, as God’s people are thankful and bless His name.

“It is as though the gates of the City, the courts of the Sanctuary, were suddenly thrown open, and all lands are called to serve Jehovah, to know that He is God, to enter into relationship with Him.” (Morgan)

Under the New Covenant, not only are the gates and courts open, but even the way to the Holy of Holies is thrown open (Hebrews 10:19).

Why to do it: God is good and merciful.(Psalms 100:5)

For the LORD is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

For the LORD is good: Thanks and praise are right in recognition of God’s goodness. He is good in His plans, good in His grace, good in His forgiveness, good in His covenant, and good in every aspect of His being.

For the LORD is good: “The gods of the heathen were not good. They were selfish and capricious. You could never know when they might turn against you and do you harm. Not so our God. The God of the Bible is and has always been good.” (Boice)

His mercy is everlasting: The brief psalm ends with God’s unending mercy and truth. These are everlasting reasons to give thanks and praise to God.

“So long as we are receivers of mercy we must be givers of thanks.” (Spurgeon)

“How glorious will be that day which shall behold the everlasting gates of heaven lifting up their heads, and disclosing to view those courts above, into which the children of the resurrection are to enter, there, with angels and archangels, to dwell and sing forevermore!” (Horne)

His truth endures to all enerations: As the God of the Bible, His Word "endures" -- lasts forever. "It shall stand."

PSALM 100

EXPOSITION

The close connection between this psalm and those immediately preceding it is evident, and at once supplies guidance as to the breadth of the outlook which should be given to the first line as an appeal to all the earth rather than to “all the land.” It is true that the Hebrew word ’erez means “land” as well as “earth,” and further true that once in the foregoing series (Psalms 96:1) it has here been rendered “land.” But that was for a special passing reason; namely, because of an apparent distinction between a particular “land” and the remaining nations of the earth. Hence, as it cannot be denied that in most of the 15 occurrences of the word in Psalms 94-100, “earth” has far stronger claims to stand in English than the more limited word “land,” it is submitted that “earth” is the right word here. The dominant thought of the psalms now closing is that Jehovah is lord of the whole earth and has now entered upon the manifest kingship of all the world; and that no sufficient reason comes in here, at the opening of this new and final psalm, to limit the appeal to a smaller sphere than the whole world. We are not just here following Asaph pleading for the reunion of the tribes, as we were some twenty psalms back; but rather are we under the guidance of Isaiah, who is familiar with the conception that Jehovah’s temple in Jerusalem is to be “a house of prayer for all peoples” (Isaiah 56:7) and that Jehovah purposes to “gather together all nations and tongues to come and see his glory,” yea and that “all flesh shall come in and bow down before me, Saith Jehovah” (Isaiah 66:18; Isaiah 66:23). Hence we may with reasonable confidence give the fullest possible breadth to the opening invitation: Shout ye unto Jehovah all the earth.

The more firmly we take up this position, the more frankly it becomes us now to submit that the language of the psalm points to the gathering, periodic or otherwise, of all the earth to a local centre: Come in before Jehovah—Come into his gates, into his courts (Psalms 100:4). And this too is in the spirit of the psalms which have gone before, in which are many local indications: such as the house of Jehovah, the courts of our God (Psalms 92:13)—Come to meet his face, Come in, let us kneel (Psalms 95:2; Psalms 95:6)—Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary (Psalms 96:6)—Bring ye a present and come into his courts (Psalms 96:8)—Jehovah in Zion is great (Psalms 99:2)—Bow down at his footstool (Psalms 99:5)—Bow down at his holy mountain (Psalms 99:9). So that it is entirely in the vein of these Sabbath-day Services of Song to abide by the local indications in the psalm now before us. These psalms deal with Israel and the Nations. They have already carried us beyond the present intermediate dispensation, having transported us beyond Messiah’s Second Advent into the Coming final Theocracy. The Church, indeed, has no local centre, unless it is in heaven. But here we are in touch with the final, earthly Jerusalem; and clearly it does not follow that because the Church has no local, earthly centre, therefore there will be no such centre of worship in the Coming Kingdom. Unless we are prepared to turn the whole Old Testament into allegory, a hundred texts are at hand to shew that there will be such a centre in the Final Theocracy. Still (speaking here to Christians), on the principle that “all things are ours” we can rejoice in all that here unveils itself to our admiring eyes; and even in the Ecclesia, we can, in the spirit of trustful anticipation, sing the Songs of the Kingdom. (Cp. Intro., Chap. III., “Kingdom.”)

Note, then, what it is which is here set before us: it is nothing less than a worshipping world—a world worshipping with unspeakable gladness, because of what at first sight appear as two primordial truths, which however ultimately resolve themselves into one; namely the relationship to the world as both Creator and Shepherd sustained by Jehovah. This is the inspiration: this the gladness: this the motive and theme of praise. “Ye men of all the earth, know this: that Jehovah, God of the Hebrew nation, of grace and revelation and redemption is God of all the earth; He made us, and His we are—His people, and the flock of his shepherding.” If all the earth is appealed to, to shout with gladness and give a ringing cry,—this of necessity is to be the burden of that “ringing cry”: which prophetically implies that when this song is sung according to its main intention, all the earth will have come into line with all who know God and rejoice in him as their Shepherding Creator. As Delitzsch has well said: In this announcement, He made us, and His we are, “lies a rich store of comfort and warning; for the Creator is also the Owner; His heart clings to his creature; while the latter owes himself entirely to Him, without whom he would neither have had being nor continue to exist.” It is worth while to ensure perfect correctness by observing that the Divine relationships to all the earth here celebrated are essentially one. It does not say, “He created us all, and some of us are his people and the flock of his shepherding.” That may be the exact truth now; yea, and may have been the exact truth in all past ages. But it is not the whole truth as it is to be realised and rung out with joy in the Final Theocracy; for it is not the whole truth as here set forth by prophetic anticipation. The “various reading” here preferred itself carries us further: He made us, and His are we—His people. Not merely “his creatures”; which of itself turns the broader word made to excellent account. He made us—what we are, His people; He made us—what we are, His flock. This opens our eyes to see that to make here means more than to create: it includes tending, training, forming our characters. What he makes us to be is not mere men; but good men, communing with him, like him; otherwise we could not be His people, the flock of his shepherding.

Does this lofty conception, when applied to all the earth, introduce confusion? It may: if we make of the past an ironmould for the stereotyping of our thoughts; otherwise, there is no necessity for confusion. God has already had more than one people on the earth: the Jewish nation—now alas in a great measure in abeyance; the Christian Church—sometimes too wise in her own conceits, as for instance when she so far forgets herself as to affirm that “the’ Church Catholic has been manifestly revealed as that ‘mountain of the Lord’ unto which, according to prophecy, all nations were to flow" We have only to let in the thought that as God has had more “peoples” than one in succession to each other, so he may yet have many peoples simultaneously whom he may graciously acknowledge as his own. Of this prospect we have distinct intimations both in Old Testament and New: In the former, in such remarkable words as these—“In that day shall Israel be a third with Egypt and with Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the earth: whom Jehovah of hosts hath blessed saying,—Blessed be my people—the Egyptians, and the work of my hands—the Assyrians, and mine own inheritance—Israel” (Isaiah 19:24). And in the latter, in such ravishing words as these—“Lo! the tent of God is with men, And he will tabernacle with them, And they shall be his peoples [mark the plural!], And he shall be God with them, And he will wipe away every tear out of their eyes” (Revelation 21:3-4). Confusion disappears when the right perspective is obtained. The glorious prospect therefore is: That in the Final Theocracy all the earth will be able to shout—Jehovah made us and his we are,—his people and the flock of his shepherding.

We may perhaps revert to Israel as again singing to all the earth in the words of the second stanza of this delightful psalm: Come into his gates. But, in any case, we are prepared for the final observation, that here we have “renewed invitation based on Jehovah’s own perfections”: For good is Jehovah, Age-abiding his kindness, And unto generation after generation his faithfulness; and can weld the essential thoughts of the psalm into a unity by observing that even Divine Creatorship so involves Divine Promise as to give scope to Divine faithfulness; and thus can, with a sense of triumph, point to the harmony of scripture with scripture, by reminding ourselves of the fact that to the Christian Apostle Peter (I. Ephesians 4:19) we are indebted for the blended noun and adjective which yield the much forgotten but most welcome appellation “FAITHFUL CREATOR.”

I Will…

Psalms 101:1-8

Brent Kercheville

As we enter a new year it is very popular to engage in the practice of New Year’s resolutions. Most resolutions are about physical things. We often will make a resolution that the diet begins for the new year. Now we are going to exercise. Now we are going to eat healthier. Now we are going to be more active. There are any number of resolutions that we tend to make, whether written down or simply as a desire within us to do better. Humans seem to be goal oriented. We need to a goal to set before our eyes and then give our effort to reach that goal. The apostle Paul spoke in goal oriented terms when he said that he pressed on to the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. The scriptures are not foreign to the idea of making resolutions and commitments before God. If we are going to live a godly life, we need to make a decision and a commitment to live that way. A godly life does not occur by accident. In our lesson today we are going to explore the resolutions of David and the commitments that he makes before his God. As we read these I am calling upon each of us to make the same godly resolutions for our lives.

I Will Praise the Lord (Psalms 101:1)

The first declaration of David is that he will sing of steadfast love and justice to the Lord. David basks in the joy of God’s steadfast love and goodness. Singing is the movement of the heart. This is why God described our worship to him as “singing and making music in our hearts to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19). The heart moved by the love of God leads to a joyful song. It is not just that we sing songs. God does not care about words being put to music. The point is that the heart is motivated to sing. David does not say that I sing to the Lord because I have to. David will sing because of God’s steadfast love and justice.

This knowledge is the motivation for all of our actions. We must not turn the love of God into the drudgery of obedience. It is the difference between bringing flowers or giving a gift to your spouse because you want to or because you have to. The act is the same but the motivation makes all the difference. We need to have grace-driven obedience.

I Will Pay Careful Attention to the Blameless Path (Psalms 101:2)

David envisions a life of careful consideration of the proper path to walk in life. We are presented with numerous choices each day. What path will we take? Solomon as the wise teacher instructs, “Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.” (Proverbs 4:26 ESV) However, Solomon also describes those whose path leads to destruction. He pictures the forbidden woman and says:

Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol; she does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it. (Proverbs 5:5-6 ESV)

Notice that the difference is the careful consideration of the path you are taking. She does not think about which path is the path of life. She just wanders all over the place. How often we fail to calculate our life choices! How often we do not consider the spiritual gravity of the choices we make. Jesus was very clear about the two paths that lie before us each day.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13-14 NIV11)

The right path to take is not the obvious path. The obvious decision is often the decision that leads to destruction. That is why so many take the wrong path. David says that he will consider the way of the blameless life. We will think about how to live wisely and not mindlessly make the journey. Consider your ways and think about which way you go so that your choice does not lead to your destruction.

I Will Walk with Integrity (Psalms 101:2)

Third, David says he will walk with integrity of heart within his house. It is easy to try to fool others with your righteous living and then live completely differently at home. The godly do not do this. God wants integrity of heart in the house, behind closed doors, when no one is looking. We will train our children in the way of the Lord, full of instruction and discipline. We will remain faithful to our spouse. We will be the husbands and wives that we are supposed to be for each other. We will not put on a show for everyone else. Integrity of heart means that we will not be false in public, pretending to be something that we are not. The family relationship that we see is the family relationship that exists in the home when no one else sees. We will treat our family in a godly way, just as Ephesians 5-6 describes. The home is the proving ground of our Christianity, not the shield where we ignore all of God’s commands.

I Will Not Set Worthless Things Before My Eyes (Psalms 101:3)

This is a commitment to redeem the time and make the most of the time God has given us. We will take advantage of opportunities to keep worthless things away from our eyes so that we can have valuable things before us. We waste so much time on the internet, spending time on worthless things. This time could be far better spent. How often we spend our time reading status updates but never checking the status of our own hearts by reading God’s word, meditating on his teaching, and spending time in prayer. Further, David says he will not get entangled with the evil of the world. People are going to try to get you entangled in worthless and sinful things. Your friends, your co-workers, your employers, your neighbors, and the like are going to be used as tools of evil to get you to do what is sinful. You will be tempted to turn away from the Lord, to cave in on the clear teaching of God’s word. When we see people lying or cheating or stealing, we will not approve of it. We will not engage in it ourselves. We will hate those evil works. We will see our lives as a display for the glory of Jesus. Therefore I cannot let worthless things occupy my time. I will not be caught up with those who participate in evil. This leads to the next resolution.

I Will Be Pure (Psalms 101:4)

We need to make a covenant of purity before the Lord. We will keep a perverse heart far from us and know nothing of evil. We will have no relationship with evil. We will be ignorant of evil things. We will live in purity. We will be pure in our minds and hearts. We will not watch movies that contain filthy language and sexual explicit images or anything that implies it. We will watch television shows that promote wickedness and that laughs at things that are an abomination to God. We will not look at sexual images on our computers. We will not flirt with the opposite gender if we are married. We will be pure to our spouse. We will reserve sexual relations for marriage. We will not live with our boyfriend or girlfriend. We will not divorce. We will not have an affair. We will be pure in action and pure in heart. May the words of the old hymn fill our prayers: “Purer in heart, O God, help me to be.”

I Will Destroy Slanderers and Proud (Psalms 101:5)

I am not going to participate or tolerate slander and pride. We will not secretly gossip and slander others. We will not speak about them. Further, I will not participate when others are gossiping and slandering. It is so tempting to jump in and participate in this kind of talk. We must remember that such language reveals a corrupt heart. The mouth speaks from the abundance of one’s heart (Matthew 12:34). I will not participate. I will speak well of people, not badly of them. I will assume the best in them and not the worst. I will seek out their good and not their ill. Further, I will not be proud nor will I spend time with the proud. Christianity is not about showing ourselves. There is nothing about servanthood and discipleship that is about us. It is all about Jesus. We must have humble hearts before the Lord. There is no room for pride for what we can be proud of? We are nothing without God. Do not walk with the proud. Do not spend time with them.

I Will Look with Favor on the Faithful (Psalms 101:6)

Rather than spending our time with the wicked who are trying to pull us away from God, we need to spend our time with the faithful people of God. We will love the brotherhood of Christians. We will think well of them. We will consider their words and watch their ways. We will let other Christians teach us, set us straight, correct us, and build us up.

I Will Despise Evil (Psalms 101:7-8)

Finally, David says that he will have nothing to do with evil. No one who practices deceit will be in my house. We will not tolerate sin in our home. We will make the covenant before the Lord as Joshua did that as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. We are not going to have lying in our home. We are not going to have sinful behavior going on in our family. The reason is that we will have such a disdain for evil that we will not want it near us. We will adopt the character of God that cannot stand to dwell in darkness. We will separate ourselves from evil and evildoers. How can light spend time with those who have no interest in the light and are trying to shut out the light? We will surround ourselves with those who help our faith and not those who undermine our faith.

Conclusion

This psalm appears to be the psalm of David when he was king since he speaks about the power he has to enact these moral reforms throughout the land. Unfortunately, David failed at keeping these resolutions before his God. We know about his moral failures and many grievous sins. In the same way it will not be long before we also fail at these resolutions. This is not to be a reason for us to not make this commitment to God. We cannot look at God’s word and decide we can’t do it and then no longer try to live godly, holy lives. The reason Jesus came to the world is because God knew we could not do what is required of us. Jesus did what none of us could do. Jesus is the fulfillment of this psalm. Jesus lived a life of integrity and paid careful attention to the path of righteousness. Jesus did not set his eyes on worthless things but maintain a covenant of purity in his heart and actions. He is the one who cuts off the wicked but looks with favor on the faithful. We will conclude with the words of Isaiah, who is speaking about the coming of the Messiah, Jesus who would save the people.

1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. 3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, 4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. (Isaiah 11:1-5 ESV)

PSALM 101

EXPOSITION

This psalm, it will be noticed, is attributed To David; and there seems to be no good reason why this assignment should not be trusted. The lofty moral tone which breathes through it, is in every way worthy of the Son of Jesse in his young and noble days, when he came to the throne of Israel, and particularly when he brought the Sacred Ark up to Jerusalem. The kindness and justice of Jehovah’s own character, when reflected by a King and his Court, would call forth just such resolute purity and nobleness of conduct as are sketched through the psalm. We can almost feel the hand of Jehovah upon his servant David; and can easily believe that by this time the trembling fear caused by the visitation upon Uzza is being mellowed by patience into a longing desire that Jehovah would without further delay come and dwell in the city of his choice. He thinks of the scrupulous conduct which would become himself in welcoming so Holy a Guest; and then suddenly prays for that supporting Presence which could alone enable him to reach his ideal: When comest thou unto me? The language vibrates between fear and hope. Hope becoming the stronger feeling, the psalmist arises to the occasion and promises the personal conduct which he knows will alone please: I will behave in the blamelessness of my heart. And first in his house—his home! in himself. His ideals should be lofty; his deeds unswerving; his mind straight; his approbation reserved for that only which was right. From himself he passes to those he must have about him. He had suffered enough from slanderers in the court of Saul to think of trusting them now, even though they might fawn upon him.

The conceited, the assuming—these he knew he could not endure. He would keep his eyes open and draw to himself the right men from among the faithful of the land. Whether as assessors on the seats of justice or as guests in his home he would call to himself the men who would create the desirable atmosphere, guard him from his weaknesses, gladly help on his plans: especially the men who would tell him the truth. Probably with the early morning tribunals in mind, and in the full consciousness of his autocratic power, he almost alarms us by declaring that morning by morning he will exterminate all the lawless of the land. We may sufficiently reassure ourselves, not to draw hasty inferences in favour of indiscriminate autocracy, by noting well that the sphere of this King’s action is the city of Jehovah: Jehovah’s own representative, acting in Jehovah’s presence in Jehovah’s city. These are not conditions that can be reproduced anywhere, any day, by any one. In point of fact: If we have here speaking, either David personally, or any of David’s Sons, then we have speaking a type of the Messiah: who shall one day autocratically govern in that Final Theocracy of which we have been recently reading. At the same time we do well to remind ourselves that Government, when most Divine, is least arbitrary; and that this whole psalm, forcible as it truly is against evil-doers, is dominated by the word with which it begins; and that the Theocracy which Divine justice regulates Divine Kindness founds.

Afflicted, But full of Trust

Psalms 102:1-28

Brent Kercheville

Psalms 102 – AFFLICTED, BUT FULL OF TRUST

The title of this psalm is A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the LORD. This afflicted one borrowed his tone and some of his phrasing from Job, who is the Old Testament’s greatest example of affliction. Many phrases also match others in the psalms.

This psalm describes Jerusalem (Zion) in a state of ruin. If this is taken as literal ruin, the psalm may have been written by those in exile who mourned over both their personal and national affliction. Adam Clarke followed this thinking and suggested the author could be Daniel, Jeremiah, or Nehemiah. However, it may be that the ruin of Zion described is more poetic in nature and the psalm is pre-exilic.

In traditional Christian liturgy, this has been regarded as one of the seven penitential psalms (along with Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 130, , 143).

A cry from the crisis.

A plea for the presence of God (Psalms 102:1-2).

Hear my prayer, O LORD,

And let my cry come to You.

Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble;

Incline Your ear to me;

In the day that I call, answer me speedily.

Hear my prayer, O LORD: According to its title, this psalm comes from an anonymous afflicted one. The psalmist begs for God to hear his prayer, knowing that a good and compassionate God could not hear but still ignore his plea.

The first two verses of this psalm are filled with phrases that allude to other psalms (VanGemeren cites seven such phrases). “But the psalmist is not a cold-blooded compiler, weaving a web from old threads, but a suffering man…securing a certain solace by reiterating familiar petitions.” (Maclaren)

Do not hide Your face: The affliction itself was bad enough, but it was made worse beyond measure by the sense that God did not see or care. When he had the sense that God’s favor and face were evident, the affliction could be endured.

The agony of being afflicted in health. (Psalms 102:3-7)

For my days are consumed like smoke,

And my bones are burned like a hearth.

My heart is stricken and withered like grass,

So that I forget to eat my bread.

Because of the sound of my groaning

My bones cling to my skin.

I am like a pelican of the wilderness;

I am like an owl of the desert.

I lie awake,

And am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.

For my days are consumed like smoke: In a style similar to Job, the psalmist described his agony. His days passed like meaningless smoke. Pain from deep inside his body made his bones feel as if they were burning. His heart ached and he had no appetite.

“Like smoke; which passeth away in obscurity, and swiftly, and irrecoverably.” (Poole)

“The effects of extreme grief on the human frame are compared to those which fire produceth upon fuel. It exhausts the radical moisture, and, by so doing, soon consumes the substance.” (Horne)

I forget to eat my bread: “Ahab, smitten with one kind of grief, David with another, and Daniel with a third, all ‘forgot,’ or ‘refused to eat their bread:’ 1 Kings 21:4, 2 Samuel 12:16; Daniel 10:3. Such natural companions are ‘mourning and fasting.’” (Horne)

My bones cling to my skin: As in Job 19:20, he was so weak and thin that there seemed to be nothing between his bones and his skin. He felt like a lonely and restless bird (pelican, owl, or sparrow).

Pelican; or, bittern, as the same word is translated, Isaiah 34:11, Zephaniah 2:14. It is a solitary and mournful bird, as also the owl here following is.” (Poole)

Pelican, owl: “The Psalmist likens himself to two birds which were commonly used as emblems of gloom and wretchedness.” (Spurgeon)

Sparrow: “But this Hebrew word doth not only signify a sparrow, but in general any bird, as Leviticus 14:4,Deuteronomy 14:11,Daniel 4:12; Daniel 4:14; Daniel 4:21. And so it may here design any one or more sort of birds which used to sit alone, watching and mourning upon house-tops.” (Poole)

The agony of being afflicted by enemies. (Psalms 102:8-11)

My enemies reproach me all day long;

Those who deride me swear an oath against me.

For I have eaten ashes like bread,

And mingled my drink with weeping,

Because of Your indignation and Your wrath;

For You have lifted me up and cast me away.My days are like a

shadow that lengthens,

And I wither away like grass.

My enemies reproach me all day long: The psalmist’s affliction came from more than poor health; he had enemies set against him. They opposed him with constant disapproval and rejection. They added a tone of mocking and cursing (who deride me and swear an oath against me).

“The scoffs and reproaches of men are generally added to the chastisements of God; or rather, perhaps are a part, and sometimes the bitterest part of them.” (Horne)

Swear an oath against me: “Have sworn my death, or do swear and curse by me.” (Trapp)

I have eaten ashes like bread: The life of the psalmist seemed to be constant mourning. The marks of mourning – ashes and weeping were as familiar to him as food and drink.

Because of Your indignation and Your wrath: The mourning was all the more bitter because of the sense that this affliction came as some kind of punishment from God.

You have lifted me up and cast me away: “He felt that God was treating him as wrestlers treat one another, when a man deliberately lifts up his opponent in order that he may give him the worse fall.” (Spurgeon)

I wither away like grass: Overwhelmed with a sense of divine rejection (You have lifted me up and cast me away), he felt that his life was short and had little meaning.

A shadow that lengthens: “A ‘shadow’ never continueth in one stay, but is still gliding imperceptibly on, lengthening as it goes, and at last vanishing into darkness.” (Horne)

“Here, to the twelfth verse, is a most lively picture of a dejected person, such as can hardly be paralleled.” (Trapp)

Praising the LORD who builds up Zion.

Recognizing the everlasting God (Psalms 102:12).

But You, O LORD, shall endure forever,

And the remembrance of Your name to all generations.

“But You, O LORD, shall endure forever: The previous lines spoke of the psalmist’s frailty and the fleeting nature of life. The present line gives a sharp and wonderful contrast. Man may have days like shadows or wither away like grass, but Yahweh shall endure forever. The psalmist can therefore reject all self-reliance and hold on to a true reliance upon God. We note the contrast between the first 11 verses, which were filled with personal references (I, me, and my) and verses 12 and following. With the words, but You, the focus changes and is set on God.

“This, then, is the light which banishes darkness – the sense of the eternity of God. Then all life is seen as being under His control, and therefore conditioned in the wisdom and intention which include far more than the passing moment, taking into account all the ages.” (Morgan)

The remembrance of Your name to all generations: Not only would the Lord Himself endure, but His influence and greatness would be declared to all generations, never passing away.

Recognizing the favor of God to Jerusalem (Psalms 102:13-14)

You will arise and have mercy on Zion;

For the time to favor her,

Yes, the set time, has come.

For Your servants take pleasure in her stones,

And show favor to her dust.

You will arise and have mercy on Zion: Though in deep affliction, the psalmist had steadfast confidence that God would act and show mercy to Jerusalem once again.

Yes, the set time, has come: At God’s appointed time, Jerusalem would be the object of God’s favor. He had a set time for their restoration and would not forever leave them in ruin. If this psalm describes the time in exile, the set time points to the 70 years set by God for Israel’s captivity (Jeremiah 25:11-13; Jeremiah 29:10).

“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.” (Spurgeon)

Your servants take pleasure in her stones: It is in our nature to reject that which is broken or torn down, but God’s servants have a love that goes beyond human nature. They see the ruined city, take pleasure in her stones and show favor to her dust. The psalmist was overwhelmed by a sense of his own ruin and need (Psalms 102:1-11). Yet he did not allow that to turn him completely inward; he also cared for his community.

“When the people of God cease thinking about themselves so much and begin thinking about the state of things around them, particularly our cities and those who are suffering in them, then God may indeed hear our prayers and send a revival.” (Boice)

If every stone of God’s city was precious to His servants, then by analogy, so is every stone representing the people of God in His great building (1 Peter 2:5). “The poorest church member, the most grievous backslider, the most ignorant convert, should be precious in our sight, because [they form]…a part, although possibly a very feeble part, of the new Jerusalem.” (Spurgeon)

Recognizing God’s exaltation among the nations(Psalms 102:15-17).

So the nations shall fear the name of the LORD,

And all the kings of the earth Your glory.

For the LORD shall build up Zion;

He shall appear in His glory.

He shall regard the prayer of the destitute,

And shall not despise their prayer.

So the nations shall fear the name of the LORD: The restoration of mercy to Jerusalem is only the first part of a much larger work among the nations. God would so reveal Himself that all the kings of the earth would honor His name and glory.

He shall appear in His glory: The kings and kingdoms of the world honor Yahweh because He reveals Himself in His work toward Zion. His blessing and mercy to Jerusalem are a foretaste of His goodness to all the earth, when He shall regard the prayer of the destitute.

“A wondering world will adore her delivering God.” (Maclaren)

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 offscourings of the land would be heard of the Lord.” (Spurgeon)

Recognizing the great deliverance God brings (Psalms 102:18-22)

This will be written for the generation to come,

That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD.

For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary;

From heaven the LORD viewed the earth

To hear the groaning of the prisoner,

To release those appointed to death,

To declare the name of the LORD in Zion,

And His praise in Jerusalem,

When the peoples are gathered together,

And the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.

This will be written for the generation to come: God’s goodness to Zion and the whole earth is a testimony for the future, so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD.

This will be written:“This wonderful deliverance shall not be lost nor forgotten, but carefully recorded by thy people.” (Poole)

“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 lovingkindnesses!” (Spurgeon)

“Nothing is more tenacious than man’s memory when he suffers an injury; nothing more lax if a benefit is conferred. For this reason God desires lest his gifts should fall out of mind, to have them committed to writing.” (Le Blanc, cited in Spurgeon)

The idea that God considers and plans for those yet to be created is an interesting revelation. We don’t first enter into the consciousness of God when we are conceived in our mother’s womb, but when we are conceived in His heart and mind.

He looked down from the height of His sanctuary: The psalmist pictured God bending down low from heaven:

· To see (viewed the earth).

· To hear (the groaning of the prisoner).

· To act (to release those appointed to death).

· To proclaim (the name of the LORD in Zion).

· To gather (when the peoples are gathered together).

· To receive service (peoples are gathered…to serve the LORD).

orne took these words and made them into a fit prayer for the afflicted believer today: “Look down, O Lord Jesu, yet once again upon thy servants, still under the dominion of death, and the bondage of corruption; loose these chains, even these also, O Lord, and bring us forth into the glorious liberty of thy children.”

The weakness of man and the strength of God.

A confession of weakness and its cause(Psalms 102:23).

He weakened my strength in the way;

He shortened my days.

He weakened my strength in the way: The psalmist began this song by recognizing his own weakness (verses 1-11). Then he praised God for His deliverance and ultimate victory (verses 12-22). Now in the last section of this psalm, he confessed once again his weakness and frailty (shortened my days).

He weakened…He shortened: In addition, the psalmist recognized that it was God who either caused or allowed his weakness and frailty. Here the psalmist wrote with a point much like that of the much later Apostle Paul, who saw God’s plan and even glory in his present weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

A prayer from the afflicted psalmist.(Psalms 102:24-28)

I said, “O my God,

Do not take me away in the midst of my days;

Your years are throughout all generations.

Of old You laid the foundation of the earth,

And the heavens are the work of Your hands.

They will perish, but You will endure

Yes, they will all grow old like a garment;

Like a cloak You will change them,

And they will be changed.

But You are the same,

And Your years will have no end

The children of Your servants will continue

And their descendants will be established before You.”

O my God, do not take me away: Overwhelmed by both his sense of great weakness in affliction, and by the awareness of God’s greatness and ultimate victory, the psalmist did the right thing. He cried out in prayer, pleading for God’s merciful help.

Of old You laid the foundation of the earth: Verses 25-27 are quoted in Hebrews 1:10-12 as the words of God the Father unto God the Son, the Messiah. In the Hebrew text of Psalms 102:25-27, the psalmist says this to Yahweh, but the idea that God Himself speaks these words is more clear in the Greek translation of the Hebrew (the Septuagint), which the author of Hebrews quoted.

“The epistle opens our eyes to what would otherwise be brought out only by the Septuagint of verses 23f.…namely that the Father is here replying to the Son, ‘through whom all things were made’.” (Kidner)

“The writer of the Epistle is not asserting that the psalmist consciously spoke of the Messiah, but he is declaring that his words, read in the light of history, point to Jesus as the crowning manifestation of the redeeming, and therefore necessarily of the creating, God.” (Maclaren)

“When the psalmist wrote these words he was thinking of God the Father, as he has been throughout the psalm. There is very little intimation of the Trinity or the person of the Son of God in the Old Testament. Still, the author of Hebrews is right when he views these words as spoken by the Father to Jesus Christ.” (Boice)

They will perish, but You will endure: The contrast was clear to the psalmist. The mighty God is eternal (throughout all generations) and can do all things (You laid the foundation of the earth). The things God creates may perish, but He Himself will endure.

“There is nothing more calculated to strengthen the heart in suffering, or inspire the spirit with the courage in days of danger and difficulty, than the sense of the eternity of God…. Let us set our limitations always in the light of His limitlessness.” (Morgan)

You will change them: God has complete power over creation, including the power to change the heavens as He pleases. Yet He Himself is unchanging (You are the same) and eternal (Your years will have no end).

“Amidst the changes and chances of this mortal life, one topic of consolation will ever remain, namely, the eternity and immutability of God our Saviour, of him who was, and is, and is to come.” (Horne)

The children of Your servants will continue: The psalmist ended his prayer and this psalm with a note of confidence, even triumph. His affliction seems to have remained, and he does not proclaim hope for his present trouble. At the same time, he is utterly confident of God’s goodness and ultimate victory for His people (Your servants). If the psalmist did not see it in his own day, his children surely would, and their descendants will be established by God’s goodness and strength.

This is a remarkable declaration of trust in God’s promise to make all things right and good, if not in the present day, then in days to come. It shows a wonderful progression in this psalm.

He began with an honest declaration of his own misery.

Then he looked outside himself to his community.

Then he looked outside his community to the world.

Then he looked outside his time to future generations.

“It is remarkable that the psalmist does not draw the conclusion that he himself shall receive an answer to his prayer, but that ‘the children of Thy servants shall dwell’ i.e., in the land, and that there will always be an Israel ‘established before Thee.’” (Maclaren)

“Whatever be the fate of the present generation, whether they may live to see the accomplishment of all that has been foretold or not, yet the word of God standeth sure; there shall be always a church, and a holy seed, to whom the promises shall be made good.” (Horne)

PSALM 102

EXPOSITION

The marked structural peculiarities of this psalm are probably best explained by the supposition that it was at first the soliloquy of an individual, and was afterwards adapted for national use on two successive occasions. The first and last stanzas (Psalms 102:1-11; Psalms 102:23-28) in all likelihood constituted the original psalm. The former of these is mainly a prolonged complaint, which may well have been written by or for King Hezekiah, since it strikingly meets his case, and runs closely parallel with his prayer as preserved in Isaiah 38. Throughout this stanza the personal note predominates—it is I and me all the way through; and the observable thing is, that there is no return to this personal note until Psalms 102:23 is reached, on the recurrence of which, however, we are again reminded of Hezekiah,—for. who so likely as he to have said—Take me not away in the midst of my days! and although, even then, the psalm does not close exactly as we might have expected Hezekiah to close it, yet nothing inconsistent comes in: the personal note still prevails, though only in the lofty strain which sets the abiding personality of Jehovah over against the frail and fleeting personality of the suppliant. Precisely how this contrast could have seemed to be a pertinent Divine response to the long drawn-out wail of the personal sufferer, it may be that a sacrificed line or phrase would have clearly shewn. As a working hypothesis, however, we can easily assume that these two personally dominated stanzas formed the original Hezekian psalm.

Time rolls on. The great exile to Babylon for seventy years takes place. Towards the close of this period, some gifted scribe observes the striking parallel between the afflicted king and the afflicted nation; and, to adapt the old psalm to new conditions, especially to hearten and prepare his people for a return to the Fatherland to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, he introduces the present Second Stanza (Psalms 102:12-17). It would seem to be prejudiced and arbitrary not to suppose some such occasion for the touching allusions to Jerusalem’s stones and dust, and especially the inspiriting belief that the set time to compassionate Zion had now arrived, which this stanza includes. Looking again through this second stanza with these thoughts in mind, we are, on the one hand, no longer surprised to find in it no further reference to the original suppliant King; but, on the other hand, we easily realise how perfectly in keeping it is with the national intention suggested that the psalmist should indulge in a purely national outlook; a sort of glorified forecast of the grand things now to be expected by the redeemed and renewed Chosen People. The poet rises to a prophetic anticipation of those coming good things, when not only should Zion have been re-built, but Jehovah have appeared in his glory, and in every way have signally turned to and not despised the prayer of the as yet destitute nation.

But as time passes, it is realised that the Return itself is only feebly and by instalments accomplished; and especially that, as yet, there are no signs of the friendly gathering of nations to witness Jehovah’s glory and to serve him which the prophets—especially Isaiah—had led them to expect. Hence a further addition is made to this now national psalm, by a significant intimation that the main fulfilment of it awaits a coming generation: even if a new Israel has to be created to witness its complete accomplishment, the promises of Jehovah shall be ultimately fulfilled. Jehovah, meanwhile, is not indifferent; but wherever, under the whole heavens, there are prisoners belonging to Israel crying to him in their misery, there his eye rests, thence the cry comes into his ears. The prisoners are to be released—to come to Zion—to rehearse in Jerusalem Jehovah’s praise under circumstances most auspicious: When the peoples are gathered together, And the kingdoms to serve Jehovah. No doubt the picture is an ideal one: only to be made real after unforeseen delays. For, as Kirkpatrick well says, in abatement of our surprise that, “As a matter of fact the return was an insignificant event, and no startling results immediately followed it”:—“Prophecy constantly combines in one view the nearer and the remoter future, depicting the eventual result, without indicating the steps by which it is to be reached.”

Another easy movement, and the structure of the whole psalm is accounted for. After the two additions contained in Stanzas II. and III. had been made, it may then have been observed by a final editor that the original close of the personal psalm still held good, furnishing a most fitting conclusion for the whole composite psalm; which was therefore added,—quite possibly by Ezra, with or without a finishing touch to complete the unification of the whole as one of the Songs of Zion.

Probably there are but few present-day readers of the psalms who cannot find assistance in some such modest theory of origin of this psalm as the foregoing. Better far so to apprehend how the psalm may have assumed its present form, than to be driven to the unwelcome conclusion that it is radically and irremediably incoherent; seeing especially that such a conclusion is likely to foster the deplorable habit of regarding Holy Scripture as a mere fetish, whose chief value lies in a meaningless repetition of sounds in which sense is at a discount.

The reasons for regarding Psalms 102:23 as originally continuous with Psalms 102:11 will become more and more evident on examination. Not only does the personal element then reappear after being so long in abeyance, but it reappears with the same theme uppermost: Psalms 102:11 is speaking of my days, and it is to my days that Psalms 102:23 returns.

It is no doubt a little disconcerting to observe that, just where this junction reveals itself, there some difficulty should appear as to both “rendering” and “reading.” As to “rendering,” attention may be called to the undoubted fact that the very first word in Psalms 102:23 (‘anah) may be rendered either “humbled,” as in this translation, or “answered,” as in the ancient Greek version, the Septuagint. As to “reading,” it is not to be denied that on the length of a single down-stroke it depends whether the affixed pronoun to the noun “strength” be “my” or “his”—“my strength” or “his strength.” If the latter were clearly ruled out by the context, we might serenely disregard it; and, as a fact, it is declined in this translation on the ground of a smaller amount of probability in its favour. Yet by no means so decisively declined as to make it unworthy of further notice. Not only is there the circumstance to be reckoned with that in some Hebrew copies and in the Sep. and Vul. versions the pronoun “his” is preferred; but there is the further stubborn fact to be admitted that the Septuagint has woven out of the two doubtful elements an entirely different result from that which appears above and in our public versions (A.V., R.V., and P.B.V.); the Septuagint rendering being as follows: “He answered him in the way of his strength: tell me the shortness of my days. Do not take me away,” &c.

It is perhaps impossible to be quite sure that there is nothing of importance in this ancient result; although, of course, it may be merely an ancient mistake in construing the original Hebrew text: hence it is here passed on for the respectful consideration of candid critics; and the more readily, because of a slight misgiving that something further than now appears originally stood here-something possibly tending to set forth Hezekiah as a type of the Messiah in respect of the shortening of his days. Suffice it to have called attention to this remarkable variation; in order now to resume a working assurance, sincerely felt, that in the “rendering” and “reading” followed in the text of this translation, as near an approach to absolute truth is made as our present means admit. It may be reassuring to observe that nothing further is here at stake than simply the precise terms in which Psalms 102:23 should appear as the original continuation of Psalms 102:11. Even the Septuagint rendering could still be said to resume the personal strain of the psalm in respect of the days of the individual sufferer. These nice points being thus disposed of, we are fairly entitled to review the psalm as a whole in regard to its larger outstanding features.

The one thing which nothing can hide is the grandeur of the psalm: the way in which it sets over against the afflictions of the man and the afflictions of the nation, the eternity and elevation of Jehovah. Because of the stability of his throne and the inexhaustible resources of his being, there is hope for the nation; and because of the eternity of his years, there is solace for the individual—though this is implied rather than expressed in the present psalm. It seems to be implied in the sudden transition made by the suppliant (in Psalms 102:24) from his own days to the eternal years: as much as to say—“Why needest thou, whose years run on from generation to generation, cut down by one half my allotted days, few as they are at most?” That, after all, the hope of the individual should be left thus, rather implied than expressed, may be attributed to the fact that as yet “life and incorruption have not been illumined by the Gospel.”

No such feebleness of expression can be affirmed of this psalm as regards the national hope. It is marvellous how strongly these holy men of old assert and reassert this. Zion is to be so favoured as to cause the nations to revere the name of Jehovah, and all the kings of the earth his glory. Not only will Jehovah build up Zion, but he himself will appear in his glory. When the imprisoned Israelites are released, they will come to Zion and rehearse their story. Concurrently with this—so the psalmist intimates—there will be a gathering of peoples of kingdoms—to serve Jehovah. The significance of these assurances ought on the face of them to be beyond dispute or doubt; especially when viewed in the light of Isaiah’s predictions and of the Theocratic psalms (92–99) which we have lately studied. To allege that these foretellings are now being fulfilled in the Church, is not only to rob Israel, but it is to degrade the Church from her heavenly calling and to throw all scripture into confusion. It is respectfully submitted that Christian theologians ought to know the Pauline Epistles better than thus to teach.

The above allusion to the “Theocratic Psalms” suffices to remind us that, here as well as there, what is affirmed of Jehovah in the psalm is in the Epistle to the Hebrews alleged to have been spoken “of the Son.” Some expositors of the Psalms have shewn solicitude to discover this reference to the Son in this psalm as clearly as by the statement in the Epistle it might seem it ought to be discoverable; and it was partly from sympathy with that expectation, that care was taken to admit that all doubt could not at present be said to have been conclusively set at rest as to the exact terms of the original resumption of Hezekiah’s psalm at Psalms 102:23. One able critic, at any rate, sees in the circumstance that the Divine name in Psalms 102:24 is El rather than Elohim, a probable note of transition to “the Son.” However this may be, it will probably be a relief to plain Christians to rest in the apparently well-warranted conclusion, that the radical significance of the Memorial name Jehovah—as “Yahweh,” “the Becoming One,” renders the transition easy, when context and circumstance require it, to Him who in the fulness of time “became flesh and tabernacled among us.” As already suggested when expounding the Theocratic psalms, whenever visible Divine Manifestation is implied, then some veiling of Absolute Deity must also be understood; and this veil Christians already possess in Jesus on whom our Apostle Paul explicitly teaches “was graciously bestowed The Name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:9).

Soulful Worship

Psalms 103:1-22

Brent Kercheville

Psalms 103 is a Psalm of David that focuses on worship of the Lord. But this psalm is unique because David’s focus is not on actually praising the Lord. His focus is on reminding himself why he and the congregation ought to worship the Lord from the depths of their soul. David does this by testifying to himself and then to the congregation of the Lord’s goodness to his people. As we read and study the Psalm we are going to ask one simple question: how should you and I worship the Lord?

Worship: Expressing Your Soul (Psalms 103:1)

Notice verse 1. David’s first words seem odd when we think about them. “Bless the Lord, O my soul.” David is telling himself to praise the Lord. But notice how he tells himself to praise the Lord. He tells himself to praise the Lord with his soul. Even more vivid, he calls “all that is within” him to bless the Lord. David’s call emphasizes the most important aspect of worship: worshipping with the soul and every ounce of strength in our being.

Worshipping with soul is significant because it can easily stand in contrast to worshipping with our lips. Consider the difference between these two pictures of worship. Psalms 71:23, “My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed.” David makes it clear that his lips and his soul will join together to praise the Lord. But Jesus condemns many in Mark 7:6-7. “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” These two types of worship look the same because they both honor the Lord with their words. Two mouths may proclaim that their hearts are praising the Lord, but one soul is not worshipping. The mouth and the soul are disconnected. Jesus says this worship is vain and empty. What a significant charge!

Considering this danger, David reminds his soul and all his being to bless the Lord. The first way we must worship the Lord is with our souls. The praise of our lips must express the joy in our hearts. Whether our worship is public or private, singing or praying – worship that flows from our souls is the only worship that pleases the Lord. Only this worship moves our hearts to recognize the Lord’s greatness. How often do we pray or sing words without focusing in our hearts? How often do we pray or sing words that mean little to us? We must realize that this type of worship is no worship at all. It is a lie. Our lips are declaring that our hearts are impressed with the Lord when our hearts have little connection to the words coming from our mouths. Such worship is worthless to God. Heartless worship has no value. We can obey every aspect of worship just as God commands and it still be useless to God. The Lord wants our hearts.

To solve the problem of soulless worship, we must ask why this happens. Why do we struggle worshipping the Lord from the depths of our soul? Why do prayers seem forced? Why do we sometimes struggle connecting to the words of a song? Why do our hearts lack passion for worship?

Worship: Remembering His Kind Deeds (Psalms 103:2-19)

Psalms 103:2 answers this question. David reminds himself to not forget the Lord’s “benefits” or “kind deeds” (NET). This is the second way we must worship the Lord. We must worship the Lord remembering his kind deeds. We fail at worshipping from our souls when we do not do this. We cannot express heartfelt worship if we forget how great the Lord is and all he has done for us. We will have no basis on which to worship the Lord. We will sing praise without reason to praise. God does not desire this soulless praise. We do not enjoy soulless praise ourselves! For this reason David instructs himself to “forget not all his benefits.”

But how will David and the congregation not forget the Lord’s goodness towards them? The solution is in Psalms 103:3-19. These are 17 verses of David testifying of the Lord’s character and blessings. David is giving himself and the congregation reasons to bless the Lord. For us to practice worship from the soul, before and during our worship we must remind ourselves of the Lord’s character by asking, “Who is the Lord that we should worship him?” Let’s read Psalms 103:2-19 for the answer.

To inspire himself and the congregation to soul worship, David focuses on describing the steadfast love of the Lord throughout this Psalm. This Hebrew word “hesed” describes the Lord’s covenantal love for Israel throughout the Old Testament. David uses this word 4 times in this Psalm. His steadfast love crowns us in Psalms 103:4. His steadfast love is abounding in Psalms 103:8 and is as high as the heavens in Psalms 103:11. His steadfast love lasts forever in verse 17. All of the Lord’s characteristics and kind deeds throughout this Psalm flow from his infinite faithful love for his people. Let’s notice two main results of the Lord’s steadfast love. These are examples of the Lord’s goodness towards us that will inspire us to worship the Lord from our souls.

Steadfast Love and Anger (Psalms 103:8-10) The Lord’s steadfast love is first seen in a description of his anger in Psalms 103:8-10. The words of 103:8 were first spoken by the Lord in Exodus 34:6 when the Lord showed Moses his glory on the mountain. These words are repeated eight times in the Old Testament and define the essence of the Lord’s character. This verse begins a focus on three different aspects of the Lord’s anger that should spark our praise. First, the Lord is slow to anger. Considering how often we fail, this ought to impress us. The Lord is not a human with anger that is kindled in an instant. He is slow to anger. Second, notice in Psalms 103:9 how the Lord’s anger is not only slow to ignite, but once it ignites it is not long lasting. Considering our sins, the Lord should be angry forever. But instead he is loving. Third, notice in verse 10 how the Lord does not repay our sins with the punishment due us. We deserve death but he does everything in his power to give us life. Consider how true these descriptions of the Lord’s anger were in the Lord’s dealings with Israel. The Lord frequently gave Israel plentiful time to repent before punishing their sin. When the Lord did punish them, he relented as soon as they repented. Though the entire nation deserved to be destroyed, the Lord’s punishment was always lighter and shorter than deserved. What love!

Remember how true this is in your own life for inspiration to worship from your soul. Consider how patient the Lord has been with us. It takes years for us to overcome our sins after we come to Christ. We frequently take three steps forward and two steps back. Yet he is understanding with our weakness and gives us copious amounts of time to repent and rid our lives of sin. Think of how the Lord’s patience and slow anger has inspired your redeemed life as you pray and sing. This will spark passionate worship from the depths of our souls.

Steadfast Love and our friends. (Psa 103:11-14). The Lord’s steadfast love is next seen in how he handles our sins in Psalms 103:11-14. This picture provides so much comfort. In verse 11 he describes the Lord’s love is as great as the distance between the heavens and the earth. How high up are the clouds? What a great visual picture! The Lord’s love for us is as high as the heavens above the earth. Psalms 103:13 is just as comforting. The Lord has the compassion of a father towards us as his children. This picture is most fully understood by those of you who are parents. Parents know their children best. They know their weaknesses. They hesitate to punish. This is the Lord. He understands our weaknesses. He has compassion on us like a father does with a child. The Lord’s compassion for us as sinners is seen in what the Lord does to our sins in verse 12. Our sins are distanced from us like the East is distanced from the West. The Lord does not desire to hold sins against us.

Consider how remembering his steadfast love in our sins can inspire worship from the soul. Consider the weight of all your guilt for a moment. Think of all your past rebelliousness and all your hidden sin. How terrifying would it be to bring that wickedness into judgment? But if we simply bring those sins to God he takes our guilt far away. Should not this thought spark great praise from our hearts? How can we not desire to worship the Lord? We can worship God with the knowledge that those sins will not stain us in judgment. We can have the confidence that on Judgment Day our sins will be nowhere in sight. Sins are not held against us or even remembered. There is only grace and mercy and open arms. Dwell on the Lord’s treatment of your personal sins as you worship him. How great to be fully focused on this mercy when we sing “It Is Well With My Soul.” “My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!” The Lord’s faithful love is displayed most brilliantly in his dealings with us when we fail. When we fail but return to him, he forgets our sins completely.

David reminds himself and the congregation of so much more in this Psalm. I believe Psalms 103:5 summarizes the benefits of being in a relationship with the Lord well. His slow anger towards his children and steadfast love in the midst of our sins causes us to realize that there is nowhere else to go. He provides the ultimate place of rest for our souls. Nothing satisfies us and renews our strength like the Lord and his faithful love. There is nowhere we desire to go but to the one who is slow to anger, does not repay our iniquities, shows us fervent steadfast love, and loves us with the compassion of a father.

If we will personalize what these characteristics have meant for us in our lives and dwell on these things as we worship, the words we sing and pray will have passionate and deep meaning to us. But notice in verses 20-22 how remembering the Lord’s greatness has affected David.

Worship: Calling All to Participate (Psalms 103:20-22)

In Psalms 103:22 David reminds his soul one last time to bless the Lord. But considering the greatness of the Lord has caused David to no longer be satisfied with telling his own soul to bless the Lord. David calls upon all the Lord’s angels, servants, and creation to bless the Lord. Remembering the Lord’s goodness has stirred up David’s soul to praise the Lord, but he recognizes that his praise is not enough. All physical and spiritual beings must join in praising the Lord.

Conclusion

As we consider how David’s soul was stirred to praise the Lord so passionately, let’s consider how we can offer the Lord the worship of our souls as he did. Christ warned in Mark 7 that mouthing worship with uninvolved hearts is a vain action. When we worship the Lord outside of our regular assembles, we normally do it because we have been inspired to do so. This results in praise from the heart. But let me suggest that sometimes we can participate in the prayers and songs in our regular assemblies simply because everyone else is doing it. We may not be worshipping because our hearts are inspired to do so. David offered soul worship because he was focused on the Lord’s goodness towards him. How can we be focused on the Lord’s goodness in our worship?

Prepare for worship. If we are going to be honestly inspired to worship from our souls, we must prepare for worship. So often our minds bring so much baggage through the doors. All week our minds have been focused on work, to do lists, school, friendships, recreation, etc. We cannot expect to just walk into worship with worshipful souls when we have not cleared our minds of these things to focus on the “benefits” of the Lord as David did in this Psalm. Especially as we consider communing with one another and Christ in the Lord’s Supper, we must take this seriously.

Many find that reading and praying in the morning is the most helpful time to grow their relationship with the Lord during the week. It is just as important to continue a habit like this before we meet together in worship. I urge to you take time to be quiet on Sunday mornings before you come to worship. Take time to meditate on the word of God. Take time to warm up your mind and heart by praising the Lord in private prayer. Take time to remember the Lord’s kind deeds towards you.

Focus in worship. Preparing for worship in this way helps us to be ready to offer soul worship, but the battle for our hearts is not over. The hubbub of life can still creep through. There are screaming children, cute children, buzzing cellphones, our own wandering minds, people going to the bathroom, and much more that can distract us during worship. The importance of limiting these distractions is not something we should take lightly. But distractions will still occur. This is why we must continue our remembering of the Lord’s kind deeds towards us as we worship.

The focus of our minds will change based on what we are singing or praying about. Sometimes we exhort one another to the work in song. This is a good time to focus on how we can be working better together in the Lord’s service. Other times we are singing of the beauty of prayer. Take this time to ask if you have been enjoying this fellowship with the Lord in prayer. Sometimes we are asking the Lord to act. If we are truly focusing, we are thinking of situations where we truly desire his action. If our hearts aren’t focused, what are we even singing about? Sometimes we are praising the Lord’s physical provision. Sometimes we praise his spiritual provision. Whatever we are praying or singing about, be constantly mindful of how these things are true in your personal life.

The Lord’s main concern is not on whether or not we are saying, “Praise!” with our lips. The Lord’s main concern is whether or not our souls are expressed when these words of worship come from our lips. Do you know the Lord’s benefits? Are you worshipping him from your soul? Don’t settle for heartless worship. Offer the Lord the sacrifice of your heart.

PSALM 103

EXPOSITION

The superscription of this psalm is By David, and the few grammatical peculiarities found in the psalm itself are probably insufficient to discredit this ancient literary tradition; since, according to Chwolson, quoted by Thirtle (O.T.P. 29), those peculiarities may be merely “genuine ancient Hebrew grammatical forms accidentally retained.” By whomsoever written, this sacred song breathes a deeply devotional and tenderly trustful spirit: whoever has sins to mourn or sorrows to carry may find therein solace or instruction.

I. BLESS JEHOVAH, FOR HIS PERSONAL DEALINGS.

Psalms 103:1. Bless, as on bended knee, Jehovah (Yahweh) “the Becoming One,” who, out of his own Divine resources, can supply all creature-need: O my soul, my true inner self, realising thy complete personality in and through all the parts and powers wherewith thou art endowed. And all within me, especially my “heart” or mind, and my “reins” or impulses; (bless) his holy name, as the summarised expression of his revealed person and character.

Psalms 103:2. Bless Jehovah, O my soul; for thus again I address thee, that is myself; “I” being subject and object, inspector and inspected, teacher and taught in one; about to project myself from myself, to look at and examine myself, to encourage and admonish myself; and, therefore, by reason of the mysterious complexity of my being, responsible for my state and conduct before God. Thou, O my soul, thus gifted, use the ready instrument of self-discipline, thy memory: Forget not any of his dealings: his benefits, if thou wilt,—but have not all his “dealings” been “benefits,” though sometimes in disguise? forget not any of his dealings, for whereas it would be difficult to forget them “all,” be it thy care, as far as may be, that thou forget none, since the forgotten mercy or chastisement may be that which thou dost now most need to recall. (Cp. Intro., Chap. III., “Soul.”)

Psalms 103:3-5. Who—that is Jehovah (five times repeated!). By the help of these pronouns, catechise thyself, O my soul! How many of these appeal to thee? Knowest thou nothing of the pardon of thine iniquities—thus searchingly put first, as most concerning thee? Even of the healing of thy diseases art thou unmindful? Has thy life never been redeemed from the pit of Hades? Have no garlands of Divine kindness and compassions ever decked thy brow? On what numberless occasions have not thy lawful desires been satisfied—desires for food, sleep, rest and countless other mercies; and canst thou forget Who it is that, through all channels, has been the bountiful satisfier of thy craving? Dost thou arise each morning a new man, still in thy youth right down to old age, and canst thou forget whose recreative energy it is that thus worketh within thee?

II. FOR HIS REVEALED CHARACTER.

Psalms 103:6-10. Nor is this all, O my soul. He who has become all this to thee, has revealed and made public his character; by acts of righteousness fulfilling his promises, by acts of vindication for all who are oppressed, chiefly by bringing Israel out of Egypt, approving himself of old to the confidence of his people, making known his ways unto Moses, and his doings to the sons of Israel; especially proclaiming himself to the former as Compassionate and Gracious, Slow to Anger and Abundant in Kindness; thereby giving occasion to “The Refrain of the Bible” (see Emphasised Bible on Exodus 34:6-7)—of which hast thou not heard, O my soul?—a Refrain running through the Holy Scriptures, and shewing how holy men remembered and pleaded it in times of national trouble? In harmony with which Refrain, thou mayest confidently reckon, O my soul, that although Jehovah may long complain, yet will he Not perpetually contend; although he “leave not altogether unpunished, but visiteth the iniquity of fathers on sons and upon son’s sons unto a third and unto a fourth generation,” yet Not age-abidingly, Not age-without end, will he retain the sinner in being, and his anger against the sinner; seeing that he himself has declared that before his perpetual wrath no spirit could abide (Isaiah 57:16). Therefore, be thou sure, O my soul, that even in his most awful visitations he never ceases to deserve thy praise; while, as to thyself and thy brethren, thou canst still say, Not according to our sins hath he done to us, Nor according to our iniquities hath he dealt with us. For his revealed character, then,—Bless Jehovah, O my soul.

III. FOR HIS KINDNESS, FORGIVENESS, AND CONSIDERATENESS

Psalms 103:11. Lift up thine eyes on high, O my soul, and see how lofty are those overarching heavens: in like manner, lofty beyond all thought and hope is Jehovah’s kindness over these who revere him.

Psalms 103:12. Canst thou measure from east to west, when each recedes as thou approachest? So neither canst thou mete the distance to which he removes from thee the transgressions which he forgives. “The wages of sin is death”; but “in his favour is life”; and these can never meet and mingle.

Psalms 103:13. Thou knowest the compassion of a father on his sons, how like it is to the compassion (from r-ch-m = “womb”) of a mother for her babe. Thou, then, only revere him and such tender Divine compassion shall rest on thee.

Psalms 103:14. Do thy source in dust, and thy continued kinship therewith, ever enfeeble and hamper thee, in the service thou wouldst fain render him; doth thy temper fail because thy nerves are unstrung; hast thou to cease from work, even for him, because thou art weary, hungry, cold? Be of good cheer: he knows it all, he made thee thus. He puts himself in mind that, even where the spirit is willing, the flesh may be weak.

IV. FOR THE CONTINUITY OF HIS DEALINGS IN CONTRAST WITH MAN’S FRAILTY.

Psalms 103:15-16. Art thou discouraged, O my soul, because of the frailty of thy being and the brevity of thy days, so like the withering grass and the fading blossom? Shrinkest thou from the nipping wind that shall cut thee off, and from the thought that the vacancy thou leavest will soon be filled and thou shalt be missed no more? Yet hear thou again.

Psalms 103:17-18. Not so is the kindness of Jehovah, even with regard to thee. It has perpetuating ways of its own. It descendeth from generation to generation. Thy progenitors are gone? Yea, but leaving behind for thee a legacy of blessing, in so far as they revered Jehovah in their day. Thou, therefore, in like manner, mayest leave a blessing behind thee: only teach thou thy children how to inherit it. And of this be sure: that in the end righteousness and faithfulness and obedience shall prove stronger than sin. Therefore still “Bless Jehovah.”

V. FOR THE PERMANENCE AND UNIVERSALITY OF HIS KINGDOM

Psalms 103:19. The object of thine adoration is supreme, for it is Jehovah himself whom thou wouldst bless. Beyond him is there none; outside his dominion is there none: in the heavens, high above this earth, hath he established his throne; just to the degree, therefore, to which he comes to reign on earth, he must needs bring heaven with him. And his kingdom over all hath dominion; therefore are there no beings unaccountable to him, therefore is there no creature-freedom uncircumscribed by him, therefore can there never be any events not subservient to his rule. Moral evil can only enter and stay in his dominions as long as he permits. This, O my soul, is thy safety and stay. My soul, thou art the richer, that there are heavens, within the compass of which are gathered subjects of thy King; for, although the Creator might be above all locality, yet not so the creature; and therefore it is a joy to thee to think of inhabited heavens, especially if and so far as they are peopled by loyal fellow-subjects of thine. Thine emotions must needs go forth to them. They may not hear thine appeal to them, save through their Sovereign and thine; yet wouldst thou fain emulate or even provoke their devotions, and feel the ecstasy of fellowship as they bless Jehovah.

Psalms 103:20. Bless Jehovah, ye his messengers whose privilege it is, when ye have entered his presence and listened to his commanding word, to depart on your several errands of state, thus making good your official name, in which alone ye appear to delight: with swiftness ye fly, with heroic vigour ye execute, with loyal promptness ye return to hearken again to your Sovereign Lord.

Psalms 103:21. Bless Jehovah, all ye his waiting hosts, his attendants, abiding more continually in his presence, doers of his pleasure, howsoever made known, by look, by hint, by perceived need and fitness, by inward impulse—his pleasure, not your own.

Psalms 103:22. Bless Jehovah, all ye his works, in all places of his dominion: whether with reason, or with instinct; or with neither, leaving it to more favoured ones to perceive your use and beauty and render praise for the same, becoming interpreters of your parts and powers, and employing you to rise the higher towards the Divine Throne. And, both first and last, chiefly thou, finding thyself in such large and glorious fellowship as thou humbly tenderest thine adorations,—Bless Jehovah, O my soul.

The Great Creator

Psalms 104:1-35

Brent Kercheville

We have already learned how created things point to the glory of the creator and how our reaction needs to be praise. We also mentioned how humanity’s need to worship is often filled incompletely by worshiping the created. Because of this, Christians often struggle with turning their full hearts toward worshiping God in song and prayer. The poor examples that surround us don’t help. On one hand we are surrounded by a nation who is ignorant of the God’s glory, on the other hand many often praise God out of artificial religiousness. Counteracting our poor role models through studying the hearts and words of righteous men shows us where our hearts need to be.

The Psalms are filled with inspired individual accounts of people who felt they couldn’t stop their lips from praising God. Psalms 104 is a magnificent account of praise to God for his creation. As we study this Psalm chunk by chunk, we are going to take home three main observations from the text that help us see the inspiration for the Psalmist’s praise. Place yourself in the shoes of the author, trying to see what causes the author to feel as though he must burst into praise.

The Creator’s Introduction (Psalms 104:1-4)

This Psalm is bookended with similar praise in verses 1 and 35: Bless the Lord, O my soul! You are very great! Praise the Lord! The beautiful description of creation in between these two praises serves to explain why the Psalmist believes God is great. Notice how the Psalmist’s praise follows the chronological order of the Genesis creation account. We see light and then the expansive sky in Genesis 1:2, and the waters and dry land appearing in Genesis 1:5-9. We see vegetation and trees in Genesis 1:14; Genesis 1:16; the luminaries of the skies in Genesis 1:19. But, notice how there is never a focus on the actual created thing, but on God and how God causes the created to exist and obey his function. The creator is always lifted up – never the created.

We usually demonstrate someone’s richness by talking about their nice clothes and awesome house. That is the picture of Psalms 104:1-4. Picture the Psalmist describing why he thinks God is so great by taking you on a tour of the world that you are seeing for the first time. Look at the strikingly bright and warming sunlight. That’s what God wears. Stand out in an open plain and look at the sky’s expansive beauty; he stretched it out to be the roof of his tent. Look at Earth from space and see all the blue waters. That’s his house’s foundation. If you think your ride is awesome, consider the billowy clouds – that’s his wind-powered ride. In the pantheistic religions of the world at that time, all these things are worshiped as gods; yet, here they serve the Lord’s purpose. These descriptions aren’t meant for us to pick apart and discuss how light is his garment, etc. They paint a picture and tell us about the Lord; if light is his garment and the sky the roof of his tent, how great he must be!

The Creator’s Handiwork (Psalms 104:5-30)

Once we have been introduced to God and his glorious home, the rest of the Psalm tells us how he has opened up his home and formed it into a beautiful place for life to exist. The formation of Earth’s terrain happens through powerful waters in Psalms 104:5-9. People struggle with whether this is speaking of the creation of the world, or the flood. Our focus is not on that, but on how the awe of God causing this action. The ominous deep the Hebrews feared is under God’s control as his voice sends them fleeing to their place. Deep valleys give a place for the waters to rest, while God’s voice sends mountains shooting out of the ground. Geologists talk about how great valleys and canyons are formed out of water and how mountains seem to just sprout out of the ground through shifting of the Earth’s crust and volcanic activity. We don’t need geologists to tell us that for that is the picture conjured up by God’s activities in Psalms 104:5-9. It is fascinating to visit different famous locations of the world where gigantic mountains tower over us and expansive valleys spread out below us and to talk about how these things may have been formed, but we are fools if in that scene we do not praise the Lord as the artist behind all of it. Mountains, valleys, waterfalls, and islands were all created because God willed them into existence.

Water, vegetation, and the luminaries of space take the rest up the rest of verses 10-23. In each of these portrayals the Psalmist shows God’s infinite wisdom in creating everything with a purpose and plan. Have you ever paused to consider how much wisdom it would take for one of us to create a world with as much order as ours? The immense complexity is mind-boggling. Every piece of life that God creates must have someway to continue growing and living and reproducing. He can give man food and water today, but what about the trillions of other living creatures? What about the thousands of generations to come? The sources of food have to reproduce and water has to keep cycling. Notice Psalms 104:10-13, God designed all kinds of mechanisms for bodies of waters to exist in all kinds of terrains across the world for all kinds of life. Notices Psalms 104:14-15, God also designs the Earth to bring forth the special blessings of oil, wine, and bread for mankind. All the different kinds of life have to have homes, but in verses 16-18 we see God already had the foreknowledge to create trees for the birds and the mountains for the goats. But how is man going to be able to do his work when all the other predators of Earth are trying to eat? Psalms 104:19-23 show how God created the sun and moon to mark times of light and darkness so man can work during light, and animals can hunt at night. If we were in charge of creating the world we would have probably missed that detail.

I love the Psalmist’s declaration after this in Psalms 104:24, “O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all.” I can just picture him looking out across the sea and sky and mountains and writing about this order and he cannot help but burst into praise because of everything he sees before him. Romans tells us that this is the reaction created things are supposed to evoke. They generate full faith in an eternally powerful and divine God. However, this faith is more than a shallow cognitive allowance that God exists.

Romans 1:18-23, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”

See how these unrighteous came to be where they are? They knew God, yet did not honor him as God or give thanks to him. God expects us to see his creation and not only have full confidence in his existence, but to also see his power and divinity in it. But, if we stop there we are no different than the unrighteous. We must honor, give thanks, and glorify him. This is what the Psalmist is accomplishing. Christians, where is this excitement and passion for the Lord in our hearts and in our personal prayers? I am afraid that we think it is okay to be passionate about the world and not passionate about the Lord’s glory because as long as we show up to church God understands we are trying. We should fearfully tremble if we are okay with that. Notice verse 21, when we do not honor him in this way our thinking becomes futile and our hearts become dark and foolish. We think we are okay where we are, but hearts are only renewed and made healthy when they constantly lift up our creator. May we never grow accustom to the beauty and wisdom of God displayed in his creation – it is the inspiration our hearts need to worship him. We must grow in personal worship, for a heart that does not raise God up becomes selfish and corrupt.

The Creation’s Trust (Psalms 104:27-30)

The result of God’s wisdom in creation and bountiful provision is seen in Psalms 104:27-30 – all life looks to him for their food and for their breath. This Psalm is screaming with the faithfulness of God. He faithfully provides food and gives air to breath and living creatures know it so they constantly look to him for it. If you’ve ever owned a pet, you understand the picture here as the feeder of a pet. Every night that animal looks to you for its food and doesn’t worry because you always feed it. That same faithfulness is portrayed of the Lord here in his giving of food and breath.

If there were absolutely no benefits to worshiping God we should still do it, but we can see here another benefit of meditating on God’s great glory and faithfulness. Because the Psalmist has meditated on God’s bountiful provision his faith has increased and because of it he trusts the source of his next meal and next breath. Even the animals recognize who gives them their meals! Americans are currently so blessed by God that we pridefully think we control our destiny. When we forget the creator has a divine plan and think man controls the fate of the universe, worry will dominate our lives. Worrying about food. Worrying about global warming. Worrying about finances. Worrying about health. Worrying about politics.

If we recognized God’s glory and praised him as we should, we would have the blissful recognition the Psalmist has – God is in control! Jesus uses the same reasoning in Matthew 6. He commands them to not be anxious because of nature’s example around them. Matthew 6:26, “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Matthew 6:28-30, “And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” Our problem is that we aren’t mediating on these things, growing our faith in the power of God. If we were meditating and praising God for his wisdom, power, and detailed design our hearts would immediately trust him with any problems we have. God decides when we are fed, when to bless us with health, and when we die. Trust him. Do we believe God has control over the universe or not?

The Creator’s Rejoicing (Matthew 6:31-34)

The Psalmist’s concluding prayer is that God will be able to rejoice in his works. Why would he rejoice in his works? Because his creative work has caused all that we see throughout the Psalm and what we see at the beginning of Psalms 104:31 – the everlasting glory of the Lord. Psalms 104:32-34 show the reaction of creation in keeping with God’s glory. All he does is look at the earth and touch the mountains and they tremble and smoke! They know their creator. In turn, the Psalmist also sees God’s works and glorifies him through singing to, meditating on, and rejoicing in the Lord. All creation responds as it should in glorification of God.

Except for the wicked. The wicked in Psalms 104:35 stand out like a sore thumb in the midst of this hymn of praise. It should stand out. Being surrounded by the wicked often causes us to feel as though we are in the minority as worshipers of God. However, that’s not the perspective of the Psalmist. God created and has control over every single created thing – they are all stamped with his wisdom and artistry. Every single blade of grass, water molecule, tree, insect, animal, human, and mountain that ever existed was made to reveal the glory and majesty of God. These all submit to their purpose in testimony of God’s glory and power and they infinitely outnumber the unrighteous. If we think it is a fruitless pursuit to love, proclaim, and reflect the glory of the king, we are the outnumbered unrighteous who refuse to submit to proclaiming his glory. It is with this perspective that the Psalmist speaks: the entire universe joins in chorus praising God and all who don’t should be destroyed for soiling this joyous and harmonious scene. Like one who boos at the bride of a wedding, the thought disgusts the Psalmist. Do you want to be the one who is outnumbered?

Conclusion

Think about your wedding day. Think about how natural it was to tell your bride how beautiful she was and how much you loved her. Our praise for God should be that natural, but often, it is not. If you are struggling in this – as we all should be struggling forward – I challenge you to increase your awareness of God’s creation and provision for you and for all of creation. Fall in love with the signs of his glory in creation as you fall in love with a spouse. Meditate on his creation and how expansively, beautifully, and wisely it has been created. Look at the stars. Watch the sunrise. Meditate on his provision for you. Meditate on how little you deserve the things you have. Study and think about words in passages like this. As you study the Bible, try to find all the ways God is good to his people. Seek where his glory is revealed. Then, once your heart has considered these things, pour out your thoughts from your lips and praise God for them. Only then will it be a genuine, heartfelt praising of God. If you feel that it is awkward for you, don’t worry. It was probably awkward the first time you told your spouse you loved them. The more you meditate on the Lord’s glory and express the Lord’s glory, the more naturally it will come to you.

PSALM 104

EXPOSITION

In the words of Perowne, “here we have a picture which for truth and depth of colouring, for animation, tenderness, beauty, has never been surpassed.” Leaving the reader to mark and admire the poetic features of the psalm for himself, attention may be called to the weighty theological lessons here taught.

1. In the first place: Jehovah is here represented as BEFORE, ABOVE AND BEYOND his works. The honour and majesty in which he reveals himself are external to himself—he puts them on; light is the mantle in which he enwraps himself. Yet there are means by which he makes himself known; and they suggest the idea of eyes needed to observe them, minds susceptible of being impressed by them—they are relative terms.

2. In the next place: Jehovah is revealed as PRESENT in the midst of his works. The space curtained in by the outspread heavens is his tent, wherein he dwells; for no other Presence is suggested in that connection. Yet he is himself unseen. The wind itself we see not, save in its effects: how much less can we behold him who walks on its wings. Even this tent, indeed, cannot contain him: he has upper chambers into which our eyes cannot penetrate.

3. Nevertheless, it is HERE that the interest of the psalm is CONCENTRATED. This sun and moon, these stars, these mountains, yonder sea, together with the living creatures large and small thus brought under our notice: these are sufficient to impress the psalmist with their number, with the wisdom displayed in their formation, with the richness of their Creator in possessing them, and with the pleasure he takes in them. It would be rash to infer, alone from this concentration of interest, that this world is eternal; but assuredly we are led to expect that it is destined to become the theatre of important Divine dealings.

4. Noting, in passing, that the position assigned to MAN in this psalm is—if not exactly a subordinate one—certainly one less exalted than that assigned him in the Genesis account—it becomes the more observable how prominent a place is given to the ANIMAL WORLD. It is not simply that animals are here seen lovingly gathered around their Creator, feeding as it were out of his hand; but that, in them, the alternations of life and death are illustrated in a remarkably suggestive manner. Animals are sentient beings; they are breathing creatures, whose breath is in their nostrils; and in these respects they are akin to man. It would almost appear as though their kinship with man were utilised to furnish object-lessons for man himself. Animals live as long as they breathe: so do men. The breathing power of animals is a divine gift; and, when it is withdrawn, they cease to breathe: so it is with men. Man’s breath or spirit, answers to, or is correlated with God’s breath or spirit. The same word ruah expresses either “breath” or “spirit” or both. The consecutive use of the term in this psalm is profoundly suggestive; because the law of continuity strongly operates to bring the breath of the creature into line with the breath of the Creator; and the breath of the Creator is itself creative. Thou withdrawest their ruah they cease to breathe: thou sendest forth thy ruah they are created It does not matter which English word is used, provided the continuity is kept up. Say—“their breath . . . thy breath,” then the phrase “thy breath” is uplifted into the significance of “thy life-giving spirit,” for it cannot be less than that. Say—“their spirit” . . . thy spirit,” then “spirit” in the former member of the sentence must be lowered sufficiently to allow animals to partake of it, at least as a loan from God. To deny “spirit” to animals is to deny them life. To assert that, because man has “spirit,” therefore he is deathless, is by consequence to assert far too much of animals, unless we are prepared to affirm that they too are immortal. Beyond all this lies the weighty question—How far “spirit” enters into the individuality of animals—the personality of men: as to which, Biblical evidence must be elsewhere sought. But just here, in this and similar texts, the alphabet of the subject is to be found—at least if it is Biblical psychology we seek.

5. Of like interest and value is the side-light here thrown on the essential meaning of the word “CREATION”: Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created; Thou renewest the face of the ground. This is startling: it is nothing less than subversive of certain popular but very superficial views on the subject of creation. If creation is essentially the making of something out of nothing, then creation denies procreation; and assumes that every new generation of animals comes direct from God, without parentage after its kind; inasmuch as we have here presented, not the original stocking of the earth with animal life, but the renewal which is continually supplying the vacancies caused by death. The fact is, that God holds all life in his own hand: all living things “live and move and have their being in him.” If this is true of animals, much more is it true of men. God is “the God of the spirits of all flesh”: in every living thing save the first, concur both procreation and creation, the parental contribution and the divine. God is the father of our spirits. I am God’s creature, as well as my parent’s child. If to create is to make a new thing—to embody an original idea—then there is something new and distinctive in every creature which Jehovah has made. Probably no two animals were ever perfectly alike: one may feel certain that no two men ever were. The differentia of men should amplify as well as radiate the glory of God.

6. There is something singularly IMPRESSIVE in the last stanza of this magnificent psalm. Therein the personality of the psalmist starts forth afresh into bold relief. The psalm started with emotion, brought over from the previous psalm. Then for a moment it flashed forth (in Psalms 104:1 b and following lines) with a direct address to Jehovah, so supplying an element remarkably wanting in the foregoing psalm. But, having offered this personal greeting to his God, the psalmist’s own personality quietly falls into the background; and, though you follow the pointing of his finger as he directs you to look at object after object, and do just perceive the vibration of his voice as he bursts out in adoration at Psalms 104:24, he gives you no time to turn round and look him in the face. Now, however, at Psalms 104:31, pent-up feeling rises to the poet’s lips, seeking an utterance which it scarce can find. As if apprehensive that Jehovah might lose some of the glory which is his due and in some way be grieved with his own handiwork, he adopts the language of desire: Let the glory of Jehovah be age-abiding, Let Jehovah rejoice in his works. As if admonished of the lowering possibility of Divine displeasure, he introduces a couplet which sounds like a dark hint: who looketh on the earth, and it trembleth; He toucheth the mountains, and they smoke. It is like the muttering of distant thunder, while as yet the sky is all blue. Then, as if unable to endure the thought of a hiding of Jehovah’s face, he moves himself, by the significant “cohortative” mood, to keep voice and harp attuned to high praise: I would fain sing to Jehovah while I live, I would harp to my God while I continue. Pleasing unto him be my soliloquy, I myself will rejoice in Jehovah,—drinking in my joy at the fount of his joy—only let him rejoice: but are there, then, works in which he cannot rejoice? I myself, he says with formal emphasis, I myself will rejoice—whatever others may do. So then, alas! there may be—there are—others not likeminded! Out of the blue, the bolt falls: Let sinners come to an end out of the earth, And lawless ones no longer exist. It was remarked above that the trend of this whole psalm seemed to betoken that this earth is designed to be the theatre of important Divine dealings. This ominous couplet confirms that impression: unless, indeed, we are warranted in thinking of sinners as merely banished to some other place, as if there were some such place not included in Jehovah’s dominions (cp. Psalms 103:19). Still, that is not what is either said or suggested in this psalm; and it would seem dutiful to accept the natural interpretation of the solemn words before us. Suffice it that “there is a future for the righteous” (Psalms 37, 73); and that the overthrow of moral evil will So be accomplished as to call forth the self-incited refrain—Bless Jehovah, O my soul!

God’s Providence

Psalms 105:1-45

One thing I love to do when I study God’s Word is to observe how God works in the background to bring about his will and protection for his people. The ISEB defines God providence this way.

The doctrine of divine providence, therefore, has reference to that preservation care and government which God exercises over all things that He has created in order they may accomplish the ends for which they were created. (ISEB)

Simply put God has always been and always will be involved in our lives as he is in control over his creation. The reason why he can do this is because he is all powerful Genesis 17:1 all knowing, Hebrews 4:13 and always present Jeremiah 23:24. These divine characteristics of God show us that he has the ability to direct the destiny of his creation.

However, I want to make it clear God’s never violates our free will because he always given us the choice to choose our destiny. Lets, begin our study by reading the first 7 verses of Psalms 105.

Psalms 105:1-7

Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples

Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works!

Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!

Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore!

Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,

O seed of Abraham His servant, You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!

He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth.

Here we see that children of Israel have been called together to remember the great works God has done in their lives. As they reflect upon the providence of God, they are to share with one another what God has done for them in their life. They are to thank God for all that he has done and they are to sing and rejoice for all that hand of the Lord has done for them. Then finally in Psalms 105:7 they proclaim that God is their Lord.

This is a great introduction to this Psalm and I hope that you and I can learn just how important it is for us to stand back and reflect in our own lives what God had done for us. We have all been touched by the hand of God and have seen him working in our lives. We can certainly count our blessing because we can go to our Bibles at anytime and we can read and see how God providence brought about our salvation through his son. Its very important that we share with one another the blessing we have received that way we can rejoice for one another and be lifted up by one another.

Anytime we can recognize that God is working in our lives through his providence it should be a time of great rejoicing and singing and giving thanks to God almighty. It should thrill us to death that we have God that loves us and cares for us and is always there for us. Just as Psalms 105:7 said he is the Lord our God.

Now after the children of Israel have been called together to remember God and his providential care notice what the Psalmist says next,

Psalms 105:8-11

He remembers His covenant forever, The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,

The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac,

And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel as an everlasting covenant,

Saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan As the allotment of your inheritance,"

If there is one thing that you and I can count on, its the fact that God remembers his covenant and he never fails to keep his promises. The covenant he made with Abraham included more than just the land promise. Notice what God tells Abraham in,

Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. ² I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

All these promises that God made to Abraham he reaffirmed them to Isaac and to Jacob and today we have the privilege and honor of being able to read and see all that God did to bring about all these promises. In fact, we have benefited from these promises because these promise caused all nations to be blessed because they led to Jesus coming to the earth to die for our sins so that both Jew and Gentile can enjoy the wonderful blessing of salvation.

When we look at these OT events and see the promises of God come about it, should give us great hope and confidence in our God. This is why its so important that we study the OT and learn as much as we can about the nature of God as Paul says in, ‘

Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

Now lets get back to our text” starting in Psalms 105:12-15.

Psalms 105:12-15

When they were few in number, Indeed very few, and strangers in it.

When they went from one nation to another, From one kingdom to another people,

He permitted no one to do them wrong; Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,

Saying, "Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm."

We need to remember when God made his covenant with Abraham he was very small in number, but not even kingdoms made up of thousands of men were allowed to do harm to Abrahams seed. God was always there in background watching and jumping into action making sure that his chosen people would survive and thrive. When we read about how God protected Israel over and over again it should bring comfort to us today knowing that this same God is watching out for you and I because we are the new spiritual Israel. In fact the N.T. teaches many times just how much God is working in our lives with his providence. Consider what Jesus says in,

John 10:28 "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹ "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. ³⁰ "I and My Father are one."

No one on this earth has the power to take us out of God hands because He is all powerful and He is in full control. Since he is full control we have no reason to fear those around us as Jesus says,

Matthew 10:28 "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Its important that we always realize how powerful our God really is and that there nothing on this earth that has the power separate us from His love. We are the only ones that have the ability not to choose to accept His love and protection. I also like what Paul says in,

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Friends Paul is letting us know that God is working in our lives every single day because that is the only way this statement could be true. Every day you and I face temptation but God working through his providence makes sure that we are not tempted beyond what we can handle. He knows our hearts and he knows that some temptations are very challenging to us but we should use these moments to grow stronger by learning to turn away from sin no matter how tempting it may be.

Psalms 105:16-23

Moreover He called for a famine in the land; He destroyed all the provision of bread.

He sent a man before them -- Joseph -- who was sold as a slave.

They hurt his feet with fetters, He was laid in irons.

Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the LORD tested him.

The king sent and released him, The ruler of the people let him go free.

He made him lord of his house, And ruler of all his possessions,

To bind his princes at his pleasure, And teach his elders wisdom.

Israel also came into Egypt, And Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham.

The is a brief summary of what happened to Joseph and how God used him to save the children of Israel from dieing out. If you will recall Jacob, his father, was showing favoritism for him and this made his brother mad and so one day, they decided to put an end to their brother’s life. But just at the right time some slave traders just happened by and they sold him into slavery for 20 pieces of silver instead Genesis 37:28. No matter where Joseph went God blessed Him in what he did. When he was working at Potiphars house everything prospered that he touched and even after he was falsely accused by Potiphers wife he did not lose his life instead he was sent to another prison and even there he was blessed by God as he was put in charge of the prison. Then the Pharaoh had a dream that scared him and he did not understand and no one could interpret but Joseph was able to and he predicted there would be 7 years of plenty then 7 years of famine just as we read in our Psalm. Next Joseph is made 2^nd in command of all Egypt and is put in charge of the food supply. Sure enough after 7 years the famine begins which causes his brothers to come to Egypt to seek food which leads to the children of Israel moving to Egypt and surviving the famine. All this took place so that God could take care of his chosen people and Joseph himself realized this in the end. Notice what he says to his brothers in regards to what they had done to him,

Genesis 50:20 "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

Psalms 105:24-38

He increased His people greatly, And made them stronger than their enemies.

He turned their heart to hate His people, To deal craftily with His servants.

He sent Moses His servant, And Aaron whom He had chosen. ²⁷ They performed His signs among them, And wonders in the land of Ham.

He sent darkness, and made it dark; And they did not rebel against His word.

He turned their waters into blood, And killed their fish.

Their land abounded with frogs, Even in the chambers of their kings.

He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, And lice in all their territory.

He gave them hail for rain, And flaming fire in their land.

He struck their vines also, and their fig trees, And splintered the trees of their territory.

He spoke, and locusts came, Young locusts without number,

And ate up all the vegetation in their land, And devoured the fruit of their ground.

He also destroyed all the firstborn in their land, The first of all their strength.

He also brought them out with silver and gold, And there was none feeble among His tribes.

Egypt was glad when they departed, For the fear of them had fallen upon them.

Now the Psalmist continues on to remind the children of Israel of how God had made it possible for their people to grow strong and be freed from slavery. Once the children of Israel moved into Egypt and Joseph died they became the Egyptians slaves and some 400 + years had passed and now they were huge and this became a great concern to the Pharaoh at the time because he knew that if they decided to they could defeat the Egyptians. This is why he ordered their first born males all be killed but by the providence of God he made sure that Moses was spared and we all know that Moses was raised up in the Pharaohs household and was probably on his way to becoming a Pharaoh some day but instead at the age of 40 he kills another Egyptians for beating one his fellow Hebrew brethren. Then 40 years later God calls on him to go speak to the Pharaoh to let his people go.

His brother Aaron joins with Moses and goes and speaks to the Pharaoh but the he will not let his people go because his heart was harden. We are told 3 different things about the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart.

First the Bible says that Pharaoh hardened his own heart and did not take heed to God instruction (Exodus 8:15; Exodus 8:32; Exodus 9:34). Sometimes it simply says that Pharaoh’s heart was hardened (Exodus 8:19; Exodus 9:35) and other times it says that God hardened his heart (Exodus 9:12; Exodus 10:20; Exodus 10:27; Exodus 11:10; Exodus 14:8). Please remember that God providence does not take away from a person free will so when it says that God hardened his heart it was against his free will it was by his own choosing. Since the Pharaoh didn’t like the message from God to let his people go this is what caused his heart to be harden. So God uses the Pharaoh to show his people and the Egyptians that he is the only true God.

Notice we can see this in very clearly in Exodus 9:13-16

Exodus 9:13-16

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, ’Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews: "Let My people go, that they may serve Me,

"for at this time I will send all My plagues to your very heart, and on your servants and on your people, that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth.

Now if I had stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, then you would have been cut off from the earth.

But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.

So we have God working through the Pharaoh and through Moses and Aaron to bring about the deliverance of the children of Israel. In this case God used the 10 plagues to show that he had power over all the false Gods of Egypt and after the 10 plague which was the death of their first born males Pharaoh finally let them go and the people even gave them great quantities of Gold and Silver as they left. Again all this came about because of God working in their lives.

Psalms 105:39-42

He spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to give light in the night.

The people asked, and He brought quail, And satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

He opened the rock, and water gushed out; It ran in the dry places like a river.

For He remembered His holy promise, And Abraham His servant.

Again the Psalmist gives another brief account of how God took care of the children of Israel after they crossed the Red Sea and then wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.

He was always there for them, guiding them in they way they should go. He continually supplied water and food for them and even made it to where there clothes never wore out during this journey. This whole journey was leading up to them coming into the land of Canaan so that they could fulfill the land promise that was made to Abraham many years before hand. Just as God had promised they did receive the land of Canaan just as Psalmist concludes.

Psalms 105:43-45

He brought out His people with joy, His chosen ones with gladness.

He gave them the lands of the Gentiles, And they inherited the labor of the nations,

That they might observe His statutes And keep His laws. Praise the LORD!

I cannot emphasize enough the same God that took care and provided for the children of Israel is the same loving God that is working in our lives today. Just as he kept the promise of giving the land of Canaan to those who put their faith and trust in him and who obeyed his commands he has made a similar promise to us today except the land he has promised us cannot be found on this earth because it can only be found in heaven itself.

If you have obeyed the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16) are living your life for God and striving to do your best at obeying his commands then you can have all the confidence in the world that God is watching out for you and there is home for you in heaven. But, order for us to truly reap the benefits of God’s providence we must be obedient to his will. We must “obey from the heart that form of doctrine which has once and for all been delivered unto the saints.” Paul makes this statement in,

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Notice there are two elements required in reaping the benefits of God’s providential care. First we are to love God and to love God means that we are going to obey his commands.

John 14:15 " If you love Me, keep My commandments.

Second element is being called by God. Now some use this expression freely and say God called me to do this or that but those statements are based on speculation. The called out that Paul is speaking of are Christian who have be called by the word of God. Notice

2 Thessalonians 2:13-15

But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,

to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.

So if a person wants God working in their life making things work out for the Good they must be a Christian who has obeyed the gospel and who love the Lord and shows their love by living faithfully according to God’s commands.

We have learned several things from this lesson:

1. The will of God will always be accomplished.

2. The providence of God will never violate our free will.

3. God never fails His people and He always keeps His promises

4. God can work through obedient men such a Moses or Aaron and He can work through wicked men such as the Pharaoh.

5. In order to reap the benefits of God’s providence we must be obedient to His commands.

6. Finally, we have learned that God loves us and He is always there for us as He works is our lives daily.

PSALM 105

EXPOSITION

A sense of the value of these historical psalms grows upon us as we proceed with their study. Books were few, and comparatively inaccessible: hence, if history had to live for practical ends, it must be lodged in the memories of the people; and poetry was well adapted to effect that lodgment—especially poetry such as we here find, with its sententious brevity of expression, its happy use of parallelism, its abounding figures of speech, its picturesque brightness, its easy and rapid flow. Such poetry puts history “into the mouths” of the people (Deuteronomy 31:19) by fixing it in their memories, enabling them readily to repeat it, and encouraging them to sing and harp its strains. It was a history worth repeating, not only because it was their history and was unique, but because there ran through it the golden thread of Divine interposition. If God is revealed in all history, he is pre-eminently revealed in Israel’s, since He was ever and anon giving them new epochs, new starting points of development; as well as constant watchful care. But it was so full and significant a history as to abound with lessons of a most varied description—fitted to warn, to encourage, to move to devotion in prayer and praise. Hence it was a task worthy of gifted psalmists, so to select and epitomize, so to bring to the front and leave in the background, as to point the moral as well as adorn the tale. These historical psalms thus became national stories told with a purpose. This becomes clear when the three leading historical songs (78, 105, 106) are laid side by side as to their main scope and design. Thus the 78th gains immensely in interest when viewed as an Asaphic appeal put forth in the time of Hezekiah for the purpose of encouraging and cementing the Reunion of the Tribes. The present psalm, the 105th, is mainly devotional, it is true; but it clearly has, as its didactic purpose, so to foster confidence in the covenant faithfulness of Jehovah, as to encourage the spirit of obedience, and the desire on the part of the people to dwell in their own land for the very purpose of having perfect freedom to observe all Divine ordinances. The psalm which immediately succeeds this, the 106th, while equally devotional in its setting with its predecessor, is wholly different in its chief aim. It is, as we shall see, above all things, an admonitory psalm: its warnings are loud and long, and that they should ever have been turned into measure for psalm-singing, redounds to the everlasting praise for honesty of the psalmist that durst compose it and of the people who were willing to sing it.

Settling down for a little on the particular psalm now before us, it is observable (Psalms 105:1-5) with what fulness of appeal the psalmist seeks to kindle the devotional spirit: give thanks—proclaim—make known—sing—harp—soliloquise—boast—be joyful—search—seek diligently—commemorate,—note after note of invitation is struck till every ear is attent, and every mind is fixed on Jehovah as the one object of worship.

Then observe, with what force of appeal (Psalms 105:6-11), the fathers of the nation are introduced; and how these worshippers now addressed are reminded of the fact that they are the children of those patriarchs, and are themselves chosen to be the people of their father’s God—that they are a covenant people, inheritors of the covenant land.

It is needless to recapitulate the psalm. But note how attention is for awhile held on the story of their first fathers (Psalms 105:12-15); then (Psalms 105:16-23) on the providentially over-ruled famine in Canaan, on the touching story of Joseph—whose name, it will be observed, is quite dramatically introduced, and to whom are devoted no less than twelve most effective lines. The remarkable providences are thus displayed by which the man Jacob—Israel, whose names become those of the nation, is brought down into Egypt: and so at length (Psalms 105:24-25) the familiar story is begun of the dangerous increase of Israel, the mission of Moses and Aaron (Psalms 105:26), the threatening of the plagues (too often overlooked) as well as the infliction of them (Psalms 105:27) of which a selection is then given (Psalms 105:28 ff.),—a selection only, it is true, but sufficiently full and detailed to raise the whole question of historicity to the high level of perpetual national celebration; and to challenge the modern sceptical mind to say whether such a story—so detailed, so significantly dovetailed into the history, so celebrated down to the present day—had, afer all, no solid foundation in fact. And finally observe how the land-covenant, introduced as early in the psalm as the eighth verse, is reintroduced as far on as at the forty-second verse, so leading up to the unifying theme and climax of the psalm—the LAND as the Divinely ordained sphere of the full and unmolested observance of the LAW.

God is Loving and Longsuffering

^{Psalms 106:1-48}

Psalms 106 tells a story of grace for the Israelite nation before Almighty God. God is loving and longsuffering with all men for He does not wish for any to perish but all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).Psalms 106 is chock full of Israel’s sin and shortcomings, but this is not the focus of this Psalm rather it is on the longsuffering love of our Lord who loved Israel as He loves each one of us unconditionally. We must only read John 3:16 to see the reality of God’s great love, patience, and mercy for all mankind. To validate what I have highlighted simply read Psalms 106:43-48 to see his compassion for Israel and through them to us. Every time Israel failed God would deal with them with justice, mercy, and love. How God puts up with us can only be answered in one way: Christ became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). My friends it all starts and ends with the cross of Jesus Christ and if we lose that picture then we will lose our way as Israel did so often. Let’s examine what Psalms 106 teaches us about God’s longsuffering love.

Psalms 106:1-6

Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all his praise?

Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.

Remember me, O LORD, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;

That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.

We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.

Psalms 106 begins with PRAISE THE LORD! Why? Because the Lord is good and His loving-kindness is everlasting. As the Psalmist highlights each one of us is totally dependent upon the Lord for both favor and salvation

(Psalms 106:4). Without God’s redemptive plan there is no hope for anyone of us. This thought is said best in Psalms 106:6 : “We have sinned like our fathers, we have committed iniquity, and we have behaved wickedly.” This Psalm was written most likely after the Babylonian captivity and details nine serious offenses of the Jewish nation against God, and yet God preserved the seed of the Savior through even these sinful and rebellious people, because of His longsuffering love for mankind.

Psalms 106:7-12

Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea.

Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.

He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.

And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.

Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.

Psalms 106:7-12 - The first offense occurs in Exodus 14 with the Pharaoh and his army in hot pursuit of Israel to bring them back to captivity. Seeing the Egyptians they (Israelites) quaked with fear and begged Moses to go back to Egypt. God had another plan for them and Moses shouted out not to fear, but stand by and see the salvation of the Lord. Already the Israelites had forgotten the love and power of God that would assure their escape from Egypt. The Lord swept back the sea as Moses stretched out his hand over it with a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land allowing the safe crossing of Israel. However, the Egyptians followed them into the sea, but were confused by God and when Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; the mighty Egyptian army was lost forever. It was then that the Israelites BELIEVED God’s words, and PRAISED Him in song for their deliverance.

Psalms 106:13-23

They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:

But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.

And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.

They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD.

The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.

And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.

They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.

Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.

They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;

Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea.

Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.

Psalms 106:13-23 - The second offense occurs when the Israelites craved meat to eat and longed for the onions, garlic, cucumbers, melons, and leeks they use to eat in Egypt (Numbers 11). Grown men and women were crying in their tents because they craved meat to eat. So the Lord sent quail and plenty of them to eat. As the people were eating the quail, the anger of the Lord burned against them and He sent a wasting disease on them which killed those who had been greedy craving the foods of Egypt. They called this place Kibroth-hattaavah or the “graves of greediness”. The third offense occurs in Numbers 16 and it is known as Korah’s rebellion. This rebellion was against the authority of Moses which meant the people were rebelling against the authority of the Lord. To make a long story short Korah and those supporting him were consumed when the ground opened up and swallowed them including their families. It is unwise to challenge the authority of God. The fourth offense occurred when Moses was on Sinai receiving the Law and 10 Commandments, and the Israelites had Aaron build them a golden calf to worship. When Moses came down from Sinai his anger burned and God prepared to smote the people and make a great nation of Moses. But Moses interceded for Israel and stood in the “breach” for his people. It is recorded that the Lord changed His mind because of Moses’s intercession for the people (Exodus 32:14). Moses did go through the camp and killed 3000 men that day. Moses dedicated himself to the ministry of intercession and stood in the “breech” for others. Are you willing to stand in the “breech” for others?

Psalms 106:24-27

Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word:

But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD.

Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness:

To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands.

Psalms 106:24-27 - The fifth offense occurred at Kadesh Barnea on the border of the Promised Land when the Israelites refused to believe God and grumbled in their tents in fear believing the majority report from the spies instead of Joshua and Caleb. The people started crying and were ready to stone Moses and Aaron. Again God determined to destroy them and again Moses interceded for his people and God relented from destroying the Israelites. Unfortunately, because of their unbelief all people over 20 years of age could not enter the Promise Land, and the Israelites walked around in the desert for 38 more years as the older generation died off.

Psalms 106:28-33

They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.

Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.

Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed.

And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.

They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:

Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.

Psalms 106:28-33 -The sixth offense and seventh offense occurred when the Israelites joined themselves to the Moabites and failed to keep themselves separate, and when Moses in his pride spoke harshly to the rock in direct disobedience to the instructions of God. There are always consequences to sin and this sin cost Moses his opportunity to enter into the Promise Land.

Psalms 106:34-39

They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them:

But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.

And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.

Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,

And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.

Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.

Psalms 106:34-39 -The eighth offense occurred as the Israelites entered the Promise Land and failed to eradicate the people as God had directed them to do. The ninth offense occurred when the Israelites violated God’s command and sacrificed their own children to false gods.

Psalms 106:40-48

Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.

And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them.

Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.

Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.

Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry:

And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.

He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.

Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise.

Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD.

Psalms 106:40-48 –With the many sins of the Israelites, God in His anger would give them over to their enemies who would oppress them. The Israelites, a rebellious people, then would sink down in their iniquity and sin. But God is a gracious God and He would hear the cry of Israel in their suffering, and God would respond by delivering His people. Why would God do that? Because He remembered His covenant for their sake and relented according to His loving-kindness. God would save His people over and over again. The Psalm ends with blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel because He was longsuffering with His people and would in compassion deliver them even after they had sinned.

The lessons from Psalms 106 that we must all learn are shown below:

1. The Lord is longsuffering and is great in His loving-kindness.

2. Israel failed miserably in the desert and in the Promise Land by its sin and only the grace of God delivered them.

3. Moses stood in the “breech” and interceded for his people….so should we!

4. God will always honor His covenant and it is something we can count on.

PSALM 106

EXPOSITION

Attention has already been called to this psalm (see Exposition of 105) as not only one of a series of historical psalms—and as such serving an important purpose in the training of the people,—but especially as a national confession of sin. This characteristic is so marked, and morally so significant, as to be worthy of further thought. Not only are our minds arrested by the evident honesty of the nation, and especially its prophets, in thus recording their own shame; but we are made to pause and ponder in presence of this spiritual phenomenon. If we try to conceive of this psalm as being originated earlier than the Exile, we shall probably fail. We can easily imagine an Isaiah or a Jeremiah charging sin home upon the people; but we find the greatest difficulty in representing it to ourselves as possible that they could have led the way in a national confession such as this psalm supplies. The time was not ripe for this: the atmosphere of public confession did not yet exist. As we read the great national confession of sin preserved in Nehemiah 9, or that found in the early part of Daniel 9 which though not national in form is nevertheless intensely and intentionally national in spirit, we feel at home in the prayer and realise that the prayer is at home in its historical and literary surroundings. It fits in with the time: is the genuine product of the strange and startling events which have come to pass in Israelitish history.

There had been earlier invasions of the holy land, and the lessons of Divine providence had sunk deep into the best and most thoughtful minds in Israel; but nothing like this had happened before: that Jerusalem itself should be overthrown, and the whole land permanently brought under the heel of the Foreigner. The effect on the minds of the people must have been profound. There was no denying the great, sad fact of Hebrew humiliation; and though many of the people may have shrewdly and stoically adapted themselves to this revolutionary change in their environment, yet the moral only needed to be pointedly drawn and strongly driven home by prophetic voices in and after the Babylonish Exile, to carry home conviction to the average Hebrew mind. This is not to say, that the spiritual sense of humiliation was equally deep in all minds; but it is to say, that when prophets declared—“Our sins as a nation have brought these evils upon us,” the general conscience must have responded—“There is no denying it!” This acquiescence in the undeniable, it was, which created the atmosphere in which public confession of national sin could live; for it should be well noted that both these elements—that the confession is public and the sin national—are involved in the case now before us. Its being publicly made with general consent silences cavil; and the sins being national lifts them up to the level of undeniable notoriety. From this point of view, survey the long catalogue of sins, beginning with the first protests of incredulity in Egypt, down to the latest practices of licentious cruelty perpetrated in Palestine. Imagine the humiliation and severe spiritual discipline involved in reciting so many national sins in a single psalm. What spiritual authority in these Western Isles would dare to draw up such a catalogue of national offences against the laws of God and man? How can we picture to ourselves congregations throughout our land publicly humbling themselves under the piled-up iniquities of many centuries? The attempt to conceive these things may open our eyes to something of the startlingly unique spiritual phenomenon which the ancient temple-use of this psalm presents to our view. No man can study the Hebrew nation successfully who does not study its solidarity; and no man can appreciate its solidarity in the highest realm of the spirit, who does not bend his mind to the spectacle of a nation confessing the sins it had committed from the Exodus to the Exile. That is the spectacle we have here.

Consider the Great Love of the Lord

Psalms 107:1-43

Psalms 107 must be included in any compilation of those Psalms which have the most impact on the life of the pilgrim as he/she sets their heart on pilgrimage. This Psalm describes five specific situations that men face in this life and what must be done to respond to them. At the end of the Psalm there is a superb exhortation for those who are wise to heed: Consider the great love of the Lord. Yes, the love of the Lord is the theme of Psalms 107 but the message of this Psalm is in its practical application of what must be done when mistakes are made, plans are flawed, events overwhelm, our strength fails, or we lose our way.

Psalms 107:1-3

O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.

None of us are better than the other because we all stand equal at the foot of the cross and when we look up then we know that we stand in NEED OF REDEMPTION! As Psalms 107:1 puts it: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” It is this love that we find essential to our walk through this world because “stuff” happens and we all depend on God’s redemptive grace to move forward in our lives.

Psalms 107:4-9

They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.

Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.

Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.

And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.

Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

Psalms 107:4-9 – Here we find Israel wandering in the desert because they are lost and need a way home. They were hungry and thirsty, and their soul fainted within them because they stood in need of help. What was their response in their time of fainting? Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble! Isn’t that what the Bible teaches us in James 5:13? “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray.” The Lord heard their cry of distress, and He led them to a straight way to an inhabited city. God will never let us lose our way if we will humble ourselves and call out to Him. When God performs His great work for us then let us PRAISE His loving-kindness for He will satisfy us with every good gift.

Psalms 107:10-16

Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;

Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High:

Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.

Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.

He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.

Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.

Psalms 107:10-16 - There were prisoners in chains and in misery in fact in the shadow of death for they had lost all freedom. They were there because of their own rebellion and sin, and failure to listen to the word of God. They deserved to be there and they were in great suffering because of it. The burden was so great that they stumbled and there was no one to help. Their sentence was beyond what they could bear so they cried out to the Lord and He saved them and brought them out of the shadow of death and broke their chains apart. The Lord freed them just as He does today when we are in bondage to sin IF we will humble ourselves and cry out to Him for our present relief. What is to be our response when God acts on our behalf? We are to give thanks to the Lord for His loving-kindness.

Psalms 107:17-22

Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.

Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.

Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.

He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.

Psalms 107:17-22 -They were fools because of their rebellious ways and they were sick and could not bear food. Alone and hurting they were fast losing their ability to sustain themselves for they abhorred all kinds of food for their health was failing as they drew near to the gates of death. Then they came to their senses and cried out to the Lord in their trouble! He saved them and healed them. The Lord heard and answered them even at death’s doorstep and the Lord saved them! Blessed be the name of the Lord for he heals all our diseases! Let us give thanks to the Lord for His loving-kindness and tell of His works with joyful singing!

Psalms 107:23-32

They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;

These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.

For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.

They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.

They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.

Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.

He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

Psalms 107:23-32 - Then there were those who went to sea only to find themselves in the fiercest of storms (have you ever seen the movie the Perfect Storm?), and the terror of the storm was so great that even hardened seaman were in misery and they reeled and staggered like drunken men without hope for rescue. They were at their wits’ end and then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He caused the storm to be still so that the waves were hushed. They were glad because all was quiet and the Lord guided them safely to port! Oh, let us give thanks to the Lord for His loving-kindness.

Psalms 107:33-43

He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground;

A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.

He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings.

And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation;

And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.

He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease.

Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow.

He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way.

Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock.

The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.

Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.

Psalms 107:33-43 -The Lord has the capacity to make a home where there is none, to make a wilderness into a pool of water, and a dry land into springs of water. The Lord God makes the hungry dwell there within, and plants vineyards and sows fields for them. The Lord assures a fruitful harvest and no decrease in cattle. For those who are homeless the Lord makes a home and sets the needy on a high hill away from affliction. The Lord pours contempt on the princes and the oppressors who bring nothing but sorrow and misery. What is our response if we are wise? Give heed to those who had lost their way, lost their freedom, lost their health, lost their hope, and lost their home, and consider the loving-kindness of our Lord. PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME!

PSALM 107

EXPOSITION

This psalm stands high for its artistic beauty and for its broad applicability to the experiences of men, as well as for the same lofty devotion as that by which most of the psalms are distinguished. Its artistic beauty is greatly owing to the two refrains which adorn each of is four principal stanzas, one refrain shewing how trouble leads to prayer, and the other suggesting that answered prayer calls for praise; and, though this feature is missing from the concluding strains of the psalm (Psalms 107:33-42), yet this absence ceases to appear as a blemish, when once it is apprehended that the lack was intentional, and that the supernumerary lines were merely intended to shew, by two further examples, in how many other ways than those above wrought out, the prayers of men might be called for and their praises evoked. Such an apprehension enriches us by revealing psalmody in the making as well as psalmody fully prepared for public use. We first think we can see whereabouts amidst the supplementary lines the refrains might have been inserted, and then reflect on the numberless other ways in which the ever-varying experiences of life may with equal fitness fan the flames of petition and adoration. Let the redeemed from every other conceivable distress say whether it is not still true of Jehovah, that he is good, For to the ages is his kindness.

By this very suggestiveness—of other like experiences—is the breadth of this psalm discovered; as also by the typical character of the instances actually given. In the first and fourth refrained stanzas, we have instances of men in distress through no apparent sin or fault of their own: in the second and third finished stanzas, are given examples in which it was sin that brought on the suffering. We can choose between them, according as we apprehend our own troubles to be punitive as well as disciplinary, or the latter only. We may be passing through trouble—not because we are bad, but that we may be better. Besides this, some troubles read like parables of others to which they bear a striking resemblance. Many a man seems to himself to be like a prisoner with no imaginable way of escape; and many another, like the mariner whose soul by trouble dissolveth, And all his wisdom is engulfed. Courage, brother! HE still liveth who can still the storm to a whisper. Sooner than thou thinkest, thou mayest have cast anchor in thy desired haven!

Among other manifestations of the devotional spirit which pervades the psalms in general, this psalm is delightfully conspicuous in that, instead of employing inferior deities, one to send a trouble and another to remove it, all the vicissitudes of life are traced ultimately to Jehovah’s holy will. He mercifully overrules the troubles which he inscrutably permits: he raises the storm which he abates. In no case are we debarred from recognising his hand in the controlling and moulding of our lives. Who is wise? let him observe these things, And diligently consider the kindness of Jehovah.

There is not a word in the body of this psalm to suggest a late date for its composition; and though the Sopherim may very well have adapted it for a post-exilic time by the prelude which amplifies the gathering of scattered Israel, yet it should not be forgotten that Israel suffered extensive deportations even before Hezekiah’s day. Those readers who will be at the trouble of looking up the numerous references to Job and Isaiah here supplied will of course be struck with the coincidences thereby brought to light. At the same time there are two weighty considerations to be borne in mind: the one is the brightening evidence that the latter part of Isaiah was after all mainly written by the man whose name it bears; and the other the much forgotten circumstance that the Great Return from Exile from the four quarters of the earth is manifestly an event which has yet to be fulfilled.

Praise and Trust From The Past For Today’

Psalms 108:1-13

This psalm is titled A Song. A Psalm of David. It is actually a compilation of sections from two other psalms. Psalms 108:1-5 is very similar to Psalms 57:7-11, and Psalms 108:6-13 is almost identical to Psalms 60:5-12. These are David’s words, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, taken and applied to a present challenge. The enemies specified in Psalms 108:9-13 are Moab, Edom, and Philistia (with the emphasis on Edom). It may be that the old foe, subdued earlier in David’s day, rose again and Israel must defeat her again. Psalms 108 shows us that we can and should use the words of Scripture as our present prayers and praises, suitable to our present situation.

“This is not a new song, save in its arrangement.” (G. Campbell Morgan)

“The Holy Spirit is not so short of expressions that he needs to repeat himself, and the repetition cannot be meant merely to fill the book: there must be some intention in the arrangement of two former divine utterances in a new connection.” (Charles Spurgeon)

The declaration of God’s praise.

The earnest nature of David’s praise to God (Psalms 108:1-2)

Psalms 108:1-2

O God, my heart is steadfast;

I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.

Awake, lute and harp!

I will awaken the dawn.

My heart is steadfast: As in Psalms 57:7, David sang of the strength of his heart in God. His steadfast confidence in God gave him a fixed point from which he could and would sing and give praise.

Even with my glory: David praised God with the best of his being. Whatever glory belonged to David, he directed it toward God in praise.

Awake, lute and harp: The earnest praise offered to God was musical. David was a skilled musician (1 Samuel 16:18), and it could be said that this skill was part of his glory – so he offered it to God in praise.

Lute and harp: “The Psaltery [lute] was a stringed instrument, usually with twelve strings, and played with the fingers. The harp or lyre was a stringed instrument, usually consisting of ten strings. Josephus says that it was struck or played with a key. It appears, however, that it was sometimes played with the fingers.” (Barnes, cited in Spurgeon)

I will awaken the dawn: David was determined to give God the best in praise, so he gave unto God the choice part of the day. David let the sound of his praise greet the dawn as it rose in the early morning hours.

David was awake, so he could awaken the dawn. “Some singers had need to awake, for they sing in drawling tones, as if they were half asleep; the tune drags wearily along, there is no feeling or sentiment in the singing, but the listener hears only a dull mechanical sound…. Oh, choristers, wake up, for this is not a work for dreamers, but such as requires your best powers in their liveliest condition.” (Spurgeon)

The wide audience of David’s praise(Psalms 108:3-4)

I will praise You, O LORD, among the peoples,

And I will sing praises to You among the nations.

For Your mercy is great above the heavens,

And Your truth reaches to the clouds.

I will praise You, O LORD, among the peoples: David directed his praise to Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. Yet he was praising Yahweh in the presence of the people of Israel (the peoples) or among the nations. His praise was not secret, but open and public.

For Your mercy is great above the heavens: The large audience was appropriate because of the large nature of God’s great mercy (hesed, lovingkindness, loyal love, or covenant love). David understood that the mercy of God was so great that if it were to be measured, it would extend above the heavens, and His truth would reach to the clouds.

“God is exalted above the heavens. His glory does fill the earth. The goal of history is that God might be known as God and be honored for it.” (Boice)

A cry of exaltation to God(Psalms 108:5-6)

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,

And Your glory above all the earth;

That Your beloved may be delivered,

Save with Your right hand, and hear me.

Be exalted, O God: If the measure of God’s mercy and truth are high above the heavens and the clouds, then the honor and recognition to God should also be that great. A God of great mercy and truth is worthy of great praise and recognition of glory.

That Your beloved may be delivered: David’s praise transformed into a prayer, asking that he would be rescued from his present distress. The opening of Psalms 108 is so filled with praise that we didn’t even know David was in trouble. He only mentioned his distress after setting his heart and mind right with praise from his entire being.

Your beloved: David understood that God loved him, and he appealed to God on that basis. David’s mind understood that there were many others that God loved, but his heart came to God as if he were the only one, not one of many. Beloved (Hebrew, yadid) was the meaning David’s own name – dawid, which means beloved.

Beloved: “The Hebrew word belongs to the language of love poetry; it appeals to the strongest of bonds, the most ardent of relationships.” (Kidner)

Save with Your right hand: The right hand is regarded as the hand of skill and strength. God’s rescue could not come through half measures. David called upon God to bring all His skill and strength into his rescue.

The declaration of God’s victory.

God’s dominion over Israel and its land(Psalms 108:7-8)

God has spoken in His holiness:

“I will rejoice;

I will divide Shechem

And measure out the Valley of Succoth.

Gilead is Mine; Manasseh is Mine;

Ephraim also is the helmet for My head;

Judah is My lawgiver.

God has spoken in His holiness: David was a prophet (Acts 2:30) and was about to prophesy of Yahweh’s ultimate victory over all nations. He began by noting that this proclamation came from God’s holiness – His quality and character of being separate and set apart from all His creation.

I will rejoice: God’s victory over all nations will make Him happy. He will not perform this reluctantly.

I will divide Shechem and measure out the Valley of Succoth: These verses refer to both a city and a region in Israel. God declared His sovereignty over the land; He would divide and measure it as He pleased. Comprehensively, the regions of greater Israel (including Gilead and Manasseh on the east side of the Jordan River, and the central sections of Judah and Ephraim) were under His dominion.

phraim also is the helmet for My head: The tribe of Ephraim descended from Joseph and was one of the prominent tribes of Israel. Sometimes the northern tribes were collectively called Ephraim, after this large and influential tribe. Ephraim was like a helmet, expressing God’s strength and security.

“As Ephraim was the most populous of all the tribes, he appropriately terms it the strength of his head, that is, of his dominions.” (Calvin, cited in Spurgeon)

Judah is My lawgiver: If Ephraim expressed God’s strength, the tribe of Judah expressed His rule and government, as a lawgiver. Judah was the tribe of King David and later of Jesus the Messiah.

God’s dominion over the nations (Psalms 108:9)

Moab is My washpot;

Over Edom I will cast My shoe;

Over Philistia I will triumph.”

Moab is My washpot: Yahweh was not merely a local deity with authority over Israel alone. He was the God of all the nations, and David recognized that by mentioning three neighboring kingdoms. God would use Moab as it pleased Him, and if it were for humble service like a pot for washing feet, then so be it. David did conquer Moab (2 Samuel 8:2).

Both Moab and Edom were noted for their pride (Isaiah 16:6, Obadiah 1:3). Here God gives them places of humble service. “The picture of Moab coming with a washbasin for the warrior to wash his feet represents her subjugation to servant status.” (VanGemeren)

Over Edom I will cast My shoe: In a day when roads and paths were dirty and covered with refuse of all kinds, a person’s shoes were regarded with contempt. If God wanted to throw a dirty shoe over Edom as an expression of His contempt, He had the power and right to do it. With God’s power, David did conquer Edom (2 Samuel 8:14).

“Will I cast out my shoe, i.e. I will use them like slaves; either holding forth my shoes, that they may pluck them off; or throwing my shoes at them, either in anger or contempt, as the manner of many masters was and is in such cases.” (Poole)

Over Philistia I will triumph: God’s dominion would also be expressed over these long and bitter enemies of Israel. God helping, David did conquer the Philistines (2 Samuel 8:1).

Trust in God and the help He will bring (Psalms 108:10-13).

Who will bring me into the strong city?

Who will lead me to Edom?

Is it not You, O God, who cast us off?

And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies?

Give us help from trouble,

For the help of man is useless.

Through God we will do valiantly,

For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.

Who will bring me into the strong city? This psalm appears to have been composed and sung on the eve of battle. Before David confronted a strong city of Edom, he praised God and expressed his total confidence in God’s dominion over Israel and the pagan nations.

The strong city: The most notable strong city among the Edomites was the famous Petra. We have no record of David attacking or conquering that city. If the strong city refers to Petra, perhaps David did conquer it, but it is not in the Biblical record. Or, David may mean Petra as simply an example of what seemed to be an unconquerable city that could not resist God’s power if He willed it.

“There were a number of well-fortified cities in Edom, the source of the country’s strength and great pride, but when the psalm speaks of the fortified city it can only mean Petra, the legendary, inaccessible, and apparently impregnable mountain stronghold of Edom.” (Boice)

This is an important and eternal principle: That which seems unconquerable can be overcome by the power of God.

Is it not You, O God, who cast us off? David prayed this prayer in light of recent defeats, recognizing that those defeats came because God’s favor did not shine upon Israel’s armies. If God did not go out with our armies, there was no hope for victory – for the help of man is useless.

The help of man is useless: David had seen many brave men accomplish great things on the field of battle. Yet for David and for Israel, the help of man was not enough; indeed, it was useless. God’s help would lead them to victory.

“The king is not looking for a military solution to his problems, such as alliances with other kings, because he knows that their ‘help is worthless’.” (VanGemeren)

“We ought to pray with all the more confidence in God when our confidence in man is altogether gone. When the help of man is vain, we shall not find it vain to seek the help of God.” (Spurgeon)

Through God we will do valiantly: David’s formula was simple. Without God, they could do nothing. With and through God, they could win great victories and accomplish great things. The victory belonged to God (it is He who shall tread down our enemies); it was Israel’s place to praise God and bring themselves into right relationship with Him. This was the goal of this psalm, and we can suppose that it accomplished its purpose and the battle David faced was won.

David understood that it was not for Israel to avoid fighting and passively see what God would do. Instead, they would fight, but fight through God. Their fighting through God would be brave and valiant, and in it they would see God tread down our enemies.

We will do valiantly: “Divine working is not an argument for human inaction, but rather it is the best excitement for courageous effort.” (Spurgeon)

Through God we will do valiantly: “What, then, is the meaning of this word? That God will overcome Edom? By no means. Rather that the people who are of fixed heart in God will themselves do the valiant deed, but that they will do it through Him. This is ever the way of victory.” (Morgan)

It is He who shall tread down our enemies: “Faith is neither a coward nor a sluggard she knows that God is with her, and therefore she does valiantly; she knows that he will tread down her enemies, and therefore she arises to tread them down in his name.” (Spurgeon)

PSALM 108

EXPOSITION

Psalms 108:1-6 are taken from Psalms 57:7-11 : and Psalms 108:6-9 from Psalms 60:5-8. For Exposition, see those psalms. Probable Occasion for this Composite Psalm: Danger from Edom, Not so Accute as in Psalms 60.

A Prayer For Punishment of the Wicked

Psalms 109:1-31

Psalms 109 : To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. This psalm constitutes the most vivid example of imprecatory prayer found in all the Psalter. Such petitions for retributive justice have posed a theological problem: How can a man who claims to trust in the Lord (Psalms 109:21-31), pray such curses on his enemies as those found in Psalms 109:6-20? Several answers may be offered for this problem. First, there is a legitimate righteous indignation against sin. God Himself possesses this attribute and Jesus indirectly commanded it when He instructed the disciples to pray, “Thy kingdom come”. The coming of God’s kingdom includes the destruction of the wicked. Second, the curses used here are actually a prayer that places the matter into the hands of a just and holy God. Third, Peter quotes both (Psalms 69 and Psalms 109 in Acts 1:20), and attributes both references to the Holy Spirit. Fourth, the psalmist is so identified with God that he has the mind of God: the psalmist’s enemies are likewise at enmity with God. The content of the psalm may be analyzed as follows: the psalmist’s lament and declaration of innocence (Psalms 109:1-5), the catalog of curses that he prays will fall on his enemies (Psalms 109:6-20), and his plea that God will give mercy and protection (Psalms 109:21-31).

Psalms 109:1-31 : This imprecatory psalm of David cannot be conclusively connected by the psalm’s general details with any particular incident/person in the king’s life as chronicled in (1, 2 Sam. 1 Kings, and 1 Chron.). David’s responds here to those who have launched a vicious verbal assault of false accusations against him (compare Psalms 109:2-3; Psalms 109:20). This psalm is considered messianic in nature, since (Acts 1:20 quotes verse 8), in reference to Judas’ punishment for betraying Christ (compare Psalms 41:9; Psalms 69:25). David reverses roles with his enemies by moving from being the accused in man’s court to being the accuser/prosecutor before the bar of God.

The Plaintiff’s Plea (Psalms 109:1-5).

Psalms 109:1-5

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;

For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.

For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.

And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

It is the unspeakable comfort of all believers, that whoever is against them, God is for them. And to him they may apply as to one pleased to concern himself for them. David’s enemies laughed at him for his devotion, but they could not laugh him out of it.

Psalms 109:1 "Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;"

“O God of my praise”: David begins and ends (compare Psalms 109:30), with praise for the Chief Justice of the universe. At (Psalms 109:21), David addresses the Judge as “O God the Lord” and at (Psalms 109:26), as “O LORD my God”.

In this instance, David is crying out for God to speak. Everyone else has had their say, now it is time for God to speak. When God speaks, the whole world listens. “God of my praise”, means that David directs his praise to Him. It could also be saying, God who deserves my praise.

Psalms 109:2-5 : David’s complaint was that the innocent were being accused by the guilty. He asserted that the charges were without cause (Psalms 109:3). While Doeg the Edomite has been identified by some (compare 1 Sam. chapters 21-22; Psalms 52), the far more likely candidate would be Saul (compare 1 Sam. chapters 18-27). Eight of the 14 historical superscriptions in other psalms refer to the suffering of David related to Saul’s pursuits for the purpose of killing David (compare Psalms 18, 34, 54, 56, 57, 59, 63, , 142).

Psalms 109:2 "For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue."

Or "of deceit" itself; most wicked and very deceitful men, who sometimes flattered and pretended friendship, as the Jews did to Christ, when they designed ill against him. Though at other times their mouths were opened, and they poured out their calumnies and reproaches very freely and largely; traducing his person, and aspersing his character as a wicked man. Blaspheming his miracles, as if done by the help of the devil. Charging his doctrine with novelty, falsehood, and blasphemy. Loading him with invidious names, as Samaritan, madman, etc. Representing him as an enemy to the state, as a seditious person, and a disturber of the nation’s peace; particularly their mouths were opened against him when they called for his crucifixion. And would have no denial; and especially when he was on the cross, where they gaped upon him with their mouths, and poured out their scoffs and jeers at him (see Psalms 22:14).

"They have spoken against me with a lying tongue, false witnesses rose up against him, and laid things to his charge he knew nothing of, and which they could not prove (Matthew 26:59).

In (Psalms 109:2-5; Psalms 109:20; Psalms 109:25; Psalms 109:27-29), David refers to a group of accusers, in contrast to (Psalms 109:6-19), where an individual is mentioned. Most likely, the individual is the group leader.

We know that there is always plenty of negative speaking around. It seems the more you love the Lord, the more the wicked speak out against you. They cannot tell the truth, so they just make up lies to tell. All believers have faced just this kind of opposition.

Psalms 109:3 "They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause."

They surrounded him as he hung on the cross, and expressed their malice and hatred against him. Then was he enclosed with these spiteful snarling dogs, and encompassed by them as with so many bees, who everyone left their sting in him (Psalms 22:16).

"And fought against me without a cause": They were of a hostile spirit, enemies and enmity itself against him. Fought against him both with words and blows, with their tongues and with their fists. Sought his life, and at length took it away. He was attacked by the body of the Jewish nation, and by the whole posse of devils; and all this without any cause or just reason. He gave them no occasion for this enmity and malice, and opposition to him. And it was in the issue without effect, it was in vain and to no purpose. For though they gained their point in putting him to death, yet he rose again a triumphant Conqueror over them all.

It makes it difficult to understand why they would fight against you, if you had done them no harm. These words of hatred they have brought against him are, because they are jealous of his relationship with God.

Psalms 109:4 "For my love they are my adversaries: but I [give myself unto] prayer."

For the love that Christ showed to the Jews. To their bodies, in going about and healing all manner of diseases among them. To their souls, in preaching the Gospel to them in each of their cities. And for the love he showed to mankind in coming into the world to save them, which should have commanded love again. But instead of this they became his implacable adversaries. They acted the part of Satan; they were as so many Satans to him, as the word signifies.

"But I give myself unto prayer": Or "I am a man of prayer"; as Aben Ezra and Kimchi supply it. So he was in the days of his flesh (Hebrews 5:7). He was constant at it, and fervent in it; sometimes a whole night together at it. His usual method was, when at Jerusalem, to teach in the temple in the daytime, and at night to go to the mount of Olives, and there abide and pray (Luke 6:12). This was the armor he alone made use of against his enemies, when they fought against him, and acted the part of an adversary to him. He betook himself to nothing else but prayer; he did not return railing for railing, but committed himself in prayer to God, who judges righteously (1 Peter 2:23). Yea, he prayed for those his adversaries: and so Aben Ezra and Kimchi interpret it, that he was a man of prayer for them, and prayed for them. As it is certain Christ did, when he was encompassed by his enemies, and they were venting all their spite and malice against him (Luke 23:34).

In return for the love that he has shown them, they are his enemies. Jesus taught us to love our enemies, even the ones who despitefully use us. Pray for them. Perhaps the prayer that David is speaking of here, has to do with getting his thoughts off these evil people and on to God. He does not, and cannot, fellowship with these people, so he fellowships with God in prayer.

Psalms 109:5 "And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love."

For the good words and sound doctrine, he delivered to them. For the good works and miracles, he wrought among them, to the healing of them (see John 10:32).

"And hatred for my love": He came to seek and save that which was lost, and yet they hated him, and would not have him to rule over them (Luke 19:10).

There is some very good advice on this very subject in:

Proverbs 25:21-22 "If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:" "For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee."

The strange thing, David has been doing the right thing with these people. When David loves them and blesses the very ones who hate him, it is pleasing unto God.

The Punishment Desired (Psalms 109:6-20).

Psalms 109:6-20

Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.

When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.

Let his days be few; and let another take his office.

Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.

Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.

Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.

Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.

Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.

Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.

As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.

As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.

Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.

Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul.

The Lord Jesus may speak here as a Judge, denouncing sentence on some of his enemies, to warn others. When men reject the salvation of Christ, even their prayers are numbered among their sins. See what hurries some to shameful deaths, and brings the families and estates of others to ruin. Makes them and theirs despicable and hateful, and brings poverty, shame, and misery upon their posterity. It is sin, that mischievous, destructive thing. And what will be the effect of the sentence? Go, ye cursed, upon the bodies and souls of the wicked! How it will affect the senses of the body, and the powers of the soul, with pain, anguish, horror, and despair? Think on these things, sinners, tremble and repent.

The Mosaic law had anticipated false accusations and malicious witnesses (compare Deuteronomy 19:16-21), by decreeing that the false accuser was to be given the punishment intended for the accused. It would appear that David had this law in mind here and verses 26-29. Thus, his imprecations are not malicious maledictions, but rather a call for justice according to the law. These severe words have respect not to the penitent, but to the impenitent and hard-hearted foes of God and His cause, whose inevitable fate is set.

Psalms 109:6-13

Psalms 109:6-13 : Personal vengeance is not David’s motive for cursing his enemies. In praying for his enemies’ punishment and his own deliverance, David prays for God to be honored.

Psalms 109:6 "Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand."

It is possible that the “wicked man” had been a government counselor or adviser to a king. The psalmist prays that his enemy will be betrayed by an adviser who offers only evil counsel.

Vengeance belongs to the Lord. About the worst thing that could happen to an evil person, is to have someone just like himself rule over him. Since his father is Satan, perhaps this would be a good spot for him to be. Look what Jesus had to say about those who are dead set on committing evil in the following verse.

John 8:44 "Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

Those who continue to follow the ways of Satan are Satan’s children.

Psalms 109:7 "When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin."

When he shall be arraigned at the bar of his own conscience, and be charged with the sin of which he is guilty. Let conscience, which is as a thousand witnesses, rise up against him, and condemn him; so it did Judas (Matthew 26:1). Or when he shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ at the last day.

"Let him be condemned": let him hear the awful sentence, "go, thou cursed, into everlasting fire". And let him go out immediately from the presence of the Judge into eternal punishment, the condemnation of the devil. so Judas is said to go to his own place (Acts 1:25).

"And let his prayer become sin": Let it be fruitless and in vain; and so far from being heard, let it be treated as an abomination. Let it be considered as an aggravation of his crime, as Haman’s was (Esther 7:7). Let his prayer being without faith in the blood of Christ, be reckoned sinful, as it was. Let his cries, and tears, and repentance issue in desperation, and that in sin, as it did in destroying himself (Matthew 27:5).

Since Jesus is the Judge of all the world, we know that he will be condemned for the habitual sins he has committed, that he did not seek forgiveness for. If he did not believe in God, his prayers would be directed to the wrong being and would automatically be sin.

Psalms 109:8 "Let his days be few; [and] let another take his office."

The Apostle Peter cited this verse as justification for replacing Judas the betrayer with another apostle (compare Acts 1:20).

This is the opposite of long life promised to those who follow God’s ways. One of the ten commandments promise long life. Let’s look at it.

Exodus 20:12 "Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."

God determines whether we live or die. There is no iron clad rule that we have to live even the 70 years allotted to mankind. Surely when you draw our last breath on this earth, someone else will take over the job you were doing, even if you were a king.

We see in the next few verses a list of terrible things that could come upon a person. God really does not need David’s help deciding what to do to the evil ones. David is just mentioning some terrible things that he would like to see come on these evil ones.

Psalms 109:9 "Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow."

Hebrew, "his sons." This is what "always" occurs when a criminal who is a father is executed. It is one of the consequences of crime; and if the officer of justice does his duty, of course, the sons of such a man "must" be made fatherless. The prayer is, simply, that justice may be done, and all this is but an enumeration of what must follow from the proper execution of the laws.

"And his wife a widow": This implies no malice against the wife, but may be consistent with the most tender compassion for her sufferings. It is simply one of the consequences which must follow from the punishment of a bad man. The enumeration of these things shows the enormity of the crime, just as the consequences which follow from the execution of a murderer are an illustration of the divine sense of the evil of the offence.

Psalms 109:10 "Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek [their bread] also out of their desolate places."

Wander from place to place, begging their bread. This is denied of the children of good men in David’s time (Psalms 37:25). Yet was threatened to the children of Eli (1 Samuel 2:36), and was very likely literally true of the children of Judas. And was certainly the case of multitudes of the children of the Jews, the posterity of them that crucified Christ, at the time of their destruction by the Romans. When great numbers were dispersed, and wandered about in various countries, as vagabonds, begging their bread from door to door. Which is reckoned by them a great affliction, and very distressing.

"Let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places": Either describing, as Kimchi thinks, the miserable cottages, forlorn and desolate houses, in which they lived. And from where they went out to everyone that passed by, to ask relief of them. Or it may be rendered:

"Because of their desolate places": Or, "after them"; so the Targum, "after their desolation was made". When their grand house was left desolate, their temple, as our Lord said it should, and was (Matthew 23:38). And all their other houses in Jerusalem and in Judea; then were they obliged to seek their bread of others elsewhere, and by begging.

Many times, when children are fatherless, and the mother has to make a living for the family by herself, the children suffer greatly. Not only are they deprived of material things, but time of training is taken away from the children, and they are not prepared to make a living in the world. The widowed mother possibly is doing the best that she can, but she cannot be two people at once. As in many cases, the children suffer for the father’s sin.

Psalms 109:11 "Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labor."

Or, "lay a snare for all"; as the Romans did, by bringing in their army, invading the land of Judea, and besieging the city of Jerusalem. Who are "the extortioner or exacter that demanded tribute of them"; which they refused to pay, and therefore they seized on all they had for it. The Syrian and Arabic versions render it, "the creditor"; who sometimes for a debt would take wife and children, and all that a man had (see 2 Kings 4:1). It might be literally true of Judas; who dying in debt, his wife and children, and all he had, might be laid hold on for payment.

"And let the stranger spoil his labor": Plunder his house of all his goods and substance he had been laboring for. Which was true of the Romans, who were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel. Who came into the land, and spoiled their houses, fields, and vineyards, they had been laboring in. They took away their place and nation, and all they had (John 11:48).

A crook usually gets caught in his own sin. There is always someone out there, just a little smarter crook. The extortioner is usually involved in a get rich quick scheme. Other people, who are not honest themselves, are usually the one who gets trapped. The extortioner will not quit, until he has the entire worth of the person. This stranger surely would walk away with all your labors.

Psalms 109:12 "Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favor his fatherless children."

No pity is ever expressed at hearing or reading the sad case of Judas. And though the Jews were pitied of those that carried them captive to Babylon (Psalms 106:46). Yet, in their last destruction by the Romans, no mercy was shown them. The wrath of God and man came upon them to the uttermost (1 Thessalonians 2:16).

"Neither let there be any to favor his fatherless children": To bestow any benefit upon them. To relieve their wants, nor to protect their persons. No more respect shown them than to their father, being shunned and hated for their father’s sake.

David is saying here, this person showed no one any mercy, let him reap what he has sown. It is a bad situation, but generally children who have parents who have shown no mercy, will not be able to find mercy either. Most people believe the saying, like father like son, and they will not help him because of his father’s reputation.

Psalms 109:13 "Let his posterity be cut off; [and] in the generation following let their name be blotted out."

To have a numerous posterity, to have the name and family perpetuated, was regarded among the Hebrews as one of the greatest and most desirable blessings. Hence, to pray that all one’s family might be cut off was one of the severest forms of malediction which could be employed.

"And in the generation following": The very next generation. Let not his family be perpetuated at all.

"Let their name be blotted out": As a name is erased from a catalogue or muster-roll when one dies.

David is actually asking God here for their memory to be wiped away, because they did not have children. It is usually very important to a father to have a son who can carry on the family name. David says, don’t let them have sons.

Psalms 109:14 "Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out."

Not of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; who, though they had their failings, they were not remembered, and much less punished in their posterity, but were forgiven. Rather of the Amorites and Hittites; the one being said to be the father, and the other the mother, of the Jews (Ezekiel 16:3). They succeeding them in their land, and imitating their example, and committing the same sins they did. Or rather of their wicked ancestors, who killed the prophets; and the measure of whose sins Judas and the Jews filled up in crucifying Christ (see Matthew 23:31). The iniquity of these may be said to be remembered, it not being forgiven, when it was brought to account, and punished in their posterity, doing the same wicked actions (compare with this Revelation 16:19).

"And let not the sin of his mother be blotted out": Or forgiven; but stand as a debt to be accounted for. Meaning not the sin of his mother Eve, nor of his immediate parent. But either of the Hittite as before, or of the synagogue of the Jews, or Jerusalem, which killed the prophets of the Lord.

In the previous lesson we had been studying about David desiring the just punishments for these evil people. We had said that God really did not need suggestions from David. This above is just a statement of what really happens. God does not forget the sins that are not under the blood of the Lamb.

Psalms 109:15 "Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth."

Let their sins never pass from the mind of God. Let him never so forget them as not to inflict punishment for them.

"That he may cut off the memory of them from the earth": That they may be wholly forgotten among people. Let their very name perish; and let the offender in this case be in the condition of those who have no ancestors to whom they can refer with pride and pleasure. The idea here is drawn from the honor which is felt in being able to refer to ancestors worthy of being remembered for their virtues.

This is a wish of David’s that this family will not be able to continue. This is saying, don’t let them have children and grandchildren to carry on their evil deeds.

Psalms 109:16 "Because that he remembered not to show mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart."

He had no compassion; he was severe, harsh, unjust, unfeeling.

"But persecuted the poor and needy man": The man that was destitute of friends; that was a wanderer and a beggar. There were times in the life of David when this would be strictly and literally applicable to him.

"That he might even slay the broken in heart": The man whose heart was crushed by sorrow, that he might put "the finishing stroke" to all, and send him to the grave. Whatever might have been the "feeling" which prompted to this prayer, or however difficult it may be to vindicate the psalmist’s expression of feeling, there can be no doubt as to the propriety of inflicting punishment on such a man. The sufferings invoked are none too severe to be inflicted on a man who persecutes the poor and needy, and seeks so to multiply sorrows that the man already crushed and broken in heart shall sink to the grave.

It seems that this evil person showed no mercy for others and does not deserve any mercy to be shown to him. This man was so evil that he even got pleasure in doing terrible things to those who could not help themselves.

Psalms 109:17 "As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him."

As he loved to curse others. As he seemed to have a pleasure alike in the act of cursing and in the feeling which prompts to cursing. Let him see what it is; let it come upon him in its fullness. He has chosen this as his portion; let it be his. This, in the original, is in the indicative mood, and not, as in our version, in the optative form. "He loved cursing, and it has come upon him; he did not delight in blessing, and it is far from him." Still, the connection would rather seem to require that we should understand this as a prayer, and not as an affirmation, for the object of the whole seems not to be to state what had come upon him. But what the psalmist wished might come upon him.

"As he delighted not in blessing": As he had no pleasure in wishing that others might be happy, or in any measures which would tend to promote their happiness. So, let everything that could be regarded as a blessing be put far from him; let him know nothing of it.

David is saying, let him reap what he has sown. David is just asking justice for this man. We have discussed so many times, that what comes from our mouth is what we really are, because it comes from the heart. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. This man is evil to the core. His inner most being is full of cursing. Let the words of his mouth speak out against himself. What he speaks on others, let it be in his life.

Psalms 109:18 "As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones."

Moral qualities are often compared with raiment, as that in which we "appear" to our fellow-men (see 1 Peter 5:5; Job 29:14).

"So let it come into his bowels like water": Margin, "within him." Hebrew, "In his midst." Let it penetrate him through and through. Let no part of him be unaffected by it.

"And like oil into his bones": As if oil flowed through all his bones, so let the effects of cursing pervade his whole frame. The prayer is, that his entire nature might feel the effects of cursing; that he might know to the full what he was endeavoring to bring on others.

Cursing once in a while is bad, but it seems, this evil person here curses all the time. The fact that it clothes him like a garment means that every word he utters includes cursing. He is surrounded by it. This man is so evil that even his bones and bowels are full as well. A person who loves and worships God will have rivers of living waters flowing from their inner most being. This evil, cursing man has death coming from his inner most being.

Psalms 109:19 "Let it be unto him as the garment [which] covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually."

He has chosen to put it on, to wear it, to appear in it. So let him constantly feel its consequences. As he is always obliged to wear clothing, so let this be as constantly with him and upon him as his mantle and his sash.

"And for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually": The belt or girdle which he constantly wears (see notes Matthew 5:38).

The believers in the LORD are clothed in the robe of righteousness. This evil man is clothed in sin. He is even tied down with it. He is wrapped in it as a girdle. Thank goodness his sin is out for all to see.

Psalms 109:20 "[Let] this [be] the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul."

Who were so many Satans, as the word used signifies. And Judas particularly is called a devil. And of the same malevolent and diabolical disposition were the Jews in general (John 6:70). And what is before imprecated upon them is the just recompense of reward for their hatred to Christ and ill usage of him.

"And of them that speak evil against my soul": Or "life"; in order to take it away, as did the false witnesses that rose up against him. And the Jews who charged him with sedition and blasphemy.

We see a summation here by David of all the sin in this evil person. Again, David is saying to God, you take vengeance on him for me. As we said earlier, it is a very dangerous thing to speak against the servant of God. The servant will not take vengeance, but God will take vengeance on behalf of his servant.

Psalms 109:21-31

But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name’s sake:

because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.

For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.

My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.

I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me

they shaked their heads.

Help Me, O LORD my God: O save me according to hy mercy:

That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it.

Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.

Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.

I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.

For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.

In Psalms 109:21-29 : David petitioned the court for justice by asking for deliverance for the judge’s sake (Psalms 109:21), and then for his own sake (Psalms 109:22-25). Afterwards, he requested that his enemies by rightfully punished (Psalms 109:26-29).

Psalms 109:21-31 : The psalmist takes God’s comforts to himself, but in a very humble manner. He was troubled in mind. His body was wasted, and almost worn away. But it is better to have leanness in the body, while the soul prospers and is in health, than to have leanness in the soul, while the body is feasted. He was ridiculed and reproached by his enemies. But if God blesses us, we need not care who curses us. For how can they curse whom God has not cursed; nay, whom he has blessed? He pleads God’s glory, and the honor of his name. Save me, not according to my merit, for I pretend to none, but according to thy mercy. He concludes with the joy of faith, in assurance that his present conflicts would end in triumphs. Let all that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to him. Jesus, unjustly put to death, and now risen again, is an Advocate and Intercessor for his people, ever ready to appear on their behalf against a corrupt world, and the great accuser.

Psalms 109:21 "But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name’s sake: because thy mercy [is] good, deliver thou me."

The sense of the petition is, and which is a prayer of Christ as man, that the Lord God would take his part. Be on his side, be present with him, work with him, help and assist him, and that for his own honor and glory. For his truth and faithfulness sake, who had promised him help and assistance (Psalms 89:21).

"Because thy mercy is good": That is, it is the characteristic of mercy to do good; to show kindness.

"Deliver thou me": He prays that God would "manifest" himself as he really was, as a God of mercy.

David has finally gotten his eyes off this evil person and is asking for God’s help. God will deliver His own. Notice in the verse above, that David is not asking favors in his own name. He asks favors in the “thy name’s sake”. Have mercy upon me and lift me above all of this, is the cry of David.

Psalms 109:22 "For I [am] poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me."

As he was in human nature, being born of poor parents, brought up in a mean manner, had not where to lay his head, and was ministered to by others. Though he was Lord of all, and immensely rich in the perfections of his nature, and in his vast empire and dominion, and the revenues arising from thence (see 2 Corinthians 8:9). It may here chiefly respect his helpless and forlorn estate as man, at the time of his sufferings and death (see Psalms 40:17).

"And my heart is wounded within me": With the sins of his people on him, with a sense of divine wrath, and when under divine desertions. Especially when his soul was exceeding sorrowful, even unto death (Matthew 26:38).

Now we all know that David was not poor as to having material things. He is speaking of the things of the spirit here. David was just about to die of a broken heart, and that is what he is asking for help with. Many of us know what it is to have a wounded spirit. Usually guilt causes us to have a broken spirit. The first step to forgiveness is having a broken heart for what we have done. Forgiveness is soon in coming when this is our condition.

Psalms 109:23 "I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust."

When the sun is setting, and the shadow is going off; man’s life is often compared to a shadow, because it is fleeting, momentary, and soon gone (1 Chronicles 29:15). And death is expressed by going the way of all flesh. And by going to the grave, the house for all living, a man’s long home (Joshua 23:14). And so is the death of Christ (Luke 22:22), it may be rendered, "I am made to go", denoting the violent death of Christ, who was cut off out of the land of the living, and whose life was taken away from the earth (Isaiah 53:8).

"I am tossed up and down as the locust": Or "shaken out" by the wind, as the locust is by the east wind, and carried from place to place (Exodus 10:13). Or when a swarm of them by a strong wind are crowded together and thrown upon one another. Or like the grasshopper, which leaps from hedge to hedge, and has no certain abode. And such was the case of Christ here on earth. And especially it may have respect not only to his being sometimes in Judea and sometimes in Galilee, sometimes in the temple and sometimes in the mount of Olives. But to his being tossed about after his apprehension, when he was led to Annas, and then to Caiaphas, then to Pilate, then to Herod, then delivered to the soldiers, and by them led to Calvary, and crucified.

The long persecution that David had encountered had left him tossed to and fro. At this point, David felt as if all hope of getting back where he wanted to be was fading fast away.

Psalms 109:24 "My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness."

Hunger; want of food. Strength to stand is connected with firmness in the knee-joints, and hence, weakness and feebleness are denoted by the giving way of the knees (compare Hebrews 12:12).

"And my flesh faileth of fatness": I am lean and weak. There is not the proper supply for my strength. The idea seems to have been that fatness (Hebrew, oil) was necessary to strength.

This means that the prayers David had been sending heavenward are very serious prayers. Fasting shows you mean business with God. It seems that David had fasted for an extended length of time. His strength was gone. He had actually lost a great deal of weight from this extended fast.

Psalms 109:25 "I became also a reproach unto them: [when] they looked upon me they shook their heads."

Or they reproached him; not only in life, traducing his conversation, blaspheming his miracles, calling him a Samaritan, saying he had a devil, and charging him with sedition. But at the time of his death they reviled him, and treated him in the most opprobrious manner.

"When they looked upon me, they shook their heads": Which was verified in the Jews as they passed by the cross of Christ, whither they came to stare upon him and scoff at him (Matthew 27:39).

It appears that they had been ridiculing David for his fasting and prayer. They had been reminding him that all this fasting and prayer was not getting an answer. Since they did not believe in God themselves, they thought what David was doing was foolish.

Psalms 109:26 "Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy:"

Jehovah the Father is here addressed, who is the God of Christ, as Christ is man. Who formed him, supported him, and glorified him. And whom Christ loved, believed in, obeyed and prayed unto. Nor did he pray to a God that could not hear, but to one that was able to save him from death. As a divine Person he needed no help, being the mighty God, the Most Mighty, the Almighty. But as man he did, being encompassed about with infirmities. And as Mediator help was promised him, he expected it, and he had it (Psalms 89:21).

"O save me according to thy mercy": Or "kindness"; as before (in Psalms 109:21), from sufferings, and out of them. From death and the grave, as he was; or his people by him, who are saved not by works of righteousness, but according to the mercy of God (Titus 3:5).

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Notice, that David calls Him (my God). David is not asking for justice for himself, but mercy. Great is the mercy of the LORD to those who love Him.

Psalms 109:27 "That they may know that this [is] thy hand; [that] thou, LORD, hast done it."

Which inflicted vengeance, and executed judgments on Judas and the Jews, as before imprecated. So the Targum, "that they may know that this is thy stroke;’’ or which was concerned in all the sorrows and sufferings of the Messiah, which could never have come upon him had it not been the will of God. It was his hand and council that determined it, or men could never have effected it (see Acts 4:28). Or which wrought deliverance and salvation as before prayed for (see Psalms 118:21).

"That thou, Lord, hast done it": One or other, or all the above things; the finger of God was to be seen in them. Particularly in the sufferings of Christ, and in his exaltation (see Acts 2:23).

David wants this answer to his prayer to be evident to these unbelievers, so they will know that God is a God of forgiveness. He not only wants the prayer answered, but for there to be no doubt in any one’s mind who answered the prayer. Secret miracles are great, but those that are evident to the unsaved world can bring many to salvation.

Psalms 109:28 "Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice."

Let them continue to curse me, provided thou wilt bless me. I am willing to bear all these reproaches, if I may have thy favor. That favor I value infinitely more than I do theirs; and it is a small matter that I am reviled and cursed by people, if I may secure the favor and friendship of God. (See Psalms 109:17).

"When they arise": When they rise up against me; when they attempt to persecute me.

"Let them be ashamed": Let them be disappointed; let them not be successful in their designs against me. On the word "ashamed" (see notes on Job 6:20, and Psalms 25:2-3).

David is saying here, let them go ahead and curse him, as long as God blesses him. David does not even want the blessing of this evil one. He wants God’s blessings. When the prayer is answered and David is rejoicing, then these evil ones will be ashamed of themselves.

Psalms 109:29 "Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle."

Let confusion and disappointment seem to cover them, so as to constitute a garment. See the notes at (Psalms 109:18-19). They had "clothed themselves with cursing" (Psalms 109:18), and the prayer now is, that the covering of shame might be as complete and entire.

"And let them cover themselves with their own confusion as with a mantle": As with an outer garment, the mantle or robe, which they might wrap all round them. Let it be so abundant that they may entirely wrap their person in it. Let their confusion correspond with their sin in the fullest manner.

For those of unbelief to see a miracle is very confusing. This would also bring shame to them as well, because they had said God did not exist. If He did not exist, how did He answer this prayer? They are now consumed with confusion and have no idea what to believe. They have been proved wrong, now what do they do?

The Praise of the Judge (Psalms 109:30-31).

Psalms 109:30-31 : The final verse uses a phrase from Psalms 109:6, “at the right hand”, and replaces the figure of the accuser, who stands at the right hand of his victim, with the figure of God, who stands at the right hand of the needy to provide salvation.

David’s praise for the divine Magistrate (Psalms 109:30), was based on his confidence in the compassion and mercy of the judge (Psalms 109:31).

(2 Samuel 22 and Psalms 18), record the general outcome to David’s case, which was tried in God’s courtroom.

Psalms 109:30 "I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude."

I will sing abundant praises to him (compare notes at Isaiah 38:20).

“Yea, I will praise him among the multitude": In the great congregation. I will publicly acknowledge his goodness and mercy (see notes at Psalms 22:25).

David will not keep silent about this. He will open his mouth wide and praise the LORD to all who will listen.

Romans 10:10 "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

It is not good to be a silent Christian. We must praise out loud the mighty works of God.

Psalms 109:31 "For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save [him] from those that condemn his soul."

Of the Messiah (as in Psalms 109:22), at whose right hand the Lord was. To guide and direct, help and assist, protect and defend (Psalms 16:8). Or of his people, who are poor in every sense; but the Lord is on their side, and is a present help in time of trouble (Psalms 46:1).

"To save him from those that condemn his soul": The Messiah: from his judges, the High Priest and Jewish Sanhedrim, and Pilate the Roman governor, who condemned him to death. But he committed his spirit, or soul, to God, who received it, and raised his body from the dead. And would not suffer it to see corruption, as a testimony of his innocence. Or the soul of the poor saints, which the Lord saves from the condemnation of sin, Satan, the law, and their own consciences (Romans 8:1).

Spiritual blessings come through the right side. God upholds those who are His. He helps the poor and pleads the case of the condemned that believe in Him. Jesus is our advocate with the Father.

PSALM 109

EXPOSITION

The key which opens this psalm to general edification is the perception that its long string of curses are those of David’s enemies and not his own. The considerations which lead to this conclusion are the following:—(1) The sudden and sustained change from the plural of Psalms 109:1-5 (they) to the singular of Psalms 109:6-19 (he, his, him); the former referring to David’s enemies, the latter referring to David himself on his accusers’ false tongue. (2) The fierce and sweeping vindictiveness which piles up imprecations against father, mother, wife, children, possessions and memory in a manner unexampled in any other utterance attributable to David. (3) The similarity of tone between the verses which lead up to the cursing and those which follow after it—a tone of humble and prayerful trust in Jehovah, whose effectual working is not only strongly urged but patiently awaited: suggesting how unlikely it is that the cursing of the middle of the psalm proceeds from the same mind as the dignified predictions of its close. (4) The devotion to prayer claimed by the psalmist in Psalms 109:4 as making his enemies’ hatred without excuse, seems to be hurled back by his enemies in mockery in Psalms 109:7. (5) The recompense of Psalms 109:20 seems like a resumption of the return of evil for good mentioned in Psalms 109:5; as much as to say: This—the long string of curses—is how they recompense me for my past kindness; the allusion taking on a striking verisimilitude when the known kindness of David for the house of Saul is recalled, and when we think how easily Shimei the Benjamite might in his bitterness have exaggerated some oversight on David’s part to shew his wonted kindness to some member of Saul’s family: the addition from Jehovah in Psalms 109:20, being a recognition such as we have in 2 Samuel 16:5-13, that David’s enemies had been permitted by Jehovah to do him this wrong, leaving the wrong remaining as wrong, the cursing being still theirs and not his. (6) On the background of his enemies’ cursing there is something peculiarly lifelike and pathetic in the unrestrained prayer which he pours out before Jehovah as to his whole position: his position, as he is driven from Jerusalem, is indeed desperate, and he may well pray for rescue; he is poor and needy, and will soon be glad to accept of hospitality from one of his subjects; his heart was wounded within him, as well it might, with memories of Uriah and Bathsheba recalled, the revolt of Absalom staring him in the face, and now the cursing of Shimei to add bitterness to his cup. These verses, 20–25, compel us to think of David’s journey up the slope of Mt. Olivet. Then there is the distinct recognition of Divine chastisement, lying behind the cursing (Psalms 109:27) and as we read on, They will curse, but thou wilt bless, we feel certain that the lips that utter these words of resignation are not the same as those which have just been cursing so very fiercely.

The Lord Gives Dominion to the King

Psalms 110:1-7

Psalms 110: A Psalm of David. This royal psalm is also messianic. It is the only messianic psalm with no contemporary reference to David or another. Though assailed by critics, its Davidic authorship, divine inspiration, and messianic interpretation are all assumed by Jesus and the New Testament writers. It ranks as the Psalm most quoted in the New Testament (Matthew 22:44; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42-43; Acts 2:34-35; Hebrews 1:13; Hebrews 5:6; Hebrews 7:17; Hebrews 7:21), with many additional allusions. The content of the psalm may be analyzed under three headings: Sovereign King (Psalms 110:3), Eternal Priest (Psalms 110:4), and Victorious Warrior (Psalms 110:5-7). The initial double reference to the Lord created interpretive problems in Jesus’ day (see Matthew 22:41-45), but only for those who refused to accept His deity. The answer is simple: the first word “LORD” is in capital letters, indicating that it is a reference to Yahweh, the personal name of God; the second word “LORD” contains only a capital “L,” indicating that it is the Hebrew word Adonai, meaning “Master”; the word “my” refers of course to David himself. Though the Messiah is David’s son (2 Samuel 7:14-16), He is also David’s Adonai; therefore, Messiah must be divine as well. The implication of the first three verses is striking: God and Messiah rule the earth as partners. Psalms 110:4 establishes the priesthood of the Messiah though not until (Heb. Chapters 5 and 7), is this office explained. Not only is the Messiah a unique King-Priest, He is also a warrior (Psalms 110:5-7), who will execute judgment and thus “lift up the head” (Psalms 110:7), in conquest.

Psalms 110:1-7

The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.

The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.

He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.

He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.

Psalms 110:1-7 : This psalm contains one of the most exalted prophetic portions of Scripture presenting Jesus Christ as both a holy King and a royal High Priest, something that no human monarch of Israel ever experienced. It (along with Psalms 118), is by far the most quoted psalm in the New Testament (Matthew 22:44; Matthew 26:64; Mark 12:36; Mark 14:62; Luke 20:42-43; Luke 22:69; Acts 2:34-35; Hebrews 1:13; Hebrews 5:6; Hebrews 7:17; Hebrews 7:21; Hebrews 10:13). While portraying the perfect King, the perfect High-Priest, and the perfect government, Psalms 110 declares Christ’s current role in heaven as the resurrected Savior (Psalms 110:1), and His future role on earth as the reigning Monarch (Psalms 110:2-7). This psalm is decidedly messianic and millennial in content. Jesus Christ (Matthew 22:43-44), verifies the Davidic authorship. The exact occasion of this psalm is unknown, but it could easily had been associated with God’s declaration of the Davidic Covenant (in 2 Samuel 7:4-17).

This psalm is one of the most glorious prophecies of the Messiah in the Old Testament and is often quoted in the New Testament (See first paragraph above for references).

“The womb of the morning” possibly represents the dawning of that blessed day in the millennial period when Israel will be born again, God’s beloved firstborn among the nations.

“Thou hast the dew of thy youth” paints the picture of the strength and splendor of the ascendant King.

Christ the King (Psalms 110:1-3).

Psalms 110:1 "The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool."

“My Lord”: Refers to the divine/human King of Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ’s humanity descended from David, which is demanded by the Davidic promise of (2 Samuel 7:12). Using this passage, Christ also declared His deity in the gospels (Matthew 22:44; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42-43), by arguing that only God could have been lord to king David.

“My right hand”: God the Father invited God the Son in His ascension to sit at the place of honor in the heavenly throne room (compare Acts 2:22-36; Hebrews 10:10-12).

“Thine enemies thy footstool”: Footstool was an ancient Near Eastern picture of absolute victory portraying the idea that one’s enemy was now underfoot (compare Psalms 8:6-7; Psalms 47:3; Isaiah 66:1; 1 Corinthians 15:27). This anticipates Christ’s Second Advent (compare Revelation 19:11-21), as a conquering king (compare Hebrews 10:13).

This is most definitely a prophetic Scripture about the Lord Jesus Christ. In this David, is calling Jesus his Lord. Jesus is even now seated at the right hand of the Father at the throne of God in heaven. In Matthew chapter 22, Jesus speaks of this very same Scripture.

Matthew 22:43-45 "He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,” “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?" "If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?"

In the flesh, Jesus is descended from David. In the Spirit, Jesus is David’s Lord. Notice, it is the LORD who makes His enemies His footstool. LORD is Jehovah here, and Lord is Adonai.

Psalms 110:2 "The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies."

“The rod of thy strength”: From the human side, the ancestral staff of Judah is in view (compare Genesis 49:10). From the divine side, the rod of iron by which King Jesus will subdue the earth is intended (compare Psalms 2:9).

“Zion”: God intends to install His ultimate earthly king in Jerusalem (the southwest side is Zion; compare Psalms 132:13-18). The earthly Zion (compare Psalms 2:6; Isaiah 59:20 is in view), not the heavenly Zion because:

(1) There are no enemies in heaven, and

(2) None of the activities (in Psa 110:5-7), will take place in heaven.

“Rule”: Christ will rule on the earthly throne of His father David (compare Luke 1:32), in fulfillment of (Isaiah 9:6 and Zechariah 14:9).

We have talked so much about Zion symbolizing the church. I believe that to be the case here. The power of Jesus in the earth today is shown to the world through His church. Jesus is the Lord. There is no greater rule in the earth today than the rule of Jesus in His people. Moses had a rod of power that God had given him. This rod of Jesus is even more powerful than that. Jesus has all power in heaven and earth and under the earth. The rod of Jesus is a rod of love. He brings his Word in such power to all who will receive it. They are no longer his enemies, but His servants. The church of the Lord Jesus Christ is not a denomination, but a family. The Light of Jesus is in all churches that believe in Jesus. The Light that the church gives off is not Light that the church produces, it is Light that we are showing from Him. It is Jesus’ Light. We are just the fixture that you see His Light in. The rod of Moses did not bring the water, it was the Rock (Jesus Christ), that brought the water. The rod of Moses just activated the water to flow. Christians are not the truth, Jesus is. We just bring His Truth to the world.

Psalms 110:5-6 : Depicts a battlefield, revealing the victories to come. He contemplates the conflict and the victory, one that will be characterized by everlasting dominion and eternal power and triumph.

Psalms 110:3-6 : The passage describes the Kings might, His people must be (“willing”).

Psalms 110:3 "Thy people [shall be] willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth."

“Shall be willing”: The redeemed inhabitants of earth will willingly serve the King of kings and Lord of Lords.

“The day of thy power”: Refers to the power displayed during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ (compare Zechariah 14:1-21; Revelation 19:11 to Revelation 20:6).

“The beauties … womb … dew”: This seems to apply to the King and to represent Him as in the constant vigor of youth, a period distinguished by strength and activity or it may refer to His holiness, eternality and deity.

The power here, is the gospel power. The power of the Word of God is the greatest power in the world. The spoken and the written Word are the great powers of the Lord Jesus made manifest. Possibly the statement, from the womb, means babies. These would be baby Christians. There is nothing more beautiful than a brand new Christian. Youth have energy and an eagerness that some of the older Christians have lost. What a wonderful thing it would be to be able to keep the enthusiasm that we had when we were first saved.

Psalms 110:4 "The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek."

“Thou art a priest”: The first time in the history of Israel when a king simultaneously served as High-Priest. Christ (a.k.a. “Branch”, compare Isaiah 4:2; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Zechariah 3:8; Zechariah 6:12-13), will build the temple at which the world will worship God (compare 2 Samuel 7:13; Isaiah 2:2-4; Ezek. chapters 40-48).

“For ever”: Christ represents the final and foremost High-Priest in the history of Israel.

“The order of Melchizedek”: This High-Priest could not be of Aaron’s lineage in that he would not be eternal, not be of Judah, not be a king, and not be of the New covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-33; Heb. Chapters 8 and 9). Melchizedek, which means “king of righteousness”, served as the human priest/king of Salem in (Gen. 14-17-20), and provides a picture of the order of Christ’s priesthood (compare Hebrews 5:6; Hebrews 7:17; Hebrews 7:21). The sons of Zadok will serve with Christ in the Millennium as His human priestly associates (compare Ezekiel 44:15; Ezekiel 48:11).

Melchizedek and Jesus were High Priests of a heavenly nature. They were not high-priest from earthly blood lines, but were High-Priest forever. The high-priest on the earth had limited power and was high-priest for a short time on this earth. Jesus, or Melchizedek, was High-Priest King for all of eternity. Jehovah swore, and it is a fact that cannot be disputed. He will not change His mind. This order of High Priest is of all of the faithful. Melchizedek appeared to Abraham and Abraham believed and paid tithes to Him. Abraham is the Father of all believers. We believe in Jesus Christ our High-Priest. Abraham and all Christian believers believed the same thing, and it was counted as righteousness to them.

Psalms 110:5 "The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath."

“Thy right hand”: The roles have her reversed, the Father now stands at the right hand of the Son. This pictures the father supplying the needs of the Son (compare Psalms 16:8; Psalms 109:31; Isaiah 41:13). The Father provides the defeat of His enemies on earth so that His Son can fulfill God’s land and nation promises to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-2), and kingship promise to David (2 Samuel 7:12-13; 2 Samuel 7:16).

“The day of his wrath”: This refers to the “Day of the Lord” (compare Psalms 110:3 “the day of thy power”), which finds its global expression at the end of Daniels’s 70^th week (compare Daniel 9:24-27). This term exclusively speaks of God’s wrath, which will be poured out on an unrepentant world in order to set up Christ’s kingdom (the church, Acts 2) and reign (compare Joel 2:1; Joel 2:11; Joel 2:31; Joel 3:14; Revelation 6:16-17; Revelation 14:19; Revelation 19:15) over that kingdom, as “head of the Church.”

The Lord here, is speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus not only sits at the right hand of the Father, but is in fact, the Right Hand of God. When Jesus returns to this earth as King of kings and Lord of lords, He will rule with the rod of iron. Earthly kings will crumble before Him. His power shall be in all the earth. In that day, all will believe who He is and will be His subjects.

2 Thessalonians 1:10 "When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day."

Psalms 110:6 "He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill [the places] with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries."

Among the "nations." That is, he shall set up a kingdom, or shall rule over the nations of the earth. He shall come to execute judgment and justice, and shall apportion to people what is due to them (see notes at Isaiah 11:3-5).

"He shall fill the places with the dead bodies": He shall make a great slaughter, indicative of conquest, and of the subjugation of the world to himself. It would be "as if" the bodies of the slain in battle strewed the ground, or filled the valleys of the earth.

"He shall wound the heads": The same word is used here that occurs in the previous verse, and that is there rendered "shall strike." It is the language of "conquest," as if the world was to be subdued to himself by war.

"Over many countries": Margin, "great." Over vast and extensive regions, carrying his conquests into distant lands. This will be fulfilled only when all the earth shall be subject to the reign of the Messiah (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).

Compare (Psalms 2:8-9; Psalms 50:1-6; Isaiah 2:4; Isaiah 9:6-7; Daniel 2:44-45; Daniel 7:26-27; Joel 3:2; Joel 3:12; Micha 4:3; Matthew 25:32; Revelation 6:15-17; Revelation 14:20; Revelation 16:14; Revelation 19:19-21).

The wrath of God is not a very pleasant thing to think about, but it is as certain as the sun coming up in the morning. Jesus is the Judge of all the world. He gave His body on Calvary that all who will believe might be saved. The offer of forgiveness for sins is there. It is our obligation to receive forgiveness for our sin and the salvation that He offers us.

1 Timothy 4:10 "For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe."

He suffered for all, but not all will accept the free gift of salvation. This same loving Jesus, will judge everyone. Those who have not received salvation, He will condemn to an eternity in hell.

Psalms 110:7 "He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head."

“He shall drink”: This pictures a refreshed conqueror who has kingly access to the whole world. This could anticipate the east-west flow of fresh water out of Jerusalem as recorded in (Zechariah 14:8).

“Shall he lift up the head” The lifted head pictures Christ’s strength in victory (compare Psalms 3:3; Psalms 27:6; Psalms 75:10). As (Psalms 22:28) reports, “For the kingdom is the LORD’s and He rules over the nations” (compare Zechariah 14:9).

The drink of the brook, indicates haste. It possibly means that He will do a quick work of His judgement. The victory over Satan and the world has already been won. Jesus not only defeated Satan, but conquered sin and death as well. Perhaps this lifting of the head means a walk of victory. Praise the Lord. We have seen in this lesson, the plan of God from the foundation of the world. God has received Himself a family by the wonderful sacrifice of His precious Son, Jesus Christ. We saw the humiliation of Jesus during His stay on the earth, when He defeated Satan at the cross. There will be a glorious time on this earth when Jesus will reign as King and Lord. This was all part of the master plan from the foundation of the world. God made man in His image, but He made him of earthly material. The weakness of man in the flesh, required a Savior. Jesus is the Savior of all who will accept Him. We have been redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb. Jesus Christ never for a moment stopped being God. He took on the form of flesh of man to redeem us, but inside that flesh lived the Spirit of the Living God.

1 John 5:7 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."

God the Word, took on flesh of man to save us from sin and death.

The Power of Righteous Living

Psalms 110:1-7

A King and a Priest (Psalms 110:1-7)

Psalms 110 is a Messianic Psalm and is often quoted in the New Testament including by Jesus Christ. It is very important that we carefully study Psalms 110 for its meaning as to the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is important to examine these short seven verses in full view of how they are used in the New Testament to bring forth a full appreciation for the meaning of this great Psalm.

Psalms 110:1 -This verse is quoted some 25 times in the New Testament including by Jesus Christ to defend His deity before the Pharisees (Matthew 22:46 ff). Jesus also answered the High Priest when being questioned during His trial with an allusion to this verse (Matthew 26:64). What is a key about the Messianic implications of this verse is that David called His Lord, Lord which brings us to point of how is it that he (Messiah) could be David’s son as well as His Lord? The only answer was by the preexistence and incarnation of the Son of God. That God would be born into the world as a human baby was totally off the charts of any self-respecting Jew. When Jesus ascended in Acts to heaven He sit down at the right hand of the throne of God just as Peter preached in the first sermon at Pentecost (Acts 2:25). There couldn’t be any more important prophetic text that supports Jesus claim to the throne of God!

Psalms 110:2-3 - In these verses God makes two promises about the Messiah to extend His kingdom and give Him a victorious army. The kingdom of God is universal and it is His church that transcends time and space. The victorious army is made up of volunteers or those who have named the name of Christ in baptism and have been added to the Church. Secondly the army is in holy array which aligns with God’s kingdom and priests of Revelation 1:6. Finally, this army will be a multitude like the dew which signifies that the Messiah’s army will be great indeed. Jesus Christ will defeat every enemy at the end of time including death.

Psalms 110:4 -This is a key verse since it announces that the Messiah King will also be a priest as attested to in Hebrews 5 which includes a quote of this verse in that chapter. Since Jesus was from the tribe of Judah His priesthood had to be after the order of Melchizedek since He was not of the tribe of Levi. (see Hebrews 7) The Messiah was to be a great king but in Psalms 110:4 we find that He also will be a priest. This is essential when we read Hebrews 7:25 because “He lives to make intercession for us.” Where would we be without Christ as our high priest?

Psalms 110:5-7 - The Messiah will be a victorious conqueror over the nations and over the evil one and sin. The ultimate and eternal victory belongs to Jesus Christ who will judge the nations. There can be no doubt about God’s direction and plan for history’s climax. Why would we not choose Christ to have “Victory in Jesus”? Psalms 110:7 refers to a warrior King who is in pursuit of the enemy of God’s people to destroy them and He only takes a short pause before continuing. Our Lord, King, and Priest is a vigilant warrior that we are compelled to follow.

PSALM 110

EXPOSITION

This psalm being ascribed to David, we have a prescriptive right to endeavour to interpret it accordingly; and the measure of our success may be regarded as confirming or discrediting this superscription.

Psalms 110:1. The Revelation of Jehovah to my lord.—As a revelation, the psalm as a whole and its leading announcement in particular may be expected to make a disclosure unknown before. We already know of the choice of David in preference to Saul; of his anointing and ascension to the throne of Israel; of his prophetic gifts; of the covenant made with him, through Nathan the prophet, touching his sons as destined heirs to his kingship: which covenant, therefore, must have made him aware of the continuance of his kingdom under other rulers than himself. It was not to be his privilege to carry the Representative Kingship with which he was invested to its climax, by bearing it for ever, or by himself bringing all nations into perfect obedience to Jehovah. He would have to bequeath his throne to his sons, some of whom, Nathan suggested to him, would probably prove unworthy of that honour. He himself, in any case, was not the Messiah. So much we knew from previous Divine communications to David. But we did not know—however naturally we might have conjectured it—that David’s royal line would at length be consummated in the person of one of his race to whom he himself would own allegiance and whom he would willingly call his “lord.” But this is implied in the first line of the psalm. David shall have such an heir—an heir whom he can call his “lord”; and inasmuch as a living son can exercise no lordship over a dead father,—even as, on the other hand, a dead father cannot give allegiance to an as yet unborn son,—we are irresistibly carried forward to Resurrection days; unless, indeed, David is not to die until this his Greater Son appears. We find ourselves, therefore, to say the least, well within the scope of a revelation—a disclosure—a discovery.

But this discovery, though made through David, directly concerns David’s lord—his Messianic Son. This, precisely, is what David here tells us. He does not say: The revelation of Jehovah UNTO ME, but The Revelation of Jehovah to MY LORD; that is, to MY SON, THE MESSIAH. In short, then, we have here a revelation to the Messiah; and being a revelation written down and preserved until the Messiah’s days, will it not, in the event of his reading it, become at once a revelation for him and a revelation to him? Jesus of Nazareth believes himself to be David’s Messianic Son: his nation are about to reject him, meantime this revelation comes to him—to his notice, to his reflection, to his need. All who truly believe in the kenosis—the self-emptying—of which the Apostle Paul (Philippians 2) speaks, cannot fail to become aware that already the atmosphere of the psalm has become charged with intense spiritual emotion. No wonder that, on receiving this revelation, Jesus is so profoundly moved that, to the Pharisees, he can only put questions!

So far we are assured that a revelation to the Messiah is coming, but are not told what it is. Of this the next words inform us: Sit thou at my right hand until I make thy foes a stool for thy feet. This informs us that the Messiah will have foes; but, that instead of at once contending with them and overcoming them, he is to be taken out of their midst; to be so taken, by being invited to a post of highest honour; in short, to be exalted to the right hand of Jehovah in heaven. We say, advisedly, “in heaven,”—first, because we know that heaven is the place of Jehovah’s fixed abode (1 Kings 8:30, etc.); and, secondly, because it is not easy to see how a mere elevation to the right hand of the sacred ark in Jerusalem could have the effect of removing the Messiah from the midst of his enemies. Here, again, it is not without emotion that we conceive of Jesus of Nazareth receiving such an invitation from Jehovah. For him to take in its purport, could fall nothing short of his discovering something of “the joy set before him,” fitted to embolden him “to endure the cross, its shame despising.”

But this elevation is not to be for ever: it is for a definite object; and, therefore, for such time as the accomplishment of that object shall require: Until I make thy foes a stool for thy feet. It is JEHOVAH who undertakes to reduce Messiah’s foes to such a humiliating condition. The foes are spoken of collectively and as a complete class. And the subjugation is to be thorough. Jehovah promises that he will bring down the Messiah’s enemies to abject submission to his, the Messiah’s, will. They shall be publicly humiliated—totally crushed. They shall be able to rise in rebellion no more, Their being made a stool for the Messiah’s feet cannot mean less than this.

Psalms 110:2. Thy sceptre of strength will Jehovah stretch forth out of Zion. It is Jehovah who will place the Messiah’s enemies under his feet; but, not necessarily and to the end of the process, without the Messiah’s participation. Thy sceptre of strength is, naturally, the Messiah’s sceptre; although, still, it is Jehovah who stretches it forth out of Zion, the which continued activity of Jehovah is to be carefully borne in mind. What sceptre, then, is this? And whence is it to be wielded? The phrase Thy sceptre of strength is of the same meaning as “Thy strong sceptre;” for the Hebrew tongue delights in using abstract nouns of quality where we mostly use adjectives. Messiah, then, is to wield “a strong sceptre;” that is, to exercise a strong rule, to enforce obedience, to compel submission. We are entitled to say; Messiah’s “strong sceptre” is the “iron sceptre” of Psalm the Second, otherwise the practice of comparing scripture with scripture might as well cease. Now, an “iron sceptre” is the fit emblem of PHYSICAL FORCE. This, therefore, the Messiah will have at command, and will employ. Yet will he do this strictly under Jehovah’s direction, pushing his dominion through openings which Jehovah has made, and forcing submission by means which Jehovah will supply. It is Jehovah who is to stretch forth Messiah’s “strong sceptre.” Moreover, also, that sceptre is to be stretched forth out of Zion. And therefore its enforcing activity is to start from Zion. Its holder and wielder is to be located in Zion. But what “Zion” is this? It is the earthly Zion. And is this movement, by consequence, a descent of enforcing power from heaven, and its centralisation on earth? It can be nothing else;—for this sufficient reason, that never once in the Old Testament does “Zion” mean heaven, or is “Zion” located in heaven. No real or imaginary figurative use of “Zion” or “Jerusalem” in the New Testament can control us here, We are, in this psalm, on Old Testament ground, and must therefore keep to the Old Testament use of words. Hence the legitimate inference is, that, in the meantime, the centre of Messianic activity has been transferred from heaven to earth. The Messiah is now again “in the midst of his enemies;” which agrees with the commission here given him: Rule thou in the midst of thy foes. It would be more like a parody than a fair exegesis of these words to make them equivalent to—“From thy safe retreat in heaven, at the right hand of Jehovah, where thine enemies cannot reach thee, nor for a moment suppose they can reach thee, rule thou in the midst of thy foes.” The power might be in the midst of the foes, but the Presence would not be—the Manifested Presence; without which—how are the unbelieving enemies,—who, as such, do not believe that there is a Messiah concealed in the skies,—to connect the power on the earth with the Presence in heaven? No: plainly, the Messiah’s special refuge-and-waiting session at the right hand of Jehovah, in heaven, IS AT AN END, and he is once more “in the midst of his foes” on earth: in Zion, the historical Zion, the only Zion of which the Old Testament knows anything, the very Zion in which long ago the Father declared he would enthrone him (Psalms 2). Being in Zion, in the midst of his foes, he there wields his iron sceptre; and Jehovah will see to it that its enforcing activity shall be extended, at least over a wide land; and undoubtedly, ere its triumphs cease, be stretched forth “from the River unto the Ends of the earth” (Zechariah 9:10).

Psalms 110:3. But the Messiah, now seated in Zion, has a people, who are here described in strikingly beautiful and suggestive terms. They are most willing: they are volunteers in the service of Zion’s king; for, by general consent, this is the force of the abstract plural of intensification (willingness), here employed. They are not mercenaries; they spring to their feet with alacrity when the time comes for them to offer their services. The seasonableness of their volunteering is expressly noted; for they thus come forth for service just when their services are needed, or when at least the offer of them seems fitting to the time: in thy day of warfare—“the meaning being, on the day when thy forces muster for battle” (Dr.). David’s lord, the Messiah, therefore, has a “people,” who with alacrity press into his service “on his day of warfare”; i.e., the day when his warfare breaks out “in the midst of his foes.” How long they have been his “people” is not stated: they are his people now when his “forces muster for battle,” and they act in character as his people by volunteering for service now that the time for warring has come.

Their appearance is next described: that is, if we follow the Massoretic text—they appear in holy adorning, as it were in priestly robes. If, however, with some able critics we prefer the various reading which (substituting an “r” for a “d,” the difference in Hebrew being very small) yields the very dissimilar clause On the holy mountains instead of “In holy adorning,” then we find in this phrase a notification of the place where these volunteers gather: they gather on the holy mountains—about Jerusalem, naturally—for we know of no other “holy mountains”; and this seems strikingly agreeable with the circumstance that the Messiah has now fixed his headquarters in Jerusalem, since it is from thence that his strong rule is to be “extended.” Still, it is not certain that this various reading is to be preferred, for a reason to be given in a few moments. Hence, for the present, we leave that an open question, by saying: If the word is harre, then the rendering must be—On the holy mountains; but if hadre, then the proper English is—in holy adorning. We wish to find out precisely—if we may—who these “people,” these Messianic “volunteers,” are: does this clause say they are a priestly people; or does it indicate the place of their gathering? Let us follow on with the text, in the hope of coming near to an answer.

Out of the womb of the dawn, Thou hast (or to thee cometh forth) the dew of thy young men. Sudden and striking, bright and beautiful, and wholly unexpected, as a revelation of innumerable dew-drops in the morning when the sun rises, is the appearance of this army of volunteers. They are born out of the foregoing night. They suddenly start forth as the Messiah’s allies “on the day of his warfare,” when his “strong sceptre” is about to be “stretched forth out of Zion” by Jehovah. So far our text leads us. Still it does not define, beyond doubt, who this “people” are.

But just here comes in a remarkable text from the prophet Micah (Psalms 5:7) which looks as if it might have been written as a commentary on this verse of our psalm. The reference is to “the Shepherd of Israel.” That this Shepherd should appear as a deliverer from ASSYRIA, will not hinder students of prophecy from associating him with the final deliverance of Israel from the Gentile world-power, first represented by Assyria. But here is the language in question:—“And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples, As dew from Jehovah, As myriad drops on plants, Which tarrieth not for man, Nor waiteth for the sons of Adam.” Even so far, the parallel is very striking; and already begins to make us question whether the “volunteers” of our psalm are not this very “remnant of Jacob in the midst of many peoples,” quietly awaiting the auspicious morning of Messiah’s manifestation in Jerusalem. How greatly the quiet deposit of them “among many peoples” seems to add to the formidableness of their presence, provided they are destined to be more aggressive than “dew”: the very thing of which the prophet immediately proceeds to assure us: “And the remnant of Jacob”—the same remnant—“shall be among the nations”—the same position, stated in duplicate: “among the nations, in the midst of many peoples:” in what character? as gentle “dew” merely? nay! “as a lion among the beasts of the jungle, As a young lion among flocks of sheep, Who if he passeth by, both treadeth down—and teareth in pieces—and none can deliver.” How wonderfully, though poetically, do those features of the psalmist’s description here reappear, which intimate that in spite of their “holy adorning” and their fresh and brilliant beauty, the newly revealed army of volunteers are volunteers of a king whose iron sceptre is now, on this “his day of warfare,” to be “streched forth” by Jehovah “out of Zion”! We tenaciously adhered, a little way back, to the fact that, although the “iron sceptre” was the Messiah’s, yet it was JEHOVAH who would stretch it forth from Zion to the ends of the earth. And is not this our reward—namely, to discover in this “remnant of Jacob” the very means by which Jehovah will extend that resistless sway of which the psalmist had spoken?

Thus, then, we appear to be absolved from any need to push further our quest after the Messiah’s volunteering people as referred to in the third verse of our psalm. They are the “remnant of Jacob” “among the nations,” “in the midst of many peoples,” sustaining the well-known characteristics of “dew”—“that tarrieth not for man,” and of “lions” from whose down-treading and tearing prowess the sheep cannot escape. If the provision of such a people for the crisis is not a stretching forth of Messiah’s strong sceptre out of Zion to the ends of the earth, we should like to know by what more striking and powerful metaphor such an idea could be conveyed. For the present, then, we are well content with the Massoretic text, which spells with a “d” and not with an “r”; and so are prepared to rest in the descriptive clause “In holy adorning” as applied to the “remnant of Jacob”; rather than “On the holy mountains,” which would have confined their gathering to a single spot. Such volunteers are a thousand times more formidable where they are, scattered among the nations; unnoticed, forgotten, trampled under foot; and yet able,—in the strength of Jehovah their God and in their newborn enthusiasm for their Anointed King newly seated in Zion,—to utter a roar which shall make all the continents of the world tremble. By what means Jehovah will clothe this scattered “remnant of Jacob” with garments of “holy adorning,” so that like Jehoshaphat’s Levites of old (2 Chronicles 20:19-22) they shall go forth singing to the battlefield, perchance to find the foe already demolished, we know not; but if Jehovah here declares that he will so stretch forth his Messiah’s strong sceptre to the ends of the earth, we can calmly await the fulfilment. The morning which shall witness that army’s birth has not yet dawned. We are the more content to abide by the “holy adorning” clause of the Massoretic Hebrew text, in that, besides its immediate application to the Messiah’s volunteers, it gives forth in advance something of the fragrance of the Messiah’s own Kingly priesthood, with the revelation of which a march has now to be stolen upon us. The Volunteer Army is ready, so far as the psalm itself is concerned: ready, in that with more or less of vividness it now stands before the mental eye of the sympathetic reader. But meanwhile a promotion has come to the Messiah during his absence in heaven at Jehovah’s right hand. An immeasurable honour has been conferred upon him.

Psalms 110:4. Sworn hath Jehovah, and will not regret: THOU art a priest to the ages After the manner of Melchizedek. Note that this statement is not made in terms which describe a proceeding now to take place, but in terms which express accomplishment already completed. The words are not—“Jehovah sweareth,” or “now proceedeth to swear”; but Jehovah hath sworn. The constituting mandate (or oath), making the Messiah priest, has already been uttered; and, having regard to the place occupied by this report of that mandate, we may reasonably conclude that the priestly instalment took place in heaven, when the Messiah sat down at Jehovah’s right hand. Of this instalment, however, no details are given. They are left over for a Christian Writer to supply; and right worthily has the Writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews supplied all necessary details; as to the grounds on which this honour was conferred on the Messiah—how he who now is made priest had previously offered himself as a sacrifice,—and as to the abolishing effect of this decree on the Levitical priesthood. No such details, be it well observed, are here given. The installing announcement alone is here made, in briefest terms, and as of an event already accomplished. This last point is the matter to be emphasised here. The new King has come to Zion; has received his commission to subdue and humiliate his foes; and his army of volunteers is ready. At this juncture the action of the poem is stayed, to make way for this brief and authoritative announcement of the accomplished fact of the installation of David’s “lord” into a Kingly Priesthood resembling that of Melchizedek. Now, as the action of the psalm is immediately resumed as soon as ever this heavenly event is proclaimed; as the strong sceptre of the Messiah is immediately stretched forth out of Zion; and as the foes are immediately put beneath the Messiah’s feet,—the proper effect of the interpolated priestly announcement is to call attention to the kind of King which earth receives in now submitting to the all-subduing Messiah. In sitting on David’s throne, which is his own earthly throne in Zion, David’s “lord” sits there as a priest upon his throne: as at once priest and king, exercising simultaneously and harmoniously the functions of both offices,—perfectly representing and effectuating Jehovah’s rule over men, and as perfectly representing and presenting men’s need to Jehovah, He will thus, in his own person, give a strong lead to Israel in becoming, according to her original mission (Exodus 19), “a kingdom of priests” to all nations. He will thus become the Antitype of the “Sign-men,” Joshua and his friends in the prophecies of Zechariah, by permanently bearing both offices (Zechariah 3:8; Zechariah 6:9-15). He will thus, far surpass his father David, who once or twice in a passing way, served as a High Priest to the priests of Israel (2 Samuel 6:5; 2 Samuel 6:14, 1 Chronicles 15, 16). Especially will he thus become, to the whole earth and for ever, what Melchizedek was for a short while to a small area around Salem of old (Genesis 14).

Psalms 110:5-7. The climax of the whole psalm comes at last. The climax is a crisis. The crisis is a battle which decides the fate of the world by subduing it to the final reign on earth of its Priestly King. The whole psalm leads up to this terrible crisis. The first verse characterises it as the time of bringing Messiah’s enemies beneath his feet, until which the invitation extends to sit down at Jehovah’s right hand in heaven. The second verse centralises the crisis in Zion. The third verse definitely names it Messiah’s “day of warfare.” The fourth verse, as we have said, stays the action of the psalm for the purpose of announcing an already accomplished heavenly fact. Having done this, the fifth verse unmistakably resumes the action of the psalm by further naming the coming day as Jehovah’s day of anger and by plunging into the actual crushing of the foes, giving us to witness STROKE AFTER STROKE of Jehovah’s activity in fulfilling the promise made at the outset to David’s “lord.” The first stroke is the crushing of kings. The second stroke is the filling of the nations, or of the battle-field of the nations, with dead bodies. The third stroke is the crushing of an individual head, who, however, is head over a wide land. These three strokes complete the down-treading action of the psalm—complete the overthrow and trampling underfoot of Messiah’s foes—complete the rescue of Messiah’s inheritance. The single remaining verse celebrates the victory.

We have characterised this as a “terrible” crisis, and so it is. But, unless words are to be tortured, it is THE CRISIS OF THE PSALM: moreover, it is the crisis of the Bible—of other psalms, as the second with its dashing in pieces, the forty-fifth with its sharp arrows in the heart of the king’s enemies whereby peoples fall under him, the seventy-second where the king’s enemies are made to lick the dust; and of the prophecies generally, such as Isaiah Second, Twenty-fourth, Sixty-third, Sixty-sixth, and others too numerous to be mentioned; of several significant places in the Gospels and the Epistles, reappearing with an accession of heavenly terror in the Apocalypse. It is a “terrible” crisis, but no daring criticism can root it out of the Bible. And, though “terrible,” it seems to be a needful crisis. For, truly, the witness of nineteen centuries seems to declare that it may be absolutely needful that Jehovah’s PHYSICAL FORCE through means of Messiah’s iron sceptre should maintain and enforce the moral suasion of many foregoing centuries. And, once more, though “terrible,” thank God it will be final and efficacious. For, thereby, the Messiah will “speak peace to the nations” in terms which will compel war to cease and clear the way for gentler forces to operate to the ages.

Psalms 110:5. Before noticing, in a little detail, the three strokes of displeasure with which the foes of the Messiah are actually made his footstool, it is desirable to assure ourselves that those three strokes are here attributed to JEHOVAH HIMSELF rather than to the Messiah. Whether this is the case, turns upon the nice and rather critical question—Who is intended by “The Lord at thy right hand” of Psalms 110:5? Is it Messiah on Jehovah’s right hand, or is it Jehovah on the Messiah’s right hand? And, as involved in this broader question, is the narrower one—Who is the person whose right hand is here spoken of? In other words, to whom is this line (with the following lines) addressed? If Jehovah is addressed, then “the Lord at his right hand” will be the Messiah—“The Messiah hath crushed kings,” &c.; whereas, if the Messiah is addressed, then it will be Jehovah who crusheth kings, &c. Now, notwithstanding the plausibility of the contention that the word A-D-N-I should be pronounced adhoni (“my lord”), and so be regarded as a repetition of the word standing at the end of the first line of the psalm, yet as this would probably necessitate another change, which neither the Hebrew text nor the ancient versions sustain, “My lord at HIS right hand”; we shall do well to pause and look well to the context, before we decide this nice point. Now the opinion is here submitted, that the better conclusion is: That the Messiah is here directly addressed, and therefore that “the Lord at Messiah’s right hand” is Jehovah. And, though this may be said to involve a change of their relative position—so that, in Psalms 110:1, Messiah is seen on Jehovah’s right hand; and, in Psalms 110:5, Jehovah is discovered on the Messiah’s right hand,—yet there can be no valid objection to this, The scene has changed, and with it the relative positions; and there is nothing whatever incongruous, but rather everything befitting, that in heaven the Messiah should be on Jehovah’s right hand, and on earth Jehovah should be on the Messiah’s right hand; especially as this very representation has already and so lately been made as in Psalms 109:30-31 of the next preceding psalm: “I will thank Jehovah . . . because he taketh his stand at the right hand of the needy.” There is therefore plainly nothing incongruous, if in this place, the representation is, that Jehovah, here, on earth, on “the day of Messiah’s warfare,” takes his stand at the Messiah’s right hand to direct and aid him in overthrowing his foes, and letting the world and all future generations see that it was JEHOVAH’S hand that did it. And as, on the one hand, there is nothing incongruous to be alleged against this conclusion, so on the other there are these reasons to be urged in its favour: (1) that the vowel-pointing of the Massoretic text can stand—Adonai—Sovereign Lord, equivalent to Jehovah; (2) that those codices which actually have Jehovah (see Gn. under text) will be substantially correct; (3) that no change further on in the line, from “thy” to “his” will be required; and (4)—most weighty reason of all—that continued prominence will thereby be given to the feature made prominent at the beginning of the psalm, That it is emphatically JEHOVAH who places the Messiah’s enemies beneath his feet. He does this, because he it is who provides the Messiah with his wonderful army of volunteers, he it is who crushes kings, judges nations, crushes the head over a wide land. This then may be regarded as provisionally settled, that the fifth verse opens by declaring that Jehovah, on the Messiah’s right hand, does the things that follow, to each of which we may now devote a moment’s attention.

Jehovah, at the Messiah’s right hand, crushes Kings—literally hath crushed, the well-known perfect tense of prophetic certainty. Then there are “kings” in the final opposition raised against the Messiah’s wielding his strong sceptre out of Zion. There are “kings” who have not shewn the “prudence” urged upon them in the Second Psalm. They will have dared an impious, desperate thing: and for it they will be “crushed.”

Jehovah, at the Messiah’s right hand, judgeth (proceedeth to judge, will judge) among the nations,—the tense being here changed to the so-called “imperfect,” more exactly, the initiative, incipient or incomplete, precisely suited to indicate a further and perhaps prolonged process. No details, saving one, are here supplied as to the nature of this judging among the nations. The one which is supplied is sufficiently startling: throughout the nations which are being judged, or on the battlefield to which the nations gather, there is a filling of the places of conflict (or the one battlefield) with the slain—the dead bodies—the corpses—the g’wioth. Let him who dares, attempt to spiritualise and thereby evaporise this! Beware how you minimise the Divine wielding of Messiah’s “iron sceptre”! This is the second stroke. The third follows.

Jehovah, at the Messiah’s right hand, hath crushed (again the perfect of certainty) the head over a wide land. The rebellious kings have a “head”: the infatuated nations have a head. That “head” has become “head”—“over a wide land,” or has gone up to do battle, “over a wide country.” The student of prophecy does not need to inquire who that head is. Even the thoughtful reader who has got no further than this psalm may surmise that here at last is the key that unlocks the secret of that “throne of iniquity” which so unaccountably started out into prominence in Psalms 94 : “Can the throne of engulfing ruin be allied to thee, which frameth mischief by statute?” It would not be surprising if the instructed Bible student were to exclaim without more delay: “Yes! I see: this other head that is to be crushed is none else than Antichrist or the Man of Sin or the Lawless One whom ‘the Lord Jesus is to destroy by the breath of his lips and to paralyse with the brightness of his coming.’” Nor would he be wrong. Nevertheless, it may be a useful throwing of ourselves upon Old Testament testimony, if we simply confirm our apprehension by yet another reference to it as set forth by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 30:29-33):—A song shall ye have, As in the night of hallowing a festival, And gladness of heart as when one goeth with the flute To enter the mountain of Jehovah Unto the Rock of Israel.” Language, this, which appears as if expressly framed to suit those “Volunteers,” coming forth “out of the womb of the dawn,” “robed in holy adorning” of which we read in the third verse of this psalm. “Then will Jehovah cause to be heard the resounding of his voice, And the bringing down of his arm shall be seen, In a rage of anger, And with the flame of a devouring fire, A burst, and downpour and a hailstone! And at the voice of Jehovah shall Assyria be crushed, With his rod will he smite, And it shall come to pass that every stroke of the staff of doom which Jehovah shall lay upon him shall be with timbrels and with lyres, when with battles of brandished weapons he hath fought against them. For there hath been set in order beforehand a Tophet, yea the same for the king hath been prepared, He hath made it deep, made it large,—The circumference thereof is for fire and wood in abundance, The breath of Jehovah like a torrent of brimstone is ready to kindle it.” Assyria first—Assyria last: that came out in the quotation from Micah. The overthrow of Sennacherib a type—the overthrow of Antichrist the antitype. But note, as the supreme thing in relation to our psalm, the activity of Jehovah: Jehovah’s voice—Jehovah’s arm—Jehovah’s rage—Jehovah’s rod Jehovah’s strokes of doom—Jehovah’s enkindling breath; and say whether it does not read as if expressly intended to be a commentary on our Psalm—on Jehovah’s opening revelation to David’s “lord” our Messiah. Here is the king—the “head” king of iniquity; here is the day of anger; here, the making of the Messiah’s foes a stool for his feet. Ye forthcoming army of volunteers, yet to spring sparklingly forth from the womb of the dawn! get ready your flutes and timbrels and lyres; for although the slaughter will be terrible, yet the joy will be great, and the songs that will be evoked will continue to resound through the after ages.

Psalms 110:7. After the battle, the restoration of the inheritance! And so, by the help of Dr. Briggs, we read from a critically emended text: An inheritance on the way he maketh it, Therefore he (Jehovah still, as all along so far in these concluding verses) exalteth the Head—the true Head, the Messiah, the rightful Head of a ransomed and delivered world. Of course, if anyone choose to abide still by the Massoretic Hebrew text,—down to the last verse and to the minutest letter, including the editorially supplied vowel points, he can do so with very little disturbance to the general effect; and, bringing the Messiah to the front as an exhausted warrior, snatching a refreshing drink of the book by the way, and then lifting up his head to pursue the flying foe and so completing his conquest—to which he will naturally give a fitting explanation. But probably a goodly contingent even of conservative critics will prefer the more dignified and commensurate ending suggested above, especially when they discover the minuteness of the changes involved, probably imperilling not more than a single consonant in the original text, in the process of copying which such an error might easily be made. An excellent, dignified, and adequate conclusion to the psalm, will certainly be realised if we thus read and expound the seventh verse. An inheritance on the way (at once) he (Jehovah) maketh it, (namely) the wide land rescued from Antichrist, or even the whole earth occupied by the nations previously mentioned as having to pass through Jehovah’s refining judgment; handing it over to him, the Messiah, in pursuance of the offer of the Second Psalm—“Ask of me, and I will give nations as thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth as thy possession.” Thus will Jehovah make good the very last line of the psalm also: Therefore (and thus) he (Jehovah) exalteth the (rightful and all worldly) Head (of the world redeemed by him, even the Messiah, David’s longlooked-for lord: to whom and for whom this sublime and significant revelation was made by the Holy Spirit speaking by David).

The references to this psalm in the N.T. demand a brief notice. “No psalm is more frequently quoted and alluded to in the N.T. It was, as we have seen, quoted by our Lord (Matthew 22:44, Mark 12:36, Luke 20:42-43); and His use of its language as recorded in Matthew 26:64 (=Mark 14:62, Luke 22:69) clearly involved (since its Messianic significance was acknowledged) and assertion of His Messiahship in answer to the High-priest’s adjuration. Psalms 110:1 is applied by St. Peter to the exaltation of Christ in his Resurrection and Ascension (Acts 2:34-35) and is quoted in Hebrews 1:13 to illustrate the superiority of the Son to Angels. Cp. also Mark 16:19, Acts 5:31; Acts 7:55-56, Romans 8:34, 1 Corinthians 15:24 ff, Ephesians 1:20, Colossians 3:1, Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 8:1; Hebrews 10:12-13; Hebrews 12:2, 1 Peter 3:22, Revelation 3:21. Psalms 110:4 serves as the basis of the argument in Hebrews 5:5 ff; Hebrews 6:20; Hebrews 7:17 ff concerning the superiority of Christ’s priesthood to the Levitical priesthood”—Kp. in “Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges.” In accordance with the lofty outlook of some of these references, it would not have been improper to render the second line of this psalm—“Sit thou enthroned at my right hand,” only that such a prominence given to heavenly kingship would have been a little beyond the scope of the psalm, and was by no means demanded by the Hebrew word employed. Carefully followed, the context suggests no more than honour, rest, and waiting; in exact accordance with Hebrews 10:13 (“waiting henceforth”). In point of fact, the Son of David is also the Son of God; and the heavenly honour, rest, and waiting secured by his session at the right hand of God, are coincident with heavenly activity, in other capacities and for other ends than those brought into view by the psalm. In like manner, it would probably have been premature, had we, in seeking for the “volunteers” of Psalms 110:3, referred to the army seen in heaven in Revelation 19. The coincidence is indeed striking, especially as between the “holy adorning” seen by the psalmist and the “fine linen, white and pure” described by the seer in Patmos. The happy medium to be desired in adjusting the revelations of the Old and New Testaments is to make haste slowly; not to hurry the elder scriptures into disclosures quite beyond their scope, nor yet to overrule, and far less to suppress or make of no effect their communications.

Praise the Lord for His Care

Psalms 111:1-10

Psalms 111 : An acrostic psalm, this poem used two clauses for each verse, except for the last verse which has three, for a total of 22 clauses, each beginning with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet (with its 22 letters). Though such acrostic poems are rarely subject to logical outlining, this one is a psalm of praise and contains the characteristic call to praise (verse 1, cause for praise (Psalms 111:2-9), and a concluding exhortation to praise (Psalms 111:10).

Psalms 111 exalts the works of God, while Psalms 112 extols the man who fears God. The author(s), and occasion(s), are unknown.

I. A Word of Praise (Psalms 111:1).

II. Words about God’s Works (Psalms 111:2-9).

III. A Word of Wisdom (Psalms 111:10).

Psalms 111:1-10 : Psalms 111, 112 are alike in that:

(1) They both begin with, “Praise ye the LORD!” (as does Psalms 113), and

(2) They both are acrostics with 22 lines corresponding to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

Psalms 11:1-7 : The Lord is to be praised for his works. The psalmist resolves to praise God himself. Our exhortations and our examples should agree together. He recommends the works of the Lord, as the proper subject, when we are praising him; and the dealings of his providence toward the world, the church, and particular persons. All the works of the Lord are spoken of as one, it is his work; so admirably do all the dispensations of his providence center in one design. The works of God, humbly and diligently sought into, shall all be found just and holy. God’s pardoning sin is the most wonderful of all his works, and ought to be remembered to his glory. He will ever be mindful of his covenant; he has ever been so, and he ever will be so. His works of providence were done according to the truth of the Divine promises and prophecies, and so were verity, or truth. And by him who has a right to dispose of the earth as he pleases, and so are judgment, or righteousness. And this holds good for the work of grace upon the heart of man, (Psalms 111:7-8). All God’s commandments are sure; all have been fulfilled by Christ, and remain with him for a rule of walk and conversation to us. He sent redemption unto his people, out of Egypt at first, and often afterwards. And these were typical of the great redemption, which in the fullness of time was to be wrought out by the Lord Jesus. Here his everlasting righteousness shines forth in union with his boundless mercy. No man is wise who does not fear the Lord as no man acts wisely except as influenced by that fear. This fear will lead to repentance, to faith in Christ, to watchfulness and obedience. Such persons are of a good understanding, however poor, unlearned, or despised.

Psalms 111:1 "Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with [my] whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and [in] the congregation."

The Hebrew word translated “Praise ye the LORD” is Hallelujah. It means “to bestow boasting and honor to God”.

“With my whole heart” implies the inner person. Yahweh is not fooled by external worship or by the hypocrisy of religious rites that do not include wholehearted love for Him. Jesus might have had this passage in mind when He stated that the greatest commandment was, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart” (Matthew 22:37).

True praise begins in the heart. This is a determination on the psalmist’s part to worship the LORD in public, as well as in private. The assembly of the upright would be in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The congregation usually indicates the gathering of the Hebrews. The Israelites were many times referred to as the congregation. It is always the correct time to praise the Lord. There is never a place that is the wrong place to praise the Lord. Praise can be in prayer, in word, or in song. It seems to add feeling to it when it is sung. We should be like this penman, and worship and praise our Lord with all of our heart.

Psalms 111:2-9 : God’s work(s) are mentioned 5 times (Psalms 111:2-4; Psalms 111:6-7). Overall, the greater work of redemption seems to be in view (verse 9), without excluding lesser works of a temporal nature (Psalms 111:5-6).

Psalms 111:2 "The works of the LORD [are] great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein."

His works of creation are great, being made out of nothing, are the effects of great power, and the produce of great wisdom, and which greatly display the glory of their Maker. The works of providence are great, which are daily wrought, especially such as concern the church and people of God. For whom he does great things, whereof they have reason to be glad and praise his name. The miracles of Christ he wrought here on earth were surprisingly great, some of them such as had not keen known from the creation of the world. And yet greater things were shown him, and done by him, particularly the work of redemption. A work which angels and men were unequal to, a work which none but the great God and our Savior could effect. And is truly called the great salvation; the work of grace upon the heart is a great work, and requires the exceeding greatness of the divine power. And which is exerted in the beginning, carrying on, and finishing that work. And for all which the Lord is to be praised: and the rather since they are such as are;

"Sought out of all them that have pleasure therein": Or "sought out because of all the pleasures of them, or that are in them", which comes to much the same sense. There is a pleasure in the contemplation of the works of nature and providence. To behold the power, wisdom, and goodness of God in them, and his care over all his creatures. And particularly how he makes all things to work together for the good of his people. And especially it is delightful to observe the works of grace, how the glory of all the divine perfections is displayed in them. Angels themselves take pleasure in looking into them. Now these are sought and found out by those who delight in them. The works of creation are to be sought and found in the book of nature, the works of providence in the book of experience, and the works of grace in the book of God. And indeed all of them are recorded there, which are searched with pleasure by those that are inquisitive after them.

This is speaking of those who truly love the Lord. It is not one nation or one group of people, but all who love God. Those people see God in all the beauties of the earth. Atheists do not see God or respect His creation, because they do not believe He created everything. The believer is totally aware that everything, and everyone upon this earth are part of God’s creation, and we see His wondrous works in everything.

Psalms 111:3 "His work [is] honorable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever."

Literally, "Honor and glory is his work." That is, all that he does is honorable and glorious. The language would cover all that God does in the works of creation, providence, and redemption. There is honor and there is majesty in "everything" that he does.

"And his righteousness endureth for ever": That is, it will be found in all the investigations of his works, that he is unchangeably righteous or just. All that he has done, or that he now does, goes to demonstrate this. There are doings of people, even of good people which will not bear investigation; but there are no such acts of God. There are things that people do which excite admiration only when there is no investigation in regard to them. But the works of God are admired the more, the more they are studied. There are things which appear beautiful, or appear sweet only when they are not shaken. A collection of perfumes will give out sweets the more it is stirred.

This work mentioned here, is possibly the glorious work of the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary. Let’s look at two Scriptures that say this better than we could.

John 17:1 "These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:"

John 17:5 "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."

It seems strange that this could glorify the Father, but that is just what it did. The 6 hours of work for Jesus on the cross purchased our salvation for us. His righteousness is from everlasting to everlasting. The thing that makes acceptable unto the Father, is the fact that we traded Jesus our sin for His righteousness. He took our sin upon His body on the cross, and He clothed us in His righteousness.

Psalms 111:4 "He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD [is] gracious and full of compassion."

All his works are marvelous ones; his works of creation, that they should rise out of nothing at a word of command. His works of providence, which have such a depth of wisdom and knowledge in them, are unsearchable and past finding out. And his works of redemption and grace; and these are so wrought by him, and such methods taken to continue the memory of them, that they cannot well be forgotten. All things in nature are as they were from the beginning; the sun, moon, and stars, keep their course and station. Cold and heat, summer and winter, seedtime and harvest, are as they always were. Remarkable providences have been carefully recorded, and memorials of them handed down to posterity. The deliverance of Israel out of Egypt was annually remembered in the Passover. The feeding of them with manna in the wilderness was caused to be remembered by a pot of manna preserved in the tabernacle and temple. And the great work of our redemption by Christ is brought to remembrance in the ordinance of the Lord’s supper, appointed for that purpose.

"The Lord is gracious and full of compassion": So he was in eternity, and is in time; this appears in all his works, and especially in our salvation by Jesus Christ (see Psalms 86:5).

Every Christian remembers the Lord and the work He has done for each of us. His works will be remembered from generation to generation by His followers. His Word (Bible), reminds us of His wonderful works.

2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

You can see from the Scripture here and the one above, that it is the desire of the Lord for all to believe and be saved. The compassion of Jesus was shown to each of us in that while we were yet in sin Christ died for us.

Psalms 111:5 "He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant."

“Meat … his covenant”: It is quite possible that the psalmist has alluded to God’s faithfulness in providing food for Jacob through Joseph (Gen. chapters 37-50), in fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant to make the nation like the stars of the sky (Genesis 15:5).

This could mean that Christ has taken care of the needs of His people, but I believe this is more spiritual.

Hebrews 5:12 "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which [be] the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat."

Those that fear Him, study His Word to know what His will is in their life. They do not need to be fed the milk of the gospel, as if they were brand new Christians, but are able to handle the meat of the Word. The covenant that God made with man is an unbreakable covenant, because He swore on His own name. Man may break his covenant with God, but God will never break His covenant with man.

Psalms 111:6 "He hath showed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen."

God does not manifest His “power” for the sake of showing off. He channels it into purposeful acts to benefit His people. For this reason, God does not always perform miracles, He has specific purposes to accomplish and will reveal His power only when His people will benefit.

“The heritage of the heathen”: It seems even more sure that the psalmist has the Abrahamic Covenant in view (compare Genesis 15:18-21; Genesis 17:1-8), specifically the Exodus (Exodus – Deuteronomy), and the conquering/dividing of the Land (Joshua; see notes of Deuteronomy 7:1-2).

This possibly has to do with the reign of Jesus on this earth as King of kings and Lord of lords. His people (Christians), will rule with Him, as His subordinates, over the heathen. Israel saw His great power, when He defamed the gods of Egypt on their behalf. The Christians saw the great power of the Lord, when He defeated Satan, and when He rose from the grave.

Psalms 111:7 "The works of his hands [are] verity and judgment; all his commandments [are] sure."

His works of providence are just and true, particularly these which respected the driving the Canaanites out of their land, and settling the Israelites in it. These were done according to the truth of the divine promises and prophecies, and so were "verity" or "truth". And for the sins of the Heathen, and by him who has a right to dispose of the earth and the fullness of it to whom he pleases. And so are "judgment" or righteous; and this holds good of his work of grace upon the heart, which is the work of his hands, and is "truth in the inward parts". And is created in righteousness and true holiness. And of all his acts of grace in election, redemption, etc., which are according to the truth of the divine nature and its perfections, and in which there is no unrighteousness. Some interpret this of the two tables of stone, which were the work, writing, and engraving of God. And on which were inscribed the judgments of the Lord; and are "true and righteous altogether". Aben Ezra understands it of the law implanted in the hearts of men.

"All his commandments are sure": Firm, and to be believed and complied with, either to destroy the nations, or to possess their land. Or rather the commands of the moral law, which are firm and sure, one jot or tittle of which shall never pass away. All have been fulfilled by Christ, and remain with him a rule of walk and conversation. Or the word which the Lord has commanded to a thousand generations (Psalms 105:8). The covenant which is ordered in all things and sure; the promises of which are yea and amen in Christ. And the blessings of it, the sure mercies of David; and even the doctrines of the Gospel are the commandments and testimony of the Lord, which are sure (Psalms 19:8). And to be believed, being the word of truth, the Gospel of our salvation, and coming from God, who cannot lie.

Verity in the Scripture above, means stability, certainty, truth, or trustworthiness. The work that the Lord did for each of us is something we can depend upon. His judgement is just. What were His commandments?

Matthew 22:37-40 "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." "This is the first and great commandment." "And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Psalms 111:8 "They stand fast for ever and ever, [and are] done in truth and uprightness."

Not only the covenant and its promises do, but both law and Gospel, the commandments of the one and the doctrines of the other. The law is an eternal law, as to the matter of it, and is not made void by faith, but established. And the Gospel is an everlasting Gospel, which lives and abides for ever, being established upon the word of God, which cannot be broken. And is continued in the church, the pillar and ground of truth, from whence it can never be removed.

"And are done in truth and uprightness": Either made by the Lord according to the truth of things, the moral perfections of his nature and will, and the rectitude of it. Or observed by men that truly fear the Lord with great truth and sincerity.

This is telling us that the Lord is the same today, yesterday, and tomorrow. His commandments never change, because they are the absolute truth. They are not to change with circumstances, but are absolute. The Truth is always upright. The truth needs no explanation; it is always the thing to do. The wonderful thing about the Word is that it is alive and is just as current for each generation as it was for the generation before. Truth needs no apologies.

Psalms 111:9 "He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend [is] his name."

To the Israelites, God’s “name” is so awesome they will not speak Yahweh aloud but substitute Adonai, lest they inadvertently blaspheme God’s holy name. That same kind of reverence for God is commendable in the life of every child of God.

“Commanded his covenant for ever”: In light of (verses 5-6 and Galatians 3:6-9), this appears to look at the redemption aspects of the Abrahamic Covenant, which was declared frequently to be an “everlasting” or “for ever” covenant (compare Genesis 17:7; Genesis 17:13; Genesis 17:19; 1 Chronicles 16:15; 1 Chronicles 16:17; Psalms 105:8; Psalms 105:10; Isaiah 24:5).

Redemption is a free gift that must be received, not earned. The grace of Almighty God brought redemption. God saw that man was just flesh and could not save himself. We mentioned in the previous lesson that Jesus is the Savior of all men. Then why are not all saved? Because they do not receive the salvation that He provided. Only the children of men who become the sons of God, receive the redemption offered. Reverence is the same word as fear here. His name is above all names. The holiness of the Lord is what causes the reverence or fear. We are aware that we are not holy. We should hold the Lord in very high esteem above all others.

Psalms 111:10 "The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do [his commandments]: his praise endureth for ever."

The fear of the Lord, whose name is revered, is not a fear of his judgments here or hereafter, but of his goodness and grace. It is a reverential affection for him, a fiducial fear of him, a fear of offending so good a Being as he is. And it includes all religious worship of him, inward and outward, private and public. And at this true wisdom begins; a man begins to be wise when he fears the Lord, and not till then. This is his highest wisdom, and this is, as it may be rendered, "the chief of wisdom", the principal part of it (see Proverbs 9:10).

"A good understanding have all they that do his commandments": Or "that do them"; the fear of the Lord and wisdom; that exercise them, that do as they oblige and direct to. So R. Moses in Aben Ezra connects the words; such have a good understanding of the Lord, know him as the object of their fear and reverence, and of their duty to him, and of their own interest, it being their wisdom to fear him. Since by attending to their duty, to the word and ordinances of God, such arrive to a greater degree of knowledge and understanding of divine things. Some render it "good success" or "prosperity", as Kimchi. Such usually have prosperity in soul and body, in things temporal and spiritual (see Joshua 1:8).

"His praise endureth for ever": Or "its praise"; the praise of the fear of the Lord, of divine wisdom, and of a good understanding. Just as of circumcision in the heart (Romans 2:29). Or the praise of him that does the above things, that does the commandments of God, or acts under the fear of God, and as a wise man (1 Corinthians 4:5). Or rather the praise of God, which shall be given him by angels and men now and for evermore, as it ought to be. And to stir up to which is the design of the psalm throughout; and which men are encouraged to from the works and word of God, from his name, nature, and covenant, and from his blessings and acts of grace and goodness.

To reverence the Lord with a holy fear is the beginning of life. Without this reverence, or fear of the Lord, we would have no eternal life. We have a good understanding, because the Holy Spirit of God has opened our understanding. We have ears, and we can hear. We have eyes, and we can see, because the Holy Spirit has revealed these truths to us. The world has ears, but cannot hear and eyes, but cannot see. Jesus spoke in parables, so that the world would not understand with their mind and come to Him. God does not want our mind; He wants our heart. So many times we say, I love God, but how can I show Him that I truly love Him? Look, with me, at two Scriptures from John that answer that question beautifully.

John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

John 15:10 "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love."

Both of these Scriptures are printed in red in my Bible, which means that Jesus spoke them. Look with me at one more Scripture from the Old Testament that is basically saying the same thing.

1 Samuel 15:22 "And Samuel said, Hath the LORD [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey [is] better than sacrifice, [and] to hearken than the fat of rams."

The Christian, that has really grown into maturity with the Lord, is the one who obeys the will of God and is not ashamed to praise Him for His wonderful works. Can you say that you have grown beyond the milk and honey, and are ready for the meat of the Word? Perhaps you can, because you are interested in the study of the Bible.

PSALM 111

EXPOSITION

Considering how artificial is the structure of these twin psalms, it is remarkable how little sense has been sacrificed to form: perhaps prey (Psalms 111:5) is the only instance in this psalm in which a less happy word seems to have been used owing to acrostic exigencies. It is further observable that notwithstanding the proverbial style of sentiment which prevails, the striking history of Israel has, in this psalm in particular, furnished several couplets: as probably the “passover” memorial of Psalms 111:4; the grant of Canaan in Psalms 111:6; and again the deliverance out of Egypt and covenant at Sinai in Psalms 111:9. An allusion to Exodus 34 (“the Refrain of the Bible”) may be detected in Psalms 111:4. The subtle difference between deed—thing done—and work—“thing made”—may also repay reflection. Jehovah is worthy to be praised both for his “deeds” and his “works.” The practical trend of both psalms, and the especial link between the two, clearly proclaim: “I am holy, therefore be ye holy.” It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of the character of the God whom we worship.

“Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord”

Psalms 112:1-10

Psalms 112 : This psalm is another acrostic and is written in the same 10-verse format as the preceding one. The contrast between the righteous man and the wicked man marks this poem out as a wisdom psalm. Almost all of the psalm, however, is taken up with the good fortunes of the righteous man (Psalms 112:1-9), with only one verse dedicated to the observation of the wicked’s destruction (Psalms 112:10).

Psalms 112:1-10 (see note on Psalm Psalms 111:1-10).

I. The Blessing of Obedience (Psalms 112:1-9).

II. The Emptiness of Sin (Psalms 112:10).

Psalms 12:1-8 : The blessedness of the righteous. We have to praise the Lord that there are a people in the world, who fear him and serve him, and that they are a happy people; which is owing entirely to his grace. Their fear is not that which love casts out, but that which love brings in. It follows and flows from love. It is a fear to offend. This is both fear and trust. The heart touched by the Spirit of God, as the needle touched with the loadstone, turns direct and speedily to God, yet still with trembling, being filled with this holy fear. Blessings are laid up for the faithful and their children’s children; and true riches are bestowed on them, with as much of this world’s possessions as is profitable for them. In the darkest hours of affliction and trial, the light of hope and peace will spring up within them, and seasonable relief shall turn mourning into joy. From their Lord’s example, they learn to be kind and full of compassion, as well as just in all their dealings. They use discretion, that they may be liberal in that manner which appears most likely to do good. Envy and slander may for a time hide their true characters here, but they shall be had in everlasting remembrance. They need not fear evil tidings. A good man shall have a settled spirit. And it is the endeavor of true believers to keep their minds stayed upon God, and so to keep them calm and undisturbed; and God has promised them both cause to do so, and grace to do so. Trusting in the Lord is the best and surest way of establishing the heart. The heart of man cannot fix anywhere with satisfaction, but in the truth of God, and there it finds firm footing. And those whose hearts are established by faith, will patiently wait till they gain their point. Compare all this with the vexation of sinners. The happiness of the saints is the envy of the wicked. The desire of the wicked shall perish; their desire was wholly to the world and the flesh, therefore when these perish, their joy is gone. But the blessings of the gospel are spiritual and eternal, and are conferred upon the members of the Christian church, through Christ their Head, who is the Pattern of all righteousness, and the Giver of all grace.

Psalms 112:1 "Praise ye the LORD. Blessed [is] the man [that] feareth the LORD, [that] delighteth greatly in his commandments."

Margin, as in Hebrew, "Hallelujah" (see the notes at Psalms 106:1).

"Blessed is the man": Hebrew, "The blessings of the man" (see notes at Psalms 1:1). That is, Blessed, or happy, is such a one.

"That feareth the Lord": In (Psalms 111:10), the psalmist had referred to "the fear of the Lord" as "the beginning of wisdom," and had "alluded" to the success, prosperity, or happiness which attends the fear of the Lord, or true religion. This psalm is designed more fully "to illustrate" that thought. That feareth the LORD (see note on Proverbs 1:7).

"That delighteth greatly in his commandments” (see notes at Psalms 1:2). It is a characteristic of true piety to find pleasure in the commands of God; in the commandments themselves, and in obedience to them.

The last Psalm was telling of the greatness of the Lord and that we should praise Him. This Psalm is telling of the blessings of the people who bless the Lord. Not only does this man that is blessed, fear the Lord and keep His commandments, but delights in doing the same. The blessed of the Lord is aware that the commandments of the Lord are not grievous. We have spoken in many of these lessons, how the commandments that God has given to man are for the benefit of man, as well as God. If a man will keep the commandments of God, his life will be blessed.

Psalms 112:2-9 : The desire of every human for prosperity can only come through obedience to the commands of God (compare Psalms 1:1-3).

The “horn” is a symbol of strength, power, and dignity. It denotes peace, prosperity and God granted success.

Psalms 112:2 "His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed."

His children; his posterity. That is, they shall be prospered; honored and distinguished among people. Distinguished for their virtues, for their influence, for their success in life. This refers to what was regarded among the Hebrews as an object of great desire, and is in accordance with the promises everywhere found in their Scriptures (see notes Psalms 25:13; Psalms 37:25-26; compare Genesis 12:2; Genesis 17:6; Exodus 20:6). It is in accordance, also, with a general fact in the course of events. The best security for the virtue and success of children is the virtue and the piety of parents. The surest inheritance as pertaining to happiness, respectability, and usefulness in life, is that which is derived from the example, the prayers, the counsel of a pious father and mother.

"The generation of the upright shall be blessed": The family and the children. Such promises are to be expected to be fulfilled in general. It is not required by any proper rules of interpreting language that this should be universally and always true.

The seed spoken of here, I believe to be the seed of Abraham.

Galatians 3:29 "And if ye [be] Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise."

The blessings of Abraham are upon the seed spoken of here. They are mighty upon the earth. They will reign with Jesus upon the earth.

Psalms 112:3 "Wealth and riches [shall be] in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever."

In his family; if not possessed by him, yet by his posterity. Though rather this signifies spiritual riches, the riches of grace, the unsearchable riches of Christ, durable riches and righteousness. Seeing it is connected with an everlasting righteousness, as in the next clause.

"And his righteousness endureth for ever": He is not hurt by his temporal riches, as others are, the prodigal, the covetous, and formal professor. He continues the good and righteous man he was, notwithstanding his riches. Some understand this of his liberality with his riches, as alms deeds are sometimes called righteousness (see Psalms 112:9). Though it rather intends either inherent righteousness, the new man which is created in righteousness, the inward principle of grace which always continues. Or the righteousness of Christ imputed to him, which is an everlasting one.

David and Solomon did have great material wealth upon the earth, but I believe this is speaking of spiritual blessings. Of course all in the earth belongs to God. The whole world and everything in it, is the property of God. He is the Creator and everything is His creation.

Psalms 112:4 "Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: [he is] gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous."

Upright ones are sometimes in the darkness of affliction, under divine desertions, without spiritual joy, and in an uncomfortable condition. When on a sudden light arises to them, like break of day, or the morning light: they have deliverance from affliction, and enjoy prosperity. The light of God’s countenance is lifted up on them; the sun of righteousness arises upon them with healing in his wings. And spiritual joy and comfort are communicated unto them. It may denote the comforts the people of God have amidst their afflictions and troubles, even while they are in them. And the light they enjoy, while darkness is round about others, like the children of Israel in Egypt. Or the suddenness of deliverance from adversity, temporal or spiritual. Weeping endures for a night, joy comes in the morning, and at evening time it is light (Psalms 30:5).

"He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous": That is, the Lord is so. Thus the Arabic version, "the Lord God is merciful and bountiful;’’ and the Ethiopic version, "merciful and compassionate is the Lord, and righteous is our King.’’ And because God is the God of all grace, and is able to make it abound to his people, and is compassionate to them in distress, and is just and faithful to his promises. Therefore, he causes light to arise to them in darkness; and which, on such account, they may believe and expect (see Micah 7:8). Some understand this of the upright man and of his character; that he is "gracious", kind, and bountiful. That he is "full of compassion", tenderhearted, and shows mercy to distressed objects. And is righteous, through Christ, and lives soberly and righteously. This sense agrees both with what goes before, and follows after.

This world is full of darkness. We live in that darkness, until we receive the Lord Jesus as our Savior and Lord. When you receive Jesus (who is the Light), into your life, you receive His Light and it does away with darkness. Jesus is full of grace, compassion, and righteousness. If we have Christ in us, we are full of grace and compassion, and righteousness too. It is His grace, and His compassion, and His righteousness we are full of.

Psalms 112:5 "A good man showeth favor, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion."

Without usury, hoping for nothing again. He pities those that labor under difficulties, for want of a little money; and he generously lends it till they are able to pay him again. Which oftentimes is of as much service as if it was given (see Psalms 37:21). A good man is not only a man that has the good work of grace in him, and is ready to every good work; but one that is munificent, bountiful, and liberal. In which sense the word is used in (Romans 5:7), and so in Latin writers.

"He will guide his affairs with discretion": His civil and domestic affairs. He will act the part of a good economist; so that he may be able to support his family with credit and reputation. And have something to give to the relief of those in want. Some restrain this to his acts of charity. He lends to some, and gives to others. He takes care that they to whom he gives are proper objects of charity. He gives to persons seasonably, and in proportion to his own ability and their wants. It may be rendered, "he shall guide his words with judgment". Take care of what he says, and before whom. And that it be at a proper time and place; and especially when speaking of spiritual and religious things.

If we are a Christian in the true sense, then we are a believer in, and a obedient follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. A Christian should be as much like his Leader (Jesus), as possible. We should do the same things He would do. There are several meanings to the word discretion here. One of the meanings is divine law. Another meaning is judgement. He is just to all men, is possibly what this is saying.

Psalms 112:6 "Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance."

Out of the heart of God, and from his love and affections. Out of the covenant of grace, and from an interest in it. Out of the hands of Christ, or off of him the foundation. Out of the house and family of God. Out of a state of grace and righteousness, into condemnation. And though he may be distressed by afflictions, yet not destroyed. And though he may be so shaken, as to fall from some degree of steadfastness in the faith, and into sin, yet not so as to perish everlastingly. The saint’s perseverance is a sure and certain truth, and to be depended upon.

"The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance": With good men, and especially such whose names are recorded in Scripture. And even others are remembered after death; and for a long time after, their pious characters, sayings, actions, sufferings, works, and writings. And with God, who remembers his love to them, his covenant with them and his promises to them. Has a book of remembrance for their thoughts, words, and actions. Which will be remembered and spoken of at the last day, when forgotten by them (see Proverbs 10:9, etc.).

The righteous are those who have received righteousness through Jesus Christ our Lord. They do inherit eternal life in Him. Man will live forever somewhere. We choose our place to spend eternity. If we receive Jesus as our Savior, we inherit eternal life in heaven with Jesus.

Psalms 112:7 "He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD."

Of bad news; of reverses and losses. Of the destruction of his ship at sea, or his property by land; of disaster by flood, by famine, or by war. His heart will so fully confide in God that he can commit all calmly into his hands. He will feel assured that all will be well; that nothing occurs but that which the wisest and the best Being in the universe sees it best should occur; and that in all which "does" take place he is able to sustain the sufferer. There is nothing so well suited to make the mind calm as trust in God. What has a man to be afraid of who does trust in him? (Compare Psalms 27:3; Psalms 46:2; Psalms 56:3-4; Hebrews 13:6; Proverbs 1:33).

"His heart is fixed": Is firm; is established (see notes at Psalms 57:7).

"Trusting in the Lord": This is the reason "why" his heart is "fixed" or firm. It is not any native courage or resolution. It is not any firmness of his own; it is simply because he has confidence in God, and feels assured that all things will be well.

One of the best examples of this is Job. He lost his family, his wealth, his health even, and he did not once doubt that God would deliver him. He was stayed in his heart on God, and all that hell could send against him did not once cause him to doubt. Christians should not be moved by the circumstances around them. We should know beyond a shadow of a doubt that all is well with our soul.

Psalms 112:8 "His heart [is] established, he shall not be afraid, until he see [his desire] upon his enemies."

Sustained; upheld. This is the same idea, though somewhat varied in form. The word means to sustain; or to support. And the idea is, that there is some basis of support, some strength, which is not his own.

"He shall not be afraid": When he is assailed by enemies.

"Until he see his desire upon his enemies": This implies that he had nothing really to fear. He would certainly overcome his foes. And in the meantime, he might look calmly on all their efforts to destroy him, for those efforts would be vain. So the believer now looks calmly on all his spiritual foes. He has nothing to fear, for he will overcome them all. He will certainly triumph; he will trample them all under his feet. He may well, therefore, endure these conflicts for a brief period, for the issue is certain, and the conflict will soon come to an end.

The sad thing is that there is a day coming when the enemy of the Christian and the enemy of God will feel the wrath of Almighty God. God is longsuffering, but there will come a time when He will say, it is enough. If we are established in the Lord, the small tribulations of this earth should not stagger our faith.

Psalms 112:9 "He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honor."

“His horn”: Horns on an animal were an indication of strength and prosperity. This is applied figuratively to the righteous. His money, as the Targum. Scattered it here and there, as the sower scatters his seed. Does not throw it all in one place, but some here and some there, and all with profusion and plenty. This denotes the bounty and liberality of the upright. And his wisdom and discretion in distributing his charity, and the numerous objects of it (see Proverbs 11:14).

"He hath given to the poor": That stand in need of his charity, freely, cheerfully, and bountifully.

"His righteousness endureth for ever": His liberality continues; he is not wearied of well doing. He gives a portion to seven and to eight, and to as many and as often as there is a call and need for it (see Psalms 112:3).

"His horn shall be exalted with honor": The reproach cast upon him shall be wiped off. He shall grow more prosperous, and become more honorable among men here on earth. And in the resurrection morning shall have the dominion over the wicked, and shall appear with Christ in glory, and be with him to all eternity.

The followers of the Lord will be quick to distribute the blessings the Lord has showered upon them. The difference in the world and the believer is that the believer cares for the poor. We know the Lord Jesus said, “inasmuch as ye have done it to the least of these, ye have done it unto me”. We cannot directly do great things for the Lord, but when we help the needy and the widows, we are doing it as unto the Lord. Remember, the horn means power, or strength. God will honor those who are the followers of the Lord.

Psalms 112:10 "The wicked shall see [it], and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish."

In utter contrast to the righteous man of Psalms 112:2-9, the wicked man lives a worthless existence without strength (compare Psalms 1:4-6).

Notice that it is not the believer that gnashes his teeth. It is the evil one. The wicked will see the blessings that God showers on the believers, and then he will be sorry he did not believe, but it will be too late. The wrath of God will fall on the wicked, and they will beg for the rocks to fall upon them. They will seek death, but it will not come. God gives them ample time to repent, and they do not. Each terrible happening that comes upon them is followed by another, and they repented not.

To summarize this lesson, we see that the blessings of God are reserved for the obedient believers. The believers have the same heart as their Lord and Savior. They try to do the things that are the will of God for their lives. They face tribulation and never falter. At the end, they will reign with Jesus over the evil. The evil will awake to their mistake in not receiving the Lord, but it will be too late!

PSALM 112

EXPOSITION

Although the course run by this psalm naturally differs from that of its predecessor, yet the correspondences between the two, both in thought and language, are numerous. Note the identity of line Psalms 112:3 b in the two psalms; also the recurrence of the “refrain” snatch in Psalms 112:4 b of this psalm as well as that; which, in this second case, is the more remarkable, because it probably applies to MAN that which was originally spoken by Jehovah concerning HIMSELF: as much as to say—“I am gracious and compassionate, be ye the same.” Then comes the question whether, if line b of this verse is transferred to man, line a also should not be applied in like manner. If so, we reach the rather startling comparison of the Jehovah-revering MAN to a light arising in the darkness enshrouding his afflicted but upright brother. This is a by-no-means incredible result; and the strong current man-ward of this whole psalm appears to warrant our resting in it. The quotation of Psalms 112:9 in 2 Corinthians 9:9 may usefully remind us how strongly the great exponent of justification by faith teaches Christians, that they have been “created in Christ Jesus upon a footing of good (and noble) works, which God prepared beforehand, that therein we might walk” (Ephesians 2:10).

God’s Mercies Are Many

Psalms 113:1-9

Psalms 113 : Psalms 113-118 have been traditionally linked in Jewish worship with the great feasts of Passover and Tabernacles. At Passover for example, Psalms 113, 114 are sung before the meal and 115 and 118 after it. How far back these traditions go is unknown, but the connection of such hymns with the Passover is maintained in the New Testament (Matthew 26:30); Mark 14:26). The content of Psalms 113 is simple. There is a call to praise the Lord (Psalms 113:1-3). because He is great (Psalms 113:4-6), and because He cares for the poor and needy (Psalms 113:7-9).

Psalms 113:1-9 of Psalms 113-118 comprise a rich 6 psalm praise to God commonly called the “Egyptian Hallel” (Hallel” meaning praise in Hebrew). These were sung at Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles, but had the greatest significance at Passover, which celebrated the Jews’ deliverance from Egypt (compare Exodus chapters 12-14). Traditionally Psalms 113, 114 were sung before the Passover meal and Psalms 115-118 afterwards. Psalms 118 would most likely be what Christ and the disciples sang before they left the Upper Room the night Christ was betrayed (compare Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26). There are two other notable sets of praise in the Psalter.

(1) The Great Hallel Psalms 120-136); and

(2) The Final Hallel (Psalms 145-150).

An outline for Psalms 113:1-9 is as follows:

I. The Call to Praise (Psalms 113:1-3).

II. The Cause for Praise (Psalms 113:4-9).

A. God’s Transcendence (Psalms 113:4-5);

B. God’s Immanence (Psalms 113:6-9).

Psalms 113:1-9 : An exhortation to praise God. God has praise from his own people. They have most reason to praise him; for those who attend him as his servants, know him best, and receive most of his favors, and it is easy, pleasant work to speak well of their Master. God’s name ought to be praised in every place, from east to west. Within this wide space the Lord’s name is to be praised; it ought to be so, though it is not. Before long it will be, when all nations shall come and worship before him. God is exalted above all blessing and praise. We must therefore say, with holy admiration say, “Who is like unto the Lord our God?” How condescending in him to behold the things in the earth! And what amazing condescension was it for the Son of God to come from heaven to earth, and take our nature upon him, that he might seek and save those that were lost! How vast his love in taking upon him the nature of man, to ransom guilty souls! God sometimes makes glorious his own wisdom and power, when, having some great work to do, he employs those least likely, and least thought of for it by themselves or others. The apostles were sent from fishing to be fishers of men. And this is God’s constant method in his kingdom of grace. He takes men, by nature beggars, and even traitors, to be his favorites, his children, kings and priests unto him; and numbers them with the princes of his chosen people. He gives us all our comforts, which are generally the more welcome when long delayed, and no longer expected. Let us pray that those lands which are yet barren, may speedily become fruitful, and produce many converts to join in praising the Lord.

Psalms 113:1 "Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD."

Or, "hallelujah". This is the title of the psalm, as in the two preceding, and directs to the principal matter of it.

"Praise, O ye servants of the Lord": Refers to the redeemed, all of whom should serve God with obedience. Meaning not the angels, nor all men, nor the priests and Levites only; but all the saints, who are a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God. Who are servants, not of sin, nor of Satan, nor of men, but of God and Christ; and who serve the Lord willingly and cheerfully. With much pleasure and delight, in righteousness and holiness, with reverence and godly fear, and without trusting to and depending on their service for salvation. And one principal branch of their service is praise, especially under the Gospel dispensation. In which all legal sacrifices are abolished, and the sacrifice of praise is continued. And which is pleasant and delightful work, and yet there is a backwardness to it. And therefore, there is need of such an exhortation to excite unto it, and to repeat it, as follows.

"Praise the name of the Lord": The name of God represents all His attributes. Not any particular name, as Jehovah; but him himself, and the perfections of his nature; his holiness, justice, truth, faithfulness, power, goodness, grace and mercy. The repetition of the exhortation denotes either the abundance of praise to be given to the Lord, or the constancy and continuance of it. Which ought to be done at all times, every day, since his mercies are new every morning. Some have thought the threefold repetition respects the trinity of Persons, who are each to be praised (as in Numbers 6:24). But this is doubtful, and perhaps not sufficient to build such a doctrine on. And especially since the first of these exhortations is the title of the psalm. However, this is a certain truth, that Jehovah, Father, Son, and Spirit, are to be praised.

This is just a Psalm of pure praise. Praise being mentioned 3 times has to do with Father, Word, and Holy Ghost. Christians are servants of the Lord. Look at the two following verses about the sacrifice of praise.

Jeremiah 33:11 "The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD [is] good; for his mercy [endureth] for ever: [and] of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD."

Hebrews 13:15 "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of [our] lips giving thanks to his name."

The very least we can do is to praise the Lord.

Psalms 113:2 "Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore."

Some prefix the word "saying", as directing to the matter and manner of praising the Lord, and to express themselves thus; "let the name of the Lord be blessed"; honored, glorified, spoken well of.

"From this time forth and for evermore": From the beginning of time, or as soon as time began. The Lord’s name was to be praised, and was praised by the holy angels, who were present at laying the foundation of the earth (Job 38:4). And all the works of the Lord, in their way, have praised him ever since. Here it may respect the time of penning this psalm, or the time when the persons called upon commenced the servants of the Lord, the time of their conversion. A time of love, life, light, and deliverance, and therefore a time to begin to praise the Lord. Or the whole time of the Gospel dispensation, to which this psalm refers. The accepted time and day of salvation, and of the Gentiles glorifying God for his mercy. In which the Lord is to be and is praised, as he will be to all eternity, by angels and glorified saints. Praise is to be rendered always (compare Ephesians 5:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Praises will not cease, when we leave the earth and go to heaven. Even the angels in heaven are praising the Lord. They cry Holy, Holy, Holy.

Psalms 113:3 "From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’S name [is] to be praised."

“Rising … going down”: From the first moment of consciousness in the morning to the last waking moment before sleep.

Rising of the sun, means early in the morning, and going down of the same, means late in the evening. This just means to praise the LORD all day long. Jehovah, or Jah, is intended by the name.

Psalms 113:4-6 : Unlike the gods of the surrounding nations, the God of Israel rules over “all nations” and the entire universe (“the heavens”). Also unlike those false gods, God Almighty “humbleth Himself” to attend to His people and the concerns of their lives.

Psalms 113:4-5 : Believers are to praise the only One worthy of praise for His transcendent sovereignty.

Psalms 113:4 "The LORD [is] high above all nations, [and] his glory above the heavens."

He is the Most High in all the earth; he is higher than the highest; he is King of kings and Lord of lords. All nations are made by him, and are under his government and dominion. He is the Governor among the nations. They are in comparison of him as the drop of a bucket, as the small dust of the balance; as nothing, yea, less than nothing, and vanity. Here it seems to respect the time when the Lord shall be more visibly King over all the earth, and the kingdoms of this world shall be the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ (Zechariah 14:9).

"And his glory above the heavens": It is above what the heavens do or can declare; they declare something of it, but not all. Christ, who is the brightness of his Father’s glory, is made higher than the heavens, and has ascended far above them; and is above the angels in them, both as to nature, name, office, and place (Hebrews 1:4).

There is no greater in heaven or earth, than the LORD. He is greatly to be praised. The glory of the Lord shines in heaven and in earth. The Light of God gives all things the power to exist. The Creator is above His Creation.

Psalms 113:5 "Who [is] like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high,"

Who can be compared with Yahweh our God? (see notes at Isaiah 40:17-25). The meaning is, that no creature, no idol, can be compared with Yahweh. The remark here has special reference to his attributes as immediately specified, his humbling himself to behold the things in heaven and in earth. His raising up the poor, etc. It is true "in general," in regard to God, that no creature can be compared with him. It is true, in regard to each one of his attributes, that they are far above all created excellence.

"Who dwelleth on high": Margin, "exalteth himself to dwell." Literally, "The one making high to sit." The language is applicable to one who is seated on a lofty throne (compare Psalms 8:1). He has his dwelling, his throne, his permanent seat, in the heavens. So high and exalted that it requires infinite condescension to look upon the earth, or even upon the heavens.

There is no greater in heaven or earth, than the LORD our God. This was quickly proved in Egypt, when He defamed the false gods of Egypt

Psalms 113:6-9 : “Humbleth”: In appearance, God must figuratively lean over from the faraway heavens to examine the earth (compare Isaiah 40:12-17). In a far greater way Christ humbled Himself in the incarnation (compare Philippians 2:5-11).

Psalms 113:6 "Who humbleth [himself] to behold [the things that are] in heaven, and in the earth!"

So high that it is necessary he should stoop even to behold the things which seem most lofty to us. And who actually does stoop thus to regard the things which he has made in heaven and on earth.

"To behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!" More literally, "to look in heaven and in earth." Even to look on heaven, high as it is to us, still more to look on earth, so insignificant as compared with the vast bodies in the heavens, is condescension on the part of God. It requires him to stoop, even to look on the sun, the stars and the distant worlds! Yet he does this. There is not a world which he does not survey constantly. Not a creature whose interests he does not regard. Not an insect, a flower, or an atom that he does not regard with as much minute attention as though there were nothing else to demand his care.

I mentioned in a previous lesson, that I believe the dwelling place of God is perfection that we do not understand.

Psalms 113:7-8 : The poor”: This is borrowed almost exactly from Hannah’s song in (1 Samuel 2:8). God is responsible for both the rich and the poor (Proverbs 22:2). God’s compassion reaches out to the poor and needy (compare Psalms 72:12-13). Ultimately, Christ came to save those who are poor in spirit (compare Isaiah 61:2; Luke 4:18).

Psalms 113:7 "He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, [and] lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;"

Persons of mean extraction and in low life are sometimes raised by him to great honor and dignity, as Saul, David, and others. And is true of many who are spiritually poor and needy, as all men are, but all are not sensible of it. Some are, and these are called poor "in spirit", and are pronounced "blessed", for "theirs is the kingdom of heaven". They are raised out of a low and mean estate, out of the dust of sin, and self-abhorrence for it, in which they lie when convicted of it.

"And lifteth the needy out of the dunghill": Which denotes a mean condition. So one born in a mean place, and brought up in a mean manner, is sometimes represented as taken out of a dunghill. And also, it is expressive of a filthy one. Men by sin are not only brought into a low estate, but into a loathsome one. And are justly abominable in the sight of God, and yet he lifts them out of it. The phrases of "raising up" and "lifting out" suppose them to be fallen, as men are in Adam. Fallen from a state of honor and glory, in which he was created. Into a state of sin and misery, and out of which they cannot deliver themselves. It is Christ’s work, and his only, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to help or lift up his servant Israel (Isaiah 49:6).

God brings up who He will. It is not for us to question. It is so interesting to me, that the Lord Jesus did not go to the temple in Jerusalem to find His disciples. He chose the working people who had no formal training in the ministry. The Lord Jesus trained them Himself. We are told that the Holy Spirit of God is our teacher and guide.

Psalms 113:8 "That he may set [him] with princes, [even] with the princes of his people."

As all the saints are by birth, being the sons of God, the King of kings; born of him, and not of the will of man. And are of a princely spirit, have a free spirit, and offer themselves and services willingly to the Lord. Have the spirit of adoption, in opposition to a spirit of bondage. And, as princes, have power with God and prevail. And are also heirs of God, heirs of salvation, heirs of a kingdom, as princes be. Now such as are raised by Christ and his grace from a low estate and condition are set among those princes here. They are brought to Zion, and have a place and a name in the house of God, better than that of sons and daughters. And become fellow citizens with the saints. And they are set among princes hereafter in the kingdom of heaven.

"Even with the princes of his people": The more eminent among the people of God, such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with whom they shall sit down in the kingdom of heaven. And with the prophets of the Old Testament, and the apostles of the New. And even with all the saints, who are made kings and priests unto God (see Psalms 45:16).

Kings are kings, because God ordained it. These who would be thought to be unworthy to serve Him are the very ones He chooses to make kings and princes.

Psalms 113:9 "He maketh the barren woman to keep house, [and to be] a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD."

“The barren woman”: Sarah (Genesis 21:2), Rebekah (Genesis 25:21), and Rachel (Genesis 30:23), would be the most significant since the outcome of the Abrahamic Covenant depended on these childless women being blessed by God to be mothers.

There are so many times in the Bible where women thought to be barren have a child in their old age. With man these things are impossible, but with God all things are possible. You have to have an impossibility in man’s sight, before God can do a miracle.

PSALM 113

EXPOSITION

This is a Song of exquisite simplicity and grace. The momentary feeling that it starts with mincing steps, quickly gives place to the perception that its stairlike advances soon mount from the simple to the sublime. The servants of Jehovah are the only safe custodians of his praise. But, instead of keeping his praise to themselves, they are called upon to give it wing through all time and to the ends of the earth. So much already the first stanza embraces.

Jehovah is related to all nations, but high above them all: indeed, above the heavens is his glory—his Messengers and Ministers are far beneath him—his throne is ever above them. Even in heaven, although he goeth high to sit, yet he bendeth low to look,—which appears to settle a nice point as to the construction of the second stanza, and to intimate that even in heaven the condescension of Jehovah is recognised, and not merely here on earth. He is therefore incomparable both in the heavens and on the earth.

But the dust and the dunghill especially savour of earth. It is here that patience and hope especially need to be nursed; and silent sorrow most strongly commands our sympathy. “Depressed in spirit” was Hannah, before she became the mother of Samuel; and, in another way, more sorely tried, still, was Mary the mother of Jesus. The praises of Israel have been composed to help out the sorrows of sufferers into soothing and helpful expression; and the language of both Hannah and Mary is reflected or anticipated here, where, with striking significance, the last word is joy! (Cp., for the Mother City, Isaiah 60:14-22; Isaiah 66:7-14).

This psalm is the first of the series called “The Hallel”—sometimes “The Egyptian Hallel”—sung on occasion of the three great national festivals, the new moons and (portions of it) at the commencement of the New Year. At the Passover, this psalm and the next were sung at the beginning of the celebration, and the remaining four psalms (115–118) after the pouring out of the “fourth” cup. That such a psalm as this should have been made the first of such a series is profoundly significant. Only to think it possible that a King wrote this psalm while waiting in patience for the birth of his Firstborn, is to catch a glimpse of Sacred Romance.

God’s Power Demonstrated in the Exodus

Psalms 114:1-8

Psalms 114: A highly poetic description of the Exodus, this psalm emphasizes both God’s power displayed (Psalms 114:3-6), and His provision supplied (Psalms 114:8). The God of Israel’s deliverance (Psalms 114:1-2), is still their God (Psalms 114:7), the implication being that He can still unfurl His power. The world must therefore take notice.

Psalms 114:1-8 (see note on Psalms 113:1-9). This psalm is the one most explicitly related to the Exodus (Exodus chapters 12-14). It recounts God’s response to a captive nation (Israel in Egypt), in order to honor His promises in the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 28:13-17), given to Jacob (compare 114:1), “The house of Jacob” (114:7), “the God of Jacob”.

I. God Inhabits Israel (Psalms 114:1-2).

II. God Intimidates Nature (Psalms 114:3-6).

III. God Invites Trembling (Psalms 114:7-8).

An exhortation to fear God. Let us acknowledge God’s power and goodness in what he did for Israel, applying it to that much greater work of wonder, our redemption by Christ; and encourage ourselves and others to trust in God in the greatest straits. When Christ comes for the salvation of his people, he redeems them from the power of sin and Satan, separates them from an ungodly world, forms them to be his people, and becomes their King. There is no sea, no Jordan, so deep, so broad, but, when God’s time is come, it shall be divided and driven back. Apply this to the planting the Christian church in the world. What ailed Satan and his idolatries, that they trembled as they did? But especially apply it to the work of grace in the heart. What turns the stream in a regenerate soul? What affects the lusts and corruptions, that they fly back; that prejudices are removed, and the whole man becomes new? It is at the presence of God’s Spirit. At the presence of the Lord, not only mountains, but the earth itself may well tremble, since it has lain under a curse for man’s sin. As the Israelites were protected, so they were provided for by miracles; such was that fountain of waters into which the flinty rock was turned, and that rock was Christ. The Son of God, the Rock of ages, gave himself to death, to open a fountain to wash away sins, and to supply believers with waters of life and consolation; and they need not fear that any blessing is too great to expect from his love. But let sinners fear before their Just and Holy Judge. Let us now prepare to meet our God, that we may have boldness before him at his coming.

This psalm celebrates God for delivering His people from bondage and leading them to the Promised Land, with references to several of the wilderness miracles, including the parting of the waters (Red “Sea, Jordan”), and the “water” for the “rock” (Exodus 17:5-6; Numbers 20:8-11). God’s gracious work is spoken of with exultation, joy and triumph.

Psalms 114:1 "When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;"

The people of Israel in a body, publicly, openly, and not by stealth; freely and willingly, not forced and drove out. Though urged by the Egyptians to go, through the hand of God upon them. And so went out with the mighty hand and outstretched arm of the Lord, and with great riches, and in health, not one feeble or sick among them.

"The house of Jacob from a people of strange language": Or barbarous; as every language was reckoned by the Jews but their own. The Egyptian language they did not understand (see Psalms 81:5). No doubt many of them learned it during their long stay there, but in general they retained their own language. This was an emblem of the Lord’s people in effectual calling, coming out of bondage into liberty, out of darkness into light. Out of superstition, and idolatry and profaneness, to the service of the true God in righteousness and true holiness. And from a people of a strange language to those that speak the language of Canaan. A pure language, in which they can understated one another when they converse together, either about experience or doctrine. And the manner of their coming out is much the same, by strength of hand, by the power of divine grace. Yet willingly and cheerfully, with great riches, the riches of grace, and a title to the riches of glory, and with much spiritual strength. For, though weak in themselves, yet are strong in Christ.

This is speaking of the miraculous deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt. God sent Moses to bring them out. It was through ten plagues that God delivered Israel. The family of Jacob had gone into Egypt, but just over 400 years later the mighty nation of Israel came out. The name Jacob was used when speaking of him as the father of the twelve sons. The name Israel was His name when his twelve sons became the twelve tribes of Israel. The Hebrews were in the land of Egypt, but they were not Egyptians. They were Hebrews. They spoke Hebrew. The strange language here, is the language of the Egyptians.

Psalms 114:2 "Judah was his sanctuary, [and] Israel his dominion."

“Judah … Israel”: Judah/Benjamin and the norther ten tribes respectively.

“Sanctuary … dominion”: God dwelt among the peoples as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (compare Exodus 13:21-22; Exodus 14:19).

Judah is the tribe that the Lord was descended from in the flesh. He was the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Judah led the march out of Egypt, as well. God’s presence was with His people on their journey. The LORD dwelled with them (was His sanctuary), and He ruled over them (His dominion).

Psalms 114:3 "The sea saw [it], and fled: Jordan was driven back."

“The sea … Jordan”: Two miracles of God, i.e., separating the waters began and ended the Exodus. On the way out of Egypt, God parted the Red Sea (Exodus 14:15-31), and 40 years later He parted the Jordan River in order for the Jews to enter the Promised Land (Joshua 3:1-17).

It was the presence of the LORD in the Ark of the Covenant that caused the sea to part, and the Jordan to part. In the case of the Jordan, it did not go back until the feet of the bearers of the Ark had stepped into the water. The water bowed to the presence of God in both instances.

Psalms 114:4 "The mountains skipped like rams, [and] the little hills like lambs."

“Mountains … hills”: Refers to the violent appearance of God to Israel at Sinai (compare Exodus 19:18; Judges 5:4-5; Psalms 68:17-18).

This is speaking of the mountain quaking at the presence of God.

Psalms 114:5-6 : In poetic imagery, God questioned why the most fixed of geographical features, i.e., water and mountains, could not resist His power and will.

Psalms 114:5 "What [ailed] thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, [that] thou wast driven back?"

What was the matter with thee? What appeared to thee? What didst thou see? What didst thou feel, which caused thee to flee in such haste?

"Thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?" What is the meaning that thou didst not continue to flow as usual? What was it that stopped thy flowing tide? That cut off thy waters? That drove them back as fast or faster than they came?

There was no explaining to the human understanding why the Red Sea opened at the command of God. The sea, like all other creation must bow to its Creator. There was no unusual phenomenon to explain away this miracle of God.

Psalms 114:6 "Ye mountains, [that] ye skipped like rams; [and] ye little hills, like lambs?"

Not for joy, but fear. What caused these trembling motions, these violent agitations, and quaking, and moving to and fro like the skipping of rams?

"And ye little hills, like lambs? What was it that disturbed you, and put you into a panic, that you skipped like frightened lambs? These questions are put, by a beautiful and poetical figure, to inanimate creatures. The Red sea, the river of Jordan, the mountains of Sinai and Horeb, and the hills about them; to which an answer is turned in the next verse.

When the majesty of Almighty God was on the mountain, it smoked, and there was nothing to touch the mountain lest it die. Only the one God called to the mountain could go up. Moses was the only one who could go near the presence of God, and he only when he was called to do so.

Psalms 114:7 "Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;"

Or, "the earth has trembled at the presence of the Lord". The only proper response of helpless nature before omnipotent God. The imperative is sometimes put for the imperfect or past tense (see Psalms 22:9). Likewise, the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions thus render it, "the earth is moved at the presence of the Lord. Is it to be wondered at, that we, the sea, the river of Jordan, the mountains and hills, have fled. Or have been driven back, or have skipped like rams and lambs, when the whole earth, of which we are a part, has trembled at the presence of God? Who, when he does but look, the earth trembles; and when he touches the hills, they smoke (Psalms 104:32). It is at the same presence of God we have been thus moved, the power of which we have felt, even;

"At the presence of the God of Jacob": Who brought Jacob out of Egypt, led him through the sea, and gave him the law on Sinai. This is not to be understood of the general and common presence of God, which is everywhere. And with all his creatures for this is not attended with such wonderful phenomena as here mentioned, either in the literal or mystic sense. But of the majestic, powerful, and gracious presence of God; such as he sometimes causes to attend his ministers, his word, his churches, his martyrs and confessors. And so as to strike an awe upon, and terror into, their greatest enemies, as well as to convert his own people.

The Lord is ruler of, not only the people, but all of nature as well. It is no small thing for the earth to tremble before its Creator.

Psalms 114:8 "Which turned the rock [into] a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters." The rock”: Refers to the first incident at Massah/Meribah (Exodus 17:5-6), and/or the second (Numbers 20:8-11).

The Rock is symbolic of the Lord. When Moses struck the Rock as God had told him to do, the water flowed freely from the Rock. Jesus is the water and the Rock. The water that flowed was like a river. It was enough to quench the thirst of these estimated 3 million people. This is that same water that flows from the throne of God. We have seen in this lesson, the marvelous provision that God has made for His people.

PSALM 114

EXPOSITION

The exceeding beauty of this psalm must be confessed by all who, being able to appreciate poetry as such, at the same time possess an historical imagination. The moment this little poem is regarded as written for a passover celebration, and therefore as one of a series let into the midst of historical readings and accompanied by ceremonial actions,—not only is its beauty seen, but its brevity is saved from all suspicion of baldness. Each stanza says so little; and yet, for such an occasion, there is in that little so much that is to the point. The first stanza covers at once the birth of the nation, and its orderly establishment in the Holy Land under David and Solomon. The second stanza comprehends the miracles at the Red Sea and the Jordan, and the agitations of Sinai which attended the bringing of the nation into Covenant. In the third stanza, the poet interrogates the Sea, the River, the Mountains and Hills, as though he were there on the spot as a witness of their actions. In the fourth stanza, he justifies their excitement, by charging them to do the very things of which he has been witnessing; only with the understanding that these things are the legitimate concomitants of such a nation’s birth. Even this he says in suchwise as to convey two further truths: namely, that he Lord (Adon) of nature is the God (Eloah) of Jacob, and no mere tribal Deity,—as moderns too hastily assume; and, by expressing the action of Omnipotence on rock and flint by means of a timeless participle (who turneth) further intimates that such manifest control over nature’s laws merely awaits Jehovah’s sovereign will.

This psalm being anonymous and the immediate occasion of its composition being unknown, dogmatism is precluded; but, if conjecture may sometimes serve useful ends, it may be asked,—Could any author more likely than ISAIAH be named? or any occasion more probable be suggested than Hezekiah’s Great Passover? Its position in “The Hallel” could have been assigned to it at a later date.

Trust in God, Not in Idols

Psalms 115:1-18

Psalms 115: The note of confidence is so strong in this psalm that it should be classified as a psalm of national confidence. The message of the psalm could be aptly summarized in three ideas: honor the Lord, because in contrast to idols, He alone is God (Psalms 115:1-8), trust the Lord, because He will help you (Psalms 115:9-11); praise the Lord, because He is worthy (Psalms 115:12-18).

Psalms 115:1-18 (see note on Psalms 113:1-9). This praise psalm appears to be antiphonal in nature, following this outline and pattern:

(1) The people (Psalms 115:1-8);

(2) The priests (Psalms 115:9-11);

(3) The people (Psalms 115:12-13);

(4) The priests (Psalms 115:14-15); and

(5) The people (Psalms 115:16-18).

Let no opinion of our own merits have any place in our prayers or in our praises. All the good we do, is done by the power of his grace. And all the good we have, is the gift of his mere mercy, and he must have all the praise. Are we in pursuit of any mercy, and wrestling with God for it, we must take encouragement in prayer from God only. Lord, do so for us; not that we may have the credit and comfort of it, but that thy mercy and truth may have the glory of it. The heathen gods are senseless things. They are the works of men’s hands. The painter, the carver, the statuary, can put no life into them, therefore no sense. The psalmist hence shows the folly of the worshippers of idols.

Psalms 115:4-11 are very similar (to Psalms 135:15-20). It has been suggested that this psalm is post-Exilic (compare Psalms 115:2), and could have first been sung at the dedication of the second temple (compare Ezra 6:16).

Psalms 115:1 "Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, [and] for thy truth’s sake."

“Unto your name give glory”: God declared He would share His glory with no one (Isaiah 42:8; Isaiah 48:11).

It is so amazing to me that the people of God are seeking for signs and wonders. They have the strange opinion, that if God has not done any great miracles in the last few days, they cease to hold Him in awe. The Psalmist here, is seemingly afraid that the people around them have ceased to fear the Lord, and he is asking to show His mighty power once again to make the enemies of Israel fear Israel’s God. This is possibly, a continuation of the same theme that the last Psalm had. In it, the mighty power of God was shown at the Red Sea and in fact, all across the wilderness. The people in the surrounding area feared Israel’s God. Israel now has lost a battle or two and the people have ceased to fear. The verse above is saying, glorify yourself among these heathens. Do it not because of us, but to let them know who God is.

Psalms 115:2-3 : On occasion, people ask the question: “Where is … God”? The sufficient answer is that He is “in the heavens”, meaning He rules there and everywhere, and all things are ordered in accordance with His sovereign will (“He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased”).

Psalms 115:2 "Wherefore should the heathen say, Where [is] now their God?"

“Where is now their God”? (Compare Psalms 42:3; Psalms 42:10; Psalms 79:10; Joel 2:17; Micah 7:10). The Jews despised this Gentile taunt.

The heathen has ceased to believe that God is truly with Israel. More than that, they have ceased to believe that God truly exists.

Psalms 115:3 "But our God [is] in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased."

Israel’s God is alive and rules the earth from His throne room above.

God does things on His time table. He does not have to please the whims of a few shallow believers. God does not have to prove Himself to anyone. God is above the ridiculous planning of simple man. If they cannot retain their belief by what He has already shown them, He is not obligated to run and do a miracle every time someone doubts.

Psalms 115:4-8 : In contrast, Gentiles worship dead gods of their own making, fashioned in the image of the fallen creature (compare Isaiah 44:9-20; Isa 46; Jeremiah 10:3-16; Romans 1:21-25). The idol worshiper becomes like the idol, spiritually useless.

Psalms 115:4 "Their idols [are] silver and gold, the work of men’s hands."

The idols of the Gentiles; so the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions. The gods they serve and worship are not in the heavens; but the matter of which they are made is dug out of the earth. And this is the greatest excellency and value that there is in them. And such as are made of these are of the greatest worth, and yet only for the matter of them. otherwise useless and inanimate statues. Such are the idols of the Papists (Revelation 9:20).

"The work of men’s hands": The matter of them is gold and silver, which they owe to the earth as their original. The form of them they owe to men, and therefore cannot be God (Hosea 8:6). If it is idolatry to worship what God has made, the sun, moon, and stars, it must be gross idolatry, and great stupidity, to worship what man has made. If it is sinful to worship the creature besides the Creator, or more than him, it must be still more so to worship the creature of a creature.

We have discussed before, that the word that idols was translated from means nothings. Their objects of worship have no power. They are cold metal. This again is saying that they are worshipping the creation, rather than the Creator.

Psalms 115:5 "They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:"

These idols are carved with mouths, but they make no use of them. If any cry to them for they cannot answer them, nor save them from their troubles. Baal’s priests cried to their idol, but there was no voice heard, nor answer returned. They are rightly called dumb idols (Habakkuk 2:18; 1 Kings 18:26), but our God in the heavens, when his people cry to him, he answers them, and sends them relief. And tells them his grace is sufficient for them, and so they find it to be.

"Eyes have they, but they see not": They are made with eyes in their heads, but cannot see with them. They cannot see their worshippers, nor what they bring to them. Neither their persons nor their wants (Daniel 5:23). But our God and Father in heaven, he sees in secret the persons and hearts of his people. Their desires are before him, and their groaning’s are not hid from him. His eyes are on the righteous, and are never withdrawn from them.

These chunks of metal have mouths, but how can an inanimate object speak? These are the imaginations of men’s hearts formed into an idol.

Psalms 115:6 "They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:"

The makers of them have taken care to place a pair of ears to their heads, but could not convey the faculty of hearing to them. So that though their priests may cry from morning to noon, as Baal’s worshippers did, saying, O Baal, hear us. And even tonight, and one day and night after another, nothing is heard (1 Kings 18:26). Indeed, the image of Jupiter at Crete was made without ears; because it was thought unbecoming that he, who was prince and lord of all, should give ear to any. But the God of heaven and earth is a God hearing prayer. His ear is not heavy, that it cannot hear; his ears are always open to the cries of his people.

"Noses have they, but they smell not. The incense that is set before them, nor the sacrifices offered to them (Deuteronomy 4:28). But our God smelled a sweet savor in legal sacrifices, offered up in the faith of the Messiah. And especially he smells a sweet savor in the sacrifice of his Son, and in the prayers of his saints, which are sweet odors. And particularly as they come to him perfumed with the incense of Christ’s mediation (Genesis 8:21).

They have ears formed out of the metal, but it goes no deeper than the surface. They cannot hear the cries of their people. They have none of the senses operating in that chunk of metal.

Psalms 115:7 "They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat."

So as to feel anything that is put into their hands. They cannot make use of their hands to stretch them out, and receive anything from their worshippers; nor can they give anything to them. But our God receives and accepts the sacrifices of his people, their prayers and their praises. And opens his hand, and liberally supplies their wants, both in providence and grace.

"Feet have they, but they walk not": Cannot stir from the place where they are, to the assistance of those that call unto them (Isaiah 46:7). But our God walks upon the wings of the wind, and is a present help in times of trouble. A God at hand and afar off, and makes haste to the relief of his people in distress.

"Neither speak they through their throat": Or make a mournful voice as a dove, as the word is used in (Isaiah 38:14). Or chirp as a bird, or chatter as a crane; or warble out any note through the throat, as birds do. And much less form any articulate sound, or utter any proper word, that may be understood.

They cannot hold anything in their hand, neither can they give anything out. Elijah proved these idols for just what they were, when he challenged the prophets of Baal to prove who God really was. 400 of Baal’s prophets died that day.

Psalms 115:8 "They that make them are like unto them; [so is] every one that trusteth in them."

As stupid as the matter of which they are made; as sottish and as senseless as the idols themselves (see Isaiah 44:9). Aben Ezra and Kimchi interpret it as a petition, "let them that make them be like unto them". And so the Targum, the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions: they liked not to retain God in their knowledge, let them be given up to a reprobate mind, to a mind void of all sense and judgment. And which indeed is their case (Romans 1:28).

"So is everyone that trusteth in them": More especially they that worship them. For an artificer may make them for gain, and have no faith in them; but a worshipper places confidence in them. Or this clause may be explanative of the former, and be rendered, even "every one", etc., for "to make" sometimes signifies to serve and worship (Exodus 32:35).

Someone who worships an inanimate object is less than wise himself. To worship an idol, brings no power at all. They have no thought deeper than what they can see. Their judgement is impaired as well. As Elijah proved that day, they cannot respond at all to the people worshipping them, and the people worshipping them cannot respond either.

Psalms 115:9-18 : It is folly to trust in dead images, but it is wisdom to trust in the living God, for he is a help and a shield to those that trust in him. Wherever there is right fear of God, there may be cheerful faith in him; those who reverence his word, may rely upon it. He is ever found faithful. The greatest need his blessing, and it shall not be denied to the meanest that fear him. God’s blessing gives an increase, especially in spiritual blessings. And the Lord is to be praised: his goodness is large, for he has given the earth to the children of men for their use. The souls of the faithful, after they are delivered from the burdens of the flesh, are still praising him. But the dead body cannot praise God: death puts an end to our glorifying him in this world of trial and conflict. Others are dead, and an end is thereby put to their service, therefore we will seek to do the more for God. We will not only do it ourselves, but will engage others to do it; to praise him when we are gone. Lord, thou art the only object for faith and love. Help us to praise thee while living and when dying, that thy name may be the first and last upon our lips. And let the sweet savor of thy name refresh our souls for ever.

Psalms 115:9-11 : This 3 verse, priestly admonition (compare Psalms 118:2-4; Psalms 135:19-20), could apply to 3 different groups:

(1) The nation Israel (Psalms 115:9);

(2) The Levitical priests from the house of Aaron (Psalms 115:10); and

(3) Proselytes to Judaism who are God fearers (Psalms 115:11).

To all 3 groups, God is their help and shield.

In response to the superiority of God over worthless and powerless idols, the psalmist urges “Israel”, the “house of Aaron” (the priests), and “ye that fear the LORD” to trust the God who is their “help” and “shield”.

Psalms 115:9 "O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he [is] their help and their shield."

This exhortation is founded in a great measure on what had been just said in regard to idols. They had no power. There was no reason why they should be confided in. They could not help in the day of trouble; and as people need a god, and as the idols cannot be to them as gods, the exhortation is addressed to his people to trust him. He would be to them all that was implied in the name God; all that was wanted in a God.

"He is their help": The help of those who trust in him. He is able to help them in the time of trouble; he is willing to help them; he will help them. They who put their trust in him will find him a sure and certain help. This is the experience of all who confide in him.

"And their shield": The shield to defend, and the help to support and strengthen those that trust in and cleave to him.

Let the uninformed world around you worship whoever or whatever they choose, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. The most real things in life are not the things we see with our physical eyes. Love is possibly the strongest force we know of between humans, and you cannot see that. There is no greater love than a man would lay down His life for His friends. You cannot see that, but that is just what Jesus did. He is our very present help in trouble. You cannot see the wind, but you know it is there, because of the effect it has on other things that you can see. This is like God. We cannot see Him, but we know He exists, because of the effect that He has on those things and people around us. Place your trust in the Lord. He is their help, and our help. He is our shield against the storm. The physical house of Israel should have no trouble with this, because of the effect the presence of God had on the Red Sea.

Psalms 115:10 "O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD: he [is] their help and their shield."

The family of the tribe of Levi, that was separated from the rest, to minister in the priest’s office, to offer gifts and sacrifices for the people, and to bless them. And therefore, ought to trust in the Lord and set a good example to others. As ministers of the word should, who are entrusted with much by the Lord, and should trust in him for much. For every supply of gifts and grace; and the rather, as they are to be examples of faith to the people. And as all the saints under the Gospel dispensation are priests unto God, they should put their trust and confidence in the Lord; since their sacrifices cannot be acceptable and well pleasing to God, without faith in him.

"He is their help and their shield": The Lord is the help and shield of everyone of Aaron’s family; of the priests under the law, and of ministers under the Gospel. And of all those who are kings and priests unto God; and therefore, they should trust in him. This is repeated for the certainty of it, and for the particular application of it to Aaron’s house.

The house of Aaron, the priestly tribe, should know better than anyone else of the greatness of God. They are in the temple with the presence of God, and they should know of the power and protection He provides better than anyone else. Those who have much knowledge of God, should have the best understanding of Him.

Psalms 115:11 "Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he [is] their help and their shield."

Which is said not to distinguish true saints from hypocrites, in Israel or in Aaron’s house; rather to describe such who belonged to neither. But, as Aben Ezra interprets it, who feared the Lord, of every people and nation; or proselytes, as Jarchi explains it. The distinction between the people of the Jews, and the proselytes among them, under the character of those that feared the Lord, may be observed in (Acts 13:26). It takes in all true worshippers of the Lord; and who are exhorted to trust in him, for faith and fear are consistent. And where there is the one, there is the other. Where there is the true fear of God, not a slavish nor a hypocritical fear, but a holy reverence and a godly fear, there will be faith and confidence in him. Job was a man that feared the Lord, and yet trusted in him. These characters meet in the same persons (see Psalms 31:19).

"He is their help and their shield": The help and shield of all those that fear the Lord, their protector and defender, and therefore should trust in him. The word "ezer", translated help, in this and the two preceding verses, is applied to God, and often in this book of Psalms, as a title and epithet belonging to him.

We have said over and over, that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. We have also said that trust goes beyond faith. When we know in our heart and rest on that knowledge that God is our shield and help, we find perfect peace. This to me, is the (rest), in the LORD. We know that whatever happens, it is God moving in our best interest. Sometimes in the natural, we could look at circumstances around us and our faith might falter. If we trust the LORD, we are not concerned with circumstances. We rise above circumstances and put our total confidence in the LORD.

Psalms 115:12 "The LORD hath been mindful of us: he will bless [us]; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron."

This would be especially appropriate if the psalm was written, as is commonly supposed, after the return from the captivity of Babylon. In such circumstances, it would be every way proper to bring before the mind of the people the fact that God had remembered them and had delivered them.

"He will bless us": Our past experience furnishes the fullest evidence that he will continue to bless us. He who has delivered us from so great calamities, and who has restored us to our native land after so long and so painful a captivity, will not forsake us now. There can be now no circumstances in which he cannot bestow on us all the blessings which we need. There will be none when we may not hope that he will bless us. If he could save us from such troubles, be can save us from all. If he did thus interpose, we may argue that he will always grant us his help when we need it.

"He will bless the house of Israel": He will bless the house of Aaron (compare Psalms 115:9-10).

The desire of the LORD is to bless His people. He will bless us and the physical house of Israel, as well as bless the chosen ministers of God, if we will obey Him. We have only to think how far we have already come in the LORD, to know that His blessings have been abundantly upon us. There are not only blessings for this earth, but He will bless us even more in the eternity to come.

Psalms 115:13 "He will bless them that fear the LORD, [both] small and great."

They shall want no good thing now, and have much goodness laid up for them to be enjoyed hereafter. The sun of righteousness rises upon them, and a book of remembrance is written on their account. The Lord delights in them, his eye is upon them; and they are blessed with more grace now, and will be blessed with glory hereafter.

"Both small and great": Young and old, rich and poor, high and low, lesser or greater believers; be they children, young men, or fathers (see Revelation 11:18).

You do not have to be the High Priest in the temple to be blessed of God. Sometimes I believe that God is even more interested in those of low estate. Jesus fed the hungry, healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, and raised the dead. Not once in all of this, did He regard the person of the one He was ministering to. All in fact, are small in comparison to Him. He owns the cattle on every hill. All of this is His creation. We cannot be high and mighty around Him. He sees the spirit of man, and not his circumstances.

Psalms 115:14 "The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children."

The Word of the Lord, as the Targum, shall do it; in a temporal sense, with a numerous posterity, with riches, wealth, and honor. And in a spiritual sense, with an addition of spiritual blessings; with renewed instances of divine layout. With an increase of the gifts and graces of the Spirit of God, as faith, hope, love, joy, patience, humility, and other graces. And with more knowledge of God and Christ, and of divine and spiritual things.

"You and your children": Not only they that feared the Lord of the present generation, but those that should succeed them. And be as they were, a seed to serve the Lord, and who should be accounted to him for a generation.

All of those who fear the LORD are the believers. If we are believers in Christ, then all the promises made to Abraham are ours, as well.

Galatians 3:29 "And if ye [be] Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise."

This promise does not die out with one generation, but is for all generations to come.

Psalms 115:15 "Ye [are] blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth."

Blessed in your present comforts and mercies and blessed in his promises in regard to the time to come. Blessed in the prospects which are before you.

"Which made heaven and earth": The true God; the great Creator of all things. It was not the blessing of a creature, man or angel, it was the blessing of the living God.

These blessings are not from a mere mortal. These blessings are from the Creator of the world. Not only did He make the heaven and the earth, but He made us as well. We are His creation.

Psalms 115:16 "The heaven, [even] the heavens, [are] the LORD’S: but the earth hath he given to the children of men."

To wit, in a peculiar manner, where he dwelleth in that light and glory to which no man can approach, and whence he beholds and disposes all persons and things upon earth.

"But the earth hath he given to the children of men": For their habitation, possession, and use. But these words may be and are thus rendered by others, and the earth which (which particle is very oft understood), he hath given, etc. And then as the foregoing verse declared that God was the Creator of heaven and earth (Psalms 115:15). So, this asserts that he is also their Lord and Governor, to dispose of all men and things as he pleases.

“The earth”: Strong implications that planet earth alone is the dwelling place of life.

We have discussed before, how He made the world and everything in it, and then He made mankind to dwell there. His plan from the beginning was for us to have a place of habitation. The earth is for the children of men. That is very interesting, in the fact that Christians are not children of men. We are sons of God. This earth is not the home of the Christian. We are in the world, but we are not of the world. Heaven is our home. Our Father dwells there and His Son has gone there to prepare a place for you and me. My home is in heaven, because I am no longer children of men, I am a son of God.

Psalms 115:17 "The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence."

The meaning of this is, that as those who are dead cannot praise God, or cannot worship him, this should be done while we are in the land of the living. This opportunity, like all other opportunities, will be cut off in the grave, and hence, we should be faithful in this duty, and should avail ourselves of this privilege, while life lasts. In regard to the sentiment here expressed, and the grounds on which that sentiment was entertained (see the notes at Isaiah 38:18-19; and Psalms 6:5).

"Neither any that go down into silence": Into the grave, the land of silence (Psalms 94:17). Nothing is more impressive in regard to the grave than its utter silence. Not a voice, not a sound is heard there, of birds or human beings, of song or conversation, of the roaring of the sea, the sighing of the breeze, the fury of the storm, or the tumult of battle. Perfect stillness reigns there; and the first sound that shall be heard there will be the archangel’s trump.

The Bible says, let everything that has breath, praise the LORD. When we are dead, we do not have breath. Our breath has been removed. Those who have no breath (dead), cannot praise the LORD. Those who go to heaven praise the Lord, but they are not dead.

Psalms 115:18 "But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD."

The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Ethiopic, and Arabic versions, render it, "we who are alive". Both in a corporeal and in a spiritual sense who, as long as we live, and while we have a being, will bless the Lord. Being made spiritually alive, quickened by the Spirit and grace of God. And so capable of ascribing blessing, praise, and glory to him, for all the great and good things he has done. And especially when in lively frames, or in the lively exercise of grace: and that from this time. Under a sense of present favors, and outward mercies being renewed every day. Yea, throughout the whole of life, and so to all eternity in the world above (see Isaiah 38:19).

"Praise the Lord": Let others do the same as we; let us join together in this work, now and hereafter.

It is natural for the sons of God to praise the LORD. It will matter not whether that it is in this earth, or in heaven to come.

PSALM 115

EXPOSITION

The fact that this psalm is without head-line to divide it from the foregoing, confirmed as it is in many ancient authorities by being run on as a continuation of that which has gone before, is of sufficient force to shew at what an early date this sequence was effected; but can scarcely prevail to over-ride internal evidence in favour of an independent origin. In its contents this psalm strongly asserts its individuality; and, indeed, points clearly to a situation so much like that formed by the league of surrounding nations against King Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20), as to throw any other theory of origin into the shade. That it came into further use with great acceptance at the time of the return from the Babylonish Exile in nowise conflicts with this theory of its original composition. It will be noted that the tone of the psalm is peculiar: it is neither despairing nor triumphant. Honour is anticipated, but rendered in advance to Jehovah himself. Idolatry presents itself forcibly enough to call forth elaborate sarcasm; yet it would seem as though the worshippers of Jehovah were not out of peril, hence they encourage each other to have confidence—trust ye in Jehovah; but they encourage each other in song—in responsive song! All the essential conditions for this peculiar state of things may be found in the critical condition of affairs when nations of idolaters were surrounding King Jehoshaphat; when his army in going forth against its enemies was assured it would not have to fight; and when bands of singing Levites were provided, well able to raise responsive song on what might have been a battlefield, for they went forth before the armed men! In point of fact, we can almost see the turning point of affairs on that memorable day reflected in the psalm itself at Psalms 115:12. For if,—when the history records that “Judah came near the watch-tower of the wilderness (and) they turned towards the multitude, and lo! there they were, dead bodies fallen to the earth, with none to escape;”—if, just then, a priest had broken the silence by exclaiming in changed tense and in a tone of triumph,—Jehovah hath remembered us! could anything have been more appropriate or more dramatic? It is quite true that many able critics, who cannot see behind the return from the Exile, find another and a not unsuitable crisis of affairs, to fit in with that change of language in the psalm: they picture a public Temple service as in progress, and that when the sacrifice is laid on the altar and Jehovah as of old lights the flame of acceptance on the altar, the priest then exclaims—Jehovah hath remembered us! But surely it would have been all the more remarkable if the language to express that Divine manifestation had been provided some centuries earlier, when a wide land constituted the altar and holocaust of idolaters were the victims.

Possibly another link of connection is lying to our hand. Jehoshaphat lived before Hezekiah. Hezekiah, through means of his royal library, must have been acquainted with the songs of his predecessors. What if,—in providing for his Great Passover, to which he was so anxious to bring, in reunion, all Israel,—what if he discovered and brought into passover use this song of Jehoshaphat’s days, weaving it into the service, with probably some of his own compositions,—would not such an appropriation of this psalm help to fix it in the “Hallel” forever?

Praise for deliverance from death

Psalms 116:1-19

Psalms 116 : This psalm is one of the most personal of all the thanksgiving psalms (note the many occurrences of the personal pronoun “I”). The psalm is composed of three distinct parts: first, a declaration of praise (Psalms 116:1-2); next, the psalmist recalls his troubles and how the Lord delivered him from them (Psalms 116:3-11); finally, he concludes with a description of what he will offer in thanksgiving for what the Lord has done (Psalms 116:12-19). Note that his thanksgiving will be given publicly, as the law required.

Psalms 116:1-19 : (See note on Psalms 113:1-9). This is an intensely personal “thank you” psalm to the Lord for saving the psalmist from death (Psalms 116:3; Psalms 116:8). The occasion and author remain unknown, although the language used by Jonah in his prayer from the fish’s stomach is remarkably similar. While this appears to deal with physical death, the same song could be sung by those who have been saved from spiritual death.

I. The Lords’ Response to the Psalmist’s Prayer for Deliverance from Death (Psalms 116:1-11).

II. The Psalmist’s Reaction to God’s Deliverance of Him from Death (Psalms 116:12-19).

We have many reasons for loving the Lord, but are most affected by his loving-kindness when relieved out of deep distress. When a poor sinner is awakened to a sense of his state, and fears that he must soon sink under the just wrath of God, then he finds trouble and sorrow. But let all such call upon the Lord to deliver their souls, and they will find him gracious and true to his promise. Neither ignorance nor guilt will hinder their salvation, when they put their trust in the Lord. Let us all speak of God as we have found him; and have we ever found him otherwise than just and good? It is of his mercies that we are not consumed. Let those who labor and are heavy laden come to him, that they may find rest for their souls; and if at all drawn from their rest, let them haste to return, remembering how bountifully the Lord has dealt with them. We should deem ourselves bound to walk as in his presence. It is a great mercy to be kept from being swallowed up with much sorrow. It is a great mercy for God to hold us by the right hand, so that we are not overcome and overthrown by temptation. But when we enter the heavenly rest, deliverance from sin and sorrow will be complete. We shall behold the glory of the Lord, and walk in his presence with delight we cannot now conceive.

Psalms 116:1-8 : This psalm, which was apparently a thanks for deliverance from the “sorrows of death”, pictures God the Father leaning over the banisters of heaven (inclined “His ear”), to hear the cry of the hurting: He listens with such intensity, especially when His children cry out in their sickness, sorrow and suffering.

Psalms 116:1 "I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice [and] my supplications."

The Hebrew rather means, "I love, because the Lord hath heard," etc. That is, the psalmist was conscious of love; he felt it glowing in his soul. His heart was full of that special joy, tenderness, kindness, and peace, which love produces. And the source or reason of this, he says, was that the Lord had heard him in his prayers.

"Because he hath heard my voice and my supplications": That is, this fact was a reason for loving him. The psalmist does not say that this was the only reason, or the main reason for loving him, but that it was the reason for that special joy of love which he then felt in his soul. The main reason for loving God is his own excellency of nature. But still there are other reasons for doing it, and among them are the benefits which he has conferred on us, and which awaken the love of gratitude (compare notes at 1 John 4:19). It may be applied to Christ, who offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears, and was always heard. And for which he thanked his Father and loved him (Hebrews 5:7).

The LORD loves us, in spite of the fact that we sinned. Jesus gave His body on the cross, while we were yet in sin. We love Him because, He loves us in spite of. The psalmist loves the LORD, because He heard his prayer. God’s love to man is an unselfish love. Man’s love is conditional.

Psalms 116:2 "Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon [him] as long as I live."

Not as hard of hearing, for his ear is not heavy that it cannot hear. He is quick of hearing, and his ears are always open to the righteous. It rather denotes his readiness to hear; he hearkens and hears, he listens to what his people say, and hears them at once, and understands them, though ever so broken and confused. When their prayers are but like the chattering of a crane or swallow, or only expressed in sighs and groans, and even without a voice. When nothing is articulately pronounced: moreover, this shows condescension in him; he bows his ear as a rattler to a child, he stoops as being above them, and inclines his ear to them.

"Therefore will I call upon him as long as I live": Or "in my days"; in days of adversity and affliction, for help and relief. In days of prosperity, with thankfulness for favors received. Every day I live, and several times a day: prayer should be constantly used. Men should pray without ceasing always, and not faint. Prayer is the first and last action of a spiritual life; it is the first thing a regenerate man does, "behold, he prays"; as soon as he is born again he prays, and continues praying all his days. And generally goes out of the world praying, as Stephen did, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit"; and it is the Lord’s hearing prayer that encourages his people to keep on praying, and which makes the work delightful to them. Christ was often at this work in life, and died praying, Luke 6:12.

While I am alive, I will call upon the name of the Lord. There is no help, except the help the Lord can bring. The Lord always hears our prayer. He is always listening for the call of His children. I will call, because He hears and answers, is what the psalmist is saying here.

Psalms 116:3 "The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow."

Dangerous and deadly calamities, as bitter as death. Or, the cords of death.

"Of hell": Or, of the grave; or, of death. Another term for grave/death.

Either killing pains, or such agonies and horrors as dying persons use to feel within themselves.

"Gat hold upon me,": Hebrew, found me. I.e., surprised me. Having been long pursuing me, at last they overtook me, and seized upon me, and I gave up myself for lost.

This is describing a man, before he has tasted of the grace of God. Man within himself, is headed for death and hell. The only solution to the problem, is to let the LORD come into your life and bring life to you. In this world, there is trouble and sorrow. We begin to die the day we are born. There is no chance for man to save himself. God saw the plight of fallen man and sent the Savior. In Him, we have life.

Psalms 116:4 "Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul."

Upon the Lord himself in prayer for speedy deliverance. Or "in the name of the Lord", in the name of the Messiah, the only Mediator between God and man; "saying", as follows, and which word may be supplied.

"O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul": My life. Save me from death. This was not a cry for salvation, but for life. It is an example for us, however, to call on God when we feel that the soul is in danger of perishing. For then, as in the case of the psalmist, we have no other refuge but God.

When there is no place to go for help, then it is time to cry out to the LORD, and He will hear and answer. Jesus is the Deliverer. It was the cry of the Israelites to God, that caused God to send Moses to deliver them from bondage. The bondage of the spirit is even more urgent to be delivered from. The LORD has always sent the Deliverer to help His people in time of distress. There is no more earnest prayer, than when it seems there is no hope.

Psalms 116:5 "Gracious [is] the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God [is] merciful."

So the psalmist found him, calling upon him. So he is in Christ, the author and giver of all grace, to help in time of need.

"And righteous": Faithful to his promises, just in every dispensation of his providence, even in afflictive ones. Righteous in punishing the enemies of his people, and in saving, justifying, and pardoning them for Christ’s sake.

"Yea, our God is merciful": Compassionate, tenderhearted, a heart full of pity, as a father to his child. And sympathizes with his people under all their afflictions, and saves them out of them (see Psalms 86:5).

We all deserve to die for the sins we have committed. It is the grace and mercy of God that saved us. His mercy endures forever. The one thing that brings help on the double from the Lord, is to cry out: Be merciful to me, a sinner. The righteousness of the Lord has been shared by the Christians. He gave us His righteousness to be clothed in, if we are believers.

Psalms 116:6 "The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me."

Such as have but a small degree of understanding, either in things natural or spiritual, in comparison of others. Babes, as the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions render it, so in the Talmud (see Matthew 11:25). Such who are sensible of their lack of wisdom, and what they have they do not lean unto or trust in, but being sensible of their weakness commit themselves to the Lord. They are sincere and upright, harmless and inoffensive, artless and incautious, and so easily imposed upon by designing men. But the Lord preserves them, as from sin, from a total and final falling away by it. So from gross errors and heresies; he preserves them from the snares and pollutions of the world, and from the temptations of Satan, so as not to be overcome with them. He preserves them by his Spirit, power, and grace, safe to his kingdom and glory.

"I was brought low and he helped me": The psalmist returns to his own case, and gives an instance of the divine goodness in himself. He had been brought low by affliction of body, by distress of enemies, through want of the necessaries and conveniences of life. He had been brought low as to spiritual things, through the weakness of grace, the prevalence of corruption, the temptations of Satan, and the hidings of God’s face. But the Lord helped him to bear up under all this; he put underneath his everlasting arms, and upheld him with the right hand of his righteousness. He helped him out of his low estate, and delivered him out of all his troubles, when none else could. When things were at the greatest extremity, and he in the utmost distress, just ready to go down into silence and dwell there (Psalms 94:17). The Targum is, "he looked upon me to redeem me.’’

Those who are worldly wise and self-sufficient, think they do not need help from the LORD. God helps the humble.

1 Corinthians 1:27 "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;"

Psalms 116:7 "Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee."

Luther, "Be thou again joyful, O my soul." The meaning seems to be, "Return to thy former tranquility and calmness; thy former freedom from fear and anxiety." He had passed through a season of great danger. His soul had been agitated and terrified. That danger was now over, and he calls upon his soul to resume its former tranquility, calmness, peace, and freedom from alarm. The word does not refer to God considered as the "rest" of the soul, but to what the mind of the psalmist had been, and might now be again.

"For the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee" (see notes at Psalms 13:6).

There is a rest for the believer. I believe there can be perfect peace for the believer all the time (even in time of trouble), if we will just put our total trust in the Lord. To be at peace with the world is one thing, but to be at peace with yourself is entirely another thing. The peace that we should all seek is, to be at peace with God and oneself. If you are at peace with God, then somehow, you are at peace with the world.

Proverbs 16:7 "When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him."

The dealing bountifully with us, could easily be speaking of God giving man the greatest gift that one can receive. He gave us eternal life through the sacrifice of His Son.

Psalms 116:8 "For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, [and] my feet from falling."

My life. Thou hast saved me from death. This is such language as would be used by one who had been dangerously ill, and who had been restored again to health.

"Mine eyes from tears": Tears which he had shed in his sickness, and in the apprehension of dying. It may refer to tears shed on other occasions, but it is most natural to refer it to this (compare notes at Psalms 6:6).

"And my feet from falling": From stumbling. That is, he had not, as it were, fallen by the way, and been rendered unable to pursue the journey of life. All this seems to refer to one occasion, to a time of dangerous illness.

The tremendous thing the psalmist is speaking of here, is the salvation provided for us through Jesus. He will wipe away all tears from our eyes. He has delivered us from sin and death. He even strengthens us in our walk here, for Christ in me is my strength. His light is ever shining before us that we might see the way and not stumble and fall. Look with me, at the next Scripture and you will see how we walk without stumbling and falling.

Galatians 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

Psalms 116:9-14 : The psalmist decided to renew his dedication to God. Devotion is not just a matter of love but of surrendering one’s life.

Psalms 116:9 "I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living."

As in the sight of the omniscient God, according to his word and will, and in such manner as to please him. So Enoch’s walking with God is by the apostle explained of pleasing him (compare Genesis 5:22). And so the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions render it, "I will please the Lord"; or, as the Syriac and Ethiopic versions; "that I may please the Lord"; be grateful to him. Or walk gratefully and acceptably before him, sensible of the obligations I am under to him. And this, in the strength of grace, he determined to do "in the land of the living". In this world, where men live, and as long as he lived in it; or in the church of God, among the living in Jerusalem. With whom he resolved to walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. The land of Canaan is thought by Jarchi and Kimchi to be meant. And this being a type of heaven, the meaning may be, that he should walk and dwell where living and glorified saints are to all eternity. And so, it is an expression of his faith of future glory and happiness, agreeably to what follows. “I will walk”: A vow of obedience.

We see in this, as in the Scripture above, that the walk of the believer in Christ will be upright. Our walk in this life reveals to the world what type relationship we have with the Lord. The land of the living, in this particular Scripture, possibly means here on this earth in front of the sons of men. Sometimes it means in heaven, where men never die.

Psalms 116:10-19 : When troubled, we do best to hold our peace, for we are apt to speak unadvisedly. Yet there may be true faith where there are workings of unbelief; but then faith will prevail; and being humbled for our distrust of God’s word, we shall experience his faithfulness to it. What can the pardoned sinner, or what can those who have been delivered from trouble or distress, render to the Lord for his benefits? We cannot in any way profit him. Our best is unworthy of his acceptance; yet we ought to devote ourselves and all we have to his service. I will take the cup of salvation; I will offer the drink-offerings appointed by the law, in token of thankfulness to God, and rejoice in God’s goodness to me. I will receive the cup of affliction; that cup, that bitter cup, which is sanctified to the saints, so that to them it is a cup of salvation; it is a means of spiritual health. The cup of consolation; I will receive the benefits God bestows upon me, as from his hand, and taste his love in them, as the portion not only of mine inheritance in the other world, but of my cup in this. Let others serve what masters they will, truly I am thy servant. Two ways men came to be servants. By birth. Lord, I was born in thy house; I am the son of thine handmaid, and therefore thine. It is a great mercy to be children of godly parents. By redemption. Lord, thou hast loosed my bonds, thou hast discharged me from them, therefore I am thy servant. The bonds thou hast loosed shall tie me faster unto thee. Doing good is sacrifice, with which God is well pleased; and this must accompany giving thanks to his name. Why should we offer that to the Lord which cost us nothing? The psalmist will pay his vows now; he will not delay the payment: publicly, not to make a boast, but to show he is not ashamed of God’s service, and to invite others to join him. Such are true saints of God, in whose lives and deaths he will be glorified.

Psalms 116:10 "I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:"

“I believed”: Faith in God and His ability to deliver preceded the psalmist’s prayer for deliverance. This verse is quoted by the Apostle Paul in (2 Corinthians 4:13). It rehearses the principle of walking by faith, not by sight.

“I believed”, is speaking of the faith this psalmist had. He is saying that during the difficulties, his faith kept him going. The affliction was great, but he never stopped believing. The affliction just made him pray that much more earnestly.

Psalms 116:11 "I said in my haste, All men [are] liars."

“All men are liars”: Either the psalmist is reacting to his false accusers or to men who say that they can deliver him but have not.

The psalmist here was judging all men as liars, because the people he was around were giving him that impression. He is also saying, if I had taken time to think on this, I would not have judged all men by the actions of the few.

Psalms 116:12 "What shall I render unto the LORD [for] all his benefits toward me?"

“What shall I render”; God needs nothing and puts no price on His free mercy and grace. The psalmist renders the only acceptable gift; obedience and thanksgiving.

Praise often swells up in the context of adversity. Despite the difficult times David had been through, there is no discouragement here, but rather a psalm of praise and thanksgiving for what the Lord had given him.

Not just this psalmist, but all believers have felt this same thing. The Lord has done so much for us; how can we repay Him? The only thing He wants is our faith in Him and our love.

Psalms 116:13 "I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD."

The “cup of salvation” This is the only place in the Old Testament where this exact phrase is used. It probably has the meaning of the cup in (Psalms 16:5; Psalms 23:5). I.e., the redeemed life circumstances provided by God, in contrast to (Psalms 75:8), which speaks about the cup of God’s wrath.

This describes God’s provision. The Lord fills the cup of every believer’s life with the blessing of salvation. That cup is free to humanity, but it cost Jesus everything!

The next Scripture is so beautiful to me, because salvation is so simple.

1 Peter 1:9 "Receiving the end of your faith, [even] the salvation of [your] souls."

Notice in verse 13 above, that it is a conscious act of willingness to receive on the person who gets salvation. It is even a determination (I will), to be saved.

Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

This leaves absolutely no doubt to how simple it is to receive salvation.

Psalms 116:14-18 : Suffering will either focus the sufferer on God’s blessing and provision or cause the person to flee from Him. David ends the psalm with four commitments that should be on the lips of every child of God: I will remember “my vows” to Him; I will render my love to Him, I will return my thanks to Him; I will receive His great salvation (116:13).

Psalms 116:14 "I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people."

“I will pay my vows”: Most likely this refers to the vows made During the time of duress (compare Psalms 116:18-19).

The psalmist has decided, that the rest of his life, he will spend fulfilling all the promises he made to God. He is not ashamed of his Lord. He will do this in the presence of the people. Whatever you promise God, you must do, without exception.

Psalms 116:15-16 : The psalmist realized what a special blessing his deliverance (“loosed my bonds”), was in light of verse 15. Therefore, he reemphasized his role as a servant of God following the example of his mother.

Psalms 116:15 "Precious in the sight of the LORD [is] the death of his saints."

(Compare Psalms 72:14). It is not a matter of indifference to God, when and under what circumstances each of his saints dies. Rather, it is a matter of deep concern to him. "In him are the issues of life and death" (Psalms 68:20). And he appoints to each man the day and attendant circumstances of his demise.

I have been to funerals where the people had not confessed belief in the Lord and they had not obeyed the Gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16), and their funerals are very sad. On the other hand, I have been to funerals of some dear old saint and I felt like shouting, not crying. We know that dear old saint is going home to heaven to be with their Lord. Sure, the Lord would think it precious. The faithful saint that dies will spend all of eternity with Him. All the problems of life are over. Pain and suffering and crying is over. There shall be joy forevermore. It will be a glorious homecoming for the saint, when death of this body occurs.

Psalms 116:16 "O LORD, truly I [am] thy servant; I [am] thy servant, [and] the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds."

Not merely by creation, and as obliged by providential favors; but by the grace of God, which made him a willing one. And he was so, not nominally only, but in reality; not as those who say Lord, Lord, but do not the will of God. Whereas he served the Lord cheerfully and willingly, in righteousness and true holiness. And this he repeats for the confirmation of it, and to show his heartiness in the Lord’s service, and his zealous attachment to him. And which he mentions, not as though he thought his service meritorious of anything at the hand of God. But that his being in this character was an obligation upon him to serve the Lord, and him only, and might expect his protection in it.

"And the son of thy handmaid": His mother was also a servant of the Lord. And had trained him up in his infancy in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; so that he was inured to it early. And could not easily depart from it.

"Thou hast loosed my bonds": The bonds of affliction and death in which he was held. These were loosed, being delivered from them (Psalms 116:3). And the bonds of sin, and Satan, and the law, in whose service he had been, which was no other than a bondage. But now was freed from the servitude and dominion of sin. From the captivity of Satan, and the bondage of the law; and therefore, though a servant, yet the Lord’s free man.

This psalmist is not only sure of his own state with the Lord, but is assured of his mother’s standing with the Lord as well. Notice, his mother was a handmaid of the Lord. He is free from the bonds of sin and death, and he knows he is free.

Psalms 116:17-19 : These verses parallel (Psalms 116:13-14). Jonah made an almost identical statement (Jonah 2:9).

Psalms 116:17 "I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD."

“The sacrifice of thanksgiving”: Probably not a Mosaic sacrifice, but rather actual praise and thanksgiving rendered from the heart in the spirit of (Psalms 136, 138; compare Psalms 50:23; Psalms 100:4; Psalms 119:108).

The only thing that he can do for the Lord, is to thank Him. This to me, is saying that as long as his life continues, he will be thanking God for the wonderful work of salvation that was wrought in his life. This thanksgiving will be part of his regular praise in prayer that he brings before God.

Psalms 116:18 "I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people,"

(See notes on Psalms 116:14). And the Targum here, as there, paraphrases the latter clause, now in the presence of all his people, thus; "I will then declare his signs (or wonders), to all his people.’’ The marvelous things he had done for him.

This is not to be a private thing with the psalmist. He will do this publicly, so that all may see and benefit from this. He is not ashamed of the LORD, and he will tell everyone of his love for Him.

Psalms 116:19 "In the courts of the LORD’S house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD."

“The LORD’S house”: Refers to:

(1) The tabernacle in Jerusalem if written by David or before; or

(2) The temple in Jerusalem if written by Solomon or later.

This is speaking of his place of worship. We hear people say that they worship God alone in the woods. This is alright, but there is a time to worship Him publicly. Jerusalem was where the temple stood, and this would be his choice of places to worship the LORD.

PSALM 116

EXPOSITION

The personal note running through this psalm is so clearly that of an individual as distinguished from the people (Psalms 116:14; Psalms 116:18), and so vividly recalls the known experiences of King Hezekiah, that we may fairly be excused from going any further in quest of the probable author. The modernisation of the original language to suit a later time (to which critics call attention), is so well within the editorial freedoms known to have been taken by the ancient Sopherim, as not to raise an argument in favour of a later origin. Starting from the presumption that Hezekiah wrote this psalm, we soon meet with indications confirming this conclusion; and those indications afford help to the more complete understanding of this deeply experimental composition.

The opening line has greatly puzzled critics by reason of its abruptness. May not that abruptness,—probably amounting to a broken construction,—be best accounted for as a manifestation of overwhelming affection? I love, says the writer, and then as good as says—“How MUCH I love, let the following song reveal.” The circumstance that he presently uses language closely akin to that which stands at the opening of Psalms 18, to which we have already seen cause to think Hezekiah prefixed a line expressive of tender affection, makes us the more persuaded that this psalm is his.

Then, too, there is a line further on (Psalms 116:11) which, even as conceived in bitter disappointment, seems—as usually translated—to contribute very little to general edification. It is quite true that either Hezekiah, or any other tried saint, might by repeated betrayals have been tempted to conclude that “All men are false.” But if we put this to the test, by asking whether it is likely that Hezekiah, either as prince or king, had ever been so utterly bankrupt of trusty friends as this utterance of despair seems to imply,—we are compelled to admit it to be very unlikely indeed. So, apprehending some error in translation, we hail from the pen of Aglen, in Ellicott’s Commentary, the suggestion of quite a different turn to the passage: “In an ecstasy of despair, I said, “The whole race of mankind is a delusion.’” And again—“Once in distrust I thought that God did not care for man, and that the whole of humanity was a failure.” Well, take this hint, and transplant it into the circumstances of Hezekiah; and then say, whether it does not savour of a very possible temptation. Childless, facing death, the Davidic heirship and covenant in peril of extinction and dishonour; and if the promise to David fail, where will be that to Abraham; what will become of the promise to the Race? “Is not the whole race of mankind a delusion?” Diseased thought, illogical, gratuitous? Yes! but—as a temptation, to be afterwards recalled with shame, and only to be divulged when faith has consciously revived,—is it not possible, with a verisimilitude which remarkably well fits the extraordinary circumstances?

Once more: there are those singular lines—Costly in the eyes of Jehovah Is death to his men of kindness (Psalms 116:15). A glimmer of their meaning has dawned on several commentators; but how that meaning is intensified when the lines are put into a Hezekian setting! “It is no light thing,” says Perowne, “in the sight of God that his servants should perish.” With clearer apprehension, Delitzsch observes: “The death of His saints is not cheap to God; He does not lightly suffer matters to come to such a pass; He does not suffer His own to be torn from Him by death.” True, in no case, can it be said that his saints are “torn from him by death, since their spirits return to him, and remain in his safe-keeping; nevertheless, they are certainly “torn” from his kingdom here on earth; and the point is that he rightly estimates the sacrifice. It is a costly process to let them die as they do: their service is lost, their praises are hushed, their complete personalities are in abeyance until the Resurrection. To forget this would be to unlearn and practically contradict the close of the psalm (115) we so lately studied; and it would be prematurely, yea and violently, to cut ourselves adrift from the keen and clear perception possessed by Hezekiah himself, as seen in Isaiah 38:18-19, that it is the especial function of THE LIVING—not of the dead—to praise Jehovah. Reverting to the costliness of death in the eyes of Jehovah,—two reflections appeal to us forcibly: How incalculable is the price which Jehovah is paying by permitting so many generations of his saintly ones to die—must it not be with a view to some commensurate end? And, again, if Jehovah counts costly the death of his ordinary, imperfect men of kindness; how costly does he reckon the death of Him who was the perfect reflection of this love and who He raised from the dead?

“The Truth of the Lord Endureth Forever”

Psalms 117:1-2

Psalms 117 : Well known as the shortest chapter in the Bible, this little psalm contains a great message. Though some have denied it an independent existence, attaching it to Psalms 116, Psalms 117 has all three elements of the hymn of praise: a call to praise (verse 1), a cause for praise (2a, b), and a conclusion, which, in this case, is a simple “praise ye the LORD” (verse 2c). The fact that the “nations” and “people” (literally, “peoples”), are addressed (in verse 1), makes this psalm the only one in the Psalter addressed in its entirely to the Gentile world. Its evangelistic mood was still baffling to some of Paul’s readers. This is one of four passages that Paul quotes from the Old Testament (in Romans 15), to prove that God is interested in saving Gentiles.

Psalms 117:1-2 (see notes on Psalms 113:1-9). The seal of redemptive truth is bound up in this diminutive but seminal psalm – its profundity far outdistances its size. This pivotal psalm exhibits distinguishing features:

(1) It is the shortest psalm;

(2) It is the shortest chapter in the Bible.

That God looked redemptively beyond the borders of Israel in the Old Testament is made clear here. The psalm looks back to God’s intent for Adam and Eve in Eden (Gen. chapters 1-2), and looks ahead to the ultimate fulfillment in the new heavens and earth (Rev. chapters 21-22).

I. A Global Invitation (Psalms 117:1).

II. A Grand Explanation (Psalms 117:2).

The shortest of the psalms summons all people to worship the God of Israel, because His “truth” (faithfulness), “endureth forever”. No matter how dire the circumstances, God always keeps His word. Such unwavering faithfulness demands worship.

Psalms 117:1 "O Praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people."

“Nations … people”: Paul quoted this verse (in Romans 15:11), to make the point that from the very beginning of time God has pursued a worldwide redemptive purpose (compare Romans 15:7-13). Other passages quoted by Paul in (Rom. chapter 15), to make this point include: (Deuteronomy 32:43; 2 Samuel 22:50, and Isaiah 11:10). While not as obvious in the Old Testament, the New Testament makes this point unmistakably clear (compare Acts 10:34-35; Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:1-29 and especially 28; Colossians 3:11).

In chapter 116, we saw the psalmist determining to praise the Lord. In this Psalm, he is encouraging everyone everywhere to praise the Lord. This brings into the account of the Lord Jesus saying that people from all nations would love and serve the Lord. The psalmist here was most assuredly a Hebrew, and they thought at the time that this was written, that they were the only true people of God in the world. This then, is a prophetic Scripture looking unto the time when all nations and people could worship the Lord.

Why should we praise Him? Because He is our Creator and our Savior. When should we praise Him? All the time, in every circumstance. How should we praise Him? With a humble heart. You can praise Him in song, in word, or in deed. You can even raise your hands in humble praise to Him. I will not tell you how to praise Him. Praise Him the way you feel in your heart.

Psalms 117:2 "For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD [endureth] for ever. Praise ye the LORD."

The reasons for such exalted raise as that commanded in Psalms 117:1 are:

(1) Because of God’s redemptive kindness; and

(2) Because of God’s eternal truth.

Therefore, what God has promised, He will provide (compare John 6:37-40).

This is not speaking of just the Hebrews. It is speaking again prophetically, of all people. This is a continuation of the first verse which is all people in all nations. His kindness is unmatched in all the world. He was merciful to each of us, while we were yet in sin. He saved us and prepared a wonderful place for us, to be with Him. He keeps His covenant to all generations. He not only tells the truth all the time, but is in fact, the Truth. PRAISE YE THE LORD.

PSALM 117

EXPOSITION

This is the shortest psalm, and it has frequently been described as the grandest: it certainly is very significant. On the one hand, its appeal for universal praise to Jehovah is unequivocal: in the other, the ground of that appeal is abundantly worthy, though perhaps not at once perceived to be so special as it really is. As soon, however, as due prominence is given to the undoubted facts—that Israel as a nation is the speaker giving this invitation to the other nations of the earth; that the invitation comes from the heart of a nation met in solemn festival especially to memorialise and celebrate the Divinely achieved triumphs of her own history; and then the precise terms are given their proper value by which the especial reason for universal praise is conveyed, then it must be admitted by the candid and trained reader—trained in the history of Israel and in the course of the psalms hitherto—that the pronoun us of the psalm means specifically ISRAEL. The speakers say—His kindness hath prevailed over US, and there is no reason to doubt that they mean exactly what they say; and though to some minds, this conclusion may occasion a feeling of momentary disappointment, that the basis of invited praise is not made wider, as by saying—For His kindness hath prevailed over YOU, yet a few moments’ reflection may suffice to convert this feeling into one of admiration for the very precision of the reference to Israel. There need, of course, be no apprehension—that the nations whose mouths are to be opened to celebrate Israel’s mercies will be closed to the joyful acknowledgement of their own. But the point of the psalm is,—and it is in every way a triumphant point—a note worthy to be resounded through all the earth,—that Israel belongs to the nations, that her triumph is their triumph and benediction; that in her national history more than in their own, the kindness and faithfulness of Jehovah will have been displayed in a manner worthy to occasion, not only universal, but never-ending, adoration. We of the nations to whom the privilege has been given to anticipate that coming triumph,—how can we enter into the spirit of this psalm unmoved? By all our grief over Israel’s long-protracted obstinacy, and over the suffering judicially permitted for that obstinacy,—are we moved with joy to look forward to this coming Divine triumph: when Jehovah’s kindness will—deep down in Israel’s heart, and all abroad in unmistakable openness of national demonstration—PREVAIL OVER ISRAEL. To look forward to such a Victory of Love, is to know a feeling akin to ecstasy; and that we should receive an invitation to indulge in so unselfish an anticipation from Jewish lips, in Jewish homes and Jewish synagogues, is to be conscious of an additional satisfaction which will one day be appreciated by our brethren of the Twelve-tribed-nation. We heartily thank them for this their Passover Invitation preserved in their Hallel.

Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Salvation

Psalms 118:1-29

Psalms 118 : This psalm was a particular favorite of Martin Luther. A national psalm of thanksgiving, it apparently accompanied a procession into the temple, probably that of a thanksgiving offering. The changes of person in the psalm indicate that it may have been recited antiphonally, through the following explanation is admittedly conjectural. First, there is an exchange before the door of the temple (Psalms 118:1-20). The first four verses are a sort of invocation, probably delivered by a priest. Next (in Psalms 118:5-18), the king leads the people in worship with himself as the speaker, though interrupted at times by antiphonal refrains offered by the people (Psalms 118:8-12).

(In Psalms 118:19), the king turns to the doorkeeper and asks for entrance. The doorkeeper responds with a description of those who may enter (Psalms 118:20), retranslating as a statement: “This is the gate of the Lord”. The remainder of the psalm takes place within the temple (Psalms 118:21-29). Again, there are apparently three speakers.

First, the king declares that God has saved him (Psalms 118:21). The people respond in a joyful manner to this affirmation (Psalms 118:22-24). The employment of the stone imagery to represent the Davidic king is echoed messianically throughout the New Testament (Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10-11; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:7). Next, the priests deliver a petition and a blessing (Psalms 118:25-26). The final three verses portray the presentation of the actual sacrifice: the priests command it (Psalms 118:27), the king responds with praise (Psalms 118:28), and the people seal the ceremony with the same liturgical formula with which it began (Psalms 118:29).

Psalms 118:1-29 (see note on Psalms 113:1-9). This psalm (along with Psalms 110), is intensely messianic and thus the most quoted by the New Testament (Matthew 21:9; Matthew 21:42; Matthew 23:39; Mark 11:9-10; Mark 12:10-11; Luke 13:35; Luke 19:38; Luke 20:17; John 12:13; Acts 4:11; Hebrews 13:6; 1 Peter 2:7). Neither the author nor the specific circumstances of the psalm are identified. Two reasonable possibilities could be entertained:

(1) It was written during Moses’ day in the Exodus, or

(2) It was written sometime after the Jews returned to Jerusalem for Exile.

Probably it was the former, given;

(1) The nature of the Egyptian Hallel (especially Psalms 114);

(2) Its use by the Jewish community especially at Passover;

(3) The close similarity to Moses’ experience in the Exodus;

(4) The striking similarity in language (Psalms 118:14 with Exodus 15:2; 118:15-16; and with Exodus 15:6, 12; 118:28 with Exodus 15:2); and

(5) The particularly pointed messianic significance as it relates to the redemption provided by Christ our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7).

It seems reasonable to propose that Moses possibly wrote this beautiful psalm to look back in worship at the historical Passover and look ahead in wonder to the spiritual Passover in Christ.

I. Call to Worship (Psalms 118:1-4);

II. Personal Praise (Psalms 118:5-21);

III. Corporate Praise (Psalms 118:22-24);

IV. Commitment to Worship (Psalms 118:25-29).

Psalms 118:1-18 : The account the psalmist here gives of his troubles is very applicable to Christ. Many hated him without a cause; nay, the Lord himself chastened him sorely, bruised him, and put him to grief, that by his stripes we might be healed. God is sometimes the strength of his people, when he is not their song. They have spiritual supports, though they want spiritual delights. Whether the believer traces back his comfort to the everlasting goodness and mercy of God, or whether he looks forward to the blessing secured to him, he will find abundant cause for joy and praise. Every answer to our prayers is an evidence that the Lord is on our side. And then we need not fear what man can do unto us. We should conscientiously do our duty to all, and trust in him alone to accept and bless us. Let us seek to live to declare the works of God, and to encourage others to serve him and trust in him. Such were the triumphs of the Son of David, in the assurance that the good pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand.

Psalms 118:1-3 : God withholds eternal death as punishment for sin, replacing it with his kindness, love, and compassion. This psalm was used as an antiphonal reading in corporate worship, with “His mercy endureth forever” being used as the refrain.

Psalms 118:1 "O give thanks unto the LORD; for [he is] good: because his mercy [endureth] for ever."

“Give thanks” (compare Palms 105-107, 136). The psalm ends (in verse 29), as it began here.

Some believe this whole chapter of Psalms to be a song of praise to be sung in the temple when it was built. We see a reference to that very thing here in Ezra.

Ezra 3:10-11 "And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel." "And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because [he is] good, for his mercy [endureth] forever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid."

I personally believe this to also be a prophetic Scripture of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Chief Cornerstone.

Psalms 118:2-4 : “Israel … Aaron … them now that fear the LORD” (see note on Psalms 115:9-11). The phrase “His mercy endureth for ever” is repeated in all 26 verses of Psalms 136 (compare Psalms 118:1; Psalms 118:29).

Psalms 118:2 "Let Israel now say, that his mercy [endureth] for ever."

Let such who have had an experience of it acknowledge and declare it to others. Not only believe in it with their hearts, and privately give thanks for it, but with the mouth make confession of it to the glory of divine grace. Not only literal Israel, whom the Lord brought out of Egypt, led and fed in the wilderness, and settled in the land of Canaan. And to whom the law and the services of God, the covenants and promises, word and ordinances, belonged. And who now were so happy under the government of such a king as David. But also, the spiritual Israel of God, the whole Israel of God, Jews and Gentiles, under the Gospel dispensation. The Israel whom God has chosen, Christ has redeemed, and the Spirit effectually calls and sanctifies. Such who are Israelites indeed, who have been encouraged to hope in the Lord, and in his mercy, and are made partakers of it. These should speak of the grace and mercy of God, and the continuance of it, for the encouragement of others.

This also can be two-fold. The physical house of Israel would certainly be able to say that His mercy endureth forever. They were able to build the temple. Spiritual Israel (Christians), could shout this even more, because the mercy of Jesus Christ is sufficient to save thousands and even millions of people for all generations. It is His great mercy that saves them, if they believe.

Psalms 118:3 "Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy [endureth] for ever."

The priests and Levites that blessed the people, and taught them the knowledge of divine things. But not these literally, at least not only these, since the priesthood of Aaron is changed, and the law of it abrogated. And all believers are now priests unto God, and offer up spiritual sacrifices to him. And particularly the sacrifice of praise for his grace and mercy, the perpetuity of which they should publish and proclaim all abroad.

This verse has to do with the physical house, because Aaron had been High Priest. The earthly priesthood would have to do with the earthly sanctuary or temple.

Psalms 118:4 "Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy [endureth] for ever."

This verse is an exact quote from the victory song at the Red Sea (Exodus 15:2), and is repeated in (Isaiah 12:2). The Exodus events were an object lesson in God’s redemptive character and His desire to deliver His people from trouble.

This verse reaches much further than just the Hebrews. This is for all who fear Him. This includes the Christians. One reason to fear Him, is because we are not worthy to be saved. He saved us, because of His mercy toward us, not because of anything we did for Him.

Psalms 118:5-21 : This section contains individual praise by the psalmist, possibly Moses.

Psalms 118:5-9 : The psalmist focuses intensely on the Lord.

Psalms 118:5 "I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, [and set me] in a large place."

Margin, as in Hebrew, "out of distress." In the very midst of trouble, he called upon the Lord. His voice was heard, as it were, coming from the depth of his sorrows (see notes on Psalms 18:6).

"The Lord answered me": That is, he heard my prayers, and delivered me (see notes on Psalms 18:6).

"And set me in a large place": I was before pressed on every side; sorrows compassed me around. I could not move; I had no liberty. Now he gave me space and freedom on every side, so that I could move without obstruction or pain. This is literally, "The Lord", (not Yahweh here, but Yah), "answered me in a large place" (see notes on Psalms 4:1; Psalms 18:19).

To pray in distress, would mean that this was a sincere prayer of the heart. We have spoken before of how this type prayer gets to the heart of God. The LORD takes him from the closed in place that he was in and freed him. This could have been a physical, or a spiritual prison that he had been closed up in.

Psalms 118:6 The LORD [is] on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

Margin, as in Hebrew," for me." The Lord is with me. He is my helper. He defends my cause.

"I will not fear": I have nothing to be afraid of. God is more mighty than any or all of my foes, and he can deliver me from them all (compare Psalms 56:4; Psalms 56:9; Psalms 56:11).

"What can man do unto me?" Any person; all people. They can do no more than God permits. They cannot destroy me when he means to save me. They cannot defeat his gracious designs toward me. I am safe if God is my Friend (compare notes at Romans 8:31).

(Hebrews 13:6 quotes this verse; compare Psalms 56:4; Psalms 56:11).

Notice the act of the psalmist’s will, in stating, I will not fear. This is very similar to the statement, “let not your heart be troubled”. In many instances throughout the Bible, we are told to fear not. It is within our ability to fear, but it is not in our best interest. Those who put their trust in the LORD, should not fear. Fear, in a case like that, would be to say that we cannot trust God. We must determine in our heart to trust God and not to fear. If God be for us, who can be against us? Man is no match for God. If God is fighting our battles for us, man can do us no harm. There is no reason to fear. Faith is the opposite of fear. Have faith!

Psalms 118:7 "The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see [my desire] upon them that hate me."

The psalmist had friends. There were those who stood by him. He relied, indeed, on their aid, but not on their aid without God. He felt that even their help was valuable to him only as God was with them. There was direct dependence on God in reference to himself; and there was the same sense of dependence in respect to all who were engaged in his defense. This might be rendered, however, simply "for my help," and is so rendered by DeWette. The Septuagint and Latin Vulgate render it, "The Lord is my helper."

"Therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me": Literally, "I shall see upon those that hate me;" that is, I shall look upon them according to my wish. I shall see them overthrown and subdued (see notes at Psalms 54:7; compare Psalms 92:11; Psalms 112:8).

The Lord said vengeance is mine. We are not to take vengeance ourselves. We are to let the Lord handle the problem. Those who offend the chosen of the Lord shall not prosper.

Psalms 118:8 "[It is] better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man."

This, with what follows in (Psalms 118:9), is the conclusion from the above premises and experience; it is good to trust in the Lord. Such enjoy peace, are in safety, shall not want any good thing, nor ever be ashamed and confounded. The Targum is, "it is better to trust in the Word of the Lord;’’

"Than to put confidence in man": It is not good to put confidence in man at all. It is trusting to a broken staff, to a mere shadow, which can yield no support or relief. It is best to trust in the Lord; he is able to help, as well as willing. He is faithful to his word, and unchangeable in his promises. Whereas man, though he may have a will to help, oftentimes has it not in his power. And when it is in his power, and has promised it, he disappoints, being changeable or unfaithful. Wherefore trust not in man, but in the Lord. Yea, cursed is the man that trusts in man (see Jeremiah 17:5).

If you place your confidence in man, he will let you down. The LORD will never let you down.

Psalms 118:9 "[It is] better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes."

The Targum is, "in the Word of the Lord.’’ This is repeated for the sake of what follows:

"Than to put confidence in princes": Who have greater ability to help, and whose honor should engage them to keep their word. And yet it is better to trust in the Lord than in them (see Psalms 146:3). Two different words being used in this verse and (Psalms 118:8). For trust and confidence, Jarchi has observed, that the one signifies a lesser, the other a stronger confidence. As if the sense was this, "It is better lightly to trust in the Lord than to put the strongest confidence in men and princes." But the observation is scarcely solid enough.

Even a prince is a man. They cannot really be trusted any more than just an average man. Man in his weakness will disappoint you, because he is flesh. God will never let you down. Even though a prince or anyone else who is in authority, is looked up to in the flesh, they many times have even more temptations and may even succumb to some of them.

Psalms 118:10-14 : It seems obvious that the leader of the nation is speaking here.

Psalms 118:10 "All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them."

They surrounded me; they hemmed me in on every side, so that I seemed to have no chance to escape. It would seem from this that the psalm was composed by someone who was at the head of the government, and whose government had been attacked by surrounding nations. This would accord well with many things that occurred in the life of David. But there were also other times in the Jewish history to which it would be applicable, and there is nothing that necessarily confines it to the time of David.

"But in the name of the Lord will I destroy them": Margin, as in Hebrew," cut them off." This is the language which he used at that time. The purpose which he then formed; an expression of the confidence which he then cherished. He meant to subdue them; he had no doubt that he would be able to do it.

I believe the psalmist here to be David. We do know that he had trouble with the countries around him. We also know that God was with him in battle. He is very aware that with the help of God, he can destroy these nations coming against him.

Psalms 118:11 "They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them."

Which is repeated not only for the confirmation of, it, but to denote the frequency and fury of their attacks, and their obstinate persisting therein (see note on Psalms 118:10).

"But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them": Which also is repeated to show the strength of his faith, and the continuance of it, notwithstanding his numerous enemies, and their violent efforts against him.

David had discovered when he was just a lad fighting Goliath, that his power in battle was the name of the LORD. We would do well to remember the very same thing, when the enemy surrounds us. We cannot fail, if we do battle in the name of the LORD.

Psalms 118:12 "They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them."

In great numbers; as a swarm of bees, which, being irritated and provoked, will fly upon persons in a body, and with great fury. To which the Amorites and the Assyrian army were compared (Deuteronomy 1:44). They will attack horses and kill them, as Aristotle says; and places besieged have been delivered by throwing out hives of bees among the besiegers. And yet as they are feeble creatures, so by striking they lose their sting. And either die very quickly, or however become useless. All which denotes the numbers of the enemies of David and of Christ. And of his church and people, and the wrath and fury of them against them, as well as their fruitless and unsuccessful attempts upon them. For though they rage, what they contrive and endeavor to put in execution are vain things, and in the issue, end in their own ruin and destruction.

"They are quenched as the fire of thorns": Dried thorns burn easily and quickly, which make a blaze, a noise, for a while; but are soon consumed, and leave only a few ashes behind. Wicked men are often compared to thorns, they being like them, unfruitful in themselves, unprofitable to others, harmful to the saints, and whose end is to be burnt. And whose destruction is certain and sudden, and easily effected as the burning of thorns (see Psalms 58:9; Ecclesiastes 7:6). The Targum renders it, "they burned as fire among thorns;’’ which is easily kindled and soon quenched. And so the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Ethiopic, and Arabic versions; as if it was expressive of their wrath and fury, which was soon over; which agrees with what follows:

"For": Or "but", or "verily".

"In the name of the Lord I will destroy them": (see notes on Psalms 118:10-11).

Perhaps the statement about the bees means that they were buzzing around David on every side. A thorn will pierce the skin, but it seems here, that they were quenched before they even wounded David or his men. He says again, that the power is in the name of the LORD.

Psalms 118:13 "Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me."

Literally, "Thrusting thou hast thrust at me." Refers to the psalmist’s enemy. This is the Hebrew mode of expressing intensity, repetition, or emphasis. The meaning is, that they had made a deadly thrust at him. That they had repeated the blows; that they had come with a fierce determination to crush and destroy him. The psalmist, as it were, sees the enemy again before him, and addresses him as if he were present. Everything is vivid to the mind; the whole scene appears again to pass before him.

"But the Lord helped me": Helped David, so that he perished not by the hand of Saul, he sometimes feared he should. Helped Christ, as man and Mediator, in the day of salvation, and raised him from the dead, and gave him glory. And he helps his people against all their enemies. Holds them with his right hand; helps them to fight against them; maintains his own work of grace in them, and keeps them from a total and final falling away, by his power unto salvation. The Targum is, "the Word of the Lord helped me.’’

The enemies did attack David (thrust sore at me), but they did not defeat David. If we were to look at this to get us a message for today, we would realize that the devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may destroy. We have the same help that David had here. We must use the name of the Lord. The 6th chapter of Ephesians gives us a few suggestions on how to fight this battle.

Ephesians 6:10 "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might."

Ephesians 6:13-17 "Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;" "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;" "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”

Psalms 118:14 "The LORD [is] my strength and song, and is become my salvation."

These words are identical to Moses’ words (in Exodus 15:2).

In the last lesson, we were dealing with the way to win battles. It is the name of the Lord that defeats the enemy. We also saw (in chapter 6 of Ephesians), just how to battle the powers and principalities that come against the believers. Now we see that David is saying, his strength and song is the LORD. We all know that the Lord Jesus Christ brought salvation to the world.

1 Timothy 4:10 "For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe."

Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

Psalms 118:15-18 : A declaration of victory.

Psalms 118:15-16 : “The right hand”: Very similar to Moses’ words (in Exodus 15:6; Exodus 15:12).

Psalms 118:15 "The voice of rejoicing and salvation [is] in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly."

Rejoicing for salvation; song, praise, and thanksgiving. Luther renders this beautifully; "They sing with joy for victory in the houses of the righteous."

"Is in the tabernacles of the righteous": The tents of the righteous; their dwellings. That is, it is a fact that the voice of joy and rejoicing is there. It is appropriate that it should be so, or that a righteous family should be happy, the dwelling place of praise. God will add to the happiness of the righteous, or will make their habitation happy, peaceful, and blessed. There is nothing that diffuses so much happiness through a family as religion. There is no joy like that when a member of a family is converted. There is no place on earth happier than that where a family bows before God with the feeling that all are children of God and heirs of salvation.

"The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly": Hebrew "Doeth strength." That is, God does great things, laying the foundation for joy and praise.

Notice, that tabernacles is plural in the verse above. Tabernacle, in the verse above, means tent, dwelling place, or covering. This then is saying that the righteous (those in right standing with God), dwell in salvation, and they are rejoicing because of it. The Right Hand of the LORD is Jesus Christ. Salvation is not something that is received every once and a while, but is in fact a state of being saved. It is a matter of “Walking in the Light,” where the blood of Christ flows. The Right Hand in the verse above was the Author of our salvation.

Psalms 118:16 "The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly."

Lifted up, very eminent and conspicuous, easily to be observed in the instances before given, and become great and glorious in power (see Exodus 15:6). The power of God is superior to all enemies; and is beyond conception and expression. And is able to do for his people above all they are able to ask or think.

"The right hand of the Lord doth valiantly": Or "acts powerfully". This is repeated for the confirmation of it, and to show how much the righteous were affected with it, and how desirous they were of glorifying of it. "The right hand of the Lord", being three times mentioned, may have respect to the three divine Persons in the Godhead, whose right hand or power is the same. And as the right hand of the Father has done powerfully in the instances given, so the right hand of the Son has worked mightily in vanquishing all enemies, sin, Satan, and death. And the world; in obtaining the salvation of his people, and in raising himself from the dead. And so the right hand of the Holy Spirit has wrought powerfully on Christ, on whom he rested as the Spirit of might, and through whom Christ offered himself to God, and by whom he was raised from the dead. And also in the conversion of sinners, and in helping, assisting, strengthening, and protecting the saints.

Since we have established the fact that the Right Hand here, is Jesus Christ, let’s look at just how exalted He will be.

Philippians 2:9-11 "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:" "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth;" "And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Psalms 118:17 "I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD."

Not that he should never die. David knew he would; but that his present afflictions would not issue in death; or he should not die by the hands of his enemies. He sometimes feared he should; but now believed he should live, as he did, to a good old age. He knew he should live spiritually and eternally, and not die a second death. And so may all true believers and members of Christ say. Yea, these words may be considered as the words of Christ; who, though he came into the world to die, and did die for the sins of his people. Yet he knew he should not die before his time, nor should he continue long under the power of death. But should live again, and live for evermore, and not die. Death should have no more dominion over him (see Psalms 16:10).

"And declare the works of the Lord": The wonderful appearances of God in a providential way, and all his marvelous works of grace. As David did, and as all the people of God more or less do. And which is the end of their living; not to eat and drink, and gratify their carnal senses, but to glorify God, by declaring what he has done for themselves and others. So, the Messiah declared the name of God, his nature, perfections, mind and will, word and works, among his brethren in the great congregation (Psalms 22:22).

We know that the Lord Jesus Christ defeated death when He rose from the grave. Because He rose from the grave, we will rise from the grave also, and will live (not die), with him eternally. This mortal shall take on immortality. To learn more about this (read 1 Corinthians 15:35 to the end of the chapter).

Psalms 118:18 "The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death."

Hebrew, "The Lord has chastened, has chastened me" (see notes at Psalms 118:13). The psalmist had been greatly afflicted, and he now looked upon his affliction in the light of a fatherly chastisement or correction. It had been a severe trial, and he was not insensible to its severity, though he regarded it as designed for his own good.

"But he hath not given me over unto death": He interposed when I was in danger; he rescued me when I was on the verge of the grave. This is the close of the psalmist’s statement in regard to the divine dealings with him. He had passed through great danger. He had been sorely afflicted; but he had been rescued and spared, and he came now to express his thanks to God for his recovery. In the following verse, he addresses those who had the care of the sanctuary, and asks that he might be permitted to enter and offer his thanks to God.

We read that whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth. This is like a loving parent correcting a child.

Psalms 118:19-29 : Those who saw Christ’s day at so great a distance, saw cause to praise God for the prospect.

Psalms 118:19-21 : The victory against overwhelming odds elicits from the psalmist a great desire to praise God.

Psalms 118:19 "Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, [and] I will praise the LORD:"

“Gates of righteousness”: Most likely a figurative reference, i.e., spiritual gates through which the righteous pass (compare Psalms 100:4), rather than to the gates of the temple, e.g., (1 Chronicles 9:23).

Jesus is the gate (the Way), that we enter into righteousness. He put us in right standing, when He shed His blood to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The temple curtain tore from the top to the bottom when Jesus gave His body on the cross for you and me. The way to the Father had been closed. Now, the shed blood of the Lord Jesus has opened the way to the throne of God and to the Father for all who would believe. The gate is open, but it is our obligation to go therein. What a reason to praise the Lord, this is!

Psalms 118:20 "This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter."

“This gate”: This points to the entryway which leads to the presence of the Lord. Jesus may have had this psalm in mind when He taught about “the narrow gate” (in Matthew 7:13-14).

The righteous are those who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb, and put in right standing with God, because they believe.

Romans 4:3 "For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness."

Abraham was the father of all the believers. We, like Abraham, are righteous, because we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. This gate is the entrance to heaven. We must come through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior to enter into eternal life in heaven. This really will be a glorious restoration of the garden of Eden. The big difference is, there is no temptation here. This is also the place that Jesus told the thief he would be with Him. It is Paradise.

Psalms 118:21 "I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation."

“My salvation”: The Lord has delivered the palmist from otherwise certain defeat and death (compare 118:14-15).

There is no better reason to praise Him, than the fact that He saved you. Salvation is available to all, but to receive it, we must believe in the Lord. Repent of your sins, and ask Jesus to save you, He will not turn you down.

Psalms 118:22-26 : The New Testament quotes of verses 22-23 and verses 25-26 lend strong messianic significance here. If Moses is the author, then the New Testament writers use a perfect analogy in connecting this passage to Christ. For example, Moses said that God would raise up another prophet like himself (Deuteronomy 18:15). Peter identified this other prophet as the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 3:11-26). So Moses is a legitimate, biblically recognized type of Christ.

Psalms 118:22-23 : May refer to David’s preferment; but principally to Christ.

(1) His humiliation; he is the Stone which the builders refused: they would go on in their building without him. This proved the ruin of those who thus made light of him. Rejecters of Christ are rejected of God.

(2) His exaltation; he is the chief Cornerstone in the foundation. He is the chief Top-stone, in whom the building is completed, who must, in all things, have the pre-eminence.

Christ’s name is Wonderful; and the redemption he wrought out is the most amazing of all God’s wondrous works. We will rejoice and be glad in the Lord’s day. Not only that such a day is appointed, but in the occasion of it, Christ’s becoming the Head. Sabbath days ought to be rejoicing days, then they are to us as the days of heaven. Let this Savior be my Savior, my Ruler. Let my soul prosper and be in health, in that peace and righteousness which his government brings. Let me have victory over the lusts that war against my soul; and let Divine grace subdue my heart. The duty which the Lord has made, brings light with it, true light. The duty this privilege calls for, is here set forth. The sacrifices we are to offer to God in gratitude for redeeming love, are ourselves; not to be slain upon the altar, but living sacrifices, to be bound to the altar. Spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise, in which our hearts must be engaged. The psalmist praises God, and calls upon all about him to give thanks to God for the glad tidings of great joy to all people, that there is a Redeemer, even Christ the Lord. In him the covenant of grace is made sure and everlasting.

Psalms 118:22 "The stone [which] the builders refused is become the head [stone] of the corner."

“Stone … builders refused … head stone of the corner”: Peter identified the chief cornerstone in the New Testament as Christ (Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:7). In the parable of the vineyard (Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10-11; Luke 20:17), the rejected son of the vineyard owner is likened to the rejected stone which became the chief cornerstone. Christ was that rejected stone. Jewish leaders were pictured as builders of the nation. Now, this passage in Psalms 118:22 has a historical basis which is paralleled in its major features by analogy with the rejection of Christ who came to deliver/save the nation. Moses’ experience, as a type of Christ, pictured Christ’s rejection. On at least 3 occasions Moses (“stone”), was rejected by the Jews (“builders”), as their God sent the deliverer (“chief corner stone”; for examples see Exodus 2:11-15; compare Acts 7:35; Exodus 14:10-14; Exodus 14:10; Exodus 16:1-3; Exodus 16:11-12; Exodus 16:20).

This is a prophetic Scripture, speaking of the Lord Jesus who was rejected by the builders. The Cornerstone here, is the Lord Jesus. He it is who stands at the corner and brings both Jew and Gentile together in Him. We could get into this in great length, but read our study on the 2 sticks that become one (in Ezekiel chapter 37). Jesus is the focal point of the Bible. He is in all the books of the Bible.

Matthew 21:42 "Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?"

This Scripture in Psalms is the one Jesus was speaking of.

Psalms 118:23 "This is the LORD’S doing; it [is] marvelous in our eyes."

This stone is from the Lord (Genesis 49:24). It is of his choosing, appointing, and laying. The rejection of it by the builders is through his permission and will. They did no other things than what his hand and counsel determined should be done (Acts 2:23). And the exaltation of it, or the making it the head of the corner, was of him. He highly exalted him at his right hand, above every name, creature, and thing.

"It is marvelous in our eyes": The stone itself is wonderful to look at, for its beauty, strength, and usefulness. The wisdom, love, care, and power of God, in laying it, are astonishing. The distinguishing grace of God in selecting some stones out of the common quarry, making them lively stones. And building them on this foundation stone, is exceeding marvelous. And so are both the rejection and exaltation of it; that so precious a stone should be refused, and, when treated with so much neglect and contempt, should be exalted. The Targum is, "from the Lord was this, said the builders. This is marvelous in our sight, said the sons of Jesse.’’

This was the plan from the beginning of the world. The 2 walls that fit together are the physical and the spiritual house of Israel. Who but God, could figure out so grand a plan that He might save all of mankind by.

Psalms 118:24 "This [is] the day [which] the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

“The day”: Probably refers to;

(1) The day of deliverance and/or;

(2) The day the stone was made the chief cornerstone, which they now celebrate.

There is a set day of God for everything to be done. The Lord has made all the days. He had a set time to send the Messiah (the Lord Jesus Christ), to the earth as Savior. We saw that there was a set time for Jesus to be crucified. We know this, because He was in their midst preaching and healing daily, and they could not capture Him. It had to be the day that the Lord had planned for it to be. There was a set day for Him to rise from the tomb. There is a set day for His return to the earth. God has it all figured out. Praise God! This is the day that the LORD hath made. I determine in my heart that I “will rejoice and be glad in it”.

Psalms 118:25 "Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity."

“Save now, I beseech thee O LORD” Transliterated from Hebrew, this becomes “Hosanna”. These words were shouted by the crowd to Christ at the time of His triumphal entry to Jerusalem (Matthew 21:9; Mark 11:9-10; John 12:13). Days later they rejected Him because He did not provide military/political deliverance.

This prosperity is of the spirit, because it has to do with salvation. I believe this is speaking of the time when God will pour out of His Spirit on all flesh.

Acts 2:17 "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:"

Psalms 118:26 "Blessed [be] he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD."

“Blessed”: Christ taught that the nation of Israel would not see Him again after His departure (ascension to heaven), until they could genuinely offer these words to Him at His second coming (compare Matthew 23:39; Luke 13:35). In this historical text, it could have easily been sung by the Jews of Moses’ day, especially at the end of the 40 years but prior to Moses’ death (compare Deut. Chapters 1-33).

“The house of the LORD”: A phrase used in reference to the tabernacle of Moses (compare Exodus 23:19; Exodus 34:26; Deuteronomy 23:18), and later the temple (compare 1 Kings 6:1).

Those who minister must be careful to come in the name of the Lord. We cannot preach effectively, unless it is in the name of the Lord. We cannot praise effectively, unless it be done in the name of the Lord. We cannot pray an effective prayer, unless it be in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot do any miracles in our name. It is the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that has the power to minister. We just have the authority to use His name.

Psalms 118:27 "God [is] the LORD, which hath showed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, [even] unto the horns of the altar."

“Light”: Similar to the Mosaic benediction (of Numbers 6:25).

“The altar”: The altar of burnt offerings, which stood on the east in the court outside of the Holy Place (compare Exodus 27:1-8; Exodus 38:1-7).

The Light spoken of here, is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Light of the world. If His Light does not shine in your spirit, you are in darkness and are lost. The strength (horns), of our sacrifice is in Jesus. Let His Light shine forth from you, because He is in you.

Psalms 118:28 "Thou [art] my God, and I will praise thee: [thou art] my God, I will exalt thee."

These are the words of David, asserting his interest in God as his covenant God. And which is the great blessing of the covenant, and the greatest happiness of men, and will always continue. And for which there is abundant reason for praise. It is an instance of distinguishing grace, all evidence or everlasting love, and the foundation of all comfort and happiness here and hereafter.

"Thou art my God, one will exalt thee": In my heart, and with my lips; and call upon others to join with me in it (as in Psalms 118:29). The Targum is, "thou art my God, and I will confess before thee; thou art my God. And I will praise thee, said David. Samuel replied, and said, Praise, O ye congregation of Israel;’’ who are addressed in the next words.

This bears a striking resemblance (to Exodus 15:2).

Notice the "my" here. The first mention of God here is EL. It means, among other things, God. The last mention of God, here, is another word, Elohim which is plural. It means the Creator God. This is the same as is in:

1 John 5:7 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."

This is the fullness of the Godhead; which mortal man does not fully understand. The praise of God should be continually in our mouth.

As I am working on these lessons, it strikes me that God is so much above mankind that there is no way to fully understand or convey His greatness. All we can do is stand in awe of this Mighty God. To praise just seems so little to do. I want to fall down prostrate before Him, and worship Him with all that is within me.

Psalms 118:29 "O give thanks unto the LORD; for [he is] good: for his mercy [endureth] for ever."

And thus, the psalm ends as it began (a repetition of Psalms 118:1). There having been given many instances of the divine goodness, in hearing and delivering the psalmist when in distress. Saving him from his enemies, when compassed about with them. Sparing his life, when in great danger. And especially in making the stone rejected by the builders the head of the corner.

"For his mercy endureth for ever": The above instances are proofs of it; and still it continues, and will for evermore. Here ends the great "Hallel", or hymn, sung at the Passover and other festivals.

This Psalm began and ended the same way. Having done and said all, we come back to the goodness of God and the mercy of God which will never end. This is reason enough to praise Him continually.

PSALM 118

EXPOSITION

This psalm forms a worthy climax to the Hallel. Its leading voice—the “I” of the psalm—appears to be that of the Restored Nation, since no known individual wholly answers to its use through this particular psalm. If any individual voice is heard in it, it is that of Nehemiah, and that only near the beginning. As to the question of authorship,—whether or not Hezekiah or Isaiah began to write this psalm, as the conclusion of the Passover Hallel of their day,—this much is clear, that it was at least completed after the Exile and was expressly adapted for the consecration of the Second Temple. Zechariah, or Haggai, or both, may have composed it; or at least have given to it those exquisite finishing-touches which so admirably adapt it to that auspicious event.

It is obviously a processional psalm, and in the highest degree dramatic. The general course of it is clear; and the sound of several voices can be plainly heard, though precisely who speaks in the several divisions of the psalm is, naturally, to some extent, a matter of conjecture. Our headlines will therefore be accepted as exegetical suggestions, rather than as authoritative determinations—which, in no case, could they pretend to be.

Part I.—The standing “Refrain” of Temple psalmody which both opens and closes this psalm constitutes a remarkable testimony to the goodness of Jehovah, as a settled conviction in the heart of the Nation. However severely Jehovah had dealt with them, his abounding and abiding goodness to them was a fixed article of their faith.

The threefold appeal (Psalms 118:2-4) which prolongs the national Refrain, is for several reasons interesting: partly because this is the second instance of its occurrence, the first being found at Psalms 115:9-11, and the third (amplified) at Psalms 135:19-20; partly also because of its recognition of proselytes, as forming the third division, a class lying on the outside of Israel proper, and yet attached to them in the same general bonds of worship,—a recognition which reappears in the New Testament (Acts 13:16; Acts 13:26; Acts 16:14; Acts 17:17; Acts 18:7; cp. 1 Kings 8:41, Isaiah 56:6).

Part II.—It is not quite clear whether the strait and the roomy place of Psalms 118:5 are anything more than picturesque phrases for expressing, in contrast, “distress” and “deliverance”; so that it may be needless to ask what strait? what roomy place? Deliverance from the irksome conditions of captivity would in any case justify the contrast; but, partly influenced by what has shortly to follow in the psalm, we can scarcely avoid reflecting how miserably hampered for want of elbow-room were the returned exiles, for carrying forward the work of restoration. How serious this difficulty was, and at how severe a cost it was overcome, the psalm itself will in a little vividly remind us.

The circumstance that, for two lines announcing the facts of prayer and deliverance (Psalms 118:5), our song devotes eight lines to the expression of sentiments thereby demanded (Psalms 118:6-9) may usefully remind us of the need there is that the Divine facts of Redemption should find fruitful lodgment in appreciative hearts. Of Nehemiah, we are already reminded (in Psalms 118:9 b). HE had occasion for putting only a very little confidence in nobles (Nehemiah 6:17).

Is it too much to say that by finding in the next stanza (Psalms 118:10-12) rather “the severance of entangling alliances” than the raising of a fierce battle-cry, we avoid the rock on which many expositions have split; and are wholly left without excuse if we incontinently hurry down the centuries to the time of the Maccabees to discover an atmosphere of defiance in which these lines, as commonly understood, could have originated? In any case, it was not until we observed, with acquiescence, Kirkpatrick’s suggestion, that the context is better consulted by taking the verb variously rendered “will cut to pieces,” “will mow down,” “will circumcise,” rather as vividly descriptive past tenses than as threatening futures.—it was not till then that everything in the psalm seemed naturally to fall into its right place. “Cut off” and “circumcise” of course go hand in hand thus far: that there is “a cutting off” in “circumcising.” Only instead of supposing this psalmist to threaten to “circumcise” Israel’s enemies (or else, as the word may be otherwise rendered, to “cut them to pieces,” or “mow them down” by the edge of the sword),—if, rejecting these applications of the word, we take the “circumcising”-knife as sternly turned, by penitent Israel, against herself, in the way of cutting herself free from the entangling alliances which nearly strangled her on her return from captivity,—in that case, we reach a result worthy of the best of Israel’s psalmists; worthy of Israel herself as now, at last, profiting by the chastising hand of her God; and worthy of being embalmed in song as a morally heroic act to be ever afterwards imitated, especially at Passover times. Let anyone read through the book Nehemiah with this thought before him, and he must be rather wanting in discernment if the spectacle that most impresses him be not just this—the awful flashing of the Pasha’s terrible circumcising-knife as he unsparingly cut off Israel from her entangling alliances: foreign traders, foreign wives, all must go, if Israel is to be saved! We have only to imagine a poet-scribe, aware of Nehemiah’s resolute doings and in full sympathy with the spirit that actuated them, setting himself to memorialise them in Passover Song,—and what could be wished for more appropriate than the wonderful stanza before us? Those buzzing bees and lacerating thorns of would-be helpers, anxious only to thwart and hinder,—here we have them, photographed for all time, in this Passover Song!

It was a terrible ordeal for Israel! Nor is it at all incredible that the poet—in concentrating all the stinging of the bees and all the piercing of the thorns into the personification of one unnamed enemy—Thou didst thrust sore at me that I might fall (Psalms 118:13)—was thinking of an enemy, not only unnamed, but also invisible! Zechariah, at all events, knew of an “Accuser” who durst present himself at the right hand of the Angel of Jehovah (Zechariah 3:1); and the sore thrust at Israel’s fidelity, which Nehemiah resisted, was probably as determined as SATAN himself could make it.

The Song of Triumph, sung on Deliverance from Egypt, in its sublimest sentiment (Psalms 118:14), well becomes this new Triumph for Israel. Jehovah (“the Becoming One”) having “become” the might of his people in trial, and the melody of his people in triumph, Israel more firmly than ever before, now becomes His in the strong ties of gratitude: Mine by salvation! It is all there.

The jubilation of Psalms 118:15-16 possesses quite a fascination, by reason of its highly dramatic record. It must be confessed, however, that it severely taxes the power of sober exegesis. In the first place, it is not clear whether the more literal meaning tents should be pressed: if it should, then the thought of the reader is carried away to an army camping out, to whom is brought news of victory, as if achieved by a relieving force in some other part of the field; since men actually engaged in fighting are not found in their “tents,” and yet it would seem that the battle is actually being waged somewhere when these outbursts of triumph are heard in the tents alluded to—if such be intended. It is so easy in Hebrew story to take “tents” as simply standing for “homes” that we are tempted to simplify in that direction. But then, again, why are the “tents” or “homes” termed those of the righteous? Are they the homes of the righteous “nation preserving fidelity,” of which we read in Isaiah 26:1? It may be so; and it would not be very wild so to conclude, seeing that that phrase occurs in a song to be sung “in the land of Judah.” Of course, those who fly from the nation of Israel to the Church of Christ, for relief from every difficulty in Old Testament interpretation, need not feel any difficulty here. They could say: “Ah, yes! during the present dispensation, there have been rousing outbursts of’ jubilation in the homes of the righteous as news has arrived of the conversion to Christ of the South Sea Islanders, the Chinese, etc., etc. And the righteous dwellers in those homes have exclaimed—just like this in the psalm—The right hand of Jehovah is doing valiantly!” Now we have to confess that we could envy the facility with which many enliven Old Testament exegesis by such natural sallies of Evangelical fervour as this; but then we are sharply called to account by the context, here in this psalm, and are admonished that, after all, such imaginative applications are not exegesis. For what is it that follows? Is it, or is it not, “a Nation’s Inference” (Psalms 118:17-18), drawn from the exploits of Jehovah’s right hand of which they now hear, that they, the Nation, shall not die but live, And recount the doings of Yah? Besides: these extracts are taken from the Passover procession-song of Israel; and as the procession slowly moves up to the gate of the Temple to seek admission, is it not the obvious dictate of candour to enquire, WHOM the processionists represents: is it their own nation or is it not? At least, if we demur to this, let us in all consistency accept the peril of national extinction and national chastening from hand of Yah, of which the context here speaks, before we foist any Gentile nation or Church into Israel’s place as pictured in this psalm. She has had her centuries of humiliation and shame and sore sorrow. Of jubilation, in the past, she confessedly has had but few and short-lived occasions. If, therefore, it be seemly that we should conclude that Israel as a nation will yet repent; and that thereupon the “set time” for Jehovah to make bare his arm on her behalf will come, let us reverently let be, and see whether, even yet, in the future, this bright vision of national joy shall not be filled to the full. We are not even sure that it may not be necessary to restore the “tents” in their literality; seeing that, according to the prophet Zechariah (Psalms 12:7), Jehovah intends, in the yet future siege of Jerusalem, “to save the tents of Judah first,” and what precisely that may mean, perhaps only fulfilment can shew. In spite of the outstanding grounds for suspending our judgments seen in this part of our psalm, let us note well that the loud note of jubilation has in it the following clear significance, namely: That at the very time that these shouts of triumph are being raised in the tents or homes of the righteous, Jehovah is glorifying his power on Israel’s behalf. To that conclusion we are bound by the language employed.

Parts III. and IV. need but little comment. It is only dramatically that they come into great prominence. Still they are not without significance for exegesis. As, just now, the “tents” or “homes” through which victory resounded were described as those of “the righteous,” so now the same moral quality is again brought into prominence. The gates into which the processionists desire to enter are frankly admitted to be gates of righteousness; and by giving them this designation, the applicants acknowledge that only in the character of “righteous” men can they expect to enter; as, on the other hand, they seem to protest that, conceding them this claim, admission cannot be denied them. This moral prerequisite is abundantly confirmed by the answer which comes from within. This particular gate is, for some reason, described as in an especial way belonging to Jehovah or as reserved for his use; and then it is added that such as are righteous may enter thereby, no doubt implying that none others may. All of which goes strongly to protest to Israel that her worship makes for righteousness; that Jehovah is a righteous God; that sin must be put away if the worshipper is to have any communion with Him. The interest of these verses, however, is mainly dramatic. Silence gives consent. No protest comes from within, to the effect that the applicants cannot be allowed to enter; and as (in Part V., Psalms 118:21) the I of the applying nation is resumed in the language of direct address to Jehovah, the inference is that the entrance has now been effected, and that it is within the sacred precincts of the Temple that this voice is raised. The language is that of thanksgiving: “I would thank thee—this is wherefore I have come into thy presence—that thou hast answered me; thou hast saved me—thou hast become mine by salvation.” And thus again the climacteric language of the Exodus is used, now for a second time; and as no further words are added as following in sequence as part of Israel’s praise, we are perhaps entitled to say that this Refrain from the song of the ancient Exodus is felt to be too expressive to need further addition. Such, at least, is our decipherment of these dramatic words. There can be nothing further for Israel than that Jehovah should have become hers by salvation: provided, always, that the salvation itself has at last answered to the ideal of Jehovah’s own kindness and faithfulness as expressed in his promises. So that, until this goal is reached, every returning Passover should become another rung in the ladder of national advance.

We cannot doubt that we are justified in thus regarding Psalms 118:21 of our psalm as leading us up to a resting and breathing place, if for no other reason than this: that the remainder of the psalm seems to be broken up into something like a rather fragmentary and conversational retrospect. Henceforth the building—whether the literal Second Temple, or Israel herself under the notion of a temple—is complete; and the assembled people give themselves up to the pleasure of admiring it. As they view the FINISHED EDIFICE, a voice breaks in,—we prefer to regard it as a prophetic voice, the voice of a Haggai or a Zechariah:

A stone the builders rejected

Hath become the head of the corner!

There it is, in situ, in its place in the building, before all eyes, challenging examination. Can any fail to note the present prominence of that Stone, or deny its past history of rejection? Can any word of excuse be offered to shield those mistaken builders who formerly set it aside? Silence leaves those builders to bear the blame of their mistake. But if the builders, whose province it was to know and act, set aside that most magnificent Corner Stone, Whose doing is it that it is now in its right place? The answer comes from the beholders, with firm conviction and undisguised admiration:

From Jehovah hath this come to pass:

It is wonderful in our eyes!

Is all this a parable? And, if so, what does it mean?

History records no such literal incident in connection with the building of the Second Temple. Surely then, the Temple must be Israel! Besides, if the insertion of this Rejected Stone in the Temple was effected by Jehovah’s own hands, apparently without human instrumentality,—then again must we not conclude, for this reason also, that the Temple is the nation of Israel? And if, by the Temple, the Nation itself is here ultimately meant, then Who was this CORNER-STONE, first rejected then accepted?

We have said that history records no such incident in connection with a literal Stone. It is easy, with Thrupp and Plumptre, to conjecture that such an incident may have happened; nor is it at all unwarranted to imagine such a thing, so long as the only object is to form clear conceptions of what ideas the language fairly conveys. But the point of importance just here is, to keep open the natural connection between the literal and the metaphorical in interpretation. It is right to cling to literal interpretations whenever they will fairly stand; but it is also right, and at times very important, to recognise that when the literal will not fairly stand, then the metaphorical conception should be frankly adopted. It is so here. The very form of the saying—so terse, so telling—almost reduces it to a proverb, convenient for conveying forcibly the familiar occurrence of the promotion to power of the person or party that had previously been set aside through prejudice or enmity. That it is proverbial here, and so also prophetic, we have already seen cause to conclude. The correctness of such conclusion is further confirmed by the fact that a celebrated prophet before the Exile (Isaiah 28:16) had already familiarised the minds of the people with this very metaphor in a most impressive manner, and for most serious educational ends: “Therefore, thus saith the Sovereign Lord, Jehovah,—Behold me founding in Zion a stone, a stone of testing, a costly corner of a well-laid foundation: he that trusteth shall not make haste.” This, be it remembered, is said long after Solomon’s temple had been built: therefore the foundation here is metaphorical—one for men themselves to be builded upon. “He that trusteth” is plainly he that comes to rest on this foundation: therefore, again, this promised new foundation, spoken of by Isaiah, is metaphorical. The proposal to lay this foundation in Zion is plainly the fundamental part of a great moral testing, to which it is proposed that the “scoffing rulers of Jerusalem” (Isaiah 28:14) shall be brought. With all this teaching, Israel had now for centuries been familiar: as also she had been made familiar—still under the figure of a sacred edifice, because an ASYLUM—with “a stone to strike against and a rock to stumble over” to the testing of “both houses of Israel” (Isaiah 8:14). To which may be added that Zechariah, one of the post-exilic prophets (cp. Ezra 5:1; Ezra 6:14), is manifestly quite familiar with this metaphorical style of teaching; since he knows not only of a Living foundation stone below, but of a Living Cope or Gable-stone above—one with seven eyes! (Zechariah 3:9). To come back to our psalm, there can be no doubt that the builders who rejected the very Stone that Jehovah afterwards made head of the corner, were thereby themselves tested and proved incompetent builders of Israel.

Yes! it is a parable, here in the psalm; and, to the Christian Expositor, its meaning is as clear as day:—Israel, as a nation, first rejects her own Messiah; and then, by a series of providences which mark out the entire revolution as Jehovah’s own doing, accepts him as the chief corner-stone of her national structure. But, such is the power of this same testing-stone, that, in the very process of reversal, Israel herself becomes a new, a regenerated, Nation.

Here again, as in expounding Psalms 110, we come upon an occasion of deep emotion, as we think of the mighty ministry of the already written word to the mind of Jesus of Nazareth in giving him solace as his Rejection drew near! (Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10-11, Luke 20:17).

This is the day Jehovah hath made! says another (or the same) prophetic voice (Psalms 118:24); meaning thereby, naturally, the day when these things are fulfilled by the national regeneration of Israel: to which the people—being at length the entire nation—will respond: Let us rejoice and exult therein! as well they may!

But that day has not come yet; and until it does come, Israel is taught, at every passover celebration, to pray with an importunity of pleading touchingly expressed in the quaint words—

Ah pray Jehovah! do save, pray!

Ah pray Jehovah! do send success, pray!

That the three English words, do save, pray, in the above quotation, are an exact rendering of the Hebrew compound-word hoshiah-na which constitutes our adopted word “hosanna,” may be news to more than a few English readers. At first, this may seem to be a mere curiosity of literature, and of no further importance. But further reflection will dispel this easy-going conclusion. As reappearing in the Gospels in connection with the story of what is called “the triumphal entry” of Jesus into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:9, Mark 11:9, Luke 19:38, John 12:13), it may turn out to be something more than a curiosity of literature to be informed that hosanna, instead of being a mere flourishing banner-word of PRAISE, really constitutes a PRAYER of the most importunate significance. For who does not see, that to cry out to this Nazarene Claimant to the Messiahship, “Do save, pray!” constituted a far graver offence in the Jewish rulers’ eyes than merely to flourish a comparatively unmeaning compliment of praise by way of welcoming him to the holy city? The jealous rulers of Jerusalem may very well think: This prophet of Galilee may be able to speak beautiful parables and even to heal a few sick folk,—but who is HE that he should be able to “save” Israel? No wonder that those rulers were vexed beyond measure. Not on this man, as a Corner Stone, do these “builders” desire Israel to build!

Even in this ancient literary museum of wonders, we now come upon a line or two of surpassing interest. We have presumed to place Psalms 118:26 in a headline setting, which, if correct, may cause it to burst forth with a blaze of light, by bringing it into touch with the most thrilling biography of the world. Or rather, perhaps, it should be said that, with or without explanation, it already stands in vital connection with the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

It will be remembered that, according to the scenic plan of this Temple Procession, the main body of processionists have already come up to the Temple Gates—requested admission-been answered from within by the laying down of the great condition of entry—have gone triumphantly through those jealous gates—and, within, have raised their final Song of Triumph. And yet now, after this,—after the Retrospective Dialogues of prophet and people as to the admired Corner Stone, and as to the New Dispensation Day that has dawned, and after the united importunate “Hosanna” Prayer that all the Congregation of Israel have offered,—after all this, a strange incident happens! It would seem as though an unexpected arrival catches the High Priest’s eye. Some distinguished Stranger has, thus late, presented Himself at the Temple Gate: to whom the observant priest cries out in holy ecstasy—

Blessed is he that entereth in the name of Jehovah!

And then the attendant Levites, observing further that the distinguished Stranger has with him a body of Attendants,—with a like inspiration, but changing the singular he to the plural you,—called for by the shifted application of the welcome,—exclaim:

We have blessed you out of the house of Jehovah!

Do we dream? Or are we suddenly precipitated into the Spiritland of the Unfulfilled? In any case, here are the words, in their precise significance. And here is the setting of scenic crisis in which the words fall upon our wondering ears. We have not invented these arresting conditions. The materials for thought have been lying, waiting, embedded, here for long centuries. Is it possible at last to wake up to their true significance?

We must be forgiven if we avow our overwhelming conviction, that we do here catch a glimpse of a thrilling incident yet, in the future, to be fulfilled; and to the certain fulfilment of which the four Gospels in our hands give us not only the clue but the positive assurance. The event which here casts its shadow before, is nothing less than this: The sudden arrival of the Lord (ha-’adhon) whom Israel all along in her better moments has been “seeking,” “even the Messenger of that (New) Covenant” which shall yet be solemnised with the house of Israel and the house of Judah (Matthew 3:1, Jeremiah 31:31).

How come we by the courage to say this? Where is our “gospel” evidence which furnishes the link which connects these things together? In reply, we simply point to the words of our Lord Jesus which he spoke to the Jewish rulers when he bade them officially his solemn farewell. “Henceforth,” said he (Matthew 23:39), “ye shall not see me until ye say:—

Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord!”

using the very words by which the Septuagint translates the line in this psalm which is now engaging our attention; and which Westcott and Hort and Nestle in their Greek Testaments print in special O.T. quotation-type, the Ginsburg-Salkinson Hebrew New Testament giving the identical Hebrew words that stand in the psalm—Baruk habba’ beshem Yahweh. So that, in point of fact, what Jesus here says amounts to this—“Ye reject me now: henceforth ye shall not see me until ye welcome me with especial and official Temple Greetings!” That glad day has yet to come; but when it does come this incident in our psalm, we may well believe, will be fulfilled with perfect precision and undoubtedly with an excitement which will thrill through all earth and heaven. We must not forget that, when Jesus used these words from the psalm (Matthew 23:39), they had already been employed (Matthew 21:9), some days before, by the multitude and the children, to give emphasis to their welcome of Jesus as the Messiah. While this fact goes to show plainly that our psalm had come by that time to be regarded as undoubtedly Messianic,—the two incidents, when set side by side, have a deeper lesson to convey. The welcome which the multitude gave to Jesus, the Jewish rulers took care not to extend to him. But could Jesus be satisfied without receiving such an official welcome? Could he pass the matter by as an incident of no importance? Could he be content with the welcome of the unlettered throng, and treat an official welcome as unnecessary? He could not. He knew that an official welcome was what the psalm had foretold; and he knew that what was denied him then should be accorded him thereafter. ‘Tis as if he had on occasion of his finally leaving the temple said:—“Ye have not said these words; but you or your successors will say them. Till then, we part: you go your way—I go mine.” That is the lesson which this second quotation of those words in the psalm by Jesus himself warrants us to learn. And therefore we confidently claim that our Master himself confirms our interpretation of this remarkable verse (Psalms 118:26) in our psalm, as betokening nothing less than a national welcome to the Messiah, a national acceptance of Jesus of Nazareth as the once rejected Corner-stone.

The next section of the psalm (Psalms 118:27 )need not detain us, notwithstanding that endless conjectures have been offered by expositors as to its precise meaning. We have ventured to suggest the general conception of the verse by heading it, “Priests and Levites when proceeding to Sacrifice”; as good as to say, these words appear suitable for them to utter when about to offer the Chief Sacrifice of the day. The first line is not so very difficult; especially if we accept the suggestion of Thrupp, in which, by reference to Malachi 1:10, he obtains for the close of the line this allusion—“and he hath set alight the fire on our altar which is approvingly to consume our sacrifice.” And then this turn of line one may help us to obtain a feasible sense for line two, which has been the most troublesome to interpreters—“Bind the festal sacrifice—which consists of many victims that have come crowding into the temple court about the altar ready to be slain—Bind these with cords, so as to have all ready. The Divine fire is even now alight in the wood; therefore, lose no time; proceed rapidly with the immolation. Pile up the sacrificial pieces up to the horns—and so to the complete circumference—of the altar.” Or, throwing in the middle line of the verse as parenthetical, “The fire of approval which Jehovah the Mighty One hath kindled upon our altar hath already reached even to the horns; therefore pile up the victims on the altar without delay.” To all appearance, it is a ceremonial allusion, to which some simple act on occasion of an ordinary passover might do sufficient justice, so as to prevent its seeming to be unmeaning. But, if we are right in throwing the chief fulfilment of it into the future; then, like the Corner-Stone, this Sacrificial part of the Great Ceremonial may prove to be wholly metaphorical, and its Lesson be evolved in a manner which no human eye has ever witnessed and which no imagination can conjecture. We need not be further anxious about this confessedly puzzling verse. Some day it may be that we shall simply smile at our dullness of perception.

The conclusion of the psalm is abundantly worthy of its main burden; and consists of a Special Doxology for the occasion, and then of the standing Temple Refrain. Respecting the former (Psalms 118:28), our only regret is, that, owing to our not being accustomed to discriminate, in English, between the two Hebrew Divine names ’El and ’Elohim, we are without the linguistic means, in strict verbal translation, to give effect to the probable climax which their parallelistic use here constitutes. Still, as there is a perceptible ascending force in the other members of the lines, by which thank thee is intensified into exalt thee; we may perhaps complete the discrimination between the two lines, if, for ’El, we say Mighty One, and for ’Elohim, Adorable One. The main thing to note is that now again, once more, the whole nation is speaking as one man in language of blissful appropriation:—

My Mighty One art thou and I will thank thee,

My Adorable One I will exalt thee.

When that Doxology is really and realisingly uttered in fulfilment of the prophecy of this Passover Psalm, Heaven and Earth will be nearer to each other than they have ever been before.

Give ye thanks to Jehovah for he is good,

For to the ages is his kindness.

ALEPH --The Lord’s Judgments Are Righteous

Psalms 119:1-16

Psalms 119 : Well known as the longest chapter in the Bible, this psalm is one of the acrostics. However, unlike the other acrostics, which contain only one verse for each of the 22 Hebrew letters, Psalms 119 includes eight verses for each letter, making a total of 176 verses! Thus, there are 22 stanzas, each containing eight verses beginning with the same Hebrew letter. As with most acrostics, there is no logical outline or flow of thought discernible, either within a stanza or from one stanza to another. The best way to study this type of psalm is by topics. There can hardly be any question as to the major topic of Psalms 119, however, since the Word of God is mentioned in all but three verses (Psalms 119:84; Psalms 119:121-122)! The multifaceted character of God’s Word is revealed by at least eight key synonyms for it in the psalm.

(1) “Law” (Torah) is the most frequent of the words. It comes from a verb meaning “to teach”, and thus came to be applied to a wide range of revelation, from an individual directive to the entire Pentateuch. It emphasizes that God has taught us in His Word what He requires of us.

(2) “Testimonies” (edot), emphasizes the content of the Word as that which God has testified of Himself and His will.

(3) “Precepts” (piqudim), refers to instructions from a superior regarding the duties of those under him, in this case, from God to man.

(4) “Statutes” (huqim), is related to a verb meaning “to engrave” and thus implies permanent and unchangeable regulations.

(5) “Commandments” (mitswot), is a word assuming the authority of the commander and the inherent necessity of obeying the content of the charge.

(6) “Judgments” (mispatim), or ordinances refers to decisions God has made as a judge in order to make earthly behavior conform to His heavenly standard.

(7) “Word” (dabar), is an all-embracing term for God’s revelation in any form.

(8) “Word” (imra), might also be translated “promise”, though the translation does not distinguish it from the preceding term to whose meaning it relates closely. It comes from the verb “to say” and assumes that the content of revelation is from the mouth of God.

Other terms that seem to speak of God’s Word include “ways” (Psalms 119:3; Psalms 119:37), “Name” (Psalms 119:55), and “faithfulness” (Psalms 119:90). With these key words to express the substance of God’s revelation, the psalmist explores the entire gamut of human response to the Word of God. Praise and thanksgiving for it, petitions that it may be kept, petitions that the psalmist may experience its comfort or conviction, confidence that its promises will be fulfilled, prayer for the ability to understand it, petitions that those who disregard it (the wicked), may be judged, and so on. Because of this exaltation of the Word of God, this psalmist has sometimes been accused of worshiping the Word itself. However, his adoration of the Word always leads to its Author who inspired it. All believers should be accused of this kind of love for the Bible!

Psalms 119:1-176 : This longest of psalms and chapters in the Bible stands as the “Mt. Everest” of the Psalter. It joins Psalms 1, 19 in exalting God’s Word. The author is unknown for certain although David, Daniel or Ezra have reasonably been suggested. The psalmist apparently wrote while under some sort or serious duress (compare verses 23, 42, 51, 61, 67, 71, 78, 86-87, 95, 110, 121, 134, 139, 143, 146, 153, 154, 157, 161, 169). This is an acrostic psalm (compare Psalms 9, 10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 145), composed of 22 sections, each containing 8 lines. All 8 lines of the first section start with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet; thus the psalm continues until all 22 letters have been used in order. The 8 different terms referring to Scripture occurring throughout the psalm are:

(1) Law,

(2) Testimonies,

(3) Precepts,

(4) Statutes,

(5) Commandments,

(6) Judgments,

(7) Word, and

(8) Ordinances.

From before sunrise to beyond sunset, the Word of God dominated the psalmist’s life, e.g.,

(1) Before dawn (Psalms 119:147),

(2) Daily (Psalms 119:97),

(3) 7 Times daily (Psalms 119:164),

(4) Nightly (Psalms 119:55; Psalms 148), and

(5) At midnight (Psalms 119:62).

Other than the acrostic form, Psalms 119 does not have an outline. Rather, there are many frequently recurring themes which will be delineated in the notes.

Psalms 119:1-176 : This magnificent psalm, the longest chapter in the Bible, celebrates “the law of the LORD”, God’s special revelation and gracious direction for life.

Psalms 119:1-8 This psalm may be considered as the statement of a believer’s experience. As far as our views, desires, and affections agree with what is here expressed, they come from the influences of the Holy Spirit, and no further. The pardoning mercy of God in Christ, is the only source of a sinner’s happiness. And those are most happy, who are preserved most free from the defilement of sin, who simply believe God’s testimonies, and depend on his promises. If the heart be divided between him and the world, it is evil. But the saints carefully avoid all sin; they are conscious of much evil that clogs them in the ways of God, but not of that wickedness which draws them out of those ways. The tempter would make men think they are at them out of those ways. The tempter would make men think they are at liberty to follow the word of God or not, as they please. But the desire and prayer of a good man agree with the will and command of God. If a man expects by obedience in one thing to purchase indulgence for disobedience in others, his hypocrisy will be detected; if he is not ashamed in this world, everlasting shame will be his portion. The psalmist coveted to learn the laws of God, to give God the glory. And believers see that if God forsakes them, the temper will be too hard for them.

Psalms 119:1-2 : “Blessed … blessed”: Similar to (Psalms 1:1-3). Elsewhere, the psalmist declares that Scripture is more valuable than money (Psalms 119:14; Psalms 119:72; Psalms 119:127; Psalms 119:162), and brings more pleasure than the sweetness of honey (Psalms 119:103; compare Proverbs 13:13; Proverbs 16:20; Proverbs 19:16).

Psalms 119:1 "Blessed [are] the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD."

ALEPH: The First Part.

God gracious revelation (“the law”) shows the surest and safest way through life’s twisted highways and byways.

“Walk”: A habitual pattern of living.

We see in this verse, the hope of a man to be as this one who walked in the law of the LORD. We have discussed before that there is a state beyond being saved and knowing the LORD as Savior. There is a place in our growth, if we are truly to be the blessed of God, that we can do no less than to make Jesus Christ our Lord. To know Him as Lord means that we walk in His will. The law of the Lord is not grievous to those who love Him. Undefiled, in the Scripture above, means without blemish.

Psalms 119:2 "Blessed [are] they that keep his testimonies, [and that] seek him with the whole heart."

“The whole heart”: Heart refers to intellect, volition, and emotion (compare Psalms 119:7; Psalms 119:10-11; Psalms 119:32; Psalms 119:34; Psalms 119:36; Psalms 119:58; Psalms 119:69-70; Psalms 119:80; Psalms 119:111-112; Psalms 119:145; Psalms 119:161). Complete commitment or “whole heart” appears 6 times (Psalms 119:2; Psalms 119:10; Psalms 119:34; Psalms 119:58; Psalms 119:69; Psalms 119:145).

Testimonies means witness in the verse above. Jesus taught a beautiful Gospel of love, when He walked upon the earth as Savior of mankind. We have talked so much about God not wanting the mind of man. He wants our heart. The testimony of Jesus was that He destroyed sin and death for all who will believe. He broke the curse that had been brought on mankind in the garden of Eden. Men and women who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ are no longer sons of men, but sons of God.

Psalms 119:3 "They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways."

Not that they are free from indwelling sin, nor from the acts of sin, nor that what they do are not sins. But they do not make a trade of sinning, it is not the course of their lives. Nor do they do iniquity with that ease and pleasure, without reluctance and remorse, as others do. Or rather as new creatures, as born again, they do not and cannot commit sin. For the new man is pure, spiritual, and holy; and nothing can come out of that, or be done by it, which is the contrary. This is a distinct from the old man, or corrupt nature, to which all the actions of sin are to be ascribed (see 1 John 3:9).

"They walk in his ways": In the ways of God and Christ, into which they are guided and directed, and where they are kept, and in which they find both pleasure and profit. Here end the descriptive characters of good and happy men.

This again, is speaking of walking in the salvation you have received from the Lord Jesus. Repent is a very misused word. It is good to be sorry for your past sins, but repent means that you will turn from that old way of life and walk a brand new life with Jesus. In the new life, He will not only be with you, but He will be in you.

Galatians 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

When we are baptized, we are buried with Christ and we rise to new life in Him. We must walk the path of this new life, and not go back into a sinful way of life again.

Psalms 119:4 "Thou hast commanded [us] to keep thy precepts diligently."

“Keep …diligently”: The psalmist passionately desired to obey God’s Word (compare verses 4, 8, 30-32, 44, 45, 51, 55, 57, 59-61, 63, 67, 68, 74, 83, 87, 101, 102, 106, 110, 112, 129, 141, 157, 167, 168).

“Precepts” are oral or written declarations of what God expects. The original meaning carries the idea of “fixed, appointed, designated”, suggesting that the people must submit to the established expectations of a sovereign God or suffer the consequences.

We are to carefully guard our salvation. It is the most prized possession we have. It leads to eternal life. We must not get careless about the things of God. Sin is separation from God.

Psalms 119:5-6 : “O”: It is hard at times to distinguish where the psalmist’s testimony ends and prayer begins (compare Psalms 119:29; Psalms 119:36; Psalms 119:58; Psalms 119:133).

Psalms 119:5 "O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!"

“Statutes” comes from a root word meaning “to hew, cut in, engrave, inscribe”. Therefore, the word statute came to mean what is “ordained, decreed, prescribed, or enacted”.

The way of the Lord is lit up with the Light of Jesus. It must not be an uncertain path. We must gird up our mind and do the will of God. To receive the blessings of God, we must be obedient children to the Father. We must keep our feet on the path that leads to Him.

Psalms 119:6 "Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments."

Of hope in God, of a profession of faith in him, and of a conversation agreeable to it before men. Nor of appearing before God in his house, worshipping him there. Nor at the throne of his grace. Nor at the day of judgment, and before Christ at his coming.

"When I have respect unto all thy commandments": Or "look" at them constantly, as the rule of walk and conversation. And to copy after, as a scholar looks at his copy to write after. And affectionately esteem all his precepts concerning all things to be right, and none of his commandments grievous. And practically, not in the theory only; but observing them in order to practice them, and diligently attending to them, and steadfastly continuing in them. Impartially regarding them, one as another; and especially as beholding them fulfilled perfectly in Christ, who is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes.

Guilt and shame are the products of sin. Only those who have not kept their way are ashamed, when they face the Lord as Judge. When we keep His commandments, we will be eager to stand before Him and hear Him say well done.

Psalms 119:7 "I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments."

“Praise thee”: The Scriptures provoke singing, thanksgiving, rejoicing, and praise (compare Psalms 119:13-14; Psalms 119:54; Psalms 119:62; Psalms 119:108; Psalms 119:151-152; Psalms 119:160; Psalms 119:164; Psalms 119:171-172; Psalms 119:175).

“Righteous”: God’s Word reflects the character of God, especially righteousness (compare Psalms 119:7; Psalms 119:62; Psalms 119:75; Psalms 119:106; Psalms 119:123; Psalms 119:138; Psalms 119:144; Psalms 119:160; Psalms 119:164; Psalms 119:172).

We cannot do the will of God, until we know what that will is. The way to learn His will, is to study His Word (Bible), for in it is the secret to life with Him. The only praise that can be pure is praise that originates in a heart stayed upon Him. Even our praise is sweeter when we have a clear conscience, and know that all is well with our soul.

Psalms 119:8 "I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly."

Thy commands; thy laws. This expresses the firm purpose of the psalmist. He meant to keep the law of God. He could confidently say that he would do it, yet coupled with the prayer which follows, that God would not forsake him.

"O forsake me not utterly": Hebrew, "To very much;" so as to leave me to myself. His confidence that he would keep the commandments of God was based on the prayer that God would not leave him. There is no other ground of persuasion that we shall be able to keep the commandments of God than that which rests on the belief and the hope that He will not leave us.

To live the life that the Lord would have us to live, we must determine in our heart as this psalmist did to keep his statutes. This is a promise from the psalmist who would not be able to face the life without the Lord.

BETH

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart”

Psalms 119:9-16 : To original corruption all have added actual sin. The ruin of the young is either living by no rule at all, or choosing false rules: let them walk by Scripture rules. To doubt of our own wisdom and strength, and to depend upon God, proves the purpose of holiness is sincere. God’s word is treasure worth laying up, and there is no laying it up safe but in our hearts, that we may oppose God’s precepts to the dominion of sin, his promises to its allurements, and his threatening to its violence. Let this be our plea with Him to teach us his statutes, that, being partakers of his holiness, we may also partake of his blessedness. And those whose hearts are fed with the bread of life, should with their lips feed many. In the way of God’s commandments there is the unsearchable riches of Christ. But we do not meditate on God’s precepts to good purpose, unless our good thoughts produce good works. I will not only think of thy statutes, but do them with delight. And it will be well to try the sincerity of our obedience by tracing the spring of it; the reality of our love by cheerfulness in appointed duties.

Psalms 119:9-11 : Internalizing the Word is a believer’s best weapon to defend against encroaching sin.

Psalms 119:9 “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed [thereto] according to thy word.”

BETH: The Second Part.

“Young man": Or, any man. But he names the young man, because such are commonly void of wisdom and experience, heady and willful. And impatient of admonition, full of violent passions and strong lusts, and exposed to many and great temptations.

"Cleanse his way": Reform his life, or purge himself from all filthiness of flesh and spirit.

"By taking heed thereto according to thy word": By a diligent and circumspect watch over himself, and the examination and regulation of all his actions by the rules of thy word.

If there is one theme that goes through all of this chapter of Psalms, it is the Word. We must not only read the Word of God, but we must hide its teachings in our heart so that we might not sin against God. The only way to be totally clean, is to be washed in the blood of the Lamb and be totally clean. His blood does not just cover sin, but does away with it.

Psalms 119:10 "With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments."

(See notes at Psalms 119:2). The psalmist (in Psalms 119:2), speaks of the "blessedness of those who seek the Lord with the whole heart." In this verse, he says that this blessedness was his. He could affirm that he had thus sought God. He had such a consciousness that this was the aim and purpose of his life that he could say so without hesitation. Every man who claims to be a religious man ought to be able to say this. Alas, how few can do it!

"O let me not wander from thy commandments": Keep me in this steady purpose; this fixed design. This is the language of a heart where there is a consciousness of its weakness, and its liability to err, strong as may be its purpose to do right. Such an apprehension is one of the best means of security, for such an apprehension will lead a man to "pray," and while a man prays he is safe.

This Psalm sounds so much like David to me. He may have succumbed to the sin of the flesh at one time, but he was a man whose heart was pure before God. The desire of his heart was to please God at all times. Let me wander not from thy commandments, is so near to lead me not into temptation. The psalmist here, is aware of the weakness in his flesh. He knows that only with the Lord directing his every decision, can he not wander into temptation.

Psalms 119:11 "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."

Not only heard and read it, but received it into his affections. Mixed it with faith, laid it up in his mind and memory for future use. Preserved it in his heart as a choice treasure, where it might dwell richly, and be of service to him on many occasions. And particularly be of the following use:

"That I might not sin against thee": The word of God is a most powerful antidote against sin, when it has a place in the heart. Not only the precepts of it forbid sin, but the promises of it influence and engage to purity of heart and life, and to the perfecting of holiness in the fear of the Lord. And all the doctrines of grace in it effectually teach the saints to deny all sin and worldly lusts, and to live a holy life and conversation (see 2 Corinthians 7:1).

I look around me today and sin is on every side. It seems that the world has gone mad. Even many professing Christians are involved in a sinful life style. The problem with all of these people, is that they do not even know right from wrong. They have not hidden the Word (Bible), away in their heart. They do not even know what sin is. The Bible is our road-map through life. Those who do not carefully read the map, get lost. Some are so sure they do not need help, that they do not see the need for the Bible. How wrong they are. The secret to life is in God’s Holy Word (Bible). The determination of our hearts is to hide the Word of God so deeply in our heart that there will be no room for anything else. We will be so full of His Word that there will be no place for sinful desires. Sin originates in the heart. If the heart is full of God, you will not desire to sin.

Psalms 119:12 "Blessed [art] thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes."

“Teach me”: The student/psalmist invites the Divine Author to be his instructor (compare 26, 33, 64, 66, 68, 108, 124, 135), with the result that the psalmist did not turn aside from the Word (verse 102).

This is the desire of all people, who have disciplined themselves to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. The disciples of old asked Jesus to teach them to pray. They also would get Jesus away from the world and ask Him to teach them what the parables He taught meant. Jesus sent all the believers a Teacher and guide. In the book of John, He promised to send the Comforter, who would guide and teach all of His Holy ways.

John 14:26 "But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

Notice, (bring to remembrance). You must hear it, before it can be brought to remembrance. The Word of God (Bible), speaks truth to us.

Psalms 119:13 "With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth."

Not the judgments of his hand, what he executes on an ungodly world. Nor the intricate dispensations of his providence; those judgments of his now unsearchable, though before long will be manifest. These the psalmist could not declare. But the revelation of the will of God, what his mouth has uttered, doctrines and precepts of righteousness and truth. These, though David had them in his heart, he did not conceal them from men. But out of the abundant experience he had of them in his heart, his lips spoke of them, of their nature and excellency, and usefulness unto others. And whereas he desired to be instructed more and more in them, it was in order to teach them, and declare them to others. Even all of them, in the sincerest and impartial manner (see Acts 20:27).

This is a declaring by the psalmist, that the words coming from his lips are the teachings from the Lord’s mouth. Judgements here, could also be spoken of as the true statements of the Lord. The judgements of the Lord are printed in red in most Bibles. It is a very good idea to concentrate on these Scriptures. They contain life.

Psalms 119:14 "I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as [much as] in all riches."

I do rejoice; I exult in this; I find my happiness there. The word expresses a high degree of joy.

"As much as in all riches": Hebrew, "as upon all wealth." As people rejoice who have great wealth. I find my happiness in religion, as if in the possession of real wealth (Proverbs 10:22). “All riches” (compare Psalms 119:72; Psalms 119:127).

If the psalmist here is David, and I believe it is then, he had many of the material things of this earth that we call wealth. He is saying, that the Word of God is more valuable to him than all these material things. If you could keep only one of your worldly possessions and had to give all the other things up, would the thing you chose be your Bible? If not, material things are a god to you.

Psalms 119:15 "I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways."

“Mediate … respect”: The psalmist reflected frequently on the Scriptures (compare 23, 27, 48, 78, 97, 99, 148).

This is a very strong statement of commitment. He is saying, when I am not reading your Word, I will be thinking on its teachings. This is a man stayed upon God. When making decisions, He will see if the answer he is about to give, lines up with the Word of God. If it does not, he will change his answer, until it does line up with the Word. To have your mind stayed upon God is a very healthy situation. Thy ways are above my ways, O Lord. Teach me thy ways. Make thy ways my ways.

Psalms 119:16 "I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word."

“I will delight” (compare Psalms 119:24; Psalms 119:35; Psalms 119:47; Psalms 119:70; Psalms 119:77; Psalms 119:92; Psalms 119:143; Psalms 119:174).

“I will not forget” (compare Psalms 119:93; Psalms 119:176).

Some men who had been in prison for many years, said the thing that kept them alive and with hope, was the Scriptures they could remember from their earlier teachings. Some of them even wrote every one they could remember in the sand of their prison floor. To know the Word of God and hide it away deep within yourself is one thing that no one can take away from you. It is pleasant to remember the teachings of the Lord. Nearly all true believers have many Scriptures they have memorized. In time of trouble, it gives you something to hang on to. If I had to summarize this lesson, I would say that the most urgent task in our life is to read the Word (Bible), and hide its teachings deep within our heart. Use it to help us through this life and quote it aloud to others who are searching for the truth. The two great powers in this world today, are the spoken and the written Word of God.

GIMEL - “Thy testimonies … are my delight”

Psalms 119:17-40

Psalms 119:17-24 : If God deals in strict justice with us, we all perish. We ought to spend our lives in his service; we shall find true life in keeping his word. Those that would see the wondrous things of God’s law and gospel, must beg him to give them understanding, by the light of his Spirit. Believers feel themselves strangers on earth; they fear missing their way, and losing comfort by erring from God’s commandments. Every sanctified (set apart), soul hungers after the word of God, as food which there is no living without. There is something of pride at the bottom of every willful sin. God can silence lying lips; reproach and contempt may humble and do us good, and then they shall be removed. Do we find the weight of the cross is above that we are able to bear? He that bore it for us will enable us to bear it; upheld by him we cannot sink. It is sad when those who should protect the innocent, are their betrayers. The psalmist went on in duty, and he found comfort in the word of God. The comforts of the word of God are most pleasant to a gracious soul, when other comforts are made bitter; and those that would have God’s testimonies to be their delight, must be advised by them. May the Lord direct us in exercising repentance of sin, and faith in Christ.

Psalms 119:17 "Deal bountifully with thy servant, [that] I may live, and keep thy word."

GIMEL: The Third Part.

"Deal bountifully with thy servant": Which character is mentioned, not by way of plea or argument for favor, but as expressive of modesty, sense of duty, and obligation to it. He pleads not his services by way of merit; but prays that God would deal bountifully with him, in a way of grace and mercy. Or "render good" unto him, as the Targum. Bestow it on him as a free gift. The Lord deals bountifully with men, when he gives himself unto them as their portion and inheritance. His Son, and all things along with him; his Spirit, and the graces of it; and every daily needful supply of grace.

"That I may live, and keep thy word": Life natural is the bounty of God. He grants life and favor, he grants life as a favor, and all the mercies and blessings of it. And through the gracious dealings of God with his people, they live spiritually and live comfortably. In his favor is life; the life of faith is encouraged and invigorated in them by it. And eternal life is the free gift and bounty of God through Christ, by whom they have both a right unto it and meekness for it. And the desire of good men to live in this world is not to indulge themselves in carnal lusts and pleasures. Not to live to themselves, nor to the lusts of the flesh, nor to the will of men. But to live soberly, righteously, and godly. To live by faith in Christ, and in hope of eternal life through him. And while they live to keep the word of God, and not forget it, as Aben Ezra interprets it, to lay it up for their own use, and preserve it for others, and observe its instructions, cautions, and directions.

This dealing bountifully with thy servant shows us that the psalmist here has already made a decision to serve the Lord. We also know that this is not speaking of material blessings, because it says so that I might keep thy Word. This is speaking of an empowering from the Lord to better live and keep the word of God. It is as if he is asking to be baptized with the Holy Ghost, so that his life of serving would be more effective. His concern is living the right life, keeping the Word of God.

Psalms 119:18 "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law."

“Open thou mine eyes”: Perhaps this is the supreme prayer that a student of Scripture could speak since it confesses the student’s inadequacy and the Divine Author’s sufficiency (compare Psalms 119:98-99; Psalms 119:105; Psalms 119:130).

Illumination is the ministry of the Holy Spirit by which He causes Christians to understand the truths of God revealed in Scripture. The word conviction, meaning “cause to see”, is primarily used of the Spirit’s work in revealing sin in the unsaved (John 16:8). The word “understanding” is used of the Spirit’s work in revealing other truth in Scripture.

The psalmist recognized the need for supernatural aid in understanding the Scriptures and prayed that his eyes would be opened (Psalms 119:18). This would also be a good prayer for Christians today as they approach the Scriptures. Since the Bible was written by holy men of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, it should also be read by holy men and women of God illumined by the Holy Spirit (Psalms 119:18, Deuteronomy 29:29).

Jesus taught that many have eyes to see, and yet they do not see. The psalmist here, and Jesus in His statement, are not speaking of seeing with the physical eyes. They are speaking of their understanding being opened, that they might know better the will of God. The law is actually an outward expression of the will of God. The Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth. The Holy Spirit is the Teacher and Guide. The disciples did not understand the parables that Jesus taught, until He opened their eyes of understanding. This is what this Scripture is speaking of. We sing a little chorus from the Bible at our church that says," Open my eyes Lord, I want to see Jesus".

Psalms 119:19 "I [am] a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me."

“A stranger”: As a citizen of God’s kingdom, the psalmist was a mere sojourner in the kingdom of men.

The psalmist here, and all true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, are aware that they do not belong in this sinful world with this worldly people. We are in the world, but not of the world. We are strangers passing through enemy territory. We are headed for our Promised Land, (heaven). If we are to make the journey successfully, we must keep the commandments of God. We cannot keep the commandments unless we know what they are. The psalmist here is saying, along with us, make me understand your commandments that I might keep them.

Psalms 119:20 "My soul breaketh for the longing [that it hath] unto thy judgments at all times."

The word translated “breaketh” means “wears down”. The psalmist is being worn away little by little rather than crushed by a single blow. It expresses the psalmist’s deep passion for the Word (compare Psalms 119:40; Psalms 119:131).

In the flesh, we cannot keep the judgements of God. To know that it was impossible to keep the judgements would break your heart. Even Paul, said that he wanted to do the will of God, but many times his flesh protested. The spirit of man desires to please God. The flesh of man wants to please his own flesh. The soul of man is the battle ground. Man must make his flesh obey the spirit, for his soul to be at peace.

Psalms 119:21 "Thou hast rebuked the proud [that are] cursed, which do err from thy commandments."

“The proud that are cursed”: The psalmist identified with God’s rebuke of those who disobey His Word (compare Psalms 119:53; Psalms 119:104; Psalms 119:113; Psalms 119:115; Psalms 119:118; Psalms 119:126).

The proud do not want anyone or anything, telling them what to do. They want to do it their own way. The proud are cursed, because they do not humble themselves and seek the Savior. The proud are not interested in doing the commandments of God, because they would not be in total control. The proud will not submit to the authority of God.

Psalms 119:22 "Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies."

Or, "roll it from me". It lay as a load, as a heavy burden upon him, which pressed him sore. And he therefore desired ease from it, being probably in a low frame of soul. Otherwise saints do and should rejoice when reproached for Christ’s sake. And esteem it, with Moses, more than all the treasures in Egypt, being what is common to them with their Lord.

"For I have kept thy testimonies": Which was the reason why he was reproached and despised; for having a regard to the word of God, and embracing and professing the doctrines of it. Thus the word of the Lord was made a reproach to Jeremiah, or he was reproached for delivering it. As many good men have been vilified, and have suffered for the testimony of Jesus (Jeremiah 20:8). And for walking according to the directions, of it.

The psalmist just has to be David, because this sounds just like him. He has kept the testimonies of the Lord in his heart. It is bad enough to feel the reproach of earthly friends, but David is saying he could not bear the contempt of God. He is asking here, for all contempt and reproach to be removed.

Psalms 119:23 "Princes also did sit [and] speak against me: [but] thy servant did meditate in thy statutes."

The princes in the court of Saul, who suggested to him that David sought his hurt. The princes of his own court. Absalom, his own son, a prince of the blood, and Ahithophel, a counsellor of state. Or the princes of the Gentiles, as Jarchi. So the princes of the Philistines spoke against him in a very disdainful manner, "make this fellow return to his place again" (1 Samuel 29:4). Such as these might speak against him, as they sat and rode in their chariots; when at their tables, conversing together; or at their council boards, forming schemes against him. The phrase denotes their constant practice, as Kimchi observes (see Psalms 50:20). Herein David was a type of Christ, whom the princes of this world conspired against, and whose life they took away (Psalms 2:2).

"But thy servant did meditate in thy statutes": What the princes did or said against him did not divert his mind, or take off his thoughts from the word of God, and the ordinances of it. He thought of them, he spoke and discoursed of them. He declared them, as the word sometimes signifies and so the Targum takes it here. He was not afraid nor ashamed to profess his regard unto them. As Daniel, when he knew that the presidents and princes had obtained a royal decree, and the writing was signed. Yet went into his chamber, as at other times, and kneeled down and prayed to God (Daniel 6:10).

The princes mentioned here, are probably David’s own sons. His sons did speak out against David, and worse than that, they tried to overthrow his rule. In all of David’s troubles, he never stopped thinking on the things of God. He considered the law of God in all of His actions.

Psalms 119:24 "Thy testimonies also [are] my delight [and] my counsellors."

“My counsellors”: The chief means of biblical counseling is the application of God’s Word by God’s Spirit to the heart of a believer (compare verses 98-100).

Worldly counsellors give bad advice. David is saying here, that his advice was found in the Lord’s teachings. There are no problems that arise that the answer cannot be found in the Bible.

DALETH

Make me to understand thy way

Psalms 119:25-32 : While the souls of the children of this world cleave to the earth as their portion, the children of light are greatly burdened, because of the remains of carnal affections in their hearts. It is unspeakable comfort to a gracious soul, to think with what tenderness all its complaints are received by a gracious God. We can talk of the wonders of redeeming love, when we understand the way of God’s precepts, and walk in that way. The penitent melts in sorrow for sin: even the patient spirit may melt in the sense of affliction, it is then its interest to pour out its soul before God. The way of lying means all false ways by which men deceive themselves and others, or are deceived by Satan and his instruments. Those who know and love the law of the Lord, desire to know it more, and love it better. The way of serious godliness is the way of truth; the only true way to happiness: we must always have actual regard to it. Those who stick to the word of God, may in faith expect and pray for acceptance with God. Lord, never leave me to do that by which I shall shame myself, and do not thou reject my services. Those that are going to heaven, should still press forward. God, by his Spirit, enlarges the hearts of his people when he gives them wisdom. The believer prays to be set free from sin.

Psalms 119:25 "My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word."

DALETH: The Fourth Part.

“Quicken thou me”: Revival is greatly desired by the psalmist, who realizes that God and God’s Word alone are sufficient (compare Psalms 119:37; Psalms 119:40; Psalms 119:50; Psalms 119:88; Psalms 119:93; Psalms 119:107; Psalms 119:149; Psalms 119:154; Psalms 119:156; Psalms 119:159).

Jesus Christ is the quickening Spirit.

1 Corinthians 15:45 "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam [was made] a quickening spirit."

Our body is but dust, and it shall surely return to dust. The psalmist here, is sorrowful at his earthly connection. He will put his trust and hope in the Word of God.

Psalms 119:26 "I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes."

That is, to the Lord. Either the ways he had chosen and desired to walk in, and not wander from, and therefore entreated help and assistance, guidance and direction, in them. Or his sinful ways and actions, which he acknowledged and confessed, lamented and bewailed, and entreated the forgiveness of. Or all his counsels and cares, his affairs and business, in which he was concerned, and which he declared and committed to the Lord, to be directed and assisted in. Or all his wants and necessities, which he spread before him at the throne of grace. Which he did not as though the Lord was ignorant of these things, but partly as knowing it was the will of God that he should be inquired of by his people, to do the things for them they want. And partly to ease his own mind, and encourage his faith and hope in the Lord.

"And thou heardest me": And directed him in the way he should go, and what he should do. Forgave him his sins, and supplied his wants.

"Teach me thy statutes": Which he desired to learn and obey, in gratitude for being heard and answered by him (see Psalms 119:12).

This is possibly saying, I have repented and you heard me and forgave me. Teach me your ways so that I will not sin against God.

1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

I believe the psalmist here, has sought and found forgiveness. Now he wants to be sure not to fall back into sin again. That is why he is asking to be taught God’s statutes.

Psalms 119:27 "Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works."

“Make me to understand”: Philip asked the Ethiopian eunuch who was reading (Isaiah chapter 53), “Do you understand what you are reading?” (Acts 8:30). The psalmist understood God to be the best source of instruction (Psalms 119:34; Psalms 119:73; Psalms 119:100; Psalms 119:125; Psalms 119:144; Psalms 119:169).

Precepts above, means mandate or the law collectively. When we truly understand the teachings of the Lord, then we can minister to others that they might know also, the teachings of the Lord. The psalmist here, is very well aware that the understanding of the ways of God are a gift from God. We can accumulate learning of the Word, but until the Lord opens our understanding of His Word, we cannot have the wisdom it takes to be able to apply it to our life. Wisdom is not accumulated learning; it is a gift from God.

Psalms 119:28 "My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word."

“My soul melteth for heaviness”: Refers to grief or sorrow over sin.

Strengthen my inner man is the request of the psalmist here. The sorrow in his heart is just about to melt him away. When we come to the end of ourselves, then God takes over and makes us into what He would have us to be

2 Corinthians 12:9 "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

When we get to the place where we are at the end of what we can do, then God takes over. Praise God! It is not in my power that I write these Bible studies. It is Christ in me.

Psalms 119:29-30 : The way of lying … the way of truth”: The psalmist desired to emulate the true character of God in contrast to the lying ways of Satan (compare verse 163).

Psalms 119:29 "Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously."

Not the sin of lying to men, and a course of it, which David was not addicted to. But a "false way", or "way of falsehood"; as it may be rendered, and so the Targum. And is the same with what he expresses his abhorrence of (Psalms 119:128). And is opposed to the way of truth in (Psalms 119:30). And designs all false doctrine and false worship, all errors and heresies, and superstition and idolatry. Which he desired to be at the utmost distance from, and those from him, as having a dislike and abhorrence of them. And as knowing how prejudicial they would be to him, and how contrary to the glory of God.

"And grant me thy law graciously": Not the fiery law, which works wrath, curses and condemns. The voice of words, which they that heard entreated they might hear no more. And which to have is no act of grace and favor, unless as fulfilled in Christ. And as it is a rule of walk and conversation in his hands. But rather "doctrine", as the word signifies. The doctrine of the Gospel, the law or doctrine of faith; which to have and understand is a gift of grace. It is the Gospel of the grace of God, the grace of God itself; and instructs in it, and shows that salvation is purely by it.

The psalmist is saying, that not only does he want to not lie himself, but he does not want anyone else to lie to him either. Those who love to and make a lie are listed as those headed for destruction.

The grace of God takes the place of the law of God in our lives. Jesus fulfilled the law, that we might live under His grace.

Psalms 119:30 "I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid [before me]."

Among all the paths of life I have selected this. I prefer this. I desire to walk in this. Religion is, wherever it exists, a matter of preference or choice. And the friend of God prefers his service to the service of the world.

"Thy judgments": Thy statutes; thy laws.

"Have I laid before me": I have set them before my mind as the guide of my conduct; I have made their observance the end and aim of my life.

Jesus is the Way and the Truth. There are only two ways to go in this life. One way is to follow after Truth. The other way is the way of Satan, who is the father of all lies. David has chosen the way of Truth. He has put the judgements of God before him and considered them, and has chosen to walk in Truth.

Psalms 119:31 "I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame."

The word of God, the Scriptures of truth, and the doctrines contained in them. These he closely adhered to, was glued unto them as it were; having firmly believed them, he steadfastly professed them. Nor could he be moved from them by any temptations whatever, notwithstanding the reproach cast upon them and him for their sake, or the opposition made unto them.

"O Lord, put me not to shame": Or let me not be ashamed of the choice I have made, of the testimonies I adhere unto, of my hope and confidence in the Lord and his word. Or suffer me not to do anything, any sinful action, that may expose me to shame and contempt.

The psalmist is saying here, that he has based everything he believes upon the testimonies of the Lord. He has based his life on the Word of God. We should say with David, here, that we have based our life upon the Word of God. We trust in the Living Word. Then he adds, as if there was a possibility that God’s covenant with man is questionable, whether it will be kept. I know that David had no such feelings. This little addition here is showing the folly of such thinking. He is saying, keep covenant with me O Lord.

Psalms 119:32 "I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart."

“Run the way”: Reflects the energetic response of the psalmist to God’s Word.

The “heart” is contracted or made narrow by selfishness, pride, vanity, ambition, and covetousness; it is enlarged (“made free, stimulated, animated”), by noble and holy purposes such as charity, love, hope, and benevolence. Sin narrows the heart; relationship with God enlarges it.

To run and not walk, shows an eagerness to do the commandments of God. The heart is what a man is. With a heart that is enlarged to the things of God, there would be wonderful activity in doing the commandments.

HE

“Give me understanding”

Psalms 119:33-40 : Teach me thy statutes, not the mere words, but the way of applying them to myself. God, by his Spirit, gives a right understanding. But the Spirit of revelation in the word will not suffice, unless we have the Spirit of wisdom in our heart. God puts his Spirit within us, causing us to walk in his statutes. The sin here prayed against is covetousness. Those that would have the love of God rooted in them, must get the love of the world rooted out; for the friendship of the world is enmity with God. Quicken me in thy way; to redeem time, and to do every duty with liveliness of spirit. Beholding vanity deadens us, and slackens our pace; a traveler must not stand gazing upon every object that presents itself to his view. The promises of God’s word greatly relate to the preservation of the true believer. When Satan has drawn a child of God into worldly compliances, he will reproach him with the falls into which he led him. Victory must come from the cross of Christ. When we enjoy the sweetness of God’s precepts, it will make us long for more acquaintance with them. And where God has wrought to will, he will work to do.

Psalms 119:33 "Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it [unto] the end."

HE: The Fifth Part.

This begins a new division of the psalm, indicated by the letter He (ä h, or "h"). The word rendered "teach" means properly to throw, to cast, to hurl. And then, to teach, as if truth were thrown and scattered abroad. The sentiment is the same as in (Psalms 119:12).

"And I shall keep it unto the end": Always. To the end of life. His keeping it depended on grace given to him continually to dispose and enable him to do it.

Man cannot teach you God’s ways. Only God can truly teach you His ways. He is saying, open my understanding to your ways Lord, and I will stay in that way, until the day I leave this world. We can say from this, if we are truly seeking the ways of God, we will find them. When we truly find the understanding spoken of here, it will be with us all the days of our life. To know and love God is a growing experience. The more we study His Word, the more He reveals to us. The more He reveals to us, the more we want to know. Those who seek the Truth, find it.

Psalms 119:34 "Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with [my] whole heart."

Give me right views of it, of its nature and obligation. It is not a prayer that God would give him the faculty of understanding or intelligence; but that he would enable him to take just views of the law. The word is the same as in (Psalms 119:27). Rendered there, "Make me to understand."

"Yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart" (see Psalms 119:2). I will keep it with undivided affections; I will make it the sole guide of my life.

This understanding is not so much a learning on the part of the psalmist, but is a gift from God. Notice, the word (give). He also is saying, that he will not reserve a portion of his heart for worldly things, he will give all his heart to God. Let us look at just how important it is to give God all of our heart.

Mark 12:33 "And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love [his] neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

Psalms 119:35 "Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight."

That is, incline me to it; so direct me that I shall thus walk. It is an acknowledgment of his dependence on God, that he might be able to carry out the cherished purposes of his soul.

"For therein do I delight:” (see Psalms 119:16). I am conscious of having pleasure in thy commandments; of having a strong desire to keep them, and I pray for grace that I may be able to do so. Real delight in the law of God is one of the best means of securing its observance; one of the best evidences that it will be kept.

When I see this it reminds me of (Lead me in the paths of righteousness for thy name’s sake). Lead me, guide me, do not let me wander away. Keep your Light ever before me and draw me unto You. Lord the desire of my heart is to follow You.

1 John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."

There is a path that we must walk that is straight and narrow, but it is well lighted by the Light of Jesus. Keep us in thy Light.

Psalms 119:36 "Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness."

To read the word of God, to hear it opened and explained, to observe and keep the things contained in it. To which there is a disinclination in men naturally. But the Lord, who fashions the hearts of men, and has them in his hands, can bend and incline them by his efficacious grace to regard these his testimonies. Which, as Aben Ezra observes, are more precious than all substance, and so are opposed to what follows.

"And not to covetousness": Not to mammon or money, as the Targum. The love of it, which is the root of all evil, and very pernicious and harmful. In hearing the word, it chokes it, and makes it unfruitful (1 Timothy 6:9). Not that God inclines the heart to evil, as he does to good; but he may suffer the heart to be inclined, and may leave a man to the natural inclinations of his heart. And to the temptations of Satan, and the snares of the world, which may have great influence upon him; and this is what is here deprecated (see Psalms 141:4).

One of the commandments of God is, thy shalt not covet. We must not claim, or desire things that belong to others. You may call it what you want to, but that is coveting. If we have the testimonies of the Lord ever before us, we will not covet. Anything displeasing to God is sin. The psalmist is saying here, cause my heart to be open to your teachings Lord.

Psalms 119:37 "Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; [and] quicken thou me in thy way."

“Beholding vanity”: The psalmist desires to examine the things of greatest value, i.e., God’s Word (compare verses 14, 72, 127).

The very things that got Eve in trouble in the garden of Eden included lusting with her eyes. She looked on the fruit with desire in her heart. Jesus told the disciples, that to look on a woman with lust in their heart caused them to be guilty of adultery. The psalmist knows the danger of looking with lustful eyes at things of the earth. He is saying, do not even let me turn my eyes in the direction of sin. Let me remember thy way and not be tempted by things of this world.

Psalms 119:38 "Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who [is devoted] to thy fear."

Either God’s word of promise, which never fails, is firm and stable in Christ. And the sense is, that God would assure him of the fulfilment of it, and give him a strong faith and firm belief of it. For otherwise the word of the Lord cannot be surer or more stable than it is. Or else the word of his grace, and then the sense is, that he might be established in it, and the truths of it, and be established by it. For the word is a means of establishment, and a good thing it is to have the heart established with grace, with the doctrine of grace (Hebrews 13:9).

"Who is devoted to thy fear": Who served the Lord with reverence and godly fear. Who feared the Lord and his goodness. That grace being a reigning one in his heart, and ever before his eyes. Or, "which is unto thy fear"; that is, which word is unto thy fear; which leads unto it, and has a tendency to promote and increase it. And so is a commendation of the word of God from this effect of it.

When something is stablished, it means it cannot be moved. He is saying, put your Word so steadfastly in my heart that nothing will be able to move it. Then he says, I greatly fear the Lord. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The fear here, is also a great reverence of the Lord. So much reverence and fear causes him to desire that the Word will not be shaken in his heart.

Psalms 119:39 "Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments [are] good."

“Good”: The very attributes of God (compare Psalms 119:68), become the characteristics of Scripture;

(1) Trustworthy (Psalms 119:42);

(2) True (Psalms 119:43; Psalms 119:142; Psalms 119:151; Psalms 119:160);

(3) Faithful (Psalms 119:86);

(4) Unchangeable (Psalms 119:89);

(5) Eternal (Psalms 119:90; Psalms 119:152);

(6) Light (Psalms 119:105);

(7) Pure (Psalms 119:140).

David is not alone in fearing the reproach of God. I believe about the worst thing that could happen to someone who loves the Lord, would be rejection by Him. We read in Matthew of those who believed they were saved, and when they stood before the Lord in judgement, He rejected them. They had not lived the salvation they had received. Here is the rejection in the words of Jesus.

Matthew 7:23 "And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

We are not to second guess the judgement of God. His judgements are good. We look at the outward appearance of man, but God looks on the heart. He judged their hearts and found them guilty of sin.

Psalms 119:40 "Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness."

After a greater degree of knowledge of them, and an opportunity of hearing them explained and enforced, and of yielding obedience to them (see Psalms 119:7).

"Quicken me in thy righteousness": In the way of righteousness, according to the word of righteousness, the Gospel. And with the righteousness of Christ revealed in it; and which is unto life, and quickens and comforts the heart, and from whence abundance of peace and joy flows.

The desire of all those who are wise, is to receive the righteousness of Christ. We should be aware that our own righteousness is but filthy rags. The only hope for us, is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and receive His righteousness. His righteousness buys our eternal life for us.

VAU - “I trust in thy word”

Psalms 119:41-56

Psalms 119:41-48 : Lord, I have by faith thy mercies in view; let me by prayer prevail to obtain them. And when the salvation of the saints is completed, it will plainly appear that it was not in vain to trust in God’s word. We need to pray that we may never be afraid or ashamed to own God’s truths and ways before men. And the psalmist resolves to keep God’s law, in a constant course of obedience, without backsliding. The service of sin is slavery; the service of God is liberty. There is no full happiness, or perfect liberty, but in keeping God’s law. We must never be ashamed or afraid to own our religion. The more delight we take in the service of God, the nearer we come to perfection. Not only consent to his law as good, but take pleasure in it as good for us. Let me put forth all the strength I have, to do it. Something of this mind of Christ is in every true disciple.

Psalms 119:41 "Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, [even] thy salvation, according to thy word."

VAU: The Sixth Part.

“Thy salvation”: This reflects a repeated desire (compare Psalms 119:64; Psalms 119:76; Psalms 119:81; Psalms 119:88; Psalms 119:94; Psalms 119:109; Psalms 119:123; Psalms 119:134; Psalms 119:146; Psalms 119:149; Psalms 119:153-154; Psalms 119:159; Psalms 119:166).

We see in this, the psalmist crying out for mercy. Not any one in their right mind wants justice. We would all fall short, if God meted out justice to us. It is through His great mercy and grace, that we are saved. Salvation if a free gift. It is unmerited favor with the Lord. From Genesis to Revelation, we see the salvation of man through the Savior. His Word tells of the Savior.

Psalms 119:42 "So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word."

Saying there is no help and salvation for him in God; asking where is his God, in whom he trusted? And where is the promise of salvation, on which he depended? To which an easy and ready answer might be given, when the mercies and salvation of God came unto him, and he clearly appeared to be interested in them (see Psalms 3:2).

"For I trust in thy word": In Christ the essential Word, the object of trust and confidence. Or in the written word, it being divinely inspired and dictated by the Spirit of God, and so to be depended on as true and faithful. Or rather God’s word of promise concerning mercy, grace, and salvation, which God that has made is faithful and able to perform, as may be believed.

Trust placed in the Word of God, is trust that will produce favor. This type of trust brings life. The world thinks that trust in God is foolish. The world will not be saved. There are several Scriptures I would like to share on that subject here.

1 Corinthians 1:18 "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."

1 Corinthians 1:21 "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe."

1 Corinthians 1:23 "But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness;"

1 Corinthians 1:25 "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

There is no need to argue with the world. They do not understand.

1 Corinthians 2:14 "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned."

Psalms 119:43 "And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in thy judgments."

“Hoped”: The psalmist waits patiently for the working of God’s Word (compare verses 49, 74, 81, 114, 147).

There is a miracle utterance that this is probably speaking of here.

Luke 12:11-12 "And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and [unto] magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:" "For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say."

Matthew 10:27 "What I tell you in darkness, [that] speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, [that] preach ye upon the housetops."

All of this speaks of a miracle utterance which the Lord, through the Holy Spirit, has you to say. Ministers call it the anointing of God. He is really saying, if you were to take away the miracle utterance from me, I would not be able to effectively speak of your judgements.

Psalms 119:44 "So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever."

Which denotes not the perfection of keeping the law, but the constancy of it. The psalmist was persuaded, that so long as he had the word of truth in his mouth, and the judgments of God in his view, he should be diligent and constant in the discharge of his duty, which these directed and encouraged him unto.

"For ever and ever": In this life and that to come. When the law of God will be kept, and his will done perfectly by the saints, as it now is by the angels in heaven. Or this may be connected with the law of God; which law is for ever and ever, being of eternal duration and obligation. The whole may be understood of the law of faith, or doctrine of the Gospel, and be rendered, "so shall I observe thy doctrine continually". Contained in the word of truth; which doctrine is for ever and ever; it is the everlasting Gospel.

This a declaration of a determination on the part of the psalmist to keep the law of God as long as he lives.

Psalms 119:45 "And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts."

The Hebrew word translated “liberty” means “wide, board, large, spacious”. It refers to life that is free and open, where there are no limits, checks, or restraints. The psalmist has been delivered from those restraining evil passions and corrupt desires that fettered his existence.

Those whom the Lord sets free, are free indeed. Those who desire to live a holy life before the Lord, find that there is liberty in this decision. They are no longer under the bondage of sin. To seek to know the ways of the Lord is certainly the factor that sets us free.

Psalms 119:46 "I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed."

As very likely he did before Saul and his courtiers. Before the king of Achish and the princes of the Philistines, when as yet he was not a king himself. And when he was come to the throne, such kings as came to visit him. Instead of talking with them about affairs of state, he spoke of the Scriptures, and of the excellent things they bear witness of. And such a practice he determined to pursue and continue in.

"And will not be ashamed": Of the testimonies of God, and of the truths contained in them. And of speaking of them and for them; or of being reproached and vilified on that account. So the Apostle Paul was a chosen vessel to bear the name of Christ before kings. Nor was he ashamed to speak of him and of his Gospel before Nero the Roman emperor, or Agrippa king of the Jews. And before Felix and Festus, Roman governors. Nor ashamed of the reproaches and afflictions he endured on that account.

The truly anointed of God to minister, do not care if the listener be royalty or a commoner, the message is the same. They all need the Savior. Jesus gave us a very good reason why we should never be ashamed of Him or the gospel.

Mark 8:38 "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

Psalms 119:47-48 : “Which I have loved”: The psalmist expresses his great affection for the Word (compare Psalms 119:97; Psalms 119:113; Psalms 119:127; Psalms 119:140; Psalms 119:159; Psalms 119:163; Psalms 119:165; Psalms 119:167).

Psalms 119:47 "And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved."

In perusing and practicing them.

"Which I have loved": A good man loves the law of God, and the commandments of Christ, and delights in them after the inward man.

1 John 5:3 "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous."

To those who choose to keep the commandments, they are a delight. The commandments of God were given to help man in his walk with God on this earth. They are not just a set of rules that are hard to keep. They are to benefit man.

Psalms 119:48 "My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes."

As an expression of delight or rejoicing, as people lift up their hands with their voice when they give expression to joy. It denotes a high statue of joy; such as leads to an outward expression. Not merely that which exists in calm contemplation, but where the heart is full, and when it finds outward expression.

"And I will meditate in thy statutes" (see notes at Psalms 1:2). I will indicate my joy, and my happiness, in thy commandments in every way possible. By outward expressions, and by deep and calm contemplation when I am alone. In my daily employments, in solitude, in the night-watches. This is indicative always of true religion.

The lifting of the hands upward is a sign of praise to God. He is saying, I will praise God for His commandments. He loves them. He meditates (thinks deeply), about the teachings. In them, he finds life.

ZAIN

“Thy statutes have been my songs”

Psalms 119:49-56 : Those that make God’s promises their portion, may with humble boldness make them their plea. He that by his Spirit works faith in us, will work for us. The word of God speaks comfort in affliction. If, through grace, it makes us holy, there is enough in it to make us easy, in all conditions. Let us be certain we have the Divine law for what we believe, and then let not scoffers prevail upon us to decline from it. God’s judgments of old comfort and encourage us, for he is still the same. Sin is horrible in the eyes of all that are sanctified. Before long the believer will be absent from the body, and present with the Lord. In the meantime, the statutes of the Lord supply subjects for grateful praise. In the season of affliction, and in the silent hours of the night, he remembers the name of the Lord, and is stirred up to keep the law. All who have made religion the first thing, will own that they have been unspeakable gainers by it.

Psalms 119:49 "Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope."

ZAIN: The Seventh Part.

The word of promise made unto him, concerning establishing his house and kingdom forever. Which he desires God would show himself mindful of in fulfilling it, and renew and confirm his faith in it. And give him some fresh assurance of the performance of it (2 Samuel 7:16). Not that God ever forgets his promise, or is unmindful of his word. But so it seems when he delays the accomplishment of it, and when unbelief prevails and doubts arise, and faith is not in lively exercise; and he has not so clear a view of the promise, and comfortable assurance of its being performed.

"Upon which thou hast caused me to hope": Which, when first made, he received in faith, and hoped and waited for the accomplishment of. A word of promise is a good ground of hope, let it be on what account it will. Whether it relates to interest in God, as a covenant God and Father; or to pardon of sin; or to salvation by Christ. Or to fresh supplies of grace and strength from him; or to eternal life through him. And the hope which is exercised on the promise is not of a man’s self; it is the gift of God, a good hope through grace. Which the Lord, by his Spirit and power, produces, and causes to abound in, or to exercise in a comfortable manner.

The Word of God brings hope. It is the one thing in life that we can depend on. God does not lie. The hope that the Word brings the believer is true. We can see in the covenant that God made with Abraham, that God fulfills His promises. Usually God lets an impossibility in the flesh arise, and then He brings the miracle, as He did in Isaac. Abraham and Sarah were beyond the childbearing years, when God sent them a miracle son, Isaac. The hope of the Christian is of the resurrection.

Psalms 119:50 "This [is] my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me."

David had his afflictions, and so has every good man; none are without; it is the will and pleasure of God that so it should be. And many are their afflictions, inward and outward. The word of God is often their comfort under them, the written word, heard or read; and especially a word of promise, powerfully applied. “Comfort”: What the psalmist found in God’s Word (compare Psalms 119:52; Psalms 119:76; Psalms 119:82). This is putting underneath everlasting arms, and making their bed in sickness. This either respects what goes before, concerning the word of promise hoped in, or what follows.

"For thy word hath quickened me": Has made me alive; or, caused me to live. That is, the word, the truth of God, had been the instrument of calling him from the death of sin, and of imparting to him new life. Or had been the means of his regeneration (compare James 1:18; 1 Corinthians 4:15; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:23). As it was by this "word" that he had been made alive, so his only comfort was in that word, and it was to him a just ground of consolation that God had brought him from the death of sin, and had imparted to him spiritual life.

What a shame when someone dies in a family, who does not believe in God. They have nothing to comfort them. Even in the afflictions of Job, he was comforted knowing that the Lord would redeem him. The Word of God brings comfort. Jesus is the quickening Spirit.

Psalms 119:51 "The proud have had me greatly in derision: [yet] have I not declined from thy law."

Profane sinners, proud and haughty scorners, that make a jest of religion, and scoff at everything serious and good. These derided the psalmist for his piety and religion, his principles and practices; in which he was a type of Christ. Who was both the song of the drunkards, and was derided by the proud and haughty Scribes and Pharisees. As all self-righteous persons are, they who trust in themselves, and despise others (Psalms 69:11).

"Yet have I not declined from thy law": From walking according to it, as a rule of life and conversation. From professing and maintaining the doctrine of the word, the truths of the Gospel, he had knowledge and experience of. And from going on in the ways of God and true religion he was directed in. And this testimony the Lord himself gave of him (1 Kings 14:8; see Psalms 44:19).

We remember in a previous verse, that the proud are cursed. Those who are cursed never have much respect for those who have chosen to serve God. Even though the world around us may criticize us for serving God, it does not affect the true believer. They go right on serving God.

Psalms 119:52 "I remembered thy judgments of old, O LORD; and have comforted myself."

Either the judgments of God executed on wicked men; as the bringing a flood on the world of the ungodly. The burning of Sodom and Gomorrah. The destruction of Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea. The cutting off of the Canaanites, and dispossessing them of their land. Or the providential dispensations of God towards his own people; who sometimes chastises and corrects them, and brings them very low, and then raises them up again, as in the case of Job. These things the psalmist called to remembrance, and revolved them in his mind, which gave him pleasure and comfort.

"And have comforted myself": With such thoughts as these, of that God, who had cast down the mighty from their seats, and had scattered the proud in the imaginations of their hearts, and destroyed them. Could easily rebuke the proud that had him in derision. And he that had shown himself so good and gracious to his people, when brought low, could raise him out of his afflictions and distresses.

Again, we see that the Word of God continues to comfort him. How quickly some forget the blessings of the past. It is good to look back and see the blessings of the past. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He still will bless us, if we will only believe.

Psalms 119:53 "Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law."

Trembling, sorrow, and distress, to a great degree. Like a storm, or a blustering, scorching, burning wind, as the word signifies, which is very terrible.

"Because of the wicked that forsake thy law": Not only transgress the law of the Lord, as every man does, more or less. But willfully and obstinately despise it, and cast it behind their backs, and live in a continued course of disobedience to it. Or who apostatize from the doctrine of the word of God; willfully deny the truth, after they have had a speculative knowledge of it, whose punishment is very grievous (Hebrews 10:26). And now partly on account of the daring impiety of wicked men, who stretch out their hands against God, and strengthen themselves against the Almighty, and run upon him. Even on the thick bosses of his bucklers; because of the shocking nature of their sins. The sad examples thereby set to others, the detriment they are of to themselves, and dishonor they bring to God. And partly because of the dreadful punishment that shall be inflicted on them here, and especially hereafter, when a horrible tempest of wrath will come upon them. Hence such trembling seized the psalmist; and often so it is, that good men tremble more for the wicked than they do for themselves (see Psalms 119:120).

If we read and study the Word of God, we know that those who decide to turn against God (this includes Christians) and live for their fleshly desires are facing a horrible future (Hell). God blesses abundantly those who love Him and serve Him, but there are terrible things awaiting those who do not obey the Gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16) and obey from the heart that form of doctrine, which has once and for all, been delivered “unto the saints.” The Word of God has a great deal to say about this. Also, God wants obedience over sacrifice.

Psalms 119:54 "Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage."

Meaning either his unsettled state, fleeing from place to place before Saul. Or, literally, his house of cedar, his court and palace, which he considered no other than as an inn he had put into upon his travels homeward. Or rather the earthly house of his tabernacle, in which, as long as he continued, he was but a pilgrim and stranger. Or, best of all, the whole course of his life; which Jacob calls the days of the years of his pilgrimage (Genesis 47:9). So Hipparchus the Pythagorean calls this life a sort of a pilgrimage; and Plato also. This world is not the saints house and home; this is not their rest and residence. They confess themselves pilgrims and strangers here; and that they belong to another city, and a better country, a heavenly one, which they are seeking and travelling to (Hebrews 11:13). And as travelers sing songs to themselves as they pass on, which makes the way the easier and pleasant to them. So the psalmist had his songs which he sung in his pilgrimage state. And these were the statutes, or word of the Lord, and the things in it, which were as delightful to him as the songs of travelers to them. Or the songs he made and sung were composed out of the word of God; and which may serve to recommend the psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, made by him, the sweet psalmist of Israel, to the Gospel churches, to be sung by them (Ephesians 5:19).

There is nothing more beautiful, than the Word of God put to music. If you look carefully at the old hymnals, you will see that the people who wrote them, knew the Word of God. They are Scripturally correct in 95% of the cases.

Psalms 119:55 "I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law."

I have thought on thee in the night, when on my bed. I have done it in the night of calamity and sorrow (see notes at Psalms 63:6).

Probably, when we lay down to sleep at night, we think back over the Words in the Bible more than we do as we are rushing to get a job done in the day. Sometimes at night when I am wide-awake, I pray a large part of the night. When it is so quiet, it is a good time to fellowship with God. In looking over the happenings of the day, I realize I have kept the law of the Lord.

Psalms 119:56 "This I had, because I kept thy precepts."

Either the comfort he had from the word, the pleasure and delight he had in it, being his songs in his pilgrimage (Psalms 119:50; Psalms 119:165). Or this knowledge of the name of God, and the remembrance of it, and his carefulness and diligence in it in the night season, were of the Lord, and gifts of his. Or rather this he had from the Lord, that he kept the precepts and commands of God in the manner that he did. It was all owing to grace and strength received from him; for so the words may be rendered, "this was given unto me, that I have kept thy precepts".

The person who seeks to do the will of God, will be led into these other things we have been reading of here. He is saying that these blessings came to him, because he was doing the will of God.

CHETH - “The earth, O LORD is full of thy mercy”

Psalms 119:57-72

Psalms 119:57-64 : True believers take the Lord for the portion of their inheritance, and nothing less will satisfy them. The psalmist prayed with his whole heart, knowing how to value the blessing he prayed for: he desired the mercy promised, and depended on the promise for it. He turned from by-paths, and returned to God’s testimonies. He delayed not. It behooves sinners to hasten to escape; and the believer will be equally in haste to glorify God. No care or grief should take away God’s word out of our minds, or hinder the comfort it bestows. There is no situation on earth in which a believer has not cause to be thankful. Let us feel ashamed that others are more willing to keep from sleep to spend the time in sinful pleasures, than we are to praise God. And we should be more earnest in prayer, that our hearts may be filled with his mercy, grace, and peace.

Psalms 119:57 "Thou art] my portion, O LORD: I have said that I would keep thy words."

CHETH: The Eighth Part.

Thou art my portion, O Lord": Which he chose and preferred to all others. To the riches, honors, and profits of this world. The grant of which was made to him in the covenant of grace; the first discovery of it was from the Lord himself. And the choice and claim were made under the influence of his grace. And a great act of faith it is to assert this, and a wonderful blessing to enjoy it. This is a large portion indeed, immense and inconceivable, soul satisfying, safe, and for ever! (See Psalms 73:26).

"I have said that I would keep thy words": Keep his commandments, lay up his promises, observe his doctrines, profess and retain them. This he determined within himself to do, under a sense of the love of God to him, in being his portion and inheritance. Some render the words, in connection with the former, thus, "my portion, O Lord, I said, is", or "shall be, to keep thy words". It is the part and partial of some to preach the word, and of others to hear it. And of all to keep or observe it, its precepts, promises, and truths. Aben Ezra gives the sense of them thus, "This I said to many, perhaps they will keep thy words;’’ namely, that the Lord was his portion, which he thought might induce them to an observance of them, as he had done.

We can see in this, that the LORD is the portion of each person who seeks and finds Him. Salvation is not a collective thing. God offers salvation to the masses, but saves them one at a time. Our relationship with God, must be a personal relationship. Joining a church is not what I am speaking of. The Lord is my personal God. He would have given His body on the cross, if I had been the only person who needed saving. The psalmist’s decision to keep God’s Word is also personal. I cannot promise for anyone, but myself.

Psalms 119:58 "I entreated thy favor with [my] whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word."

Or, "thy face"; to see it; or thy presence, to enjoy it. To have communion with God, and the light of his countenance; than which nothing is more desirable and delightful to a gracious man. As also to be remembered with the special favor of God, in which is life. To have his love shed abroad in the heart; to have large views of interest in it, and to be rooted and grounded therein. And this the psalmist entreated, not in a hypocritical manner, but with all sincerity, heartiness, and affection, having tasted that the Lord was gracious. Or, "made thy face sick"; wearied him with supplications, gave him no rest until he obtained his request.

"Be merciful unto me, according to thy word": Have compassion on me. Sympathize with me in all my troubles. Grant me fresh supplies of grace; and particularly show and apply thy pardoning grace and mercy to me. According to thy word of promise in the covenant of grace, in which provision is made for forgiveness of sins (see Psalms 51:1). Aben Ezra and Kimchi think reference is had to (Exodus 33:19), but rather it is to (2 Samuel 12:13).

We used the following Scripture in another recent lesson, but it says so clearly what I need to say here, that I will use it again.

Mark 12:33 "And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love [his] neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

If God cannot have 100% of your heart, He will not take any at all. He does not want any half-way commitments. These few verses here, are focusing in on God’s part in all of this. The psalmist is not asking for mercy on his own merits, but on the merits of the Word of God.

Psalms 119:59 "I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies."

What they were, whether right or wrong. Whither they led, what would be the consequences of walking in them. The Septuagint and Arabic versions read, "thy ways"; no doubt the psalmist thought of both. Of his own ways, in which he had walked; and of God’s ways, which he directed him to walk in. And, considering the superior pleasure and profit of the latter, he preferred them to the former. The Targum is, "I thought to mend my ways", or "make them good". Hence he took the following step.

"And turned my feet unto thy testimonies": He took himself to the word of God, which testifies of his will, and directs to those ways he would have his people to walk in. And he steered his course of life and actions thereby. He turned from his own ways into the ways of God; under the influence of divine grace, he turned, being turned.

He is saying here, that his decision to turn unto God’s testimonies was not a sudden decision. He had considered carefully and then made his decision.

Psalms 119:60 "I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments."

As soon as he was sensible of his duty, he immediately complied with it. He consulted not with flesh and blood, but at once yielded a cheerful obedience to the commands of God. Instances of evangelical obedience of this kind we have in the three thousand converts (Acts 2:38), in Saul, and in the jailer and his house (Acts 2:41).

After he had carefully considered the Word of God, and decided to follow in the testimonies of God, then he hurriedly made it right with God. This is speaking of speed, after he had decided repenting was the right thing to do. After he made his decision, he realized the urgency of being saved.

Psalms 119:61 "The bands of the wicked have robbed me: [but] I have not forgotten thy law."

Very probably Saul and his ministers seized on his effects, when he fled from him. And the Amalekites plundered him of all his substance, when they took Ziklag. And Absalom and the conspirators with him robbed him, when he was obliged, because of them, to flee from his palace and court, which they entered and took possession of. But Aben Ezra rejects this sense of the word, which Jarchi and Kimchi espouse, and we follow, and renders it, "took hold of me". And so the Targum, "the company of the wicked were gathered together against me.’’ They surrounded him and put him into fear, great numbers of them encompassing him about (see Psalms 18:4).

"But I have not forgotten thy law": This was written in his heart. He kept it in his memory, and retained an affection for it. And could not be deterred from obedience to it by the numbers and violence of wicked men, who hated and persecuted him for his attachment to it.

A band means that this was not an individual, but a group. They have robbed him of his material goods, but this did not affect his position with God. He still remembers and keeps the law.

Psalms 119:62 "At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments."

Not only send up an ejaculatory thanksgiving upon his bed, but rise up from it and shake off his sleep, and in a set, serious, solemn manner, praise the Lord. This shows a great regard to him, and affection to this work, since it is with difficulty men prevail upon themselves to rise at midnight upon any occasion. At midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sung praises to God (Acts 16:25).

"Because of thy righteous judgments."- Upon the wicked, as Aben Ezra. The hands and troops of them that encompassed him about, and robbed him. But God avenged him of them, and for this he gave thanks, or for such like things. Sometimes the judgments of God have been executed at midnight; as the destruction of the firstborn in Egypt, and of Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea, when Israel sang his praise (Exodus 12:29). And for the judgments of God upon antichrist the church will rejoice and give thanks (Revelation 18:20). Or rather by these may be meant the word of God, the precepts and ordinances of it, which are all just and good. Such is the law of God, and such are the ordinances of Christ (Psalms 19:9).

If you were to rise at midnight to give thanks to God, it would not be for others eyes. This would be a personal thanksgiving for His righteous judgements. Jesus is the Righteous Judge. Those who keep His commandments, have nothing to fear from the righteous judgement of the Lord.

Psalms 119:63 "I [am] a companion of all [them] that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts."

Not of the rich and mighty, much less of the wicked and ungodly. But of such who had the true fear of God upon their hearts, and before their eyes. Who feared the Lord and his goodness, and truly served and worshipped him; even "all" of these, whether poor or rich, of whatsoever condition, or of whatsoever nation, being no respecter of persons. With these he was a partner in the blessings of the covenant, in the promises of it, in the graces of the Spirit. He went in company with them to the house of God, and joined with them in all acts of religious worship. He conversed privately with them about what God had done for the souls of him and them. He delighted in their company. He sympathized with them in their troubles. and was a companion with them in their tribulation, sorrows, and sufferings, as well as in their joys and comforts.

"And of them that keep thy precepts": As all such do who truly fear the Lord. For by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil, and cannot do those things that others do. Cannot allow themselves in a willful transgression of the divine precepts; but, influenced by the fear of God, observe and keep them.

This is saying that he fellowships with those of like belief. We are told, over and over, not to be unequally yoked to those of unbelief. This would be like fellowshipping with the members of your church. To fellowship with the world brings heartache. Fear in this instance, is speaking of holding God in reverence.

Psalms 119:64 "The earth, O LORD, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy statutes."

Full of the proofs of thy goodness and compassion. See the notes at (Psalms 33:5). This is the expression of a heart full of love to God and to his word. In such a state of mind as the psalmist was in, the goodness of God is seen everywhere. The best preparation for seeing evidence that God is good is a heart full of love. Then the proofs of that love spring up on every side, as when we truly love a friend we find constant proofs of his excellency of character.

"Teach me thy statutes": I desire to see more and more of thy law. Thou art so gracious and merciful, the evidence of thy goodness is so widespread round about me, that it leads me to desire to see more and more of thyself and thy law.

The sun shines, because of the mercy of God. The rain waters the crops, because of the mercy of God. I am living and breathing because of the mercy of God. I could go on and on, but you can get the picture from this. The earth is filled with the mercy of God. The Scripture says, it rains on the just and the unjust. God is merciful. He is not willing for even one to be lost. Someday the patience of God will run out. God will not force Himself upon anyone, but He will teach His ways to those who are willing to receive the salvation that He made available to all.

TETH

“Teach me good judgment”

Psalms 119:65-72 : However, God has dealt with us, he has dealt with us better than we deserve; and all in love, and for our good. Many have knowledge, but little judgment. Those who have both, are fortified against the snares of Satan, and furnished for the service of God. We are most apt to wander from God, when we are easy in the world. We should leave our concerns to the disposal of God, seeing we know not what is good for us. Lord, thou art our bountiful Benefactor; incline our hearts to faith and obedience. The psalmist will go on in his duty with constancy and resolution. The proud are full of the world, and its wealth and pleasures; these make them senseless, secure, and stupid. God visits his people with affliction, that they may learn his statutes. Not only God’s promises, but even his law, his percepts, though hard to ungodly men, are desirable, and profitable, because they lead us with safety and delight unto eternal life.

Psalms 119:65 "Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O LORD, according unto thy word."

TETH: The Ninth Part.

In a providential way, ever since he had a being; by the protection and preservation of him. By following and loading him with benefits. By raising him from a low estate to the throne of Israel. By delivering him from many dangers and enemies, and by giving him rest from them all. And in a way of special grace and mercy, by making an everlasting covenant with him. By blessing him with all spiritual blessings. By giving him an interest in salvation by Christ, and hope of eternal glory. And thus, he deals with all his servants. He does all things well by them. He deals well with them even when he afflicts them. He treats them as his David, his beloved and chosen ones, and his children. The Syriac version renders it as a petition, "do good with thy servant"; bestow benefits on him, or deal bountifully with him (as in Psalms 119:17).

"O Lord, according unto thy word": Thy word of promise. Providential mercies are according to promise, for godliness or goodly persons have the promise of the things of this life. And so are spiritual blessings, they are laid up in exceeding great and precious promises, which are yea and amen in Christ. And so is eternal glory and happiness. It is a promise which God, that cannot lie, made before the world began. So that there is a solid foundation laid for faith and hope as to these things; and this confirms and commends the faithfulness of God to his people.

There is a change of tense here. The psalmist is speaking in the past tense. The psalmist is looking back to the times that the LORD had kept His Word with the psalmist. He still speaks of himself as the servant. This means that he had decided to serve the Lord, and the Lord had blessed him mightily.

Psalms 119:66 "Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments."

The word rendered “judgment” means “taste” that power by which we determine the quality of things as sweet, bitter, or sour. When applied to the mind or understanding, it refers to determining the moral quality of things, to discerning what is right or wrong, wise or foolish, good or evil. The ability to fully appreciate what is right, and quickly distinguish it from what is wrong, is one of the gifts of God.

This is not someone seeking the Lord. This person is already saved. He is just asking to grow in knowledge and judgement. Christianity is a walk. It is not a one-time happening, and then never doing any more about it. When we first receive the Lord, we are baby Christians and are fed on milk and honey of the Word. Later we are supposed to grow in the Lord, and put away childish things, and get into the meat of the Word. The best way to acquire knowledge of the Word, is to study your Bible.

Psalms 119:67 "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word."

From God. From his word, his ways and worship. Like a lost sheep from the shepherd, the fold, the flock, and the footsteps of it (see Psalms 119:176). Not that he willfully, wickedly, maliciously, and through contempt, departed from his God; this he denies (Psalms 18:21). But through the weakness of the flesh, the prevalence of corruption, and force of temptation, and very much through a careless, heedless, and negligent frame of spirit. He got out of the right way, and wandered from it before he was well aware. The word is used of erring through ignorance (Leviticus 5:18). This was in a time of prosperity, when, though he might not, like Jeshurun, wax fat and kick, and forsake and lightly esteem the Rock of his salvation. Or fall into temptations and harmful lusts, and err from the faith, and be pierced with many sorrows, as too much love of the world brings men into. Yet he might become inattentive to the duties of religion, and be negligent of them, which is a common case.

"But now have I kept thy word": Having been afflicted with outward and inward afflictions. Afflictions of body and mind. Afflictions in person, in family and estate. Afflictions in soul, through indwelling sin, the temptations of Satan, and the hidings of God’s face. All this brought him back again to God, to his word, ways, and worship. He took himself to reading and hearing the word, if he might find anything to relieve and comfort him under his trials. He observed the doctrines of grace in it, and kept the precepts of it, and walked in all the commandments and ordinances of it, being restored by afflictions.

All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, but we do not have to stay in that lost condition. We can repent and be saved, and then grow each day in the Lord. Salvation is a daily walk. The psalmist is saying that after he repented, he has kept the Word of God.

Psalms 119:68 "Thou [art] good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes."

“Thou are good”: The psalmist frequently appeals to the character of God:

(1) His faithfulness (Psalms 119:75; Psalms 119:90);

(2) His compassion (Psalms 119:77);

(3) His righteousness (Psalms 119:137; Psalms 119:142), and;

(4) His mercy (Psalms 119:156).

There is only one good, and that is God. The psalmist here, is recognizing the fact that God’s ways are good ways. He wants to learn the ways of God, so that he can walk in the goodness God has shown him.

Psalms 119:69 "The proud have forged a lie against me: [but] I will keep thy precepts with [my] whole heart."

Or, "sewed a lie to him"; fastened a lie upon him, or sewed and added one lie to another. Either with respect to politics, as the proud and haughty courtiers of Saul, who represented David to him as a traitor. That had treasonable designs against him to take away his life, and seize his crown and kingdom (1 Samuel 24:9). Or with respect to religion. So some proud scornful men, that derided him for his piety, and scoffed at his seriousness, gave out that it was all grimace and hypocrisy. Raised calumnies upon him, and laid things to his charge he knew nothing of. And which were all lies, forged out of their own brains, and artfully and purposely put together to blacken his character, and lessen his esteem among men. And it is no unusual thing for wicked men to speak all manner of evil falsely against the people of God.

"But I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart": Observe the commands of God sincerely, heartily, and affectionately, and not in show and appearance only; and so make it evident that it was a lie that was forged against him. And this is the best way of answering such liars and defamers (see 1 Peter 3:16).

There is no reason for the proud not to lie. They are not of God, and they do not keep God’s Word. They do not even believe in God’s Word, so why would they not lie, if it would benefit them? The psalmist is saying, that he will keep doing the teachings of God. Even though they lied about him to get an advantage over him, he will not lie to get the advantage over them. He regards God’s Word too highly to sin to get even.

Psalms 119:70 "Their heart is as fat as grease; [but] I delight in thy law."

“Is as fat as grease”: Refers to the proud of verse 69 whose hearts are thick and thus the Word is unable to penetrate.

This type of heart is an evil heart stayed upon desires of the flesh. The fatness here, would be a harm and not a help. Those who delight in the law of God, have a pure heart.

Psalms 119:71 "[It is] good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes."

The good and profit of which he had observed before (see Notes Psalms 119:67). The following end being also answered thereby.

"That I might learn thy statutes": To understand them, and to keep them. Afflictions are sometimes as a school to the people of God, in which they learn much both of their duty and of their privileges. And when they are teaching and instructive, they are for good (see Psalms 94:12).

Many a person has come to God and received salvation during great afflictions. If it takes afflictions to bring a person to God, then bring on the afflictions. This had certainly been the way it had been with the Israelites. They lived in sin, until God allowed afflictions to come upon them. Each time they repented of their sins. Jesus put it even more severe.

Mark 9:43 "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:"

Psalms 119:72 "The law of thy mouth [is] better unto me than thousands of gold and silver."

The law which proceeds out of thy mouth, or which thou hast spoken.

"Is better unto me": The Hebrew is, "Good to me is the law of thy mouth above thousands of gold and silver."

"Than thousands of gold and silver": Than any amount of wealth. It is to me the most valuable possession; that which I prize above all other things (compare notes at Psalms 19:10).

There is not enough money in the world to trade for the law of God. Gold and silver are temporary luxuries for this earth.

JOD - “Let the proud be ashamed”

Psalms 119:73-88

Psalms 119:73-80 : God made us to serve him, and enjoy him; but by sin we have made ourselves unfit to serve him, and to enjoy him. We ought, therefore, continually to beseech him, by his Holy Spirit, to give us understanding. The comforts some have in God, should be matter of joy to others. But it is easy to own, that God’s judgments are right, until it comes to be our own case. All supports under affliction must come from mercy and compassion. The mercies of God are tender mercies; the mercies of a father, the compassion of a mother to her son. They come to us when we are not able to go to them. Causeless reproach does not hurt, and should not move us. The psalmist could go on in the way of his duty, and find comfort in it. He valued the good will of saints, and was desirous to keep up his communion with them. Soundness of heart signifies sincerity in dependence on God, and devotedness to him.

Psalms 119:73 "Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments."

JOD: The Tenth Part.

“Thy hands”: Figuratively refers to God’s involvement in human life (Psalms 139:13-16).

This is a recognition by the psalmist of the fact that he was created by God. The statement “fashioned me”, reminds me of the fact that God reached into the dust of the earth and formed and fashioned a clay doll that He called man. He breathed the breath of life in that clay doll, and he became a living soul.

Genesis 2:7 "And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

He is saying, God you made me, so it is in your power to give me understanding. This is very much like Jesus opening the understanding of the disciples. He does not just want to read the commandments, but he wants to understand what they are saying.

Psalms 119:74 "They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word."

In outward prosperity, delivered from all troubles. Set on the throne of Israel, and at rest from all enemies round about. And in spiritual prosperity, being illuminated by the Spirit of God, having a spiritual understanding of divine things. An obedience of faith to the commands of God, in the lively exercise of grace upon him, in comfortable frames of soul, and flourishing circumstances. Now they that fear the Lord, that have the grace of fear in their hearts, and are true worshippers of God. As they delight to meet together, and are glad to see one another; so they rejoice in each other’s prosperity, especially spiritual (see Psalms 34:1).

"Because I have hoped in thy Word.” In Christ the essential Word, the hope of Israel. In the written word, which gives encouragement to hope. In the word of promise, on which he was caused to hope. And in which hope he was confirmed, and not disappointed, and so it made him not ashamed. And others rejoiced at it, because it was an encouragement to their faith and hope likewise.

“They that fear Thee”, is possibly speaking of those who hold God in high esteem. When God opens our understanding to His teachings, we should share it with others, so that they might understand too. I love Bible study where everyone shares what God has revealed to them. We can all help each other, if we will do this. Christians should be overjoyed that God has revealed something to someone. There is no place for jealousy among believers. It seems here that the Lord revealed the truth to him, because he placed his hope in the Word. Diligently study the Bible, and you will be amazed what God will reveal to you.

Psalms 119:75 "I know, O LORD, that thy judgments [are] right, and [that] thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me."

“Thou … has afflicted me”: The psalmist expresses his confidence in God’s sovereignty over human affliction referred to in (119:67, 71; compare Deuteronomy 32:39; Isaiah 45:7; Lamentations 3:37-38).

He trusts the fact that God would not allow anything to come upon him that was not for his own good. Many times, afflictions make us closer to God. We pray more, when there is a problem in our life.

Romans 5:3-5 "And not only [so], but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;" "And patience, experience; and experience, hope:" "And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."

Even Paul had a thorn in his flesh. We will see what Paul has to say the reason for his affliction was.

2 Corinthians 12:7 "And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure."

Afflictions are sometimes for our good. Neither the psalmist here, or Paul, questioned the judgement of God in their afflictions.

Psalms 119:76 "Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant."

Shown in the provision and promise of a Savior. In the forgiveness of sins through him; a discovery and application of which yields comfort under afflictions.

"According to thy word unto thy servant": A word of promise, in which he had assured him of his love, grace, mercy, and kindness. And that he would continue it to him, and comfort him with it. To make such a promise, and show such favor, was an instance of condescending grace to him, who was but his servant, and unworthy of his regard.

The psalmist here, is not asking God to remove the affliction, he is just asking him to make it possible for him to go through the affliction. He is even saying, help me to find comfort in the affliction. God does not mind us reminding Him of His Word. In fact, He likes to know that we know what His Word says.

Psalms 119:77 "Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law [is] my delight."

As I am not able to come unto them. But the wicked will be confounded.

"That I may live": It is evident that this was uttered in view of some great calamity by which his life was threatened. He was dependent for life, for recovery from sickness, or for deliverance from danger, wholly on the compassion of God.

"For thy law is my delight" (see notes at Psalms 119:16; compare Psalms 119:24; Psalms 119:47). This is urged here as a reason for the divine interposition. The meaning is, that he was a friend of God. That he had pleasure in his service and in his commandments; and that he might, therefore, with propriety, appeal to God to interpose in his behalf. This is a proper ground of appeal to God in our prayers, not on the ground of merit or claim, but because we may reasonably suppose that God will be disposed to protect his friends. And to deliver them in the day of trouble.

Notice that he has added the word tender to the mercies of God. This type mercy would be the kind a loving Father would show to His young child. Well is that not what the believers are? Whatever this affliction is, it is so severe that he believes he might die. He is not ready to die, and asks that his life be spared. Again, he reminds God that God’s law is not grievous to him.

Psalms 119:78 "Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: [but] I will meditate in thy precepts."

Referring here to his enemies, who appear to have been in the higher ranks of life, or to have been those who prided themselves on their wealth, their station, or their influence (see notes at Psalms 119:51). The psalmist asks here that they might be confounded or put to shame. That is, that they might fail of accomplishing their purposes in regard to him (see notes on Psalms 25:2-3; and Job 6:20).

"For they dealt perversely with me": They were not honest; they deceived me; they took advantage of me; they were not true to their professions of friendship (compare the notes at Isaiah 59:3; Job 8:3; Job 34:12).

"Without a cause": Hebrew, "by a lie." That is, they have been guilty of falsehood in their charges or accusations against me. I have given them no occasion for such treatment, and their conduct is based on an entire misrepresentation (see notes at John 15:25).

"But I will meditate in thy precepts" (see notes at Psalms 1:2). I will not be diverted from thee, from thy law, from thy service, by all that man can do to me. By all the false charges which the enemies of religion may bring against me. By all the contempt or persecution that I may suffer for my attachment to thee (see notes on Psalms 119:23; Psalms 119:69).

Perversely in this Scripture, means to make crooked. This means that they deceived him in their dealings with them. We remember who the proud are. They are too proud to humble themselves and receive the Lord. They are lost. This would be a common practice of someone who was lost. They would have no conscience, and they would do whatever it took to benefit them. He is saying, that even though they dealt with him in a crooked manner, he will not do the same to them, because he remembers the teachings of God’s law. He is saying, I will do it your way, Lord.

Psalms 119:79 "Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those that have known thy testimonies."

Let thy friends be my friends. Let them show me favor, and count me among their companions. If the great and the powerful turn away from me; if they persecute me, and do me wrong; if they cast out my name as evil, and are unwilling to associate with me, yet let thy friends, however poor and humble, regard me with kindness. And reckon me among their number, and I shall be satisfied.

"And those that have known thy testimonies": Thy law. Those who can see and appreciate the beauty of thy commandments. This is the ground of true friendship in religion, the common love of God, of his law, and of his service. This is a permanent ground of affection. All friendship founded on earthly distinctions; all derived from titled birth, from rank, from affluence, from civil, military, or naval renown, from beauty, strength, or nobleness of form, must be temporary. But that which is founded on attachment to God, to his law, and to the Savior, will abide forever.

“Those that fear thee” here, are possibly speaking of those who hold God in high esteem. The psalmist here, is saying for God to cause those who believe in God, to come and line up with him. Christians should forgive their Christian brothers and sisters and take them back in the fold, if they turn away from some sin they have committed.

Psalms 119:80 "Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed."

Or "perfect", and sincere. He desires that he might have a sincere regard to the ways and worship, ordinances and commands, of God. That he might have a cordial affection for them, and observe them. Not in show and appearance only, but heartily as to the Lord, and in reality and truth, like an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile.

"That I be not ashamed": Before men, conscious of guilt; or before God, at the throne of grace. Where a believer sometimes is ashamed to come, not having had that regard to the statutes of the Lord he should have had, and that he might not be ashamed before him at the last day. But have confidence, having the righteousness of Christ imputed to him, and the true grace of God implanted in him. Which engaged him to a regard to all his commandments.

We have said over and over, that we are what our heart is. The most important thing is to be right in our own heart. This is even more important than having others come and stand with you. To be sound of heart, would mean that the heart was not sick with sin. Only those who have a conscience, are ashamed when things are not right.

CAPH

“All thy commandments are faithful”

Psalms 119:81-88 : The psalmist sought deliverance from his sins, his foes, and his fears. Hope deferred made him faint; his eyes failed by looking out for this expected salvation. But when the eyes fail, yet faith must not. His affliction was great. He was become like a leathern bottle, which, if hung up in the smoke, is dried and shriveled up. We must ever be mindful of God’s statutes. The days of the believer’s mourning shall be ended; they are but for a moment, compared with eternal happiness. His enemies used craft as well as power for his ruin, in contempt of the law of God. The commandments of God are true and faithful guides in the path of peace and safety. We may best expect help from God when, like our Master, we do well and suffer for it. Wicked men may almost consume the believer upon earth, but he would sooner forsake all than forsake the word of the Lord. We should depend upon the grace of God for strength to do every good work. The surest token of God’s good-will toward us, is his good work in us.

Psalms 119:81 "My soul fainteth for thy salvation: [but] I hope in thy word."

CAPH: The Eleventh Part.

Either for temporal salvation and deliverance from enemies; which, being promised, was expected by him from the Lord. But not coming so soon as looked for, his spirits began to sink and faint. Or for spiritual and eternal salvation, for a view of interest in it, for the joys and comforts of it, and for the full possession of is in heaven. And, particularly, for the promised Messiah, the author of it, often called the Salvation of God, because prepared and appointed by him to be the author of it. Of him there was a promise, which gave the Old Testament saints reason to expect him, and for him they waited. His coming they earnestly wished for, but being long deferred, were sometimes out of heart, and ready to faint, which was here David’s case.

"But I hope in thy word": The word of promise concerning deliverance and salvation, especially by the Messiah, which supported him, and kept him from fainting. That being firm and sure, for ever settled in heaven, and has the oath of God annexed to it, for the confirmation of it. And God is faithful that has promised, and is also able to perform. So that his word lays a solid foundation for faith and hope.

His soul desired salvation to the point that he almost fainted trying to get it. He placed his hope in the Word of God. He knew that the Word of God promised salvation to whosoever would take it. He was depending on that promise, because he knew the Word of God was true.

Psalms 119:82 "Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me?"

Either with looking for the Messiah, the essential Word, that was to be, and afterwards was made flesh, and dwelt among men. Or for the fulfilment of the word of promise, on which he was made to hope. But that being deferred; and he believing in hope against hope, and looking out continually till it was accomplished, his eyes grew weary, and failed him. And he was just ready to give up all expectation of it (see Psalms 77:8).

"Saying, when wilt thou comfort me?" The people of God are sometimes very disconsolate, and need comforting. Through the prevalence of sin, the power of Satan’s temptations, the hidings of God’s face, and a variety of afflictions. When they apply to God for comfort, who only can comfort them, and who has his set times to do it. But they are apt to think it long, and inquire, as David here, when it will be.

Have you ever read the Word of God until the words all seemed to run together? This is probably, what he is saying here. He is searching the Word of God finding a promise that can comfort him and give him hope.

Psalms 119:83 "For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; [yet] do I not forget thy statutes."

“Like a bottle in the smoke”: Just as smoke will dry out, stiffen, and crack a wineskin thus making it useless, so the psalmist’s affliction has debilitated him.

This bottle is probably not made of glass, but leather. If leather gets near a fire, it will dry it out and probably cause it to leak. A cracked bottle would be of very little use. He is saying, I am all dried up and of very little use to anyone, but I have not forgotten your Word.

Psalms 119:84 "How many [are] the days of thy servant? when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?"

If this is to be understood of the days of his life, they were very few, as the days of every man be. And if of his days of joy and comfort, peace and prosperity, they were fewer still. But if of days of adversity and affliction, which seems to be the sense, they were many indeed.

"When wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?" Good men have their persecutors. There is a judgment that will be executed on them, if not here, yet hereafter. It is a righteous thing with God to do it. It is often deferred when the saints, through zeal for the glory of God, and the honor of his justice. As well as for their own deliverance and comfort, are at times somewhat impatient for it, and earnestly solicit it, as the psalmist here (see Revelation 6:9).

He is asking, how long is he going to live and be persecuted by his enemies. When will you take vengeance on them that persecute me? He reminds God that he is His servant. He knows that God has taught that He would take vengeance for his servants. They are not to do it themselves.

Psalms 119:85 "The proud have digged pits for me, which [are] not after thy law."

Laid snares and temptations in his way, to draw him into sin, and so into mischief. They sought indeed to take away his life, and formed schemes for it. The allusion is to the digging of pits for the taking of wild beasts; which shows the ill opinion they had of David, and their ill usage of him (see Psalms 7:15).

"Which are not after thy law": No, contrary to it; which forbids the digging of a pit, and leaving it uncovered, so that a neighbor’s beast might fall into it (Exodus 21:33). And if those might not be dug to the injury of beasts, then much less to the injury of men, to the hurt of the servants of the Lord, or to the shedding of innocent blood, which the law forbids.

God knows that the proud are not followers of His law. He did not need the psalmist to remind him. He tells God that these evil, worldly people have dug a pit to throw him in. Whether these pits were for his body after he died, or just a pit to hold him prisoner in, is not explained.

Psalms 119:86 "All thy commandments [are] faithful: they persecute me wrongfully; help thou me."

Or, "faithfulness" they are made by a faithful God, who is holy, just, and true. They command faithfulness, sincerity, and uprightness; and require men to love their neighbors as themselves, and to do all they do faithfully, cordially, and affectionately. They are to be done in truth and faithfulness, in charity, out of a pure heart, and faith unfeigned. And therefore to dig pits for men must not be after, but contrary, to the law of God.

"They persecute me wrongfully": Without a cause, purely out of ill will and for religion’s sake. Which, as it is an argument with the saints to bear persecution patiently, it is used as an argument with the Lord, to arise and appear on the behalf of his persecuted ones, as follows:

"Help thou me": Against my persecutors, and out of their hands. God is able to help his people; he has promised to do it. It may be expected from him; and he is a present help in time of trouble. This is a suitable petition in the mouths of God’s people, and should be a prayer of faith.

God’s enemies and the enemies of the psalmist are the same. The psalmist is explaining to God that he was not guilty of the things they accused him of. He also reminds the Lord that he would not have done the evil thing they accuse him of, because he lived by God’s commandments. He says, I know your commandments are faithful and I would not sin against You.

Psalms 119:87 "They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not thy precepts."

Almost destroyed his good name, wasted his substance, took away his crown and kingdom, and even his life. It was within a little of it, his soul had almost dwelt in silence. They had almost cast him down to the ground, and left him there. But all this was only on earth; they could not reach any thing that belonged to him in heaven. Not his name, which was written there in the Lamb’s book of life. Nor his riches and inheritance there, the never fading crown of glory laid up for him there. Or that eternal life, which is hid with Christ in God for him.

"But I forsook not thy precepts": Did not decline the service and worship of God, nor neglect his word and ordinances. Though thus persecuted, and all these things came upon him for the sake of religion (see Psalms 44:17).

Even though it seemed he would die at their hand, he would not turn away from the teachings of God to stop them.

Psalms 119:88 "Quicken me after thy lovingkindness; so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth."

According to it, and with it. Let me have some discoveries of it, and of interest in it. And that will quicken me, revive and comfort me, under all the reproaches, ill usage, and persecutions of men. The love of God shed abroad in the heart comforts and supports under all sorts of afflictions. It quickens the graces of the Spirit, and brings them forth into lively exercise, as faith, hope, and love. And to a diligent and fervent discharge of every duty. It constrains to love the Lord, and live to him, to his glory, in obedience to his will.

"So shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth": The word of God, which comes out of his mouth, testifies of him, and of his mind and will. And which is to be received and observed, as being greater than the testimony of men (1 John 5:9).

We said in an earlier lesson, that the testimony of Thy mouth would be the spoken Word. To quicken is to make alive. When Jesus quickens man, it is the spirit that is quickened. You love me and are kind to me, so make me alive in my spirit, is what the psalmist is saying. He also says, if the Lord does this, he will speak the Word to the people. This has been a mournful cry to God, because of the affliction he suffered. It seems the worldly people around him had taken advantage of the fact that he was afflicted, and they cheated him on every hand. This cry is that God will take vengeance on the psalmist’s enemy, who is also the enemy of God.

LAMED - “Thy faithfulness is unto all generations”

Psalms 119:89-104

Psalms 119:89-96 : The settling of God’s word in heaven, is opposed to the changes and revolutions of the earth. And the engagements of God’s covenant are established more firmly than the earth itself. All the creatures answer the ends of their creation: shall man, who alone is endued with reason, be the only unprofitable burden of the earth? We may make the Bible a pleasant companion at any time. But the word, without the grace of God, would not quicken us. See the best help for bad memories, namely, good affections; and though the exact words be lost, if the meaning remain, that is well. I am thine, not my own, not the world’s; save me from sin, save me from ruin. The Lord will keep the man in peace, whose mind is stayed on him. It is poor perfection which one sees and end of. Such are all things in this world, which pass for perfections. The glory of man is but as the flower of the grass. The psalmist had seen the fullness of the word of God, and its sufficiency. The word of the Lord reaches to all cases, to all times. It will take us from all confidence in man, or in our own wisdom, strength, and righteousness. Thus shall we seek comfort and happiness from Christ alone.

Psalms 119:89 "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven."

LAMED: The Twelfth Part.

“For ever … settled in heaven”: God’s Word will not change and is always spiritually relevant.

Settled, in this particular Scripture, means station.

1 Peter 1:25 "But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."

The Word of God will never change as this Scripture and the one above clearly state.

Matthew 24:35 "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."

In the last lesson, we saw the affliction of the psalmist. In this lesson, we see the psalmist seeing the unchangeable nature of the Word of God. It was this same Word that created the world. God spoke … it became.

Psalms 119:90 "Thy faithfulness [is] unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth."

Or "to generation and generation". To his people in every age, fulfilling his word, supplying their wants, giving them new mercies every morning and every day. Never leaving and forsaking them, according to his promise. His faithfulness never fails, it endures for ever, and is exceeding great and large indeed (see Lamentations 3:23).

"Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth": Laid the foundation of it so firm and sure, that it cannot be removed. And though one generation has passed after another, the earth abides where it was, and will do for ever. And as firm and stable, and never failing, is the faithfulness of God, which this is designed to illustrate. So some supply it, "as thou hast established the earth", etc. (see Psalms 24:2).

God’s faithfulness is like His Word. It never fails. I have said this before, but it is absolutely amazing that God could make this ball we call earth, and fling it out into space. And then tell it to stay there, and it does exactly as He said. Abideth means, continues to remain. This same God is faithful to each person, one at a time, upon this earth.

Psalms 119:91 "They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all [are] thy servants."

According to thy judgments (Hebrew); that is, thy commands. They "stand" (Hebrew), as thou hast appointed. They are what thou didst design them to be. The original purpose in their creation is carried out, and they thus furnish an illustration of the stability of thy government and the permanency of thy law.

"For all are thy servants": All worlds obey thy commands; all are under thy control. They show that they are thy servants by the conformity of their movements to the laws which thou hast impressed on them.

He is Creator, we are His creation. The Creator controls His creation. The whole universe and everything, and everyone in it is kept in order by the order established at creation. We are not only His servants, but we are His creation. He can do with His creation, whatever He wants to.

Psalms 119:92 "Unless thy law [had been] my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction."

Not the law of works, the voice of words, which they that heard entreated they might hear no more. Which is terrible, and works wrath in the conscience. Is a cursing and damning law to the transgressors of it; and so not delightful, unless as considered in the hands of Christ, the fulfilling end of it. But the law of faith, the doctrine of faith, or of justification by the righteousness of Christ, received by faith, which yields peace, joy, and comfort, even in tribulation. Or the whole doctrine of the Gospel, the law of the Messiah. The isles waited for; the doctrine of peace, pardon, righteousness, and eternal life by Christ, which is exceeding delightful to sensible sinners.

"I should then have perished in mine affliction": Referring to some particular time of affliction he was pressed with, either through the persecution of Saul, or the conspiracy of Absalom which was very great and heavy upon him. So that he almost despaired of deliverance from it; and must have perished, not eternally, but as to his comforts. His heart would have fainted in him, and he would have sunk under the weight of the affliction, had it not been for the relief he had from the word of God, and the doctrines and promises of it. He was like one in a storm, tossed with tempests, one wave after another beat upon him, and rolled over him. When he thought himself just perishing; and must have given all over for lost, had it not been for the delight and pleasure he found in reading and meditating on the sacred writings.

Many people do not understand that the moment of our death is set by the Lord. We die, when He says it is time. We live, until He says it is enough. The psalmist had read and studied the Word of God so much, that he knew he was in the hands of God. He says, if I had not studied the Word of God, I would have just given up and died.

Psalms 119:93 "I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me."

Thy laws; thy truth. I will bear them in mind forever. To all eternity they shall be the object of my meditation.

"For with them thou hast quickened me": By them thou hast given me life, spiritual life (compare notes at James 1:18). This is stated as a reason why he would never suffer the truth of God to pass out of his mind. By that truth he had been made really to live. He had been brought from spiritual death to spiritual life. He saw before him now, as the result of that, an endless career of blessedness. How could he ever forget what had worked such a change in his character and condition. Which had inspired such hopes; and which had opened before him such an immortal career of glory!

How many of us have been sick unto death (seemingly), and then God came along, and put that extra spark of life in us and we lived? That extra spark is His Spirit. At the moment, it is fresh in his memory, but he is promising himself and God that he will never forget.

Psalms 119:94 "I [am] thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts."

From all troubles and afflictions; from all enemies, temporal and spiritual. From Satan, and his principalities and powers, from sin, and all the wretched consequences of it. From hell wrath, and damnations. Salvation from all which is by Christ. And this is a prayer of faith with respect to him, founded upon his interest and property in him. Whose he was by choice, by covenant, by gift, by purchase, and by grace. And this is a plea for salvation; thou hast an interest in me, I am one of thine, therefore let me not be lost or perish.

"For I have sought thy precepts": To understand them better, and observe them more constantly. And which sense of interest and relation, and of salvation, will influence unto.

Precepts in this particular instance, means appointed mandate, or commandments. The Psalmist here is giving back to God, that which already belongs to Him. He is committing himself to God. This is total commitment to God. He has studied the commandments of God and has totally given himself to that teaching. We cannot save our self. He speaks correctly, when he asks God to save him.

Psalms 119:95 "The wicked have waited for me to destroy me: [but] I will consider thy testimonies."

That is, they have lain in wait; or, they have laid a plan. They are watching the opportunity to do it.

"But I will consider thy testimonies": I will think of them; I will adhere to them. I will find my support in them. I will not be driven from my adhesion to them by an apprehension of what man can do to me.

The wicked may wait to destroy, but they cannot get near those who are covered in the blood of the Lamb. He is placing all his trust in the Word of God, which he has hidden away in his heart.

Proverbs 16:7 "When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him."

Psalms 119:96 "I have seen an end of all perfection: [but] thy commandment [is] exceeding broad."

There is nothing so perfect in earth, but it has an end, only God’s word lasts forever. I have observed that all human things, how complete whatsoever they may seem, such as wisdom and power, glory and riches. And the greatest and most perfect accomplishments and enjoyments in this world, are exceeding frail, and soon come to an end.

"But thy commandment": Thy word, (one part being put for the whole,) is exceeding broad. Or large, both for extent and for continuance. It is useful to all persons, in all times and conditions, and for all purposes, to inform, direct, quicken, comfort, sanctify, and save me. It is of everlasting truth and efficacy; it will never deceive those who trust to it, as all worldly things will, but will make men happy both here and forever.

"Is exceeding broad": Or large, both for extent and for continuance. It is useful to all persons, in all times and conditions, and for all purposes, to inform, direct, quicken, comfort, sanctify, and save me. It is of everlasting truth and efficacy. It will never deceive those who trust to it, as all worldly things will, but will make men happy both here and for ever.

The psalmist is aware that even though he loves God, and studies God’s Word, he is not perfect. Only One who ever lived upon this earth was perfect, and that was Jesus Christ. The Word of God is so broad that it speaks of perfection. It also shows the way to perfection. In this imperfect world with imperfect people, we are not perfect. He is suddenly aware that he is not perfect, just forgiven.

MEM

“How I love thy law”

Psalms 119:97-104 : What we love, we love to think of. All true wisdom is from God. A good man carries his Bible with him, if not in his hands, yet in his head and in his heart. By meditation on God’s testimonies we understand more than our teachers, when we understand our own hearts. The written word is a surer guide to heaven, than all the fathers, the teachers, and ancients of the church. We cannot, with any comfort or boldness, attend God in holy duties, while under guilt, or in any by-way. It was Divine grace in his heart, that enabled the psalmist to receive these instructions. The soul has its tastes as well as the body. Our relish for the word of God will be greatest, when that for the world and the flesh is least. The way of sin is a wrong way; and the more understanding we get by the precepts of God, the more rooted will be our hatred of sin; and the readier we are in the Scriptures, the better furnished we are with answers to temptation.

Psalms 119:97 "O how love I thy law! it [is] my meditation all the day."

MEM: The Thirteenth Part.

This commences a new division of the Psalm, indicated by the Hebrew letter Mem (î m, "m"). The expression here, "O how love I thy law," implies intense love, as if a man were astonished at the fervor of his own emotion. His love was so ardent that it was amazing and wonderful to himself. Perhaps wonderful that he, a sinner, should love the law of God at all. Wonderful that he should ever have been brought so to love a law which condemned himself. Any man who reflects on what his feelings are by nature in regard to religion, will be filled with wonder that he loves it at all. All who are truly religious ought to be so filled with love to it, that it will be difficult for them to find words to express the intensity of their affection.

"It is my meditation all the day" (see notes at Psalms 1:2).

To study the law of God is a very good thing. In our study on Leviticus, we could see types and shadows of Jesus, the Lamb of God. We see from the following Scripture, that there was a definite need for the law.

Galatians 3:24 "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."

No one could perfectly live up to the law. It just made all of mankind very aware that they needed a Savior. He is saying, that he thinks on the law of God all the day long. When a person meditates upon something, it is their choice. That is what is meant by my meditation.

Psalms 119:98-101 : God’s written Word (“Thy law”), was His wisdom for the Israelites (Deuteronomy 4:5-6). Its purpose was to shape Israel into a just and righteous society that would reflect His goodness to the surrounding nations who lacked such a source of wisdom. God’s Word gives, not just the psalmist but all believers, wisdom that exceeds that of their enemies and teachers.

Psalms 119:98-100 : The wisdom of God always far surpasses the wisdom of man.

Psalms 119:98 "Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they [are] ever with me."

By the teaching and power of thy law.

"Hast made me wiser than mine enemies": I have a better understanding of thee, of thy law, of the duties of this life, and in regard to the life to come, than my enemies have. Not because I am naturally better, or because I have higher endowments by nature, but because thou hast made me wiser than they are. The rendering of this first clause of the verse now most approved by interpreters is, "Thy commandments make me wiser than my enemies" Though this requires a singular verb to be construed with a plural noun (Professor Alexander). So DeWette renders it.

"For they are ever with me": Margin, as in Hebrew, "it is ever with me." The reference is to the law or commandments of God. The meaning is, that that law was never out of his mind. That he was constantly thinking about it; and that it unfolded such wisdom to him as to make him superior to all his foes. To give him a better understanding of life, its design, its duties, and its obligations, than his enemies had. The best instructor in true wisdom is the revealed word of God, the Bible.

The people who do not study the Word of God, have no perfect example of how to live before them. The Word of God is very helpful in our day to day affairs of life. We are told who to marry, and who we should not marry. Husbands are told how to be a good husband. Wives are taught how to be a good wife; children are told how to treat their parents. We are even told how to conduct day to day transactions in business. In fact, a government could run its affairs with no problem at all with the laws God set up in Leviticus. It would make a person very wise, if he studied the Word of God every day. If a problem arose that he did not know how to handle, he would just grab the Bible and look up the answer in God’s Word. How much wiser could you be than to have the knowledge of God at your fingertips?

Psalms 119:99 "I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies [are] my meditation."

“Understanding” is used to speak of knowledge that brings about good results. It is often translated as “success” and frequently refers to the benefits of knowing and obeying the written Word of God (Deuteronomy 29:9; Joshua 1:7-8; 1 Kings 2:1-3).

Unless the teacher spent as much time in the Word as he has spent, this would be true. Absolute Truth is in the Word of God. The teachers’ opinions are not always correct. Sometimes the teacher is basing what they believe on some other textbook, which is not necessarily so. The type of understanding that the psalmist is speaking of here is a gift from God through the Holy Spirit, who is the true Teacher.

Psalms 119:100 "I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts."

Than those that had lived in ages before him. Having clearer light given him, and larger discoveries made unto him, concerning the Messiah, his person and offices particularly, as it was usual for the Lord to do. Or than aged men in his own time. For though wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, may be reasonably supposed to be with ancient men. Who have had a long experience of things, and have had time and opportunity of making their observations, and of laying up a stock of knowledge. And this may be expected from them, and they may be applied to for it. Yet this is not always the case. A younger man, as David was, may be endued with more knowledge and understanding than such; so Elihu (see Job 8:8, Job 32:6). Or, "I have got understanding by the ancients"; so Kimchi; though the other sense seems preferable.

"Because I keep thy precepts": Keep close to the word. Attend to the reading of it, and meditation on it. Keep it in mind and memory, and observe to do the commands of it; and by that means obtained a good understanding, even a better one than the ancients. Especially than they that were without it, or did not carefully attend unto it (see Psalms 111:10).

He has the benefit of learning from the mistakes that the ancients made. Learning the teachings of God, and then keeping His commandments would put him in a place of more knowledge. As I said, this type of knowledge would have been taught him by the Holy Spirit of God. The lesson opened unto him would be the Word of God. God will not just open your brain and pour in this knowledge. He will give you the ability to understand it more and more as you study. The Holy Spirit brings it to remembrance. That means you had to read and study it first, then He makes you remember. It takes some effort on your part. Hide God’s teachings deep within your heart. They will be there, when you need them.

Psalms 119:101 "I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word."

I have walked in the path which thy law marks out. I have avoided the way of wickedness, and have not yielded to the seductions of a sinful life.

"That I might keep thy word": I have avoided all those allurements which would turn me from obedience, and which would prevent a right observance of thy commands. This indicates a purpose and a desire to keep the law of God, and shows the method which he adopted in order to do this. That method was to guard against everything which would turn him from obedience. It was, to make obedience to the law of God the great aim of the life.

He is speaking of the Bible teaching him the importance of living holy before the Lord. He says, I have disciplined my walk to match up with the Word of God. Many today do not believe it is necessary to walk holy before the Lord. The Bible teaches that you must walk the salvation that you have received. When you repent, it means that you have turned away from your life in the flesh and are walking in the spirit.

Psalms 119:102 "I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me."

From the precepts of the word, from the ways and worship and ordinances of God. He had not wickedly and on purpose departed from them. Whenever he did, it was through inadvertency, the weakness of the flesh, and strength of temptation. Nor from the doctrines of the word, which he held fast, knowing of whom he had learned them. As follows:

"For thou hast taught me": The nature, excellency, and use of these judgments. He had taught him, by his Spirit, experimentally to understand the doctrines of the word. And practically to observe the precepts of it. And this preserved him from an apostasy from either of them.

I really believe that this is the secret. To walk in the will of God for your life, you must know what that will is. The psalmist has not departed from God’s judgements, because he knows what God’s judgements are. He has diligently studied the Word of God, and is using what he learned to guide his life. Most people who do not believe it is important to walk the holy life, spend very little, if any time, truly studying God’s Word. They are not familiar with what the Bible says. They have taken someone else’s word for what the Bible teaches.

Psalms 119:103 "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! [yea, sweeter] than honey to my mouth!"

Who had a spiritual one. And could discern perverse things, and could taste how good and gracious the Lord is. And so his words were sweet unto him. The doctrines of grace, the truths of the Gospel, were delightful and pleasant to him. Like unadulterated milk, desirable by him: and like good wine, that goes down sweetly. Like good food, that is exceeding palatable; or like honey, and even sweeter than that, as follows. And that words "may be tasted and eaten", is not only agreeable to Scripture language (Jeremiah 15:16). But to classical writers;

"Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth": Not only had they the nourishing nature and the refreshing virtue of honey, but the sweetness of it; yea, exceeded it in sweetness (see Psalms 19:10).

Have you ever had the sensation that the psalmist is speaking of here? He has read it so much, that it is sweetness to his inner most being. This reminds me of the book that John was told to eat, that was sweet in his mouth as honey. The sweetness of the Word, to me, is that as I study it, it seems to be so personal to me. It is so ageless, that it is current today. Look with me at what Jesus said about this.

Matthew 4:4 "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

We are to partake of the Word of God (Bible), as often as you would physical bread. The Word feeds the soul of man.

Psalms 119:104 "Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way."

A true understanding. A correct view of things. A knowledge of thee, of myself, of the human character, of the destiny of man, and of the way of salvation. The best, and the only essential knowledge for man. This knowledge the psalmist obtained from the "precepts" of God. That is, all that God had communicated by revelation. This passage expresses in few words what had been said more at length in Psalms 119:98-100.

This is speaking of those who love the Truth, and despise the lie. The false way is the wide way that leads to destruction. Not only is the psalmist thankful that he learned the way of God and would not be led into this false way again, but he hates this way that others might be deceived into falling in. This false way is the path that leads to the father of all lies, Satan. Again, I must stress, the thing that kept the psalmist here, from getting in that false way was his understanding of the Word of God. The Word of God contains life. The false way leads to death.

NUN - “Thy word is a lamp … and a light”

Psalms 119:105-120

Psalms 119:105-112 : The word of God directs us in our work and way, and a dark place indeed the world would be without it. The commandment is a lamp kept burning with the oil of the Spirit, as a light to direct us in the choice of our way, and the steps we take in that way. The keeping of God’s commands here meant, was that of a sinner under a dispensation of mercy, of a believer having part in the covenant of grace. The psalmist is often afflicted; but with longing desires to become more holy, offers up daily prayers for quickening grace. We cannot offer anything to God, that he will accept but what he is pleased to teach us to do. To have our soul or life continually in our hands, implies constant danger of life; yet he did not forget God’s promises nor his precepts. Numberless are the snares laid by the wicked; and happy is that servant of God, whom they have not caused to err from his Master’s precepts. Heavenly treasures are a heritage forever; all the saints accept them as such, therefore they can be content with little of this world. We must look for comfort only in the way of duty, and that duty must be done. A good man, by the grace of God, brings his heart to his work, then it is done well.

Psalms 119:105 "Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

NUN: The Fourteenth Part.

“Lamp … light”: God’s Word provides illumination to walk without stumbling.

We are living in a very darkened world. The path of life would be obscured from our view, were it not for the Light of Jesus which lights our way.

John 8:12 "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

The Word (spoken of in John chapter 1), and the Light are the same. The One we know as Jesus Christ the righteous is both. The Light that directs my every step is not only that flaming torch of a light mentioned in the first part of Psalms 119:105 above, but the Bible (God’s Word), guides me by enlightening my understanding. If I continue to study His Word, then I will see the path that I am to walk brighter and brighter. It is very important not to go anywhere, unless the light guides you there. Stay in the presence of Light, until you are like Moses’ head: full of His Light. Look with me at one more Scripture on this.

Ephesians 5:8 "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light:"

You see, we not only walk in His Light, but His Light is in us and shines forth from us.

Psalms 119:106 "I have sworn, and I will perform [it], that I will keep thy righteous judgments."

Or, "I have performed it". The psalmist had not only taken up a resolution in his mind, but he had openly declared with his mouth, and professed in a solemn manner, that he would serve the Lord. He had sworn allegiance to him as his King, and, through divine grace, had hitherto kept it. And hoped he ever should, and determined through grace he ever would (see Psalms 119:48).

"That I will keep thy righteous judgments": The precepts of the word, the ordinances of the Lord, the doctrines of grace. All which are righteous, and to be kept, observed, and held to. Though they cannot be perfectly kept unless in Christ the surety.

When the day star shines in our lives, it causes us to understand so fully that we will be committed, such as the psalmist is here, to keep the judgements of the Lord.

2 Peter 1:19 "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:"

When this day star, (Jesus, the Light), shines forth within you, it does away with all darkness. It completely changes you from within.

Psalms 119:107 "I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word."

In a temporal sense, in his body, in his family, and by his enemies. In a spiritual sense, with the corruptions of his heart, with the temptations of Satan, and with the hidings of God’s face. And what with one thing or another, he was pressed above measure. And his spirits sunk under the weight of the affliction, so that he was as a dead man. And therefore prays:

"Quicken me": Make me live; give me life and vigor, that I may bear up under my trials (see notes at Psalms 119:25).

This is not the psalmist being pushy with God, he is just claiming the promises that God has made in His Word. He says, your Word says that you will quicken me, I believe your Word, so it is done. Remember that the quickening is of the spirit, and not the flesh.

Psalms 119:108 "Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, and teach me thy judgments."

Or, the meaning of the word here rendered "free-will," (see notes at Psalms 110:3). It conveys the idea that there is no constraint or compulsion. That the offering is a prompting of the heart. The offering might be that of flour, or grain, or fruits, or property of any kind, as devoted to God. Or it might be, as here, an offering of the lips, expressed in prayer and praise. Either of them might be acceptable to God. Their being accepted in either case would depend on the good pleasure of God, and hence, the psalmist prays that his offering might be thus acceptable (compare Hebrews 13:15).

"And teach me thy judgments": Thy commands; thy laws (see notes at Psalms 119:12).

This is speaking of the sacrifice of praise. Some sacrifice is of obligation, but the sacrifice of praise is a freewill offering. This is not an obligation. The psalmist desires to praise, and so it is spoken of as a sacrifice of praise.

Hebrews 13:15 "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of [our] lips giving thanks to his name."

Psalms 119:109 "My soul [is] continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law."

In the utmost jeopardy, always exposed to danger, ever delivered unto death. Killed all the day long, or liable to be so. This is the sense of the phrase (see Judges 12:3). For what is in a man’s hands may easily fall, or be taken out of them. So the Targum, "my soul is in danger upon the back of my hands continually.’’

"Yet do I not forget thy law": It was written on his heart, and fixed in his mind. He had a true affection for it, and a hearty desire to keep it. And no danger could divert him from his duty. As Daniel, though he carried his life in his hand, yet continued to pray to his God as usual. Nor could anything move the Apostle Paul from the doctrine of the Gospel, and preaching it.

The soul of man is his will. The flesh of man is always trying to take control of the soul of man. The spirit of man is in mortal battle against the flesh, and it too is trying to control the soul or will. It is in the psalmist hands what controls the soul. The psalmist decides what he will follow. Will his flesh rule him, or will his spirit rule him? This is also a decision that each of us must make, as well. The condition of our soul is in our hands. The psalmist has no trouble deciding, because he remembers God’s law.

Psalms 119:110 "The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts."

To draw him into sin, and so into mischief. And even to take away his life, as they are said to dig pits for him (Psalms 119:85).

"Yet I erred not from thy precepts": Not willfully and wickedly, though through inadvertence and infirmity, as he often did, and every good man does. And indeed, his errors are so many, that they cannot be understood and numbered. The sense is, he kept on in the way of his duty and did not desist from that. Or wickedly depart from his God, and his worship, to escape the snares of bad men.

The wicked are continuously trying to get us to follow the call of our flesh. They try to find out what your weakness is, and lay a trap for you. The man that has thoroughly studied and accepted God’s ways, will not be fooled into falling into this trap.

Psalms 119:111 "Thy testimonies have I taken as a heritage forever: for they [are] the rejoicing of my heart."

The Scriptures, which testify of Christ and of his grace, and of the mind and will of God, are a portion of themselves. And a goodly heritage they are, better than thousands of gold and silver. Preferable to all worldly inheritances; as they have been to many, who have forsaken all for Christ and his Gospel. These, like an inheritance, have been transmitted from father to son, from one age of the church to another, in successive generations. Nor shall they depart from her, nor from her seed and her seed’s seed, from henceforth and for ever. They are an inheritance which will continue for ever (Deuteronomy 33:4). These David chose and took, as for his counsellors, so for his portion and inheritance. And a wise and good choice he made. He chose the good part that should never be taken away; his reason for it follows:

"For they are the rejoicing of my heart": The doctrines in them, the promises of them, when read or heard explained, gave him a sensible pleasure. Revived his heart, and cheered his spirits. Supported him under all his troubles, and caused him to go on his way rejoicing (see Jeremiah 15:16).

“Rejoicing”: Compare Psalms 119:162.

The teachings of God are possibly the greatest heritage we could have. Parents that truly love their children and teach them the ways of God have left their children a wonderful heritage. They may not have great material blessings to leave their children, but they have given them the greatest gift a person can have, the knowledge of how to acquire Eternal life. Testimonies, in the verse above, is speaking of the covenant of God with man. This covenant promises us eternal life.

Psalms 119:112 "I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes always, [even unto] the end."

He had prayed to God to incline his heart to them (Psalms 119:36). And by the grace of God his heart was inclined to obedience to them. And nothing but that can incline the heart, which is naturally averse unto them. The carnal mind is not subject to the law of God, nor can it be, until it is made so by the grace of God (Romans 8:7). And by this the psalmist had prevailed upon his heart to keep the statutes of the Lord, and do them, and that continually. For a good man is desirous of being steadfast and immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.

"Even unto the end": The end of life, as long as he lived. The Septuagint and Vulgate Latin version render it, "for a recompense"; and the Arabic version, "for an eternal recompense"; but the Ethiopic version the reverse, "not for a recompense", or benefit. Which latter is the truth, though neither of them for a right reason. For the statutes are to be kept, not for the sake of a recompense of reward, but from love of God. And; in duty to him, without any mercenary views. Though the word does sometimes signify "a reward". And may be rendered here, "for ever there is a reward"; as there is "in", though not "for", keeping the commands (see Psalms 19:11).

He has made a lifetime commitment to God. He has caused his heart to listen to the teachings of the Word. We see a man whose heart is stayed upon God. We are what our heart is.

SAMECH

“I hate vain thoughts”

Psalms 119:113-120 : Here is a dread of the risings of sin, and the first beginnings of it. The more we love the law of God, the more watchful we shall be, lest vain thoughts draw us from what we love. Would we make progress in keeping God’s commands, we must be separate from evil-doers. The believer could not live without the grace of God; but, supported by his hand, his spiritual life shall be maintained. Our holy security is grounded on Divine supports. All departure from God’s statutes is error, and will prove fatal. Their cunning is falsehood. There is a day coming which will put the wicked into everlasting fire, the fit place for the dross. See what comes of sin. Surely we who fall so low in devout affections, should fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into heavenly rest, any of us should be found to come short of it (Hebrews 4:1).

Psalms 119:113 "I hate [vain] thoughts: but thy law do I love."

SAMECH: The Fifteenth Part.

Or thoughts: evil thoughts are undoubtedly meant, no other can be the object of hatred to a good man. They are such as are contrary to the law of God, and forbidden by it, mentioned in the next clause as the object of love, in opposition to these. And which are abominable to God, and defiling to men; and should be forsaken and need pardon. And, if not pardoned, will be brought into judgment, and there exposed, and men punished for them. There are multitudes of these that rise up in the minds of men, not only bad men, but good men. Even sometimes atheistically blasphemous thoughts, as well as proud, haughty, revengeful, lustful, impure, and worldly ones. Which, when observed by a good man, give him great concern and uneasiness, and raise a holy indignation in him against them. The word is used for the "opinions" of men. The ambiguous, doubtful, wavering, and inconstant sentiments of the mind (1 Kings 18:21). And is used of branches, or the tops of trees, waved with the wind to and fro. And may be applied to all heterodox opinions, human doctrines, and damnable heresies. Such as are inconsistent with the perfections of God. Derogate from his grace, and from the person and offices of Christ. And are contrary to the word, and which are therefore rejected and abhorred by good men. The Targum is, "I hate those who think vain thoughts;’’ and so Jarchi and Aben Ezra interpret it of persons, thinkers, or devisers of evil things. And to this sense are the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions; and which is approved of by Gussetius. Even free thinkers, such as devise things out of their own brains, and regard not the law, doctrine, or word of God.

"But thy law do I love": Which forbids and condemns such vain and wicked thoughts, and requires pure and Holy Ones. Or, "thy doctrine"; which comes from God, is concerning him, and reveals his mind and will, his grace and love to men. The doctrine of Christ, concerning his person, office, and work. The doctrine of the Scriptures, which contain the whole Gospel of Christ, as well as the law of God. The doctrine according to godliness, and which is good, sound, and wholesome, and to be received in the love of it.

This is saying, that he rejects vain thoughts. Vain thoughts are thoughts of one’s self. I suppose everyone occasionally have a thought they must reject. Satan tempted Jesus with vain things, and Jesus rebuked him with the Word of God.

Psalms 119:114 "Thou [art] my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word."

From temporal calamities. The perfections of God are chambers of retreat and safety to his people. Where they may hide themselves and be safe, till such calamities are over (Isaiah 26:20). And from spiritual evils; from avenging justice, from divine wrath, from the rage of Satan, and the fury of men (Isaiah 32:2). And from eternal death, and being hurt by it. The spiritual and eternal life of saints being hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3; see Psalms 32:7).

"And my shield": To protect from all dangers, and preserve from every enemy. Such are the love and grace, the power and strength and the truth and faithfulness of God. Which are the saints’ shield and buckler (Psalms 5:12). Such also the person, blood, righteousness, and salvation of Christ, who is a sun and shield. The shield of faith, or which faith holds up and defends the soul against the attacks of a powerful enemy (Psalms 84:11).

"I hope in thy Word": In Christ the Word, for acceptance and justification, for peace, pardon, and eternal salvation. All which are in him: in the word of promise, for all supplies of grace, strength, light, life, and comfort here, and for glory hereafter, contained therein (see Psalms 119:74).

The only hiding place that any of the believers have, is in the Lord. We could run and hide and the Lord would protect us, but it is time to stand and fight and God will be our shield. This shield covers our heart, where we are the most vulnerable. For the believer in Christ, He builds a hedge around us and over us of the precious shed blood of the Lamb. The blood of Jesus the Lamb, is what defeated Satan on the cross. He is afraid of the blood of Jesus. We must stand and fight for the Truth of God. He will protect us with His blood.

Psalms 119:115 "Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God."

The same with the evil thinkers (Psalms 119:113). According to Aben Ezra, they that think evil commonly do it; as they devise it, they commit it. This describes such persons whose course of life is, and who make it their constant business to do, iniquity. Such the psalmist desires to depart his presence, to keep at a distance from him, as being very disagreeable to him. And who would be a great hindrance to him in keeping the commandments of God, as follows. These same words will be spoken by David’s son and antitype, at the great day of account (Matthew 7:23).

"For I will keep the commandments of my God": Of God who has a fight to command, and not of men, especially when opposed to the commands of God. Of God, who is the covenant God and Father of his people. And whose covenant, grace, and favor, in choosing, redeeming, regenerating, and adopting them, lay them under greater obligations still to keep his commandments. And whose commandments are not grievous. And though they cannot be perfectly kept by good men, yet they are desirous of keeping them as well as they can, and determine in the strength of divine grace so to do. And which they do out of love to God, and with a view to his glory, without any selfish or mercenary ends. The Syriac version renders it, "that I may keep", etc. To which end he desires to be rid of the company of wicked men; who are both a nuisance to good men, and a hindrance in religious duties.

Do not fellowship with those of unbelief. Witness to them and go home. Do not fellowship with them. When you fellowship with them, it is as if you are approving of their life style. Fellowship with believers, so you can build each other up in the most holy faith. He is determined to keep the Word of God. We, too, must determine in our heart to live for Jesus. We must refuse to be part of the evil that goes on around us.

Psalms 119:116 "Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope."

In thy ways, that my footsteps slip not. In thine arms, and with the right hand of thy righteousness. From fainting and sinking under difficulties and discouragements, in trying circumstances. And from slipping and sliding out of the way of God. And from a total and final falling away, according to thy word of promise, that, as are the days of thy people, their strength shall be. And that thou wilt never leave them nor forsake them. The Targum is, "uphold me in thy word;’’ or by thy word, either essential or written. That I may live; meaning not relating to a physical body, though none so live but whom the Lord upholds in life. But, spiritually, live by faith on Christ the Savior. Live comfortably on the word of promise, and live honorably, agreeably to the word of God, in all holy conversation and godliness.

"And let me not be ashamed of my hope": As men are, when they are disappointed or having and enjoying what they have been hoping and waiting for. But the grace of hope makes not ashamed, nor shall those who have it ever have any reason to be ashamed of it. Since it is a good hope through grace and is an anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast. Is upon a good foundation, Christ, and by which men are saved. And so may rejoice, in full hope of the glory of God they shall certainly enjoy.

I believe the psalmist is more concerned about what the world will think about him placing his hope in the word of God, than he is concerned about living. He does not want the worldly people around him to have any comeback at him, because of what he believes.

Psalms 119:117 "Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually."

Keep me from falling in the trials and temptations of life. The Hebrew word means to prop, uphold, and support. The Septuagint is, "Aid me."

"And I shall be safe": And I shall be saved; or, that I may be saved. It is an acknowledgment of entire dependence on God for salvation, temporal and eternal.

"And I will have respect": I will look to thy statutes; I will have them always in my eye (compare notes at Psalms 119:6).

He knows the promises of the Word so well, that he knows if God upholds him, he definitely will be safe. I don’t believe this is saying that he would lose respect for God, if God doesn’t keep him safe. I believe he is saying, if God does not save him, he will die, and from the grave, he cannot uphold the Lord. If he does live, he will spend all of his time uplifting God.

Psalms 119:118-119 : “Has trodden … puttest away”: God righteously judges the wicked by His Word.

Psalms 119:118 "Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit [is] falsehood."

That wander from the way of the Lord’s commandments; that deviate from his precepts, go astray constantly and willfully. A people that err in their hearts, and with all their hearts. These the Lord treads down, as mire in the streets, as grapes in a winepress. Which shows his abhorrence of them, his indignation at them, and how easily they are subdued under him.

"For their deceit is falsehood": Or, "their hypocrisy is a lie": the appearance they make is a false one. They appear outwardly righteous, but are inwardly wicked. They have a form of godliness, but deny the power of it. Or all their deceitful doctrines are lies in hypocrisy, though dressed up with all the art and cunning they are masters of. Or all their subtle schemes to corrupt and subvert the true doctrines of the word are in vain and to no purpose.

There are those who pretend to be of God, and are not. These are the ones spoken of here who are deceitful. Usually, someone who professes to be a believer and is not, does not keep the laws of God. Even ministers, who do not have the right relationship with God, will sometime deceive their people into believing they are doing right, when in fact, they are sneaking around committing sins against God. Falsehood and deceit are near kinsman. Both are products of Satan. This Scripture is about those who pretend to be of God, and are really of their father, the devil.

Psalms 119:119 "Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth [like] dross: therefore I love thy testimonies."

Which is of no worth and value, useless and unprofitable. Which is cast into the fire, and separated from the choice metal. This expresses the character and state of wicked men; who are of no account with God, are of no profit and advantage to him; nor to men, but harmful and pernicious. They are cast into the fire of God’s judgments here, and into everlasting burnings hereafter. And will be separated from the righteous, and have no part and lot with them. These seem to be hypocrites also, who have made a show of being gold and silver, when they were nothing but dross. And being reprobate silver, were rejected of God as such.

"Therefore I love thy testimonies": Which discover such persons when brought to be tried by them. And which require purity of heart and life, and caution against evil ways and evil men, and are a means of preserving from them.

When silver or gold is heated to a very hot temperature, the dross comes to the top, and you can skim this trash off of the metal and leave the metal pure. This then, is speaking of God separating the evil people from His followers. The dross (trash), sinners, are just thrown away. They must be separated from the pure in heart. This is spoken of in heaven when Jesus separates the sheep from the goats. The Bible teaches that the wheat (believers), live in the earth with the tares, until that day when God separates them and burns the tares. The wheat is carried into the great barn called heaven. He is saying, that he has read in God’s Word where this will happen, and he knows he will not always have to be tormented by them. This is a promise he is looking forward to having fulfilled.

Psalms 119:120 "My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments."

Not for fear of the wrath of God coming down upon himself, nor for fear of eternal damnation. But for fear of what was coming upon the wicked, for their sins and transgressions. The word used signifies such a dread and horror, which seizes a man to such a degree, that it makes the hair of his flesh to stand up. As Jarchi and Kimchi observe (see Psalms 119:53, Job 4:14).

"And I am afraid of thy judgments; not of their coming down upon him, but upon the wicked.” The thought of which is more awful to good men than to the wicked themselves. And especially when under any darkness, doubts, and fears. Lest, being conscious to themselves of their own weakness, they should be left to join with the wicked in their sins, and so be partakers of their plagues.

Fear or reverence, of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The fear that a believer has of the Lord is similar to the fear a son has of his father. We know that even the earth trembled before the Lord. We know that when the presence of God was on the mountain, the mountain would tremble before Him. It would be more unnatural for us not to tremble before Him. The judgements of God are righteous. We are not righteous in our own right. The only thing that makes us able to stand before the Judge of all the world, is the fact that we are clothed with His righteousness.

AIN - “I am thy servant”

Psalms 119:121-136

Psalms 119:121-128 : Happy is the man, who, acting upon gospel principles, does justice to all around. Christ our Surety, having paid our debt and ransom, secures all the blessings of salvation to every true believer. The psalmist expects the word of God’s righteousness, and no other salvation than what is secured by that word, which cannot fall to the ground. We deserve no favor from God; we are most easy when we cast ourselves upon God’s mercy, and refer ourselves to it. If any man resolves to do God’s will as his servant, he shall be made to know his testimonies. We must do what we can for the support of religion, and, after all, must beg of God to take the work into his own hands. It is hypocrisy to say we love God’s commandments more than our worldly interests. The way of sin is a false way, being directly contrary to God’s precepts, which are right: those that love and esteem God’s law, hate sin, and will not be reconciled to it.

Psalms 119:121 "I have done judgment and justice: leave me not to mine oppressors.

AIN: The Sixteenth Part.

As king of Israel; which is the character given of him (2 Samuel 8:15). And in which he was a type of Christ (Jeremiah 23:5). And as a private person; which is everyone’s duty, and every good man especially will be desirous of performing it. It is not indeed perfectly done by any, and therefore not to be trusted to; nor was it so done by David. Nor did he place his confidence in it. Or did he say this in a boasting way, but in defense of himself and his innocence against those who oppressed him with their defamatory statements, as appears from the next clause. The Syriac version takes it to be an address to God, and as describing him, "O thou that doest judgment and justice!" to whom the following petition is directed.

"Leave me not to mine oppressors": David had his oppressors, as all good men have, and power was on their side. But they could do no more, nor further exercise it, than as they were permitted by the Lord. For they had no power but what was given them from above. And he applies to God, and not men, for relief; and deprecates being given up to them, and left in their hands.

I have mentioned before in these verses from the 119th Psalm that I believe David to be the penman. Saul had been the first of the kings of Israel, and he had done things very displeasing unto God in the last of his reign.

1 Samuel 28:7 "Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, [there is] a woman that hath a familiar spirit at En-dor."

You see, instead of consulting with God, he had turned to a witch for advice. Saul was evil in the sight of God. David was the opposite of Saul. David had no counselors except God. David was a good king and judged the people with God’s kind of justice. David’s only sins against God was taking Bath-sheba when she was another man’s wife, and having her husband, Uriah, killed so that he could marry her. In David’s whole lifetime, his heart was stayed upon God. He had done good to the people he reigned over and had tried to live exactly the way God would have him to live. Here, David has come to the only place there had ever been help for him. He came to God for help. David always upheld God’s Word, and he knew God had never let him down either.

Psalms 119:122 "Be surety for thy servant for good: let not the proud oppress me."

The psalmist was, in a like case with Hezekiah, oppressed. And therefore, desires the Lord would undertake for him, appear on his side, and defend him (Psalms 38:14). And if God himself is the surety of his people, and engages in their behalf, they need fear no enemy. What David prays to God to be for him, that Christ is for all his people (Hebrews 7:22). He drew nigh to God, struck hands with him, gave his word and bond to pay the debts of his people. And put himself in their legal place and stead, and became responsible to law and justice for them. He engaged to make satisfaction for their sins, and to bring in everlasting righteousness for their justification. To preserve and keep them, and bring them safe to eternal glory and happiness. And this was being a surety for them for good. The Syriac version is, "delight that servant with good things"; and to the same sense the Targum and Kimchi interpret it. But Jarchi and Aben Ezra take the word to have the same meaning we do. And so Aquila and Theodotion translate it: the sense Arama gives is, "be surety for thy servant, that I may be good.’’

"Let not the proud oppress me": The oppressors of God’s people are generally proud. They are such who deal in proud wrath. It is in their pride, and owing to it, they persecute them (Psalms 10:2). This has been their character in all ages, and agrees with the man of sin and his followers, who is king over all the children of pride. But wherein such men deal proudly and oppress, God is higher than they, and therefore most proper to be applied unto.

He is asking God to be his security here. You could have no better security than God. That is just what the Lord Jesus did for all the believers. The proud are not just the enemy of David, but they rejected God, and they are His enemy as well. You stand good for me, is another way to say what David is asking here.

Psalms 119:123 "Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, and for the word of thy righteousness."

For temporal salvation or deliverance from oppressors. And for spiritual salvation, for views of an interest in it, and the joys and comforts of it. And for the Messiah, the author of it; whom he was looking wistfully for, but, not coming as soon as expected. His eyes were tired and weary, and ready to fail, and his heart to faint (see note on Psalms 119:81).

"And for the word of thy righteousness": For the word of promise, which the righteousness or faithfulness of God was engaged to perform. Or for the law of God, the rule of righteousness, and which shows what righteousness God requires. And for the bringing in of that righteousness of the Messiah, which could answer its demands. Or for the Gospel, and more clear administration of it, which is called the word of righteousness (Hebrews 5:13). In which the righteousness of God is revealed; the righteousness which Christ. Who is God as well as man, has wrought out; and which his Father has approved of, accepted, and imputes to his people, and justifies them with. And which word also teaches men to live soberly, righteously, and godly.

His eyes fail means that he has been looking so intently waiting to see his salvation that he can barely hold his eyes open any longer. David wants to hear the righteous Word of God speak up for him against his oppressors. You could also look at this prophetically, and say that we too, get to the point that it seems we are about to go under. We cry out for salvation. Sometimes we look and look, before we see the salvation in our life.

Psalms 119:124 "Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy, and teach me thy statutes."

Not according to justice, for sinners as we are, we can never urge that as a plea before God. No man who knows himself could ask of God to deal with him according to the strict and stern principles of justice. But we may ask him to deal with us according to mercy, for mercy is our only plea. And the mercy of God, vast and boundless, constitutes such a ground of appeal as we need. No man can have any other; no man need desire any other.

"And teach me thy statutes" (see notes at Psalms 119:12). Show thy mercy to me in teaching me thy law.

Notice David calls himself, thy servant. He has made his commitment to God, and he will not go back on it. He asks for God’s mercy. He says, after you have forgiven me by your mercy, teach me thy statutes.

Psalms 119:125 "I [am] thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies."

Not only by creation, but by grace. And as he had a work to do, he desires to know what it was. And as it was proper he should know his Master’s will, he applies to him for it. Using this as an argument, that he was his servant, devoted to his service, and willing to perform it to the best of his knowledge and ability; and therefore prays:

"Give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies": The Scriptures, which testify of the will of God. Which are only rightly understood by those who have their understandings opened and enlightened. Or have an understanding given them, that they may understand them, so as to receive and embrace the doctrine, and do the precepts of them. And such an understanding is the gift of God, and owing to his powerful and efficacious grace (see Luke 24:45).

I hear many people say that they have read the Bible, and still do not know what it is saying. The Holy Spirit of God reveals the meaning to those who diligently seek out the Word. We must pray and ask God to open our understanding, as David is asking here. David’s desire is to serve God. He wants the Spirit of God to be his Teacher that he might understand more fully.

Psalms 119:126 "[It is] time for [thee], LORD, to work: [for] they have made void thy law."

The prophet shows that when the wicked have brought all things to confusion, and God’s word to utter contempt, then it is God’s time to help and send the remedy.

"For they have made void thy law": They have broken it. They have set it at defiance. They regard and treat it as if it had no claim to obedience; as if it were a thing of naught. This the psalmist urges as a reason for the putting forth of power to arrest the evil. To bring people to repentance; to secure the salvation of souls. By all the evil done when the law of God is set at naught, by all the desirableness that the law should be obeyed, by all the danger to the souls of people from its violation. This prayer may now and at all times be offered, and that with earnestness (compare Psalms 119:136).

When David asks the LORD to work here, he is saying, intervene on my behalf. David has done all he can do to make things better with these people, and all the things he has done have been to no avail. Now he says, Do it for me LORD. They have not only been opposed to David, but were trying to do away with the law of God as well.

Psalms 119:127 "Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold."

Because he was the Lord’s servant, as Aben Ezra; or rather because the wicked made void the law. His love was the more inflamed and increased towards it by the contempt it was had in by others; he preferred it;

"Above gold": Yea, above fine gold; or gold of Phez, a place where the best gold was. As was thought. The Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions render it "the topaz"; and the Syriac and Arabic versions, "precious stones" or "gems" (see Psalms 119:72).

Gold was the most expensive metal at this time and David knew just how valuable it was, because he had so much of it. All of the gold stacked up had not been able to free him from this problem. David knew that the commandments of God were not to be compared with earthly things like gold. David would have given all the gold in his possession, if necessary, for the commandments. David did give a tremendous fortune of gold and silver for the use in building the temple in Jerusalem.

Psalms 119:128 "Therefore I esteem all [thy] precepts [concerning] all [things to be] right; [and] I hate every false way."

He had an impartial regard to all the commandments of God; and valued one as well as another, and walked according to all of them. Making no difference either in his affection or practice between one and another, as being more or less necessary, just, and right. He had an equal respect to the lighter and weightier matters of the law. And, like Zacharias and Elisabeth, walked in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. Looking upon them all, with respect to everything commanded or forbidden by them, to be just and equitable.

"And I hate every false way": Every command, institution, and ordinance of men, which are opposed to the will of God. Every false way of worship, all superstition and idolatry; and every false doctrine whatsoever is contrary to the testimonies and word of God. And indeed where there is a true love of the word, worship, and ordinances of God, there must be a hatred of these.

Since these ungodly people around David tried to destroy the law of God in a previous verse, we see David upholding it even more. David put the laws of God above everything, except God Himself. David knew that God and His law were absolute truth. David learned well the teaching of God, and he knew that anything false was from the devil himself. David’s hate for the false way was really a righteous hate.

PE

“The entrance of thy words giveth light”

Psalms 119:129-138 : God offers of life’s greatest wonders: the inner “light” that gives understanding even to the unlearned person. Brokenhearted over those who do not “keep” God’s “law”; the psalmist uses “mouth” metaphors to suggest his great appetite for God’s commandments.

Psalms 119:129-136 : The wonders of redeeming love will fix the heart in adoration of them. The Scriptures show us what we were, what we are, and what we shall be. They show us the mercy and the justice of the Lord, the joys of heaven, and the pains of hell. Thus, they give to the simple, in a few days, understanding of those matters, which philosophers for ages sought in vain. The believer, wearied with the cares of life and his conflicts with sin, pants for the consolations conveyed to him by means of the sacred word. And every one may pray, “Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name” (Psalms 119:132). We must beg that the Holy Spirit would order our steps. The dominion of sin is to be dreaded and prayed against by everyone. The oppression of men is often more than flesh and blood can bear; and He who knoweth our frame, will not refuse to remove it in answer to the prayers of his people. Whatever obscurity may appear as to the faith of the Old Testament believers, their confidence at the throne of grace can only be explained by their having obtained more distinct views of gospel privileges, through the sacrifices and services of their law, than is generally imagined. Go to the same place, plead the name and merits of Jesus, and you will not, you cannot plead in vain. Commonly, where there is a gracious heart, there is a weeping eye. Accept, O Lord, the tears our blessed Redeemer shed in the days of his flesh, for us who should weep for our brethren or ourselves.

Psalms 119:129 "Thy testimonies [are] wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them."

PE: The Seventeenth Part.

This commences a new division of the psalm, indicated by the Hebrew letter Pe (ô p), corresponding to our "p." The meaning of the expression here is, that the laws of God, the revelations of his will, are adapted to fill the mind with wonder. The mind is awed by their wisdom; their comprehensiveness; their extent; their spirituality; their benevolence. By the fact that laws are framed, so perfectly adapted to the end; so well suited to secure order, and to promote happiness.

"Therefore doth my soul keep them": Because they are so surpassingly wise and benevolent; because they are so manifestly the work of wisdom and goodness.

Testimonies, in the verse above, has to do with witness. The wonderful witness of the Word (Jesus Christ), turned the believing world upside down. David is saying, that the Word is so wonderful, is why he keeps them. We can say with David, that the Bible is so wonderful. You can read the same Scripture a thousand times and find something brand new every time you read it. The Word of God is alive. The same Word that ministered to people a thousand years ago is still current today. The Bible is more current than your daily newspaper. I could go on and on, but that is wonderful enough for me to desire to live by it.

Psalms 119:130 "The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple."

“Light … understanding”: Refers to illumination in comprehending the meaning of Scripture.

When you read and study the Word of God (Bible), it is like an electric light bulb of understanding goes off in your mind. The Word sheds Light on every aspect of life. It is so strange to me, that people who never went beyond the second grade in school are the very people who understand the meaning of the Scriptures better than some college graduates. The understanding is a gift from God. This understanding is not accumulated learning in school. Jesus taught a simple message of salvation. One of the problems today is that we complicate it with big words, thinking that makes us look intelligent.

Psalms 119:131 "I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments."

“Panted”: As after God Himself (compare Psalms 42:1-2).

This Scripture reminds me of the Scripture that speaks of hungering and thirsting after righteousness.

Matthew 5:6 "Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."

David is so diligently seeking the teachings of God, that it is as if he is out of breath for the search.

Psalms 119:132 "Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name."

Turn not away from me. Regard me with thy favor.

"And be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name": Margin, "According to the custom toward those," etc. The Hebrew word is "judgment:" "According to the judgment to the lovers of thy name." The word seems here to be used in the sense of "right;" of what is due; or of what is usually determined. That is, as God usually determines, judges, acts toward those who love him. The idea is, treat me according to the rules which regulate the treatment of thy people. Let me be regarded as one of them, and be dealt with accordingly. On the sentiment in this passage (see notes at Psalms 106:4).

Those that love the name of God and His teachings, can get audience with God at any time. David is asking for the mercy, he has been reading about, to be available to him. This is like saying, may I have your attention for a moment. David does not want God to turn away from him.

Psalms 119:133 "Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me."

My goings, or my conduct and life by thy word; according to thy requirements. Let me be wholly obedient to thy will.

"And let not any iniquity have dominion over me” (see notes at Psalms 19:13). The prayer is, that no form of sin, that no wicked passion or propensity, might be allowed to rule over him. He who is willing that any one sin should rule in his heart, though he should be free from all other forms of sin, cannot be a pious man (see notes at James 2:10).

Show me, in your Word, what you would have me to do. David is asking God to protect him from temptations. Let me study your Word, and let it direct me away from temptation, would be another way of saying this.

Psalms 119:134 "Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts."

From constraint on the part of man, so that I may be free to act as I please. Give me true religious liberty, and let me not be under any compulsion or constraint. The word rendered "deliver" is that which is usually rendered "redeem." It is used here in the large sense of deliverance; and the prayer is an expression of what the true friends of religion have always sought, desired, and demanded. "Freedom" of opinion, the richest blessing which man can enjoy.

"So will I keep thy precepts": My heart inclines to that; I desire it; and, if suffered to act without constraint, I will do it. As it is the purpose and the wish of my soul, I pray that all hindrances to the free exercise of my religion may be removed. How often has this prayer been offered in times of persecution! By how many millions of the dwellers on the earth might it even now be offered! What a blessing it is to those who are free from oppressive laws, that they are permitted to carry out the wishes of their hearts, and to worship God according to the dictates of their conscience, with none to molest them or make them afraid.

It is a fact that some men who attack us so bitterly, sometimes cause us to sin, when we get angry with them. Moses is a very good example of that, when the people had so angered him, that he disobeyed God and struck the Rock instead of speaking to it. David is saying here, that if God would remove the oppression from these men, he could better keep God’s precepts. He would not be feeling so much anger toward them, which might cause him to sin.

Psalms 119:135 "Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes."

That is, lift up the light of thy countenance on me. favor me with thy gracious presence, and communion with thyself. Manifest thyself unto me, and shed abroad thy love in my heart. Cause the sun of righteousness to arise upon me, and commune with me, from above thy mercy seat. Restore to me the joys of thy salvation, and let me have the comforts of thy good Spirit. This prayer is a part of the blessing of the High Priest (Numbers 6:25).

"And teach me thy statutes": The more communion a man has with God, the more desirous he is of learning and doing his will. This is a frequent petition (see Psalms 119:124).

If God looks upon him, not with gloom and a solemn face, then he says, He made His face to shine upon me. David is speaking as if this shining down upon him will open his knowledge to the statutes of God. Perhaps, the following Scripture can say it better than I can.

2 Corinthians 4:6 "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

David is saying, shine your Light in my heart, and let Your Spirit open up my knowledge of the glory of God.

Psalms 119:136 "Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law."

“Rivers of waters”: The psalmist is brought to sobbing over the sin of others. My heart is sad, and my eyes pour forth floods of tears. It is not a gentle weeping, but my eyes are like a fountain which pours out full-flowing streams (see Jeremiah 9:1). "Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears," etc. (compare Jeremiah 14:17; Lamentations 1:16; Lamentations 2:18).

"Because they keep not thy law”: The persons are not mentioned, but must be understood of wicked men. Whose open and impudent transgression of the law in innumerable instances, and in the most flagrant manner, gave the psalmist great distress, as it does all good men. Because the law of God is despised, his authority is trampled on, his name is dishonored, and he has not the glory which is due unto him.

David is weeping so much over the lost people around him that his tears are like a river. David is not only weeping for the lost people, but he is also, weeping for God’s law, which has been taken so lightly. So many times, I have cried out myself, why do they not understand and keep your law, God? I suppose this is what is called a pastor’s heart. David, and those who really are concerned about the lost people of the world around them, have a loving and caring heart. Many a mother has cried and prayed to God for her lost children. Don’t you know it breaks God’s heart to see His creation taking the Word of God so lightly?

TZADDI - “Thy word is very pure”

Psalms 119:137-152

Psalms 119:137-144 : God never did, and never can do wrong to any. The promises are faithfully performed by Him that made them. Zeal against sin should constrain us to do what we can against it, at least to do more in religion ourselves. Our love to the word of God is evidence of our love to God, because it is designed to make us partake his holiness. Men’s real excellency always makes them low in their own eyes. When we are small and despised, we have the more need to remember God’s precepts, that we may have them to support us. The law of God is the truth, the standard of holiness, the rule of happiness. But the obedience of Christ alone justifies the believer. Sorrows are often the lot of saints in this vale of tears; they are in heaviness through manifold temptations. There are delights in the word of God, which the saints often most sweetly enjoy when in trouble and anguish. This is life eternal, to know God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent (John 17:3). May we live the life of faith and grace here, and be removed to the life of glory hereafter.

Psalms 119:137 "Righteous [art] thou, O LORD, and upright [are] thy judgments."

TZADDI: The Eighteenth Part.

Essentially, originally, and of himself. Naturally, immutably, and universally, in all his ways and works of nature and grace. In his thoughts, purposes, counsels, and decrees. In all the dispensations of his providence. In redemption, in the justification of a sinner, in the pardon of sin, and in the gift of eternal life through Christ.

"And upright are thy judgments": They are according to the rules of justice and equity. The precepts of the word, the doctrines of the Gospel, as well as the judgments of God inflicted on wicked men. And all the providential dealings of God with his people, and also the final judgment.

LORD here is Jehovah. Righteousness is the character of Jehovah. Jesus Christ (the Word), is also righteous. The judgements of God are above all other judgements. They are right, they are pure, they are truth. Just as there is no blemish to be found in the judgements of the LORD, there is no blemish in His Word.

Psalms 119:138 "Thy testimonies [that] thou hast commanded [are] righteous and very faithful."

Thy law, considered as a testimony as to what is right and best.

"Are righteous and very faithful": Margin, as in Hebrew, "righteousness and faithfulness." They are "so" righteous, and so deserving of confidence, so certain to be accomplished, and so worthy to be trusted in. That they may be spoken of as "righteousness" and "fidelity" of the most perfect kind. The very essence of that which is right.

This is so clear in its meaning, that it leaves nothing to be said. The Word is beyond question. It is absolute truth. You can depend on it; it will not let you down. This is also true of not just the testimonies, but of the One who spoke them as well.

Psalms 119:139 "My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy words."

Zeal for God and his glory, for his word and ordinances and worship. Which is a fervor of the mind, burning love, and flaming affections for God, shown in a holy indignation against sin and sinners. This was a zeal according to knowledge, sincere and hearty, and what continued; and which was shown in embracing and defending the truths of the word, and resenting every indignity cast upon them. To such a degree, that it ate up his spirit, wore away his flesh, and almost consumed him (see Psalms 69:9).

"Because mine enemies have forgotten thy words": Not merely through an indifference to them, and inattention in hearing them. Nor through want of an earnest heed to keep and retain them. Nor through negligence in laying them up, and a carelessness in making use of proper means to recollect them. But through an aversion to them, a hatred of them, and a spiteful malicious contempt of them, casting them away and despising them. Which stirred up the spirit of the psalmist, and raised such an emotion in him as was almost too much for him.

David is so heart sick, because their enemies (his and God’s), have not realized how perfect the Words of God are. They not only did not realize, but they did not even accept them as the Word of God. If they did not believe there was a God, then possibly that explains why they do not believe His Word. If they would stop and listen to it, or read it, then they would have to admit that it far surpassed all other things written or spoken. This is just saying, that he is utterly grieved by them not accepting God’s Word.

Psalms 119:140 "Thy word [is] very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it."

“Very pure”: Like silver refined 7 times (compare Psalms 12:6), the Word is without impurity, i.e., it is inerrant in all that it declares.

If this were speaking of gold, it would be stated that it was 24 Karat. All of the imperfections of most writings are not found in this Word. It is perfect. It must not be added to, or taken away from. David loves it, because it is perfect. It cannot be improved upon. Truth, in its purest form, cannot be improved upon, and that is what God’s Word is. Perfection would be a good description.

Psalms 119:141 "I [am] small and despised: [yet] do not I forget thy precepts."

Or, "I have been". Some versions render it "young"; as if it had respect to the time of his anointing by Samuel, when he was overlooked and despised in his father’s family (1 Samuel 16:11). But the word here used is not expressive of age, but of state, condition, and circumstances. And the meaning is, that he was little in his own esteem, and in the esteem of men, and was despised. And that on account of religion, in which he was a type of Christ (Psalms 22:6). And which is the common lot of good men, who are treated by the world as the faith of it, and the rejecting of all things.

"Yet do not I forget thy precepts": To observe and keep them. The ill treatment of men on account of religion did not cause him to forsake it, or to leave the ways, word, and worship of God (see Psalms 119:83).

This would almost make you believe that this is not David, but you must remember he is doing the talking here. This is his own description of himself. Even though those around him despise him, he still remembers the teachings of God.

Psalms 119:142 "Thy righteousness [is] an everlasting righteousness, and thy law [is] the truth."

It never changes. The principles of thy law, of thy government, and of thy method of saving people, are the same under all dispensations, in every land, in all worlds. And they will remain the same forever. Human governments change. Old dynasties pass away. New laws are enacted under new administrations. Customs change. Opinions change. People change. The world changes. But as God himself never changes, so it is with his law. That law is founded on eternal truth, and can never change.

"And thy law is the truth": It is founded on "truth;" on the reality of things. It is so essentially founded on truth, it springs so certainly out of truth, or out of the reality of things, that it may be said to be the truth itself. He who understands the law of God understands what truth is, for it is the expression and the exponent of that which is true.

The righteousness of God is like God himself, it has no beginning and has no end. Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”. Jesus is the fulfillment of the law.

Psalms 119:143 "Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: [yet] thy commandments [are] my delights."

Or, "found me". Outward troubles and inward distress. Troubles arising from his enemies, the men of the world, that hated and persecuted him. And from a body of sin and death, from the temptations of Satan, and divine desertions. Some from without, and others from within. Troubles both of body and mind, which is what all good men are liable to.

"Yet thy commandments are my delights": So far from being grievous, that they were a pleasure to him. Yea, exceedingly delighted him, and cheered and refreshed his spirits amidst all his troubles.

David’s life had been full of sorrow and anguish over his children and grandchildren. Absalom, had given him many heartaches, because of his jealousy over Solomon. Power and money in this life have a tendency to bring sorrow more than poverty does. Families that are torn apart can bring more sorrow than we can bear. The delights that helped David through all of this was the commandments of God. The covenant that God had made with man was an unbreakable covenant. David looked at God’s Word in time of sorrow, and it helped him.

Psalms 119:144 "The righteousness of thy testimonies [is] everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live."

The principles of righteousness on which they are founded. Those testimonies, those laws, are not arbitrary, or the mere expressions of will. They are founded on right and justice as seen by God, And his laws are his testimony as to what truth and justice are.

"Is everlasting" (see notes at (Psalms 119:142).

"Give me understanding, and I shall live": Give me a right view of thy law, and thy truth, and I shall have real life (see notes at Psalms 119:34).

If he could only truly understand the teachings of God, it would cause him to have life back in his spirit. Family problems can break your spirit to the point, that sometimes, it seems hardly worth the effort to go on. If David’s understanding were opened, he would be able to see the end of all this and a better tomorrow.

KOPH

“Thy commandments are truth”

Psalms 119:145-152 : Supplications with the whole heart are presented only by those who desire God’s salvation, and who love his commandments. Whither should the child go but to his father? Save me from my sins, my corruptions, my temptations, all the hindrances in my way, that I may keep thy testimonies. Christians who enjoy health, should not suffer the early hours of the morning to glide away unimproved. Hope in God’s word encourages us to continue in prayer. It is better to take time from sleep, than not to find time for prayer. We have access to God at all hours; and if our first thoughts in the morning are of God, they will help to keep us in his fear all the day long. Make me lively and cheerful. God knows what we need and what is good for us, and will quicken us. If we are employed in God’s service, we need not fear those who try to set themselves as far as they can out of the reach of the convictions and commands of his law. When trouble is near, God is near. He is never far to seek. All his commandments are truth. And God’s promises will be performed. All that ever trusted in God have found him faithful.

Psalms 119:145 "I cried with [my] whole heart; hear me, O LORD: I will keep thy statutes."

KOPH: The Nineteenth Part.

Prayer is often expressed by crying. Which sometimes signifies mental, and sometimes vocal prayer. And generally supposes the person praying to be in distress, either outward or inward. This prayer of the psalmists was hearty and cordial, not with his mouth and lips only, but with his heart also. It did not proceed from feigned lips, but was put up in sincerity and truth. Yea, it was with his whole heart, with all the powers and faculties of his soul employed. His affections set on God. The desires of his soul after him, and his will submitted to his. It denotes the intenseness, earnestness, and fervency of prayer.

"Hear me, O Lord": The prayer he had put up, and answer it. Some persons pray, and that is enough. They do not concern themselves whether their prayers are heard or not. But David desired an answer, and looked after that.

"I will keep thy statutes": Not in his own strength, but in the strength of the Lord. And it is to be understood not merely as a resolution what he would do. Nor as a promise, which he uses as a plea, argument, or motive to be heard. But rather it expresses the end of his being heard, or the thing for which he desires to be heard. For so it may be rendered, "that I may keep thy statutes"; hear me, and give me grace and strength to enable me to observe them.

This prayer to God is a sincere prayer from the heart. The fact that the prayer brought tears, is another sign of the sincerity of the prayer. Open your ears to me, and do not close me out LORD. Notice the determination of David in this prayer to keep the ways of the LORD. The keeping of the statutes is not a condition of the prayer. David would keep the statutes anyway. He is just reminding God that he does keep his statutes.

Psalms 119:146 "I cried unto thee; save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies."

In his distress he cried and prayed to the Lord. And this was a principal and leading petition, that he would "save" him out of all his troubles and afflictions, and out of the hands of all his enemies. And with a temporal, spiritual, and eternal salvation which he knew he was able to do, and none else.

"And I shall keep thy testimonies": Such salvation will affect my heart. And the sense of it influence and engage me to have the utmost regard to the word of God. Its truths and doctrines, precepts and ordinances, so as carefully to observe them.

This keeping of the testimonies is conditional. He would keep the testimonies, if the Lord saved him. If he were not saved, he would not be wishing to do the testimonies of the LORD. The only way to get saved, is to sincerely cry out to be saved.

Psalms 119:147 "I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word."

That is, he awoke and got up, and prayed, before the day broke, the morning looked forth, or the sun arose. He was early as well as earnest in his supplications to God (see Psalms 5:3). As Christ, his antitype, rose early in the morning, a great while before day, and went out to a solitary place, and prayed (Mark 1:35).

"I hoped in thy word": Which is a great encouragement to prayer, the grace of hope itself is, though a man can only put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope. And especially when it is grounded on the word of promise, that God will hear and answer his people, when they call upon him in a time of trouble. And particularly hope in Christ, the essential Word, is a great encouragement. Many encouraging arguments to prayer are taken from the person, office, advocacy, and mediation of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:14).

This is saying, he was up all night praying. He did not wait until break of day to begin. He has studied God’s Word, and knows that it promises salvation to all who seek it. His hope is that he has fulfilled his part, so that salvation will come to him.

Psalms 119:148 "Mine eyes prevent the [night] watches, that I might meditate in thy word."

The Targum is, "the morning and evening watches.’’

"There were three of them": Kimchi interprets it of the second and third. The meaning is, that the psalmist was awake and employed in one religious exercise or another, praying, reading, or meditating. Either before the watches were set, or however before the time that some of them took place, or at least before they were all over.

"That I might meditate in thy word": He rose so early, in order to give himself up to meditation on the word of God. That he might be better instructed in the knowledge of divine things. That he might have solace and comfort from thence under his afflictions. And that he might be better furnished for the work of prayer. For the more familiar the word of God is to us, the better able we are to speak to God in his own language.

This is just saying, that he did not go to bed at the usual bedtime. He stayed up and prayed, and thought on God’s Word. He finds comfort in God’s Word. He knows it is true, and he is praying that it will come true in his life.

Psalms 119:149 "Hear my voice according unto thy lovingkindness: O LORD, quicken me according to thy judgment."

According to thy mercy; thy goodness. Let that be the rule in answering me; not my deserts, or even the fervor of my prayers. We can desire no better rule in answer to our prayers.

"O Lord, quicken me": Give me life; cause me truly to live (see notes at Psalms 119:40).

"According to thy judgment": Thy law as a rule of judgment; thy revealed truth, with all its gracious promises.

He is asking God to hear him, because God is kind, and loving and good. David does not even try to claim any rights with God. He wants God to hear him, because God is kind, not because he deserves to be heard. We said, in a previous lesson, that the quickening is of the spirit, and not of the flesh. You can read about this in the 15^th chapter of 1 Corinthians. He does not fear the judgement of God, because he knows God is merciful to those who admit their sin.

Psalms 119:150 "They draw nigh that follow after mischief: they are far from thy law."

They follow me; they press hard upon me.

"That follow after mischief": That seek to do me wrong.

"They are far from thy law": They yield no obedience to it. They are not influenced by it in their conduct toward me.

Those who do not keep the law of God are not of God, they are of the devil. They are like the devil, in that they roam around seeking whom they may destroy. They are not happy to be lost themselves, they would like to cause others to get in the mischief with them. They prey on those they believe to be helpless. This would have been the case with David, but he had the LORD on his side. One, and the LORD, are a majority.

Psalms 119:151 "Thou [art] near, O LORD; and all thy commandments [are] truth."

God was present with him; he was ready to hear his cry. He was at hand to save him (compare Psalms 145:18). The psalmist had the assurance, springing from deep feelings, and the conscious presence of God. Which the people of God often have, that God is very near to them. That he is ready to hear them. That their prayers are answered. That they are in the presence of a heavenly Friend. Such are among the precious experiences of the life of a religious man.

"And all thy commandments are truth": All that thou hast ordained; all that thou hast promised. The psalmist felt this. He was experiencing the truth of what God had assured him of. Not a doubt came into his mind, for God was near him. This conviction that God is "near" us, this manifestation of God to the soul as a present God, is one of the most certain assurances to our own minds of the truth of religion, and of our acceptance with him.

We are promised in the Word of God that He will never leave us, or forsake us. He is always as close as our next prayer. David is now feeling the presence of God. He glorifies the commandments of the LORD one more time.

Psalms 119:152 "Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever."

Or, "from thy testimonies, I have known of old": by carefully reading the Scriptures which testify of God. His mind and will, and frequently meditating on them. He had learned a long time ago, even from his youth, what follows:

"That thou hast founded them for ever": That the things contained in them are sure and certain, established and eternal truths. The moral law and the precepts of it are eternal, and of perpetual obligation. Not one jot or tittle of them shall ever fail. The Gospel, and the truths of it, are everlasting, and shall ever remain. In spite of all the opposition, craft and cunning, fury and force of men, to undermine and root them out (see Psalms 119:89).

From the time that David had been a young lad, he had known and loved God. He knew that God had been with him, when he herded the sheep and fought off the wild animals. When David came against Goliath, he came in the name of God. He had always known and trusted the testimonies of God. This same God had kept Saul from killing him. He had known from his old time relationship with God, that The LORD God He is God. He knew that He was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, from the things he had read about them. There had never been a doubt with David that God had founded His testimonies forever.

RESH - “Great are thy tender mercies”

Psalms 119:153-176

Psalms 119:153-160 : The closer we cleave to the word of God, both as our rule and as our stay, the more assurance we have of deliverance. Christ is the Advocate of his people, their Redeemer. Those who were quickened by his Spirit and grace, when they were dead in trespasses and sins, often need to have the work of grace revived in them, according to the word of promise. The wicked not only do not keep God’s statutes, but they do not even seek them. They flatter themselves that they are going to heaven; but the longer they persist in sin, the further it is from them. God’s mercies are tender; they are a fountain that can never be exhausted. The psalmist begs for God’s reviving, quickening grace. A man, steady in the way of his duty, though he may have many enemies, needs to fear none. Those that hate sin truly, hate it as sin, as a transgression of the law of God, and a breaking of his word. Our obedience is only pleasing to God, and pleasant to ourselves, when it comes from a principle of love. All, in every age, who receive God’s word in faith and love, find every saying in it faithful.

The verb “quicken” me frequently used in this psalm, does not refer to spiritual quickening but to the removal of the many burdensome things that weigh people down. In this segment, that burden is the psalmist’s “persecutors and … enemies”.

Psalms 119:153 "Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law."

RESH: The Twentieth Part.

Or, "look upon mine affliction" (as in Psalms 25:18). The Lord seems as if he did not, when he does not grant his gracious presence to his people. Or does not arise to the help and deliverance of them so soon as they desire and expect. But he always sees and beholds their afflictions. He cannot do otherwise, since he is the omniscient God. And not only so, but he is the author, appointer, and organizer of them. Yea, he looks upon them with an eye of pity and compassion, which is what is here prayed for. He sympathizes with his people in all their afflictions, supports them under them, pays kind visits to them, sanctifies his hand, and in his own time delivers them out of all. Which none else can do but himself. And he has power to do it. And has promised it, and does perform (see Psalms 50:15).

"For I do not forget thy law": The precepts of it. To observe it as a rule of walk and conversation, as a lamp to the feet, and a light to the path, as a directory of the good and perfect will of God. Or, "thy doctrine". The doctrine of the word, and the precious truths of it, which were his support under afflictions. And when either of them have a place in the heart, and are written there, they cannot easily be forgotten. This the psalmist mentions, not as if his not forgetting the law or doctrine of God was meritorious of deliverance from affliction, but as a descriptive character of such the Lord does deliver.

Consider in the verse above, is from a prime root word that means to see. Look upon my afflictions, and understand my plight, and deliver me from all my afflictions. This again is an urgent prayer of David. He reminds God that he has never forgotten His law.

Psalms 119:154 "Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word."

This shows that his affliction was chiefly from men, wicked, ungodly, and unreasonable men. Such as were Saul and his courtiers, and a whole ungodly nation. His cause was a good one, and therefore he puts it into the hand of the Lord. And who otherwise would not have undertaken it. And this he did also because he could not plead it himself, nor any other for him but the Lord. His enemies that strove with him being so many, mighty, and crafty (see Psalms 35:1). Christ is the advocate of his people, their Redeemer. Who is mighty, and thoroughly pleads their cause against the accusations of Satan. The charges of law and justice, and the condemnation of their own hearts. As well as defends their innocence from the calumnies of wicked men, and rights their wrongs, and redresses their grievances.

“Quicken me according to thy word” (See notes on Psalms 119:25).

The Christians are promised that we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. This verse above is as if God will plead on the side of David. David knows that he is helpless unless God takes his side. This is like an attorney who pleads your case for you. He works on your behalf. The second Adam, is the quickening Spirit. He has nothing to do with our body. He quickens our spirit.

Psalms 119:155 "Salvation [is] far from the wicked: for they seek not thy statutes."

“Salvation … far”: Salvation is clearly revealed in the Scripture and nowhere else with such perspicuity.

Salvation is offered to everyone. The secret is that we must avail our self of it. It is a free gift, but to receive a gift, you must open your hand and receive it.

1 Timothy 4:10 "For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe."

The wicked do not receive the salvation that is offered them. How can they receive something that they do not believe exists? They do not seek the law of God, because they do not believe in God.

Psalms 119:156 "Great [are] thy tender mercies, O LORD: quicken me according to thy judgments."

Not his providential mercies only, which are many and undeserved, and constantly repeated. But his special mercies in Christ, which flow from the tenderness of his heart; and his merciful lovingkindness to his people, and which are great or many, as to quantity. There being a multitude of them, not to be reckoned up. And for quality they are wonderful beyond expression and conception. Proceed from unmerited love, rich, free, sovereign grace, and last forever.

"Quicken me according to thy judgments” (see notes on Psalms 119:149).

More than anywhere else in the Bible I guess, is the mercy God showed these adulterous people, when they made the golden calf and worshipped it. I just knew that He would utterly destroy them for this. Moses plead their case, and God did not utterly destroy them. It is amazing to me also, how He forgave them over and over. His patience and mercy is far above what we can imagine. God is slow to wrath and is easily found when a person desires to repent and come to him.

Psalms 119:157 "Many [are] my persecutors and mine enemies; [yet] do I not decline from thy testimonies."

Because they were his enemies, therefore they were his persecutors. And they became enemies to him, or hated him, because of his religion, and on that account persecuted him. And this has always been the lot and case of God’s people in all ages. And whose persecutors are many, even the whole world, as well as fierce and furious.

"Yet do I not decline from thy testimonies": From reading and hearing the word of God; and from embracing and professing the doctrines contained in it. And from the worship of God according to it, for which he was hated and persecuted. Yet none of these things moved him from them, which showed that his heart was principled with the grace of God. For otherwise, when persecution arises because of the word, carnal professors are offended, and apostatize from it (see Matthew 13:22).

In the greatest persecutions, David still reaches out for and depends on the testimonies of the Lord. David has faced many an enemy with very little except his faith to protect him.

Psalms 119:158 "I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word."

Those who wronged me. Those who violated the law of God.

"And was grieved": Or, "sickened." The word used here means commonly to loathe, to nauseate, to sicken (Ezekiel 16:47; Psalms 95:10). I was made sad, sorry, and sick at heart. I did not look on them with anger. I did not desire to take revenge upon them. I did not return evil for evil. My heart was sad that people would do wrong; that they would expose themselves to such danger (see notes at Psalms 119:136).

"Because they kept not thy word": Because they violated thy law; because they were sinners.

In another verse similar to this, we found that David had cried seemingly rivers of tears over this very same thing. These law breakers (transgressors), were living very close to David, because he had seen them himself. As we said before, part of David’s grief was for the transgressors themselves being lost, and the other thing he was grieved for was God’s law being broken.

Psalms 119:159 "Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O LORD, according to thy lovingkindness."

How ardently and affectionately, how cordially and sincerely (Psalms 119:127). And that was the reason why he was so grieved and distressed when wicked men transgressed and despised them.

"Quicken me, O Lord, according to thy loving kindness" (see notes on Psalms 119:88).

He is saying here, take into consideration how I love your teachings. Make me alive, O Lord, with thy Spirit. He is saying again, that he does not deserve this favor from God, but is depending on the lovingkindness of the Lord.

Psalms 119:160 "Thy word [is] true [from] the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments [endureth] for ever."

“Thy word … righteous judgments”: There is not a speck of untruth in Scripture.

For further reading (see Psa 118:89; Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 24:35).

God does not make fleeting judgements. His judgements are from everlasting to everlasting. Once God has said it, there is no turning back. His judgements are absolute. They are unshakeable.

John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Notice, that the Word was in the beginning. The Word was God. God is Truth.

SCHIN

“Great peace have they which love thy law”

Psalms 119:161 "Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word."

SCHIN: The Twenty-first Part.

These could be the princes of the Philistines at the court of Achish. Or the princes of Israel, who joined in the conspiracy with Absalom. Or the princes in Saul’s court, as Kimchi observes; who insinuated that David had evil designs against the king, drove him from abiding in the Lord’s inheritance, and pursued him from place to place, as a partridge on the mountains (1 Samuel 29:4). And all which was without any cause or reason on his part. And which, as it was an aggravation of the sin of his persecutors, so it was an alleviation of his affliction. In this he was, a type of Christ, against whom the kings of the earth set themselves. And the rulers took counsel together; Herod, Pontius Pilate, and others. The princes of this world, who crucified the Lord of glory, and hated him without a cause. Who was holy and harmless, and never did any injury to any man’s person or property (Psalms 2:2).

"But my heart standeth in awe of thy word": Not in awe of the princes, but of the word of God. He had a greater regard to that than to them. When they in effect said, "go, serve other gods" (1 Samuel 26:19). He remembered what the word of God says, "thou shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). And this was a means of preserving him from sinning. Kimchi thinks some respect is had to the word of God by Nathan the prophet, "I will raise up evil against thee out of thine house", etc. (2 Samuel 12:11). And he was afraid, on account of this word, lest he should fall into the hands of the princes. But it seems not to be an excruciating tormenting fear that is here meant; but a high regard for, and a holy reverence of the word of God. Or a reverential affection for it; such as is consistent with the highest joy on account of it, as follows.

We have discussed in a previous lesson, that these princes could be David’s sons. David was the King and his sons would have been princes. Even though David’s own sons have persecuted David and even tried to kill him, David still knows that God’s Word is true. He will not abandon the Word of God, even though his sons have turned away from God. Sometimes, belief in God’s Word separates families.

Psalms 119:162 "I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil."

At having it, which is a distinguishing blessing. All are not favored with it; and is an inestimable treasure, a field in which a treasure lies. Which those that find rejoice at, and especially at the understanding of it, as Kimchi notes: for such only delight in it who spiritually understand it, or have an application of it to them. Find it, and eat it, and then it is the joy and rejoicing of their hearts. The doctrines of it are matter of great joy, particularly which concern the grace of God, the person of Christ, and peace, pardon, righteousness, and salvation by him. And each of its promises, which are exceeding great and precious. And, when opened and applied in a time of need, occasion great joy; such as is expressed at finding a great spoil, when much substance comes into the hands of the conqueror, as well as victory. The word is a part of the believer’s spiritual armor, by which he overcomes his enemies. As well as it acquaints him with the conquest Christ has obtained over them, and made him a sharer in. And directs him to unsearchable riches. To things more valuable than thousands of gold and silver; so that he has great reason to rejoice at it in such a manner indeed! (see Isaiah 9:2).

Spoil is free for the taking, and so is the Word of God. He rejoices that something as valuable as the Word can be had for the taking.

Psalms 119:163 "I hate and abhor lying: [but] thy law do I love."

The mention of lying here particularly seems to have been suggested by the necessity, from the structure of the psalm, of finding some word at the beginning of the verse which commenced with the letter Schin. At the same time, it is an illustration of the nature of piety, and doubtless there had been numerous occasions in the life of the psalmist when he had seen and experienced the effects of falsehood. This sin, therefore, might occur to him as readily as any other. It is unnecessary to say that religion "forbids" this sin in all its forms.

"But thy law do I love": Particularly here the law which forbids lying. The psalmist was conscious, as every good man must be, that he truly loved that pure law which forbids falsehood in all its forms.

Lying is one of the sins that will keep you out of heaven. The Bible says that those who love and make lies are of their father the devil. The devil is the father of lies. The law is the opposite of lying which David hates. The law is unshakeable Truth.

Psalms 119:164 "Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments."

“Seven times”: Seven is perhaps used in the sense of perfection/completion meaning here that a continual attitude of praise characterizes the psalmist’s life.

Seven is symbolic of spiritual completeness. This just shows the extreme importance of praising God. The righteous judgements are truly something to be praising God for.

Psalms 119:165 "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them."

See the notes at (Isaiah 26:3); compare the notes at (Philippians 4:6-7). They have great calmness of mind. They are not troubled and anxious. They believe and feel that all things are well-ordered by thee, and will be conducted to the best result. They, therefore, calmly leave all with thee. As a matter of fact, the friends of God have peace and calmness in their minds, even amidst the troubles, the disappointments, and the reverses of life. The love of God is the best, and the only way to secure permanent peace in the soul.

"Which love thy law": It is the love of law, and the belief that the law of God is in accordance with justice, that gives peace to their minds. God’s government is a government of law, and therefore it is loved.

"And nothing shall offend them": Margin, "They shall have no stumbling-block." "Hebrew, "And to them no stumbling," or stumbling-block (see notes at Matthew 5:29-30; Matthew 18:6; Matthew 16:23; 1 Peter 2:8; James 2:10). The meaning here is, that they would not fall into sin; they would be kept safe. They would be preserved from the power of temptation. The meaning is not, as it would seem to be in our version, that nothing would pain, grieve, or irritate them. But, as above, that as long as they were obedient to the law, and disposed to obey it, they would be safe from the power of temptation.

This peace is that peace that passes all understanding. This is the peace that comes from the King of Peace (the Lord Jesus).

Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

These who have this special peace that cannot be understood are peace makers. They are dead in Christ. Dead people are not easily offended.

Psalms 119:166 "LORD, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments."

Either temporal salvation and deliverance from enemies, and from afflictions, which God had promised. And therefore, he had reason to hope for; or spiritual and eternal salvation, resolved on in the mind of God. Provided in covenant, promised to be wrought out by Christ, and which since has been accomplished. And therefore, there is a sufficient foundation to hope for it.

"And done thy commandments": This was not the cause, ground, and foundation of his hope. For then it would not have been like an anchor, sure and steadfast. But as the hope of the hypocrite, which is as the spider’s web. But this was the effect of his hope; because he had a good hope of salvation, therefore he was studiously concerned to do the commandments of God. His hope prompted him to it, and encouraged him in it (see 1 John 3:2). Kimchi’s note here is a good one; "and done thy commandments". Not for hope of reward; but I have done them as thy commandments are with me and I know that I shall have salvation, and I have hoped for it.

When the rich young ruler came before Jesus, he said, what must I do to be saved? Jesus told him to keep the commandments. He said he had kept them from his youth. Jesus told him he lacked one more thing, if he were to be perfect. He loved his money so much that he refused the last condition. You see, just doing the commandments are not enough. We must have no other gods before Him. This young ruler’s god was his money.

Psalms 119:167 "My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly."

The word of God, which he kept cordially and heartily. And in his heart, laid it up there; and with his whole soul observed the doctrines and kept the precepts of it.

"And I love them exceedingly": And kept them from a principle of love, and not with mercenary and selfish views. And this love was exceeding great, not cold nor lukewarm, but ardent and fervent, love in the superlative degree.

We discussed how the soul of man has to do with his will. David is saying in this, that his will has followed the teachings of God and his spirit has overruled his flesh. He is saying, the battle within him was won by the spirit. His love for God’s Word is what caused his will to line up with his spirit.

Psalms 119:168 "I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways [are] before thee."

This is an appeal which is several times made in the psalm. Not with boasting, but as indicating the tenor and purpose of his life. Every man ought to be able to make such an appeal.

"For all my ways are before thee": Thou hast seen my manner of life, and I may appeal to thee in proof that I have thus kept thy law. No one can lay claim to entire perfection, but there is many a man who, while conscious of much imperfection, and many shortcomings, can appeal to God for the truth of the statement that his great aim of life has been to keep his commandments.

David is aware here, that God knows more about him than he knows about himself. He says, I am an open book to you. He knows that God has looked upon his heart and found it pure.

TAU

“I have longed for thy salvation”

Psalms 119:169-176 : The psalmist desired grace and strength to lift up his prayers, and that the Lord would receive and notice them. He desired to know more of God in Christ; to know more of the doctrines of the word, and the duties of religion. He had a deep sense of unworthiness, and holy fear that his prayer should not come before God. Lord, what I pray for is, what thou hast promised. We have learned nothing to purpose, if we have not learned to praise God. We should always make the word of God the rule of our discourse, so as never to transgress it by sinful speaking, or sinful silence. His own hands are not sufficient, nor can any creature lend him help; therefore, he looks up to God, that the hand that had made him may help him. He had made religion his deliberate choice. There is an eternal salvation all the saints long for, and therefore they pray that God would help their way to it. Let thy judgments help me; let all ordinances and all providences, (both are God’s judgments), further me in glorifying God. Let them help me for that work. He often looks back with shame and gratitude to his lost estate. He still prays for the tender care of Him who purchased his flock with his own blood, that he may receive from him the gift of eternal life. Seek me, that is, find me; for God never seeks in vain. Turn me, and I shall be turned. Let this psalm be a touchstone by which to try our hearts, and our lives. Do our hearts, cleansed in Christ’s blood, make these prayers, resolutions and confessions our own? Is God’s word the standard of our faith, and the law of our practice? Do we use it as pleas with Christ for what we need? Happy are those who live in such delightful exercises.

Psalms 119:169 "Let my cry come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word."

TAU: The Twenty-second and last Part.

Not "my praise", as the Syriac version; but "my prayer". Put up in great distress, and with great vehemence and importunity (see Psalms 119:145). And when it is desired it might "come near before" the Lord, it does not so much suppose distance of place between the petitioner and the petitioned as earth is from heaven. As Aben Ezra observes, as distance of state and condition. The petitioner being a creature, and a sinful creature, and whose sins had separated between God and him. And now the only way of access is by Christ. Prayer can only pass to God through him, who is the only Mediator between God and man. By whom persons and services are brought near unto, him with acceptance. The sum of this request is, that his prayer might not be rejected and shut out. But that it might be admitted, might come up before God, and into his ears, and be regarded by him, and accepted with him.

"Give me understanding according to thy word": Meaning not natural, but spiritual understanding. Not that he was without any, as natural men are, whose understandings are darkened. For he had a large share of understanding of spiritual things. But he wanted more, he desired to know more of himself, of his wants and weaknesses. To know more of God in Christ, and of Christ, his person, offices, and grace. To know more of the doctrines of the word, and of the duties of religion. And particularly that he might have a better understanding of the business of prayer. And might know both what to pray for, and how to pray as he ought. All which is a gift from God. And he desires in all to be directed "according to the word" of God. The means of enlightening the understanding, and of increasing spiritual knowledge. Or else he means the promise of God, that he would give him more knowledge and understanding. That he might be taught of God, and follow on to know him, and increase in every branch of spiritual knowledge.

This cry of David’s is not just to come before Him, but to be near Him. This understanding that David is crying out for here, is a gift of the Spirit of God.

Psalms 119:170 "Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word."

The same with his "cry" in (Psalms 119:169). Only expressed by another word, signifying a petition for grace and favor, in a humble and submissive manner. Which it is entreated might be received and accepted, as before.

"Deliver me according to thy word": Of promise, such as that in (Psalms 50:15). Meaning from all troubles and afflictions. Out of the hands of all his enemies, and from the power of sin, Satan, and the world. And from all fears of wrath, ruin, and destruction. Kimchi observes, that this is not to be understood of a deliverance of the body from distress, but of the soul from the stumbling block of sin.

Supplication, in this particular verse, means, graciousness, or entreaty. The Word of God promises deliverance for those who love and serve God. David is bringing his petition before God, coupled with God’s Word.

Psalms 119:171 "My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes."

Like water flowing from a fountain, as the word signifies. The heart of a good man is like a fountain of water, abounding: with good things. And his mouth is a well of life; out of the abundance of grace and good things in his heart his mouth speaks (John 4:14). And particularly his heart is filled with praise and thankfulness for the many blessings of providence and grace enjoyed. His lips show it forth; it comes flowing from him freely and readily, without force and compulsion, largely and plentifully. Constantly and continually, and with great vehemence and strength, as streams from a fountain.

"When thou hast taught me thy statutes": Which is what the psalmist often prays for in this psalm. And signifies he should be very thankful to God for, and should sincerely praise him, could he obtain this favor (see Psalms 119:7).

Praise from lips that do not understand God’s statutes are false praise. The true praise is when your whole heart, full of understanding, praises God aloud. How can I praise except I know?

Psalms 119:172 "My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments [are] righteousness."

It shall speak of it in the language of praise; it shall speak of it in making it known to others.

"For all thy commandments are righteousness": I see this; I feel it; and, therefore, I will speak of it. My impression that thy commandments are all righteous is so deep, that I cannot but speak of them. I must vindicate them; I must praise thee for them.

The tongue is the evilest part of the body. When the evilest part of the body speaks words of praise, it means the person is totally consumed with praise. When it is settled in his heart that the commands of God are righteous, there is nothing left to do but praise Him with everything within them.

Psalms 119:173 "Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts."

Let thine hand of power help me against mine enemies, and deliver me from them. And let thine hand of providence and grace communicate to me, and supply me with and help me to everything needful for me. For body and soul; for time and eternity, all grace here, and glory hereafter. Let thy right hand help me on in my way, hold and uphold me, keep and preserve me safe to heaven and happiness.

"For I have chosen thy precepts": Not only the good part, which shall not be taken away, and the way of truth (Psalms 119:30). But even the commandments of God, which he preferred to the commandments of men, and choose rather to obey the one than the other. Having a most ardent affection for them, a high esteem of them, and a strong attachment to them (see Psalms 119:127).

The Hand of God is speaking of the Lord Jesus. A decision to follow God, always brings help from the Right Hand of God.

Psalms 119:174 "I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law [is] my delight."

For temporal salvation and deliverance from enemies. And for spiritual and eternal salvation by the Messiah. And for the Messiah himself, the author of it. Kimchi interprets it of the salvation of the soul in the world to come (see Psalms 119:81).

"And thy law is my delight": Or "delights". His exceeding great delight, as being pure and perfect, holy, just, and good. A transcript of the divine nature, a revelation of the divine will. As in the hands of Christ, his surety and Savior, who had engaged to fulfil it for him. And as written in his heart; and as delivered from the curse and condemnation of it, through the suretyship engagements of Christ.

Every person who ever lived, has a longing in his heart to worship God. All the material things they might accumulate, and all the fame they might get, will not fill this longing of their heart. The Savior is the only One who can fill this longing. Salvation is the gift we receive, when we find Him and accept Him. He is the fulfillment of the law.

Psalms 119:175 "Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me."

The psalmist desires the continuance of his natural life, not for his own personal advantage, nor for the sake of his family. Nor with any worldly, sinister, and selfish views; but for the glory of God. And for the sake of praising him. Or his desire is, that his soul might be lively and comfortable. Or that he might be in a lively and cheerful frame of spirit, and so be in fit and proper circumstances to praise the Lord. For it is the living man in both senses, natural and spiritual, that is capable of praising the Lord (Isaiah 38:19).

"And let thy judgments help me": That is, to praise him. Meaning either judgments on his enemies, as Aben Ezra; which furnish out matter and occasion of praise and thanksgiving (see Revelation 15:3). Or the word of God, the doctrines and precepts of it (see Psalms 119:164).

God breathed the breath of life in man, and he became a living soul. It is God that gives life. The breath of the Spirit of God can renew David’s soul. When this breath of the Spirit of God comes in, it brings eternal life. David is speaking of his soul praising Him, when he says it shall praise thee. Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord. God’s judgements have always been to benefit man.

Psalms 119:176 "I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments."

“I have gone astray”: In spite of all that he has affirmed regarding Scripture’s power in his life, the psalmist confesses that sin has not yet been eliminated from his life (compare Romans 7:15-25). Any decrease of sin in his life should be attributed to the suppression of unrighteousness by the working of God’s Word (compare Psalms 119:9-11).

The Great Shepherd will always go in search of the sheep that has strayed. If you are His sheep, you belong to Him. He will seek, until you are found. This really is a cry of repentance from David. David’s heart has been always stayed on God. He never stopped belonging to God, even though he strayed.

PSALM 119

EXPOSITION

The “Descriptive Title” prefixed to this psalm may make the inadequate impression, that here we have an excessively artificial composition; and a cursory perusal of the psalm itself may awaken the further apprehension, that this artificially constructed series of sayings is wearisomely monotonous. The instant correction of these plausible forebodings is desirable. The monotone, whose existence cannot be denied, is that of a lullaby by which a troubled soul may be softly and sweetly hushed to rest. The art is so exquisite that, when familiarised, it not only gratifies the taste, but aids the judgment, and ministers to the hunger of the spirit. This psalm, so far as it is a song at all, is one composed in mournful measure. It is, however, a soliloquy rather than a song. It is a study set to the murmuring of the sea. Its repetitions are like the recurring waves of light by which new satellites are discovered in the ancient heavens. In truth, it reveals a soul in close communion with God; and its art resolves itself into the measured movements of an eagle’s wings by which is sustained its nearness to the sun.

The art is undeniably there: visibly there—in the eight-fold aleph, the eight-fold beth, and so on to the end of the Hebrew alphabet of twenty-two letters, yielding in all one hundred and seventy-six verses; credibly there—in the eight synonyms which continue changefully pealing like so many bells till full measure has been given; and possibly there—in the closing assonances in ka and ee which some critics deem they discover in the original, though now buried beneath numberless transpositional inadvertences committed by editors and copyists not sufficiently on the alert to safeguard so many stylistic beauties.

But the art is subservient to the sense. Even the grouped initial letters are luminous with concentrated rays of light. For instance, the aleph bursts forth, once and again, with impassioned benedictions on the head of the man of God—at once rebuking those who fancy that art cannot minister to devout feeling; the humble linguistic “peg,” waw, shews how nimbly it can suggest logical continuity of thought; the serpent-like teth, harmless as a dove, and full of all “goodness,” makes the dweller in its stanza feel that it is “good” to be here; the ayin has an “eye” to the beautiful, and opens fresh “fountains” of gladness; and, to name no more, the zadhe looks well to it that “righteousness” shall be strong, and “right” on every side be done.

Then those eight synonyms—even though we have lost for the present the poetry of the system by which, chorus-like, they change places—how logically expansive and expanding they are! They are the sworn foes of over-narrowness of definition, and irresistibly demand that grace be permitted to temper law. For what, let us ask, is the master-thought of the psalm? A weighty question truly, and one to which the synonyms must be heard in reply. The verbs—to love, to hate, to run, to keep, to quicken, etc.—all have their quota of evidence to tender; but they cluster about their nouns, and chiefly about those sturdy synonyms-low, precept, word, etc.—which dominate the landscape. If we start with ever so narrow a concept of law, for example,—then we have to hearken to testimony, with its “witness” to the love of God as well as to the duty of man. If we begin with the written “word,” as we very well may, by starting at statute, from a root meaning “to engrave,”—then the question comes—whether we must not include the oral “word” as well, seeing that the psalmist speaks of waiting for it (74, 81, 114, 147), which he would not need to do if it were already in his hand. The word written and oral—so far, at least, we must go. But we find the word stationed in the heavens; its synonymous promise assuring us that Jehovah hath established the earth so that it standeth; and its synonymous decisions evidently applying to all created things in heaven and earth, and causing them all to obey as Jehovah’s servants. We are thus uplifted to the altitude of Jehovah’s WILL—written, oral, or effectuated only, by the silently working power of God. THE KEY-NOTE OF ALL THE SYNONYMS IS, THEREFORE, JEHOVAH’S WILL HOWEVER MADE MANIFEST.

This conclusion at once places us at the psalmist’s own angle of vision, and explains how it is that his whole soul is aflame with affection for an object so variously named as by these eight synonyms. But it does more. It justifies our adoption of a new synonym—or at least it vindicates our search for one, so as not to render both dabhar and ’imrah by the one English term “word.” The presumption is that in some way they perceptibly differ, or they would not both be employed. “Saying” for ’imrah would have commended itself but for the feeling that it leaned over too much to the sense of “familiar proverb.” Finding, therefore, that the usage of this term has generally an especially gladsome set of words in association with it (as tracing it through the Table will shew), we have ventured on the welcome word promise as its suitable English representative. There is one restriction to be placed on all these synonyms; and that is, that they must be held to have a regulative bearing on human character and conduct. The manner of the man they make is always an essential question throughout the psalm. The psalmist’s one absorbing passion is to be conformed to Jehovah’s will. The word “promise,” therefore, can only be accepted in so far as it submits to this limitation. But, to this rule, it easily conforms; since divine “promises” are often, in their very wording, directory of human conduct; and even when no condition is expressed, one nevertheless is mostly implied. Indeed, it may perhaps safely be said, and dutifully borne in mind, that as a rule Jehovah’s promises are conditional; and only when it is distinctly protested by Himself that they are absolutely unconditional, can they wisely be so held. There is perhaps not more than a single instance to be discovered in the accompanying Table in which the rendering of ’imrah needs to be subdued to “saying.”

Thus far our effort after exposition has been directed chiefly to the helping of the student to use the Table of Synonyms with pleasure and profit. It is needless to remind him that there are several other veins of interest running through the psalm: as, for instance the words descriptive of sacred study and meditation, and those displaying the moods and tenses of affection and devotion and holy living.

But all these lines of inquiry fall into a secondary place when compared with the familiar question of authorship; which, in this case, becomes one of unusual interest—unless, indeed, it is at once vetoed as a bootless inquiry. The present writer,—forgetting that he had already, when commenting on Psalms 1, 19, committed himself to an opinion as to the authorship of this psalm also,—started to deal with this extraordinary composition with an open mind as to its probable author; and could not help being at once rather fascinated by the opinion of Thrupp that Daniel wrote it. But, little by little, the plausibility of this conclusion melted away before continuous meditation on the circumstantial evidence, which, it should be noted, is in this case unusually voluminous. Here is a man admitting us into his closet, and permitting us to hearken to the prolonged outpouring of his soul before Jehovah; in the course of which he not only reflects the character and aspirations and struggles of his own soul, but makes so many allusions to his enemies and affords so many indications of his relations to them and their attitude and endeavours regarding him, that it becomes feasible that with due patience we shall discover with something like moral certainty who he is. And, in point of fact, the situation ultimately becomes so patent, that we are persuaded that only one man in the field of sacred story fits the situation and fulfils its many-sided demands. But, in order to make this discovery, we need to have studied the psychology of the previous psalms with some persistence and insight. If we have already caught glimpses of THE MAN, without foreseeing whither they would lead us; but now at length realise a SITUATION exactly fitted for him, and, so far as we can judge, for no other possible writer of a psalm like the present, we may hope for the patience of our readers, before the strength of our persuasion that we have found the author, is condemned. Those fellow-students who have accompanied us in our investigation of Psalms 31, 35; Psalms 42, 43, will anticipate the avowal that here again we are on the track of PRINCE HEZEKIAH. We say “prince” advisedly; for it is only by antedating Hezekiah’s ascension to the throne; by reflecting that he must have been prince before he became king; by assuring ourselves that he must have had a history before he began to reign, that certainly he did not burst forth from oblivion an already strong man of God without decision of character previously formed or moral culture previously pursued; that probably he had had a godly mother; that possibly he had quite easily and naturally come under the tutorial care of the prophet Isaiah with whom we know he was intimate in after years; that, almost certainly, he had long had access to the royal library in which the archives of Israel and the psalms of David were stored; that as a king’s son he would be well-educated, would have leisure at command, and could easily secure assistance in any pursuit in which he might care to indulge;—it is only when we put these things together, that we begin to conceive of the situation as it really must have been formed by the circumstances and conditions of Hezekiah’s younger days. These are by no means all the formative influences on which we can reckon. The life and doings of his father Ahaz are known to us: his vanity—his timidity—his inclinations towards idolatry—his readiness to use his priests as patrons of his apostate doings and his ministers as the tools of his innovating designs: these things are well known to us. Then we have our knowledge of human nature to furnish an element of guidance. We can readily conceive how the pious and faithful Hezekiah would be a thorn in his father’s side; a reflection on his father’s instability; a rebuke to the sycophantic courtiers who would be only too ready to connive at his father’s questionable courses; and, moreover, how, less than a word from such a father against such a son would serve as a cloak under which those courtiers who chiefly wished to curry favour with the reigning monarch would little by little develop into persecutors of the pious prince and, it may be, secure his banishment from court, or at least his retirement into country life. Then, too, we must remember that Hezekiah did not begin to reign till he was twenty-five; and if we date his conscious manhood and perceptible self-assertion no further back than to eighteen years of age, that gives us seven ample years for culture in music and song, abundant leisure for searching among the library scrolls and tablets, and for writing acrostics of any length. Hezekiah, at five-and-twenty, would practically be as old as most of his compeers at fifty.

If now. we bring into comparison with these conditions the indications afforded by the psalm itself, we become more and more amazed at the correspondence between the two sets of circumstances. Daniel, it is true, had enemies of high rank (23, 161) watchful and treacherous (61, 85, 110, 150; 118, 158): Hezekiah’s enemies were all this; and, besides, had one characteristic which Daniel was not confronted with in Babylon: Hezekiah’s enemies were faithless to the Divine Law, which they nevertheless knew (118, 150, 158); and this alone puts Daniel out of court as having any claim to be considered the author of this psalm. Not only were this writer’s enemies acquainted with the law of Jehovah, but they were frustrators of it (126); and it is no wonder that our author was both indignant at their conduct (53) and deeply grieved by it (136). Hezekiah’s privileged position, in having access to the Library of the Law, fully justified him in promising that those who turned (or returned) to him should know Jehovah’s testimonies (79). He could tell them as well as any scribe. Accustomed, as prince, to enjoy the benefit of competent counsellors, in dark days of apostacy he would be glad to find counsellors in his much-loved sacred books (24). His position made him well aware of the value of wealth; and, therefore, it was no empty comparison when he preferred the knowledge of Jehovah’s will to all riches, to thousands of gold and silver (14, 36, 72, 127). If Hezekiah was ever banished to the upper reaches of the Jordan, as appears probable (Psalms 42), we can perceive an especial fitness in the allusion here (54) to his “house of sojourn,” made vocal with “melodies” in honour of Jehovah’s “statutes”; and at the same time can appreciate his sense of distance from Jehovah’s house which he so greatly loved (41, 77). It is only needful to add, that in spite of the appearance of age in the author of this psalm which has persuaded several commentators into the inference that he was at least a middle-aged man, the balance of evidence contained in the comparisons and positive assertion of the psalm itself (99, 100, 141) is decidedly in favour of the conclusion that he was still a young man when he composed it; and we can well believe what an unspeakable solace it was to the banished prince Hezekiah thus to beguile the weary hours in constructing this work of sacred art—which probably, merely as literature, has few if any equals in the world. The references appended to the text above, calling attention to the third stanza of Psalms 35, will add another item of circumstantial evidence, which tends to make the inference, that Hezekiah wrote this psalm as well as that stanza, well-nigh irresistible.

It was hoped to close this merely introductory “Exposition” with the foregoing paragraph. But the psalm refuses to be hastily dismissed. By this time it has cast over us a spell which is not easily broken. We began with something akin to a defence of the psalm from the suspicion of necessarily being dry, because so obviusly artificial and inevitably monotonous. But, little by little, how completely has such an anticipation vanished. How full the psalm is of passion; how many sidelights on character does it convey; how gem-like many of its single sentences have come to sparkle in our eyes, commending themselves as texts and mottoes, memorable words of warning and cheer; how charmingly its biographical contributions, profusely scattered through its stanzas, have opened up to us the engrossing incidents which probably bestudded a single good man’s life; and especially how profound are the historical and theological problems to which it effectively introduces us. Only to instance a single biographical suggestion, and an unexpected theological inquiry:—What have we before us in the way of personality, but a young man, who at least once went astray; whose sin seems to have become known to those who wished him ill, who very probably magnified his offence, procuring by their evil tongues a punishment which, directly or indirectly, nearly cost the young prince his life: this same young man, being led to bethink him of his ways, to turn his feet into the way of Jehovah’s testimonies, and ever after to serve his pardoning God with an enthusiasm and thoroughness which converted his ill-wishers into crafty and persistent persecutors. Some such personal history as this floats before us, as the kaleidoscope of alphabetical reminiscence continues its aphoristic suggestions. The theological inquiry alluded to is no less profound than that which concerns itself with the beginnings and fluctuations of the divine life in the human soul. This same young man, was he already a backslider in the divine life when he first egregiously went astray; or did he suddenly fall into unforeseen and unexpected temptation and as quickly experience recovery to Divine favour, thenceforth to walk more guardedly than before in the narrow way of Jehovah’s commandments? We cannot exactly know; nor would we, if we could, brood over the diagnosis of his sin. The thing that interests us is, the simple fact, that eleven times over in the course of this psalm is reference made to the quickening of the spiritual life within him (namely in Psalms 119:25; Psalms 119:37; Psalms 119:40; Psalms 119:50; Psalms 119:88; Psalms 119:93; Psalms 119:107; Psalms 119:149; Psalms 119:154; Psalms 119:156; Psalms 119:159); which interest is intensified into sustained wonder, that the contact of Jehovah’s WILL, which we are so ready to denominate LAW, and to regard as “killing” rather than “giving life,” should have been so largely instrumental in bringing this psalmist’s soul into conscious nearness to God. As closely related Scripture words often qualify each other; so it would seem do related human experiences, though far removed in point of time and condition, limit each other so materially as to require careful adjustment before we finally pronounce on the whole psychological question involved. In other words: How can we harmonise the condemnatory and slaying effects of “law” as portrayed in the Seventh of Romans with the life-giving functions discharged by “law” in the one hundred and nineteenth psalm? Doubtless, there is perfect harmony between them: but how seldom do we allow a steady eye on that harmony to guard us from exaggerations when we are engrossed in either the one sphere of thought or the other. It may be added that, intimately entwining itself with these biographical and theological questions, is another, which, though closely related, is nevertheless distinct: namely, the historical problem of growing spirituality in the nation of Israel. Many writers plausibly argue that these remarkable approximations of Old Testament spirituality to that of New Testament times, can only have resulted from the long and severe discipline of the Exile. Grant that assumption, as regards the nation as a nation, does it hold good also and equally of individuals? We need not disturb the foregone conclusion which goes so far to solve the mystery of pain, namely that the highest form of goodness can be produced only from the refining process of suffering; and yet we may discover, that the painful schooling of a nation is mostly or always heralded by the stern discipline of individuals. From this point of view, the enquiry becomes pertinent, how far the best of the preexilic kings were perfected by suffering; or, to close in upon the problem offered by this psalm: If we assume that such a chastened composition as the one-hundred-and-nineteenth psalm could only have sprung from the soil of sanctified suffering, it is still open to us to conclude that the Young Prince Hezekiah had himself graduated in that school; and that he, out of the treasuries of a varied and instructive experience, stored and wrought up into exquisite form during a period of ample leisure, produced this unique sacred composition—which not being a Temple Song was not earlier introduced in the Psalter, and being in an especial sense a piece of private autobiography was not readily placed at the public service; but which some such discerning Scribe as Ezra has, under Divine Guidance, saved from permanent oblivion.

Prayer for deliverance from lying lips

A Song of degrees

Psalms 120:1-7

Psalms 120:1-4 : The psalmist was brought into great distress by a deceitful tongue. May every good man be delivered from lying lips. They forged false charges against him. In this distress, he sought God by fervent prayer. God can bridle their tongues. He obtained a gracious answer to this prayer. Surely sinners dare not act as they do, if they knew, and would be persuaded to think, what will be in the end thereof. The terrors of the Lord are his arrows; and his wrath is compared to burning coals of juniper, which have a fierce heat, and keep fire very long. This is the portion of the false tongue; for all that love and make a lie, shall have their portion in the lake that burns eternally.

Psalms 120:1-7 : Psalms 120-136 comprise "The Great Hallel"; compare "The Egyptian Hallel" (Psalms 113-118), and “The Final Hallel” (Psalms 145-150). Almost all these psalms (15 of 17), are “Songs of Ascent” (Palms 120-134), which the Jewish pilgrims sang on their way up to Jerusalem (about 2,700 feet in elevation), on 3 prescribed annual occasions. These feasts included:

(1) Unleavened Bread;

(2) Weeks/Pentecost/Harvest; and

(3) Ingathering/Tabernacles/Booths. Compare (Exodus 23:14-17; Exodus 34:22-23; Deuteronomy 16:16).

David authored 4 of these songs (Psalms 122, 124, 131, 133), Solomon one (Psalms 127), while 10 remain anonymous. When these psalms were assembled in this way is unknown. It appears that these songs begin far away from Jerusalem (compare Meshech and Kedar in Psalms 120:5), and progressively move toward Jerusalem until the pilgrims have actually reached the temple and finished their worship (compare Psalms 134:1-2). With regard to Psalms 120, the author and circumstances are unknown, although it seems as if the worshiper lives at a distance among unbelieving people (compare Psalms 120:5).

I. Petition (Psalms 120:1-2);

II. Indictment (Psalms 120:3-4);

III. Lament (Psalms 120:5-7).

Psalms 120:1 "In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me."

Being at a distance from his own country, or, however, from the house of God. Persecuted by men, under the lash of their tongues. Reproached, abused, and belied by them. In this his case and circumstances, he betook himself by prayer to the Lord, and importuned help and deliverance of him. Knowing that none could help him as he (see Psalms 18:6).

"And he heard me": Answered him, and delivered him. The petition he put up follows, which shows his case, and his particular distress.

This is the first of the Songs of Ascent (120 – 134), a group of hymns that pilgrims sang on their way to Jerusalem for the holy feasts, Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles.

Psalms 120:1-7 : Psalms 120-136 comprise “The Great Hallel”; compare “The Egyptian Hallel” (Psalms 113-118), and “The Final Hallel” (Psalms 145-150). Almost all these psalms (15 or 17), are “Songs of Ascent” (Psalms 120-134), which the Jewish pilgrims sang on their way up to Jerusalem (about 2,700 feet in elevation), on 3 prescribed annual occasions. These feasts included:

(1) Unleavened Bread;

(2) Weeks/Pentecost/Harvest; and

(3) Ingathering/Tabernacles/Booths.

Compare (Exodus 23:14-17; Exodus 34:22-23; Deuteronomy 16:16). David authored 4 of these songs (Psalms 122, 124, 131, 133). Solomon one (Psalms 127), while 10 remain anonymous. When these psalms were assembled in this way is unknown. It appears that these songs begin far away from Jerusalem (compare Meshech and Kedar in Psalms 120:5), and progressively move toward Jerusalem until the pilgrims have actually reached the temple and finished their worship (compare Psalms 134:1-2). With regard to Psalms 120, the author and circumstances are unknown, although it seems as if the worshiper lives at a distance among unbelieving people (compare Psalms 120:5).

I. Petition (Psalms 120:1-2);

II. Indictment (Psalms 120:3-4);

III. Lament (Psalms 120:5-7).

The song of degrees is believed by many to be the song that was sung in front of the Ark of the Covenant, as it was brought back into the land. In all of these lessons, we have been looking more at the meaning of the Scriptures, rather than the history of the Scriptures. We are attempting to find practical applications of the Scriptures to our everyday life.

I find that most of mankind does not call on the Lord, until they have run out of ideas about how to get out of the problem they are in. It is a desperate cry then, that calls to the Lord. When you are in something, it means it surrounds you on every side. Truly the place to go in such a desperate situation is to the Lord. The most wonderful statement in the verse above is, He heard me.

Psalms 120:2 "Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, [and] from a deceitful tongue."

From the unjust censures and malicious slanders of mine enemies.

"From lying lips": False, deceitful, slanderous (compare notes at Psalms 31:18).

"And from a deceitful tongue": From a tongue whose statements cannot be relied on. Whose words are deceptive; whose promises are false. David was often called to experience troubles of this sort. And this is a kind of trial which may come upon anyone in a form which he can no more anticipate or prevent than he can the coming of a "mist from the ocean." No man can certainly guard against the influence of falsehood. No man can be sure that all that will be said to him is true. No man can be certain that all the promises made to him, save those made to him by God, will be performed.

“Lying lips … deceitful tongue” (compare Psalms 52:2-4; Psalms 109:2; Romans 3:9-18).

We find now just exactly what the distress is. To have your reputation slandered is probably the worst hurt you can have. It does not just break your bones; it breaks your heart. There is really no way to get away from this type of attack. If a person came at you with a physical sword, you could knock it out of their hand, but cutting you to pieces with their tongue is hard to fight against. Only God could deal with this type of attack. The tongue is the evilest part of the body. It can cut you to pieces.

Psalms 120:3 "What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue?"

Or, "what shall it give unto thee?" That is, what shall the deceitful tongue give unto thee, O my soul? Or to thee, to anyone that hears and reads this psalm? It is capable of giving thee a great deal of trouble, of doing thee a deal of mischief. And of injuring thy character, and hurting thy peace and comfort, if permitted.

"Or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue?" Or, "what shall the false tongue add unto thee?" It shall increase thy sorrows and distress. Or rather, what gain, profit, and advantage, shall the deceitful tongue get to itself by its lies and deceit? none at all; it may do harm to others, but gets no good to itself (see Isaiah 28:15). Or, "what shall he (God) give unto thee?" Or, "what shall he add unto thee, thou false tongue?" so Jarchi. What punishment will not he inflict upon thee, who hates lying lips? What plagues will not he add unto thee, who knows all the deceit that is in thee, and spoken by thee? The answer is as follows:

If Jesus were answering this, He would say cut it out. Get rid of it. Of course, that is pretty drastic. You could not trade slander for slander, because that would make you as evil as the slanderer. The slanderer probably already has a bad reputation, and is trying to bring the person he is slandering down to his own level. There is really nothing man can do about this type of attack. The punishment must be left up to God.

Psalms 120:4 "Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper."

“Sharp arrows … coals”: Lies and false accusations are likened to:

(1) The pain/injury inflicted in battle by arrows; and

(2) The pain of being burned with charcoal made from the wood of a broom tree (desert bush that grows 10-15 feet high).

There are two ways to look at this little verse. The mighty could have been speaking of the mighty of this earth. Their lies and slander against David would have been like sharp arrows shot into David’s heart. Another way one might look at this is if this is the punishment from God Almighty for the terrible slander brought upon David. Those who live by the sword, must die by the sword. The coals of juniper speak of a hot fire, that burns a long time. It would fit either. My own personal opinion, is that these were still arrows from the evil tongue.

Psalms 120:5-7 : It is very grievous to a good man, to be cast into, and kept in the company of the wicked. From whom he hopes to be for ever separated. See here the character of a good man; he is for living peaceably with all men. And let us follow David as he prefigured Christ. In our distress let us cry unto the Lord, and he will hear us. Let us follow after peace and holiness, striving to overcome evil with good.

Psalms 120:5-7 : The psalmist actually lives among pagans who do not embrace his desire for peace.

Psalms 120:5 "Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, [that] I dwell in the tents of Kedar!"

“Mesech” and “Kedar” were pagan peoples who created a hostile environment for the psalmist. He looked forward to arriving in Jerusalem, where he would hear welcome words of peace and truth. These were in Asia Minor (compare Genesis 10:2), and Kedar (Isaiah 21:16), respectively.

The psalmist here, is feeling a very saddened plight for himself. Mesech and Kedar were similar to Gypsies. They wandered constantly and were at war with everyone they came into contact with. They even fought with each other from time to time. There really was nothing good that could be said of either of them. David is comparing his living among these liars as being in such an awful place. The word, sojourn, means that you are passing through. Dwell, however indicates a somewhat more permanent situation. At any rate, the psalmist feels that he is caught in the middle of a group of very sinful people.

Psalms 120:6 "My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace."

The God of peace, against whom their carnal minds are enmity itself. Christ, the Prince of peace, the Man, the Peace, who has made peace by the blood of his cross, whom the world hates. The sons of peace, the quiet in the land, against whom the wicked devise evil things. The Gospel of peace, which the natural man abhors as foolishness. The way of peace, pardon, and salvation by Christ, which carnal men know not, and do not approve of. And the ordinances of the Gospel, which are paths of peace. In short, some are of such restless, quarrelsome, and contentious spirits, that they hate peace with any. They are like the troubled sea, that cannot rest; and cannot sleep, unless they do mischief to their fellow creatures. It is very uncomfortable living, especially living long with such. The Targum is, "my soul hath long dwelt with Edom, hating peace;’’ that is, with the Romans or Christians, who are intended. For the Jews understand this psalm of their present captivity.

It seemed that the psalmist here, (who is probably David), had lived among these evil people for a very long time. It reminds me of the believers in Christ, who are living in a very evil world. We do not understand the ways of these people, because we are not one of them. Christians are like an island to themselves. They are sojourners in an evil land. Thank goodness, we do not fit in with the liars and thieves around us. These people in the previous verse was said by historians to have been armed heavily, just looking for a fight to get into. This would be a terrible place for the peaceful little shepherd boy to live.

Psalms 120:7 "I [am for] peace: but when I speak, they [are] for war."

Am wholly peace. A man of peace, as Aben Ezra. Of a peaceable disposition, devoted to peace. Love it, seek and pursue it, as every good man does, who is called to it, and in whose heart it rules. Such follow peace with all men, and the things which make for it. And, as much as in them lies, endeavor to live peaceably with all.

"But when I speak, they are for war": Make a motion for peace, and propose the terms of it, they declare against it, and are for war. Or when he spoke of the things of God, and of his experience of them, of the word of God, and of the truths of it, and of what he believed (Psalms 116:10). And especially when he gave good counsel and advice to them, and reproved them for their sins, they could not bear it. But hated him for it, and proclaimed war against him. And could not behave peaceably to him in any degree, but became his avowed, sworn, and implacable enemies. The Targum is, "when I prayed;’’ either prayed to God, that they did not like. Or prayed for peace with them, that they would not grant; but became more embittered against him.

David was always for peace, but when he was forced into war, the Lord was with him in battle. It seemed there was no way to have peace with these people, who thought of nothing but war. Even while he was speaking to them, trying to find peaceful solutions to the problems, they had their weapons drawn ready for war.

PSALM 120

EXPOSITION

If we assume the correctness of Dr. Thirtle’s solution of the title of the following fifteen psalms, as on broader grounds we deem ourselves entitled to do, we ought to find the contents of the psalms themselves continually verifying that conclusion. We shall accordingly call attention, in the quietest way possible, to the passing indications afforded, that the so-called “Songs of Degrees,” or “Songs of Ascents,” more exactly Songs of the Steps, are commemorative of the two-fold deliverance—of Israel from the Assyrians, and of Israel’s King from the premature death with which he was threatened by Jehovah. We need not suppose them all composed in celebration of the particular crisis when the sign of the Dial-steps was vouchsafed, so long as, in a general way, they are all such as Hezekiah might have either written or adapted to the various events of his reign, and employed especially to commemorate its crowning deliverance. Should two or three of these psalms approve themselves as written to celebrate Hezekiah’s great Passover-feast to which he invited the Northern Tribes with a chequered and yet encouraging response, so much the better; since no one can doubt that the king would naturally desire to memorialise his efforts after the reunion of the Tribes; and then, besides, the larger the area from which our circumstantial evidence as to authorship is derived, the more convincing ought to be the result when the converging rays of light are brought to a focus.

It is easy to recognise the probability that, for some time after he began to reign, Hezekiah had about him counsellors who, without being actually disloyal to him, were quite unable to take his exalted views of the reality of Jehovah’s protection of Israel; and, consequently, how naturally it came about that when, in the earlier days of the Assyrian Invasion, the King’s whole soul was set for peace, by reason of his confident trust in Jehovah, his courtiers were some of them utterly unable to follow his counsels; and, indeed, were only moved by his pacific assurances to fiercer denunciations of the foe. This apprehension of the state of the atmosphere at Hezekiah’s Court, forms an apt preparation for the first psalm in the series. Kirkpatrick’s explanation of the strikingly figurative language employed in the course of this psalm may usefully guard us from stumbling at the outset.

“Meshech, mentioned in Genesis 10:2 as a son of Japheth, was a barbarous people living between the Black Sea and the Caspian, probably the Moschi of Herodotus (iii. 94) and Mushki of the Assyrian inscriptions: Kedar, mentioned in Genesis 25:13 as the second son of Ishmael, was one of the wild tribes which roamed through the Arabian desert, ‘whose hand was against every man’ (Genesis 16:12). Obviously the psalmist cannot mean to describe himself as actually living among peoples so remote from one another, but applies these typical names of barbarian tribes to his own compatriots, as we might speak of Turks and Tartars.”

These “Turks and Tartars” were in Hezekiah’s Court, and the king was getting weary of them. It is submitted that the very terms of the psalm exactly suit such a situation, and not at all the state of affairs during the Exile, or after it in the neighborhood of Jerusalem.

Gods sustaining power

A Song of degrees.

Psalms 121:1-8

Psalms 121 : This psalm fits well against the backdrop of a pilgrimage for it is concerned with the uncertainties one faces on such a journey. It moves naturally from the need for help (Psalms 121:1-2), to the promise of God’s protection (Psalms 121:3-8). Verse (Psalms 121:1 b), should probably be retranslated as a question, which is quite permissible. The psalmist is not looking at the hills as a source of help but as a source of threat or harm. Then he raises the question: “From whence cometh my help?” Psalms 121:2 is his immediate answer.

Psalms 121:1-8 (see note on Psalms 120:7). The author and circumstances are unknown. This song strikes a strong note of assurance in 4 stages that God is help and protection to keep both Israel and individual believers safe from harm.

I. God – Helper (Psalms 121:1-2);

II. God – Keeper (Psalms 121:3-4);

III. God – Protector (Psalms 121:5-6);

IV. God – Preserver (Psalms 121:7-8).

Psalms 121:1-2 : As the psalmist anticipates his journey through “the hills” to Jerusalem, a route filled with anxiety, he seeks for help, perhaps looking around and within, and then finally looks up. His “help”, all help, comes from above. Both nature and a person’s very life are God’s handiwork; He has the power to aid His people (Psalms 146:6).

Psalms 121:1 "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help."

Not to the hills and mountains in Judea, looking about to see if the inhabitants of them. Or any bodies of men, appeared upon them to his help in distress. Rather to the hills of Moriah and Zion, where the Ark of God, the symbol of his presence, was. And to whom he looked for assistance and deliverance. Or to heaven, the holy hill of the Lord, and to him that dwelleth there (see Psalms 3:2). The lifting up of the eyes is a prayer gesture (John 11:41); and is expressive of boldness and confidence in prayer, and of hope and expectation of help and salvation (Job 11:15).

"From whence shall my help come?" Not from hills and mountains; not from men, for vain is the help of man; not from kings and princes, the great men of the earth, nor from the most powerful nations. But from the Lord (as in Psalms 121:2), which may be an answer to this.

Sometimes, when we are in the valley of despair, as the psalmist was in the last chapter, everything looks hopeless. This verse above is the answer, not only for the psalmist, but for all who are in trouble. In this life, we go through valleys, but we must always look up for help, and climb back up to the mountaintop. Do not keep looking downward in a cast down fashion, look up to the hills, for help is on its way. Let’s look at something Jesus had to say about the very same thing in the following verses.

Luke 21:26-28 "Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken." "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."

This is speaking of a time when trouble is everywhere you look. There is only one help for the psalmist, or for anyone else, who is surrounded with problems. Look up and rejoice, God will come to your rescue.

Psalms 121:2 "My help [cometh] from the LORD, which made heaven and earth."

“My help”: The psalmist does not look to the creation, but rather the Creator for his help.

Who helps his people out of the hands of all their enemies, and out of all their troubles and afflictions. He helps them in the performance of duty, in the exercise of grace, in bearing the cross, in fighting the Lord’s battles, and on in their journey. He helps them to all blessings, temporal and spiritual. To all needful supplies of grace here, and glory hereafter. And this help he gives is quick and present, suitable and seasonable, is sufficient, and sometimes with, and sometimes without means. And they have great encouragement to expect it from him, since he is able to give it, being the Maker of heaven and earth. For what is it that he cannot do, who has made both them? And besides, he has promised to help them, and he is faithful that has promised. He has laid help on Christ for them, and set up a throne of grace, where they may hope to find grace and mercy, to help them in time of need. And they have had past experiences of his help and salvation.

LORD here, is Jehovah. To add, which made heaven and earth, adds to the name Jehovah the Word.

John 1:1-3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." "The same was in the beginning with God." "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."

The spoken Word of God created the heaven and earth. God said, “let there be”, and it was so. The God that was Creator of everything, including me, would be the best help a person could have. Notice, there is no doubt in his statement. He does not say, maybe He will help me. He says cometh, which means continues to come. My help continues to come from the Lord.

Psalms 121:3 "He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber."

This is either an address of the psalmist to his own soul; or to any other good man, his friend and acquaintance, assuring of stability, and of final perseverance in grace to glory. The Lord keeps the feet of his saints from falling: he will not suffer them to be moved out of the spiritual estate in which they stand. Nor off of the Foundation and Rock of ages, on which their feet are set, and their goings established. Nor out of the house of God, where they are as pillars. Nor out of his ways, where he upholds their goings. Moved in some sense they may be, yet not "greatly moved"; their feet may be "almost" gone, and their steps "well nigh" slipped, and yet shall not fall finally and totally, or so as to perish (see Psalms 62:2). “Moved” (compare Psalms 37, 23, , 24).

"He that keepeth thee will not slumber": Neither angels nor men are the keepers of the saints, but the Lord himself. He is the keeper of every individual saint, of every regenerate person, of every one of his sheep, of every member of his church. He keeps them by his power, he preserves them by his grace, he holds them with his right hand. Guides them by his counsel, keeps their feet from falling, and brings them safe to glory. And a watchful keeper he is, he does not so much as slumber; he keeps them night and day, lest any harm them (Isaiah 27:3).

In Hebrews chapter 13, we read that He will never leave us, or forsake us. God is a present help. He is always there to help us night and day. If you are standing on the Rock that cannot be moved, you will not slip. The Great Shepherd never sleeps or lets the wolves come in and get the sheep. He is ever watchful over His sheep. The assurance is, that He will be with us even unto the end of the earth.

Psalms 121:4 "Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep."

“Slumber”: Compare the appearance of sleep, Psalms 44:23. The living God is totally unlike the pagan gods/dead idols (compare 1 Kings 18:27).

This does not just mean physical Israel, who the presence of God was continually with on their way to the Promised Land. Spiritual Israel (Christians), are on a journey to their promised land (heaven). God is with His own every step of the way to make sure our journey is completed. The presence in the wilderness was the fire by night and the cloud by day. The presence with the believer, now, is the Holy Spirit which is our Comforter and our Guide. He will guide us to eternal life in heaven (our promised land).

Psalms 121:5-6 : Traveling across the arid desert toward their city, the pilgrims’ great danger was exposure to the elements, and particularly the heat. They could be scorched if they did not find “shade”.

Psalms 121:5 "The LORD [is] thy keeper: the LORD [is] thy shade upon thy right hand."

Thy Preserver; thy Defender. He will keep time from danger; he will keep thee from sin; he will keep thee unto salvation.

"The Lord is thy shade”. The Lord is as a shadow: as the shadow of a rock, a house, or a tree, in the intense rays of the burning sun (see the notes at Isaiah 25:4).

Upon thy right hand": Partly to uphold thy right hand, which is the chief instrument of action. And partly to defend thee in that place where thine enemies oppose thee. This represents the place of human need (see Psalms 109:6; and compare Psalms 16:8; Psalms 109:31).

LORD here, is Jehovah. The promise is that the evil one cannot snatch you away from God. He is our Keeper. Look, with me, at the following 2 Scriptures that tell exactly what I want to say here.

John 10:28-29 "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand." "My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father’s hand."

The shade here, means a protector from harm. The right hand always has to do with the spirit. This then, would be saying that God Himself protects the spirit of His followers.

Psalms 121:6 "The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night."

With its rays, which it shoots forth like darts, and which fly swiftly, and pierce and hurt. Hence Apollo, the same with the sun, is represented with a bow and arrows; so the rays of the sun seem to be called in (Habakkuk 2:11).

"Nor the moon by night": This clause should be supplied, as a learned man observes, thus, "neither shall the moon cool thee by night"; for that has no warmth in it, and cannot smite with heat, as the sun does. For even, as he observes, its rays focused by a magnifying glass will not communicate the least degree of sensible heat to bodies objected thereunto. Yet some say the moon is not only moist, but heats bodies as the sun. The Septuagint version is, "the sun shall not burn thee by day, nor the moon by night". And burning may be ascribed to the cold frosty air in a moonlight night, as to the north wind.

“By day … by night”: Around the clock protection.

The key word in this is smite. Smite means to strike you lightly, or severely. Day and night God is our Protector. The elements of nature would cooperate with the believer, and not be harmful to them. Just as the Spirit of God was with physical Israel, He will be with and protect spiritual Israel (Christians).

Psalms 121:7-8 : God’s care includes His limitless ability to “preserve” believers from “all evil” and extends not just to all settings of life but for all time, both now and forevermore. “Going out and … coming in” is an idiom that speaks of the regular routines of life.

While this seems to have a temporal sense at first glance, there are indications that it looks beyond to eternal life, e.g., all evil (Psalms 121:7), and forevermore (Psalms 121:8).

Psalms 121:7 "The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul."

The Word of the Lord, as the Targum. Not from the evil of affliction, though from that as a penal evil; or as a real one, it being made to work for good. But from the evil of sin; not from the being or commission of it; but from its dominion and damning power, or from a final and total falling away by it. And from the evil of the world; not from tribulation in it, nor from the reproach or persecution of it. But from the wickedness and lusts that are in it. And from the wicked men of it, their power, rage, and fury: and from the evil one, Satan. Not from his temptations, but from sinking under them, and perishing by them (see John 17:12).

"He shall preserve thy soul": He preserves the bodies of his people, oftentimes from diseases and disasters, and from death, till the appointed time comes. And then he preserves their dust in the grave, and raises it up at the last day. But more especially their souls, the redemption and salvation of which he undertook, and has affected. And which are preserved by him safe to his coming, kingdom, and glory.

Psalms 121:8 "The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore."

Preserve thee in going out and coming in; in going from thy dwelling, and returning to it. In going from home and coming back; that is, everywhere, and at all times. Compare (Deuteronomy 28:6; see the notes also at Job 5:24).

"From this time forth, and even forevermore." Through this life and for ever. This is the gracious assurance which is made to all who put their trust in God. At home and abroad; in the house, in the field, and by the way; on the land and on the ocean. In their native country and in climes remote; on earth, in the grave, and in the eternal world, they are always safe. No evil that will endanger their salvation can befall them. Nothing can happen to them here but what God shall see to be conducive to their ultimate good. And in the heavenly world they shall be safe forever from every kind of evil, for in that world there will be no sin, and consequently no need of discipline to prepare them for the future.

Evil may be all around you, but the LORD will build a hedge around you.

Psalms 91:7 "A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; [but] it shall not come nigh thee."

Just as the LORD made a separation from the firstborn of Egypt and the firstborn of the Hebrews, He will make a separation for us as well. Preserve means keep. The sum total of this is, that he will keep our soul. When I look at this, I see the 23rd Psalm. He is our Shepherd. He leads me where I should go. He leads me to green pastures, He leads me to clear water, He watches over me while I rest. The wolves cannot get me because He protects me. When the Shepherd is there, I fear no evil even though I am walking through the shadow of death. He not only leads me to this green pasture once, but over and over as I need food. He watches His sheep, as they go out and come in, to make sure they are all there, and that they are in good shape. If they wander off, He goes after them. I shall not want, because He provides all my needs. Notice, that when I am in His presence, He restores my soul. He leads me in the straight and narrow path of righteousness. He even prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies. He fills my cup so full that it runs over.

If I belong to the Great Shepherd, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

PSALM 121

EXPOSITION

Notwithstanding his strong faith in Jehovah, Hezekiah’s confidence would naturally be tried as the Assyrians approached the sacred city. Jerusalem was surrounded by mountains; and to these the King would instinctively lift up his eyes to see whether the Assyrians were coming; and, in moments of distress, might well ask—whence his help could come. Such a strong man as Isaiah would be at hand to assure him; and Psalms 121:2 would be worthy of him and of the occasion. It is easy to apprehend how a weaker counsellor might thereupon express the pious wish that Jehovah’s help might not fail, but in such terms as tended rather to weaken the King’s faith than to strengthen it. The first adviser, therefore, renews his assurances of Jehovah’s help in more vigorous and ample terms. Lo! says he,—Look you!—as of some open and manifest truth—and then he proceeds with his re-assurance in positive terms of utmost vigour; accumulating the Divine titles to confidence, figuratively picturing the pervading presence of Jehovah’s protection, playing with the word employed by his weaker friend—Keeper—till it echoes with triumphant faith. Then, too, the very word keep is exquisitely fitted to the position of a king who could not move—but must wait till he should “see the salvation of God.” How much easier thus to apply the words, than to force the accustomed thought of help coming from the mountains of Judזa to bring the returning exiles out of Babylon.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem”

A Song of degrees of David.

Psalms 122:1-9

Psalms 122 : The end of a pilgrimage to Jerusalem was probably the occasion of this psalm. It contains a recollection of the pilgrimage (verses 1-2), praise for Jerusalem (verses 3-5), and a prayer for Jerusalem (verses 6-9).

Psalms 122:1-9 : See notes on (Psalms 120:1-7). David expressed his great joy over Jerusalem, which he had settled by defeating the Jebusites (compare 2 Sam. chapter 5), and bringing the tabernacle and Ark for permanent residency (compare 2 Sam. chapter 6). David’s desire/prayer was temporarily fulfilled in Solomon’s reign (compare 1 Kings 4:24-25). It is ironic that Jerusalem, which means “city of peace”, has been fought over through history more than any other city in the world. Prophetically, David’s desire will not be experienced in its fullness until the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), comes to rule permanently (Zechariah 14:9; Zechariah 14:11), as the promised Davidic King (compare 2 Samuel 7:12-13; 2 Samuel 7:16; Ezekiel 37:24-28).

I. Joy Over Worship (Psalms 122:1-5);

II. Prayer Over Jerusalem (Psalms 122:6-9).

Psalms 122:1 "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD."

“The house of the Lord”: A term used of the tabernacle (compare Exodus 23:19; Exodus 34:26; 2 Samuel 12:20), not the temple that would be built later by Solomon.

Are you glad, when someone says let’s go to church? David of course, is the penman here. David loved the Lord. He was always excited when it was time to go to worship with his God. He was not only glad for himself, but he was glad that others wanted to go as well. This is probably speaking of the physical house of the LORD here on the earth. It would be said also, of those who have run their race and are prepared to meet their LORD at His throne in heaven. Any times I ask someone, why do you go to church? Is it a joy to go? Would you rather be doing something else? Are you going because you are obligated to go, or do you go because you want to go? In David’s case here, he was excited about just the thought of going. It was with great anticipation that he went. He knew the Presence of God was there over the mercy seat. Oh to be just in the near vicinity of the LORD. I can truthfully say, that it is with joy I think upon the possibility of going to church. I am likewise anticipating the day when I can go home to be with Him and never have to leave again. When I think of Anna that was in the temple day and night, praying and fasting, I think of a woman who truly loved God. She just stayed, because she did not want to leave that Presence of God. Think on these things.

Psalms 122:2 "Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem."

“Stand within thy gates”: Sometime after the Tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant had arrived in the city of David (2 Sam. chapter 6). David’s joy is that the Ark has found its proper location.

The word stand, here, means a stationary fact. This means they are not leaving, but standing. The joy of the first verse has run on over in this. It is such a joy just to stand within the gate. Those who have travelled to Israel can vouch for the joy of just standing in the gate. There is a heavenly Jerusalem that this can be looking forward to as well.

Psalms 122:3 "Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:"

“Compact together”: The Jerusalem of David’s day (Zion), was smaller than the enlargement by Solomon.

Probably when David penned this, the city was not what we see there today. Possibly he was speaking of it prophetically. It is very compact with a wall completely around it. The city, many times in the Bible, is speaking of the church. We know that the church also, is compact. It is a close-knit group (family).

Psalms 122:4 "Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD."

“The testimony of Israel”: Refers to God’s command to go up to Jerusalem 3 times annually (see note on Psalms 120:1-7).

Now we see an important reason for going up to the temple. This is still one of the reasons for going to church. O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good. There were twelve tribes of Israel, but the thing that kept them together was their God. The temple in Jerusalem would be their gathering place of worship. The families of the tribes would come at least three times a year to the temple to worship.

Psalms 122:5 "For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David."

In Jerusalem as the Targum. Here were courts of judicature, and thrones for the judges to sit upon, to execute judgment and justice to the people.

"The thrones of the house of David": The Targum is, "thrones in the house of the sanctuary, for the kings of the house of David;’’ who might sit there, as the Jews say, when others might not. In the church of Christ, the heavenly Jerusalem, every saint is a king, as well as a priest. And all have thrones and seats there. Have a power of judging, not only lesser matters pertaining to this life, but such as regard the spiritual peace and welfare of the church and interest of Christ. Having laws and rules given them to go by, in the admission and exclusion of members, and respecting their conduct to each other, and to their Lord and head. And in the New Jerusalem there will be thrones set, not only for the twelve apostles of Christ, and for the martyrs of Jesus, but for all the saints. There will be the thrones of God and of the Lamb, and every overcomer shall sit down on the same. This honor all the saints will have (Matthew 19:28).

The throne of judgement was in Jerusalem. David was the leader of all 12 tribes at this time. Each tribe had a leader, but matters of great importance were judged by David in Jerusalem.

Psalms 122:6-9 : A most appropriate prayer for a city whose name means peace and is the residency of the God of peace (Isaiah 9:6; Romans 15:33; Hebrews 13:20). Compare prayers for the peace of Israel (Psalms 125:5; Psalms 128:6), and other psalms which exalt Jerusalem (Psalms 128, 132, 147). History would prove that bad times had to come (Psalms 79, 137), before the best of times (Rev. chapters 21 and 22).

Psalms 122:6 "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee."

In whose prosperity both your civil and your religious privileges are deeply concerned. They shall prosper; or, let them prosper. The future being taken imperatively, as is very frequent. The Lord grant them prosperity and all happiness.

"They shall prosper that love thee": That love Jerusalem, the church of God. That love Christ, her King; the saints, her citizens; her laws and ordinances. And the word of the Lord that goes out of her, and is ministered in her. Which is shown by an attendance with her on them, and by their prayers for her prosperity and welfare. And such prosper in their outward affairs, as Obed-edom and his family were blessed for the sake of the Ark he took in and took care of. And in their spiritual affairs their souls prosper, as Gaius’s did. And as such do who are favored with the discoveries of the love of God, with an application of pardoning grace and mercy, and have a spiritual appetite for the word; when their graces are in lively exercise. Their corruptions are subdued, spiritual light and zeal for truth are increased, inward strength is renewed, communion with God is enjoyed, and they are fruitful in every good work.

Jerusalem was taken from the word Salem, which means peace. The city of peace has known very little peace. Perhaps, its name is for the peace it will know when Jesus reigns on the earth. We should all pray for Jerusalem, the city of our Great God. This city is the called the city of God. We should all love this city. I believe this is also speaking in a prophetic way about the church. Those who love it are blessed.

Psalms 122:7 "Peace be within thy walls, [and] prosperity within thy palaces."

The word “say” might be supplied; for this, with the following, seem to be petitions the psalmist puts into the mouths of those he desires to pray for Jerusalem’s peace. And he directs them to pray in this manner, to take with them such words as these, and pray to the Lord. Jerusalem was a walled city, and so is the church of God. God himself is a wall of fire around her. Salvation by Christ is as walls and bulwarks to her; the power and providence of God protect her. Within these walls the people of God have a place and a name. All the inhabitants of Zion in common are included in this petition, and peace is wished for them all. Let their condition and circumstances be what they may, be they high or low, rich or poor, stronger or weaker believers, children, young men, or fathers. Some render it, "in thine army", as the Targum, and other Jewish writers; in the church’s militia, all saints being soldiers and in a warfare state. And here success to their arms against sin, Satan, and the world, is wished for.

"And prosperity within thy palaces": As there were palaces in Jerusalem for the king, the nobles, and great men in the land. So there are in the church of God, where he is known, for a refuge. Even the meanest places in it are preferable to the palaces of the greatest monarchs (see Psalms 48:3). And here indeed all the saints are kings, and have their palaces. But particularly there are some who are set in the first place in the church, and over others in the Lord. Who are their guides and governors, and are in office relation to the church as pastors and deacons now, as there were priests and Levites before. And the prosperity of these is to be prayed for, the good of the whole church being involved therein.

This is a prayer for peace within the walls. Again, this can be speaking of the walls of physical Jerusalem, or it could be speaking of the walls of the church.

Psalms 122:8 "For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace [be] within thee."

Who were regenerated by the spirit of God. Adopted into his family, and children of the same father. Stood in the same relation to Christ the firstborn, and members of the same church; and so brethren. Partners in the same blessings and promises of the covenant. Partakers of the same grace. Joined together in religious worship. Shared in the same joys and griefs. Travelers together to the same heavenly country, and entitled to the same glory and happiness. So David, though a king, reckoned his meanest subjects as such, who were spiritual men. And for their sakes, through the goodwill, love, and affection he bore to them, he would set praying souls an example, and by it enforce his own exhortation, as follows.

"I will now say, peace be within thee": Now and always put up this petition, and not put it off to longer time. That peace and prosperity may always attend the church of God, as well as the city of Jerusalem, literally considered, and the inhabitants of it.

This Psalm started with someone asking David to go the house of the Lord. His brethren and companions, here, are the same as those mentioned (in the 1st verse). This is saying, that all believers would benefit by the peace of Jerusalem. This is not a private place for just David to worship. It is a place for all who love God to worship.

Psalms 122:9 "Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good."

Not because of his own palace, nor because of his own house and family. Nor because of his own personal interest; though all were concerned in the peace of Jerusalem. But chiefly because of the sanctuary of the Lord, as the Targum. Because of the worship and service of God in it; because of his great love and zeal for the house and church of the living God, which ate him up (Psalms 69:9).

"I will seek thy good": The good of Jerusalem and the good of the church of God. Do all the good he could to it both with his purse and prayers, and by stirring up others to do the same (see Psalms 51:18).

David was not allowed to build the temple in Jerusalem, because he was a warrior. We said in a previous lesson, that David was a man of peace who had been forced into war. David wanted the temple in Jerusalem built so badly, that he gave a fortune in gold and silver for the building. We see in the verse above, that David made peace around him, so the house of the Lord could be built in peaceful times.

PSALM 122

EXPOSITION

It will be noticed that some authorities omit the ascription of this psalm to David; and, judging from internal evidence, nothing can well be imagined more perfectly fitting, for its primary occasion, than to view it as King Hezekiah’s welcome to the Northern Tribes whom he had invited to join in the celebration of his great Passover. The completeness of its adaptation to that memorable occasion cannot be exaggerated. Down to the minutest detail, it approves itself as worthy of the man who conceived it, and the occasion for which it was first intended.

Imagine, then, the profound satisfaction with which a godly Northerner heard one after another of his neighbours declaring his intention to respond to good King Hezekiah’s invitation, by going up to the house of Jehovah at Jerusalem. That gives the motif of the first brief stanza, Psalms 122:1.

Think, further, of the feelings of a band of such pilgrims when they first found themselves standing within the gates of the Sacred City. Naturally, the first person singular has given place to the first person plural—the I of isolated reception of the news of intention to go, is exchanged for the our of companionship in the triumph of actual arrival. Every word tells exactly as written: Standing—are our feet—within thy gates—O Jerusalem! We can perceive the thrill of emotion with which the feet of the pilgrims press the hallowed ground. That is our second stanza.

The newly-arrived gaze around them in silent astonishment and admiration, as if perchance they had hitherto only been accustomed to the straggling houses of a country village, and had never seen a real city before. “Jerusalem! and this is she!—she that hath been built, compact and continuous, as a city worthy of the name; every dweller in close touch with his neighbour, for fellowship in need, in worship, and in mutual defence; Jerusalem—striking symbol of unity. We, of the Tribes have been scattered and divided,—but our beloved Jerusalem is ONE!” So may we appreciate the first half of the third stanza.

Fine the tact of poetic vision, that sees the chance of here introducing a skilful and strong reminder of the duty of the Tribes to their Mother City. Nothing so prosy and pedagogic as to say, “Whither the tribes ought regularly to come up, as for centuries they have not done”: nothing so awkward as that comes from the poet’s pen; but rather the gracious recognition that they have responded to the King’s invitation; since here, in fact, they are; as Northerner, having already greeted Northerner in Jerusalem, rejoices to know: Whither have come up tribes. Moreover, these tribes that have come up, are not aliens and rebels; oh no! but tribes of Yah, that had a right to come—a testimony to Israel, by the original ordinance, making for national unity; and how much more telling a testimony now, when men from all quarters are once more joining in bearing it. They have come, not to be reprimanded for their long absence, but to join in the soul-cementing bonds of united praise to Jehovah—their ancestors’ still Living God. That excellent stroke of poetic policy completes our third stanza.

If any one thing, more than another, should elicit our admiration of the Divine Tact of this psalm-writer, it is the way in which he succeeds in bringing in—as by means of a casual observation—the most delicate of reminders that the holy people, who are religiously one, should be judicially, and therefore civilly, one also. It is not hinted that a notice had been seen exhibited at the street-corners, to the effect that “All coming to Jerusalem to worship are expected to bring with them their civil causes to be tried by the rightful present Representatives of the Beloved King David.” No! it is—as to its actual poetic form—not an authoritative notice at all; but merely a sojourner’s surprised and significant observation of something in the city he has seen. But what has he seen? Nothing more than empty chairs, placed in the public area set apart as forum. But those empty chairs are eloquent; for they are chairs of state. “Surely, there, have they placed seats for justice: seats for the house of David!” so remarks the pilgrim as he passes by, impressed by the sight, the profound meaning of which he thoughtfully ponders.

But a truce to object-lessons and moralisings prompted by them. The great Feast is rapidly reaching its climax of UNITED INTERCESSION. Here are fitting prayers suggested. The city as a whole filling every mind, “Ask ye the peace of Jerusalem,” says the poet: and in so doing, such things as the following, it will be seasonable that ye say:—“Quiet be they who love thee: may they ‘lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and gravity.’ Let there be peace within thy walls, O Jerusalem—whatever storms may rage in foreign lands. And quietness itself—in purest distillation—be within thy palaces of state and power.” All of which, the student of the psalm can amplify according to his own sense of fitness.

But the closing stanza must not be missed nor slurred over; for, in truth, it asks to be read with a delicate meaning discovered between its lines. For who is the INDIVIDUAL that closes the psalm? Who is he that, having so thoughtfully provided for the spiritual wants of others, now begs to be heard for himself:—“begs,” we say, advisedly; since no scholar can deny that a homely passion of importunity is there, in the Hebrew, which sooner than let the mere English reader miss we have ventured to represent by the quaint form of request, “Do pray let me speak”? Who is this, then, with a heart so large that he can, within the compass of two closing sentences, take in with loving embrace his brethren and friends and likewise, with worshipful concern, the house of Jehovah? Is it not the author of the psalm himself, who can no longer be restrained from speaking for himself; and who, for some of us, by the fitness of every word of the psalm to the man and to the occasion, has virtually signed his name, KING HEZEKIAH?

Prayer for mercy

A Song of degrees.

Psalms 123:1-4

Psalms 123 : This psalm expresses first the trusting attitude of the psalmist (Psalms 123:1-2), then his petition offered from a distressing situation (Psalms 123:3-4).

See note on Psalms 120:1-7. The author and situation are unknown.

I. Exalting God (Psalms 123:1-2);

II. Enlisting God’s Mercy (Psalms 123:3-4).

Psalms 123:1-2 : The writer looks expectantly to God as a servant or slave looks to the hand of their master or mistress.

The “hand” here is used as a metaphor for provision, slaves were fully dependent on their masters to meet their needs. The psalmist is in a position of humble expectation as he awaits God’s provision of help.

Psalms 123:1 "Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens."

“Mine eyes”: The progression from Psalms 121:1. “Dwellest in the heavens” (compare Psalms 11:4; Psalms 103:19; Psalms 113:5).

Dwellest means continues to dwell. We saw in a previous lesson, the psalmist looking from the valley to the hills. Here we see him looking into heaven itself.

1 John 5:7 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."

There is a throne in heaven, and we are told that the Lord Jesus is at the right hand of the Father. We also know that the Christians have an advocate with the Father. Our help is in the heavens. You cannot depend on people to help you. They will let you down. Our help is in heaven at the throne of God. We are allowed to look into the heavens to the throne of God, because Jesus opened the way for us. Many a saint like Stephen actually saw the throne of God. Do not look to this earth for answers to problems, you will just get more problems. Look to heaven and the Lord.

Psalms 123:2 "Behold, as the eyes of servants [look] unto the hand of their masters, [and] as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes [wait] upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us."

“Servants … masters”: The psalmist reasons from the lesser to the greater (human to the divine; earthly to the heavenly). One’s eyes should be on the Lord to mercifully meet one’s needs.

Behold says stop for a moment and pay close attention to this. These servants, mentioned here, were watching for their master to direct them to the next job. The maiden looking at her mistress is the very same thing. We must also look at the signs and signals we get from the Lord. We are not to be caught up in the signs, but we are to use them to tell us what is about to happen. (Matthew chapter 24), gives us a list of things to watch for. We must keep our attention on the Lord at all times. It is a very dangerous thing to take your eyes off the Lord, and start looking around you at things of the earth.

Psalms 123:3-4 : “Contempt … scorning”: From unbelieving pagans, perhaps the Samaritans (compare Nehemiah 1:3; Nehemiah 2:19).

Psalms 123:3 "Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt."

Merit is not pleaded; for, though servants, they knew they were unprofitable ones. But mercy is asked; whether by the awakened sinner, under first convictions, or by the backsliding professor, for forgiveness of sins, under a sense of them. Or as under the correcting: and chastising hand of God for them. And which is repeated, to show the state of their case, which requires mercy, and in haste. And the eagerness of their spirit, and the earnestness of their suit, their prayer being the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man.

"For we are exceedingly filled with contempt": By reason of meanness in outward circumstances, the common lot of God’s people. And therefore are reckoned the faith of the world, and the off scouring of all things. And on account of their religion, which wicked men make a jest of; reckon an engine of state, to keep people in awe of the civil magistrate. Or a piece of priest-craft, to serve the lucrative views of a set of men. And particularly on account of peculiar doctrines embraced, which are branded as novel, irrational, and licentious. And ordinances, which entirely depend on the sovereign will of the institutor of them. For these things, and the like, contempt was plentifully poured upon them. They had enough of it, and too much, so much that they could not bear it. It was become intolerable and loathsome, and the more, as it had been a long time continued on them. So Aben Ezra and Kimchi interpret the word, rendered "exceedingly", of a long time.

We have discussed several times how urgently we need the mercy of our Lord. We do not want justice, because of our shortcomings. The fact that he asked twice for mercy just shows the seriousness of the request. Contempt, in this particular instance, means disrespect. It could also mean bitterness. The contempt they were filled with was from those around them. The evil people around the psalmist had no respect for him at all. They were bitter and hateful in their dealings with him.

Psalms 123:4 "Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, [and] with the contempt of the proud."

That are in easy and affluent circumstances; abound in the things of this world, and have more than heart can wish. Have no outward trouble, as other men, or as the saints have. Nor any uneasiness of mind, on account of sin and their eternal state. They have been at ease from their youth. Satan, that has the possession of them, keeps the goods in peace. And their consciences are seared as with a red hot iron, and they are past feeling. Though they are far from having any true solid peace of mind. And such persons are generally scorners of the saints, and load them with their gibes and jeers in a most insolent manner; which makes it very irksome and grievous to bear.

"And with the contempt of the proud": Who are proud of their natural abilities. Of their wealth and riches, and of their honors and high places. And such are generally scorners, and deal in proud wrath. And, through their pride, persecute the poor saints with their reproaches, and by other ways (see Proverbs 21:24). Some understand by these characters, "that are at ease", or "quiet", and are "proud", or "excellent", as the phrases may be rendered. Such described by them as are the objects, and not the authors, of scorn and contempt. Even the saints, who are the quiet in the land, and the excellent in the earth. Those precious sons of Zion, who are disesteemed by the men of the world (Psalms 35:20).

The proud, we decided, were lost and were living for just the here and now. They had not humbled themselves and come to the Lord. They felt that they were their own boss, and they did not want anyone telling them what to do. Those that are at ease possibly, means that they were well off financially and thought they did not need God. They ridiculed the psalmist for his stand he had made for God. They actually hated the psalmist and what he stood for.

PSALM 123

EXPOSITION

Most naturally, King Hezekiah, who is a skilful leader in psalmody as well as a worthy example of devotion, leads off this psalm; which comes out well as a Response to the Assurance in Psalms 121:2—“Help is from Jehovah—maker of heaven and earth.”

The second verse gathers up into congregational expression a representation of a waiting and watching attitude towards Jehovah which is at once homely, beautiful and suggestive. These worshippers, though on earth, are led to regard themselves as attendants in presence of their Heavenly King; full in his view; awaiting his pleasure. As personal attendants await in silence the slightest expression of the will of their superior; watching the pointing finger which says “Go,” the open palm which says “Bring,” the beckoning movement which says “Come”; so, says the psalmist, even with such profound respect and watchful attention are our eyes unto Jehovah our God, until that he be gracious unto us. Surely, a comparison as suggestive as it is beautiful. Such servants know their master’s or mistress’s ways—the meaning of each familiar gesture. They need no loud word of formal command: all they require is, to catch the slightest hint of the superior’s WILL as the sufficient signal for obedience. And so, the least word from Isaiah for instance, would be intimation enough for both the King and his people:—without (say) going to the Pentateuch, or to Mount Sinai, for a formal “Thus saith the Lord.”

This adjustment of the mental attitude of the worshipping nation towards Jehovah is then at once merged in importunate entreaty. The plea is pointedly put—Be gracious unto us, O Jehovah,—and emphatically repeated—be gracious unto us; and then weighted with a reason: for greatly are we sated with contempt. “Oh! we have had enough of this vile and blaspheming Rabshakeh and his imperious master.” We all know the story. Fancy the foreigner on our own soil; and ourselves at the time in certain and miraculously attested covenant relation with the Maker of heaven and earth! and should we not have importuned our God in some such strains as these?

Praise for deliverance from enemies

A Song of degrees of David.

Psalms 124:1-8

Psalms 124 : This psalm reflects on deliverance from danger. From a realization of the Lord’s help (Psalms 124:1-5), the psalmist moves to the appropriate response to the Lord’s help (Psalms 124:6-8).

Psalms 124:1-8 (see note on Psalms 120:1-7). A Davidic psalm which generically recalls past deliverances, possible the Exodus (verse 5).

I. God’s Protection (Psalms 124:1-5);

II. God’s Provision (Psalms 124:6-8).

Here is affirmation of God’s eternal vigilance for His people. The danger was so great, their helplessness so obvious, and deliverance so unlikely that if God had not intervened, utter ruin would have been inevitable.

Psalms 124:1-2 : God has preserved Israel from extinction.

Psalms 124:1 "If [it had not been] the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say;"

Unless it was Yahweh who was with us. The idea is, that someone had been with them, and had delivered them, and that such was the nature of the interposition that it could be ascribed to no one but Yahweh. It bore unmistakable evidence that it was his work. The deliverance was of such a kind that it could have been accomplished by him only. Such things often occur in life, when the intervention in our behalf is so remarkable that we can ascribe it to no one else but God.

Now may Israel say”: May well and truly say. The danger was so great, their helplessness was so manifest, and the deliverance was so clearly the work of God, that it was proper to say that if this had not occurred, ruin would have been inevitable and entire.

This is certainly not a complete statement, but means so much. Out of all the peoples of the world, God chose Israel to be His. On the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, God went with them and helped them. He subdued their enemies, who in many instances were mightier in battle. The countries around them realized right off that God was on Israel’s side in battle. They were aware of the Red sea parting for Israel and then drowning the Egyptians. They were not afraid of Israel, but they were afraid of Israel’s God. Israel had not been trained for war. They had been slaves in Egypt. Only the mighty hand of God brought them out, and then preserved them in the wilderness and against their enemies. Had it not been for the LORD, they would have died.

Psalms 124:2 "If [it had not been] the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us:"

This he repeats both for the confirmation of it, and to excite the attention of the Israelites to it. As well as to observe that it was not once only, but again and again, many times the Lord appeared to be on their side. The Targum renders it, "the Word of the Lord;’’ the essential Word, the Son of God (and so in Psalms 123:1). In the king’s Bible;

"When men rose up against us": Wicked men; though no hard epithet is given in the text, however just. "The enemies of God’s people are only called "men" by them, to show their meekness and patience. It is in the singular number, "when man rose up"; hence Aroma interprets it of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and R. Obadiah of Haman. But it might be better interpreted of the man of sin, the man of the earth; who, at the head of his antichristian party, has rose up against the saints, oppressed them, and threatened them with utter ruin (2 Thessalonians 2:4). Though it is best to understand it of a body of men. Of men not mean, but mighty. Not few, but numerous. And who united as one man against the people of God, and rose up against them in a hostile manner; being full of enmity to them, and bent upon their ruin.

You must remember, the land they went into had belonged to someone else. The countries around Israel hated her. The battle they did attempt, without God’s instruction to fight, left Israel the loser.

Psalms 124:3 "Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:"

Or "alive"; as the earth swallowed up Korah and his company. Or as the fish swallowed up Jonah; or rather as ravenous beasts swallow their prey; to which the allusion is. The people of God are comparable to sheep and lambs, and such like innocent creatures. And the wicked to lions, tigers, wolves, bears, and such like beasts of prey that devour living creatures.

"When their wrath was kindled against us": Which is cruel and outrageous. There is no standing against it, nor before it. It is like a fierce flame of fire that burns furiously, and there is no stopping it. None but God can restrain it.

This one little group of people would have been no match for the evil countries around them, if God had not stepped in and fought their battles for them. This is like the church today, if God were not standing between the world and His church, the church would not be able to stand. God will even protect an individual who is doing His will in the midst of all the trouble. If it were not for God, we would not have a chance.

Psalms 124:4-5 : “Waters … stream … proud waters”: The Red Sea crossing (Exodus chapter 14), and/or the Jordan crossing (Joshua chapter 3), are pictured.

Psalms 124:4 Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:

People, comparable to waters for their multitude, strength, force, and impetuosity. Which bear down all before them, and against which there is no standing. Which, like the waters of the flood, overflow and destroy all they pass over. These are the floods of ungodly men, which are very destructive and terrible (see Revelation 17:15). Together with all those reproaches, afflictions, and persecutions, which come along with them. Which the presence of God only can bear up his people under, and carry them through (Song of Solomon 8:7).

"The stream had gone over our soul": And so deprived them of life. The whole force of the enemy; which, like a stream, flows in with great strength and rapidity, when a breach is made and spreads itself. Arama interprets it of the stream of the Egyptians, and restrains it to them, their armies and forces. But it rather designs others, and the enemies of God’s people in general, which threaten their ruin, even their very souls and lives. It may be applied to the stream of corruptions, the flood of temptation and flow of persecutions, such as the flood the dragon cast out of his mouth after the woman. Which, were it not for divine grace and assistance, would destroy the saints, who have no might against this great force (2 Chronicles 20:12).

The flood of opposition to the church would be such an overwhelming flood that it would overcome the church, if it were not for God. The strangest thing to me, is that the church seems to grow the most under the greatest opposition. Always the underground church in countries where it was forbidden to have churches, has been very strong. There were so many enemies of Israel, that if the Lord had removed His protection, they would have fallen as they did to Babylon.

Psalms 124:5 "Then the proud waters had gone over our soul."

The wicked, who, through their pride, persecute the poor saints. These proud tyrants and persecutors would prevail over them, to their ruin and destruction. Who, for their number, force, and strength, and especially for their pride and haughtiness, are like to the strong, boisterous, and swelling waves of the sea. Were they not stopped and bounded by him who has said, “thus far shall ye go, and no farther” (Job 38:11).

In the opposition to the church, the oppressors have not only classed us as religious fanatics, but they arrogantly proclaim their contempt for the believers and the church body. It seems to come like waves on the sea, but then the Lord speaks to the sea, and it calms down. The devil and his crowd can roar and try to threaten and scare us, but if we stand against the wiles of the devil, He will flee.

Psalms 124:6 "Blessed [be] the LORD, who hath not given us [as] a prey to their teeth."

Here begins the church’s thanksgiving for deliverance from all their enemies, their proud persecutors; and from all afflictions and troubles by them. Which they could never have been delivered from, had not the Lord appeared for them. And therefore, it is but just that he should have all the glory of it, and be blessed and praised on account thereof.

"Who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth": The teeth of wicked men are like spears and arrows, like swords and knives, to devour good men. Their passions are strong, and their desires very vehement after their ruin. And, if suffered, the saints would fall an easy prey to them. But God will not give them up to them, either to Satan the devouring lion, or to any of his emissaries. Nay, when they have seized them, and got them in their mouths, they shall be snatched from them, as the lamb out of the mouth of the lion and the bear by David (see Psalms 57:4, 1 Peter 5:8).

The Lord will protect us from such heavy onslaught. They may rattle their weapons at us, but the Lord has built a hedge of defense around us. In the 58 chapter of Psalms, you remember, the psalmist asked the Lord to break out their teeth and render them harmless. That is just what He does. The devil is defeated. Jesus defeated him at Calvary. Blessed be the name of the Lord. We cannot praise the Lord enough for the things He has done on our behalf, and is still doing.

Psalms 124:7 "Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped."

The people of God are like little birds, being harmless and innocent, singing forth the praises of God for his goodness to them. As also because weak and unable to resist their foes; and worthless in themselves, like sparrows, as the word here used signifies. And are fearful and timorous, and flee at the least apprehension of danger (Psalms 102:7). Satan, and wicked men under his influence, are like fowlers who lay snares for them, to draw them into sin, into immorality and error, in order to bring them to ruin and destruction. Hence, we read of the snare of the devil and of wicked men (1 Timothy 3:7; Isaiah 49:24). And who form plans and lay schemes to oppress and destroy them. But through the wisdom given them to discern these devices and stratagems, and through the power of divine grace, accompanying them, they escape what was intended for their hurt, and particularly in the following manner:

"The snare is broken, and we are escaped": Measures concerted by wicked men are broken, their schemes are confounded, their devices are disappointed, so that they cannot perform their enterprise. And by this means the saints escape the evils designed against them, the afflictions of the world, and the temptations of Satan.

The snare was the curse. Jesus took the curse, that we might be set free.

Galatians 3:13 "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that hangeth on a tree:"

We have escaped from that curse like the bird who gets out of a trap and flies away. Our soul is free like the bird that escaped. The psalmist is speaking of being free from the wicked people who had set a trap to get them. The Lord is our help and our strength.

Psalms 124:8 "Our help [is] in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth."

This is the conclusion the church draws from the scene of Providence in her favor. This is the instruction she learns from hence, that her help is in the Lord only, and not in any creature. And that it is right to put her trust and confidence in the Lord for it, and only to expect it from him whose name is in himself. And is a strong tower to flee unto for safety (Proverbs 18:10). The Targum is, "in the name of the Word of the Lord;’’ In the Messiah; in whom the name of the Lord is, his nature and perfections. And in whom help is found, being laid upon him (Exodus 23:21).

"Who made heaven and earth": And therefore, must be able to help his people, and to do more for them than they are able to ask or think. For what is it he cannot do that made the heavens and the earth, and all that is in them? Compare (Psalms 121:1-2).

The name of the Lord for the Christian is Jesus. All believers in Christ have been given the authority to use that name. You should read (all of John chapter 14), but I will give a couple of verses that show what we can do in that name.

John 14:13-14 "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." "If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do [it]."

How much power does the name have and where?

Philippians 2:10 "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth;"

PSALM 124

EXPOSITION

Of the three conceivable situations which have been thought of as originating this striking and beautiful psalm, the first fits not at all, the second fits but awkwardly, the third fits admirably—as glove to hand for which it was made. The first, is the deliverance from Babylon; the second, that from the conspiracy of the little surrounding nations to Nehemiah and his brethren after their return to the homeland; and these, it will be perceived, are exilic and post-exilic: of comparatively late date for inclusion in Israel’s Psalter. The third, is the deliverance of Judah from the Assyrian invader Sennacherib, which carries back the psalm into Hezekiah’s times, and places it alongside of its companions, the other “Songs of the Steps.”

As to the first of these occasions, suffice it to say that Judah was not about being swallowed up in Babylon since they had long sojourned there, had built houses, and practised their religion in their foreign home; and on the other hand their return from Babylon was not in the least like being snatched from the teeth of a beast of prey or being set free from a broken trap or snare with an instant and complete liberation. Kirkpatrick plainly sees this, and his words are worth recording here. “It is commonly supposed,” says he, “to be the thanksgiving of the returned exiles for deliverance from the Babylonian captivity. No less event, it is urged, could have evoked such strong emotion.” It is well that he notes this strong emotion. “But the language of the psalm,” he continues, “points rather to some sudden danger which had been providentially averted, than to a blow which had actually fallen.” And then he goes on to emphasise “the danger which menaced the restored community when Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.” But neither was this danger so sudden, nor was deliverance so definite, instant, and complete as to answer to the description of the psalm. Turn back to the deliverance from the Assyrian invasion and the Divine overthrow of Sennacherib’s army in a single night, and then how apt and impressive the Psalmist’s description of both danger and deliverance; how abundantly justified the “strong emotion” which the psalm unmistakably betrays. More than this. The invasion of Palestine by Assyria had been actually foretold by Isaiah (Isaiah 8:6-8) in terms precisely similar to those of the first stanza of this psalm; so that when the psalmist speaks of the waters so proud which had threatened to engulf Judah, he may excusably be thought to have had the very terms of Isaiah’s prediction in mind, as he had spoken of “the waters strong and many of the River (Euphrates),” rolling on throughout Judah, overflowing and passing along “till unto the neck he shall reach.” Thirtle is amply justified in thus commenting upon the psalm before us:—“It is all true of Hezekiah and his experiences during the Assyrian invasion. The first four verses reflect the desperate character of the situation, when there was no resource but Jehovah. David was enabled to effect many escapes; the great escape of Hezekiah is outlined in his remarkable story. That it was comparable to a bird securing its freedom after being imprisoned in a cage (Psalms 124:7 a) may be gathered from the boastful words of Sennacherib himself, as appearing in the well-known Taylor cylinder (‘Records of the Past,’ Second Series, vol. vi., pp. 90, 91): ‘Hezekiah of Judah . . . I shut up like a caged bird in Jerusalem, his royal city . . . He was overwhelmed by the fear of the brightness of my lordship (lines 11–30)’”—Thirtle, “Old Testament Problems,” pp. 41, 42.

God surrounds his people

A Song of degrees.

Psalm 125:1-5

Psalms 125 : Security in the Lord is the keynote of this psalm, and appropriate theme for pilgrims. It includes a description of security (Psalms 125:1-3), a prayer for prosperity (Psalms 125:4), and a warning of judgment (Psalms 125:5).

Psalms 125:1-5 (see note on Psalms 120:1-7). The author and circumstances are unknown, although the times of Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:27-35), or Nehemiah (Nehemiah 6:1-19), have been suggested.

I. The security of Jerusalem (Psalms 125:1-3);

II. The Spiritual Purity of Jerusalem (Psalms 125:4-5).

“Crooked ways” are twisted, remote paths, away from the highways; hence the term also means paths of sin, deviations from the straight road that people should travel (Matthew 7:14). The psalmist contrasts those who continually walk the devious route with those who walk in God’s ways. The former will be driven “forth” and separated from God’s people, while the latter will remain for eternity.

Psalms 125:1-2 : “For ever”: More than a temporal promise is involved here.

Psalms 125:1 "They that trust in the LORD [shall be] as mount Zion, [which] cannot be removed, [but] abideth for ever."

“Mount Zion”: The southwest mount representing Jerusalem and an emblem of permanence, supported by God’s covenant promise.

Mount Zion is symbolic of the church. This is not only showing the steadfastness of the mount, but is showing the steadfastness of the church, as well. Mount Zion cannot be removed. The gates of hell shall not prevail against God’s church. The church may shake, and shake out a few of the lukewarm believers, but the true church cannot be moved. The rain may come, but it will not wash away the foundation of the church, because it is built on the Rock. Abideth means continues to abide forever. Who is the church? They that trust in the Lord are the true church.

Psalms 125:2 "As the mountains [are] round about Jerusalem, so the LORD [is] round about his people from henceforth even for ever."

There was Mount Zion on the side of the north, and the mount of Olives on the east, and other mountains on the other sides of it. So that it was encompassed with them, and was naturally as well as artificially fortified. Tacitus describes Jerusalem as inaccessible, walls and mountains, rocks and towers, surrounding it. Yet, as Kimchi observes, this did not hinder the enemy from taking it; wherefore the Lord is a greater security to his people.

"So the Lord is round about his people, from henceforth even for ever": He encompasses them with his favor and lovingkindness as a shield. He encircles them in the arms of everlasting love. He guards them by his providence all around, and keeps a wakeful and watchful eye over them, that nothing hurts them. He keeps them, as in a garrison, by his almighty power. These are the walls that are around them, yea, he himself is a wall of fire about them, and the glory in the midst of them (Zechariah 2:5). And so he continues; he never leaves his people, nor forsakes them, but is their God and guide even unto death.

“His people”: Those who trust in the Lord (compare Psalms 125:1).

If you have ever been to the city of Jerusalem, you know that it is surrounded by small mountains on every side. This is saying, that the Lord is not just in front of you, but is behind you and on either side of you. The true church has the Lord dwelling within them and they are dwelling within Him. He is our strong fortress. We have spoken before about trust going beyond faith. Trust is when you place yourself in His hands, and then know that all is well. There is a steadfastness with God that cannot be moved by the wind, or the storm, or the shaking. To be established in God is to be like the mountain here. Whatever comes or goes, our trust is in the Lord. The longer we know Him the sweeter He grows.

Psalms 125:3 "For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity."

“Rod of the wicked”: Assyrian rule if in Hezekiah’s time, or Medo-Persian rule if in Nehemiah’s day.

“The lot”: This would be the land promised to Abraham (Genesis 15:18-21).

There is tribulation for all, and that includes the righteous. This is saying that God will not allow the tribulation to go on so long that the Christian will not be able to bear up under it. There is a breaking point for almost anyone.

Mark 13:20 "And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days."

Even the elect, suffer tribulation, but they will not see the wrath. In the Scripture above, it says the rod shall not rest on the righteous. It may come to them, but not continue on them. It seems every day, that wickedness is increasing in the land. Those who truly love God can hardly bear to hear the slander on God’s good name. It seems those who promote wickedness are increasing and getting worse and worse. This is the time for the righteous to stand against these evils.

Psalms 125:4-5 : The outcome of the upright (verse 4), is contrasted with the crooked (Psalms 125:5). The true Israel is distinguished from the false (compare Romans 2:28-29; Romans 9:6-7).

Psalms 125:4 "Do good, O LORD, unto [those that be] good, and [to them that are] upright in their hearts."

That are made so by the Spirit and grace of God; for none are naturally good, but evil. Only such who are regenerated and made new creatures, who have a good work of grace begun in them. Who have the good Spirit of God, and his good graces, and the good word of God in them, and are filled with all goodness. And which is known by the good fruits which they bear, or the good works done by them. For these the psalmist prays the Lord would do good to them. Not only in a providential way, as he does to all. But in a way of special grace, bestowing the blessings of his goodness on them, and causing all things to work for their good. And as saints should pray for one another, or supplication should be made for all saints. Such a prayer as this may be the prayer of faith. For it is not to be doubted but God will do good to those he makes good. Aben Ezra says this may be considered either as a prayer or a prophecy. It may have respect unto the church in the latter day, and to the good things spoken of concerning it; which God will accomplish in due time, and should be prayed for (see Psalms 51:18).

"And to them that are upright in their hearts": Which is a further description of good men, from the integrity and sincerity of their hearts. Who do all they do before God and men, in the uprightness of their souls, cordially and sincerely, from right principles, and with right views.

There is only One Good and He is God. Many Christians are upright in heart. We are what our heart is. If we are to do any good, it must originate in the heart. The psalmist here, is asking God to bless those with an upright heart.

Psalms 125:5 "As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: [but] peace [shall be] upon Israel."

The ways of sin, immorality, or error. Which are crooked ways, not agreeing with the word of God, the rule of faith and practice. This seems to design not openly profane sinners, who have always lived in a course of sin and wickedness; but carnal professors, who, through affliction and persecution because of the word, are offended, and desert the good ways of God. And turn from the holy commandment, word, and ordinances, they have professionally embraced. The Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity; the Targum adds, "to hell.’’

“Lead them forth”: Eternal rather than temporal judgment seems to be in view.

“Peace”: God will one day institute a lasting covenant of peace (compare Ezekiel 37:26).

These have been on the side of the Lord and have turned away to crooked ways like the people around them. This does not tell us whether they turned aside because of hardships, or whether the lust of their flesh led them astray. The main thing is, that they left their godly way of life and turn to evil. They are no better than the workers of iniquity, if they have given up what they had and gone back into the ways of the world. This is speaking of those who had made a confession of faith, and then, later on thought the grass was greener on the side of the wicked. The way of the wicked and the fallen away is the same. It is the broad way that leads to destruction. Those who remain with God, shall inherit peace that only the Lord can bring.

PSALM 125

EXPOSITION

Each stanza in this psalm bears witness to the presence of the Invader. The word for trust in Psalms 125:1 is the same as that found in 2 Chronicles 32:10. Psalms 125:3 assumes that the sceptre of the foreigner is at present resting on Israel’s inheritance; but is a source of danger to the wavering. In Psalms 125:5 we catch sight of those who are coquetting with the enemy and running into the danger of being involved in his ruin: as the Assyrians—such as are left—are about to be led away in shame to their own land, so let all renegades in Israel beware lest they too be led forth with the authors of all this trouble. Mount Zion itself stands firm amidst her surrounding mountains: so let Jehovah’s people rest trustful under Jehovah’s strong protection. “The political situation was one which called for the encouragement ministered by the words; and the conduct of Hezekiah in the day of adversity shows the mighty influence of Isaiah’s advice and the prevailing efficacy of his prayers”—Thirtle, O.T.P., 44.

“Sow in tears … reap in joy”

A Song of degrees.

Psalms 126:1-6

Psalms 126 : At first glance the setting of this psalm appears to be the return from the Babylonian exile. However, the description is so general that it could refer to any number of events recorded in the historical books in which Israel was under pressure from foreign powers. In fact, two captivities seem to be in view in this psalm: one that was ended by God’s intervention (verses 1-3), and the present one, the subject of the psalmist’s petition (verse 4). The psalm may be thus outlined: praise for a past restoration (verses 1-3), petition for restoration at the present (verse 4), and confidence in restoration in the future (verses 5-6).

Psalms 126:1-6 (see note on Psalm 120-1-7). The author and occasion are not named in the psalm. However, verse 1 points to a time of return from captivity. Most likely this refers to the Babylonian Captivity, from which there were 3 separate returns:

(1) Under Zerubbabel in Ezra (chapters 1-6; ca. 538 B.C.);

(2) Under Ezra in Ezra (chapters 7-10; ca. 458 B.C.); and

(3) Under Nehemiah in Neh. (chapters 1 & 2; ca. 445 B.C.).

The occasion could be:

(1) When the foundation for the second temple had been laid (compare Ezra 3:8-10); or

(2) When the Feast of Booths, or Tabernacles, was reinstated (compare Nehemiah 8:13-14).

This psalm is similar to Psalms 85, which rejoices over Israel’s return from Egypt (but contrasts with Psalms 137), which laments the pain of the Babylonian Captivity.

I. The Testimony of Restoration (Psalms 126:1-3);

II. The Prayer for Riches (Psalms 126:4);

III. The Wisdom of Righteousness (Psalms 126:5-6).

Psalms 126:1 "When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream."

“Them that dream”: The actual experience of liberation, so unexpected, seemed more like a dream than reality.

This is a glorious redemption. It is so wonderful that they are asking themselves, could it be true or is this a dream? Remember, Zion symbolizes the church. After the time of darkness and falling away, there will be a time when the spirit will be poured out on all the church, and all shall know the Lord from the least to the greatest. This is not speaking of this being for all the world, but for the church (Zion).

Acts 2:17-18 "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:" "And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:"

Psalms 126:2-3 : “The Lord hath done”: First recognized by the surrounding nations (Psalms 126:2), and then the returning remnant (Psalms 126:3).

Psalms 126:2 "Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them."

Who before mourned, and hung their harps on the willows, and could not sing the Lord’s song in a strange land. But now, as their hearts were filled with joy, this was externally and visibly seen in their countenances, and expressed with their mouths and by outward gestures. It was so great, they could not contain it, to which respect is had (Isaiah 35:10). It may be rendered, "then shall our mouth be filled with laughter". That is, when we awake, says Arama; or rather when the captivity is returned, either in a literal or in a spiritual sense, both being matter of great joy. The Midrash says, this will be in the world to come, and not in this.

"And our tongue with singing": The praises of God, and the songs of Zion.

"Then said they among the Heathen, the Lord hath done great things for them": It was taken notice of by the Chaldeans, among whom they had been captives, and by all the nations round about. And it was wonderful to them, that Cyrus, a Heathen prince, of his own motion and will, should at once, and without any price or reward, let them go, and send them into their own country to rebuild their temple. And with them the vessels of the Lord’s house, that had been taken away by the king of Babylon. And order men to help them, with gold and silver, and goods and cattle (Ezra 1:1). Likewise, the conversion of the Jews, and the restoration of them to their own and in the latter day, will be observed by the Gentiles with wonder, and as the work of God (Ezekiel 36:35).

You can see in this verse, the separation from the non-believers and the church. The non-believers are spoken of as the heathen. When you have been freed from such great oppression as this is speaking of, it would cause great joy and laughter. Joy in your heart will stimulate singing from a heart too full to contain the joy. The world will look on, and think what wonderful things the Lord has done for them.

Psalms 126:3 "The LORD hath done great things for us; [whereof] we are glad."

These words are generally supposed to be the words of the Jews, taking up those of the Gentiles, and confirming them. Acknowledging that the Lord had done great things for them indeed. Which, had they not owned, they would have been exceeding ungrateful. Had they been silent concerning them, the stones would have cried out, and the very Heathens condemned them. But I see not why they may not be thought to be the words of those among the Heathens continued. Declaring that the great things done were not for the Jews only, but for them also. As the great redemption by Christ is of persons out of every tongue, people, and nation. For he is the propitiation, not for the Jews only, but for the sins of the whole world. And having this in view, thus they express themselves. The work of redemption is a great thing of itself. The produce of great wisdom; the effect of great love; procured at a great price, for great sinners, by a great Savior. And is not only a deliverance from sin, Satan, and the law; but contains many great and glorious blessings in it, as justification, remission of sins, adoption, and eternal life.

"Whereof we are glad": That those great things are done without us, finished by the Redeemer himself. That they are so great and glorious, so rich and plenteous, so full and free, and suitable to us. And done for us sinners of the Gentiles, so unworthy of them, who are by nature children of wrath as others.

They are giving credit where credit is due. The Lord delivered them, when they could not deliver themselves. The joy and singing is coming from a thankful heart and directed to their Helper, the Lord.

Psalms 126:4 "Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south."

“Turn again”: A prayer to restore the nation’s fortunes at their best.

“Streams of the south”: The arid region south of Beersheba (called the Negev), which is utterly dry in the summer, but whose streams quickly fill and flood with the rains of spring. In this manner, the psalmist prays that Israel’s fortunes will rapidly change from nothing to everything.

The joy they had been singing about, was remembering the wonderful things the Lord had done in the past. Now they are asking the Lord to do it again.

Psalms 126:5-6 : “Sow … reap”: By sowing tears of repentance over sin, the nation reaped the harvest of a joyful return to the land of Israel.

Psalms 126:5 "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy."

A proverbial expression, encouraging faith in prayer put up for the return of the captivity, whether in a literal or spiritual sense. Praying or seeking the Lord is sowing in righteousness (Hosea 10:12). Which is often attended with tears and weeping; the issue of them is not always seen soon. These, like seed, lie buried under the clods, but take effect and will rise up in due time. Saints should wait patiently for a return of them, as the husbandman for the fruits of the earth. In due time they will produce a large crop of blessings, a plentiful harvest, which the praying saint will reap with joy; as those that prayed and waited for the redemption in Jerusalem. And as those that pray for the latter day glory, the conversion of the Jews, the fullness of the Gentiles, and the destruction of antichrist. The souls under the altar have been sowing in tears, but before long they will reap in joy (Revelation 6:9). It may be applied to the state and condition of saints in common in this life. Now is their sowing time, and careful they should be that they sow not to the flesh, but to the spirit. And a sorrowful time it is, on account of inward corruptions, Satan’s temptations, divine desertions, and the imperfection of their services. But before long they will reap life everlasting, reap in joy, and be in the fullness of it. Now they weep, then they shall rejoice; now they mourn, then they shall be comforted.

We must not stop sowing the seed of the Word, even though there seems to be no one listening. Plant the seed anyway. When the rain comes, the seed will sprout and grow. There is joy in heaven over one sinner who comes to Christ.

Psalms 126:6 "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves [with him]."

Which he sows in tears. This is but a repetition and confirmation of what is before expressed in different words; and may be applied, as to a praying saint, so to a faithful preacher of the word. The word is the precious seed which he bears, which he takes out of the granaries of the Scriptures; and carries from place to place, and scatters and sows (Luke 8:11). Compared to seed, because of its meanness in the eyes of those that know it not. Because of its generative virtue and increase, which it has from God, and which, unless sown in the earth, produces no fruit. And it is called "precious seed", because either bought at a great price, when grain is dear; or because it usually is the choicest wheat that is the sowing seed. And so, may denote the preciousness and value of the Gospel, dispensed by Christ’s faithful ministers, which is called a sowing of spiritual things (1 Corinthians 9:11). Which should be done plentifully and constantly, and with the same sort of seed or doctrine, and which requires art and skill. And is often performed weeping or with tears, because of their own insufficiency, through fear of success, and through want of it. And because of the badness of the ground, the hardness of men’s hearts they have to do with. The allusion seems to be to a poor husbandman, that has got but little seed to sow, and this bought at a dear price. And which he buries under the clods, and fears it will rise no more. And weeps as he sows, because of the badness of the weather, or of the soil, doubting of success. Aben Ezra, by the words rendered "precious seed", or, as they may be, "a draught of seed", understands the vessel in which the sower carries his seed, the seed basket. From whence he draws and takes out the seed, and scatters it (see Amos 9:13). So the Targum, "bearing a tray of sowing corn.’’

"Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him”: The seed he has been to and fro in sowing springs up under a divine blessing. And, beyond his expectation and fears, produces a large and plentiful crop. Which he reaps, and returns home, not with his arms full of sheaves only, but with his cart laden with them. So a faithful minister, sooner or later, is blessed with converts, who will be his joy and crown of rejoicing another day (see John 4:35; 1 Thessalonians 2:19).

Ministers, we must not worry about the harvest, or the growth of the seed (Word). Our job is to plant the seed, God sends the rains, and after they are ripe unto the harvest, the Lord will send the reaper to bring the souls produced into His barn in heaven. The harvest of the souls of believers is very near. God is the Lord of the harvest. We are told to look and see that the fields are ripe unto harvest. When the wheat is harvested, then the rejoicing comes.

PSALM 126

EXPOSITION

It may readily be conceded that, if the opening line of this psalm had been followed by a suitable sequel, the reference might easily have been to a return from literal captivity. But when we examine the usage of the expression “to turn captivity” in various places,—including especially Job 42:10 and Ezekiel 16:53; Ezekiel 16:55,—and find how “captivity” came sometimes to mean great misfortune or misery, and “turning captivity” to express the idea of turning the fortunes of any one to a former condition of prosperity,—we may well hesitate long enough to examine the context. Now it cannot be denied that the context, in this case, points to some sudden turn of fortune, or relief from distress, such as to appear incredible to the recipients of the blessing; and, at the same time, such as to be so patent to onlooking nations as to call forth their frank and admiring acknowledgment of the signal interposition of Israel’s God. We need not deny the possibility, or probability, that when the successive companies of Jewish captives in Babylon received permission to return to their own land, the news may have appeared to them to be too good to be true, and they may have seemed to themselves like men who were dreaming; nevertheless, we are not aware that we possess any historical record to that effect. And when we further inquire into the allusion, supposed to be made in this psalm, as to the effect of Israelitish emancipation on surrounding and observant nations, we must acknowledge that nothing in the Ezra-Nehemiah narratives in anywise appears like a verification of this glad song. Here, in this psalm, we have an apparently frank and ungrudging acknowledgement, by foreigners, of Jehovah’s interposition for his people; and this acknowledgement is gladly repeated and confirmed by the beneficiaries, as though with a smile of recognition at the courtesy of the admission. Anything more unlike this than the snarling and suspicious and intriguing behaviour of Sanballat and his associates cannot be imagined. There may, of course, have been a brief and passing smile on the face of the neighbouring nations, when they witnessed the arrival of the Jews in their own land; but history is as silent as the grave about it, and therefore it is hard to believe that it should have thus become embalmed in one of Israel’s songs.

A similar line of observation may be taken with respect to the second half of the psalm. It is quite true, that returned captives would naturally, soon after their home-coming, have to turn their attention to the cultivation of their recovered lands; and it is possible, that they had to go about their task with aching hearts. But, again, we have no record of all this; and least of all have we any reason to suppose that the returned exiles were so nearly confronted by famine as to find it difficult to procure seed for sowing. And yet that is precisely the view which this psalm presents.

On both counts, therefore, we have reason to suspect the view-point afforded by the assumption that these psalms are post-exilic.

Take back the origin of this psalm to the days of Hezekiah, and all is changed; both stanzas of the psalm find firm bases of fact on which to rest. We know that the nations honoured Hezekiah and Israel after the overthrow of the Assyrians (2 Chronicles 32:22-23); and we know that, before the deliverance, Israel had begun to suffer severely from famine (2 Chronicles 32:11); and that it was an anxious question how the people should be fed until they could again grow their own corn (Isaiah 37:30-31).

And thus the evidence of the pre-exilic origin of these beautiful psalms grows upon our hands.

The need of relying on God

A Song of degrees for Solomon.

Psalms 127:1-5

Psalms 127: The principal of this psalm is that all human efforts are in vain unless they have God’s blessing. This principle is applied to four areas: building a house (verse 1a), guarding a city (Psalms 127:1 b), working long hours (Psalms 127:2), and having children (Psalms 127:3-5). It is possible to accomplish all of these things without God’s blessing, but it is not possible to accomplish them purposefully and with eternal value without God’s blessing. The psalm includes, incidentally, two practical reasons for having children: they bring you joy and they protect you (Psalms 127:5).

Psalms 27:1-5 (see note of Psalms 120:1-7). The author is Solomon (compare Ecclesiastes 12:10), but the occasion is unknown. The major message of God being central to and sovereign in life sounds much like portions of Solomon’s Ecclesiastes (compare Ecclesiastes 2:24-25; Ecclesiastes 5:18-20; Ecclesiastes 7:13-14; Ecclesiastes 9:1). Psalms 112, 128 also develop a strong message on the family.

I. God’s Sovereignty in Everyday Life (Psalms 127:1-2);

II. God’s Sovereignty in Family Life (Psalms 127:3-5).

Psalms 127:1-2 : God sovereignty is seen in 3 realms:

(1) Building a house;

(2) Protecting a city; and

(3) Earning a living.

In all 3 instances, the sovereign intention of God is far more crucial to the outcome than man’s efforts. Otherwise, a man’s endeavor is in vain (compare Ecclesiastes 1:2; Ecclesiastes 12:8).

Psalms 127:1 "Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh [but] in vain."

This psalm of Solomon begins with the most important truth in establishing a home: unless “the Lord build the house” it, it will not work. The family was His idea, and He wants to be the Head of every household. Until God is make the Head, all attempts to establish a strong family will end in frustration (“waketh but in vain”).

I believe this to be a Psalm written by David to his son Solomon. David knew not to build the house himself, because God wanted a man of peace to build the temple. It was God’s idea for Solomon to build the temple. Even if Solomon knew that God wanted him to build the temple, it would have failed, if he had not taken God’s instruction on how to build it. The things we do ourselves, without God’s authorization, seldom work. Notice also that God wanted Solomon to build the house, but Solomon had to do the work. God gave the instructions to Solomon, and Solomon built it. It took both things to make it work. A very good example of this very same thing was Noah. God gave Noah the wisdom and instructions to build the ark, and Noah built it. We know that the tower of Babel was not by God’s instructions, and it was never finished. We know that guards around a city are of no use at all, unless God guards the city. The great city of Babylon (heavily fortified) was overthrown, even though it seemed impossible. Guards are just fine to have, but the best guard we can have is the Lord and His angels.

Psalms 127:2 "[It is] vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: [for] so he giveth his beloved sleep."

A description of an industrious and laborious person, who takes great pains to get a livelihood, or increase his substance (see Psalms 104:23). Which, yet, as in the former instances, depends upon the blessing of divine Providence (Proverbs 10:4). For, after all, it may come to nothing more at last than:

"To eat the bread of sorrows": That is, to eat bread gotten with much sorrow and labor. Such get bread, and that is all, and not that without the providence of God.

"For so he giveth his beloved sleep": That is, the Lord: such who are partakers of his grace, that fear and love him. To them, thus diligent and industrious, he gives not only bread to eat, but sleep, which to a laboring man is sweet. And having food and raiment, he gives them contentment, quietness, and satisfaction of mind, which is the greatest blessing of all. Sleep, even bodily sleep, was reckoned with the very Heathens a divine gift.

You can try to do all you can do in the flesh. You can stay up late and get up early, but it will not get done unless the Lord is in it.

Psalms 127:3-5 : The same principal of God’s sovereignty applies to raising a family.

Psalms 127:3 "Lo, children [are] a heritage of the LORD: [and] the fruit of the womb [is his] reward."

Parents should have this positive perspective: “children are a heritage of the LORD”. God gives them as a gift.

This has to be David saying, how blessed he has been in God through his son Solomon. David had wanted the temple built, but God would not allow him to do it. He will know of the building of the temple by his son. As we have said in many of these lessons, the most important thing you can leave to your children is the knowledge to know how to become sons of God. David loved God, and it was his desire that his family would love God also. He got his desire in his son Solomon. Wealth and fame are no good, except you have children to pass them down through.

Psalms 127:4-5 : As arrows are indispensable for a warrior to succeed in battle, so children are invaluable as defenders of their father and mother in time of war or litigation. The more such defenders, the better.

Psalms 127:4 "As arrows [are] in the hand of a mighty man; so [are] children of the youth."

An arrow goes to a place the archer cannot go to accomplish a purpose the archer cannot accomplish. With God’s help, Christian parents raise their “children” in such a way that they become “arrows” sent out to do good for God.

These arrows in his hand symbolized the fact that he did not have to be in hand to hand combat to win the war. The arrows could go and fight for him. This is saying, that even though David would not be able to build the temple, he could send his son to do what he could not. It was one generation away from him. but the job was done.

Psalms 127:5 "Happy [is] the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate."

That is, his house full of them; called a quiver, referring to arrows before mentioned. This being the case in which they are put up: to have many children was always reckoned a great temporal blessing and happiness (see Job 1:2). The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Ethiopic, and Arabic versions, render it, "that fills his desire" has as many as he desires or wishes for: The Targum, "who fills his school of them:’’ So Jarchi interprets the children, of the disciples of the wise men. It may be applied to young converts, the children of Christ and of the church. Which, when numerous, is a blessing to him and her (see Isaiah 49:20).

"They shall not be ashamed": The father and his children, as Aben Ezra; parents rather are meant, who are not ashamed when they have many children. With the Romans, those that had wives and children were preferred in honor to senior persons that had none. And they that had most to those that had fewest; and so with the Persians (see notes on Esther 5:11).

"But they shall speak with the enemies in the gate": Where courts of judicature were kept. And so the Targum, "in the gate of the house of judgment.’’ The sense is, that their children should stand and plead the cause of their parents against their adversaries in courts of judicature. Or publicly before the eyes of all, as Aben Ezra. And spiritually may design such of Christ’s seed who are set for the defense of the Gospel, are valiant for the truth on earth, and earnestly contend for it. Meet the enemy in the gate, publicly oppose him, and behave themselves like men, and are strong.

In a battle, it was important to have many arrows to go and do the fighting at a distance. This is speaking of the children and grandchildren of David. He was pleased to have many children. This could also, be speaking prophetically of Jesus who certainly had many followers. This family would have been great indeed.

PSALM 127

EXPOSITION

The object and argument of this psalm are plain. Its object is, to allay carking care; and its argument is, that Jehovah cares for us—that the need of his blessing in order to the prosperity of our most arduous enterprises, should lead us to rest in him, since that is his way of leading us, that is how he would have us shew our trust in him. His benefactions are not deprecated: on the contrary, their value is picturesquely and impressively extolled; for how could anything surpass, for beauty and force, the picture of a yet able but ageing father, emboldened by the rally to him of stalwart sons, ready to speak with the enemy, either in judicial witness and plea on the forum, or by bold parley with the foe before striking the ready blow? Yet at the root of even this imposing tree of prosperity lay Jehovah’s blessing. For it is thus that we grasp the unity of the psalm, in dissent from those critics who would divide it into two incoherent portions.

In vain, says the poet with threefold emphasis, your most toilsome work, your most wearisome watch, your most protracted restlessness, except you have Jehovah’s blessing. It is by teaching you this lesson,—it is thus,—it is so,—that your loving heavenly Father would give you sleep.

This construction of the first stanza is surely sufficiently satisfying to lead us to acquiesce in the conclusion of A.V., R.V. (text), P.B.V., Perowne, Carter,—that the noun “sleep” is what is called “the accusative of object”; in other words, that “sleep” is the very blessing which Jehovah is here represented as giving to his beloved ones. Nevertheless, it may be conceded to be, not only grammatically possible, but exegetically plausible and in a good degree satisfying, to render the word “sleep” as an “adverbial accusative” of time or manner—in sleep,—with R.V. (marg.), O.G., Davidson, Briggs, Leeser (during sleep); since it is perfectly true that the operations of nature are many of them still active, some of them especially active, while the worker is asleep, and not infrequently the plans of those with large enterprises on hand are advancing by leaps and bounds when the busy brain that originated them is sweetly at rest. Practically, the two constructions come nearly to the same thing; seeing that the likeliest way to get “sleep,” is to be assured that all is going on well “during sleep.” But are they going on well? Who knows, except Jehovah who never slumbers or sleeps (Psalms 121:4)? Who can effectually prosper them, save the Maker of heaven and earth? Therefore, trust thou in Him—and rest.

The very geniality of this psalm, makes easy its assumed original application and intention, according to the theory favoured by the expositor. Quite taking is the suggestion of those who, from this psalm, picture the exiles rebuilding Jerusalem—the father aided by his numerous sons, speaking with and putting to shame or flight the troublesome Samaritans and others at Jerusalem’s gate. Perhaps even more taking is the hint—that this psalm was first meant to encourage the building of an ancestral house, even the family of David, by one who had remained unmarried or a widower until about the time this Song of the Steps was written! This suggestion may attract to itself an especial interest if, with Thirtle (O.T.P. 49), we credit the Jewish tradition that King Hezekiah, after his recovery, married Isaiah’s daughter Hephzibah; and if we conjecture, as we then may (2 Kings 21:1), that this good king had yet to wait two or three years before there was born to him an heir! Even learned critics may forget to allow for the touch of nature which makes the whole world kin. In any case we have not yet felt any literary compulsion to carry the dating of these “Songs of the Steps” to a period so late as the Exile.

The rewards of faithfulness

A Song of degrees.

Psalms 128:1-6

Psalms 128 : The message of this psalm is that one is never truly happy until he is truly holy. It begins with a pronouncement of blessing (or happiness), on a certain kind of man, a man who fears the Lord (Psalms 128:1-4). It concludes with a prayer for blessing (Psalms 128:5-6).

Psalms 128:1-6 (see note on Psalms 120:1-7). The author and occasion are unknown. Psalms 112, 127 also address issues of the home.

I. The Basics of Fearing the Lord (Psa 128:1-4).

II. The Blessings of Fearing the Lord (Psa 128:2-3, 5-6).

A. In the Present (Psalms 128:2-3);

B. In the Future (Psalms 128:5-6).

Psalms 128:1-4 : Contentment is one of Yahweh’s greatest blessings to those who are faithful.

Psalms 128:1 "Blessed [is] every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways."

“That feareth the LORD” (see note on Proverbs 1:7).

(Psalms 112:1-6), also develops this theme. A good working definition is provided by the parallel line, “Who walks in His ways”. Fathers (Psalms 128:1; Psalms 128:4), mothers (Proverbs 31:30), and children (Psalms 34:11), are to fear the Lord. This psalm may have been the basis for Jesus’ illustration of the two builders (compare Matthew 7:24-27).

Fear or reverence of the Lord, is the beginning of wisdom. It is one of the major factors that we build upon. Many of the other attributes that Christians have are started right here. If we did not reverence Him, we might not do the things that He wills us to do. Notice the word (walketh). Walketh means continues to walk. We must continue to walk in the fear and reverence of the Lord, if we are to be blessed. This blessing is for this earth and for the eternity to come.

Psalms 128:2-3 : Four blessings are recounted:

(1) Provisions;

(2) Prosperity;

(3) Reproducing partner; and

(4) Flourishing progeny.

Psalms 128:2 "For thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands: happy [shalt] thou [be], and [it shall be] well with thee."

That is, thou that fearest the Lord, and walkest in his ways. It is an apostrophe, or address to such, even to every one of them. Instancing in one part of the blessedness that belongs to them, and enjoyment of what their hands have labored for. Which may be understood both in a literal and spiritual sense. Man must labor and get his bread with the sweat of his brow. He that will not work should not eat, he that does should. And a good man may have a comfortable enjoyment of the good of his labor; than which, as to temporal blessings, there is nothing better under the sun (Ecclesiastes 5:18). And, in a spiritual sense, good men labor in prayers at the throne of grace, there lifting up holy hands to God, wrestling with him for a blessing, which they enjoy. They labor in attendance on the word and ordinances, for the meat which endures to everlasting life. And they find the word and eat it, and Christ in it, whose flesh is meat indeed. And feed by faith on it, to the joy and comfort of their souls.

"Happy shall thou be, and it shall be well with thee": Or, to thy soul, as the Syriac version. Happy as to temporal things, and well as to spiritual ones: such having an apparent special interest in the love, grace, mercy, and delight of God. In his providence, protection, and care. In the supplies of his grace, and in his provisions for his people, in time and eternity. It is well with such that felt God, in life and at death, at judgment and for ever. And the Targum is, "thou art blessed in this world, and it shall be well with thee in the world to come.’’

We find that even though we are the blessed of God, we still must work. God will bless the work of our hands, if we are walking in His ways. He in fact, will bless the work of our hands, and make it to prosper. People who work and accomplish something with that work are happy. This happiness comes especially, when we know what we are doing is pleasing to God.

Psalms 128:3 "Thy wife [shall be] as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table."

It is not uncommon in the East, as elsewhere, to train a vine along the sides of a house. Partly to save ground; partly because it is a good exposure for fruit; partly as an ornament; and partly to protect it from thieves. Such a vine, in its beauty, and in the abundant clusters upon it, becomes a beautiful emblem of the mother of a numerous household. One of the blessings most desired and most valued in the East was a numerous posterity. And this, in the case of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was among the chief blessings which God promised to them. A posterity that should resemble in number the sands of the sea or the stars of heaven (compare Genesis 15:5; Genesis 22:17; Genesis 32:12). These two things, the right to the avails of one’s labor (Psalms 128:2), and a numerous family, are the blessings which are first specified as constituting the happiness of a pious household.

"Thy children like olive plants round about thy table" (compare the notes at Psalms 52:8). Beautiful; producing abundance; sending up young plants to take the place of the old when they decay and die. To what particular circumstance does David refer in the 128th Psalm, where he says, “Thy children shall be like olive plants round about thy table”? Follow me into the grove, and I will show you what may have suggested the comparison. Here we have lilt upon a beautiful illustration. This aged and decayed tree is surrounded, as you see, by several young and thrifty shoots, which spring from the root of the venerable parent. They seem to uphold, protect, and embrace it. We may even fancy that they now bear that lead of fruit which would otherwise be demanded of the feeble parent. Thus do good and affectionate children gather round the table of the righteous. Each contributes something to the common wealth and welfare of the whole. A beautiful sight, with which may God refresh the eyes of every friend of mine."

Hebrews believed that children were a blessing from God. The Hebrew women were very upset if they did not bear children. It was thought to be a punishment from God if they did not have children. A good wife, who does her husband good and not evil, is said to be more precious than rubies to a man. The wife and husband are one in the flesh. When the husband is blessed, she is blessed, as well. This speaking of the olive plants round the table are speaking of the many children around the table of their parents. Olive trees have very long lives. Whether something about this is mentioned, I cannot say.

Psalms 128:4 "Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD."

In the manner before described, and in the instances already given, as well as in the following. This is said to raise attention, and fix a sense of the blessedness of such persons. And who are further addressed, and pronounced happy, in the next verses.

The blessings of a happy home are tops on the list of blessings. The fact that he had a good wife and many children would bring him happiness at home, and respect in the community. To fear the Lord, as we said, is the beginning of wisdom. This would be a wise man indeed, who would raise his family in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

Psalms 128:5-6 : Two realms of blessing are mentioned:

(1) Personal blessing; and

(2) National blessing.

Psalms 128:5 "The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life."

The church of God, where he dwells, out of which he shines. Even the Word of the Lord, as the Targum in the king’s Bible. And where he commands his blessings of grace to descend on his people, even life for evermore (Psalms 133:3). Here he blesses them with his word and ordinances, which are the goodness and fatness of his house, and with his presence in them. So that the man that fears God is blessed, not only in his person, and in his family, but in the house of God (see Psalms 118:26).

"And thou shall see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life": The goodness of God in Jerusalem, which is another name for the church of God. The beauty of the Lord in his house and ordinances; his power and his glory in the sanctuary. Or should see the church of God in prosperous circumstances all his days. True religion flourish, the power of godliness in the professors of it; the word and ordinances blessed to the edification of saints, and many sinners converted and gathered in. This may be applied to Christ (Isaiah 53:11).

The Hebrews looked to the temple in Jerusalem for blessings. This is the same as Zion. In the spiritual sense, Zion being the church, the blessings do flow from the church to the people. The LORD (Jehovah), does bless the people through the workings of the church. Jerusalem was not overrun in David’s time, and all the days of his life he did see the good of Jerusalem.

Psalms 128:6 "Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, [and] peace upon Israel."

“Children’s children” (compare Psalms 103:17; Psalms 112:2; Proverbs 13:22; Proverbs 17:6), on grandchildren. This is a prayer for prosperity for God’s people.

At the end of David’s reign and the 40 years that Solomon reigned, there was peace in Jerusalem. One of the things that Solomon did was make peace treaties with the countries around them. Children’s children are the crown of old men. We seem to live again in our grandchildren, and it is a joy to live to see them grow up.

PSALM 128

EXPOSITION

Every one can see how delightful a companion picture this psalm forms to that which has immediately preceded it. It overflows with tender admiration for the man who, in his home, realises to the full the richness of Jehovah’s blessing: How happy (ml., Oh the blessednesses of) twice exclaims the psalmist: first thinking of the devout mind and the well-ordered life of the chief recipient of Jehovah’s blessing; then passing on to the sturdy independence of the man in being permitted to earn his own livelihood and that of his wife and children. No idler is he: no mere dependent. Happy for thee to gain thine own bread by thy toil, and to have loving ones to share it with thee, and good for thine, to nestle under thy wing and multiply thy blessings: thy wife, like a vine—graceful, dependent, fruitful—in the recesses of thy house, her sheltered heaven on earth, where she prefers to be; thy children like plantings—still young—of olive-trees on the way to transplantation into homes of their own, but at present placed around thy table as its richest ornament.

His neighbours call attention to him (Lo!) as a witness to Jehovah’s kindness and faithfulness, and as an encouragement to others. In fact, the State sends blessings into the Home; and the Home—such a home returns blessings to the State. On such homes, worshippers implore benedictions from Jehovah: out of such homes welcoming eyes behold the prosperity of Jerusalem. And so, back and forth, the blessing goes and comes: from thee outwards to Jerusalem, from Jerusalem inwards and upwards to thy grandchildren. Out of such happiness, in giving and receiving, come finally devout good wishes for all the people: Peace be upon Israel!

The Lord has preserved Israel

A Song of degrees.

Psalms 129:1-8

Psalms 129: This psalm grows out of a situation of conflict. The psalmist looks back at the record of the past: though he was afflicted, God delivered him (Psalms 129:1-4). Then he sets forth a prayer for the future: let God confound the enemies and bless His people (Psalms 129:5-8).

Psalms 129:1-8 (see note on Palm 120:1-7). The author and occasion are not specified. However, Psalms 129:4 indicates a release from captivity, most likely the Babylonian captivity.

I. Israel’s Freedom Celebrated (Psalms 129:1-4);

II. Israel’s Foe Imprecated (Psalms 129:5-8).

Psalms 129:1-8 : Now that the Lord had “cut … the cords” that bound Israel (“Zion”), to her longtime oppressors, the psalmist prayed against any prosperity for the ones who had “afflicted” her.

Psalms 129:1 "Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:"

“Afflicted”: From living in Egypt (ca. 1875 – 1445 B.C.), to enduring the Babylonian Captivity (ca. 605 – 538 B.C.), Israel had enjoyed little rest from her enemies.

This is looking back at the afflictions through life. “Have” is past tense. This is speaking of physical Israel; who no one can deny went through terrible afflictions. They were bad, even though they brought them on themselves by disobeying God. The Christians (spiritual Israel), have gone through terrible persecutions as well. We know the disciples and the early Christians paid a terrible price for us to be able to worship as freely as we do.

Psalms 129:2 "Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me."

This is repeated for the confirmation of it, to excite attention to it, and to express the vehement affection of the speaker.

"Yet they have not prevailed against me": The Egyptians could not prevail against literal Israel. The more they were afflicted, the more they grew and multiplied. In the times of the Judges, one after another were raised up as deliverers of them. Neither the Assyrians, Chaldeans, nor Romans, nor any other, have been able to cut them off from being a nation, they continue to this day. The enemies of the church of Christ, even the gates of hell, have not been able to prevail against it, being built upon a rock, so as to extirpate and destroy it. Neither by open and cruel persecutors, nor by secret and fraudulent heretics. Nor could the enemies of the Messiah prevail against him. For though they brought him to the dust of death, they could not hold him in it. And they themselves, through his death, were conquered by him, as sin, Satan, the world, and death itself. Nor can the enemies of the saints prevail against them, God being on their side. Christ making them more than conquerors, the Spirit in them being greater than he that is in the world. “Prevailed”: As the Lord had promised Abraham (compare Genesis 12:1-3).

Now David has jumped back from the afflictions of the house of Israel to himself. He did suffer great affliction in his youth from Saul. Notice that he looks back to remember that God delivered him from those afflictions. It is no good to look back, unless we learn a lesson from it.

Psalms 129:3 "The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows."

“Plowed upon my back”: A farming analogy used to describe the deep, but non-fatal, wounds inflicted on Israel by her enemies.

I do not recall David being flogged in the manner mentioned here. This to me, is speaking prophetically of the lashes the whip made on the back of Jesus our Lord. This indicates the lashes went all the way across the back and they were deep as a plough would make. By His stripes, we are healed.

Psalms 129:4 "The LORD [is] righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked."

Or gracious and merciful; hence acts of mercy are called righteousness in the Hebrew language. The Lord has compassion on his people under their afflictions, and delivers them. Or is faithful to his promises of salvation to them, and just and righteous to render tribulation to them that trouble them, and take vengeance upon them.

"He hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked": Alluding to the cords with which the plough is fastened to the oxen, which being cut, they cannot go on ploughing. Or to the cords of whips, which when cut cannot be used to any purpose. It designs the breaking of the confederacies of wicked men against the people of God. The confounding their counsels and schemes, and disappointing their devices; so that they cannot perform their enterprises, or carry their designs into execution, or go on with and finish their intentions. The Targum renders it, "the chains of the wicked;’’ (see Isaiah 5:18).

They were evil men, prodded by Satan, that made the slashes on the back of Jesus. He was far above man. He was the purest of the righteous. He even said, Father forgive them for they know not what they do. He cut the cords that were binding all of mankind, when He defeated Satan at the cross.

Psalms 129:5-8 : A 3-part imprecatory prayer:

(1) To put to shame and defeat (Psalms 129:5);

(2) Be few and short lived (Psalms 129:6-7); and

(3) Be without God’s blessing (Psalms 129:8).

Psalms 129:5 "Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion."

Or "ashamed": as all the enemies of God’s people will be sooner or later. Either in this world, or however when Christ shall come in the clouds of heaven. Or let them be disappointed of their views, aims, and ends, when they will be confounded, as disappointed persons are.

"And turned back": From pursuing their designs and accomplishing them. As the Assyrian monarch was, who had a hook put into his nose, and a bridle in his lips, and was turned back by the way he came (Isaiah 37:29).

"That hate Zion": The inhabitants of Zion, who are called out of the world, and separated from the men of it, and therefore hated by them. The King of Zion, the Messiah, whom they will not have to reign over them. The doctrines of the Gospel, the word that comes out of Zion, to which they are utter enemies. And the laws and ordinances of Zion, the discipline of God’s house, which they cannot bear to be under and submit unto.

Zion again, is the church. Those who hate Zion in the physical, or the church which is spiritual Zion, are those who are lost. They are the unsaved. They are the ones upon whom the wrath of God will fall. They are those who will be thrown into the lake of fire.

Psalms 129:6 "Let them be as the grass [upon] the housetops, which withereth afore it groweth up:"

The housetops, or roofs of houses, covered with sand or earth, in which seeds of grass may germinate and begin to grow. But where, as there is no depth of earth, and as the heat of the sun there would be intense, it would soon wither away (see the notes at Isaiah 37:27). “Grass … housetops”: Grass with shallow roots, which quickly dies with the first heat, depicts the wicked.

"Which withereth afore it groweth up": This, even if it has any meaning, is not the meaning of the original. The idea in the Hebrew is, and it is so rendered in the Septuagint, the Latin Vulgate, and by Luther: "which before (one), pulls it, withers." Grass would wither or dry up, of course, if it were pulled up or cut down, but the grass here spoken of withers even before this is done. It has no depth of earth to sustain it; having sprouted, and begun to grow, it soon dies. A perfect image of feebleness and desolation; of hopes begun only to be disappointed.

Grass growing in this manner, does not need to be killed, it dies of its own account. That is what evil man is doing. The Bible says that he will destroy himself.

Psalms 129:7 "Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand; nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom."

Such grass never rises high enough to be mowed, nor is of that account to have such pains taken with it. Nor the quantity so large as to fill a mower’s hand, and carry it away in his arms.

"Nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom": When corn is mowed or reaped, the binders come and gather it up in their arms, and bind it in sheaves, and then bring it into the barn. But nothing of this kind is done with grass on the housetops. This represents the insignificancy and worthlessness of wicked men; who, when the harvest comes, the end of the world, will not be gathered in by the reapers, the angels, into Christ’s garner into heaven as the wheat, the righteous will. But like the tares and chaff will be cast into unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:12).

There is no wheat in this. There will be no harvest. It is dead. Wheat is bound in sheaves to take into the barn. There is no wheat here. We know that wheat symbolizes the Christians.

Psalms 129:8 "Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the LORD [be] upon you: we bless you in the name of the LORD."

As was usual with passengers, when they went by where mowers, and reapers, and binders, were at work in the field in harvest time. Who used to wish the presence and blessing of God with them, and upon their labors. And who returned the salutation, as may be seen in Boaz and his reapers (Ruth 2:4).

"We bless you in the name of the Lord": Which is either a continuation of the blessing of the passengers, or the answer of the reapers to them. So the Targum, "nor do they answer them, "we bless you",’’ etc. The sense is, that those wicked men would have no blessing on them, from God nor men. That no God speed would be wished them; but that they were like the earth, that is covered with briers and thorns; which is nigh unto cursing, and its end to be burned.

How can you bless those in the name of the LORD, who have denied that He exists? They would not appreciate the blessing, even if you spoke it. There is no need to speak a lie, and that is what it would be, because God does not bless those who reject Him.

PSALM 129

EXPOSITION

The solidarity of Israel as a nation is here strikingly and even pathetically set forth. The youth of the nation is by implication traced back to Egypt; and her experience since then of trouble from without is gathered up into one sad memory. That is one aspect of the figure—the nation represented as an individual. Then the individualised nation is identified with the land in which she dwells; and the rude dealings of the invader with the land are figured as the ploughing of long furrows upon her bare back. How pathetically this latest memory pictures the ruthless doings of Sennacherib is evident. But deliverance has come; and the sudden liberation of the land from the invader is vividly set forth as the cutting asunder of the cords by which the slave had been held bound while the cruel lash was laid on. It was emphatically JEHOVAH who cut asunder those cords. The deliverance was not obtained by battle, nor by long journeying out of a foreign land.

So let all Israel’s enemies be vanquished, like these Assyrians, who have been put to shame and have retreated backward (comp. 2 Kings 19:36). And now, further, Assyria is paid back in her own coin: she had spoken of the nations who were unable to resist her might as “grass on the housetops” (2 Kings 19:26, Isaiah 37:27); and here she is herself made the object of the contemptuous comparison, with an additional stroke of wit at her expense: Let the haters of Zion be as the grass of the house tops, which before it hath unsheathed doth wither. Assyria had not unsheathed her sword against Jerusalem! And no friendly greetings were likely to congratulate her on the harvest she had reaped in Jehovah’s inheritance.

“My soul waiteth for the Lord”

A Song of degrees.

Psalms 130:1-8

Psalms 130 : The first four words of this psalm would form an appropriate title: “Out of the depths”, and that is the title by which it is known in Latin (De Profundis). This is the initial position of the psalmist as he offers his petition to the Lord for deliverance (Psalms 130:1-4). He then quickly moves to an expression of expectation (Psalms 130:5-6), and ends with an outward focus Psalms 130:1-8 (see note on Psalms 120:1-7). The author and occasion are not mentioned. This is the sixth of 7 penitential psalms (compare Palms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 143).

I. Urgent Prayer of the Psalmist (Psalms 130:1-2);

II. Magnified Forgiveness of God (Psalms 130:3-4);

III. Waiting Patience of the Psalmist (Psalms 130:5-6);

IV. Unique Hope of Israel (Psalms 130:7-8).

Psalms 130:1-4 : Thankfully, God does not “mark”, or makes nothing of “iniquities” that are repented of. Even one would incur a judgment so overwhelming that “who shall stand” up to it. Yet in this brief summary of the gospel is this truth: He hears His people’s cries and comes, not with judgment but with forgiveness.

Psalms 130:1 "Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD."

“Out of the depths”: A figurative expression of severe distress.

The word “depths” in Hebrew refers to the deep parts of the sea, picturing the watery chaos of life and floundering despair.

We have discussed before that the best place to reach the Lord is from our depth of despair. When we are at the very bottom, then we cry out to the Lord, and He hears us and answers our plea. There is one good thing about the bottom, there is no way but up to go. When we reach the end of ourselves, we reach up to God. This is the cry that the Lord hears, because it is sincere.

Psalms 130:2 "Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications."

His prayer, which was vocal. God is a God hearing prayer; sometimes his people think he does not hear them. But he always does, and in his own time answers. For to hear prayer with him is to answer it; which he does likewise in his own way as well as time. And not always in the way and at the time his people would have him.

"Let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications": His prayers put up in a humble suppliant manner, for grace and mercy. Not pleading merit and righteousness. These he desires God would hearken to and hear, listen unto, bow and incline his ears, as he is sometimes said to do. Which is a wonderful instance of his condescension.

He is always attentive to our cry. If we are not used to calling His name, we are not aware of that fact. The Bible says He knows our needs even before we cry out to Him. He is there waiting for our cry.

Psalms 130:3-4 : The psalmist basks in the glow of God’s never-ending forgiveness (compare Psalms 143:2).

Psalms 130:3 "If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?"

Or "observe" them. Not but that God does observe the sins of men: he sees all the evil actions of bad men done in the dark, which cannot hide them from him. And all the iniquities of good men, so as to correct and chastise for them, but not with his eye of vindictive justice. Or "keep" them; should he keep a watchful eye over them, make strict inspection into them, enter into a critical examination of them, and of all their aggravated circumstances? Should he keep them in mind and memory, retain them in the book of his remembrance? Should he lay them up, and keep them sealed among his stores, in order to be brought to light? And brought out as charges another day, and to the condemnation of men. Should he set them before him in the light of his countenance, and not cast them behind his back and into the depths of the sea? Should he visit for them in a way of wrath, or enter into judgment on account of them, with men in their own persons? Demanding satisfaction for them at their own hands, without any regard to the sacrifice and satisfaction of his Son. All a man’s righteousness, repentance, humiliation and tears, would stand him in no stead, would not answer for him, or atone for his sins. Still his iniquities would remain marked before God; the consequence of which would be eternal damnation (Jeremiah 2:22).

"O Lord, who shall stand?" Not one; since all are sinners. The Arabic version adds, "before thee"; in his presence; in the house and courts of God. There to minister before him; to pray and praise, to preach and hear. Or at his bar hereafter, with any boldness and confidence; so as to litigate the point with him in his court of judicature. Before angels and men, and so as to carry the cause. The wicked shall not stand in judgment (Psalms 1:5). Or who can stand before his vindictive justice, or bear his wrath and vengeance? No one can (see Nahum 1:6, Malachi 3:2).

The answer to the above question is no one.

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

Praise God! There is a solution to this dilemma. He took my sin upon His body on the cross. My sin died upon the cross. I only have to accept Him as my Savior to receive full pardon.

Psalms 130:4 "But [there is] forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared."

And with God only; not with angels, nor any of the sons of men. And which flows from his grace and mercy, through the blood of his Son. It appears to be with him by his promise of it in covenant; by appointing his Son to shed his blood for it, and exalting him as a Savior to give it. By proclaiming it in the Gospel; and by the numerous instances of it, both under the Old and under the New Testament. Or, there is "a propitiation with thee"; as the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions render it. God had found out Christ to be the propitiatory sacrifice for sin, and the ransom of his people; and in the fullness of time he sent him to be the propitiation for it. And he is become so; and has made reconciliation for sin, and reconciled his people to God by the sufferings of death. And reconciled all the divine perfections of justice and holiness, grace and mercy, together, in the salvation of men. And is now an advocate the Father for them, pleading the propitiatory sacrifice of himself before him.

"That thou mayest be feared": Were it not for pardon, and the hope of it, men would be desperate. And, having no hope, would resolve upon taking their swing of sin, and be entirely negligent of the worship and service of God. Was there no forgiveness of sin, there would be no more fear of God among men than there is among devils, for whom there is no forgiveness. There might be dread and trembling, as among them, but no godly fear. Yea, if God was strictly to mark iniquity, and not pardon it, there would be none to fear him, all must be condemned and cut off by him. But, in order to secure and preserve his fear among men, he has taken the step he has to pardon sin through the propitiatory sacrifice of his Son. And a discovery, and an application of his grace, teaches men to fear to offend him. Influences them to serve him acceptably with reverence and godly fear, and engages them to fear him and his goodness, and him for his goodness’s sake (Titus 2:11, Hosea 3:5).

This forgiveness is not just a covering of our sin with the blood, but our sins have been removed from us and put as far away from us as the east is from the west. They are so far away; we can never find them again. We have taken on His righteousness. We are a new creature in Christ. We now have no sin. He (Jesus Christ), has bought and paid for us with His precious blood.

Psalms 130:5-8 : The word “hope” in our present thinking most often carries the idea of wishful thinking, but in biblical thought, hope was synonymous with certainty (Hebrews 11:1). The psalmist puts his hope in God’s Word; he is standing on the promises of God.

Psalms 130:5 "I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope."

“In his word do I hope”: The psalmist expresses a certain hope since God’s Word cannot fail (compare Matthew 5:18; Luke 16:17; John 10:35).

In His Word (Bible), I am promised everlasting life in Him, forgiven forever of my sin. I read His Word, I believe what I read and I wait for that blessed day when He will return for me, and I will ever be with Him.

Psalms 130:6 "My soul [waiteth] for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: [I say, more than] they that watch for the morning."

“They that watch for the morning”: Probably refers to shepherds with a night watch which ends with the sun’s rising.

This morning is that beginning of that eternal day. We may pray all night and wait for days, but this is speaking of more than a normal day. This is speaking of like a bride waiting on the bridegroom to come. This is the church of the Lord Jesus, who are watching and waiting for the trumpet to blow in the sky, when we will begin that one eternal day with Him.

Psalms 130:7-8 : “Redemption” is deliverance from sin, at a price. Jesus paid the full price for all sin on the cross, purchasing the freedom of each one who believes. He is not miserly with his forgiveness, it is “plenteous”.

Psalms 130:7 "Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD [there is] mercy, and with him [is] plenteous redemption."

“Hope in the Lord”: The psalmist’s hope in God’s Word (verse 5), parallels Israel’s hope in the Lord.

This Israel is that spiritual Israel (believers in Christ), who hope in the Lord. We received redemption by the mercy of God. Redemption is offered to all. Only those, who do what it says in (Romans 10:9-10), receive this redemption.

Psalms 130:8 "And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities."

“He shall redeem Israel”: This can be taken in both a historical and as soteriological sense (compare Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:68; Rom. Chapters 9-11).

The sting of sin is death. Death is the penalty for sin. All who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, have no sin. Jesus took their sin upon His body on the cross. He traded them a robe of righteousness washed in His precious blood for their sin. He redeemed all who will receive it, freedom from sin and death, and gave them everlasting life in Him.

PSALM 130

EXPOSITION

This psalm is known as one of the Seven Penitential psalms. It is in fact penitential, and therefore this classification need not be disturbed; but it might as accurately have been described as a Plea for Ransom, and in any case has characteristics all its own.

The course of our Expositions hitherto has specially prepared us for this psalm. Presuming that King Hezekiah wrote or selected it for a place in his series of “Songs of the Steps,” we have only to turn to his commemorative “Writing” preserved in Isaiah 38, to discover a note harmonising with the present composition, in the grateful acknowledgement there preserved: “Thou hast cast, behind thy back, all my sin.” The “sin” acknowledged there, prepares us for the iniquities presupposed here. Moreover, when we were led to attribute the authorship of Psalms 119 to Hezekiah, it was impossible not to be impressed with the well-known phenomenon of a good man passionately devoted to “Jehovah’s will,” and yet bearing about with him a chastening memory of personal sin. These two lines of observation respecting Hezekiah prepare us to expect that no collection of psalms would be considered by him even approximately complete, that did not include at least one penitential psalm.

Reaching the present psalm thus, by a path which quickens our expectation of discovering something fresh and valuable, we are not disappointed. It is indeed a remarkable composition: simple, beautiful, profound. It says but little, but it implies more than we can easily grasp. Its most striking feature is its twofold reference, first to an individual, and then to a nation. Neither of these references can justly be denied; although, in point of fact, the former has been strangely doubted, and the latter is perhaps seldom pressed home to its legitimate conclusion.

The precise nature of the junction between the national lesson and the individual, is perhaps not demonstrably clear. Did the psalmist leave his own petitions in the waiting stage, as requests not as yet answered; and so incite his people to join him in blended pleading for answers yet to be vouchsafed both to him and to them? Or does he, rather, as we incline to think—from his somewhat exuberant lingering over the watchers for the morning—give us leave to interpolate there his own implied reception of an answer of peace; in the inspiring strength of which he at once proceeds strongly to urge Israel to take heart and plead for national redemption? It is a nice point, but important to the translator; who, according to his solution of it, may, in Psalms 130:1, say called, as of petitions by this time answered; or else, “have called,” as of petitions still urged before the Divine throne. Again, in Psalms 130:5, he may either say I awaited, as though now “awaiting” no longer, or “I have awaited”—implying the undertone, “and am awaiting still.” Notwithstanding the fact that thus, throughout the psalm, there are delicate shades of meaning needing to be discriminated with unusual care, it would be quite a mistake to infer that there are no broad lessons plainly-conveyed.

At every turn, there are suggestions which instantly strike and deeply impress, notwithstanding an affluence of meaning which is not put into words. For example: the familiar term mark referring to iniquities in Psalms 130:3, seems to be as good a word as can be selected; and yet it is seen by every thoughtful reader to convey nothing less than this: “to mark, in order to remember; and to remember, in order to punish.”

So, again, there is an exquisite fineness of implication in the delightful turn of the phrase with thee, which the Hebrew emphasises by the position assigned to it: with thee is Forgiveness, rather than, “thou dost forgive,” or “thou canst forgive.” No, with thee. It is as though Jehovah had a store of forgivenesses, as though he had a cherished delight in forgiving; as though it were just like him. And so, in the last stanza: with Jehovah is kindness, and plenteously with him is there ransoming—a little awkward, perhaps, in English; yet how richly suggestive: it seems to tell of that, and the like of that, continually going on. Phases of truth, these, which penitent souls sorely need to make their own.

Of another order, perhaps, is the profound statement of design in the Divine forgiving: to the end thou mayest be revered. We should not have been surprised to read, “to the end thou mayest be LOVED”; but revered!—that demands a little thought. Is it that we poor erring ones could not think of mere Infinite Power without hardening our hearts? As soon, however, as we admit the concurrent conception of Infinite Pity, then we dare think, then our adoration rises, then we revere!

Already we have caught a fore glimpse of the weighty close of the psalm. It is indeed a worthy close. Sudden is the transition from the individual to the nation, and yet not so sudden and strange as to throw doubt on the unity of authorship. Indeed, it is easy to see, that the mind at work in the second stanza is at work in the fourth; and that the Forgiveness of the second is worthily matched by the Ransoming Kindness of the fourth. Still, it is a climax. The forgiven individual ascends to a mighty daring when he addresses his nation in such terms as these. He has experience—he has faith—he has inspiration. He clearly means his own nation; for he beholds them laden with their own long-accumulated national burden of iniquities. What other nation under the sun would consent to be charged with those iniquities? It is only as the poet suns himself in the conception of ransoming being at home with Jehovah, that he rises to the crowning thought that Jehovah himself will ransom Israel from all his iniquities; and, if from his iniquities,—then why not also from his shame before the nations, his long, long exile from his own land?

Of the two great Old Testament words for redeeming, one (ga’al) “implies relationship” (O.G. 145), and the other (pa dhah’, that used here) carries with it the “underlying thought of payment” (O.G. 804). Jehovah is Israel’s Kinsman-Redeemer; and he who of old gave Egypt for Israel’s ransom (Isaiah 43:3) will be able to find if he has not already “found a ransom” of such abiding worth that—in view of it, as a public justification—“Israel shall be saved in Jehovah with salvation to the ages” (Isaiah 45:17; Isaiah 45:25).

Humility before the Lord

A Song of degrees of David

Psalms 131:1-3

Psalms 131 : An intensely personal song of humility, this psalm contains David’s declaration of humility (Psalms 131:1), declaration of trust (Psalms 131:2), and call for hope (Psalms 131:3).

Psalms 131:1-3 (see note on Psalms 120:1-7). David is the author, but the circumstances are not apparent.

I. A Personal Testimony (Psalms 131:1-2);

II. A National Exhortation (Psalms 131:3).

Psalms 131:1 "LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me."

“Haughty … lofty”: God gives grace to the humble (compare Proverbs 3:34; Proverbs 16:5; James 4:6). David expresses the greatest of God’s ways (compare Psalms 139:6; Romans 11:33-36).

Just as a gardener cuts away what merely looks good for the sake of a healthy plant, this psalm prunes readers to their roots in God. The two things to be pruned are unruly ambition and infantile dependency.

This is just saying; Lord I cannot figure out what you have done for me in salvation. I accept it on simple faith. I am humbled that so great a salvation has come to me in such a simple manner.

Psalms 131:2 "Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul [is] even as a weaned child."

“As a weaned child”: David has been trained to trust God to supply his needs as a weaned child trusts his mother.

A “weaned child” is one who is no longer straining for sustenance. These children sit calmly and quietly in their mothers’ laps, trusting her for all things. The psalmist has that same feeling of contentment as he hopes in God.

Except ye come to God as a little child, you shall not receive salvation. We cannot figure out salvation, we must be saved through simple childlike faith. We see from this, that faith alone is the answer. We must not guess, but truly believe, and we shall be saved. We must be separated from family and make this decision on our own.

Psalms 131:3 "Let Israel hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever."

What he did himself, and found it good for him to do, that he knew was good for others. And therefore exhorts and encourages to it, to hope in the Lord and wait for his salvation. And which should be done constantly, and to th­­­e end of life, or till the thing hoped for is enjoyed (see Hebrews 3:6). Perhaps some respect is here had to the people of Israel, especially the friends of David, who were weary of Saul’s government, and impatient to have David on the throne. Whom he advises to wait patiently, and not take any indirect steps to bring it about. But leave it with God, and hope and trust in him. Compare with this (1 Samuel 24:7; see notes on Psalms 130:7).

David exhorts the nation to forever embrace his own personal hope in the Lord.

There is no hope, but in God. It is our faith that is counted unto us as righteousness. Hope in the Lord, and He shall never fail you.

PSALM 131

EXPOSITION

The conclusion has everything in its favour, that David began this psalm, and Hezekiah finished it. The first stanza strongly commends itself as probably reflecting the feeling of David in view of the unlooked-for honour conferred on him when taken from the humble occupation of tending his father’s sheep to be king over Israel. He had had no thought, no ambition, for such great things: they would have appeared too wonderful for him. So, we may well believe, David subsequently wrote—and sang; though how his little song originally ended we cannot know. Hezekiah, it would seem, discovered the unconsidered trifle, and added to it an adaptation which made it suit his own case with exquisite precision. If he had never felt the stirrings of personal ambition before, he was certainly lifted off his feet when he showed the messengers from Babylon all his treasures. He was sternly rebuked, prospectively punished, and—he humbled himself; but not without a struggle: he had to be weaned from Self, and has here described the process, with unsurpassable insight and delicacy. He had had to smooth and soothe his ruffled soul; and wean himself from any longer drawing sweet satisfaction from what Self could afford. Henceforth he must take a manlier part than nestle on the soft bosom of Self. He was weaned. And now he would wean Israel. Trouble awaited her in the future—this also now he knew. But, having in his previous song sung of ransom from iniquities, and of Jehovah himself as Ransomer, he must needs now again urge Israel, with tenderer pathos and with longer outlook than before, to hope for Jehovah, from henceforth and unto the ages. This loving call still woos Israel to hear.

A prayer for blessing on the sanctuary

A Song of degrees.

Psalms 132:1-18

Psalms 132 : The author of this psalm realized that belief in God’s promises forms the basis for the saint’s prayer. Because he believes in those promises, he prays for the current Davidic king. The psalm may be outlined as follows: a petition to remember David’s oath (verses 1-5), a reference to David’s trouble in bringing the Ark to Jerusalem; a resolution to worship at the tabernacle (verses 6-7), including the recollection of its retrieval; a petition for the Ark and present king (verses 8-10); and a reiteration of the Davidic covenant (verses 11-18).

Psalms 132:1-8 (see note on Psalms 120:1-7). The author and occasion are not specifically mentioned. However, the bringing of the tabernacle to Jerusalem in David’s time seem likely (compare 2 Samuel 6:12-19; with Psalms 132:6-9). Further, Solomon’s quote (of Psalms 132:8-10), in his dedication of the temple (2 Chronicles 6:41-42), makes that time probable. Psalms 132 has strong historical implications with regard to the Davidic Covenant (compare 2 Samuel 7:10-14; 2 Samuel 7:16; Psalms 89; Psalms 132:10-11), and pronounced messianic and millennial overtones (Psalms 132:12-18). Essentially, this psalm contains the nation’s prayers for David’s royal descendants which look ahead, even to Messiah.

I. Israel’s First Prayer (Psalms 132:1);

II. David’s Vow to God (Psalms 132:2-9);

III. Israel’s Second Prayer (Psalms 132:10);

IV. God’s Vow to David (Psalms 132:11-18).

Psalms 132:1-9 : This section focuses on David fulfilling his vow to God to bring the tabernacle to rest in Jerusalem and thus his descendants are to be remembered by the Lord.

Psalms 132:1 "LORD, remember David, [and] all his afflictions:"

“His afflictions: This seems to be inclusive from the times of being pursued by Saul (compare 1 Sam. chapters 18-26), through God’s judgment because David numbered the people (compare 2 Sam. chapter 24). Perhaps it focuses on David’s greatest affliction, which came from not having the Ark in Jerusalem.

The LORD did bless David abundantly and frequently. There is no need for David to continue to ask for blessings on his own personal self. I believe this is asking the Lord to allow the Ark to come to Jerusalem, and a temple be built for it, so that all of David’s children and grandchildren will be blessed.

Psalms 132:2-5 : Although the specific vow is not recorded elsewhere in Scripture, the historical circumstances can be found in (2 Sam. chapter 6 and 1 Chron. chapters 13-16).

Psalms 132:2 "How he sware unto the LORD, [and] vowed unto the mighty [God] of Jacob;"

Whom Jacob called so (Genesis 49:24). And to whom he vowed a vow, and is the first we read of that did make one, and it was concerning the house of God (Genesis 28:17). And who had an experience of the might and power of God in protecting and defending him from his brother Esau. Of this oath and vow of David no mention is made elsewhere, but no doubt they were made (see Psalms 119:106). Of the Messiah’s swearing, though upon another account, to whom this may be applied (see Isaiah 45:23).

“The mighty God of Jacob”: A title last used by Jacob (in Genesis 49:24).

We see the seriousness of this request, when we see that David swore unto the LORD. He loved God and wanted to build Him a house. We must be very careful what we swear to do. David should have checked with God first on this. God does not take swearing lightly. In fact, Jesus said swear not at all. That is the best policy.

Psalms 132:3 "Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed;"

The new house and palace David built for himself after he came to the throne, made of cedar (2 Samuel 5:11). Not that he should never enter into it till he had found a dwelling for God, but that he should not go into it with pleasure till that was done. For this and what follows are hyperboles, as Kimchi observes, and signify that he should have no peace nor satisfaction of mind till this was accomplished. It may be applied to our Lord’s ascension to heaven, which was not till after he had purchased the church with his blood, which is the temple and habitation of God.

"Nor go up into my bed": Or "the bed that was made for me"; the royal bed, a bed of down, with soft pillows, fit for a person of such dignity to lie down on. Ainsworth renders it "the pallets of my bed"; the phrase of going up agrees with the custom of the eastern countries, who have galleries in their chambers where they are set. At one end of each chamber in their houses there is a little gallery raised three, four, or five feet above the floor, with a balustrade in the front of it, with a few steps likewise leading up to it. Here they place their beds; so that when they went to bed they might with great propriety be said to go up to it. But this David could not do with pleasure, so long as there was no place and habitation for God.

Psalms 132:4 "I will not give sleep to mine eyes, [or] slumber to mine eyelids,"

Not that he never would or did take any sleep till this thing was brought about he had so much at heart. But that he could not and would not suffer himself to sleep comfortably and quietly because of it. Aben Ezra interprets it of sleep at noon; the phrases express his great desire and solicitude to have this affair accomplished, and his eager and diligent pursuit of it (see Proverbs 6:4). Of the eager desire of Christ to suffer and die for his people, that they might be brought near to God, and be his dwelling place (see Luke 12:50).

Psalms 132:5 "Until I find out a place for the LORD, a habitation for the mighty [God] of Jacob."

To build a house on for the Lord; which it seems was unknown till the times of David. For though mention had been made of a place the Lord would choose to cause his name to dwell in, yet the particular place was not pointed out (Deuteronomy 12:11). David was very solicitous to find it out, and did (1 Chronicles 22:1).

"A habitation for the mighty God of Jacob" (see notes on Psalms 132:2). Or "habitations", or "tabernacles". The temple, which is meant, consisting of three parts, the court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. This was typical of the human nature of Christ, the temple of his body, the tabernacle of God’s pitching (John 2:19). In which the fullness of the Godhead dwells, the glory of God is seen, and through whom he grants his presence to his people. And also of the church of God, the temple of the living God, where he dwells and is worshipped. And that this might be a fit habitation for God was the great desire of the Messiah. And not only the end and issue of his sufferings and death, but also the design of his preparations and intercession in heaven (John 14:2).

Now we see what the oath he took was all about. He could not stand the thought of him having a home and the LORD not having a home. This is a man devoted to God. David said, I want this so badly, I cannot sleep until I have it settled where the LORD’s house will be built. The Ark had not had a permanent dwelling place since the wilderness wanderings. David had a beautiful home for himself, and he resolved that God would have a more beautiful place for the Ark to rest.

Psalms 132:6-9 : The Ark was brought from Kirjath-jearim to Jerusalem (compare 2 Sam. chapter 6; 1 Chron. chapters 13 and 15).

Psalms 132:6 "Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood."

“Heard of it at Ephratah”: Probably referring to David’s younger days in Ephratah, which was an earlier name for Bethlehem (compare Ruth 1:1-2; Ruth 4:11), when he and his family had heard of the Ark but had not seen it.

“Found it in the fields of the wood”: After the Ark of the Covenant was returned by the Philistines in the days of Saul (compare 1 Samuel 7:1-2), it rested at the house of Abinadab in Kirjath-jearim until David decided to move to Jerusalem (compare 2 Sam. chapter 6; 1 Chron. chapters 13 to 16).

The Ark symbolized the presence of Almighty God. How could it be hidden? David had heard that it was at Ephratah, and he wanted to go get it and make a permanent place for it. To David, this meant the presence of God in close proximity. It seems David had searched it out and found it in the field. This reminds me so much of the dark ages. Christianity was hidden away. Thank goodness, someone sought it out and brought it into the Light.

Psalms 132:7 "We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool."

“His footstool”: God’s throne is in heaven (compare Isaiah 66:1), and His footstool is on the earth (compare Psalms 99:5), figuratively speaking. Thus to worship at the Ark of the covenant on earth would be, so to speak, at God’s footstool.

David wanted a quick restoration of a place to worship near unto the Ark. He is saying here, I will bow down before the presence of God, over the Ark and will worship my God.

Psalms 132:8 "Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength."

“Arise, O LORD”: Since the Holy Place contained the bread of the presence (Exodus 25:30; 1 Samuel 21:6), the psalmist refers to moving the Ark to Jerusalem.

It seems to me that there were times throughout history, when the presence of God in His church has been at a very low ebb, almost as if the presence was in hiding. Then a Moses, or a David, or someone of this magnitude seeks God out and brings Him to the masses. When the children of Israel moved the Ark in the wilderness, the cloud, or the fire, would arise and lead to the next destination. This is what the psalmist is asking here. Arise O LORD and lead the procession.

Psalms 132:9 "Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy."

(In 2 Chronicles 6:41); it is, "with salvation" (as in Psalms 132:16). Either the ministers of the word; who may be said to be clothed with righteousness when they perform their work righteously, and faithfully dispense the word. keeping back nothing that is profitable, and administer the ordinances according to the rules of Christ. And when their lives and conversations are agreeable to the Gospel they preach (see Job 29:14). Or else all true believers; who are priests as well as kings unto God; and who are clothed with the robe of Christ’s righteousness. And with the internal graces of the Spirit, the new man created in righteousness and true holiness. And with conversation garments, becoming the Gospel, and their profession of it.

"And let thy saints shout for joy": The Levites; thy Holy Ones, as the Targum. So Kimchi, Arama, and others; “the singers in the temple”. But rather the Lord’s sanctified ones, true believers under the Gospel dispensation, are meant. Who shout for joy, and have reason so to do, at the incarnation of Christ and at his ascension to heaven. At the Gospel preached by his ministers, and at the robe of righteousness with which they are clothed. In (2 Chronicles 6:41), it is, "rejoice in goodness"; in the goodness of the Lord. In the good things bestowed on them, or promised to them.

The priesthood had been in terrible decay, because they had no place to function. It seems they had been fulfilling more of a civil function than a religious. There would be priests and high priest sought, who were righteous men, who were of the tribe of Levi. These men would not be like the rest of the people, but would be holy men of God, dedicated to the keeping of the temple and God’s law. No man should be chosen for the priesthood, who was not interested in living holy separated lives. The people who loved God would shout for joy, because they would have a place and a presence of God that they could closely relate to. A nation that has lost their God, is in terrible sad shape.

Psalms 132:10-18 : This section focuses on God’s fulfilling His vow to David to perpetuate the Davidic throne and thus his descendants are to be remembered by the Lord.

Psalms 132:10-12 : The words “the LORD has sworn” recall the Davidic covenant (issued in 2 Samuel 7:8-16). Jesus is the “Anointed” who ultimately fulfills these promises (Luke 1:32-33; Acts 2:30).

Psalms 132:10 "For thy servant David’s sake turn not away the face of thine anointed."

A prayer that God’s promise and favor would not be withheld from David’s descendants on the throne of Judah.

“Thine anointed”: As David had been anointed king (1 Samuel 16:13), so a greater King has been anointed, namely Christ, but not yet seated on the throne (compare Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18-19).

David knew that God loved him. He is pleading with God to do this for him, if he would not do it for all. David even reminds God, that it was He who anointed David to be king. Some believe this to be Solomon pleading for David, but I believe this is David.

Psalms 132:11-12 : God’s covenant with David (2 Samuel 23:5), is summarized here (from 2 Samuel 7:11-16 and 1 Kings 9:1-9).

Psalms 132:11 "The LORD hath sworn [in] truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne."

He has made a gracious promise, confirmed by an oath, which we may plead in our present necessities. That promise was made "in truth," that is, sincerely, so that it will certainly be carried out, so that we may appeal to God, on the ground of his faithfulness, to keep his word.

"He will not turn from it": We may be certain that he will carry it out. We may appeal to him on the basis of that promise with the utmost confidence.

"Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne": Margin, as in Hebrew, "of thy belly." The throne would descend to his posterity (2 Samuel 7:12; see notes at Psalms 89:3-4).

This is not just speaking of Solomon, who will truly sit upon David’s throne for forty years, but is looking unto Jesus Christ, who will sit on the everlasting throne. The kingdom of Jesus will never end. In the kingdom of our Lord Jesus, we will be kings and priests. Not priests, because we are from the Levitical tribe, but because we are sons of God. This kingdom is not an earthly kingdom, but a heavenly kingdom. Notice, in the very first line of the verse above “sworn in truth”. God swore upon himself, because there was no greater.

Psalms 132:12 "If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore."

This conditional aspect could interrupt the occupation of the throne, but it would not invalidate God’s promise to one day seat the Messiah as king forever (compare Ezekiel 37:24-28).

The condition of the above verse was more than the physical house of David would do, and so they were divided into two kingdoms. What David’s physical lineage could not do in keeping God’s law; the seed of David fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. This kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, is not only a physical kingdom, but is a spiritual kingdom in that He set it up in all believers. The biggest word in the verse above is, “if”. You see, the sin of the physical house of David brought their downfall.

Psalms 132:13-18 : This section looks forward prophetically to the day that Jesus Christ, the son of David and the son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1), will be installed by God on the throne of David in the city of God to rule and bring peace on earth, especially Israel (compare Psalms 2, 89, 110; Isa. chapters 25 and 26; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Jeremiah 33:14-18; Ezek. chapter 37; Daniel 2:44-45; Zechariah 14:1-11).

Psalms 132:13 "For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired [it] for his habitation."

Not only to build upon it the temple in a literal sense, and for the place of his worship. But also for the seat of his majesty, and over which he has set his Son as King. And all this from the love he bears to Zion, which, in a figurative and spiritual sense, is his church. Whom he has chosen to privileges, to grace and glory, and for his service and honor (see Psalms 78:67).

“Zion”: Refers to earthly Jerusalem.

"He hath desired it for his habitation": Heaven is the habitation of his holiness and glory. Christ is his dwelling place, in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily. Yet his desire is to his church and people. His heart is set upon them, and upon their salvation. His delight is in them, and he takes pleasure in walking with them, and dwelling among them. They being built up a habitation for God through the Spirit (see Psalms 68:16).

This Scripture, as so many, has a double meaning. God truly chose mount Zion to be His place of dwelling in the temple Solomon would build. There is another Zion, the church of Jesus Christ. God has chosen to dwell in His church. In the tabernacle in Jerusalem, on mount Zion, the point of contact to God was through the Ark of the Covenant. The point of contact to God for the Christian is in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalms 132:14 "This [is] my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it."

The rest of my majesty, as the Targum; the place of his rest. And this being “for ever” shows that not Mount Zion literally, nor the temple, are meant; but the church and people of God, in whom he rests in his love, and rejoices over with joy. Who are the objects of his delight, and with whom he abides forever. For this phrase is expressive of pleasure and delight, and of permanency and perpetuity.

"Here will I dwell, for I have desired it": Not merely by his omnipresence, in which sense he dwells everywhere, both in heaven and in earth. Nor only by his omnipotence, by which he upholds all creatures in their being, and so is present with them all. And they all live and move, and have their being, in him. But by his Spirit and grace reviving and refreshing the hearts of his people with his gracious presence. Which is enjoyed in his house and ordinances, and makes them lovely and delightful. And may be expected there, since he has promised it, and it is so desirable and agreeable to himself to dwell there.

This is a statement from God Himself. The Zion, spoken of here, is the church.

2 Corinthians 6:16 "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

One of the most heart-warming statements in the Bible, if you are a Christian, is the following.

Revelation 21:3 "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God."

Psalms 132:15 "I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread."

Margin, surely. Hebrew, "Blessing I will bless." A strong affirmation, meaning that he would certainly do it. That he would do it in every way; that every needed blessing would be imparted. The word rendered provision is a cognate form of the word in (Psalms 78:25). Translated meat: "He sent them meat to the full." It properly refers to food for a journey, but it is applicable to any kind of food. The original idea is that of food obtained by hunting, as game, venison (Genesis 25:28; Job 38:41). The meaning here is that God would provide abundantly for their support.

"I will satisfy her poor with bread": I will give them what they need (see notes at Psalms 37:25).

We read, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”.

Psalms 37:25 "I have been young, and [now] am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."

The needs of God’s people are taken care of, not their greed. The provision of those who truly love God is a bountiful provision.

Psalms 132:16 "I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy."

With the garments of salvation, as the Targum; in answer to the petition (Psalms 132:9). But more is promised than prayed for, "salvation" including "righteousness" and all other blessings. And may be interpreted, as there. Either of the ministers of the Gospel clothed with the doctrine of salvation by Christ, coming forth full fraught with it, openly publishing and proclaiming it. Salvation being made public and manifest by them as a garment, as Aben Ezra observes. Moreover, Gospel ministers are instruments of saving others. The Gospel preached by them being the power of God unto salvation, as well as they themselves are saved in the same way (1 Timothy 4:16). Besides, they are kept by the power of God, and in the hands of Christ. Who protects them, and as it were covers them with the garment of salvation, while they are publishing it to the world. To whose reproaches and insults they are exposed. Or else this may be interpreted of the people of God in common, who are all kings and priests to God. And are all clothed with the garments of salvation (Isaiah 61:10). Salvation by Christ is brought near to them, is applied to them, and put upon them as a garment. It is from Christ, and without them, though upon them; it is their clothing and their ornament, as well as their security from sin, law, death, and hell (see Psalms 149:4).

"And her saints shall shout aloud for joy": Not only "shout", as is entreated (Psalms 132:9); but "shout aloud". It shall be a jubilee time with them on account of the Gospel of salvation, the joyful sound sounded in their ears by the ministers of it clothed with it; and on account of the salvation itself. So great, so suitable, so free, so complete and full, and in which the glory of God is so much displayed. And on account of the application of it to themselves, being clothed with it and possessed of the joys of it. These the Jewish writers generally understand of the Levites.

We remember that the priests are symbolic of the believers in Christ. Jesus is the High Priest, and we are the priests. How many times have we spoken of the robe of righteousness that Jesus provides for us being the robe washed in the blood of the Lord? Salvation is through His shed blood. The joy that we feel is the joy that only the blessedness of salvation can bring.

Psalms 132:17 "There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed."

The horn was an emblem of power; and then, of success or prosperity (see the notes at Luke 1:69). The word rendered "to bud" means to grow, or to shoot forth as a plant, or as grass grows. And then it may be applied to anything which shoots forth or grows. The allusion here would seem to be to a horn as it shoots forth on the head of an animal. So David would be endowed with growing strength and would have the means of defending himself against his enemies, and of securing victory. The language had no original reference to the Messiah, but it is not improperly applied to him (as springing from David in Luke 1:69). On the word horn (see notes at Psalms 75:4; compare Psalms 89:17; Psalms 89:24; Psalms 92:10; Psalms 112:9; Daniel 7:8; Daniel 8:5).

"I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed": Margin, a candle. I have appointed; that is, I have given him that which will always be as a lamp or guide to him; that by which he will see to walk. I have given him true and precious promises, which will be to him as a lamp, a candle, a lantern is to one walking in the night (see Psalms 18:28, and notes at Psalms 119:105).

We have learned in these studies that the horn is symbolic of the strength or power. The strength of David budded in the Lord Jesus. The name of David would be lightened in the seed, who was Jesus Christ the Light. Jesus was not only the seed of David in the flesh, but was David’s God in the Spirit.

Psalms 132:18 "His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish."

With the garments of shame, as the Targum. Very different from the clothing of Zion’s priests. All that are incensed against Christ as a King and Savior shall sooner or later be ashamed. Either here, when brought to a sense of their evil, to repentance for it, and faith in him. Or hereafter, at the resurrection, when they will rise to shame and everlasting contempt. And when they shall see him come in the clouds of heaven, in power and great glory, to judge the world in righteousness (Isaiah 45:24).

"But upon himself shall his crown flourish": Being crowned with glory and honor, as he now is at the right hand of God. He reigns, and will reign, till all his enemies become his footstool. His throne is for ever and ever, and his kingdom an everlasting one. And will be very flourishing in the latter day, when his subjects shall be many. And when there shall be an abundance of peace and prosperity, and of that no end. The crown of the Messiah shall flourish on him as a king, shine out and be very conspicuous, as Aben Ezra and Jarchi interpret the word used. And so his crown as a priest; the same word is used of the holy crown of the priests put upon the mitre, on which Holiness to the Lord was inscribed. And the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, render it, "my holiness". And, as his own crown is a never-fading one, such a one he will give to his ministers, and all that love him appearing (1 Peter 5:4).

The true enemy, who is just demonstrated in all of these earthly enemies, is Satan, himself. Jesus defeated Satan on the cross. The shame of Satan was made worse, when Jesus went into Satan’s place of dwelling and brought captivity out with Him. He took the keys of hell and death away from him as well. The crown and rule of Jesus is an eternal rule. It will never diminish.

PSALM 132

EXPOSITION

Again are we enabled to realise how truly and helpfully previous psalms lead us forward to what still awaits us. That little snatch of a song, in praise of humility, which we have just dismissed,—how truly does it prepare us for the humiliations of David, with a reference to which this psalm opens.

But Jehovah humbles his loyal servants in order to fit them for the greater things to which they may not prematurely aspire; and if the Son of David who pens this psalm has schooled himself successfully into the spirit of the psalm we have just admired for its lessons of humility, he is thereby only the better prepared to lead us forward to the “wonderful things” to which this psalm conducts us.

Though he now only introduces it into his series of Step Songs, it has probably lain in his repertoire since those early days of his reign when, having cleansed the Temple, he anew dedicated it to the worship of Jehovah; installing priests and Levites in the zealous discharge of their duties, taking care suitably to clothe them with official garments, and bountifully to provide for their temporal needs. We can imagine no more congenial occasion than this, for the origin of this intensely Messianic psalm. Everything in that occasion and in this psalm favours their being thus brought together. Newly come to the throne, after some years of reproach and patient waiting, and godly self-discipline, the author cannot forget that he now stands in covenant line with his revered ancestor David, whose songs he has so often studied with delight. Having found vent for his reforming zeal by cleansing the temple and restoring its inspiring ritual, now to be renewed with accompanying songs,—what more natural to a born poet and an anointed prophet-king than to compose a psalm like this: a psalm in every way worthy of such an auspicious occasion? Note, especially, in glancing through the psalm with these incidents in view, how, notwithstanding the unfeigned humility which restrains him from once formally alluding to himself or indulging in so much as a first personal pronoun, the profound consciousness of Messianic heirship is upon him. For to whom but to himself can we suppose him to refer at the close of the first stanza, when, gathering up all that has gone before, he pleads: For the sake of David thy servant—do not turn away the face of thine Anointed One. With the fitting occasion for this prayer in our minds, we instinctively supply the unspoken burden of it: “Do not turn away his face, when he thus presents anew to thee thine own holy temple, cleansed, and vocal with thy praise.”

By connecting this first climax, in Psalms 132:10, with the opening words of the psalm, we grasp the indisputable fact that this first stanza is a prayer: Remember . . . do not turn away. All that comes between is pleading. As much as to say: “By all the devotion and enthusiasm and energetic service and consecrating forethought of my revered ancestor David, whose words and deeds I this day recall, and humbly mention as my pleading before thee,—O Jehovah, do not turn away my face.”

Once we grasp the firm logic of this intercession, we can easily allow for the poetic freedom with which the details are filled in. Whether we are to accept the allusion to Ephrathah as to the name of a district large enough to include Kirjathjearim where the ark was, or to understand David to refer to tidings of the whereabouts of the ark with which they were familiar in his youth in Bethlehem-ephrathah, becomes a matter of small importance. With a like sense of freedom as to details, we can, without disturbance to the general sense, understand the we of Psalms 132:6-7 as proceeding originally from David, in recognition of the people who accompanied him when he went to fetch up the ark to Jerusalem; and, then, again we can hear David’s own voice of invocation in Psalms 132:8-9 even though the terms of the invocation were taken from the story of the original journeying of the ark through the wilderness, and again employed by Solomon on an intermediate occasion. All this poetic and highly picturesque filling in of the argument drawn from David and his times by no means robs this part of the psalm of its force as a mighty plea urged by King Hezekiah.

In like manner, the general sense of promise granted in answer to prayer, becomes evident as dominating the second half of the psalm (Psalms 132:11-18), notwithstanding the sweep of its contents and the loftiness of its closing aspiration. The first half of the psalm led off with what David sware to Jehovah; the second half begins, its response, with what Jehovah sware to David. And therein—in that covenant-oath to David—lay promises yet unexhausted and which guarantee to Hezekiah, as being in the line of the covenant, all the favour he might need for himself and for the temple he this day hallows to Jehovah.

It is worthy of note how the interests of the throne and of the temple here again intertwine. The covenant, through Nathan, points to the throne (Psalms 132:11-12); and then immediately the temple is introduced as in some way supporting the throne: For Jehovah hath chosen Zion—hath desired it as a habitation for himself. Such intertwining of the two interests has characterised the Davidic Covenant from the first; for was it not just when David proposed to build a temple that Jehovah promised him an abiding throne? Possibly there is in this more than meets the eye. Be that as it may, the blending of interests goes on quite to the end of the psalm: Psalms 132:14—place; Psalms 132:15—place; Psalms 132:16—place; Psalms 132:17—throne; Psalms 132:18—throne and crown! That is the climax—crown the final word.

In these last 5 verses of 10 lines, the whole passion of the psalm is expressed; and the expression is in every way most beautiful and impressive. As to form, it is all direct divine speech: Jehovah’s voice alone is heard throughout; and if the speech as a whole was never uttered before, then it may be taken as a new and complete revelation of things never before so connectedly divulged.

The original petitions of David are hereby represented as granted—reaffirmed—amplified. The resting-place reappears as desired, found, perpetual. The priests and Levites are heralded by provision in abundance and satisfied needy ones. The very clothing of the priests is enhanced from righteousness to salvation. The official men of kindness, the Levites, do INDEED ring out their joy, with reduplicated emphasis. Not only is what was asked in David’s petitions now abundantly given; but more than was asked, at least so far as this psalm is concerned. For again, as already observed, the temple gives place to the throne: There (in that place) will I cause to bud a horn unto David—a living symbol of power. His enemies will I clothe with shame, but upon himself shall blossom his crown—a living symbol of royalty. Bold metaphors truly; but for that very reason fitting the ultimate climax of the psalm and causing us to feel instinctively that a greater than Hezekiah is here. They are, indeed, things “too wonderful” for him; and, therefore, here he leaves them unexplained. The THRONE in its PLACE, and the final HEIR on the throne, would all in due time be revealed.

The joy of brotherhood

A Song of degrees of David.

Psalms 133:1-3

This psalm is all about the preciousness of family unity. Its blessedness is exclaimed (Psalms 133:1), and explained (Psalms 133:2-3). It sanctifies (Psalms 133:2), and solidifies (Psalms 133:3).

Psalms 133:1-3 (see note on Psalms 120:1-7). The occasion for this Davidic psalm is unknown. Perhaps it was prompted by the nation’s coming together in unity at his coronation (compare 2 Samuel 5:1-3; 1 Chronicles 11:1-3). It’s teaching on fraternal unity would have been instructive to David’s sons, who were antagonistic toward one another, e.g., Absalom murdered Ammon (2 Samuel 13:28-33), and Adonijah tried to preempt Solomon’s right to the throne (1 Kings 1:5-53).

I. Praise of Unity (Psalms 133:1);

II. Pictures of Unity (Psalms 133:2-3);

III. Oil on Aaron’s head (Psalms 133:2);

IV. Dew on Mt. Zion (Psalms 133:3).

Psalms 133:1 "Behold, how good and how pleasant [it is] for brethren to dwell together in unity!"

“Pleasant” means “lovely, charming, attractive”, things that fill the mind with delight. God’s people derive this delight from unity within the body of Christ (John chapter 17).

“Brethren: Those who lineage can be traced to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

“Unity”: While national unity might be on the surface, the foundation must always be spiritual unity. This would be the emphasis here, since these songs were sung by Jewish pilgrims traveling to the 3 great feasts.

The word “behold”, always means to stop and take notice. Notice who it is who are to dwell together. It is brethren. All believers in Christ are the sons of God. We are brothers of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the natural, and only begotten Son of God. We are His adopted brothers. Even women are spoken of as brothers, just as all men and women are spoken of as the bride of Christ. With God there is no male or female. We are children of God in our spirit body, not in our body of flesh. In the flesh, there is a separation of men and women, for the purpose of procreating life. In the Spirit, there is no marrying and taking in marriage. Look at the difference in the flesh body and the spirit body (in 1 Corinthians). Why cannot all believers in Christ not get along on this earth? It has to do with the frailty of the flesh. Earthly sisters and brothers do not get along very well. The flesh gets in the way.

Psalms 133:2 "[It is] like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, [even] Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;"

“Ointment upon”: Most likely refers to the anointing of Aaron as High-Priest of the nation (compare Exodus 29:7; Exodus 30:30), which would picture a rich spiritual blessing as a first priority.

Priests were anointed with “oil” when they took office as a sign of God’s blessing on them (Exodus 30:22-33). God lavishes His blessing when there is unity among His children.

This oil, is the oil of the Holy Spirit. It was poured in abundance on the High Priest in the temple. The fact that it covered his entire body, showed a total dedication to the Lord. This very same oil was used to dedicate the priests, as well. Remember, the priest symbolizes all believers in Christ. It is the Spirit of God that draws us closer together in the unity of Christ.

Ephesians 4:13 "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:"

Psalms 133:3 "As the dew of Hermon, [and as the dew] that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, [even] life for evermore."

“The dew of Hermon”: Mt. Hermon, a 9200-foot peak at the extreme northern portion of Palestine, provided the major water supply for the Jordan River by its melting snow. This reference could be to the Jordan water supply or figuratively to the actual prevalent dew of Hermon being hypothetically transported to Zion. Either way, this pictures a refreshing material blessing as a second, lesser priority.

“There”: Seems to refer to Zion.

“Life for evermore” (compare Psalms 21:4-6).

People do not have anything at all to do with the dew falling. God sends it wherever He will. The dew that falls from God is symbolic of the Spirit. Notice, the word mountains is plural in the verse above. Mountains are symbolic of nations. Zion symbolizes the church. We see, in this, the fact that God will pour His Spirit out unto the Christians (who are the church), in all nations. There is no greater blessing to be bestowed upon man than the blessing of everlasting life. The believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are blessed with this greatest of all blessings. Look, with me, at the pouring out of God’s Spirit.

Joel 2:28-29 "And it shall come to pass afterward, [that] I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:" "And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit."

PSALM 133

EXPOSITION

This beautiful psalm was manifestly prompted by a spectacle actually beheld. It points with the finger to some memorable scene, which lingers in the poet’s mental vision. Probably nothing so perfectly answerable to the enthusiasm of this little snatch of song, has ever been suggested, as the Reunion of the Tribes on the occasion of Hezekiah’s great passover. It is true the Northern Tribes were not so extensively represented at the feast as was desired; but those who came were welcome; and it is given to a seer to behold the ideal in the actual.

The stay in the sacred city was not long, but it was an abiding while it lasted: it brought brethren face to face who had never before seen each other; and, sweeping away prejudices and misunderstandings, cementing holy friendships by sacred service and song and by the giving and receiving of domestic courtesies, made the participants realise how truly they were brethren.

The comparisons employed to celebrate such reunion, converge to a single point, without losing their native attributes of many-sided suggestiveness. The precious perfumed oil, poured on Aaron’s head, and not merely sprinkled on his garments as in the case of his sons, would naturally retain its symbolic fitness to suggest a gracious, delightfully fragrant, unseen influence; and in like manner the dew of Hermon would not lose its inherent adaptedness to convey the subsidiary ideas of copiousness and invigoration because of a further main point to be emphasised. Nevertheless, while these clustering conceptions around the figures employed need not be stripped off them, the single point to which both figures are directed should be firmly grasped. That point is the expansive and diffusive descent of the influence—of the invigoration—which is unmistakably urged home by the threefold use of the words flowing down or descending. The sacred oil flows down from the head to the beard, from the beard to the robe, and so by implication embraces and consecrates the whole man. The dew of the lofty summits of Mount Hermon flows down or descends (at times) not merely down upon that mountain’s own spurs, but further and further down, until it reaches and rests upon the lowly Mount Zion in the south: which last point has been distinctly made credible by the observations of travelers in Switzerland and in Palestine. So, the poet would have us observe, the realisation of brotherly fellowship by those who are brethren, is an expanding and descending force, however gentle and unobserved; which reaches down far below the point of original bestowment of the grace. By the help of these simple analogies the mind of the reader climbs to higher things: to the rich influences descending from public worship into family life and into civic communities. The Christian will be forgiven if he is reminded of the ever descending grace which flows down from his Head in heaven: if a poetic Christian, he may indulge in a smile at the psalmist’s adroitness in fetching one of his similes from the far North beyond where the Northern tribes dwelt, to their quite legitimate gratification; and, if at the same time he is a breezy Christian, possessing some breadth and flexibility of apprehension,—he will be unable to restrain himself from a feeling of additional pleasure that the spell of the psalmist’s genius, having first appropriated a sacred symbol, then goes farther afield and presses a secular symbol into his service; reflecting that, even the dew of Hermon may benefit Zion, even as Christ is head over all things to his Church. Yet, when all comes to all, lowly Zion will be loftier in his eyes than Lebanon; for, there, in Zion, hath Jehovah commanded the blessing even life for evermore.

An exhortation to praise

A Song of degrees.

Psalms 134:1-3

Psalms 134 : Though the first song of degrees found the psalmist in the dire straits of alien territory, this last one finds God’s servants serving Him day and night in His house. The psalm is apparently antiphonal: the people call on the priests to bless the Lord (Psalms 134:1-2); the priests respond by pronouncing a blessing on the people (Psalms 134:3).

Psalms 134:1-3 (see note on Psalms 120:1-7). This final song in the “songs of ascent” seems to picture the worshipers exhorting the priests to continued faithfulness (Psalms 134:1-2), while the priests bestow a final blessing on the faithful as the feast ends and the pilgrims depart Zion for home (Psalms 134:3).

I. Exhortation to Faithfulness (Psalms 134:1-2);

II. Solicitation of Blessing (Psalms 134:3).

Psalms 134:1-2 : The final Song of Ascent pictures the pilgrim arriving at the temple. “Stand in the house of the Lord” is a technical expression that signifies some type of official service in the sanctuary. The lifting up of “hands” is properly expressive of prayer, but the phrase may be used to denote praise or worship in general.

Psalms 134:1 "Behold, bless ye the LORD, all [ye] servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD."

“Servants”: Levites who ministered to God’s people.

“By night”: The burnt offerings continued day and night (compare Leviticus 6:8-13), as did the Levitical service (compare 1 Chronicles 9:33).

“House of the LORD”: Refers to the tabernacle up to the time of David (Exodus 23:19; 2 Samuel 12:20), and to the temple from Solomon on (1 Kings 9:10).

The eyes cannot behold the glorious things of the Lord. Stop, look and take notice. What blessings belong to the LORD who created all? These servants of the LORD are believers of all ages with faithful Abraham. It is even more directed to the Christians. Notice, standing indicates a steadfastness. We are not sitting in laziness, but standing.

Psalms 134:2 "Lift up your hands [in] the sanctuary, and bless the LORD."

“Lift up your hands”: A common Old Testament praise practice (compare Psalms 28:2; Psalms 63:4; Psalms 119:48; Psalms 14:1-2; Lamentations 2:19), which was understood figuratively in the New Testament (1 Timothy 2:8)

When you lift up your hands to the Lord, you are recognizing Him as the object of your worship. It shows our humbleness of heart to the Deity who is above all. When you do this, open your hands with palms upward for the LORD to fill your hands. The angels in heaven cry Holy, Holy, Holy. The saints in the church here can do no less. He is my God, and I will praise Him. God inhabits the praises of His people.

Psalms 134:3 "The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion."

“The LORD”: The Creator blesses His human creation.

“Bless thee out of Zion”: Since God’s presence resided in the tabernacle/temple on Zion, from a human perspective it would be the source of divine blessing.

This is like a benediction being poured out on the people from the church (Zion). The true source of the blessing is from God. The minister in charge is acting as God’s agent here on the earth, as they speak this blessing on all people.

PSALM 134

EXPOSITION

The purpose and structure of this psalm are simple and evident. There is in the Temple a Night-service, which becomes the occasion of a charge from the people to the Levites who represent them, and of a benediction from the Levites on the people before they depart to their homes. There is a probable reference to such a service in 1 Chronicles 9:33; and the priestly response is after the manner of Numbers 6:24. The stair-like movement characteristic of the previous “Step-Songs” is perceptible in this psalm also, as witness the five-fold repetition of the name Jehovah, which, reverently uttered, would impart to this final song a suitable solemnity. That the standing in the house of Jehovah points to the ministrations of the officials of the Temple, is sufficiently evident from the following passages; namely, Deuteronomy 10:8; Deuteronomy 18:7, 1 Chronicles 23:30 and 2 Chronicles 29:11.

Concerning the lifting up of hands in worship, Psalms 28:2; Psalms 44:20; Psalms 63:4; Psalms 88:9; Psalms 119:48; Psalms 141:2, may be profitably compared; while, as to the accompanying words “in holiness” or “to the sanctuary,” the preference of Delitzsch, with R.V. text, for the “accusative of direction”=unto the sanctuary, is perhaps not quite so plainly correct as the “accusative of definition” =in holiness, with R.V. margin; although the reason given by Aglen for the latter is scarcely conclusive. He says: “Since the servants of Jehovah are here addressed as standing in the sanctuary, this direction seems unreasonable.” The unreasonableness disappears if we remember that the ministrants might be already standing within the Temple courts, and yet direct their uplifted hands toward the holy shrine. Still, in holiness appears the more obvious rendering; which becomes doubly acceptable when viewed as supplying the idea of “holy hands” in 1 Timothy 2:8. It remains only to add: that the simple structure of this psalm by no means pre-supposes the elaborate ritual of perambulating the Temple courts during the night, which the Talmud connects with the Second Temple. There is nothing here which the reforming King Hezekiah might not have arranged or restored.

The greatness of the Lord and the vanity of idols

Psalms 135:1-21

Psalms 135 : A classic example of the hymn of praise, this psalm contains the three key elements: a call to praise (Psalms 135:1-3), a cause for praise (Psalms 135:4-18), and a conclusion (Psalms 135:19-21). The reasons cited in the cause for praise are instructive in the elements of Israel’s theology: because the Lord of Israel is the only true God (Psalms 135:5-7), because He is the Savior of Israel (Psalms 135:8-14), and because He is greater than worthless idols (Psalms 135:15-18).

Psalms 135:1-21 : Palms 135 and 136 conclude the “Great Hallel”. The composer and occasion of Psalms 135 are unknown but likely post-exilic Psalms 135:15-20 is strikingly similar to Psalms 115:4-11.

I. Call to Praise (Psalms 135:1-2).

II. Causes for Praise (Psalms 135:3-18).

A. God’s Character (Psalms 135:3);

B. God’s Choice of Jacob (Psalms 135:4);

C. God’s Sovereignty in Creation (Psalms 135:5-7);

D. God’s Deliverance of Israel (Psalms 135:8-12);

E. God’s Unique Nature (Psalms 135:13-18);

III. Concluding Praise (Psalms 135:19-21).

Psalms 135:1-2 : “Servants … stand … in the courts”: Addressed to the priests and Levites (compare 134:1).

Psalms 135:1 "Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise [him], O ye servants of the LORD."

Or hallelujah. Which may be considered as the title of the psalm. As in the Targum, Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Ethiopic, and Arabic versions.

"Praise ye the name of the Lord": That is, the Lord himself, and the perfections of his nature. His greatness, goodness, grace, and mercy and his holiness, justice, power, truth, and faithfulness. And also his word, by which he makes known himself, and is a distinguishing blessing to his people, and to be praised for it (see Psalms 48:1).

"Praise him, O ye servants of the Lord": Priests and Levites, and ministers of the word, and all the people of God. Who once were the servants of sin, Satan, and the world, but now by the grace of God become his servants (see Romans 6:17). Some observe that the word praise is here used three times. Which is thought not to be without a mystery; and may have regard to the three divine Persons in the Godhead, who are each to be praised. The Father for electing grace, the Son for redeeming grace, and the Spirit for regenerating and sanctifying grace.

The first praise is telling us what to do, praise. The second praise is telling us who to praise, the Lord. The third praise is saying who is to do the praising, servants of the Lord. The fact that praise is mentioned three times means, praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The universal word for praise is Hallelujah.

Psalms 135:2 "Ye that stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God,"

That have a place and standing there, and go not out, being sons as well as servants (see notes on Psalms 134:1 and on Psalms 84:4).

"In the courts of the house of our God": Alluding to the courts in the temple, the court of the priests, where they stood and ministered, slaying and offering their sacrifices. And the great court, where all the Israelites stood and worshipped (2 Chronicles 4:9). So this may describe the worshippers of God in common, who should praise him: and happy are they that have a place here (see Psalms 84:1).

You that are established (stand), in the Lord. It seems not to matter whether you are the minister, or those in the outer court, the congregation.

Psalms 135:3 "Praise the LORD; for the LORD [is] good: sing praises unto his name; for [it is] pleasant."

Essentially and communicatively; he is good, and he does good, in a providential way, to all men. And in a way of special grace to his own people; for whom he has laid up and to whom he has promised good things. And on whom he bestows them; as pardon, righteousness, and eternal life. Both grace and glory; and therefore they should praise him.

“For the LORD is good”: A consistent theme in the psalms (compare Psalms 16:2; Psalms 25:8; Psalms 34:8; Psalms 73:1; Psalms 86:5; Psalms 100:5; Psalms 106:1; Psalms 107:1; Psalms 118:1; Psalms 136:1; Psalms 145:9).

"Sing praises unto his name, for it is pleasant": Either the work of singing praise is pleasant, being the employment of angels and glorified saints; the subject matter of it delightful. The blessings of grace flowing from the everlasting love of God it leads unto, which is excellent and better than life. And it must be pleasant work to a saint, because it is pleasing to God. And especially when the presence of God is enjoyed in it, and melody is made in the heart as well as with the mouth. Or the sense is, "his name is pleasant"; so Aben Ezra and Kimchi interpret it. For though it is holy and reverend in itself, and fearful and terrible to sinners; yet as it is proclaimed in Christ. It is exceeding delightful, and in whom all the perfections of God are glorified. Particularly the name of God, as a covenant God and Father in Christ, blessing, with all spiritual blessings in him, is exceeding pleasant. As are all the names of Christ, and therefore to be praised.

When you run out of words to praise Him with, just burst out into song and praise Him with that. Let me be a sweet, sweet, sound in His ear.

Psalms 135:4 For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, [and] Israel for his peculiar treasure.

“The LORD hath chosen”: Refers to God’s unique selection of the offering of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to enjoy God’s covenant blessing (compare Deuteronomy 7:6-8; Deuteronomy 14:2; Psalms 105:6; Isaiah 41:8-9; Isaiah 43:20; Isaiah 44:1; Isaiah 49:7).

“His peculiar treasure” (compare Deuteronomy 26:18-19; see note on Psalms 148:14).

Jacob in the verse above, is speaking of him and his 12 sons, and their physical descendants. Why God chose Jacob, no one knows. It is wonderful to be the chosen of God. To be chosen of God carries great obligation with it as well. The physical house would have so much to praise God for. He separated them out of all the peoples of the world to show himself through. His law was given to them. He made special covenant with them and protected them. Jacob’s family, God’s chosen, will later be called the harlot wife in Hosea. Israel being separated in the verse above, makes me think that this is speaking of the spiritual house of Israel (Christians). These are not spiritual Israel who were descended from Jacob, but they who do the will of God.

Psalms 135:5 "For I know that the LORD [is] great, and [that] our Lord [is] above all gods."

“The LORD is great”: A common superlative to distinguish the true God of Israel from the false gods of the other nations (compare Deuteronomy 7:21; Psalms 48:1; Psalms 77:13; Psalms 86:10; Psalms 95:3; Psalms 104:1; Psalms 145:3; Psalms 147:5).

This was proved over and over. Elijah proved to the people and the prophets of Baal on mount Carmel that our God is God. God showed Himself over and over, in the 10 plagues of Egypt, when He defamed the gods of Egypt. The very reason Lucifer was thrown out of heaven, was because he thought he was as good as God.

Psalms 135:6 "Whatsoever the LORD pleased, [that] did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places."

God is an absolute sovereign. He has formed a plan, and has carried it out. He has made the world as he chose, and he has ordered all its arrangements according to his own pleasure. As a universal sovereign, he has a right to universal adoration (see the notes at Psalms 115:3).

"In heaven, and in earth": These are put for the universe. These are the universe. In these places, in all worlds, on the land and in the ocean, even in the profound depths of the sea, there is nothing which has not been placed there by his will. And which he has not arranged according to his eternal plan.

"In the seas, and all deep places": In the visible seas, and in the invisible depths, both of the earth and of the waters. Here then, the psalmist evinces the pre-eminence of Jehovah above the gods of the nations. By this consideration, that he at the beginning “created and formed those powers of nature whose operations in the heavens, the earth, and the waters.

The only thing necessary for Him to do was speak, and the elements of all nature obeyed Him.

Philippians 2:10 "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth;"

Colossians 1:16-17 "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:" "And he is before all things, and by him all things consist."

Psalms 135:7 "He causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries."

“Vapors to ascend”: Refers to the water cycle of earthly evaporation and condensation in the clouds.

Every element in the universe is under His control. He made it all for a purpose. There is no need going into all of the creation act here. We dealt fully with it in our Genesis study. It is enough for me to know that He did it all. It rains when He tells it to rain, and it stops when He tells it to stop. He is supreme Ruler of the universe.

Psalms 135:8-12 : In reference to God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land.

Psalms 135:8 "Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast."

“Smote”: The final plague in Egypt (compare Exodus chapter 11).

Which was the last of the plagues inflicted on the Egyptians. And is particularly mentioned, because, by means of it, they were made willing to let the children of Israel go out of their land. And so, this includes the deliverance of the Israelites, God’s firstborn, when he slew the firstborn of Egypt. And who were typical of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. And the deliverance of them, through the blood of the Passover, was an emblem of the deliverance of those by the blood of Christ (see Exodus 12:22).

This was one of the great examples of separation of those who belong to God, and those who are of the world. The night that death visited Egypt and killed all the firstborn of the Egyptians, the Hebrews, who had the blood of the lamb on their door, were all spared.

Psalms 135:9 "[Who] sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants."

“Tokens and wonders” (compare Deuteronomy 26:8; Deuteronomy 29:3; Deuteronomy 34:11). Or, "signs and wonders". Meaning the other extraordinary plagues sent among the Egyptians, before that of slaying their firstborn. And which have some likeness to the vials of God’s wrath, which will be poured out on the city called spiritually Sodom and Egypt (Revelation 11:8).

"Upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants": His courtiers: some of them are particularly observed to affect him and his court. As the plagues of the frogs, and slaying the firstborn. And he and his princes must be more or less affected with them all, as well as the common people. Who were an emblem either of Satan and his principalities, as Jerom interprets it; or rather of antichrist and his followers. To whom the tokens of God’s wrath and displeasure will be sent in a wonderful way and manner.

These tokens and wonders were things like the Red Sea parting, and the 10 plagues on Egypt.

Psalms 135:10 "Who smote great nations, and slew mighty kings;"

Or "many nations". The seven nations of the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. The kings of which were mighty and many, even thirty one in number (Joshua 12:1). This the Lord did by Joshua, a type of Christ; who has overcome the world by his sufferings and death, and delivered his people from it. Who went forth conquering and to conquer, into the Roman Pagan empire, called the whole world, and subdued it by his Spirit and word. And will show his power in all the kingdoms of this world, either by converting or destroying them; and at last will judge all the nations and kings of the earth. Aben Ezra interprets this of the kings of Midian, or of those next mentioned, which is best.

The nations where God sent the Hebrews were overcome very easily. The nations around them were afraid of Israel’s God. The nations knew that God fought for the Hebrews.

Psalms 135:11 "Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan:"

“Sihon” (compare Numbers 21:21; Numbers 21:32), which recounts Israel’s defeat of Sihon, king of the Amorites.

“Og” (compare Numbers 21:33-35), which recounts Israel’s defeat of Og, king of Bashan.

“Kingdoms of Canaan” (Joshua chapters 6 to 12 recounts Joshua’s conquest of the Land).

God gave these kingdoms the opportunity to repent of their evil. When they did not, God brought the Israelites in to overthrow them, and gave their land to the Israelites. Canaan was the land that God had long ago promised Abraham and His descendants as their Promised Land.

Psalms 135:12 "And gave their land [for] a heritage, a heritage unto Israel his people."

“Gave their land … unto Israel”: As promised to Abraham (compare Genesis 15:18-21).

This land of Canaan was to be the Promised Land. It became the land of the tribes of Israel. It was to be theirs forever as their heritage.

Psalms 135:13-18 : The living God of Israel (verses 13-14), stands decidedly superior to the imaginary gods of the nations (verses 15-18).

Psalms 135:13 "Thy name, O LORD, [endureth] for ever; [and] thy memorial, O LORD, throughout all generations."

The Lord himself endures for ever, in his nature, being, and perfections. And the fame of him, the fame of those acts of power and goodness before mentioned. The name of Christ endures for ever. His person and offices, his Gospel, which is his name. His children and people, who are called by his name, and in whom his name is perpetuated. The fame of his wondrous works in nature, providence, and grace; and especially of his great work of redemption and salvation.

"And thy memorial, O Lord, throughout all generations": Or "the remembrance of them to, generation and generation"; to every age. The love of Christ is remembered by his people in every age, the blessings of his grace in redemption, justification, pardon, etc. And cannot be forgotten as long as his Gospel is preached. The ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s supper administered, and he has a people in the world, all which will be as long as the sun and moon endure, there will be a memorial of him.

There is no question about the eternity of the Lord. He is Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Everlasting One. The world may pass away, but He will never pass away. He is life.

Psalms 135:14 "For the LORD will judge his people, and he will repent himself concerning his servants."

Rule and govern, protect and defend them. Plead their cause, and avenge them of their enemies. Judge between them, distinguish them by his care and providence and make them visible, so that others shall see the difference between them. Especially at the last day, when he will judge them, and, as the righteous Judge, give them the crown of righteousness. Or "though the Lord judges his people"; chastises them in a fatherly way, that they may not be condemned with the world (and, or "yet").

"He will repent himself concerning his servants": Of the evil of affliction he has brought upon them. He will change the course of his providential dealings with them, according to his unchangeable will; and turn their adversity into prosperity, and their mourning into joy. Some render it, "he will be entreated for his servants"; he will hear prayer on their account, and save them out of their afflictions. Or, as others, "he will comfort himself concerning his servants"; take pleasure in them and their prosperity, comfort them, and take delight in so doing. The Targum of the whole is, "for the Lord will judge the judgment of his people by his word, and to his righteous servants will return in his mercies.’’

The Lord, Jehovah, is no less than the One we call Jesus here. Jesus is the Righteous Judge of all the earth.

2 Timothy 4:8 "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."

The repenting of concerning His servants, just means that they will be counted pardoned. This is speaking of those who have put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalms 135:15-18 : These verses are similar to Psalms 115:4-8 and present a satire against pagan idol worship. Postexilic Israel had seen enough of idolatry to hate it.

Psalms 135:15 "The idols of the heathen [are] silver and gold, the work of men’s hands."

This, with what follows, is observed, to show that when God judges his people, and takes vengeance on their enemies, the idols they serve will not be able to protect them, and deliver them out of his hands. And also to prove what is before asserted, that our Jehovah is great above all gods (Psalms 135:5). The matter of which they are made is at best gold and silver, which are the dust and metals of the earth, or what the prophet calls thick clay (Habakkuk 2:6). And are the creatures of Jehovah, and at his dispose, who says, the silver and the gold are mine (Haggai 2:8). And who is infinitely above them in value and worth. Even the knowledge of him, and the words of his mouth, doctrines, and precepts, are better than gold and silver (Proverbs 3:14).

"The work of men’s hands": Which they form out of gold and silver into such shapes and figures, and therefore can never have deity in them. And a most stupid thing it is to imagine that the Godhead is like to gold and silver, graven by art and man’s device (Acts 17:29; see notes on Psalms 115:4).

Heathens are those who have not accepted the Lord as their Savior. Idols means nothings. They are worshipping things made with hands, that they can see with their physical eyes. Christianity is not believing in things we can see, but is faith in the One we know in our heart exists. Things made with man’s hands are the creation. We must worship the Creator and not His creations.

Psalms 135:16 "They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;"

Return no answer to the request and petition of their devoted followers (see notes on Psalms 115:5).

"Eyes have they, but they see not": They had, indeed, mouths, eyes, ears, but they could neither speak, see, hear, nor breathe.

Psalms 135:17 "They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there [any] breath in their mouths."

(See notes on Psalms 115:6).

"Neither is there any breath in their mouths": They are lifeless statues, they have not so much as what the brute creatures have, breath. Our Jehovah, as the living God, is rightly opposed to them, who gives life, and breath, and all things, unto man. And yet what amazing stupidity is it, that any of them should worship such as gods, who have not what they themselves have.

They are exactly what the word idols means. They are nothings. They have no powers at all.

Psalms 135:18 "They that make them are like unto them: [so is] every one that trusteth in them."

“Make them … like unto them”: Both are worthless and will know nothing of eternal life.

This is just saying, that anyone foolish enough to make them, and especially those who are foolish enough to worship them are exactly what these idols are: nothings. They have no future.

Psalms 135:19-20 : The categories:

(1) Israel;

(2) Aaron;

(3) Levi; and

(4) You who fear the Lord, refer to the nation as a whole (Israel), the priesthood (Aaron and Levi), and the true believers (who fear the Lord).

Psalms 135:19 "Bless the LORD, O house of Israel: bless the LORD, O house of Aaron:"

This passage also, is evidently an imitation of the passage in (Psalms 115:9-13). The form (in Psalms 115) however, is rather an exhortation to trust in the Lord, and an assurance that God would bless the classes spoken of, than a call on them to bless the Lord. Still the same classes of persons are referred to; the house of Israel; the house of Aaron; and those who feared the Lord. The passage needs no further illustration than what is found in the notes at (Psalms 115:9-13). It is an earnest call on all classes of the people to bless and praise the Lord. It is language expressive of overflowing joy. The utterance of a heart full of exalted conceptions of the majesty, the glory, and the mercy of God. Of a heart which feels to the utmost the fitness of praise, and desires that all classes of people, priests and people, that all created things should unite in the praise of Yahweh. Who, in reading the psalm, can fail to catch the feelings of the psalmist, and to say Amen and amen!

The house of Israel has plenty room to bless the LORD, whether they be the descendants of Jacob (physical Israel), or whether they be the spiritual house of Israel (Christians). The house of Aaron is the house privileged to draw the closest to the LORD in the temple. All who are the called of God, such as ministers, should have even more reason to praise the Lord. Those who know the most about God should bless Him the most. To whom much is given, much is required. Of course, we really cannot bless God except by loving Him and doing His will in our life.

Psalms 135:20 "Bless the LORD, O house of Levi: ye that fear the LORD, bless the LORD."

These were of the same tribe with the house of Aaron, but inferior ministers. They ministered to the priests, and had the charge of things in the tabernacle and temple. Many of them were porters in the latter, and others were singers. And of these Kimchi interprets the words. Whose work it was to give thanks morning and evening, and so are with great propriety called upon to bless the Lord (Numbers 3:6). And may mystically design inferior officers in the church, who are helps and assistants to ministers in the government and discipline of it, and have the care of its secular affairs. And who, when they behave well, purchase to themselves a good degree, and boldness in the faith. And even doorkeepers in the house of the Lord have reason to bless his name for a place there. And all the saints are the sweet singers of Israel and have the new song of electing, redeeming, and calling grace, put into their mouths, and therefore should bless the Lord.

"Ye that fear the Lord, bless the Lord": These are distinct from the Israelites, priests, and Levites, and design the proselytes among them of other nations that truly feared God, as Jarchi notes. And all such persons, whoever and wherever they are, have reason to bless the Lord for the fear of him they have, which is not from nature, but from grace. And for the layouts shown them, the blessings bestowed upon them, the good things laid up for them, and the guard that is about them, which the Scriptures abundantly declare, and experience confirms.

Psalms 135:21 "Blessed be the LORD out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD."

This, according to Aben Ezra, was the formula of blessing to be used by the houses of Israel, Aaron, and Levi, and all that feared God. Or a direction to them in what manner they should bless him. And may both point out the persons that were to bless. And the place where; those that were inhabitants of Zion, where praise waited for the Lord, and was his due. And the blessings and benefits he was to be praised for, such as came out of Zion, strength from the Lord there. The rod of his strength, the word of the Gospel, and the Savior himself.

"Which dwelleth at Jerusalem": In the temple there. And which distinguishes him from the idols of the Heathens before mentioned. And who dwells in the heavenly Jerusalem, in Gospel churches. And will dwell in the New Jerusalem, where his tabernacle will be with men (Revelation 21:3).

"Praise ye the Lord": Or "hallelujah". And so the psalm ends as it begun, being from first to last an exhortation to praise.

The tribe of Levi are chosen from all the tribes to minister unto the Lord in His temple. This tribe was set aside by God for holy service. Therefore, they should lead the way in blessing the LORD. Church (Zion), bless the Lord. Even the temple located in Jerusalem should bless the LORD. Let everything that has breath, praise the LORD.

PSALM 135

EXPOSITION

With this psalm, we return to the series distinctively named “Hallels”; and may, from that circumstance, judge with considerable probability as to the bearings of the contents we may find in them. They are pre-eminently Temple psalms, almost certainly composed and not merely adapted for that purpose; and were probably written or collected and edited by King Hezekiah for the re-opening of the Cleansed Temple. How well—let us ask—do they answer to such an origin and design? Do they contain any features from which fitness for such an intention can fairly be inferred? Leaving these questions to receive incidental answers, let us look at the psalm now before us.

It is obviously fitted for its purpose. It is, as to contents, manifestly a public psalm, appealing to the whole people. It celebrates their favoured position (Psalms 135:4); extols their covenant God, both as the God of all Creation (Psalms 135:5-7), and as Author of their national Redemption, in bringing them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land (Psalms 135:8-12); it brings up from Mosaic times (Exodus 3:14-15), in its rich significance, the “Memorial” Name of their covenant God, which it sets forth in its promissory significance (Psalms 135:13-14); it pours reproach upon the idols of the nations, in a manner fitted to impress on Israelites the preciousness of their knowledge of the one Living and True God (Psalms 135:15-18); and then, having previously at the outset, charged the Levites to lead in such delightful worship, it closes by solemnly calling upon the whole people, even including Gentile proselytes, to sustain the house of Aaron and the house of Levi in Jehovah’s praise (Psalms 135:19-21). It is, therefore, emphatically a national song. Indeed, it has not a private or personal allusion in it—with one exception. That exception, however, is very observable. It consists of the sudden introduction, at Psalms 135:5, of a personal note, on which probably no one lower than a King would have adventured. Who is this that presumes to say—I know that great is Jehovah? Any godly monarch in Israel, it is true, might thus have made prominent his own individuality. A Jehoshaphat, for example, on the one hand, or a Josiah, on the other, might have thus authenticated Jehovah’s praise; or, of course, a Hezekiah—no smaller man nor less godly. Indeed, even for Hezekiah, one could almost wish for circumstantial evidence, dating this psalm late enough to clothe the speaker with such a strong assurance as would naturally spring from a’ recent recovery from sickness or a recent rescue from a foreign invader; and it is only when we recall our late conclusions respecting Hezekiah’s youth, and the strong presumption thence arising that he experimentally knew Jehovah’s power,—that we became reconciled to his thus magnificently saying “I know.” But recalling this, we do feel content to leave it as the greater probability that the good King did, for the occasion named, compose this psalm: the more so, for that we have no knowledge of the poetic and musical accomplishments of either Jehoshaphat or Josiah.

Praise for the Lord’s past and present blessings

Psalms 136:1-26

Psalms 136 : This psalm is a hymn of praise like the preceding: a call to praise (Psalms 136:1-3), a cause for praise (Psalms 136:4-25), and a conclusion (Psalms 136:26). However, this psalm is absolutely unique because its refrain is repeated at the end of each verse: “for his mercy endureth for ever”. The psalm was no doubt sung antiphonally with the people responding with the refrain. The word mercy is important in the Psalter. It refers to God’s loyal love for His people: He is in covenant with them, and He loves to be loyal to that covenant.

Psalms 136:1-26 : This psalm, extremely similar to Psalms 135, closes the Great Hallel. Unique to all the psalms, Psalms 136 uses the antiphonal refrain “For His loving-kindness is everlasting” after each stanza, perhaps spoken by the people in responsive worship. The author and occasion remain unknown.

I. Call to Praise (Psalms 136:1-3).

II. Causes for Praise (Psalms 136:4-22);

A. God’s Creation (Psalms 136:4-9);

B. God’s Deliverance (Psalms 136:10-15);

C. God’s Care and Gift (Psalms 136:16-22);

III. Concluding Praise (Psalms 136:23-26).

Psalms 136:1-26 : This psalm has a unique construction, repeating at the close of each verse: “for His mercy endureth forever”. This refrain may have been used in public worship, in a response by a choir or by the congregation. All that God does, whether it seems to be a display of power or justice, severity or wrath, is actually a display of His “mercy”. His loyal love provides a foundation for praise.

Psalms 136:1 "O give thanks unto the LORD; for [he is] good: for his mercy [endureth] for ever."

In himself, and to all his creatures; and especially to his chosen people. Who therefore should give thanks to him daily in the name of Christ. For all blessings temporal and spiritual, in faith and fervency, and in the sincerity of their souls, with their whole heart. “He is good” (see note on Psalms 135:3).

"For his mercy endureth for ever": It is the same with his love, which is from everlasting to everlasting. And continues notwithstanding the sins of his people. The hidings of his face from them, and his chastisements of them. The covenant which is founded on mercy, and all the blessings of it, which are the sure mercies of David, last forever. And hence the vessels of mercy shall certainly be saved, and not lost (see Psalms 106:1).

The psalmist is not just praising the LORD himself, but encourages others to praise Him as well. There is only one good, and that is God. He is not just good; He is goodness in its entirety. His mercy is like He is, it is everlasting.

Psalms 136:2 "O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy [endureth] for ever."

Not only of the gods of the Gentiles, who are by name and not by nature gods. Or of civil magistrates, who are so called, and seem to be designed in the next verse. But the angels, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi. Christ, our Immanuel, is the God of them, the object of their worship and adoration, being their Creator and Preserver (Psalms 97:7). So the Heathens say of the Maker of all things, him you may properly call the God of gods, the Supreme and Best.

"For his mercy endureth for ever": In the preservation of those excellent creatures from apostasy, when many of their species fell. And in the continuance and confirmation of them in the state in which they were created. And in making use of them as ministering spirits to the heirs of salvation. And as a guard about them while they live, and at death to convey their souls to heaven.

He is the Creator of all these things that people have for little gods in this earth. We have already gone into the fact that He has proved, over and over, His superiority to all gods.

Psalms 136:3 "O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy [endureth] for ever."

Which is not only the title of the God of Israel, as the former (Deuteronomy 10:17); but of the Messiah (Revelation 19:16). Who is the Prince of the kings of the earth. Under whom they are, by whom they reign, and to whom they are accountable, being higher than they. As nature, so by office (Revelation 1:5; Psalms 89:27).

"For his mercy endureth for ever": In putting it into the hearts of kings and princes, which he has in his hands, to show favor to his people. Even to be their nursing fathers. And in curbing the power, restraining the wrath, of oppressors; and protecting his people from their rage and violence.

The One we have known as our Savior will return to the earth, and He will be Lord of lords. The little letter lords will be those who will rule with Him as his subordinates.

Psalms 136:4 "To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy [endureth] for ever."

As in the works of creation at first, having no help from angels or men. So in the works of providence, many of which are unsearchable, and past finding out, and in which he has no assistance from creatures. And in the works of grace, redemption, and salvation, which his own arm has wrought out; as well as what he did when here on earth in our nature. The miracles then wrought by his omnipotent arm alone. And even all the wonders which Moses and Elijah did under the Old Testament, and the apostles of Christ under the New, were done. Not by their power, but by his alone. Who will do still greater wonders, when he shall create all tidings new, raise the dead, and summon all nations before him, and render to everyone according to his works.

"For his mercy endureth for ever": Towards his people, for whose sake all these wonders are wrought.

We know that the miracles that Jesus did were so many, that there would not be enough books in all the world to contain them, if they were all written down.

Psalms 136:5 "To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy [endureth] for ever."

In such a curious manner, in such a proper and delightful situation, with such effects, and for such uses (Proverbs 3:19).

"For his mercy endureth for ever": Which appears in the continued influences of the heaven; the dew, rain, and snow, that descend from it on the earth to water and make it fruitful. And to produce those rich and valuable blessings called the "precious things of heaven" (Deuteronomy 33:13). And which are of the utmost importance for the service of man and beast. And, besides, God has of his infinite mercy, which continues, provided an inheritance in the heavens, a house eternal in the heavens, mansions of bliss and glory there. Which Christ is now preparing for his saints, that they may dwell with him in them for evermore.

This we have spoken of so many times. The powers in the world that are really powers, are the spoken and the written Word. The spoken Word brought the heavens into existence.

Psalms 136:6 "To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy [endureth] for ever."

Or, "besides the waters", close by them, and yet secures the earth from being covered with them (see Psalms 24:2).

"For his mercy endureth for ever": It was in mercy he caused the waters to go off the earth which first covered it. That trees, plants, and herbs, might spring up out of it, and that it might be a fit habitation for man. And though for the sins of the old world these waters were let in upon it. Which drowned it, and destroyed man and beast upon it, except a few that were in mercy preserved. Yet the Lord has promised and swore to it, that these waters shall no more go over the earth to destroy it. He has set a bound for the sea that it cannot pass, by a decree of his. Even the sand on the shore, which, as weak as it may seem to be, is a bound unpassable. Though they may toss and rage and roar, they shall not prevail, nor pass over it, which is a perpetual miracle of mercy (Jeremiah 5:22).

In Genesis it says, God said and it was. (In John chapter 1), it says that the Word made it all. In fact, it says that without Him, was not anything made that was made.

Psalms 136:7 "To him that made great lights: for his mercy [endureth] for ever:"

For the inhabitants of the world to walk and work by, to do all the business of life in a comfortable manner. And which is an instance of mercy and goodness (see Genesis 1:14).

"For his mercy endureth for ever": These lights continuing for the benefit of mankind.

A more understanding way to say this would be the great containers for the Light. The sun and the moon are two fixtures that we see light in, but they are not creative Light. Jesus is that Light. Jesus is the source of all Light. His Light gives all things the power to exist.

Psalms 136:8 "The sun to rule by day: for his mercy [endureth] for ever:"

Which is the greater light (Genesis 1:16).

"For his mercy endureth for ever": This great light, so beneficial to the earth and the inhabitants of it, which was made nearly six thousand years ago, still continues, and will to the end of time. Enlightening the world, warming the air and earth, imparting its light and heat to all creatures on it. And influencing the earth to bring forth a variety of things for the use and delight of mankind, called "the precious things brought forth by the sun" (Deuteronomy 33:14). An emblem of a more beneficial light, in which the rich grace and mercy of God appear, and for which we have reason to give thanks. Even the sun of righteousness, the Messiah, the light of the world, the author of the light of nature, grace, and glory. And who will continue as long as the sun, and when that shall be no more (Malachi 4:2).

Now we see the purpose in the sun. It is to rule over the day. The word endureth means continues to endure.

Psalms 136:9 "The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy [endureth] for ever."

The lesser lights, and which indeed receive all their light Front the sun (Genesis 1:16).

"For his mercy endureth for ever": In continuing these lights, so useful to men, as well as in making of them. The moon and stars have their benign influences upon the earth, to produce things out of it useful to men (see Deuteronomy 33:14). And are of singular service to benighted travelers, and to those that go down to the sea in ships (see Acts 27:20). The moon is an emblem of the church, that receives her light from Christ, the sun, and which will continue for ever. And, stars are emblems of Gospel ministers, who are the means of enlightening dark souls. And of refreshing disconsolate saints. And are a continued mercy to an ignorant world, as well as to the church. And will be continued as long as it stands (see Song of Solomon 6:10; Matthew 5:14).

The moon, being a lesser light, is to rule over the darkness. All of these things were made to benefit man. We can easily see why we can say His mercy endureth forever.

Psalms 136:10-15 : The deliverance from Egypt is described (in Exodus 12-14).

Psalms 136:10 "To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy [endureth] for ever:"

In a tender part, in the dear part of themselves. In their sons and heirs, and who were to inherit their lands and estates, and perpetuate their names. This was an act of justice for using ill the Lord’s firstborn, the people of Israel, slaying their sons, and refusing to let them go (Exodus 1:13). And yet there was mercy in it, for which thanks were to be given to God.

"For his mercy endureth for ever": The Israelites, in a very merciful manner, were distinguished by the blood sprinkled on their door posts, when the destroying angel passed through the land of Egypt to destroy their firstborn. And when they were destroyed, it was owing to the kind providence of God that the Egyptians did not rise as one man to cut off the Israelites in vengeance. And yet not a dog was suffered to move his tongue against them when the dismal cry was made. Yea, this was the means of their deliverance, which could not be obtained by all the other plagues. But now they not only bid them go, but were urgent upon them to be gone (Exodus 11:5).

This too was an act of love for His chosen. He did this to make the Pharaoh let His people go. His mercy was great in this, in the fact that the firstborn of the Hebrews was saved by the blood of the lamb over their door.

Psalms 136:11 "And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy [endureth] for ever:"

A wicked and idolatrous people, among whom they suffered great hardships. And this was done by means of God’s judgments on them, and especially that before related. And was an instance of the mercy of God, as follows, for which thanks should be given.

"For his mercy endureth for ever": And this is a proof of it, bringing the children of Israel out of Egypt, the house of bondage. When they cried unto him by reason of it, and he sent them a Savior to deliver them out of their distress (Exodus 2:23). An emblem of the grace and mercy of God, in delivering his people from a worse fate than Egyptian bondage. From the bondage of sin, Satan, the law, and through fear of death, into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Psalms 136:12 "With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy [endureth] for ever."

Exerting his power in a very open manner, and continuing it till he had effected the work. Bringing his people out of Egypt, which is always ascribed to his great strength and mighty power (Exodus 13:3). The redemption of the mystical Israel of God is by a mighty Redeemer, the Lord of hosts. Who has redeemed them out of the hands of their enemies, that were stronger than they, and too strong for them. The conversion of them is by the power of the grace of God, even by the exceeding greatness of his power, and yet both acts of grace and mercy.

"For his mercy endureth for ever": It was mercy put the Lord on stretching out his arm, and showing the strength of his right hand, in delivering Israel out of Egypt. And in his love and in his pity he redeemed them (Isaiah 63:9). It is owing to the tender mercies of our God, and is a performing the mercy promised to the fathers, that Christ, the dayspring from on high, was sent to visit and redeem us (Luke 1:68). And the regeneration, quickening, and conversion of sinners, are acts of mercy as well as of power (Ephesians 2:4).

It was the mighty hand of God that brought them out. He had mercy on them and delivered them from Egypt (the world).

Psalms 136:13 "To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy [endureth] for ever:"

Into two parts, so that the waters of it stood as a wall on the right and left hand of the Israelites, as they passed through. This was done by means of a strong east wind (Exodus 14:21). The dividing it into parts was a wonderful work, and a rich display of mercy to Israel.

"For his mercy endureth for ever": The children of Israel were encompassed about, and in the utmost distress. The rocks were on each side, Pharaoh and his host behind them, the Red sea before them; and so no visible way of escape. But the Lord cut a way for them through the sea, and saved them. The sea is an emblem of this world, which is like a tempestuous troubled sea. Where everything is restless, fluctuating, and passing away. Where the people of God are tossed with tempests. And where afflictions, like the waves and billows of the sea, come over them one after another. And through which they must pass and enter the kingdom. And God, that wills, orders, and appoints them, sets these proud waves of the sea their bounds, or makes them a calm. And, sooner or later, makes a way through them and out of them, which is owing to his enduring mercy (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Psalms 136:14 "And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy [endureth] for ever:"

Willingly, without reluctance; with great spirit and courage. Fearless of danger, and with the utmost safety, so that not one was lost in the passage (see Psalms 78:53). And thus the Lord makes his people willing to pass through afflictions, he being with them. And able to bear them, he putting underneath the everlasting arms, even when in the valley of the shadow of death. And carries safely through them, so that they are not hurt by them. The waters do not overflow them, nor the fire kindle upon them. Nor are any suffered to be lost, but all come safe to land.

"For his mercy endureth for ever": To which, and to his never failing compassion, it is owing that they are not consumed (Lamentations 3:22).

He saw the terrible situation the Israelites with their backs to the sea, and the Pharaoh facing them. He had mercy on them and opened the Red Sea for them to cross on dry land. He even held the Pharaoh back with His flame, until the Israelites had everyone crossed the Red Sea.

Psalms 136:15 "But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy [endureth] for ever."

In the same sea which was parted for the Israelites, and through which they passed safely as on dry land. Into which Pharaoh and his army entering in pursuit of them in their chariots, the Lord "shook" him and them out of them, as the word signifies. And causing the waters to return and cover them; they were drowned in them (Exodus 14:28). This was an emblem of the destruction of Satan, and of his principalities and powers. By Christ, who thereby has saved his spiritual Israel out of their hands. And of the casting of the sins of God’s people into the depths of the sea, never to be seen more, or to appear any more against them to their condemnation. And of the everlasting ruin and perdition of ungodly men.

"For his mercy endureth for ever": It was in mercy to Israel that Pharaoh and his host were destroyed, who threatened them with ruin. And therefore, they sung of judgment and of mercy, and gave thanks to God for this instance of his vengeance on their enemies, and of goodness to them (Exodus 15:1).

When the nearly 3 million Israelites had finished crossing over, the Lord removed the fire, and Pharaoh’s chariots and soldiers followed into the sea. When they were all in the sea, the Lord released the walls of water and drowned all of Pharaoh’s army. Why? Because His mercy toward Israel endures forever.

Psalms 136:16 "To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy [endureth] for ever."

Where there was no path. This the Lord did by going before them in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night. To show them the way in which they should go (Exodus 13:21; see Psalms 78:14).

"For his mercy endureth for ever": Among the manifold mercies of God, shown to Israel in the wilderness, this is one taken notice of by Nehemiah (Nehemiah 9:19). That the pillar of cloud and fire, to direct them, never departed from them while in it. And this act of "leading" them not only includes the guidance of them in the way, but the provision made for them. Of water out of the rock, and of manna that fell about their tents every day. And of flesh and feathered fowl, like dust, so that they wanted nothing. And also the protection of them from their enemies. All which were proofs of his constant care over them, and continual mercy to them (see Psalms 78:15).

He led them with a fire by night and a cloud by day. He has such tender mercy for them that even their shoes did not wear out in 40 years. He fed them with bread from heaven, because of His great mercy toward them.

Psalms 136:17 "To him which smote great kings: for his mercy [endureth] for ever:"

Either the thirty one kings in the land of Canaan; or those who are after particularly mentioned. Which seems best, since the kings of Canaan were petty kings, when these were greater ones.

"For his mercy endureth for ever": The smiting of those kings were in mercy to Israel. Both to preserve them from falling into their hands, and that they might possess their countries, as is later declared.

Psalms 136:18 "And slew famous kings: for his mercy [endureth] for ever:"

Famous for their power and strength, their courage and valor who were not only smitten and discomfited, but slain in battle.

"For his mercy endureth for ever": Towards his own people, for whose sake these kings were slain.

The Lord fought for Israel. It did not make any difference that the king was great in the land. God removed them from the way of the Israelites, because His mercy toward Israel endures forever.

Psalms 136:19 "Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy [endureth] for ever:"

A strong and warlike people, and their king a great and mighty one (see Psalms 135:11).

"For his mercy endureth for ever": Since this king would not suffer Israel to go through his borders, but came out and fought against them. And had not the Lord smote him, they must have fallen a prey into his hands (Numbers 21:23).

Psalms 136:19-20 (see Numbers chapter 21 for the account of the capture of “Shihon” and “Og”).

Psalms 136:20 "And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy [endureth] for ever:"

A country large and fruitful, and the king of it of a gigantic stature (see Psalms 135:11).

"For his mercy endureth for ever": For this mighty king came out against Israel, and threatened their destruction, and it was of the Lord’s mercies they were not consumed by him. And it may be observed, whenever tyrannical princes and oppressors are cut off, it is in mercy to the inhabitants of the earth, and especially to the people of God.

This is not just kings in general, but specific powerful rulers who God destroyed for passage for His chosen, Israel.

Psalms 136:21 "And gave their land for a heritage: for his mercy [endureth] for ever:"

This was taken away from them and their subjects by the Lord. Who has the disposing of kingdoms, and given to another people, for an inheritance.

"For his mercy endureth for ever": While his justice is exercised on some, in a strict manner, with severity and rigor, his mercy is shown to others.

This may seem cruel to many, but God gave them time to repent, and they did not. This was the land God had promised to their ancestor, Abraham, as a heritage. God’s Word is good.

Psalms 136:22 "[Even] a heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy [endureth] for ever."

The land of those that served idols, the Lord took and gave to Israel for an inheritance. Who served him, the true God. Thus the Lord rewards his servants in a way of grace and mercy, though not as of debt. For it follows.

"For his mercy endureth for ever": Aben Ezra and Kimchi make the mercy to lie in this peculiarly, that the lands of these kings were not in the covenant with Abraham. Only the seven nations or kingdoms of Canaan, which are not here mentioned (as in Psalms 135:11). But the Amorites were given in the covenant (Genesis 15:21). And the one as the other were given as an inheritance to Israel. And equally owing to the mercy of God (see Psalms 135:11). And thus, the heavenly glory, of which Canaan was a type, is an inheritance owing to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ (Judges 1:21).

Israel was God’s chosen people and this land had been their heritage since Abraham. God does not have to explain to us why He does these things, but He does explain that His mercy toward Israel endures forever.

Psalms 136:23 "Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy [endureth] for ever:"

When we were few in number. When we were a feeble people. When we were a people unable to contend with such mighty foes.

"For his mercy endureth for ever": By all that he did for us when thus feeble. By all his power put forth to defend us from our enemies, he has showed his mercy and kindness to us and to the world.

Psalms 136:24 "And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy [endureth] for ever."

Temporal enemies, tyrants, and oppressors. And spiritual ones: sin, Satan, the world, the law, death, and hell.

"For his mercy endureth for ever": As is clearly seen in redemption by Jesus Christ, where mercy and truth have met together. And which is a distinguishing mercy to the sons of men, not granted to angels.

The psalmist puts a little personal note in here by saying, our low estate. Surely Israel was about as low as they could have gotten. They were really slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and God brought them out to inherit this land.

Psalms 136:25 "Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy [endureth] for ever."

To all creatures. The beasts of the field, and fowls of the air, the young ravens that cry (Psalms 145:15). To all men their daily food. To Jews and Gentiles, good men and bad men (Matthew 6:11). And spiritual food to all that belong to Christ, who are flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone. Even himself, the bread of life, the wholesome truths of the Gospel, and its refreshing ordinances.

"For his mercy endureth for ever": He continues to have compassion on his creatures, and opens his hand of providence, and supplies their wants. He is ever mindful of his covenant of grace and mercy, and therefore gives meat to them that fear him (Psalms 111:5).

Not only were the physical house of Israel fed with the bread from heaven, but the spiritual house of Israel can daily feed upon His Word (Bread). Even our physical food comes from the miracle of God providing food for everyone from the earth.

Psalms 136:26 "O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy [endureth] for ever."

the Maker of it, in which the glory of his wisdom and power is displayed. The possessor of it, where he dwells, has his throne, and keeps his court. From whence all blessings, temporal and spiritual, come and where he has prepared glory and happiness for his people hereafter. A house eternal in the heavens, an inheritance reserved there, a better and a more enduring substance.

"For his mercy endureth for ever": For though the above character is expressive of his sovereignty and dominion, yet he exercises it in a way of grace and mercy to the sons of men. And therefore, they have reason to give thanks unto him and praise him for his kindness and favors shown to them on earth.

The God of heaven is the true God, who has mercy toward all His children that endures forever. The very least we can do, is thank Him with everything within us.

PSALM 136

EXPOSITION

Though, in general purpose and in leading characteristics, this psalm is much like the preceding one, it nevertheless has several features of its own. It is a Hallel like the foregoing: that is, it is expressly adapted to Temple worship; and, like that, broadly bases Jehovah’s claims to worship on creation and (national) redemption. It is, however, special, in that it formally introduces, as ground for adoration, the three leading Divine names—Jehovah, Elohim (“God”) and Adonai (“Sovereign Lord”); deals with the passage through the Red Sea by three distinct movements (divided—caused to pass—shook off); and, after falling back on the previous psalm by way of abbreviated quotation as to taking possession of Canaan, lastly brings forward three reminiscences, which throw a welcome sidelight on the time at which the psalm was probably composed. These three reminiscences are concerned with: (1) a low estate, (2) a rescue from adversaries, and (3) a supply of bread: just these—no others—no more: a cluster of coincidences, finding a striking verification in the times of King Hezekiah. (1) The low estate of the nation during the presence of the Assyrians in the land is manifest (cp. 2 Kings 17:19-23; 2 Kings 19:3, 2 Chronicles 29:8-9); and is a phrase more exactly fitted for that application than for the Exile in Babylon, which surely was something more than a “low estate.” (2) The forcible rescue from the Assyrians was unique; and the word is more suited to allude to that event than to permissions to captives to return to their land of their own free will. (3) As we have already been reminded by Psalms 126, there was a near approach to famine when the Assyrians were gone; and though the statement as to the provision of bread is here couched in general terms, yet a recent event might well have suggested such a grateful acknowledgement just here. Even Delitzsch, though clinging to a post-exilic origin to the psalm, sees here a reference “to a time in which they suffered from famine as well as slavery.” “Invasion” and “famine” wholly meet the case, and then there is the “forcible rescue”: respecting which Aglen’s note is suggestive: “Redeemed.—Better, as in original, snatched us from. (Compare Psalms 7:2, used of a lion suddenly seizing his prey.)” So suddenly did Jehovah seize Sennacherib.

The mourning of the exiles in Babylon

Psalms 137:1-9

Psalms 137 : Continuing one of the more graphic imprecatory prayers, this psalm was written during the Babylonian captivity, or perhaps shortly afterward. It contains a cry in captivity (Psalms 137:1-4), a vow of remembrance (Psalms 137:5-6), and a prayer for judgment (Psalms 137:7-9). On the subject of imprecations (see the note on Psalms 109). The vividness of the final verse is justified if one remembers a simple fact: baby Babylonians grow up to be big Babylonians. The hope that their babies will die is the prayer that no new Babylonian generation will arise seeking worldwide dominion through cruel oppression.

Psalms 137:1-9 : A psalm, explicitly about the Babylonian captivity of Judah. Its author and date are unknown.

I. Lamentations (Psalms 137:1-4);

II. Conditions (Psalms 137:5-6);

III. Imprecations (Psalms 137:7-9).

Psalms 137:1-9 : This psalm of grief recalls the lonely and desolate lives of the Israelites while in captivity in “Babylon”. The people longed for their native land and longed for God to remember the wrongs done to Jerusalem when it was destroyed. The Israelites even “hanged” their harps, their instruments of praise, because their sorrow was so deep.

Psalms 137:1 "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion."

“The rivers of Babylon”: The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

“We wept”: They even wept when the exile was over and the second temple was being built (compare Ezra 3:12), so deep was their sorrow.

“Zion”: The dwelling place of God on earth (Psalms 9:11; Psalms 76:2), which was destroyed by the Babylonians (2 Chronicles 36:19; Psalms 74:6-8; Psalms 79:1; Isaiah 64:10-11; Jeremiah 52:12-16; Lamentations 2:4; Lamentations 2:6-9; Micah 3:12).

This Psalm tells of the captivity of the children of Israel in Babylon. When they stopped and thought back of their homeland, the main thing that came to their remembrance was their place of worship. This weeping was for remembering Zion. One of the saddest things a person can feel, is their separation from their place of worship. We know that in many countries of the world there has been a time when Christians could not come to their place of worship. What a sad remembrance. I look back over the things that have changed our churches, and I weep as these did who sat by the river in Babylon. The world today, has turned to a Babylon. The church is really being pushed out of the main stream.

Psalms 137:2 "We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof."

“Hanged our harps”: In captivity, there was no use for an instrument of joy (compare Isaiah 24:8).

These were harps that they had played joyfully in their temple. They might as well be hanging in a tree for what good they could do for them.

Psalms 137:3 "For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us [required of us] mirth, [saying], Sing us [one] of the songs of Zion."

“Carried us away captive”: The Babylonians taunted the Jews to sing of their once beautiful, but now destroyed, Zion.

“The songs of Zion” (compare Psalms 46, 48, 76, 84, 87, 122).

What an even more hurtful thing to do. The songs would not be joyful in captivity. To be forced to be cheerful does not work. The singing of the songs that had brought such joy in the temple, would now bring sad memories.

Psalms 137:4 "How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?"

“How shall we sing”: A rhetorical question whose answer is, “We can’t!”

“The LORD’s song”: A unique way to refer to divine inspiration of the psalms.

The song they were trying to get them to sing was a song that had been part of the worship service of the temple. It might even be thought of being disrespectful to God to sing this song in a heathen land.

Psalms 137:5-6 : Their refusal to sing was not caused by either of 2 unthinkable situations:

(1) They forgot Jerusalem;

(2) They did not have Jerusalem as their chief joy.

The worst of punishments should be imposed if any one or a combination of these factors were to become true.

Psalms 137:5 "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget [her cunning]."

The meaning here is, that to sing in such circumstances would seem to imply that they had forgotten Jerusalem. That they were unmindful of its sorrows, and cared not that it was desolate. The remembrance of its calamities pressed hard upon them, and they could not do anything which would seem to imply that they had become unmindful of the sufferings that had come upon their nation. One will not make merry when a wife or child lies dying, or on the day of the funeral, or over the grave of a mother. A joyous and brilliant party, accompanied with music, feasting, and dancing, when a friend has been just laid in the grave. When the calamities of war are abroad. When the pestilence is raging in a city, we feel to be untimely, unseemly, and incongruous. So these captives said it would be if they should make merry while their temple was in ruins. While their city was desolate. While their people were captives in a foreign land.

"Let my right hand forget her cunning": Let my right hand forget its skill in music, all its skill. If I should now play on the harp, as indicative of joy, let the hand which would be employed in sweeping over its strings become paralyzed and powerless. Let the punishment come where it would seem to be deserved, on the hand which could play at such a time. So, Cranmer held the hand which had been employed in signing a recantation of his faith in the fire, until it was burned off, and dropped in the flames.

The Jewish people have always thought of Jerusalem as their homeland. Their loyalty, even if they are citizens in another land, has always been to Jerusalem, their holy city. The psalmist, here is just saying that it is more likely that he would forget how to use his right hand than it is that he would forget Jerusalem. All Jewish people have a soft place in their heart for Jerusalem. This would be magnified here, because they were captives.

Psalms 137:6 "If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy."

In prayer, in discourse, in conversation. This is the same as before, to forget, repeated for the confirmation of it.

"Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth": As is the case of a person in a fever, or in a violent thirst, which is to be in great distress (Psalms 18:6). The sense is, let me have no use of my tongue. Let me be dumb and speechless, and never sing a song or speak a word more, should I be so forgetful of the deplorable state of Jerusalem as to sing songs at such a season, and in an enemy’s country.

"If I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy": Meaning not God his exceeding joy (Psalms 43:4). As his Creator, preserver, and benefactor, and much less as his covenant God and Father. As having loved him with an everlasting love. As the God of all grace unto him, and as his portion and exceeding great reward. Nor Christ, the object of joy unspeakable and full of glory; joy in the greatness, glory, and fullness of his person. In the blessings and promises of his grace; in what he has done and suffered. As risen, ascended, exalted, and who will come a second time. Nor the joy of the Holy Ghost in a way of believing, and in hope of the glory of God. But all worldly joy, or matter of it. And this not in things sinful, nor merely such as a worldly person has in the increase of their substance. But a lawful joy, such as in the health, happiness, and prosperity of a man’s family, wife, and children, and his own. Which is the greatest outward joy a man can have. And yet the church of God and interest of Christ are preferred by a good man to these (see 1 Samuel 4:19). Which appears when all a man has that his matter of joy is sacrificed for the public good and interest of religion. When he can take no comfort in any outward enjoyment because of the sad case of Zion (Malachi 2:3). When joy for its good is uppermost, and is first in his thoughts and words. When this is the "head" or "beginning" of his joy, as it may be rendered. So Pindar calls the chief, principal, and greatest part of joy, The beginning of joy, the top and perfection of it.

This is about the same thing as the verse above, except instead of forgetting how to use his right hand, he is saying here, he would be unable to talk. Jerusalem is the very center of his heart’s desire.

A few years ago, we were forced by things beyond our control to leave a church that had meant so very much to us. It was like these Jewish people spoken of here. There just seemed to be no joy in anything we did. To lose one’s special place of worship is pretty close to the feelings you have in the death of a loved one.

Psalms 137:7 "Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase [it], rase [it, even] to the foundation thereof."

“The children of Edom”: Edomites had been allied with the Babylonians in the fall and destruction of Jerusalem (compare Isaiah 21:11-12; Jeremiah 49:7-12; Lamentations 4:21; Ezekiel 25:12-14; Ezekiel 35:1-15; Obadiah chapters 11 to 14). The psalmist only prayed for that which the Lord had always promised.

“The day of Jerusalem”: The day Jerusalem was destroyed (see notes on Psalms 137:1.

Edom had been opposed to Israel ever since the days of Jacob and Esau. It seems that when Jerusalem was overthrown, that the Edomites wanted it to be totally destroyed. Even though they were relatives, they hated each other. Those same people are still having trouble today, over Israel.

Psalms 137:8-9 : “Happy … shall he be”: For these will be God’s human instruments used to carry out His prophesied will for the destruction of Babylon.

Psalms 137:8 "O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy [shall he be], that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us."

By the determinate counsel and decree of God, and according to divine predictions (see Jeremiah 50:1). So mystical Babylon, antichrist, and the man of sin, who therefore is called the son of perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Because appointed to destruction, and shall certainly go into it (Revelation 17:8). Or "O thou destroyer", as the Targum, which paraphrases it thus, "Gabriel, the prince of Zion, said to the Babylonish nation that spoileth or destroyeth.’’ Which is true of literal Babylon, called the destroying mountain (Jeremiah 51:25). And of mystical Babylon, the destroyer both of the bodies and souls of men (Revelation 11:18).

“Destroyed” (compare Isaiah 13:1; Isaiah 14:23 ff; Jer. chapters 50 and 51; Habakkuk 1:11; Habakkuk 2:6-17).

"Happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us": Meaning Darius the Mede, as Kimchi; or rather, or however who must be added, Cyrus the Persian, as R. Obadiah. Who were ordered by the Lord to retaliate her, and do as she had done to others (Jeremiah 50:15). And in so doing pronounced happy, being the Lord’s shepherd, raised up in righteousness to perform his pleasure (Isaiah 44:28). And here wished success by the godly Jews. In like manner the Christian princes will reward mystical Babylon, and be the happy instruments of her ruin (Revelation 18:6).

This was a prophetic Scripture about the destruction of Babylon. Many times, cities are spoken of as a daughter, or as a woman. In Revelation, Babylon the great is spoken of in this manner. It is as if the psalmist is saying, you deserve what you get, because of what you have done to us.

Psalms 137:9 "Happy [shall he be], that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones."

That takes the infants from their mothers’ breasts, or out of their arms, and dashes out their brains against a "rock", as the word signifies. Which, though it may seem a piece of cruelty, was but a just retaliation. The Babylonians having done the same to the Jewish children, and is foretold elsewhere should be done to theirs (Isaiah 13:16). Nor is this desired from a spirit of revenge, but for the glory of divine justice, and that such a generation of cruel creatures might be rooted out of the earth (see Revelation 2:2). Some allegorically understand this of crushing and mortifying the first motions of sin in the heart; but such a sense seems to have no place here.

This very thing had taken place in the overthrow of Jerusalem. He is wishing for the same horrors that they committed against Jerusalem to come to them. This sounds very cruel, but these children of Israel have always believed in an eye for an eye.

PSALM 137

EXPOSITION

Is this the voice of a returned captive, or of one still in Babylon? If the former, as appears the natural conclusion from the references to a past time and a distant place—there we sat down,—then the further question arises, whether this sounds like the voice of an aged man who has dwelt nearly a lifetime in captivity, and who is therefore old and feeble, whose hand and tongue now falter from playing and singing the songs of Zion as once they did; or of one who has been permitted to return with vigour and delight to the crowning joys of home and the still higher joy of Levite work in Jerusalem? To this question also it will be easy to give the obvious answer, once we realise the strength of the position taken up by Thirtle, when he reminds us of the devastation of many cities of Judah by the Assyrians in the days of King Hezekiah before Jerusalem was approached; of the fact that the kings of Assyria were also kings of Babylon; and of the likelihood that dwellers in the cities of Judah would actually be deported to Babylon, long before the great Exile in the days of Nebuchadnezzar. For certainly it is the obvious answer—to say, that the poet who writes this vigorous psalm has manifestly been a captive only long enough to realise the bitterness of exile and to return to the joys of home and the exhilaration of renewed Levitical functions in Jerusalem. Everything, down to the minutest shade of language and feeling, agrees with such an outlook.

Before verifying this, we may quote from Delitzsch his beautiful picture of the mourners by Babel’s streams. “The psalm is evidently a song not written during the time of the Exile, but in recollection of it. The banks of rivers, like the shores of the sea, are a favorite haunt of such as deep grief drives away from the tumult of men into solitude: the boundary line of the river gives to solitude a secure background; the monotonous splashing of the waves nourishes the dull, melancholy alternation of thoughts and feelings; and at the same time the sight of the cool, fresh water exercises a soothing influence upon the consuming fever in the heart. The rivers of Babylon are the Tigris and Euphrates along with the tributary streams that feed them and the canals that connect them . . . As soon as they sat down in the loneliness of the river’s banks they immediately began to weep, inasmuch as, at the sight of the so totally different nature around them, the remembrance of Zion only forced itself upon them all the more strongly, and their sorrow at being cut off from their native land indulged itself all the more freely, where no hostilely observant eyes repressed it.”

How easily grafts itself into this picture the persuasion that these captives were Levites; and so, as practised singers, wedded to their lyres, had them with them in the land of their banishment; and were prone to use them, if only by stealth; sometimes in snatches of Temple-songs of joy, when secure in their homes, or otherwise, and indeed oft, for improvising dirges suited to their sorrow. They were skilled musicians, with melodious tongues and skilful right-hands, wherewith to lift the song and sweep the strings. Their furtive exercises in their favourite work had revealed their musical accomplishments to their heathen neighbours; who, following them to their lonely water-side haunts, begged of them to let them hear some of those ravishing strains of sacred joy which- they had occasionally overheard. The request was pointed: not wailings by the water-side, was the kind of song requested; but genuine songs of Zion, which the harpists well knew meant the sacred songs of Jehovah’s joyful praise.

This was a form of request with which compliance was not possible: the only answer was, with respectful but mournful gesture, to hang up their lyres on the neighbouring trees, as emphasising decisively the impossibility of granting that pointed request. The connecting For which opens the third verse of the psalm sufficiently indicates that such decisive action was the only reply then given; and, indeed, it is not easy to see how the words of the fourth verse could have been then spoken without needlessly provoking captor-spoilers; far less would prudent captives there and then indulge in the patriotic outbursts of Psalms 137:5-6; which, indeed, could not but have seemed to the ears of foreign masters to breathe defiance. How unspeakably more natural to postpone the apostrophe to Jerusalem to a point of time after the accomplished return; and, with that transfer, to regard the preceding question also as spoken to the sympathetic ears of brethren at home, causing it to mean: “The feeling, that compliance would have been profanation, as you brethren can at once appreciate, is why no other answer to our captors was possible but to hang up our lyres on the neighbouring poplars.”

It serves as an independent confirmation of this exegesis to rescue from dislocation the two connected occurrences of the word gladness as found in both Psalms 137:3 and Psalms 137:6. It is an exegetical sin against continuity of thought to render the original word first as mirth and then as joy. It was not mere secular “mirth” that was requested in Psalms 137:3; but, as the parallelism shows, the sacred gladness audible in the songs of Zion, which were at the same time the songs of Jehovah. Every sensitive mind instinctively feels that, second only to the joy of regained Temple worship, would be, to the psalmist, the crowning joy of his recovered home; and that it is something worth saying to aver that the supreme joy of sacred service towered above even domestic blessedness.

This song has been described as “blended of tears and fire.” We are easily touched by the “tears”; but the “fire” finds us less sympathetic. Nevertheless a strong appeal is made to our respectful considerateness, both by the prayer against Edom, and by the apostrophe to Babylon. Edom, the near neighbour and blood relation of Israel, brought on herself the bitter resentment of the prophets, as their piled-up reproaches attest (Amos 1:11, Obadiah 1:10 ff, Joel 3:19, Jeremiah 49:7 ff, Lamentations 4:21 f, Ezekiel 25:2 ff; Ezekiel 35:12 ff, Isaiah 34, Isaiah 63:1 f), and Babylon had already begun those cruelties in Israel and Judah (Jeremiah 50-51, Habakkuk 1:5-11 and others), which were yet to serve further as Jehovah’s chastising rod on his faithless people. “The barbarous customs of Oriental warfare spared neither women nor children in a war of extermination. Cp. Isaiah 13:16, Hosea 10:14; Hosea 13:16, Nahum 3:10, 2 Kings 8:12, Horn. II. 22:63. The stern law of retaliation demanded that Babylon should be treated as she had treated Jerusalem”—Kp. We cannot wonder that the demand of “blood for blood” had not then been hushed, when we consider how often even now, in cases of excited racial hatred, it still makes itself heard. The people of Jehovah had not then been led up to those difficult heights from which alone can come the prayer, “Father! forgive them; they know not what they do!” But Israel’s Messiah has already led the way.

“I will praise thee with my whole heart”

A Psalm of David

Psalms 138:1-8

Psalms 138 : This psalm of thanksgiving begins with individual praise (Psalms 138:1-3), but looks forward to universal praise (Psalms 138:4-6). The praise offered to God does not change the contemporary troubles, but the psalmist does expect deliverance from them (Psalms 138:7-8).

Psalms 138:1-8 : The next 8 psalms were written by David (Psalms 138-145), and are his last in the Psalter. The occasion is unknown, although it’s possible that David wrote them in response to the Davidic Covenant (compare 2 Samuel 7:12-14; 2 Samuel 7:16).

I. Individual Praise (Psalms 138:1-3);

II. International Praise (Psalms 138:4-5);

III. Invincible Praise (Psalms 138:6-8).

Psalms 138:1 "I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee."

“The gods”: This can refer to either pagan royalty (compare Psalms 82:1), and/or to the idols they worship.

Here is David’s proclamation that he will testify of the Lord among all audiences (“Before the gods will I sign praise unto thee”), even those who reject God. Christians can be unashamed in their praise, because they exalt the only true and Living God.

We see that the psalmist here is saying, I may be in an alien land, but I am not ashamed to praise my God. The gods that he was going to sing praises before are the false gods of this evil land. His heart was so full of His God, that he would have praised the LORD, even if they had killed him for it.

Psalms 138:2 "I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name."

“Holy temple”: Refers to the tabernacle since Solomon’s temple has not yet been built.

“Thy word … thy name”: Most likely this means that God’s latest revelation (“Your word”), exceeded all previous revelation about God. This would be in concert with David’s prayer (2 Samuel 7:18-29), after he received the Davidic promise (2 Samuel 7:12-14; 2 Samuel 7:16).

In the midst of trouble, David thanks God for His truth and His mercy rooted in His steadfast love for His people (“loving-kindness”; see note on 6:4). God’s “name” encompasses everything about God: all His attributes, all His power, all His grace. Yet, as great as God is, His Word is lifted above all else as proof that it can be trusted.

One of my friends wrote a song that said look to the temple and pray. Not that the prayer would be heard any better that way, but it reminded the psalmist of the times he had gone to the temple to pray. It helped the psalmist in remembering. It also helped him remember the blessings that the LORD had brought. God’s lovingkindness was a pleasure to remember. It helped him remember that this captivity would pass away, if he kept the faith. In the Word of God, there is the promise of deliverance. The psalmist knows that God has elevated His Word even above His name. He will deliver him, because His Word says so.

Psalms 138:3 "In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, [and] strengthenedst me [with] strength in my soul."

When in distress through Saul’s persecution, he cried to the Lord, and he immediately answered him, and delivered him out of his troubles. And such immediate answers of prayer are to be remembered with thankfulness (see Psalms 18:6).

"And strengthenedst me with strength in my soul": Put him good heart and spirit, when before ready to faint. Strengthened his heart and grace in it, particularly faith, and drew it forth into lively act and exercise so that he sunk not under the weight of affliction and trouble. But was filled with courage to withstand his enemies, and with strength to do the will and work of God. This is to be understood of inward spiritual strength (see Ephesians 3:16).

Many times the answer to a prayer comes in our heart long before the answer becomes a reality. God answered this prayer immediately. The manifestation will come later.

Psalms 138:4 "All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth."

Or "let them confess", or "praise thee"; a wish or prayer. Not only the kings known to David, as Kimchi limits it; or that lived in his days, as Hiram and others. But in the latter day, when they shall come to Zion, the church, and be nursing fathers to it. And shall serve and worship the King Messiah (Isaiah 49:23).

"When they hear the words of thy mouth": Either the promises of it fulfilled not only with respect to David; but the Messiah. And his church and people, in the latter day, even the glorious things spoken thereof. Or the doctrines of the Gospel, which are the words of his mouth, and more desirable than thousands of gold and silver. And which, when kings shall hear so as to understand, they will praise the Lord for them (see Isaiah 52:15). The Targum is, "the words of thy praise.’’

“All the kings” (In contrast to Psalms 2:1-3, compare Psalms 68:32; Psalms 72:11-12; Psalms 96:1; Psalms 96:3; Psalms 96:7-8; Psalms 97:1; Psalms 98:4; Psalms 100:1; Psalms 102:15; Psalms 148:11).

Kings are elevated in this earth, but the way for them to come to the Lord is the same as for anyone else. Many times it is harder for people who are thought of as something special on the earth, to humble themselves and come to God. It is very easy to get self-centered, if your peers have elevated you to stardom. There is a time when every eye shall see Him, and all will bow their knee to Him.

Romans 14:11 "For it is written, [As] I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God."

Psalms 138:5 "Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great [is] the glory of the LORD."

Which are all mercy and truth. Ways of pleasantness, and paths of peace. So the eunuch went on his way, and in the ways of the Lord rejoicing (Acts 8:39). Or, "they shall sing of the ways of the Lord"; of the excellency, pleasure, and usefulness of them.

"For great is the glory of the Lord": Shown in the works of creation. More especially in the person of Christ, and in the glorious work of redemption and salvation by him. And of which there will be a great display throughout the earth in the latter day, by means of the Gospel. The great spread of it, and the multitude of persons converted by it. Which will make the ways of the Lord still more pleasant (see Isaiah 6:3).

This has to be speaking prophetically of the time when the Lord Jesus will preach, and they all hear and believe. This has to be a supernatural understanding such a sin in the next verse.

Ephesians 1:17 "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:"

Psalms 138:6-7 : David see himself as “the lowly” and his enemies as “the proud”.

Psalms 138:6 "Though the LORD [be] high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off."

“The proud” distance themselves from God, believing they do not need Him. By necessity, God deals with them for “afar”; it is their choice. The “lowly” recognize their need. In times of humility; the Lord draws near.

We have discussed how difficult it is for the proud to humble themselves long enough to come unto the Lord. The humble, on the other hand, think of themselves in a different light. They seek the Savior, because they know that they have need to be saved. The proud are too proud to admit they need a Savior.

Psalms 138:7 "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me."

Trouble attends the best of men. Both outward and inward trouble, from sin, Satan, and the world. Yea, they are in the midst of it, surrounded with it. And it is a way in which they walk through this world, and enter the kingdom of heaven. It is continued unto them; it is a long walk, and yet will have an end (see Psalms 23:4).

"Thou wilt revive me": Preserve his life amidst all his troubles. Support him under them, make him cheerful and fearless. Revive his work of grace in him, quicken him to the lively exercise of grace, and fervent discharge of duty. This the Lord does by his gracious presence, by the discoveries of his love, and by the application of precious promises.

"Thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies": To stop and restrain it. Which he can easily do, when most violent and outrageous (Psalms 76:10). Or, "against the nose of mine enemies". Strike them on the nose, as men do unruly horses to stop them. Or give a slap on their face with the left hand, as Arama observes, the right being mentioned next.

"And thy right hand shall save me": For that has saving strength in it (Psalms 20:6). This may be understood of Christ, who is not only the man of his right hand, but is the right hand of his righteousness. By whom he saves his people with a spiritual and eternal salvation, as well as with a temporal one (Isaiah 41:10).

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. The time we know for sure He is with us (if we are a believer), is when we are in terrible trouble. The Right Hand of God is Jesus. He saved us from sin and death on the cross. He will still save us from harm.

Psalms 138:8 "The LORD will perfect [that which] concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, [endureth] for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands."

“Perfect”: Refers to God’s work in David’s life, specially the Davidic Covenant (compare 2 Samuel 7:12-14; 2 Samuel 7:16). To “Perfect” means God is using an experience “to mature or strengthen or complete” His servant. Pressures help to eliminate the unimportant things that separate believers from fellowship with God. In the midst of their troubles, God remakes and renews them.

When we are first saved, we are babes in Christ. As we walk with the Lord each day, the Holy Spirit teaches us the things we must know. The Lord continues working on us and perfecting us, until the day we go home to be with Him. The works of His own hands are all of His creation, which includes us.

PSALM 138

EXPOSITION

The sudden reappearance of psalms ascribed To David, together with a survey of the literary field in which they present themselves, suggests the obvious conclusion, that an early psalter was concluded with the Hallel Psalms 105-107; Psalms 111-118; Psalms 135-136; Psalms , 146-150; and that, subsequently, other psalms were inserted among them. Of these subsequently inserted psalms, there are two groups assigned to “David”; namely, 108–110 and 138–145. Why they thus appear in two groups, rather than in one, is uncertain; but may easily have arisen from the order in which they were found, or the sources from which they were taken. The more urgent question is, how they came to be so belated in finding their way at all into the collected Praises of Israel.

Let us assume that we cannot now get to know this: is our ignorance material? There are many possible reasons why such a thing as so late a discovery of certain psalms might easily have happened. These two groups of Davidic psalms might have already appeared in other connections, and been regarded as sufficiently well preserved already; or they may have been stored at some spot or treasured in some library inaccessible to the earlier collectors of psalms. But the important point to note is, that no incident or accident of this kind is of sufficient weight to throw the smallest doubt upon the incorporated literary assignment of these psalms to David.

Because they are attributed to David, in closely-written and even continuous headlines, the presumption is that they came from his pen; and, unless we can establish the existence of an amount of Librarian carelessness or audacity which is inherently improbable, we ought not to set aside this presumption, save for good and strong cause.

Minute differences of style or orthography are seen to be insufficient reason for such discredit, as soon as proper consideration is given to the liberty known to have been taken by the Sopherim in controlling the Sacred Text. In the one known process of transliteration alone, they may have introduced orthographic peculiarities which it would be a great mistake to ascribe to a higher or earlier source, so as to disturb the question of original authorship.

Again: similarities to other psalms, may be due to such a cause as duplicate production from the author’s own pen, who may have more than once given expression to similar sentiments, while in the same circumstances or in the same vein of feeling.

Once more: in some of these similar strains there may be special features which nowhere else appear: why not?

How these possibilities and cautions apply to the matter in hand will presently be seen.

We have here more psalms attributed to David: are they sufficiently like him to allow us to accept them on their own profession? Do they dovetail into what we know of him already and into what we have from him elsewhere? In our many-sided care not to be misled, may we not justly beware of being prejudiced against an addition to our autobiographical materials? Let this be the spirit, then, in which we proceed to the consideration of this new and important batch of psalms ascribed “To David.”

The first of the present series, namely the 138th, strikes us as not only an exceedingly bright and acceptable addition to those which have gone before; but as at once harmonising with what we know of David, and at the same time taking us a little beyond it.

The first stanza strikes just such a note as would be congenial to David’s circumstances and sentiments soon after the communication to him of the Divine Oath by Nathan respecting the permanent continuance in his house of the Throne of Israel (2 Samuel 7). Just as here portrayed, he would then worship before the newly brought-in Ark; and it commends itself to us as eminently fitting, that such an advance in Jehovah’s self-manifestation as was constituted by the new and unexpected promises contained in his newly received Covenant, should have at this time found unique expression in the line (Psalms 138:2):

for thou hast magnified above all thy name thy promise; as to which see Driver’s excellent comment at the foot of the text above. Corresponding with this, it is easy to conceive how almost dangerously life-like was the enhanced sense of royal importance as, in Delitzsch’s apt words, “a lofty feeling permeated his soul.”

In the second stanza of the psalm, we come upon something which seems at once new and apt: a sentiment not so clearly expressed elsewhere, but which nevertheless we are glad to perceive could find lodgment in David’s mind. That the kings of the earth should do homage to David’s Heir—this we have already perceived, as from Psalms 72, 89; but that those kings should, for themselves, rejoice in the sayings of Jehovah’s mouth, and should, in the right of their own joy, sing of his ways because of the greatness of his glory—this is peculiarly acceptable: most of all acceptable, and of charming interest, because of the implied peculiarity, that such enthusiasm would be roused even in the minds of kings by Jehovah’s supreme regard for the lowly. How this strikes a note not unknown to David, because probably taught him by Samuel, may be seen by reference to Psalms 18:20-27 with our Exposition thereof.

But, as the third stanza makes us feel, we have not done with David—the historical David—who, by little turns of expression peculiarly his own, lets us know that, while he is not yet finally out of trouble, he is confident that his covenant God will complete all things on his behalf. As in the earlier psalms of David which passed under Hezekiah’s co-editing care, so this also is well handed over to the Chief Musician, which makes us feel quite at home, satisfied that the choirs will be well instructed how to deal with this addition to their Temple treasures.

The everlasting presence and power of God

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

Psalms 139:1-24

Psalms 139 : Certainly one of the grandest psalms in all of the Psalter, it is also one of the richest theologically. It combines an exposition of the greatness of God’s character with the reality of human experience. (From Psalms 139:19-22), we find that David wrote the psalm during a time of opposition. It therefore contains truths that were meaningful to him during these troublesome times. They may be summarized under four key thoughts as David addresses the Lord: You know me (Psalms 139:1-6), you are with me (Psalms 139:7-12), your created me (Psalms 139:13-18), and your cause is my cause (Psalms 139:19-24).

The comparative attributes of God contrast human abilities with the divine nature. Everyone has some knowledge, but only God has all knowledge (omniscience). Everyone has presence, but only God has presence at all times everywhere (omnipresence). Every person has some degree of power, but only God has unlimited power (omnipotence). Psalms 139 lays a foundation for understanding the comparative attributes. The omniscience of God is seen (in Psalms 139:1-6). The omnipresence of God is seen (in Psalms 139:7-11). The omnipotence of God is seen (in Psalms 139:12-16). A Christian’s response to the comparative attributes of God should be to surrender to His leadership because He is wise, He is able to protect us, and He knows the true way to life with Himself (Genesis 3:8, Psalms 139:1; compare Ephesians 1:8).

Psalms 139:1-24 : This intensely personal Davidic psalm expresses the psalmist’s awe that God knew him, even to the minutest detail. David might have remembered the Lord’s words, “the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). The exact occasion is unknown.

I. God’s Omniscience (Psalms 139:1-6);

II. God’s Omnipresence (Psalms 139:7-12);

III. God’s Omnipotence (Psalms 139:13-18);

IV. David’s Obeisance (Psalms 139:19-24).

Psalms 139:1-6 : God knows everything about David.

Psalms 139:1 "O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known [me]."

“Searched me”: As it has been in David’s life, he prays later that it will continue to be (compare verses 23-24). David understands that nothing inside of him can be hidden from God.

This is speaking of the all knowing God. God’s eyes can look into our heart and read us like a book. He not only knows what we have done and said, but he knows why we did those things. He knows whether we really love Him or whether that too is a facade. If you truly love God, then you are overjoyed at the fact that He has searched you and know what you are. The world around us judges us for what they see. God judges our heart.

Psalms 139:2-6 : “My downsitting and … uprising” is an Old Testament expression depicting the routines of life. Whether a person is at rest or work, God sees and knows. The “thou understandest my thought” positively overwhelmed David. God cares about every detail of every person’s life!

Psalms 139:2 "Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off."

In the various circumstances of life, thou knowest me. Thou knowest me in one place as well as in another. I cannot so change my position that thou will not see me, and that thou wilt not be perfectly acquainted with all that I say, and all that I do. In every posture, in every movement, in every occupation, thou hast a full knowledge of me. I cannot go out of thy sight; I cannot put myself into such a position that thou wilt not see me.

"Thou understandest my thought": Hebrew, "As to my thought." That is, thou seest what my plans are; what I design to do; "what I am thinking about." A most solemn reflection! How unwilling would bad people be, would even good people be, to have those round about them know always "what they are thinking about."

"Afar off": Not when the "thought" is far off; but "thou," being far off, seeing us as clearly as if you were near. I cannot go to such a distance from thee that thou wilt not see perfectly all that I am thinking about.

He knows everything about you. Thank goodness that Satan does not know your thoughts. Only God knows your thoughts. The wonderful thing is that He not only knows your thoughts, but understands the reasons behind your thoughts. He really knows us better than we know ourselves.

Psalms 139:3 "Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted [with] all my ways."

The Targum adds, "to study in the law.’’ His walk in the daytime, and every step he took, and his lying down at night. It denotes his perfect knowledge of all his actions, day and night. He surrounds every path of man, that they cannot escape his knowledge. Or, "thou winnowest", as some render the word; he distinguishes actions. He discerns and separates the good from the bad, or the goodness of an action from the evil and imperfection of it. As in winnowing the wheat is separated from the chaff. Or, "thou measures my squaring"; all his dimensions, his length and breadth, as he lay down in his bed.

"And art acquainted with all my ways": The whole of his life and conversation, all his works and doings. God knows all the evil ways and works of his people. He takes notice of them, and chastises for them. And all their good works, and approves and accepts of them. He knows from what principles of faith and love they spring; and in what manner they are performed. And with what views, aims, and ends (see Revelation 2:2; Psalms 1:6).

Compassest in this verse means to toss about. Even when we are sleeping, He knows our subconscious thought. I personally believe that God directs us many times by our dreams.

Psalms 139:4 "For [there is] not a word in my tongue, [but], lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether."

Expressed by it or upon it, just ready to be spoken. Or, as the Targum, "when there is no word in my tongue:’’ so Aben Ezra, "before it was perfect in my tongue:’’ before it is formed there. While it is in the mind, and not expressed, and even before that.

"But, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether": The whole of it, from whence it springs. The reason of it, what is designed, or the ends to be answered by it. The Lord knows the good words of his people, which they speak to him in prayer, even before and while they are speaking them. And what they say to one another in private conversation (Isaiah 65:24). See an instance of words known by Christ before spoken (in Luke 19:31).

This statement (in my tongue), means that He knows the words that we want to say that we have not said yet.

Psalms 139:5 "Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me."

“Beset me behind and before”: God used circumstances to limit David’s actions.

The psalmist here, is speaking of a very close relationship with the Lord. He is saying that He is going before him and clearing the way and He is guarding the back side as well. Really if we are where we really need to be, we are in Him and He is in us.

Psalms 139:6 "[Such] knowledge [is] too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot [attain] unto it."

Meaning either the knowledge of himself, such as God had of him. Which was vastly superior to what he had of himself. And especially the knowledge of other persons and things, whether visible or invisible, in heaven, earth, or hell. Things past, present, and to come. Or else the manner in which God knew all this was amazing to him, and quite impenetrable by him. That he did know him, his thoughts, his words and actions, and so those of all others, was easy of belief. But how he should know all this was past his conception, and struck him with the profoundest admiration.

"It is high": Sublime, out of his reach, beyond his comprehension.

"I cannot attain unto it": Neither to such knowledge, nor to comprehend what it is in God. And how he should have it, and in what manner he exercises it. Kimchi, Jarchi, and Aben Ezra, connect the words with the following. As if the matter of his wonder and astonishment was the omnipresence of God, or where he should find a place to flee from him.

“Too wonderful” (compare Psalms 131:1; Romans 11:33-36).

This is so far beyond our understanding. Of course, as I have said before, the fact that He created the earth and everything in it is beyond my comprehension as well. When you think of someone who has no beginning and no end is beyond our understanding as well.

Psalms 139:7-12 : God is near. What’s more, He is immediately accessible wherever His children go. God sent His Son into the world as a living picture of who He is and how present He is, Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23).

God was always watching over David and thus it was impossible to do anything over which God is not a spectator.

Psalms 139:7 "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?"

“Thy spirit”: A reference to the Holy Spirit (compare Psalms 51:11; Psalms 143:10). See “The Anointing of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament” (at Psalms 51).

God is omnipresent, which means He is everywhere all at the same time. You would not be able at all to get away from that. We are looking into a mystery that is far beyond comprehension of the mortal mind. The psalmist is comforted in knowing the presence of God.

Psalms 139:8 "If I ascend up into heaven, thou [art] there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou [art there]."

The word translated “hell” here refers to “the grave” or “the place of the dead” rather than the place of eternal punishment for unbelievers. David asserts that God is, in fact, everywhere. Death cannot separate the believer from Him (Romans 8:38-39; 2 Corinthians 5:8). And when His people worship, they have an incredible sense of His manifest presence (22:3).

One of the greatest promises to me, in all the Bible, is that He will never leave us or forsake us. His throne is in the highest heaven and that is home to Him, but He is also wherever His people are, even to the depths of hell.

Psalms 139:9 "[If] I take the wings of the morning, [and] dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;"

“Wings of the morning”: In conjunction with “the remotest part of the sea,” David uses this literary figure to express distance.

Psalms 139:10 "Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me."

For he could not get there with all the assistance of the wings of the morning. Could they be had, without the leadings of divine Providence. And when there, being a good man, should experience the leadings of divine grace. Let the people of God be where they will, he heads them as a parent his child, teaching him to go. And as a shepherd his flock, into green pastures, and to fountains of living water. He leads to himself, and to his Son by his Spirit; into communion and fellowship with them, and to a participation of all blessings of grace. He guides them with his counsel, and directs all their ways and going.

"And thy right hand shall hold me": The Lord lays hold on his people, and apprehends them for himself, and claims his interest in them. He holds them in his ways, that they slip and fall not. He upholds them with the right hand of his righteousness, and they are safe. And he holds them from going into or on in wrong ways to their hurt.

Even if I had wings like an eagle and could fly to some remote part of the earth where there would be a little hidden sea. The Lord would be there. The Right Hand (Jesus), would be there to help me just as He is here. We are His creation and He is concerned about us wherever we are.

Psalms 139:11 "If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me."

The darkness of a cloud or of the night, so that my actions shall not be seen. That is, if I entertain such a thought in my mind, that what I do in the dark will escape the sight and knowledge of God, and so be emboldened to commit it.

"Even the night shall be light about me": And make all my works manifest, as light does.

Have you ever been alone on a very dark night? For those who do not know the Lord, this is a very frightening situation. For the Christian, we are comforted in knowing, though the night be dark around us, He is there to help us. He is the Light of the world. We can be comforted in knowing that we have the Light with us in this darkness.

Psalms 139:12 "Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light [are] both alike [to thee]."

Any thing that is done by men in it; or "darkeneth not from thee", or causeth such darkness as to hinder the sight of any action committed. The Targum is, "from thy Word’’ (see Hebrews 4:12).

"But the night shineth as the day”; or "enlightens as the day", gives as much light with respect to God as the day does.

"The darkness and the light are both alike to thee": As is the one, so is the other. The day gives him no more light than the night, and the night no more darkness than the day. He sees as well, as clearly and distinctly, in the one as in the other. The psalmist expresses the same thing in different words three or four times, as Kimchi observes, to show that so the Lord is, that thus it is with him. He has as clear a discerning of all things done in the darkest night as at bright noon day (see Job 34:21).

The darkness can not prevail against the Light. The Light will always do away with darkness. It matters not whether this darkness is spiritual or physical. The only way the darkness and light are alike is that they both are controlled by Him.

Psalms 139:13-18 : God’s power is magnified in the development of human life before birth.

Psalms 139:13-16 : Here is the basis for the self-esteem and self-worth of believers: God made each person. God knew each one before he or she was born, and He knew the moment he or she was conceived. And He is present at every phase of development from that moment on.

Psalms 139:13 "For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb."

“Possessed … covered”: By virtue of the divinely designed period of pregnancy, God providentially watches over the development of the child while yet in the mother’s womb.

The psalmist is assured that God has been caring for him from the time he was in his mother’s womb. Have you ever noticed the special care that God has taken in protecting His own even before they make a decision to follow Him? In my own life it seems as if He has been leading and guiding me to this very moment to do this very thing.

Psalms 139:14 "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made: marvelous [are] thy works; and [that] my soul knoweth right well."

I will not merely admire what is so great and marvelous, but I will acknowledge thee in a public manner as wise, and holy, and good. As entitled to honor, love, and gratitude.

"I am fearfully and wonderfully made": Thy infinite power and wisdom, manifested in the rare and curious structure of man’s body, doth fill me with wonder and astonishment. And with the dread of thy majesty.

"Marvelous are thy works": Both in the lesser world, man, and in the greater.

"My soul knoweth right well": I am well assured, both by thy word, and by the contemplation and study of thy works. To which I have much addicted myself, that they are wonderful. Although I do not so accurately understand all the particulars of them as I would do.

Have you ever thought of what a miracle it really is for a child to be born with 10 fingers and 10 toes and with eyes to see and a mouth to speak? To look at all the parts in the human body and know that God figured all of this out, is so far above what mortal man can do. How could anyone doubt there is God. The more you learn about the human body the more you should believe in the superiority of God. Even the mind of man is the most intricate advanced computer in existence. No wonder so many doctors, after beginning practice, believe in God.

Psalms 139:15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, [and] curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth."

“Secret … lowest parts of the earth”: Used figuratively of the womb.

The mystery of how a human being can be formed from the sperm planted is so far above what we know. I am still wondering how you can plant an acorn in the ground and a great oak tree comes. The secret part of this is going on in the mother’s womb, away from eyes of wonder. When the baby is born, it is already developed into a living soul.

Psalms 139:16 "Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them."

“Thy book”: This figure of speech likens God’s mind to a book of remembrance.

“None of them”: God sovereignly ordained David’s life before he was conceived.

This is just saying, you alone know what I was made of. God could see man, even before he picked up the clay to make him with. We are formed in the hands of God. He breathes life into us. If we are His, He is still working with us, shaping us with His hands into a vessel pleasing unto Him. To the world, I may seem as nothing but clay, but in His eyes, He sees the finished product.

Psalms 139:17-18 : His people are so cherished by God that He thinks of them at all times. Even in this very moment.

David expresses his amazement at the infinite mind of God compared to the limited mind of man, especially as it relates to the physiology of human life (compare Psalms 139:13-16).

Psalms 139:17 "How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!"

On the word "thoughts," (see the notes at Psalms 139:2; compare Psalms 139:23). The remark is made here doubtless in view of the numberless "thoughts" involved in planning and forming a frame so wondrous, and in the care necessary to bring it to perfection. To develop it; to provide for it; to guard and defend it. How many "thoughts" of a parent are employed in behalf of their children, in providing for them. Teaching them; counseling them; anticipating their needs. How many more thoughts are needful on the part of God in reference to each one of us. For there are numberless things necessary for us which cannot occupy the mind of a parent. Since the parent cannot accomplish these things for us; they do not lie within his province, or in his power.

"How great is the sum of them,” literally, "How strong are the heads of them." That is, the heading of them. Or the summing of them up, would be a task beyond the power of man. And who "could" estimate the number of the "thoughts" necessarily bestowed on himself by his Maker in all the care exercised over him. All the arrangements for his development and growth. All that is done to defend him from danger and all that is indispensable in providing for his needs. All that was necessary to secure the salvation of his soul! (see the notes at Psalms 40:5).

What a wonderful thought to know that I am on His mind. Each individual in all the earth is on His mind. When Jesus hung on the cross and shed His precious blood, it was because we were on the mind of God. He made a way for us where there seemed to be no way. When I think upon this, it brings tears to my eyes, that He cared this much for me and you. His thoughts are above our carnal thoughts.

Psalms 139:18 "[If] I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee."

Numberless as the sand on the sea-shore.

"When I awake, I am still with thee": When I am lost in deep and profound meditation on this subject, and am aroused again to consciousness, I find the same thing still true. The fact of "my" being forgetful, or lost in profound meditation, has made no difference with thee. Thou art still the same; and the same unceasing care, the same thoughtfulness, still exists in regard to me. Or, the meaning may be, sleeping or waking with me, it is still the same in regard to thee. Thine eyes never close. When mine are closed in sleep, thou art round about me. When I awake from that unconscious state, I find the same thing existing still. I have been lost in forgetfulness of thee in my slumbers; but thou hast not forgotten me. There has been no change, no slumbering with thee.

If we were to compare His thoughts to ours: it would be as our thoughts are like one grain of sand and His thoughts are like all the grains of sands. We cannot with this small mind of ours know the mind of God. We are promised in the Word, that we can take on the mind of Christ if we are believers.

1 Corinthians 2:16 "For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ."

This is saying that we know what the Lord would have us to do.

Psalms 139:19 "Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men."

Compare the notes at (Isaiah 11:4). The literal translation of this would be, "If thou wilt slay the wicked." It is not easy to account for the sudden and remarkable transition or diversion of the train of thought from the main subject of the psalm, in these verses (Psalms 139:19-22). In which the psalmist gives vent to his feelings toward the wicked, and prays that they may depart from him. Perhaps the explanation of it may be, that as the psalmist was reflecting on the fact that God is everywhere present. That he searches the hearts of people, that he must know all their conduct, he was suddenly struck with the idea of the condition of wicked people in the presence, and under the eye, of such a Being. As God knows all things, he must know them. And this instantaneously suggested the idea of their guilt and danger. People of such characters could not deceive such a God. They could not but be known to him, and could not but be objects of his aversion. They could not, therefore, but be in danger.

"Depart from me, therefore, ye bloody men" (see Psalms 119:115). The Hebrew is, "Men of bloods;" that is, men who shed blood. The language is used to denote wicked men in general. The idea here is not that the psalmist was in danger from them at that time, but that he desired to be separate from that class of people. He did not wish to be ranked with them, to partake of their conduct, or to share in their fate. He had no sympathy with them, and he desired to be separate from them altogether.

When God slays the wicked, I do not want to be close by. We have discussed how we must not fellowship with evil men. It is as if you approve of their doings when you fellowship with them. You would be guilty by association.

Psalms 139:20 "For they speak against thee wickedly, [and] thine enemies take [thy name] in vain."

Against his being, his perfections, his purposes, his providences, his doctrines, ordinances, ministers, and people. Or "they speak of thee for wickedness". They made mention of the name of God to cover their wickedness, pretending to fear God and love him. To have a reverence of him and serve him, putting on a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.

"And thine enemies take thy name in vain": Either by profane swearing, or by false swearing. The Targum interprets both clauses of swearing deceitfully and vainly. Or "he", that is, everyone that is "lifted up to vanity are thine enemies". Whose hearts are lifted up to vanity, idols, riches, self-righteousness, sensual lusts and pleasures. These are the enemies of God, who are estranged from him, hold friendship with the world, harbor his enemies, love what he hates, hate what he loves, and commit acts of hostility against him. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, read, "they take thy cities in vain".

If we are a Christian, truly, we can not bear to hear someone talking badly about our God. Even worse than that would be to hear them curse His holy name. Those who truly love God will not listen to this type of degrading conversation.

Psalms 139:21 "Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?"

Wicked men are haters of God; of his word, both law and Gospel. Of his ordinances, ways, and worship; of his people, cause, and interest. And therefore, good men hate them. Not as men, as the creatures of God, and as their fellow creatures, whom they are taught by the Gospel to love, to do good unto, and pray for; but as haters of God. And because they are so; not their persons, but their works. And for the truth of this the omniscient God is appealed unto.

"And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?" As wicked men do, in their hearts, in their words, and in their actions. They rebel against God, and contend with him, which is folly and madness. And this is grieving to good men, because of their insolence and impudence. The ruin and destruction they expose themselves to. And the dishonor done to God. And this arises from their great love and strong affection for him, not being able to bear such behavior to him. As a man is filled with grief and indignation when another rises up against his father or his friend (see Psalms 119:136).

This is righteous jealousy for the name of God. The Lord’s enemies and the enemies of the Christian should be the same. It breaks my heart to hear someone curse the name of God.

Psalms 139:22 "I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies."

“With perfect hatred”: David has no other response to God’s enemies than that of hatred, i.e., he is not neutral toward them nor will he ever ally himself with them.

This hatred is not so much of the person as what the person is doing. This type of hatred is not sin.

Psalms 139:23-24 : In light of (Psalms 139:19-22), David invites God to continue searching his heart to root out any unrighteousness, even when it is expressed against God’s enemies.

Psalms 139:23 "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:"

He had searched him, and knew his heart thoroughly.

"Try me, and know my thoughts": He had tried him, and knew every thought in him (Psalms 139:1). This therefore is not said for the sake of God; who, though he is the trier of hearts, and the searcher of the reins, is indeed a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart at once. And knows immediately what is in man. And needs no testimony of him, nor to make use of any means in order to know him and what is within him. But David said this for his own sake, that God would search and make known to him what was in his heart. And try him by his word, as gold is tried in the fire. Or by anything difficult and self-denying, as he tried Abraham. Or by any afflictive providence; or in any way he thought fit to make him acquainted thoroughly with himself. His sense is this, that if he knew his own heart and thoughts, and the inward frame and disposition of his soul, it was as he had expressed it. That he was grieved with sinners, and hated those that hated the Lord. Even with a perfect hatred, and reckoned them as his enemies. But if it was otherwise, he desired to be searched and tried thoroughly, that it might be discovered. And he might say this also on account of others, who charged him falsely with things he was not conscious of. That never entered into his thoughts, and his heart knew nothing of, and could not accuse him with. And therefore he appeals to the heart searching God, that he would so lay open things that his integrity and innocence might appear to all. (see Genesis 22:1).

The psalmist (probably David), is assured that when God looks into his heart he will find nothing but love for God. Thoughts come from the heart. If our heart is right, then the thoughts that we have will be pure thoughts as well. One very good reason for a request like this would be, for God to find anything that needs to be changed and help him change.

Psalms 139:24 "And see if [there be any] wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

“The way everlasting”: David expresses his desire/expectation of eternal life (see notes on Philippians 1:6).

The psalmist here, is asking for a spiritual house cleaning. The one who leads us and guides us and teaches us is the Holy Spirit of God. Every one of us have something in our life that could be improved upon. We need to join in with this psalmist and ask God to search our innermost being and to purge out those things which be not of God. The best way to get rid of any darkness that we might have hidden away, is to turn the Light on it. The Light does away with all darkness.

PSALM 139

EXPOSITION

This beautiful and heart-searching psalm may be conveniently regarded as resolving itself into four Stanzas of six verses each, as set forth in our Analysis.

I. Jehovah’s Knowledge considered as taking into view every form of human activity. A survey which includes a man’s downsitting when his day’s work is done, his uprising when his night’s rest is over, and his chief purpose during the twenty-four hours; which traces his journeying from place to place, his resting at noon and at night, and his ways of deporting himself wherever he may be,—may be said to touch in general terms on all the forms which individual activity can assume. If, to these specifications, are added those processes of the mind which prepare for speech, and which prompt and guide the tongue in its utterance,—we may conclude that nothing of importance remains uncomprehended in this brief enumeration. Nevertheless, there is yet another aspect under which individual activity may be viewed; and that is, its narrow limitation. There are on every side bounds which it cannot overpass; an individual’s downsittings and uprisings can only attain a certain number, and then they must cease; and so with all his forms of activity. Such limitation is graphically set forth in the simplest and most picturesque language: Behind and before hast thou shut me in, and kast laid on me thine outspread hand. This reflection, by so far, enhances the thoroughness of Jehovah’s knowledge of me. He knows all the movements I can make, and he himself strictly limits those movements; which emphasises the main point, which is, that Jehovah knows every individual thoroughly: knows with first-hand knowledge; as the result of personal search and tracing and testing; knows, by anticipation, even the as yet unspoken words that are coming. It is not surprising that the psalmist realises how such knowledge surpasses any knowledge which he himself possesses: Too wonderful is thy knowledge for me.

II. There is no Escaping that Knowledge by Distance or Darkness. The psalmist first tests the question, whether by Distance he can hide himself from God. No: not by distance: whether the distant height, or the distant depth, or the distant breadth: the distant and dazzling height of heaven; or the dim, dark depth of hades, the underworld of the dead; or the hazy remoteness of the shores and islands behind the hinder Mediterranean Sea: escape to any of these distances will be no escape from Jehovah; who is above, below, beyond; present everywhere—present, in the diffused vitality of his spirit, present, in the personal capacity of revealing his face in wrath or love. The poet is only testing the question in all the forms his thoughts can appreciate. He does not say he wishes to escape: in fact, he almost implies that he does not; for, in putting the case, merely to test the possibility, he rather assumes the love than the wrath of the Omnipresent One: There, thy hand leadeth me, and thy right hand holdeth me. But, if he would escape, he could not—that is his main point.

Having tested the question of escape from God’s knowledge by means of “Distance,” he next propounds the question whether by means of Darkness such escape were possible. Again he concludes in the negative. Darkness is no darkness to Jehovah.

III. Based upon the Creatorship of Each Individual, Jehovah’s Knowledge rises to Precious Purposes realisable by Fellowship with Him in a Higher Life.

This comprehensive summary of the third stanza of our psalm is not more comprehensive than the particulars which it seeks to express. Nevertheless, being highly charged with meaning, it may be helpful to draw out its main points in the form of three distinct propositions.

1. Jehovah’s knowledge of men is based upon his creatorship of each individual.

2. His creatorship of each individual comprehends benevolent purposes with respect to them.

3. His benevolent purposes with respect to each individual require for their realisation the advantages of a higher life than the present.

1. Jehovah’s knowledge of men is based upon his creatorship of each individual. The causal word For=Because, which opens this stanza, strictly and properly leads up to this conception: “Thou hast such an intimate knowledge of me as neither change of activity, nor distance, nor darkness can obstruct, because thou didst make me: because I am thy creature: because thou art my creator.” This is the first strong and clear point in this third stanza’ of our psalm. Observe that it is clearly and strongly expressed. It is expressed by almost every form of language by which the idea could be conveyed: He originated the first rudiments of my being. Then he carries on the formative work so begun: He wove me together. He constructed my bony framework. Moreover he yet further advanced his handiwork to completion, by skilfully imparting the whole variegated web-work of nerves and blood-vessels. We need not trust too much to a single form of expression; but it may safely be said that at least three times over in this short paragraph is Jehovah’s creatorship of the human body affirmed. Sum them all up, and put them in their proper connection of thought, by saying: He knows me thoroughly because he made me. He made, not only my spirit, but my body also.

We are not going too far when we individualise, and say: “He made me. He made my body.” We are not going too far, because precisely that is what the psalmist says.

But does he not also generalise, and speak of the origin of the race under cover of the origin of the individual? The correct answer to that plausible question would seem to be this: Yes, he does also generalise; but without withdrawing his individualisation. He refers to the literal mother’s womb of the individual, as well as—probably and allusively—to the figurative mother’s womb here glanced at under the terms underparts of the earth. We need not deny the allusion. It is the easiest and happiest way of accounting for the introduction of that remarkable expression; which it may be observed is also found in the Septuagint and Vulgate: As the race was originally brought forth out of the underparts of the earth, so the individual is, at birth, brought forth from the maternal concealment answering thereto. But such an allusion does not dominate the passage: the psalm distinctly and repeatedly affirms the Divine Creatorship of the body of each individual human being.

The importance of this teaching will be evident to every thoughtful mind. The consequences which follow from it may, without exaggeration, be described as tremendous. To say that BEHIND EVERY HUMAN BIRTH DIVINE CAUSATION IS IMPLIED is to make a statement which may undoubtedly be abused. But, on the other hand, still more deplorable consequences will result from denying it. The alternative—that of cutting any single creature adrift from its Creator—must at all costs be avoided.

Jehovah created the race: Jehovah creates every individual of the race. Jehovah is the Father of our spirits—doubtless with special immediateness, beautifully symbolised by the directness with which each breathing thing draws its breath from God. But, though not without creaturely intervention, yet through “the fathers of our flesh,” Jehovah’s creatorship takes effect: his power and wisdom and love are operative in the production of our individual bodies also. It is this which the third stanza of our psalm so strongly teaches, and the more thoroughly and fearlessly we appropriate the solemn thought, the more shall we have ultimate cause for rejoicing.

Jehovah knows me thoroughly, because he made me; and he made my body as well as my spirit—he made the whole man, the entire compound psychic individual.

This is not to say that even he, at my first birth, brought a clean thing out of an unclean; but it is to say, that my first birth, with all its drawbacks, lays a foundation for a second: a second birth whose very object will be to bring a clean thing out of an unclean. Creation may be followed by destruction; but that is not its object. Creation may be followed by salvation.

2. Jehovah’s creatorship of each individual comprehends benevolent purposes respecting each. What is it but Jehovah’s individual creatorship which calls forth the significant line which now comes before us?

To me, then, how precious thy purposes, O God!

Having employed the word “purpose,” in Psalms 139:2, in relation to man, we are bound in consistency to use it now, in Psalms 139:17, in relation to God, the word being the same in the original. God has not only “thoughts” about us when individually creating us, but purposes, and because these purposes are precious, therefore we must assume them to be benevolent; purposes of good and not of evil; of salvation, and not of destruction. Some, indeed, prefer the qualifying word “weighty” here instead of “precious”; but as “precious” is the more customary and obvious rendering, we shall hold ourselves warranted to abide by that more inspiring word until driven out of it. Inasmuch, however, as the immediately following context confirms the preferred and customary rendering, we have no fear of being driven out of the welcome conception of a benevolent Divine purpose in connection with every human birth.

It is quite true that the psalmist with great emphasis asserts the individuality of his own appreciation of God’s benevolent purposes in his creation. To me, then, how precious! and he had every right to do this. “To me, knowing thee as I know thee;” “To me, then, considering this matter as I have done, and pondering deeply upon it as I have pondered,—how precious thy purposes are!” But is this to shut others out from the same appreciation; or, is it, rather, to invite them to follow him? Let us beware of narrowing the ground of the exclamation so as to cut it away from under any man’s feet. Suffice it, then, to observe—that the psalmist neither says nor implies, “Because I am a good man, therefore are thy purposes such as they are, therefore are they precious to me.” No! the whole spirit of the stanza, and of the psalm hitherto, suggests the simpler and broader ground: “Because I am a man, and because thou didst make me to be a man, therefore are thy purposes to me as man so precious.”

3. Jehovah’s benevolent purposes with respect to each individual require for their realisation the advantages of a higher life than the present. Nearly everything here turns on the bearing of the word awake; although something also turns upon the fact that the words I am still may give place to a more literal rendering, my continuance, which more literal rendering may justly assume the significant form, my continued being, as we see from Psalms 104:33 : I awake—my continued being is with thee. Chiefly, the decision turns upon the scope or intention of the word awake. Does the psalmist intend to imply that he had nearly or quite fallen asleep under the weight of his profound meditation, but that when he roused himself he still found himself revolving the old problem,—found him with God in the sense of still thinking about him? Or does he rather rise to a higher thought—that of awaking to a higher life than the present?

We may and must dismiss the former as purely fanciful: there is nothing sleepy about what has gone before—all is alert, wakeful; with no indication even of weariness in the mind of the psalmist. Besides which, there is something essentially feeble in reducing the weighty words with thee to mean no more than thinking about thee; since they more properly mean in company with thee—in thy presence.

On the other hand there are attractive parallels for investing the word “awake” with a far richer meaning; such as, “Awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust” (Isaiah 26:19), “many of the sleepers in the dusty ground shall awake” (Daniel 12:2), and especially—

As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness, I shall be satisfied when I awake in thy likeness.—Psalms 17:15.

Who can deny that, so to understand the words of our psalm, is to bring its third stanza to an altogether worthy conclusion? The whole context is strong, and favours a strong conclusion. Particularly strong and suggestive are the two lines falling between the two great words purposes and awake: how numerous have become the heads of them, namely thy purposes; and—I would recount them—beyond the sands they multiply. Only regard the purposes as finding final culmination in the bestowment of IMMORTAL LIFE; only regard the awaking as being the GREAT AWAKING to that life; and then this multiplication of the Divine “purposes” is abundantly accounted for. The “purposes” culminating in the Great Awaking naturally multiply on both sides of that climax: on this side, and on that; as leading up to it, and as carrying us beyond it. He who “purposes” to bestow on me immortality, will he not “purpose” to prepare me for that priceless boon? Will he not “purpose” redemption, “purpose” sanctification, “purpose” the necessary discipline of suffering, “purpose” victory over temptation? So that we may well exclaim, How numerous the purposes leading me up to the Great Awaking! And again, will that Great Awaking not itself lead on to further and higher and still multiplying results? Does Jehovah “purpose” to awake me to an idle, sterile life? When I am awakened, will there be nothing for me to do, no lost ones to seek and save, no new worlds to conquer, no new victories to achieve, no new songs to sing, no new book of nature’s secrets to open? Verily, it is as the psalmist says, How the heads of coming possibilities in the future multiply beyond the sands?

On every ground, therefore, are we emboldened to conclude, that this Awaking is THE GREAT AWAKING TO IMMORTALITY. On the ground of the utter feebleness of the alternative view, which fancies that this wakeful psalmist fell asleep; on the ground of the felt preciousness of these Divine purposes; and on the ground of their abundant multiplication, which can never so prolifically multiply as when clustered about Jehovah’s greatest gift, age-abiding life:—on all these substantial grounds we choose this conclusion, and rest in it, that the climax of this third stanza does really mean—I awake to immortal life—and find that my continued being is to be enjoyed in fellowship with thee my loving Creator!

IV. The lesson thus learned produces a Passionate Espousal of Jehovah’s honour: which feeling, however, is Jealously Guarded by Prayer.

That is what we really have here, in the final stanza of our psalm: let us brush aside everything which hinders our seeing it.

Granted that the language employed is, some of it, such as we could not use: simply because we are not in the psalmist’s circumstances. What were those circumstances?

As this question necessarily throws us back on the problem of authorship, it may be permitted us to say: that this “Study” was commenced under the impression that DAVID HIMSELF was the Writer of the whole of this psalm, the manifest difference in tone between the first three stanzas and the last being sufficiently accounted for by the easy supposition, that three-fourths of the psalm were written by David in his comparatively early and untroubled days, and the last part, after his days of conflict had set in; but that, on closer consideration of the peculiar language of the fourth stanza and contemplation of the circumstances—the whole state of things—thereby implied, the modified conclusion was reached, that, while David probably wrote the major part of the psalm, namely its continuously calm stanzas one, two, and three, being probably the whole original psalm, and abundantly entitling the psalm as a whole to bear his honoured name, it was his descendant HEZEKIAH who, having drunk in the existing psalm, in letter and spirit, then added to it the present fourth stanza. The sufficient reason for this modification may be allowed to stand thus: the fourth stanza does not exactly suit any known circumstances through which David passed, but does exactly and most wonderfully fit the peculiar condition of things which existed in the days of Hezekiah. So much for clearness being premised, the case may be thus stated, looking steadfastly and with a single eye to the exact language of this the fourth stanza of the psalm.

These are the words of a responsible King in Israel: with a foreign invader trampling down the land; leaving his subjects little chance of exercising the most ordinary rights of citizenship, and still less of maintaining the appointed central worship in Jerusalem; many of the Levites being beleaguered in the cities where are their homes, and consequently being unable to ascend to the holy city to attend there to their sacerdotal duties. All this, observe, simply because of this same Invader—this lawless foreigner—who will, if he can, dethrone Israel’s rightful monarch, and draw the people away from their allegiance to Jehovah himself. And now the question is:—If, under these circumstances, the King prays—Wouldst thou, O God, slay the lawless one! is he doing wrong? Deserves he to lose our sympathies? Can we condemn him? Note, that he does not propose to slay the lawless one himself; he merely commits him to the judgment of God: Slay him, O God! Is that a wrong prayer for Israel’s King, under such circumstances.

But let us be at pains to take in the whole situation. There is a war-party in Israel, who are prepared to rush forward into blood-shed, with or without Jehovah’s permission. We know them; we have met with them before: we have heard their peace-loving King lament that he dwelt among them: bitterly complaining of them in such terms as these, “I am peace; but when I speak, they are for war!” (Psalms 120). These are the men to whom the devout monarch here says threateningly in a significant aside: then, ye men of blood-shed, depart from me! As much as to say, “Once the Lawless One is slain by God’s hand, your excuses for plunging into a wilful war will be silenced; and, depend upon it, I shall hasten to rid myself of your hated presence in my Court.”

Not only was there a war-party in Israel, but that war-party was composed of profane men—men who spake of Jehovah wickedly, who tried to maintain falsehoods by the irreverent use of his holy name: men, in a word, who hated Jehovah! Those are the men whom this praying, Jehovah-loving monarch has to confront. And we ask, was he wrong in drawing a line at them? Could he do otherwise than exclaim, in loyalty to the God whom he adored and loved: Must I not hate them who hate thee, O Jehovah? There is no paltry, personal animosity in the language. In point of fact, these men might have been the king’s own enemies, but of that he takes no account. Wholly on public grounds—solely for Jehovah’s sake—he accounts them as his own enemies. That—no more, no less—is what the language expresses.

And so we claim to have brushed aside all obstructions to the reception of the large and solemn lesson here conveyed. It is an object-lesson; and is nothing less than this: That when a man rightly appreciates the precious purposes which his Creator cherishes towards him, then is he propelled by the highest moral compulsion to love him in return; to vindicate his honour; and to count his Creator’s enemies as his own.

Yet, in such a passionate espousal of Jehovah’s honour, there undoubtedly lurks a subtle danger: lest the public hate should take up into itself personal animosity; let an abhorrence of men’s godless principles and animus should overlook the yet lingering preciousness of their personalities, not yet, it may be, wholly corrupt and finally abandoned.

And it is submitted, that this is one of the finest things in this matchless psalm; namely, that the psalmist is fully aware of this danger; and makes a determined stand against it, by voluntarily submitting himself to the searching eye of his heart-searching God; imploring to know whether there is in him—even by way of mixed motives—any hurtful way; and seeking to be Divinely led into a way—up to and through the great Awaking—to the pure life that shall abide to the ages.

Prayer for deliverance from evil men

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

Psalms 140:1-13

Psalms 140 : Psalms 140-143 may be linked together since they all portray, though in different ways, the godly response to trials. All four are prayers, and all four are written by David, though only Psalms 142 contains a historical notice in the superscription. The situation underlying Psalms 140 itself is clear from the first verse: David is being threatened by his enemies. They are quite adequately described in his lament (Psalms 140:1-5), but David turns to God with his petition against them (verses 6-11), confident that he will be heard (Psalms 140:12-13).

Psalms 140:1-13 : Davidic authorship is stated here, but the circumstances are unknown. It is like the psalms earlier in the Psalter that feature the usual complaint, prayer, and confident hope of relief.

I. Concerning David (Psalms 140:1-5).

A. Deliver Me” (Psalms 140:1-3);

B. Protect Me” (Psalms 140:4-5).

II. Concerning David’s Enemies (Psalms 140:6-11).

A. “Thwart Them” (Psalms 140:6-8);

B. “Punish Them” (Psalms 140:9-11).

III. Concerning the Lord (Psalms 140:12-13).

Psalms 140:1-3 : The emphasis here is deliverance from evil plans.

Psalms 140:1 "Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;"

That is, evidently from some particular man who was endeavoring to injure him. Some personal enemy. All the circumstances mentioned agree well with the supposition that Saul is intended.

"Preserve me from the violent man": Margin, as in Hebrew, "man of violence’s." That is, one who has committed violence so often. Who has so frequently done wrong, that this may be considered a characteristic of the man. This would apply well to the repeated acts of Saul in persecuting David, and endeavoring to do him injury.

This Psalm is certainly from David, crying out to the only help he has. He was persecuted and even hunted down by Saul, but this goes even further than that. David knew persecution and sorrow from his own son as well. The evil man mentioned here however, is probably Saul. David does not specifically speak of an individual. This makes this Psalm a prayer that any of us could pray to God. Satan is after all of us who are trying to live for God. The name of the violent man may not be the same in our case, but certainly there is a violent man in each of our problems.

Psalms 140:2 "Which imagine mischiefs in [their] heart; continually are they gathered together [for] war."

Here the language is changed to the plural number in the Hebrew, implying that while there was one man who was eminent in his wickedness and his wrong-doing, there were many others associated with him, acting under his direction. The word "mischiefs" in the Hebrew means "evils; wickedness’s." It was not a single purpose; the plan embraced many forms of evil, doing him wrong in every way possible.

"Continually are they gathered together for war": They are organized for this purpose; they are constantly prepared for it. The word rendered "gathered together" properly means to sojourn, to dwell for a time. And it has been proposed by some to render this, "All the day they dwell with wars." That is, they are constantly involved in them. But the word may mean also "to gather together" (as in Psalms 56:6).

Evil men have evil hearts and their imaginations, which come from this evil heart are also evil. Evil people have no peace. The only way they think they can satisfy their evil heart, is to bring war to those at peace. They feel, they can make themselves feel better, if they can take something that does not belong to them. These people are not peacemakers, they are warmongers.

Psalms 140:3 "They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison [is] under their lips. Selah."

“Serpent”: A type of snake (compare Romans 3:13), signifying cunning and venom.

The most cutting weapon a person has is an evil tongue. Just as poison is in the bite of the serpent, there is poison coming from the tongue of this evil person. The tongue is the evilest part of the body. The tongue can not only wound a person’s body, but can literally break his heart. This is why it is so important to give your tongue to God. We all need to bridle our tongue.

Psalms 140:4-5 : The emphasis here is protection from being captured.

Psalms 140:4 "Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings."

From falling into their hands (and the weight of them). And from their laying hands on him, being men of power and authority.

"Preserve me from the violent man": Or men, every one of them (see notes on Psalms 140:1).

"Who have purposed to overthrow my goings": To supplant him. To cause him to stumble and fall, to his disgrace and reproach. And that they might take an advantage of him, and an occasion against him. Arama interprets it, to drive me out of the land of Israel (see 1 Samuel 26:1). So Christ’s enemies thought to have supplanted him, and have found something against him, to accuse him of to Caesar (Matthew 22:15).

To be in the hands of the wicked would be a terrible tragedy. The Israelites in Egypt felt the tragedy of just such a thing happening to them. This evil Pharaoh had made them work like animals. The World War 2 men, on the death march, could tell you how bad it is to fall into the hands of the wicked. The wicked have no moral code, so they have no feeling for anyone else. David was praying, whatever happened, God please do not let him fall into wicked hands. These wicked men thought of nothing night and day, but to overthrow David and take over themselves.

Psalms 140:5 "The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah."

Haughty; arrogant; oppressive men (see notes on Psalms 35:7; Psalms 57:6).

"And cords": Strings; twine; as those do who lay a net to catch birds, and who design to spring it upon them unawares.

"They have spread a net by the wayside": Where I may be expected to walk, and where it may be suddenly sprung upon me.

"They have set gins for me": Snares, toils, such as are set for wild beasts. The meaning is, that they had not only made open war upon him, but they had sought to bring him into an ambush. To rush upon him suddenly when he was not on his guard, and did not know that danger was near.

They may act proud, but this is a sneaky way to fight. They set traps for him, instead of coming face to face with him. Gins, in the verse above, means a noose like they catch animals with. Selah is a time to pause and think on these things.

Psalms 140:6-8 : The emphasis here is upon God’s thwarting the plans of David’s enemy.

Psalms 140:6 "I said unto the LORD, Thou [art] my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD."

In all these dangers from open war, in all these perils from a crafty enemy lying in ambush. My only refuge was God; my hope was in him alone. From all these dangers, seen and unseen, I knew that he could defend me. And I confidently believed that he would.

There was never a question in David’s mind that he belonged to God. We must learn from David about this also. Even though our enemies seem to be surrounding us, we must never forget that the Lord is our God. This is almost a desperate cry from David saying, you are my only help, don’t let me down.

Psalms 140:7 "O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle."

“Covered my head”: Because the “head” is a vulnerable area, it requires maximum protection (Ephesians 6:17), in any potentially dangerous situation, but especially “in the day of battle”. This is a metaphor about protecting oneself spiritual, especially one’s mind.

God has figuratively been David’s helmet in battle.

David in looking back, knows that God had protected him from harm so many times before. In all of David’s battles, God had covered his head from harm. The covering that David had been blessed with was the presence of the Lord. When David fought, he fought in the name of the Most High God. We can learn a lesson from this too. When we fight the battles in our life, do not try to fight them on your own. Fight them in the name of Jesus. Stand against the devil in the name of the Lord and he will flee from you. Our salvation is in our belief in the name of Jesus.

Psalms 140:8 "Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; [lest] they exalt themselves. Selah."

Of Doeg, as the Targum, and of other wicked men, who were desirous both of taking him, and of taking away his life. But the desires of such men are under the restraints of the Lord. Nor can they fulfil them unless they have leave from him, which is here deprecated. The psalmist entreats he might not be delivered up to their will, or they have their will of him (see Psalms 27:12). Jarchi interprets it of Esau (as in Psalms 140:1); and it is applicable enough to antichrist and his wicked followers. Who, could they have their desires, would root the Gospel, and the interest of Christ and his people, out of the world.

"Further not his wicked device": Or, "let not his wicked device come forth", or proceed to execution, or be brought to perfection. Let him be disappointed in it, that he may not be able to perform his enterprise, or execute his designs. Which cannot be done without the divine permission. The Rabbins, as Jarchi and others, render it, "let not his bridle come out". The bridle out of his jaws, with which he was held by the Lord, and restrained from doing his will. Let him not be left to his liberty, and freed from the restraints of divine Providence (see Isaiah 37:29).

"Lest they exalt themselves": Grow proud, haughty, and insolent to God and man (see Deuteronomy 32:27). Or, "let them not be exalted"; upon the ruin of me and my friends.

Selah is a time to pause and think on these things.

David should be saying here; I know that you will not grant their wicked desires. David knows, and we should know, that the wicked do not even believe in God, so why would they pray to Him? We know that all of humanity, good or bad, is dependent upon the workings of God, whether they are aware of it or not. God will not help further the wicked against His own people. They would have to exalt themselves, because God would not exalt them. We must pause a moment and think on these things.

Psalms 140:9-11 : The emphasis here is upon God’s turning their evil plans back on them in judgment.

Psalms 140:9 "[As for] the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them."

Luther renders this, "The calamity which my enemies design against me must fall upon their own heads." The passage stands in contrast with (Psalms 140:7). "Thou hast covered my head," etc. As for his own head, it had been protected in the day of battle. In reference now to the heads of his enemies, of those that compassed him about, he prays that what they had designed for "his" head might come by a just retribution on their own. The phrase "compass me about" refers to his enemies as being numerous, and as surrounding him on every side (see Psalms 40:12; Psalms 88:17; Psalms 109:3; Psalms 118:10-12).

"Let the mischief of their own lips cover them": Come upon them. The mischief which they have designed against me; that which they have conspired to bring on me. The reference is to a combination against him, or to some agreement which they had made to destroy him.

This is saying, let their own sin fall upon their head. They may surround me with wickedness, but no harm will come unto me. This is usually the very thing that does happen to those who say evil things about others, these very evil things come home to rest upon their own head.

Psalms 140:10 "Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again."

Let them be punished, "as if" burning coals were poured upon them (see notes on Psalms 11:6; Psalms 18:12-13; Psalms 120:4).

"Let them be cast into the fire": Punished as if they were cast into the fire and consumed.

"Into deep pits, that they rise not up again": That they may utterly perish. This was one mode of punishing, by casting a man into a deep pit from which he could not escape, and leaving him to die (Genesis 37:20; Genesis 37:24; Psalms 9:15; Psalms 35:7; Jeremiah 41:7).

In the 25th chapter of Proverbs, we read about the enemies of those who are living for God. It says that God will heap coals of fire upon their head. David is saying, if these coals come from above, it will leave no doubt that God is the one punishing them. We do know that if they do not repent of their evil ways, there is a lake of fire awaiting them.

Psalms 140:11 "Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow [him]."

literally, "A man of tongue." That is, a man whom the tongue rules. A man of an unbridled tongue. A man who does not control his tongue (see notes at James 3:2-12).

"Be established in the earth": Be successful or prosperous; let him not carry out his designs. It is not desirable that a man should prosper in such purposes. And therefore, this is not a prayer of malignity, but of benevolence.

"Evil shall hunt the violent man": More literally, "A man of violence, a bad man, they shall hunt him down speedily;" or, "let him be hunted down speedily. Let him who forms a project of violence and wrong, a bad man, be hunted as the beasts of prey are, and let his destruction come quickly." Margin, "Let him be hunted to his overthrow." But the explanation now given suits the connection, and is a literal expression of the sense of the original.

An evil speaker would be full of lies. For an evil one to be established in the land would do the same thing as one rotten apple in a barrel. Pretty soon the whole land would be bad. The violent man has sown the wrong kind of seed. The seed that he planted was violence. The crop that he receives from his planting, will be violence, as well. If you live by violence, you shall die by violence.

Psalms 140:12-13 : David expresses unshakeable confidence in the character of God and the outcome for the righteous (compare Psalms 10:17-18; Psalms 74:21; Psalms 82:3-4).

Psalms 140:12 "I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, [and] the right of the poor."

See the notes at (Psalms 9:4). The psalmist here doubtless refers primarily to himself, as having a confident belief that the Lord would maintain "his" cause, or would defend "him." At the same time, he makes the statement general, implying that what would be done to him would be done to all in similar circumstances. The idea is that God, in all his attributes, in all his providential arrangements, in all his interpositions on earth, would be found to be on the side of the oppressed, the afflicted, and the wronged. He has no attribute that can take part with an oppressor or a wrong doer. The wicked cannot come to him with the belief that he will be on their side. The righteous, the oppressed, the afflicted can.

"And the right of the poor": He will defend the right of the poor. Literally, "The judgment of the poor." That which will be just and right in their case.

All through the Bible, God has been on the side of the oppressed and the poor. The wealthy prominent person can take care of his own. God helps those who actually need His help. Notice the emphatic statement of David here, I know. We can all take heart of the fact, that the Lord cares for His own.

Psalms 140:13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

Unto thee.

(1) They will have occasion to do it;

(2) They will be disposed to do it. They will not be unmindful of the favors conferred upon them; it will be a characteristic of them that they "will" be thankful.

"The upright shall dwell in thy presence": They shall be under thy protection. They shall be admitted to thy favor; they shall dwell in thy dwelling-place.

(1) On earth they shall enjoy his favor, "as if" they abode with God.

(2) In heaven they will be permitted to dwell with him forever.

The general idea of the psalm is, that the poor, the persecuted, the afflicted, if righteous, shall enjoy the favor and protection of God. God is on their side, and not on the side of the wicked who oppress them. But then, people "should be righteous" in order that they may find the favor of God and dwell with him. There is no reason why a "poor" wicked man should enjoy the favor of God any more than why a "rich" wicked man should. It is not poverty or riches that commend us to God. It is faith, and holiness, and love, and obedience, in the condition of life in which we are placed. Be it in a cottage or a palace.

In Psalms 140:12, we saw an assurance of all the wonderful care and protection God shows. Now in this verse we see the statement that surely we would praise Him for it. Those who have been put in right standing with God, (the righteous), should praise the Lord for the free gift of salvation. We know that there will come a time when the upright shall dwell in heaven near the throne of God with Jesus. This is saying, that even now, we can be in the presence of God. We read in these lessons that He is omnipresent. Even though He is heaven on the throne, He is right here with us as well. The upright, not only feel His presence once in a while, but we are surrounded by His presence all the time. His name is above all names. We can do no less than to thank Him with everything within us.

PSALM 140

EXPOSITION

The situation indicated by this psalm is clearly Davidic. The very fact that slander is the primary weapon relied upon by the writer’s enemies is enough to make us suspect who the writer is; and when violence is seen waiting on slander, ready to strike as soon as slander has succeeded in doing its poisonous work, we have instantly all the conditions required by the psalm vividly brought before our minds: that is, as soon as we think of David at Saul’s court as the sufferer and Petitioner of the psalm. There is no need to risk a universal negative, by denying that any other man ever lived in whose history these peculiar conditions met; but the doubt may be confidently expressed, that it would be extremely difficult to imagine a second hero able to meet the requirements here indicated. He must be a believer in Jehovah—a man of prayer—a man who has been under arms—a man who can point to past divine deliverances—a man whose life is at the mercy of a slanderous tongue—and, to forbear further specification, a man whose rescue from present peril will cause righteous men to thank Jehovah and dwell securely in his presence. David fulfils all these conditions; and, not knowing where to find another who does this, we may well hold ourselves justified in accepting the traditional ascription of authorship to be well sustained,

The reader who pleases to turn to our exposition of Psalms 69 will see how far we are from offering an unqualified defence of the imprecations which several of the psalms contain; but the above considerations respecting the peculiar conditions which met in David, may suggest in great strength the plea that it is no wonder that, in his circumstances, he did call to Jehovah for heavy judgments on his enemies. David—notwithstanding his reverent and tender scruples against lifting up a finger to injure his tyrannical master, Saul—was, after all, looking forward to the personal occupancy of the throne of the kingdom, and where, then, could he naturally desire these turbulent enemies to be, if not swept away by the judicial visitations of Jehovah? How else could he look forward to a kingdom in which the humbled and needy should be vindicated, and men be free to dwell in safety and thankfulness in Jehovah’s presence? In those circumstances probably no man living is now placed.

Prayer for help in trouble

A Psalm of David.

Psalms 141:1-10

Psalms 141 : The occasion of this psalm may be stated generally as one of sore temptation, both internal (Psalms 141:3-4), and external (Psalms 141:9-10). The fact that almost every verse contains the vocabulary of petition adds to the urgency of David’s request. Thus he prays for God’s attention (Psalms 141:1-2), for restraint (Psalms 141:3-7), and for refuge (Psalms 141:8-10).

Psalms 141:1-10 : Another Psalm of lament by David whose occasion is unknown. This psalm is comprised of 4 prayers that have been combine into one.

I. Prayer for God’s Haste (Psalms 141:1-2);

II. Prayer for Personal Righteousness (Psalms 141:3-5);

III. Prayer for Justice (Psalms 141:6-7);

IV. Prayer for Deliverance (Psalms 141:8-10).

Psalms 141:1-10 : True religion is a fellowship with God that withstands all adversity; it prefers the correction that will deepen the relationship versus the superficial attractions of compromise and luxury.

Psalms 141:1 "LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee".

With great earnestness, importunity, and fervency, being in distress. And knowing vain was the help of man, and that none could deliver him but the Lord. And therefore, continued crying unto him for help.

"Make haste unto me": Which shows he was in a desperate condition. That he could not help himself, nor could any creature, only the Lord. And he was at a distance from him, as it seemed to him, and he delayed assistance. And therefore, desires he would immediately draw nigh and be a present help in his time of need. And work speedy deliverance for him, his case requiring haste.

"Give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee": A request the psalmist frequently makes, not contenting himself with prayer, without desiring and looking for an answer to it.

We see an urgency in this prayer of David. I love the fact that even though things were bad with David, he never stopped praying. He knew where his help would come from, when it came. He just wanted God to hear and answer this prayer now. God loves this type prayer, because He realizes David’s sincerity in his belief that God will help him. When we pray, we must know in our heart that the only true help for us is in God.

Psalms 141:2 "Let my prayer be set forth before thee [as] incense; [and] the lifting up of my hands [as] the evening sacrifice."

“Incense … evening sacrifice”: David desired that his prayers and stretching forth for God’s help (Psalms 68:31; Psalms 77:2), be as disciplined and regular as the offering of incense (Exodus 30:7-8), and burnt offerings (Exodus 29:38-39), in the tabernacle.

The smoke that rose to heaven from the burning incense in the temple was symbolic of the prayers of the saints. This is something that David would know, and that is what he is saying here. Praise is the sacrifice that God really wants from us.

Hebrews 13:15 "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of [our] lips giving thanks to his name."

As we said, in a previous lesson, the praise that is accompanied by the uplifting of the hands to the Lord, just emphasizes who we are praising and how sincere the praise is. When you lift your hands to God, you are humbling yourself before Him. You are saying, You are higher than I am.

Psalms 141:3-4 : David prayed that God would protect him from the kind of evil that characterized his own enemy.

Psalms 141:3 "Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips."

That I may not say anything rashly, unadvisedly, improperly (compare Psalms 39:1). The prayer here is; that God would guard him from the temptation to say something wrong. To this he seems to have been prompted by the circumstances of the case, and by the advice of those who were with him. See introduction to the psalm (compare the notes at Psalms 11:1).

"Keep the door of my lips": That my lips or mouth may not open except when it is proper and right. When something good and true is to be said, nothing can be more proper than "this" prayer. Nothing more desirable than that God should keep us from saying what we ought not to say.

The same mouth is capable of doing evil or good, as we read in the next Scripture.

James 3:10 "Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be."

David is saying, in the verse above, I do not want this mouth that praises you to say evil things. Lord, guard what I say. Put a bridle on my speech, Lord. Let only the things which will be pleasing unto your ears come from this mouth.

Psalms 141:4 "Incline not my heart to [any] evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties."

Suffer it not to be inclined or led aside, either by my own errors or lusts, or by the temptations of the world or of the devil. Thus God is frequently said to harden men’s hearts. Not positively, for he can do no evil, nor tempt any man to it (James 1:3). But privatively, by denying softening grace.

"My heart to any evil thing": Keep me not only from wicked speeches (Psalms 141:3). But from all evil motions of my heart, which otherwise will draw me to many evil speeches and actions.

"To practice wicked works with men that work iniquity": Either, to join with them in their sinful courses; or, to do wickedly, as they do.

"And let me not eat of their dainties": Let me never enjoy or desire worldly comforts upon such terms as they do. To wit, with God’s wrath and curse, as instruments of wickedness, and of my own eternal destruction. My afflictions are more desirable than such prosperity. Let none of their sweet morsels, the pleasures or advantages which they gain by their wickedness, tempt me to approve of or imitate their ways.

This is just a plea from David for God to remove all temptation from him. Keep me from even associating with these evil people, Lord. This is what I teach about the flesh and the spirit. The flesh is tempted sometimes to work with evil people, if the pay is good. We are also, tempted to eat delicious things prepared by the evil, as well. The flesh is an enemy of the spirit. That is why it is so important to make the spirit ruler in our life. Let the spirit rule and then you will not be tempted by the flesh. The soul is the will of man. Perhaps, it is sometimes spoken of as our innermost being. Make the spirit the control over your will. The only way that we can do this, is make Jesus Lord of our life. Let Him be in charge of our spirit.

Psalms 141:5 "Let the righteous smite me; [it shall be] a kindness: and let him reprove me; [it shall be] an excellent oil, [which] shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also [shall be] in their calamities."

David acknowledges that God would use other righteous men to answer his prayer in (Psalms 141:3-4; compare Proverbs 9:8; Proverbs 19:25; Proverbs 27:6; Proverbs 27:17).

When you are in the company of the righteous, they will help you. If you have a weak moment, they will correct you before you sin. The righteous should fellowship with others who are righteous as well. We help each other stay on the right path. This reproof spoken of here, could be from the Righteous One. This would be like a chastisement. When He reproves us, it is in love like a father correcting a child. It is not a harm to our head, but is a blessing like the oil of the Holy Spirit which brings peace.

Psalms 141:6 "When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet."

“Judges … overthrown”: That the leaders of the wicked would be punished by being thrown over a cliff (compare Luke 4:28-29), is at the heart of David’s prayer (compare Psalms 141:5).

“My words … sweet”: In the sense that David’s words were true.

These judges in stony places, is speaking of the evil one being overthrown, and then David will rise and speak. David’s words will be pleasing to the ears of the Lord.

Psalms 141:7 "Our bones are scattered at the grave’s mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth [wood] upon the earth."

“Our bones”: The basis on which the judges were thrown over the cliff, they had first done this to the righteous (compare Psalms 141:10).

This reminds me of the dry bones in Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 37:1-5 "The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which [was] full of bones," "And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, [there were] very many in the open valley; and, lo, [they were] very dry." "And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest." "Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD." "Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:"

The only way that the bones in Ezekiel or the bones mentioned above here, can live is for God to put back the life into them. Notice (in Ezekiel 37:4 above), what is said to these dead bones: Hear the Word of the LORD. The life in all of our bodies is the Spirit of God. It is His breath (Spirit). By the foolishness of preaching, those that believe are saved.

Psalms 141:8 "But mine eyes [are] unto thee, O GOD the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute."

My hope is in thee. I do not rely on my own power. I do not trust in my armed forces. I know that they are weak, dispirited, scattered, like strewed bones, like the chips and splinters lying around the place where wood is chopped. I look, therefore, solely to God. I believe that he "will" interpose. And now that my enemy has placed himself in this position, I do not need to resort to stealthful arts. To dishonorable acts, to assassination, as my friends advise. But the object will be accomplished, and I shall be placed on the throne by the act of God. And in a manner that will not subject my name and memory to reproach by a base and treacherous deed.

"In thee is my trust": I rely on thee alone.

"Leave not my soul destitute": My life; my all. Do not now leave me without thy gracious interposition. Do not suffer this juncture to pass by without such an interposition as will end the war, and restore peace to me and to a distracted land.

The psalmist, here, is saying, I believe in God the LORD. God will give him new life, because he believes.

Psalms 141:9 "Keep me from the snares [which] they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity."

Either Saul, who gave him a wife to be a snare to him, and set men to watch his house and take him. Or the Ziphites, who proposed to Saul to deliver him into his hands (see 1 Samuel 18:21).

"And the gins of the workers of iniquity": The transgressions of wicked men are snares to others, by way of example. And so are the doctrines of false teachers, and the temptations of Satan, from all which good men desire to be kept (Proverbs 29:6). And it is the Lord alone that keeps and preserves from them, or breaks the snare and delivers them (Psalms 124:7).

David is fully aware of what temptation can do. He is asking the Lord here, to keep him from all temptation. Satan knows our weaknesses, and he sets traps along the way that we might be caught in our own temptation. David is saying to the Lord; you know I am weak. You keep me from temptation.

Psalms 141:10 "Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape."

“Fall into their own nets”: David prays that the wicked will be destroyed by their own devices.

The trap that the evil one has set for us would be a good trap for him to fall into. If they live by the sword, let them die by the sword is what David is saying.

PSALM 141

EXPOSITION

Some close connection between this psalm and the previous has been generally seen by Expositors, and indeed must be admitted on the evidence; but the situation has materially changed. There—in the foregoing psalm—the danger to the psalmist arose from the slanderous tongues of others; here, the danger apprehended is from an incautious use of his own tongue. And this perception helps us to seize the nature of the change which has come over the psalmist’s enemies. Before, they wished to ensure his downfall by falsely accusing him to his master, whose permission they sought to employ violence towards the object of their hatred. Now, however, a deeper plot endangers his life. It is not for their royal master that they really care, but for themselves; and they have conceived the dark project of employing David to assassinate Saul. With the assassin, indeed, they will make short work, and place their nominee on the throne of Israel. Such is the plot.

The evidence of it is not historic, but circumstantial, and springs exclusively from the thoroughness with which such a situation accounts for the extraordinary difficulties which attach themselves to the language of the psalm: whose words, though obscure in places, are by no means so difficult to decipher, as is the connection of thought which binds them together. The psalm, in fact, is incoherent, until its main drift is detected; but, when that is discovered, difficulties materially diminish.

There were men at Saul’s court wicked and unscrupulous enough for any crime consistent with their own safety and ambition: to wit, Cush the Benjamite and Doeg the Edomite.

David may have unwittingly so far put himself into their power as unintentionally to lead them to contemplate the possibility of making him wholly subservient to their nefarious designs. It would be surprising if he had never betrayed, in their presence, how sorely he felt the wrong that Saul was all along doing him; and, in particular, the king’s cruel slaughter of the priests of Nob may have extorted from his noble soul—in his enemies’ hearing—some such identification with the sufferers as is implied in the fraternising language of one significant line in our psalm:—

Scattered are our bones at the mouth of hades;

for, in truth, the slaughter at Nob was great, and in the hasty burial of the slain, it may easily have happened that the bones of the victims were left to be upturned by some neighbouring farmer as he made his furrow in the field. How easily may David have more than once expressed so keen a regret over this horrible incident, as to betray the undoubted truth, that his sympathies were much more with the slain than with the slayer; and, so, how plausibly may an occasion have been given to those whose hatred of him was very much in the proportion of the love of others, his friends.

Only, now, their policy is not so much the slanderous use of their own tongues to Saul, as the inducing of David so to add to his lamentations over his master’s cruelty as to improve their chance of inciting him to conspire against him. To this end, they flatter and court him; they invite him to a feast, and will undoubtedly entertain him well, not forgetting to anoint his head as an honoured guest!

This is the plot, through which the psalmist sees; of which he stands in wholesome dread; against which he prays in tones of rhythmic passion, to which he attunes his inevitable lyre. That, we instinctively feel, is how this psalm was produced.

Look through it carefully from this point of view and see how naturally it yields up at least the principal portion of its contents when set to this key-note, and how eloquently forcible those contents, in that case, become.

Like Daniel, at a later time, David feels that he must needs be circumspect even in his prayers; lest his enemies, overhearing him, manufacture treason out of his devotions. He is therefore urgent in this particular request:

Jehovah, I have called upon thee, oh haste thou unto me: oh give ear to my voice when I call unto thee.

He proceeds to crave that there may be no unguarded word in his devotions, but all be as orderly and circumspect as the ordering of a morning or evening sacrifice.

Prepared be my prayer as incense before thee,

the uplifting of my hands as the grain-offering of the evening.

How so? the answer immediately follows:—

Oh set thou Jehovah a guard to my mouth,

oh watch thou over the door of my lips.

The reason for this prayerful caution has already become obvious.

The second stanza is naturally a little more explicit:—

Let not my heart incline unto a matter of wrong;

and would it not be “WRONG” to take away Saul’s life? We know how David’s soul would recoil from the thought!

Moreover, there will be foreigners in this feast whose heathenish practices cannot for a moment be trusted. The whole thing is lawless; and by teachings and ceremonies of lawlessness will it be sustained. So the psalmist apprehends, and wisely resolves:—

So shall I not taste of their dainties.

“I will come under no social obligation to them.”

Let a righteous man smite me—it were a kindness,—

let him even rebuke me!

“It would do me no harm.”

But the oil of the lawless—let it not anoint my head!

“By such courtesies I might be overcome; and I would by no means have it so: I cannot consent to unnerve my soul from praying continually against the enormous wrong which they are plotting.”

Is the next stanza enigmatic? It may be so; and may have been intentionally so left.

“When their judges have been let fall by the side of a crag,

then have they hearkened to my sayings, in that they are mild.”

“Did I ever say this? And do they, according to the idiom of our tongue [as plural of intensity], take me to have meant, that Our great Judge, Saul, might be let fall from a crag? And do they suppose that my further meaning was: That, when the present monarchy is removed by Divine Visitation upon the Great Offender, then they will turn to me in approval of my sayings; will admit that what I had repeatedly said was well within bounds,—was reasonable,—was mild in comparison with what I might have said?” It is conceivable, that, while the psalmist saw how easily his enemies could thus intensify and exaggerate the meaning of these sayings so as to make them appear treasonable, the Spirit of Prophecy may have prevented his withdrawing them.

It is further possible that some link of speech has fallen out of this stanza, which, if recovered, would make easily intelligible the present bare four lines: of which a merely conjectural paraphrase has thus been submitted. And it is highly probable, as a little ago was suggested, that the psalmist would have frankly admitted that he had identified himself with the priests who had so fearfully suffered for his sake at Nob.

Our admission that this short stanza of the psalm is decidedly enigmatic, and may include one or even two proverbial sayings to which we have lost the clue, does not by any means throw the remainder of the psalm into obscurity. In any case, if the glimpse we have obtained of the origin of this psalm be correct—we cannot be surprised to find the psalmist moved by the gravity of his danger to renewed entreaties for Jehovah’s protection. If his enemies could only involve him in a plot TO TAKE AWAY SAUL’S LIFE, the pouring out of his own life would speedily follow! Cruel, indeed were the clutches of the trap they had laid for him. But by Jehovah’s help in keeping his heart right, and his eyes open, and his resolve firm not to accept of their festivities—either their anointing oil for his head or their dainties for his palate—he could calmly hope to pass by the danger unharmed.

Perhaps it may, without presumption, be allowable to submit in conclusion,—that the dating by some eminent critics of the composition of this psalm within that period of David’s life covered by the revolt of Absalom, utterly fails to find foothold in the first stanza of the psalm. The fundamental presupposition furnished by that stanza is by no means thereby met. No such critical danger at that time attached to any words which might fall from David’s lips: no emissaries were waiting to run and report them to Absalom; and, if there had been, Absalom had not yet obtained any power to avenge them. By throwing the scene back to the days of Saul, all is changed; and the feasibility of thus obtaining a suitable situation to call forth the psalm is so patent as to render inexcusable the resort of some critics to a post-exilic period, and the violent expedient of turning the suppliant of the psalm into a nation. Leave the individualistic feature of the psalm intact; and the nation can then help itself by appropriating its own condition whatever it finds likely to contribute to its edification.

“Thou art my refuge”

A Maschil of David; A prayer, when he was in the cave

Psalms 142:1-7

Psalms 142 : As the superscription indicates, David’s distress this time is the dogged pursuit by his enemies. “When he was in the cave” could refer the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1-2), or En-gedi (1 Samuel 24:1-7). After presenting his lament (Psalms 142:1-4), David lifts up his petition (Psalms 142:5-6), and promises his thanksgiving when God answers (Psalms 142:7).

Psalms 142:1-7 : Under the same circumstances as (Psalms 57; according to the superscription), David recounted his desperate days hiding in the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1), while Saul sought him to take his life (1 Sam. chapters 18 to 24). It appears that David’s situation, for the moment at least, seems hopeless without God’s intervention. Psalms 91 provides the truths that bring the solution.

I. Cry of David (Psalms 142:1-2);

II. Circumstances of David (Psalms 142:3-4);

III. Confidence of David (Psalms 142:5-7).

Psalms 142:1-2 : David’s description of loneliness could be anyone’s: he is disoriented, deserted, depressed, and defeated. His first step toward healing was “I cried unto the LORD”, to the God of heaven, his Maker. Too many times, the devout come to God with their pious platitudes while, deep down, they are desperately hurting. Yet it is never too late to share the cries of the heart with the One who knows us best.

Psalms 142:1 " I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication."

With the voice of his soul, in the language of his mind, mentally, as Moses and Hannah cried unto the Lord when no voice was heard. Or articulate sounds expressed, since this prayer was put up to the Lord in the cave where Saul was. Though it might have been delivered before he came into it, while he and his men were at the mouth of it, which threw David into this distress. Besides the cave was so large as to hold David and his six hundred men without being seen by Saul. And who could discourse together, as David and his men did, without being heard by Saul while he was in it. And so, this psalm or prayer might be spoken vocally, though he was there.

"With my voice unto the Lord did I make, my supplication": The same thing in other words. Crying" is explained by making "supplication". Which is praying to the Lord in a humble manner for grace and mercy, and not pleading merit and worthiness.

It seems that this was a time in David’s life, when the only help he could depend on was the Lord. Notice the word "voice" is spoken twice. This prayer was not a whisper, nor even a silent prayer. This was a loud cry to the Lord.

Psalms 142:2 "I poured out my complaint before him; I showed before him my trouble."

Not a complaint of the Lord and of his providences, but of himself. Of his sins, and particularly his unbelief. And also of them that persecuted and afflicted him. Which he "poured" out from the abundance of his heart, and in the bitterness of his soul. Denoting the fullness of his prayer, his freedom in it, the power and fervency of it, and which he left before the Lord, and submitted to his will (see Psalms 102:1).

"I showed before him my trouble": The present trouble he was in, being pursued and surrounded by Saul and his army. Not as if the Lord was ignorant of it, and did not see and observe it, but to affect his own soul with it. To exercise grace under it, and ease his burdened and distressed mind. The best of men have their troubles both within and without, and the way to be rid of them is to carry them to the Lord.

David is not speaking this complaint against God, but against the condition of his circumstances. Look with me at a Scripture where Jesus was telling the disciples that God already knew what their needs were, even before they asked.

Matthew 6:8 "Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him."

The Lord was already aware of the problem, before David spoke, but sometimes it is good to pray and relate the problem to Him, so that we can know for sure He is aware.

Psalms 142:3 "When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me."

“My spirit was overwhelmed” means that David’s spirit was “muffled”, his spirit so wrapped up in gloom that he had lost his way, his powers of judgment gone. While David felt overwhelmed, he took comfort that God understood. All believers can say the same to God: “Thou knewest”.

Sometimes the problems overwhelm us, and we get down in our spirit. The Lord knew just exactly where he was. Even though the enemy had set a trap, the Lord would keep him from being caught in that trap.

Psalms 142:4 "I looked on [my] right hand, and beheld, but [there was] no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul."

“No man”: It appears to David that he has been totally abandoned.

David’s lonely words express his feeling of total abandonment, rejection and isolation. Hunted by Saul, abandoned by some of his friends, surrounded by the outlaws of the world, David felt alone.

This is true. When you are down and about out, no man does care for your soul. God is the only one who cares many times, when things are so bad. Even those we call our friends, are sometimes fair-weather friends. In time of trouble, they are nowhere to be found. The right hand, here, being the favored side, would be speaking of a friend. No one wanted to take the chance of getting in trouble himself by hiding David.

Psalms 142:5 "I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou [art] my refuge [and] my portion in the land of the living."

“Thou art my refuge”: A frequent claim in the psalms (compare Psalms 7:1; 11:1; 16:1; 18:2; 25:20; 31:1; 46:1; 57:1; 61:3; 62:7; 91:2: 94:22; 141:8; 143:9; 144:2).

When God’s people set their problems aside so that He may move to the center, they discover him as their “portion and refuge”. Problems begin to fade when He has prominence.

When there is no help around, then it is time to call on God. When David cried out to God, he immediately said, Thou art my refuge. He suddenly realized that God would take care of him, even in this terrible situation. To me in the last part of the statement above, he is saying, if You want me to live O God, no one can take my life. My life is in You. If God was his refuge, he did not need others to take his part. He was a majority with God on his side.

Psalms 142:6 "Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I."

Give ear to me when I cry to thee. Do not turn away and refuse to hear me.

"For I am brought very low": I am reduced greatly. I am made very poor. The language would be applicable to one who had been in better circumstances, and who had been brought down to a condition of danger, of poverty, of want. It is language which is commonly applied to poverty.

"Deliver me from my persecutors": Saul and his followers.

"For they are stronger than I": More in number; better armed; better suited for battle.

Send me the Deliverer. We read how God heard the cry of Jacob’s children in Egypt, and sent Moses to deliver them. This is the very same type of plea here. He is saying, I am so low, I cannot help myself. I must depend entirely upon You. They were out to kill David. David was aware the only One who could deliver him was God. When we get to the point that we cannot help ourselves, it is time to call upon God. This is when He comes to our rescue.

Psalms 142:7 "Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me."

“Prison”: The cave in which David was hidden.

Too often people want to go straight to this verse without going through the preceding six verses. David moved from crying to God in despair to confidence in God’s ability to make everything right: God would deal “bountifully” with him.

David was in hiding, but it was a prison to him, because he could not openly praise the Lord the way he wanted to. He was down in his soul, because of the circumstances surrounding him. When a person receives deliverance for their soul, they do shout praises to their Deliverer. When someone is delivered from the depths of despair, true believers gather around and rejoice with them. David knows that God had blessed him in the past, and he knows that this will be no different here. The last statement is a vote of confidence in God.

PSALM 142

EXPOSITION

This psalm triumphantly vindicates its library head-line, both as to author and as to occasion. The slandering of David to his master had already done its deadly work, and probably led to previous flights from Saul’s presence. But now, to slanders, have succeeded flatteries, and deep-laid schemes to involve David in conspiracy, as revealed in the previous psalm. To aggravate the perils of David’s position, Jonathan seems to have been absent from Court, probably sent on some expedition which kept him away from Saul’s right-hand, and deprived David of the one friend at Court on whom he could rely. Under these circumstances, David—no doubt with a chosen band of men around him—betook him to flight: this time probably to the caves of En-gedi (1 Samuel 24), if we may assume that his resort to the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22) had fallen earlier in his chequered career. It is surprising how thoroughly this psalm yields up its varied contents to our apprehension when once it is let into a situation substantially such as is thus indicated. Each stanza contributes something to the verisimilitude of the whole.

Stanza I. is a mere prelude, but at once affords a contrast to the extreme caution in prayer revealed in the foregoing psalm. That prayer, we may well believe, was uttered, not only in circumspect words, but in subdued tones; but the caution of that prayer now gives place to the abandon of this, and twice over we are assured that this psalm was uttered aloud. Far away among the south-eastern hills, interned in the far-reaching caves of En-gedi (according to Del., “such a labyrinthin maze of passages and vaults, that the torches and ropes of explorers have not to the present time been able to reach the end”), his faithful scouts ready to give him warning of the least appearance of danger, the psalmist could here sweep his strings with a will and plainly reveal in words the varying moods of his deeply exercised mind.

Stanza II. records from the recent past a violence of mental disturbance consistent with an instinctive and almost unreasoned but strong concentration of resolve, taking the short form: “Not treason, but flight.” That plot was too infamous for parleying: flight only could be trusted to parry the insidious blow.

Stanza III. strikingly suggests, that, if only Jonathan had been at his father’s right-hand, the extremity of flight might have been averted, or at least postponed. Who, that remained, cared for the Bethlehemite’s life?

Stanza IV., which gives meaning to the flight, suggests, by its unexpected brevity, the connecting link between the past and the present in the form of an unexpressed sequel, furnishing a strong lead up to what is to follow: As much as to say: “My flight, O Jehovah, is into thine own arms: because thou art my refuge, I thus take refuge in thee; because thou art my portion in the land of the living, my trust is, that I shall not find these caves to be the caves of death: therefore am I here.”

Stanza V. picks up the thread. Companions in arms cause their leader anxious care. Among rocks and caves, provisions soon run short. Of this, David is well aware; and his trust is in Jehovah for his men as well as himself. But the emergency is great, and prayer becomes a piercing cry; for, says the careful commander, I am brought very low. Besides, discovery by Saul’s soldiers might mean unequal battle or renewed flight. Rescue me from my pursuers, for they are stronger than I. All is vivid: realistic. This is no child’s play. These are not dreams.

But Stanza VI. reminds us that, in this prolonged conflict, great moral issues are at stake. Saul stands for force and self-will: David, for faith and the will of Jehovah. “The poet’s way of looking at his own fate and that of his enemies in a not merely ideal, but in a divinely ordained causal, connection with the general end of the two powers that are opposed to one another in the world, is one of the characteristic features of the Psalms of David written at the time of his persecution by Saul”—Del. Hence, in passing, the importance of holding fast the true Davidic origin of these psalms; hence moreover, the cogency of the reminder, in this final stanza, that David is being Divinely enabled to grasp the issues involved. Not without a struggle, but with it; not without prayer, but with it and through it, does David here rise to the assurance that he shall yet be brought out of this Dungeon, for such literally it is; that, for his deliverance, he will give thanks unto Jehovah’s name; and that the righteous, who, though conspicuous by their absence from Saul’s Court, are nevertheless to be found scattered throughout the land, shall joyfully acknowledge how bountifully Jehovah hath dealt with the hero who is now leading them on to the abiding victory of faith and patience.

“Teach me to do thy will”

A Psalm of David.

Psalms 143:1-12

Psalms 143: Again David is beset by enemies, and again he knows to whom he must turn. After addressing the Lord (Psalms 143:1-2), he pours out his lament (Psalms 143:3-6), recalls God’s help in former distresses (Psalms 143:5), and offers his petition to the only One who can correct the matter (Psalms 143:6-12). The pressing nature of his request is revealed clearly in the 11 entreaties directed to God in the final six verses.

Psalms 143:1-12 : No specific background is known for this Davidic psalm which is the final penitential psalm (compare Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130).

I. David’s Passion (Psalms 143:1-2);

II. David’s Predicament (Psalms 143:3-6);

III. David’s Plea (Psalms 143:7-12).

Psalms 143:1 "Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, [and] in thy righteousness."

“Faithfulness … righteousness”: David fervently appeals to God’s character.

I love the fact that David said, in thy faithfulness answer me. He did not say according to my faithfulness. God’s faithfulness is perfect. By saying hear and give ear, it shows how earnest he is in wanting God to hear his request. David does not claim any righteousness on his own, he speaks of God’s righteousness.

Psalms 143:2 "And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified."

“No man living be justified”: David admits his own unrighteousness and realizes that if he is to be delivered for righteousness’ sake (compare 143:11), it will be because of God’s righteousness, not his own.

David is just like all of us. He does not want justice from God, he wants mercy. He knows that we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Jesus Christ justified each of us with his shed blood for us.

Acts 13:39 "And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."

Romans 3:20 "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law [is] the knowledge of sin."

Our justification (just as if we had never sinned), is in the Lord Jesus. Our only hope is that He justified us Himself.

Psalms 143:3 "For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead."

Has persecuted me; has sought my life.

"He hath smitten my life down to the ground": He has, as it were, trampled me down to the earth. The word rendered "smitten" means to break in pieces. To beat small, to crush (see Psalms 72:4; Psalms 89:10; Job 6:9). His very life seemed to be crushed out as one that is trodden down to the ground.

"He hath made me to dwell in darkness": He has made my life like that of one who dwells in darkness. He has made it a life of sorrow, so that I have no comfort, no light.

"As those that have been long dead": A similar expression occurs in (Lamentations 3:6). "He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old." The same Hebrew words are used. The word rendered "long" means, age, duration, eternity (Psalms 139:24). The idea here is, that his condition was like that of those who had been long in their graves. Who had long since ceased to see any light. Whose abode was utter and absolute gloom.

Just like David, our enemies are trying to destroy us anyway they can. The greatest adversary that we have is the devil. He does get you down so far that you are in a hole looking up. Satan will keep you down and even dead if he can. The thing that does away with all this darkness and gloom is the Light of Jesus.

Psalms 143:4 "Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate."

Covered over with grief, borne down with sorrow, ready to sink and fail (see notes on Psalms 142:3).

"My heart within me is desolate": Destitute of the spirit and presence of God, and with respect to the exercise of grace, and filled with fears and misgivings": Or "astonished", at the providence he was under. Like one stunned and filled with sore amazement, not knowing what to make of things, or what the issue of them would be. So David’s antitype was "sore amazed" in the garden, when his troubles and agonies came upon him (Mark 14:33).

David is so down because the enemy has overwhelmed his spirit. To be so low and depressed would nearly break your heart.

Psalms 143:5 "I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands."

Former times he had read and heard of, in which the Lord appeared for his people that trusted in him. Or the former part of his own life, his younger days, when the Lord delivered him from the lion and bear. And from the uncircumcised Philistine, whom he slew. And made him victorious in battles, and preserved him from the rage and malice of Saul. If this was written on account of Absalom, those times of deliverance he called to mind, in order to encourage his faith and hope, and cheer his drooping spirits.

"I meditate on all thy works, I muse on the work of thy hands”: The works of creation and providence, in order to observe the instances of divine power, wisdom, and goodness in them. And from thence fetch arguments, to engage his trust and confidence in the Lord. He both thought of these things within himself, and he "talked" of them to his friends that were with him, as the last of these words used may signify. And all this he did to cheer his own spirit, and the spirits of the men that were with him, in the time of distress and danger.

The comfort that he has, is in remembering the great things that God has done in the past. There is only one thing that can be good about looking back and that is in a learning process. This is what David is doing here. He is building up his most holy faith by remembering the wonderful things of God from the past.

Psalms 143:6 "I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul [thirsteth] after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah."

“A thirsty land”: As a drought-struck land yearns for life-giving water, so persecuted David longs for his life-giving Deliverer.

I discussed in a previous lesson how it is very important to have the palms of our hands open when we reach out to God. This is a way of drinking in the things that the Lord has for us. He can not give you anything is your fists are clenched. If you hunger and thirst after righteousness you shall be filled.

Psalms 143:7 "Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit."

“Thy face”: An anthropomorphism picturing God’s attention to the psalmist’s plight.

David thinks here that his life is slipping away. He must have help soon, or he will die before the help comes. Not only is this speaking of physical death, but spiritual despair as well.

Psalms 143:8-10 : Three times David prays for guidance. “The way wherein I should walk” references his individual calling. “Teach me to do thy will” settle priorities, making the goal not self-fulfillment but pleasing God and finishing His work. “Lead me” are words of humility from one who knows his need of shepherding, not merely, of having the right way pointed out to him.

Psalms 143:8 "Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee."

The voice of thy lovingkindness, or thy mercy and favor. Permit me to hear thee addressing me in the language of kindness, and with the assurances of mercy.

"In the morning": Early; speedily; with the first rays of the morning. Let it be, as it were, the first thing in the day; the first thing that is done. The idea is not that he would wait for another day, but that he would interpose as the very first act, as when one enters on a day (see the notes at Psalms 46:5). Where the margin is, when the morning appears. Hebrew, In the faces of the morning.

"For in thee do I trust": I have no other confidence or ground of reliance; but I have confidence in thee.

"Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk": The safe way; the way in which I may find safety (see the notes at Psalms 5:8).

David is asking here, to know the will of God for his life. The darkest hour is just before the dawn. The lovingkindness of the Lord would cause all this gloom to fade away. David has promised that he will walk in the will of the Lord, if he just knew what the will of the Lord was.

Psalms 143:9 "Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me."

Either Saul and his courtiers, or Absalom and the conspirators along with him. Who were many, and lively and strong, stronger than he. And therefore God only could deliver him, and to him he sought for it, and not to men. And so deliverance from spiritual enemies is only from the Lord.

"I flee unto thee to hide me": From their rage and fury. Who was the only asylum or place of refuge for him, where he could be safe. It may be rendered, "with thee have I hid"; that is, myself.

The Lord is our hiding place. He is saying, after you have delivered me, keep me hidden in you so that they will not be able to find me again.

Psalms 143:10 "Teach me to do thy will; for thou [art] my God: thy spirit [is] good; lead me into the land of uprightness."

“Thy Spirit”: Refers to the Holy Spirit (compare Psalms 51:11; Psalms 139:7; see note on Psalms 51:11).

I have said so often in these lessons; how important it is to do the will of the Lord. We cannot do the will of the Lord, unless we know what that will is. David is asking God to teach him how to do God’s will. The very best way to learn to do the will of God is to study His Word (Bible), and pray that the Holy Spirit will teach you more fully what the Scriptures are saying to you. God has a perfect plan for each of our lives. To be truly happy in our life, we must learn what that will is and then fulfill God’s will in our lives.

Psalms 143:11 "Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble."

“For thy name’s sake”: David appeals to God’s benefit and honor, not his own (compare Psalms 23:3; Psalms 31:3; Psalms 79:9).

Jesus is the Quickening Spirit which brings new life in the spirit. The breath of life is a gift from God. The gift of new life is from the very same place. This is new life that David is asking for. It will not only be good for David to give him new life, but it will show the world the mercy and love that comes through new life in Jesus.

Psalms 143:12 "And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I [am] thy servant."

“Thy servant”: To attack God’s servant is to attack God, thus bringing God to the rescue.

David declares his loyalty to the Lord, when he says he is God’s servant. He is just asking God to stop his enemies from destroying him

PSALM 143

EXPOSITION

This psalm is obviously an advance upon the previous. The psalmist is still dwelling in dark places; but his continued hiding among the rocks leads him to compare himself with the ancient dead, forgotten of their old associates. The protraction of this state of things brings peculiar trials and special exercises of mind. It is one thing to take flight from foes, and put forth those active powers of mind which are roused to meet emergencies as they arise; but quite another thing to remain for some time in banishment. When long-looked-for deliverance is delayed, the most heroic may become impatient; and a more leisurely consideration of the causes and ends of protracted trial may favour an anxious weighing of problems not before pondered. It is evident that David found it so; and, accordingly, this psalm gives tokens of the stress and strain upon his mind; and, amidst the overhanging gloom, freshness of thought is seen in exercise, grappling with old problems in new forms and pondering questions not before considered.

Stanza I. of this psalm urges pleas which have not quite lately come before us; and one, besides, which, when let into David’s living and connected history, may be regarded as newly projected into his experience. In other words, the pleas that Jehovah would be faithful and righteous in delivering his servant, may on reflection be recognised as forms of thought with which the psalter has already made us familiar. Even when blessings sought originate in purest favour, as soon as they are held forth in promises, the holder of the promises may plead with Jehovah to be “faithful” to his word. And where, as in David’s case in contrast with that of Saul, loyal devotion is regarded as putting Jehovah to the test, to sustain the devotion he himself has called into exercise, even a humble petitioner may wax bold to remind Jehovah of his “righteousness,” as a reason for not failing to rescue him from trials which fidelity has occasioned. So far we readily recall reflections which make us feel to be on familiar ground.

It is true that the sense of sin which shrinks from the severity of Divine justice is, in like manner, not at all a new concept to the student of the psalter; for this is only the last of a series of penitential psalms. But the point of our present reflection is, that, though last in the order of place in the book, this penitential psalm is probably the first in the order of experience in the life of the psalmist—so far as we can judge. David is yet a young man. The great and deplorable sins of his later life have not yet cast their shadows over his soul. But here, in the gloom of the rocks amongst which he is hiding, the seeming delay of Jehovah to deliver him, drives him into himself with such heart-searching as to draw from him the protest, that, when all comes to all, no one living can appear just before a holy and heart-searching God. It is well to note this psychological moving force, in estimating the contribution which the psalter makes to our knowledge of the human soul and Jehovah’s general dealings with the consciences of men.

Stanza II. sharply recalls us to the actual world in which David lived. To all appearance, his foe, Saul—of whom it would be pedantic not to think in this connection—has the upper hand of him: it is he who is crushing his life to the earth and driving him to hide in these dark places. At times his courage forsakes him: his mind is bewildered. Was it for this that he had been anointed of Samuel; for this, that the Spirit of Sacred Minstrelsy had so oft and so mightily come upon him?

Stanza III. widens our outlook: it reveals the banished young soldier as a man of meditation. How many of its treasures Sacred History had laid at his feet we know not; but a sufficient selection of them, evidently, to enable him to remember the days of aforetime. Some familiarity with the contents of the Book of Exodus, would warrant him to say to Jehovah—I have talked to myself of all thy doings; and a similar general knowledge of the story of Genesis, complemented as it must have been by his own open-air observations of nature by day and by night, would naturally prepare him to add—On the works of Thy hands I soliloquise. With oriental proneness to gesture in devotion, and with a shepherd’s alertness to observe when a land wants water and how barren it is without it,—his meditations prompt his prayers as he adds—I have spread out my hands unto thee, my soul is like a weary land for thee. Very natural—if the devoutness was there, to awaken his thoughts and unseal his lips.

We may not be too sure that the mysterious word Selah, which our sign represents, has yet yielded up its secret; but, assuming, as our sign by its form is intended to suggest, that it somehow has practically the effect of at once pointing backwards and forwards, as if to say, “These things being so, then note well what follows,” we are entitled to note how suggestive is the translation which is now made in the psalm (Cp. Intro., Chap. III., “Selah”). All, so far, may be regarded as preliminary; but now, with rapid movements of desire, petition follows petition, at the rate of two per verse, to the very end of the psalm,—which, therefore, we have not cared to subdivide: Haste thee answer me—do not hide—let me hear—let me know—rescue—teach—lead—revive—bring forth—exterminate—destroy: each petition being sustained by a cogent reason why it should be granted; and all wound up with the crowning reason, which explains so much: because I am Thy servant. There are several salient points in this volley of petitions: among which should be noted the firm grip taken of facts, for, to all seeming, David and his men were at death’s door; the care with which conduct is placed under Divine direction—“Shall I go further away? remain where I am? or hope shortly to return?” Let me know the way wherein I should walk; and the facility with which the psalmist’s mind ascends to the high level of Divine teaching, which, under the circumstances, cannot mean less than—“So may thy spirit influence my spirit, that my ways, in the whole scope and drift of them, may please thee; and I meanwhile may find the way of Duty to be plain and accessible.” For the most startling thing of all, we are by this time measurably prepared: To David’s quick vision, it by this time began plainly to appear, that either he or Saul must be slain. How far he was, by word or deed, from himself moving a finger to slay Saul; how far from tolerating the doing of the deadly deed by others; all this we well know. All the same, as surely as he knew he was Jehovah’s servant, and his cause Jehovah’s cause, so surely is now borne in upon him the conviction, irresistibly intensified into a prayer: And in Thy kindness wilt thou exterminate my foes, and destroy all the adversaries of my soul, because I am thy servant. Let no man repeat this prayer until he is as sure as David was that no other issue is possible. Nevertheless, let no man shrink from appropriating and administering the spiritual tonic consisting in the assurance, soon to come before us in the most benevolent and sympathetic of Spiritual Songs: Jehovah preserveth all them who love Him—but all the lawless He destroyeth.

“I will sing a new song”

A [Psalm] of David.

Psalms 144:1-15

Psalms 144 : This royal psalm appears to be a compilation from other psalms (8, 18, 33, 102 – 104; but mainly 18). This is not unusual, since a portion from one psalm may be readily excised and adapted for a different usage. In general, the psalm may be described as the prayer of a king for victory and blessing. The call to God (Psalms 144:1-4), expresses both David’s trust (Psalms 144:1-2), and his human weakness (Psalms 144:3-4). Having placed himself in a position of dependency, he is then prepared to offer his petition for divine retaliation against his enemies (Psalms 144:5-8), his own promise of thanksgiving (Psalms 144:9), his petition for victory (Psalms 144:10-11), and his petition for the blessing of the people (Psalms 144:12-15).

Psalms 144:1-15 : This Davidic psalm, in part (Psalms 144:1-8), is very similar to (Psalms 18:1-15). It could be that this psalm was written under the same kind of circumstances as the former, i.e., on the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul (compare 2 Samuel 22:1-18).

I. God’s Greatness (Psalms 144:1-2);

II. Man’s Insignificance (Psalms 144:3-4);

III. God’s Power (Psalms 144:5-8);

IV. Man’s Praise (Psalms 144:9-10);

V. God’s Blessing (Psalms 144:11-15).

Psalms 144:1 "Blessed [be] the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, [and] my fingers to fight:"

“My strength”: David’s foundation is God, solid and unshakeable (Psalms 19:14; Psalms 31:3; Psalms 42:9; Psalms 62:2; Psalms 71:3; Psalms 89:26; Psalms 92:15; Psalms 95:1).

“Teacheth my hand to war”: David lived in the days of Israel’s theocracy, not the New Testament church. God empowered the king to subdue His enemies.

My strength, my Rock, my salvation; Bless the Lord who brings this to me. David knows where his strength came from to fight the good fight of faith. Hands show ability to work. In this, it appears it is the ability to fight the enemies of David, who are also the enemies of God. The fingers are more detailed than just mentioning the hand, so this would possibly have to do with skill, as well as ability.

Psalms 144:2 "My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and [he] in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me."

God provided 6 benefits:

(1) Loving-kindness;

(2) A fortress;

(3) A stronghold;

(4) A deliverer;

(5) A shield; and

(6) A refuge.

These are showing the character of the Lord. He is goodness to the extreme. Notice that David uses the word “my” in connection with each of these traits. David is fully aware that the victory he has experienced, is through the Lord. He says, I trusted Him and He came through for me. It is the Lord, through David, who subdued the enemy.

Psalms 144:3-4 : Eternal God is contrasted with short-lived man (compare Psalms 8:4).

Psalms 144:3 "LORD, what [is] man, that thou takest knowledge of him! [or] the son of man, that thou makest account of him!"

Man, that is at most and best but a creature, made of the dust of the earth, is but dust and ashes. Yea, a sinful creature, that drinks up iniquity like water. And yet the Lord not only knows him, as he is the omniscient God, but takes notice of him in a way of providence, and in a way of grace. His chosen people are no other nor better than others, of the same original, and of the same character. And yet he owns and acknowledges them as his peculiar people, and makes himself known unto them. And so it is rendered by the Septuagint version, "that thou shouldest be known unto him?" Or, "appear to him?" as the Arabic. Reveal thyself to him, not only by the light of nature and works of creation, but in Christ. And by the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.

"Or the son of man, that thou makest account of him?" As the Lord does, especially of some of the sons of men. Whom he reckons as his portion and inheritance, his jewels and peculiar treasure, and who are as dear to him as the apple of his eye. Whom he "magnifies" (as in Job 7:17). And makes them kings and priests. Raises them from the dunghill, and sets them among princes, to inherit the throne of glory. On whom he sets his heart, and loves them with an everlasting love: or, "that thou shouldest think of him?" Thoughts of peace, and not of evil. So as to provide a Savior for men, and send down the Spirit of his Son into their hearts to quicken them. So as to bless them with all spiritual blessings, and at last to glorify them. David no doubt had a special respect to himself. And wondered at the goodness of God to him, in taking him from a family of little or no account. From a mean employ, from a shepherd’s cottage, and raising him to the throne of Israel. And especially in making him a partaker of grace, and an heir of glory (see Psalms 8:4; which is applied to Christ, Hebrews 2:6).

Now we see a strong contrast between what David has just said about God and man. There really is no comparison. Man is God’s creation. That is why He is mindful of man. God made man in His image. That is another reason He is mindful of man. God wants a family composed of man, that is even another reason God is mindful of man. Man is made a little lower than the angels. He is the end of God’s creation. God made the world, and all that is in it, for man. Then to ask me what is man in comparison with God? There is no comparison possible. God is the ultimate in intelligence, in power, in wisdom, in understanding, in goodness, in mercy, and in ability. Man is the least in all of these same things. The only greatness that man has is in association with God. We have been made His sons through the shed blood of His only begotten Son.

Psalms 144:4 "Man is like to vanity: his days [are] as a shadow that passeth away."

Is vanity itself, in every age, state, and condition. Yea, in his best estate (Psalms 39:5). Or, "to the breath" of the mouth, as Kimchi. Which is gone as soon as seen almost. Or, to a vapor; to which the life of man is compared (James 4:14).

"His days are as a shadow that passeth away": As the former denotes the frailty and mortality of man, this the shortness of his duration. His days fleeing away, and of no more continuance than the shadow cast by the sun, which presently declines and is gone.

He is but an allusion. Man’s life on this earth is but a vapor, and gone.

Psalms 144:5-8 : Highly figurative language is used to portray God as the heavenly warrior who comes to fight on earth on behalf of David against God’s enemies.

Psalms 144:5 "Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke."

Come to my aid "as if" the heavens were bent down. Come down with all thy majesty and glory (see the notes at Psalms 18:9). "He bowed down the heavens also, and came down." What it is there declared that the Lord "had" done, he is here implored to do again.

"Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke (see the notes at Psalms 104:32). "He toucheth the hills, and they smoke." It is there affirmed as a characteristic of God that he "does" this. Here the psalmist prays that, as this belonged to God, or was in his power, he "would" do it in his behalf. The prayer is, that God would come to his relief "as if" in smoke and tempest, in the fury of the storm.

At the mere presence of God, even the mountain smokes. The heavens, the earth, the sea, and all of God’s creation is at His command. If He says, bow, they must bow.

Psalms 144:6 "Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them."

The mountains, the kings and kingdoms of the earth. The enemies of David, and of Christ, and of his people. Particularly the Jews, who have been scattered all over the earth by the judgments of God upon them. Cast forth like lightning, which is swift, piercing, penetrating, and destructive.

"Shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them": Or, "trouble them"; as the Targum, Septuagint, and Arabic versions, nearer to the Hebrew. These also design the sore judgments of God. The arrows of famine, pestilence, and sword. Which fly swiftly, pierce deeply, cut sharply, and, like fiery darts, give great pain and trouble. So Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret them of the decrees which come down from heaven. As Aben Ezra does (Psalms 144:5). And by "arrows" the thunderbolt, which he calls a stone hardened in the air like iron.

As terrible as the weapons are that our country has accumulated to fight a war, they would be nothing compared to the weapons at God’s disposal. Even the lightning moves at His command. The volcano erupts, when He commands. The earth Quakes at His command. It would be of no consequence at all for the Lord to destroy all on the earth. He created them, He could destroy them, by just speaking the Word.

Psalms 144:7 "Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;"

Margin, as in Hebrew, "hands" (see the notes at Psalms 18:16). "He sent from above."

"Rid me, and deliver me out of great waters": Thus (Psalms 18:16). "He took me; he drew me out of many waters." As God had done it once, there was ground for the prayer that he would do it yet again.

"From the hand of strange children": Strangers. Strangers to thee; strangers to thy people, foreigners (see Psalms 54:3). "For strangers are risen up against me." The language would properly imply that at the time referred to in the psalm he was engaged in a warfare with foreign enemies. Who they were, we have no means now of ascertaining.

God, with all this power, can certainly destroy a few enemies of David. The strange children mean people of other nations. The great waters, symbolize large groups of people.

Psalms 144:8 "Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand [is] a right hand of falsehood."

Vain words, lies, flatteries, and deceit (Psalms 12:2). When they speak loftily of themselves, and contemptuously of others. When they deliver out threatenings against some, and make fair promises to others. It is all vanity, and comes to nothing.

"And their right hand is a right hand of falsehood": Their strength and power to perform what they boast of, threaten, or promise, is fallacious. Is mere weakness, and cannot effect anything. Or their treaties, contracts, and covenants, they enter into and sign with their right hand, are not kept by them. They act the treacherous and deceitful part. Whether they lifted up the hand to pray, or to swear. Or gave it to covenant with, to make contracts and agreements. Or stretched it out to work with; it was a right hand of falsehood.

The right hand has to do with the spiritual blessings and is the hand of preferential treatment. The Hebrews that received the right hand inheritance were granted twice the blessings as ordinary. Those who speak vanity here, are liars. Their hand that should be such a blessing, was instead a curse.

Psalms 144:9 "I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery [and] an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee."

“A new song”: A song of victory that celebrates deliverance/salvation (compare Psalms 33:3; Psalms 40:3; Psalms 96:1; Psalms 98:1; Psalms 144:9; Psalms 149:1; Revelation 5:9; Revelation 14:3).

He has jumped from these who deal in falsehood to the fact that he stands for truth. These praises that David will sing, will be a happy song of redemption. He is so happy, that he will accompany himself on the 10 stringed instrument. Whatever he is speaking of could be similar to our guitar.

Psalms 144:10 "[It is he] that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword."

“David” only mentions his own name in two psalms (18:50). Here he used it to highlight some of the ways he personally experienced God’s protection.

Salvation for everyone is received in the very same way, whether you are a king, or a peasant. It is a free gift from God by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. This same Savior of the king is the very same One who delivered David.

Psalms 144:11 "Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand [is] a right hand of falsehood:"

This is repeated from (Psalms 144:7); and is done to show the vehemence and importunity of the request, and the danger David was in. And his sense of it (see notes on Psalms 144:7).

"Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood" (see notes on Psalms 144:8).

The deliverer will be the One to do this for David as well. These foreigners who are liars, and who bring curses, instead of blessings are the ones David wants to be rid of.

Psalms 144:12 "That our sons [may be] as plants grown up in their youth; [that] our daughters [may be] as corner stones, polished [after] the similitude of a palace:"

“Sons … daughters”: God’s rescue of David’s kingdom from foreigners would bring blessing on families.

“Polished after the similitude” may include either good looks or regal stature or both.

This to me, is speaking of the training and upbringing of the boys as a tree planted. It must grow straight and strong in its youth, if it is to be the upright strong rooted plant, or tree that it should be. Jesus is the chief Corner Stone. This mention of the girls as corner stones means that they are to secure the walls together. They help to hold the framework of the palace together. The fact that they are polished would mean that they are pretty to look upon, while being useful to holding the home, or palace together.

Psalms 144:13-14 : “Garners … sheep … oxen”: Blessing would also come to the agricultural efforts.

Psalms 144:13 "[That] our garners [may be] full, affording all manner of store: [that] our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets:"

That our fields may yield abundance, so that our granaries may be always filled.

"Affording all manner of store": Margin, "From kind to kind." Hebrew, "From sort to sort;" that is, every sort or kind of produce or grain. All, in variety, that is needful for the supply of man and beast.

"That our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands": A great part of the wealth of Palestine always consisted in flocks of sheep. And, from the earliest periods, not a few of the inhabitants were shepherds. This language, therefore, is used to denote national prosperity.

"In our streets": The Hebrew word used here means properly whatever is outside. What is out of doors or abroad, as opposed to what is within, as the inside of a house. And then, what is outside of a town, as opposed to what is within. It may, therefore, mean a street (Jeremiah 37:21; Job 18:17; Isaiah 5:25). And then the country, the fields, pastures, etc. (Job 5:10; Proverbs 8:26). Here it refers to the pastures; the fields; the commons.

Psalms 144:14 "[That] our oxen [may be] strong to labor; [that there be] no breaking in, nor going out; that [there be] no complaining in our streets."

To draw carriages, to plough with, and to tread out the corn. Or "may be burdened"; fit to carry burdens. Or burdened with flesh, be plump and fat, and in good condition to work; or burdened with young, as some understand it. And then it must be meant of cows, as the word is used (Deuteronomy 7:13). And so here an increase of kine is wished for, as of sheep before. Ministers of the word are compared to oxen for their patience in suffering, and their laboriousness in working (1 Corinthians 9:9; 1 Timothy 5:17). And happy is it for the churches of Christ when their ministers are laborious ones. Are strong to labor, and do labor, in the word and doctrine. Standing fast in the faith, and acquit themselves like men, and are strong.

"That there be no breaking in": Of the enemy into the land to invade it, into cities and houses to plunder and spoil them.

"Nor going out. Of the city to meet the enemy and fight with him, peace and not war is desirable. Or no going out of one’s nation into captivity into a foreign country, as Kimchi. Or no breaking in to folds and herds, and leading out and driving away cattle, to the loss of the owners thereof. Some understand both these of abortion, of any violent rupture of the womb, and an immature birth.

"That there be no complaining in our streets": On account of famine, pestilence, the sword, violence, and oppression. Or no crying, no mournful cry or howling and shrieking on account of the enemy being at hand, and just ready to enter in, or being there, killing, plundering, and spoiling.

This is speaking of abundant blessings that come from God alone. This is speaking of families who operate by God’s plan and have plenty from the labor of their hands. Even their oxen cooperate with the plan and work, not destroy.

Psalms 144:15 "Happy [is that] people, that is in such a case: [yea], happy [is that] people, whose God [is] the LORD."

Whose families are in good order and behave well. Who enjoy plenty of all good things. Whose flocks and herds increase, and who live in peace and prosperity. These are temporal blessings highly valuable, and for which those who have them should be thankful. As being happy in comparison of others that are destitute of them (Deuteronomy 28:3). And especially who besides these are blessed with spiritual blessings, signified by them, and of which these were typical.

"Yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord": Whose God is Yahweh. Who worship and serve Him as their God. The worship of Yahweh, the religion of Yahweh, is "adapted" to make a people happy; peaceful; quiet; and blessed. Prosperity and peace, such as are referred to in the previous verses, are, and must be, the result of pure religion. Peace, order, abundance, attend it everywhere. And the best security for a nation’s prosperity is the worship of God. That which is most certain to make a nation happy and blessed, is to acknowledge God and to keep his laws.

This just shows the happiness, peace, and joy that comes from following closely with the LORD.

PSALM 144

EXPOSITION

This psalm is manifestly both adapted and composite. It is seen to be adapted: inasmuch as Stanzas I. and II. are based upon Davidic psalms, altered to suit a later set of circumstances than those to which the original psalms applied; and inasmuch as these are followed by special petitions, in Stanzas III. and IV., directly springing out of those altered conditions. On the face of it, the psalm is composite; the Appendix speaking for itself, as being, both in form and substance, disjointed from what has gone before, couched in a wholly different vein, with no formal allusions to anything which has preceded it, and not. only disconnected, but clearly incomplete, having no introduction of its own: nevertheless a most pleasing and worthy Appendix, with a reason for its present position which the thoughtful mind can easily supply—as much as to say, “Only let our God answer our foregoing petitions, and then we may hope for the realisation of the happy state of things which the following extract so beautifully portrays.”

We need not hesitate long before concluding that, in all likelihood, King Hezekiah was the adapter—almost the author—of Psalms 144:1-11; inasmuch as the emergency which prompts the prayer is evidently caused by the presence of the foreigner in the land. Not even the gathering of the surrounding nations against Jehoshaphat so well meets the case; for the extreme annoyance and humiliation caused by the boastful mouth and the tyrannous right-hand of the enemy are far more like the experience due to a present and persistent invader like the Assyrians, than would be the mere gathering of Moab and Ammon, however alarming that gathering might be.

Assuming, then, that here we see the adapting hand of Hezekiah, it is only due to him to observe how wisely and well he has done his adapting work. If the reader of this Exposition will only have well in mind the sources indicated in our “Analysis” he will be able to to appreciate the verifying observations which follow, though briefly expressed.

In Stanza I., the compiler simply pours forth adorations which suggest that he has just been reading the great triumphal song of his ancestor which we know as Psalms 18 : adorations calculated to inspire confidence in the urgent petitions he is now about to urge.

In Stanza II., we have a singular combination of allusions, well befitting the humility of one who realises his personal littleness and unworthiness, in view of the largeness of the mercies for which he is about to ask.

In Stanza III., we come to petitions proper, the boldness of the figures of speech in which would surprise us, even though we know Hezekiah to be a poet, were it not that we can see he has been dwelling on the extraordinary imagery of the 18th Psalm: not exactly quoting its language, which indeed first appeared as thanksgiving for victories and deliverances already vouchsafed, but remoulding it into the form of present petitions to suit the existing dire emergency. As if conscious that he had been drawing largely on an “old” song, the writer longs to launch upon a new song; and instantly bounds into the present by recognising victories heretofore granted to kings, and the snatching away of David, his servant, from the hurtful sword,—a clear enough indication that it is not the language of David himself that we are now reading, but that of another, who finds inspiration in David’s memory.

“The Lord is gracious”

David’s [Psalm] of praise.

Psalms 145:1-21

Psalms 145 : This psalm is known for several distinguishing marks: it is the last acrostic psalm, the last Davidic psalm, the only psalm to be called a praise psalm in the superscription, and the first of the six great praise psalms that conclude the collection. While there is no logical flow of argument running from one psalm to another throughout the Psalter, all are agreed that Psalms 1 forms a fitting introduction and that these last six psalms constitute the most appropriate conclusion to the Psalter. After the characteristic call to praise (Psalms 145:1-2), David offers four key reasons to praise the Lord in the section called the cause for praise (Psalms 145:3-20). The Lord is great (Psalms 145:3), He is gracious and merciful (Psalms 145:8-9), He sustains all who fall (Psalms 145:14), and He is righteous in His ways and kind in His deeds (Psalms 145:17). The conclusion is a renewal of the call to praise (Psalms 145:21).

Psalms 145:1-21 : David penned this most exquisite conclusion to his 75 psalms in the Psalter. Here, the king of Israel extols and celebrates the King of Eternity for who He is, what He has done, and what He has promised. Not only rich in content, this psalm also duplicates a majestic acrostic design using the 22 letters of the Hebrew Alphabet. Psalms 145 begins the great crescendo of praise that completes the psalter and might be called “The Final Hallel” (Psalms 145-150).

I. Commitment to Praise (Psalms 145:1-2);

II. God’s Awesome Greatness (Psalms 145:3-7);

III. God’s Great Grace (Psalms 145:8-13);

IV. God’s Unfailing Faithfulness (Psalms 145:14-16);

V. God’s Unblemished Righteousness (Psalms 145:17-20);

VI. Recommitment/Exhortation to Praise (Psalms 145:21).

Psalms 145:1 "I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever."

“My God, O king”: David, king of Israel, recognized God as his sovereign (compare Psalms 5:2; Psalms 84:3).

This is not just a casual statement here, but is a statement of determination on the part of David. We see a new name added to the ones that David has been speaking of God in the last few chapters. Now David is calling Him King. The praising of the Lord sometimes just does not seem to be enough. David is determining in his heart to not only praise the Lord, but bless Him as well. In naming Him King, David has recognized His power and authority.

Psalms 145:2 "Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever."

For new mercies had every morning; for fresh supplies of grace every day. Which all come from the fullness of Christ, to whom all grace is given, and from whence it is received. And in whom all spiritual blessings are, and by whom they are bestowed.

"And I will praise thy name for ever and ever": As long as he lived in this world, and to all eternity in the world to come. David understood the doctrine of the saints’ perseverance, and knew he should not be an apostate and blasphemer of the name of Christ, but to praise Him as long as he had a being. And that his principal service, and that of all the saints in the other world, will be praise; not praying, nor preaching, nor hearing the word. And attendance on other ordinances, which will be no more, but adoring and magnifying the riches of divine grace (Psalms 104:34).

This lets us know that it is very important to commune with the Lord every day. Notice here, that David does not put any conditions on his praying. He does not say, if things are going good. He is saying, regardless of the circumstances I find myself in, I will praise and bless thy name. The smoke from the lamp rose to heaven at least two times a day. This smoke symbolized the prayers of the saints. To me this said that we should commune in prayer with God at least twice a day.

Psalms 145:3 "Great [is] the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness [is] unsearchable."

Christ is the great God as well as our Savior. Great in all the perfections of his nature, of great wisdom, power, faithfulness, holiness, grace, and goodness. Great in his person as God-man, God manifest in the flesh. Great in all his offices and relations he bears and stands in to his people. And great in all his works of creation, providence, and redemption, in which he is concerned. And upon all which accounts he is to be praised, and greatly to be praised, by his people. Even to the utmost of their capacities, here and hereafter (see Psalms 48:1).

"And his greatness is unsearchable": The greatness of his nature, and the perfections of it, these are past finding out. And so are his ways and works, and the riches of his grace (John 11:7). The Targum is, "and of his greatness there is no end.’’ So the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions.

When we think of how great God is who created the earth and everything in it, and the heavens and all the galaxies, it is almost beyond our comprehension. A new telescope in Hawaii has snapped a picture of a galaxy 65,000,000 light years from the earth. Light travels at 186,284 miles per second. I will let you multiply this one out. God who can make all of this surely deserves our worship and praise. This galaxy is probably not even all of this. How unsearchable can you get? Even greater than all of this creation, is in the face of this, He cared enough to save our souls.

Psalms 145:4 "One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts."

Shall praise thee on account of thy works or thy doings. That is, thy praise shall be always kept up on the earth (see the notes at Isaiah 38:19; Psalms 19:2). One generation shall transmit the knowledge of thy works to another by praise": By hymns and psalms recording and celebrating thy praise. Successive generations of people shall take up the language of praise, and it shall thus be transmitted to the end of time.

"And shall declare thy mighty acts": Thy works of strength or power. God’s greatness, his infinity, is in itself a just ground of praise. For we should rejoice that there is One Infinite Eternal Being. And as all that greatness is employed in the cause of truth, of law, of good order, of justice, of kindness, and of mercy, it should call forth continued praise in all parts of his dominions.

In the very beginning, this was the only way they had of passing the glorious information on from generation to generation. Now we are known as the age of facts. I would rather be known as a person of faith. The scientist can figure all they want to; they will never figure out God. You must accept God on simple faith. I can relate to my children and grandchildren, and perhaps, my great grandchildren the wonderful things I know to be true about God. He has done great things in my life, and I will praise Him for it as long as I have breath in my body. I read of the mighty acts that Jesus did on this earth, and I am overwhelmed with praise for Him. The Bible is full of this.

Psalms 145:5 "I will speak of the glorious honor of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works."

Of the majesty of the divine Person of Christ. Of the honor due unto him; of the glory of him as of the only begotten of the Father. As he is the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person. Of his glory as Mediator, and the honor that belongs to him as such. With which he is now crowned at the right hand of the Majesty on high, angels, authorities, and powers, being subject unto him as the Lord and King of glory.

"And of thy wondrous works": In becoming incarnate and in dying for the sins of his people. In rising from the dead the third day and in ascending to heaven and receiving gifts for men. In pouring down the spirit on them, in governing his church throughout all ages of the world, and judging the world at last.

Have you ever looked at a beautiful sunset and thought what a wonderful painter the Lord is? Even though it is to be for a fleeting second in time, it is so much more beautiful than any seasoned painter on earth could do. God’s majesty is all around us. His beautiful mountains from his creation, and no two are alike. This little king David knows there is a King of all the universe, who will outshine all the earthly kings of all time. Not only in God’s creation do we see His majesty, His majesty is seen best by us in the perfectness of His Word. It spans all of time and never is out dated. His perfect plan for the redemption of mankind shows His majesty. His 6 days of work in creation, just boggles my mind. The beautiful 6 hours of work that Jesus did for all of us on the cross, somehow beautifully completes the salvation plan. I cannot go on. Just think on these things and see the majesty for yourself.

Psalms 145:6 "And [men] shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness."

The force, the power of those things done by thee which are suited to inspire fear or reverence. The great power displayed in those acts shall be a ground or reason for celebrating thy praise. The manifestations of that power will so deeply impress the minds of people, that they will be led to speak of them.

"And I will declare thy greatness": Hebrew, "And thy greatness, I will declare it." In respect to that, I will recount it, or I will make it known to others.

The Pharaoh of Egypt would have spoken of the terrible act of might that was shown against Egypt. On the other hand, the Israelites who were redeemed, would speak of those same acts as the greatness of God. Men in the verse above, is speaking of earthly people. This is the same thing seen from two different aspects.

Psalms 145:7 "They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness."

Hebrew: The memory of the greatness of thy goodness they will pour forth. The word rendered "abundantly utter" means to bud forth, to gush out, to flow, as a fountain (Proverbs 18:4; Proverbs 1:23; Proverbs 15:2; Proverbs 15:28). It is applied to words as poured forth in praise. The meaning is, that the heart is full, as a fountain is full of water, and that it naturally overflows, or seeks to discharge itself. The thought of the goodness of God fills the heart, and makes it overflow with gratitude.

"And shall sing of thy righteousness": They shall shout for joy at the displays of thy justice. At the manifestations of thy righteous character.

Singing broke out on the other side of the Red Sea, when the Israelites had successfully crossed, and their enemies had been drowned. When just mere words are not enough, then the abundant heart must sing. It even excites me to read about such things.

Psalms 145:8 "The LORD [is] gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy."

These are the epithets of our Lord Jesus Christ, and may be truly and with great propriety said of him. He is "gracious", kind, and good, in the instances before mentioned. He is full of grace, and readily distributes it. His words are words of grace; his Gospel, and the doctrines of it, are doctrines of grace. His works are works of grace, all flowing from his wondrous grace and mercy.

"And full of compassion": Or "merciful", in the most tender manner. Hence he came into the world to save sinners, and in his pity redeemed them. And when on earth showed his compassion both to the bodies and souls of men, by healing the one and instructing the other. And particularly had compassion on the ignorant, and them that were out of the way. Pitying those that were as sheep without a shepherd, as the blind Jews under their blind guides were. And is very compassionate to his people under all their temptations, afflictions, trials, and exercises (see Hebrews 2:17).

"Slow to anger": To the wicked Jews, though often provoked by their calumnies and reproaches, and by their ill behavior to him in various instances. Yet we never read but once of his being angry (without cause such as with the moneychangers in the temple), and that was through grief at the hardness of their hearts (Mark 3:5). And likewise to his own disciples, who were often froward and perverse, and of bad spirits. Very troublesome and afflictive to him, yet he patiently bore with them.

"And of great mercy": A merciful High-Priest, typified by the mercy seat, where we may find grace and mercy at all times. Through whom God is merciful to sinners, and to whose mercy we are to look for eternal life.

The following Scripture shows better than anything I might say, just how patient, and kind, and merciful this great God that we serve is. He does not want even one person to be lost.

2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

Psalms 145:9 "The LORD [is] good to all: and his tender mercies [are] over all his works."

To all his creatures. That is, he is kind and compassionate toward them. He is disposed and ready to do them good. There is not one of them whom he is not ready and willing to bless. Not one whose happiness would not be agreeable to him, or whose welfare he is not ready to promote (compare Psalms 100:5).

"And his tender mercies are over all his works": In all that he has made there is evidence that he is a kind and benevolent God. He has a heart to love, and to bless what he has made. Everywhere arrangements are made for happiness. He is not disposed to cast off the feeble, the erring, and the suffering. He is willing to receive back again those who have wandered from him, to pardon the offending, to wipe away the tears of the sorrowful.

God provided salvation for everyone through the precious shed blood of the Lamb (Jesus Christ). Not all accept it, but it is for all.

1 Timothy 4:10 "For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe."

Psalms 145:10 "All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee."

Or, do praise thee. That is, all thy works show what thou art, and combine in setting forth thy perfections (see the notes at Psalms 19:1).

"And thy saints shall bless thee": Or, do bless thee. All those who are holy in heaven and on earth. The angels around thy throne, and thy people below, all combine to proclaim thy praise.

Even a tree in the forest shows the great works of the Lord. Their uplifted limbs are as if they have raised their hands in praise to God. The reason to praise God is in all of nature. If I were a scientist, all of these unexplainable discoveries would make me fall on my knees before the supreme intelligence of the universe. These discoveries should make them realize the frailty of man compared to the Mighty God. The saints (believers in Christ), do not understand all of this. They just accept God through simple faith. They praise Him continually, because they realize to do anything else would be folly.

Psalms 145:11-13 : “Kingdom”: David refers here to the broadest use of kingdom in Scripture – i.e., God the eternal king ruling over all from before creation and eternally thereafter (compare Psalms 10:16; Daniel 4:3; Daniel 7:27).

Psalms 145:11 "They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;"

Of thy reign; of the great principles of thy government and laws. They see in that reign evidence that thou art worthy of universal praise. Seeing this, it becomes to them a subject on which they talk or converse (compare Malachi 3:16). A subject of interest to their hearts, and "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." People talk about that which interests them. Those things in which they have pleasure. Those which they desire to understand. Those in which they see difficulties that they would wish to have solved. It is one of the characteristics of the "saints", of the people of God, that they do talk about God and his kingdom. That the subject is to them a pleasant theme of meditation and conversation. That they have the kind of pleasure in talking about God which other people have in conversing about their farms or their merchandise, their children and friends, the news of the day, politics, literature, or science.

"And talk of thy power": As put forth in the works of creation. As manifested in the dispensations of thy providence. As evidenced in the conversion of sinners as displayed in carrying thy truth around the world. As exhibited in sustaining fine sufferer, and in giving peace and support to the dying.

The "they" here, is speaking of the saints. We say it in the prayer Jesus taught the disciples. Thy kingdom come. This Mighty God will set up His kingdom on this earth, and also in the believers as well. In a mystical way, the believers are His kingdom. This kingdom is both spiritual and physical. The physical kingdom would be of no earthly use to us, unless we had experienced His Kingdom in our innermost being.

Psalms 145:12 "To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom."

As in (Psalms 145:4). The acts of his power in providence and grace; in the salvation of his people, and the destruction of their enemies. Which, with others, are made known in the ministry of the word, to those who were strangers to them. To those without the church, who wait at Wisdom’s gates, and at the posts of her door. Aben Ezra interprets it of little ones, or children that knew them not, whose parents would make them known to them. Rather it designs the common people, instructed by the word and the ministers of it.

"And the glorious majesty of his kingdom": And the glory of the majesty of his reign. They wish to communicate the knowledge of this to those ignorant of it. They themselves see this to be glorious, and they wish that all others may see it also.

The majesty of His kingdom is that this is a kingdom of the purest love known to man. Greater love hath no man, than He lay down His life for His friends. The glorious gospel message should be taught in all the world for a witness, and this kingdom would become a reality.

Mark 16:15 "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

By the foolishness of preaching, those who believe are saved.

Psalms 145:13 "Thy kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion [endureth] throughout all generations."

See notes on (Psalms 10:16; Daniel 4:34). The meaning is, that the reign of God will continue forever and ever. It will never pass away as other dominions do. It will not change as dynasties do among people. It will not be overthrown as they are. Its great principles will stand firm forever and ever (compare notes at Psalms 72:17).

The throne of God is from everlasting to everlasting. God was God of Adam and He is still God of us today. He will always be God. His throne is the same. It is for all generations past and all generations to come. He was God, He is God, and He will be God.

Psalms 145:14-16 : The emphasis is on God’s common grace to all of humanity (compare Matthew 5:45; Luke 6:35; Acts 14:17; Acts 17:25).

Psalms 145:14 "The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all [those that be] bowed down."

“The LORD upholdeth” is not only His name but His nature. He supports the godly who fall on life’s path. He also “raiseth up” those who are “bowed down”. The image is of a reed wilted under the heat of the sun or bent by the blasts of the wind.

Those that be bowed down are the humble. This great God who reigns forever is so concerned about each of us, that He reaches down and saves us one at a time. The only ones He will save are those who know they need a Savior.

Psalms 145:15 "The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season."

Margin, Look unto thee. All creatures, on the land, in the air and in the waters. All in heaven and all throughout the universe. That is, it is as if all directed their eyes to thee imploringly for the supply of their needs. To no one else can they look for those things which are needful for them. A universe thus looks every day, every hour, every moment, to its God! How sublime the scene!

"And thou givest them their meat in due season" (see notes at Psalms 104:27), where the same words occur.

To look to the world or its people, is a very bad thing to do. They will let you down. The place to look for all things, is to the Lord. Look upward to the Lord of all the universe for all the answers and the blessings of life.

Psalms 145:16 "Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing."

Not of providence, but of grace, in which all things are, and from where they come. And which the Lord opens liberally and bountifully, and gives out all things richly to enjoy. All things pertaining to life and godliness. Grace here, with all the supplies of it, and glory hereafter.

"And satisfiest the desire of every living thing": Not of every savage creature; every lion, bear, wolf, etc., for then there would be no living in some parts of the world. Nor of every carnal, lustful, worldly, and covetous man; who never say they have enough, or are ever satisfied. But of everyone that is made spiritually alive, quickened by the Spirit and grace of God. These desire spiritual things, spiritual food, more grace and more communion with God, and conformity to Christ. And these desires are before the Lord; and sooner or later they are satisfied, they have what they desire. Especially this will be their case, when they awake in the divine likeness. The words may be rendered, "and satisfies every living one with that which is acceptable with favor". With good will and with lovingkindness which is better than life. So Naphtali is said to be "satisfied with favor" (Deuteronomy 33:23); as all living saints are or will be.

Remember I said when you are lifting your hands up to God, hold your palm upward with an open hand. To receive from God the desires of our heart, we must receive them. We cannot earn them; we must receive them. God will give you the desires of your heart. You must be ready to receive them.

Psalms 145:17 "The LORD [is] righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works."

In his own character; in his laws; in his providential dealings and in his arrangements for the redemption and salvation of man. In his own character, he is what it is desirable that a God should be. In all his laws, he ordains that only which it is desirable should be enacted. In all his dealings with people he does that which it is desirable should be done. He violates no right; he wrongs no one; he demands of no one a service which would be unjust. He makes no arrangements for pardon and salvation which it is not best that should be made. It is much for a man to be able to say in all that occurs to him under the divine administration, "It is right." It is much for a man to have such confidence in God as to be able to feel that all he does in respect to nations is the best thing that could be done (compare notes on Psalms 89:14; Psalms 97:2).

“And holy in all his works": Margin, merciful, or bountiful. The Hebrew word is merciful. The idea seems to be that righteousness and mercy are equally consulted in his arrangements. That they meet together, and act harmoniously in the divine plans (compare notes at Psalms 85:10).

Righteousness and holiness are two things that most people do not want to talk about. If we are to be like our Savior, then these must be characteristic of us as well. We do not have any righteousness of our own, but we have taken on the robe of righteousness washed in His blood, if we are true Christians. The righteousness and holiness that we have are given to us by the Lord. He is Righteousness. He is Holiness. He said, “Be ye holy for I am holy”.

Psalms 145:18 "The LORD [is] nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth."

There is a sense in which he is "nigh" to all, for he is everywhere present. But there is a special sense in which he seems to be near to us. In which he manifests himself to us. In which he gives us evidence of his presence. It is in prayer, in praise, in his ordinances, and in his gracious interpositions in our behalf. In the peace and joy which we have in communion with him (compare the notes at Psalms 34:18) "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart."

"To all that call upon him in truth": In sincerity; not hypocritically. Worshipping him as the true God, and with a sincere desire to obtain his favor (compare notes at John 4:24). We can have no hope that God will hear us unless we are sincere in our worship. He sees the heart, and he will act toward us as we are, and not as we profess to be.

Notice the addition in the last part of the verse, of “call upon Him in truth”. He will not be fooled by a mouth worship. We must worship Him in our heart. We call in truth, when our mouth speaks the words that are in our heart.

Psalms 145:19-20 : “Fear” and “love” are the inseparable elements of true religion. Fear preserves love from degenerating into presumptuous familiarity; love prevents fear from becoming a servile dread.

Psalms 145:19 "He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them."

Of those who worship him with reverence, those who are his true friends (see notes at Matthew 7:7-8; John 14:13; 1 John 5:14; Psalms 34:15).

"He also will hear their cry, and will save them": He will regard their expressed desire, their earnest prayer.

This fear is like what a son has for a father. This type of fear would cause you to want to do His will. Salvation is available to all. We must repent and cry out to God for salvation, and then He will hear our cry and save us.

Psalms 145:20 "The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy."

“The wicked … destroy”: The wicked await an eternity of living forever, away from the presence of God in the lake of fire (compare 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 20:11-15).

Preserveth means continues to preserve. We have spoken of the great love of God for all of mankind. When we reach out in love to Him, He accepts us and keeps us in that perfect love. The destruction of the wicked speaks of those who have totally refused His love.

Psalms 145:21 "My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever."

Always, at all times, as long as he lived. And particularly when all the Lord’s people shall be brought safe to glory, and the wicked destroyed. When, as Kimchi observes, he should live again with the dead that shall be raised.

"And let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever": Not every animal, or irrational creature; not carnal men, but spiritual men. Such as are praying ones, that come to a God hearing prayer: these should be praising ones. Such who have hearts of flesh given them, and are sensible of divine favors, as well as of their sinfulness and unworthiness. Jews and Gentiles, all sorts of men called by grace, all flesh on whom the Spirit of God is poured. These are all excited to praise and bless the holy name of the Redeemer, with the words and by the example of the psalmist. And thus the psalm ends as it begun, with praise and blessing.

We said it before, salvation was provided for all flesh. How could we do anything short of praise Him? Let everything that hath breath, praise the Lord. David has determined that as long as there is breath in his body, he will praise the Lord. He also makes one last plea for all others to bless His holy name as well.

PSALM 145

EXPOSITION

This delightful psalm, by its contents reminds us of Psalms 103; and, by both its contents and its form, of Psalms 34. It is surprising to find how easily the psalmist follows his alphabetical initialing of the verses without shewing constraint in his composition.

Passing on to the contents of the psalm, considered on their merits, it is eminently satisfactory to observe the restraint to which the enthusiasm of the writer submits itself. This is no mere adulation of the Almighty. The man that wrote this song was not aware of the shadows which frequently throw this life into gloom. He knew that the compassions of Jehovah towards the miserable were often called into exercise: that poor footsore and purblind travellers along life’s journey were not infrequently in danger of falling; and many times needed help to prevent their being too long bowed down. And this is well: otherwise the very brightness of the psalm might have dazed the eyes of the sick and the weary.

However, behind the sympathetic tenderness of the psalm there is perceptible an element of strength which is fitted to act as a moral tonic on minds afflicted with indecision concerning right and wrong. Jehovah is righteous as well as kind. The very heroic acts by which Jehovah had so often delivered Israel, had undoubtedly fallen as heavy blows on tyrants and invaders who richly deserved to be smitten. It would be culpable careessness for the singer of this song, utterly to forget the dark side of the cloud whose silver lining now causes him so much genuine delight.

This psalm is noted among psalms for the universality of its terms. Not excluding beasts from the bountiful care of their Creator, how should it exclude men of any name or nation? Good is Jehovah to all—and his compassions are over all his works; not over and beyond his works—too high above them to benefit them—but over, protectingly and for blessing. That it should be immediately added: All thy works thank thee, seems almost too good to be true; too favourable a verdict to be pronounced upon men’s response to Jehovah’s goodness; too much like a verdict constructively framed in their favour, beyond their deserving. We could more easily accept the verdict if regarded as awarded to the lower creation—to the singing of the bird, the roaring of the lion and even the braying of the ass—than when taken to refer to “men made in the likeness of God”; those inferior creatures after their kind and in their own way, may be regarded as thanking their creator for what he has done for them; but these intelligent creatures, called men,—how can it be said of them—all thy works thank thee? As we cannot deny their inclusion among Jehovah’s “works,” we can only leave the statement, as a condescending construction put by a loving Creator on the common joy which men feel in view of the mercies which bestrew their path. Even beyond their intention, Jehovah will count their instinctive gladness as “thanks” rendered to him: if he can do no better with them he will class them with those lower creatures who unconsciouly “thank” him. He seeks for more. He would have all men to become receivers and reflectors of his own kindness—his hasidim—his men of kindness, in whose hearts gratitude dwells and in whose lives benevolence overflows; men who go beyond thanks, men who bless Jehovah, and speak well of his name.

We confess we are amazed at the latitude of construction to which the psalm itself thus conducts us; but it has sterner things in store for us. There is a discipline in life that lies behind all this. Men cannot go on for ever, receiving God’s gifts and remaining unmoved: they must either be melted into saints or hardened—by their own resistance—into sinners. They are under the law of love. Let them resist that—knowingly and persistently—and they must ultimately become lawless! And, against such, the stern announcement of this benevolent psalm has gone forth in tones of thunder:—

Jehovah preserveth all them who love him—

but all the lawless he destroyeth.

That is the last word of the last stanza of the psalm. There is nothing beyond it, saving an application by the psalmist to himself and to all flesh: nothing to tone this down or explain it away: it seems and it sounds absolute and final.

It confirms other psalm-deliverances that have gone before. We have already learned (Psalms 37) that “there is a future for the man of peace. But transgressors have been cut off together, the future of lawless men hath been cut off”; and from Psalms 73—“Lo! they who have gone far from thee shall perish, Thou wilt have exterminated every unchaste wanderer from thee.” Small reason, then, is there in the Psalms as a collection, to blunt the prudent fear which this psalm is fitted to call into exercise.

And the less so, rather than the more, in consequence of the grandeur and the permanence of Jehovah’s Kingdom. Jehovah’s rule is all-pervading and ever-abiding. Men cannot escape his dominion. His own character is perfect and unchanging; his aim is to make men morally like himself—to bring a clean thing out of an unclean, to reform, remake, renew; to educate for immortality, and then bestow the boon. While his own character is perfect and unchanging, its manifestation to finite beings, under discipline, may require ages. To chastise them for their sins, and yet convince them that he is love, and to transform them into his own image,—this may be the work of ages: who can tell? Only the Infinite Searcher of Hearts can determine when all hope is past, and nothing is left but to destroy, to exterminate. He can create and he destroy; and none but he. It is something, then, of incalculable moment, to learn from his own lips what are the issues involved.

The close of this psalm goes back to its commencement. It ends with “I”—multiplied into the race, all flesh: it began with “I”—I will exalt, would fain bless; will bless, would fain praise. But very significantly and instructively was this beginning made; for all at once, by way of desire, the psalmist went bounding off beyond the narrow limits of the present life: I would fain bless and praise thy name to the ages and beyond! “For ever and ever will the poet thus extol God and bless His name; because the praising of God is his deepest need, in this devotion to the ever-living King he forgets his own mortality—this impulse of the soul, an impulse begotten by God himself, towards the praising of the God to whom the soul owes it origin, in which praise it finds its noblest enjoyment, is indeed a practical proof of a life after death”—Del. So it is indeed, to those in whom it exists; for see with what complete logic this one psalm proves it. Do I really desire to bless and praise Jehovah to the ages? Is that, in truth, my feeling towards him? Then the desire shall be granted; for again in this psalm it is written—The pleasure of them who revere him he fulfilleth; and their cry for help he heareth and saveth them. There is, therefore, both theoretic and practical safety in such a hope.

The blessedness of trusting God

Psalms 146:1-10

Psalms 146 : The last five psalms stand out quite conspicuously in the Psalter. Each begins and ends with “Praise ye the LORD” (Hebrew Hallelujah), none contains petition or lament, none contains historical allusion to any large extent, and each strikes a distinct note of praise not found in the others. That note (in Psalms 146), is a personal one. It is the only one of the five containing the personal pronoun “I” (Psalms 146:2). Thus, the call to praise (Psalms 146:1-2), is addressed by the psalmist to himself. Though in the body of the psalm (Psalms 146:3-9), he exhorts other pious Israelites to trust in the Lord’s providential care. In the conclusion (Psalms 146:10), he envisions an even wider audience.

Psalms 146:1-10 : From this psalm to the conclusion of the Psalter, each psalm begins and ends with “Praise the LORD!” (Psalms 146-150). Neither the composer nor the occasions are known. Psalms 146 appears similar in content to (Psalms 113, 145).

I. Commitment to Praise (Psalms 146:1-2);

II. Misplaced Trust (Psalms 146:3-4);

III. Blessed Hope (Psalms 146:5-10).

Psalms 146:1 to Psalms 150:6 : All of these Hallelujah psalms are so called because they begin and end with the words “Praise the LORD”. Hallelujah is the Hebrew word for “Praise the Lord”.

Psalms 146:1 "Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul."

Or, "hallelujah"; which, in the Greek and Vulgate Latin versions, is the title of the psalm. But is rather the beginning of it; and is an exhortation to men, especially to the saints, to praise the Lord. The Lord Christ, the Lord of the world, who has created it and upholds it. The Lord of lords, David’s Lord; and the Lord of all his people, by creation, redemption, and grace. And from whom they receive all blessings and mercies, temporal and spiritual, and are therefore under the highest obligations to praise him.

"Praise the Lord, O my soul": The psalmist does not put onto others that he does not choose to do himself. But, as the sweet psalmist of Israel, and prophet of the church, leads the way and sets an example. And not only strikes his harp and psaltery, and with his tongue, mouth, and lips, shows forth the praise of the Lord. But engages his heart and his soul in this work. Which, as it was capable of it, so most agreeable to the Lord. Who requires the heart in his service, and to be worshipped in spirit and in truth. And this being the better and more noble part of man, making melody in it to the Lord. And engaging all the powers and faculties of it in such an employment, must be acceptable to him. “O my soul” (compare the beginnings and ends of Psalms 103, 104).

We have spoken before about the soul of man being the will of man. God has given us a free will, that we can choose to do good or evil with. David in the verse above, is just stating that he has decided that he will praise the Lord with everything within him, even his soul.

Psalms 146:2-3 : Twice in these verses the psalmist says, “I will”. Hope in God is a decision. Either Christians continue trusting in their own strength or what others may offer, or they reject a reliance on humans (“trust in princes”), and resolve to hope in God.

Psalms 146:2 "While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being."

As he had good reason to do, since he had his life from him, and was upheld in it by him. Who also favored him with the mercies and comforts of life. And that every day, being renewed to him every morning, and continued all the days of his life. Which determined him throughout the whole of it to praise the Lord. Nay, he had his spiritual life from him, with all the blessings of it; which are lasting. Everlasting ones, and had hope of eternal life with him.

"I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being": Or "while I am". Not only in this world, but in the world to come. For men have a being or existence after death, and the saints have a most comfortable and happy one then. And will be more capable of singing praises to their incarnate God. And which will be their work to all eternity (see Psalms 104:33).

David is speaking of the frailty of the body of man in this. There will be a time when there will be no physical body. He is saying, while I have a mouth to speak with and the breath of life to utter it with, I will praise the Lord. David was a singer. His voice lifted in songs of praise was his ultimate way of praising his Lord.

Psalms 146:3-4 : “Put not your trust” This could be:

(1) A general principle;

(2) A reference to the people wanting a human king like the nations (1 Samuel 8:5); or

(3) Judah’s later dependence on foreign kings for protection (2 Kings 16:7-9).

Psalms 146:3 "Put not your trust in princes, [nor] in the son of man, in whom [there is] no help."

Not in foreign princes, in alliances and confederacies with them; nor in any at home. David did not desire his people to put their trust in him, nor in his nobles and courtiers; but in the Lord Christ. Who, as he is the object of praise, is also the proper object of trust. Princes, though ever so liberal and bountiful, as their name signifies, and therefore called benefactors (Luke 22:25). Or ever so mighty and powerful, wise and prudent, yet are not to be depended upon. They are changeable, fickle, and inconstant. And oftentimes not faithful to their word, but fallacious and deceitful. "Men of high degree are a lie" (Psalms 62:9). Wherefore it is better to trust in the Lord Jehovah, in whom is everlasting strength. Who gives all things richly to enjoy; who is unchangeable, and ever abides faithful (see Psalms 118:8).

"Nor in the son of man": Any son of man; any human being, no matter what his rank or power. The phrase is often used to denote man (see notes at Psalms 8:4). The appellation "Son of man" was often applied by the Savior to himself to express emphatically the idea that he was a man, that he had a human nature. That he was identified with the race; that he was a brother, a fellow-sufferer, a friend of man. That he was not a cold and abstract being so exalted that he could not feel or weep over the sins and woes of a fallen and suffering world. The language here, however, it is scarcely necessary to say, does not refer to him. It is right to put our trust in him; we have no other trust.

"In whom there is no help": Margin, salvation. So the Hebrew. The idea is, that man cannot save us. He cannot save himself; he cannot save others.

It really does not make any difference how important a title they have on this earth, people cannot and will not help you. They will ultimately let you down. Your trust should be in God, who will never let you down. All people on this earth are sons of man, until they receive Jesus as their Savior and become sons of God.

Psalms 146:4 "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish."

That is, the breath of a son of man, of any and every one of the princes. It goes forth continually, and is drawn in again as long as a man lives. But at death it goes forth, and returns no more till the resurrection. The breath which the Lord breathed into man, and which is in his nostrils while he lives, and is very precarious. And when it is taken away, he dies, and;

"He returneth to his earth": From whence he was taken, and of which he was made. Upon which he lived, where he dwelt, and in which he took delight and pleasure. Minding earth and earthly things, and which is now all he has. Who, though he may have had many large estates and possessions. Nay, have ruled over many kingdoms and countries, yet his property of earth is now no more than the length and breadth of a grave. He returns to earth as soon as he dies, becoming a lump of clay. And particularly when he is interred in it. And when by corruption and worms he is turned into it.

"In that very day his thoughts perish": In the day, hour, and moment he dies. Not that the soul ceases, or ceases to think at death; it is immortal, and dies not. And, as it exists in a separate state after death, it retains all its powers and faculties, and, among the rest, its power of thinking. Which it is capable of exercising, and does, as appears from the case of the souls under the altar (Revelation 6:9). But the meaning is, that at death all the purposes and designs of men are at an end. All their projects and schemes, which they had formed, and were pursuing, now come to nothing. Whether to do good to others, or to aggrandize themselves and families. And therefore such mortal creatures are not to be depended upon, since all their promises may fail. Nay, even their good designs may be frustrated (see Job 17:12).

The breath of man is the life that God placed in each of us when He breathed the breath of life in us. When the breath of life (spirit), leaves the body, the body is just a clay doll. That clay doll will return to the dust from whence it came. Whatever had been the plans of this clay man, they all go up as a puff of smoke when his spirit leaves his body.

Psalms 146:5 "Happy [is he] that [hath] the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope [is] in the LORD his God:"

“The God of Jacob”: Also the God of Abraham and Isaac, thus the recipients of God’s blessing through the Abrahamic Covenant (compare Genesis 12:1-3; Psalms 144:15).

The spirit of man is not going to die. The decision about where this spirit body will live all of eternity, is entirely up to the individual. Those who have placed their faith in God (the God of Jacob), will be happy indeed for their eternal life will be spent in heaven with Him. The hope spoken of here, is the hope of the resurrection. He is our Resurrection and our Life. He is our God. Because He arose, we shall rise. Heaven to me, will be in the Presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalms 146:6 "Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein [is]: which keepeth truth for ever:"

Man’s trust is best placed in the Creator of heaven and earth and the Revealer of all truth.

John 1:1-3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." "The same was in the beginning with God." "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."

The Word of God is Truth. The Word of God is Jesus Christ. I will put my hope in Him.

Psalms 146:7-9 b: God righteously and mercifully reaches out to those in need.

Psalms 146:7 "Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners:"

This is the third reason why the lot of those is a happy one who trust in God. It is because he has power to pronounce and execute a right judgment or sentence in regard to the oppressed and the wronged. And because it is characteristic of his nature that he does thus execute judgment (see notes at Psalms 103:6). "The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed."

"Which giveth food to the hungry" (see notes at Psalms 107:9). "For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness." This is the fourth reason why they who confide in God are happy (compare Luke 1:53). "He hath filled the hungry with good things."

"The Lord looseth the prisoners": This is the fifth reason why they who trust in the Lord are "happy" (compare notes at Psalms 68:6). "He bringeth out those which are bound with chains"(see Psalms 107:10). "Being bound in affliction and iron" (compare Job 36:8-9).

Jesus Christ is the Judge of all the earth. He will separate all people into two categories. His sheep will be on His right hand and will inherit eternal life in heaven with Him. The goats will be on His left. They will inherit eternal damnation. This is the same Jesus that fed the hungry, and set the captives free.

Psalms 146:8 "The LORD openeth [the eyes of] the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:"

“The LORD raiseth them that are bowed down” is a classic expression of depression. This pictures someone so burdened by a load of care that he or she cannot even straighten up. The God of hope comes along and lifts up, renews hope, invigorates.

LORD in the verse above, is Jehovah. Jesus proved by the many miracles that He did, that He was God. Whether the bowed down in the verse above, means in death or not, He certainly did raise the dead. Not only did He raise the dead that we read about, but He raised all of us who were bowed down in the death that sin brings. The righteous are those who have received Jesus as their Savior and Lord. They are righteous, because they have been clothed in His righteousness.

Psalms 146:9 "The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down."

The life of them, as he did the daughter of the Greek, a Syrophenician woman, and a Samaritan, by healing them of their diseases (Mark 7:26). And in a spiritual sense he preserves the lives and saves the souls of his people among the Gentiles, who are aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenant of promise. For these he laid down his life a ransom, and became the propitiation for their sins. To these he sends his Gospel, which is the power of God to salvation unto them.

"He relieveth the fatherless and widow": In their distresses and troubles, who have no helper. A wonderful instance of his relieving a widow, in the most disconsolate circumstances, we have in raising the widow of Nain’s son to life. And restoring him to his mother (Luke 7:12). In him "the fatherless", and all that in a spiritual sense are destitute of help in the creatures, and see they are so, "find mercy". Nor will he leave his people comfortless, or as orphans and fatherless ones, but will and does come and visit them. Relieve and supply them with everything convenient for them. Though his church here on earth may seem to be as a widow, he being in heaven at the right hand of God. Yet he cares for her in the wilderness, and provides for her support, where she is nourished with the word and ordinances. And will be until he comes again (see Hosea 14:3).

"But the way of the wicked he turneth upside down": So that they cannot find it. Nor their hands perform their enterprise. Their schemes and counsels are all confounded and blasted by him, and all their policy and power are not able to prevail against his church and people (see Psalms 1:6).

I was a stranger, and ye took me in. The LORD had a real compassion for the stranger, and even promised to bless us if we would take the stranger in. The story of the good Samaritan is a story of someone helping a total stranger. The Mosaic law made provision for the fatherless and the widows. We are cautioned to take care of the fatherless and widows. The wicked are those who will not help those less fortunate than themselves. God has no tolerance at all for this type of person.

Psalms 146:10 "The LORD shall reign for ever, [even] thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD."

“Shall reign for ever”: In contrast to man who perishes (compare verse 4), the truths (of Psalms 146:5-9), are not faddish or temporal but rather eternal (compare Revelation 22:5).

Zion is symbolic of the church. We are the church who are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Look, with me, at heaven and the eternal reign of our Lord there.

Revelation 22:3-5 "And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:" "And they shall see his face; and his name [shall be] in their foreheads." "And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever."

PRAISE YE THE LORD.

PSALM 146

EXPOSITION

The indications of authorship contained in this psalm are probably best met by supposing the principal portion of it to have been penned by Hezekiah, and the caution against trusting in nobles to have been added in the days of Nehemiah. Setting aside for the moment the excepted verses (Psalms 146:3-4) the psalm as a whole admirably suits the time and spirit of Hezekiah: the individuality of the opening lines, together with the inclusion of instrumental music, well agrees with the strongly devout and musically accomplished personality of the good King; and so does the enthusiasm with which Jehovah’s worthiness of his people’s confidence is amplified in the later verses: we can almost hear him saying, Happy is the man—“yea, and I am that man”; and then, as we read on, we are not only reminded of Hezekiah’s favourite habit of alluding to Jehovah as maker of heaven and earth, but under nearly all the lines we can feel pulsating the rich experience of the same monarch, not failing to be reminded of the example which he had recently witnessed, in the overthrow of Sennacherib, of a lawless foreigner whose way had been bent aside into the pathless waste of destruction.

If this conclusion be accepted as sufficiently probable, then we shall naturally conclude that the caution against trusting in nobles—improbable from the pen of Hezekiah—was added after the exile, when, as remarked under Psalms 118, Nehemiah had good cause to distrust the nobles of Judah (Nehemiah 6:17-19).

It is a question of detail—but of some interest in exegesis—to ask in what relation nobles (Psalms 146:3) stand to the common son of the earth-born mentioned in the next line: are “nobles” distinguished from “common men,” or simply declared to be themselves but “common men”—mere mortals like the rest of mankind? If we make two classes out of the verse then “nobles” are left without any reason assigned why they should not be trusted. It seems better, therefore, to refrain from supplying a “nor” with the A.V. (and R.V.) (without acknowledgment of its being such) or an (“or”) with Dr., and to regard the second line as giving a conclusive reason why even “nobles” should not be trusted: as much as to say—“each of whom is a mere mortal like others, and what he may think to do for you, he may not live to accomplish.”

Another question of still greater critical nicety, is whether it is better to translate ruah in Psalms 146:4 as breath or spirit. If the one implies the other, as suggested by a comparison of Genesis 2:7 with Ecclesiastes 12:7, then it does not really matter—provided the double inclusion, by marginal alternative or otherwise, be borne in mind.

Delitzsch well reminds us that this “How happy” of Psalms 146:5 is the last of twenty-five occurrences of the original word (which means that) in the psalms. He also beautifully remarks on Psalms 146:9 c: “Only one line is devoted to this manifestation of Jahve in the capacity of penal judge. For He rules in love and wrath, with most delight, however, in love.”

The critical reader will excuse the very elementary observation—submitted to help the uncritical—that it is sometimes convenient in the enumerations of the psalms, as elsewhere, to count the verbs which in their rich variety impart so much life to the composition: as for instance here:—1 made, 2. keepeth, 3. executeth, 4. giveth, 5. releaseth, 6. giveth sight (lit. openeth), 7. lifteth up, 8. loveth, 9. preserveth, 10, restoreth, 11. bendeth aside, 12. reigneth. So that we are well within our right in entitling this psalm—“Twelve reasons for trusting in Jehovah.”

And finally it may be assumed that no reader will fail to observe the keen appreciation of the gracious name Jehovah shewn by its five-fold emphatic repetition in Psalms 146:7-9.

“Great is our God and of great power”

Psalms 147:1-20

Psalms 147 : If the previous psalm is individualistic, this psalm forms an appropriate contrast with its emphasis on communal praise. The three sections of the psalm are clearly discernible since each is initiated with a call to praise (Psalms 147:1; Psalms 147:7; Psalms 147:12), and then followed by a cause for praise;

(1) Because the Lord delivers the oppressed (Psalms 147:2-6);

(2) Because the Lord provides for the faithful (Psalms 147:8-11); and

(3) Because the Lord especially protects Israel (Psalms 147:13-20).

Psalms 147:1-20 (see note on Psalms 146:1-10). This seems to be a post-Exilic psalm (compare Psalms 147:2-3), which might have been used to celebrate the rebuilt walls of Jerusalem (compare Psalms 147:2; Psalms 147:13; Nehemiah 12:27; Nehemiah 12:43). The hard questions that God posed to Job (Job chapters 38 to 41), and Israel (Isa. Chapter 40), the psalmist here turns into declarations worthy of praise. (Psalms 147:1; Psalms 147:7; Psalms 147:12), each introduce a stanza of praise in this 3-part hymn. (Psalms 147:2-3; Psalms 147:19-20), specifically spake of God’s involvement with Israel.

I. Praise the Lord – Part 1 (Psalms 147:1-6);

II. Praise the Lord – Part 2 (Psalms 147:7-11);

III. Praise the Lord – Part 3 (Psalms 147:12-20).

Psalms 147:1 "Praise ye the LORD: for [it is] good to sing praises unto our God; for [it is] pleasant; [and] praise is comely."

When he shall reign, as Kimchi connects this psalm with the preceding. The arguments used to engage men to this work are taken partly from the nature of it, as in the next clauses. And partly from what the Lord is and does, as in the following verses.

"For it is good to sing praises unto our God": It being agreeably to his revealed will, what he enjoins, approves of, and accepts. And is profitable to his people, as well as makes his glory (see Psalms 92:1). Some render it, "because he is good" (as in Psalms 106:1); but the accents, and what follows, will not admit of this sense.

"For it is pleasant": To our God; with which the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Ethiopic, and Arabic versions, join this clause. The sacrifice of praise is more pleasing to the Lord than any ceremonial sacrifice. Especially when offered from a grateful heart in the name of Christ, and with a view to his glory. And it is pleasant to saints themselves, when grace is in exercise, and they make melody in their hearts to the Lord.

"And praise is comely": Is due to the Lord, and becomes his people to give it to him. It is but their reasonable service. And a beautiful and lovely sight it is to see the chosen, redeemed, and called of the Lamb, harping with their harps, and singing the song of redeeming love.

Comely in the verse above, means suitable. Praise ye the LORD could be said in one word, “Hallelujah”. This word is universal. It has the same meaning in all languages. There is nothing more beautiful than a praise service unto the Lord. There is such a beautiful spirit that sweeps over the church and the people. It is as if you could reach out and touch God with your hand. God inhabits the praises of His people. This is a quick way to experience His presence.

Psalms 147:2 "The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel."

He builds up the walls; he restores the city. He has caused the temple to be reconstructed. This language would be applicable to a return from the captivity. There may be an allusion here to the language in (Psalms 102:16), "When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory" (see notes at that passage). What is there spoken of as what would be in the future is here spoken of as accomplished, and as a ground of praise. “Build up Jerusalem”: Ezra and Nehemiah chronicle this portion of Israel’s history.

"He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel": Those who have been exiled from their native land, and who have been scattered as outcasts in a foreign country. This is appropriate language to use on the supposition that the psalm was composed after the return from the exile, for it is in such language that the return was predicted by the prophets. "And he shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah" (Isaiah 11:12). "The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel" (Isaiah 56:8).

This could be a prophetic pronouncement by David of the return of the Israelites to their homeland. Jerusalem has always been thought of as their holy city. They feel as if they are not home, until they can worship in Jerusalem.

Psalms 147:3 "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds."

“Healeth the broken in heart” (compare Psalms 137; brokenhearted), with Psalms 126 (healed).

The healing of the “broken in heart” in the broadest sense includes those who grieve over their sins as well as those who are afflicted by life’s adversities. The binding of wounds presents a similar picture. In either case, the gentle pity of the Lord is beautifully depicted as He tends to the hurting as a kindly physician (Luke 4:18; Luke 5:31-32).

God is not going to discard the people of earth and start all over with a new group. He is going to change the group he already has and make them new.

Revelation 21:5 "And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful."

God will mend the broken hearted and heal their spirits, as well as their bodies.

Psalms 147:4 "He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by [their] names."

He counts them all. God only can do this. The stars are so numerous that no astronomer can count them. They lie so far in the depths of space, and are so remote from each other, that no man can be so presumptuous as to suppose that he has even seen any considerable part of them. Even by the aid of the most powerful telescopes.

"He calleth them all by their names": As if each one had a name, and God could call them forth one by one by their names, like the muster-roll of an army. This language seems to be taken from (Isaiah 40:26). "Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number; he calleth them all by names, by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth" (see notes at that passage).

With man it would be impossible to count the stars, for they are as numerous as the sand of the sea. Notice, that He calls them each by name. We are not a number with God. He has a special name for each of us, that only God and we know. This name reveals our true character. Whether the stars here or people are physical stars does not matter.

Psalms 147:5 "Great [is] our Lord, and of great power: his understanding [is] infinite."

(See the notes at Psalms 48:1).

"And of great power": This seems to be added, as in (Isaiah 40:28). In view of the power required in making the heavens, and in guiding and numbering the stars. "Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?"

"His understanding is infinite": Margin, of his understanding there is no number. That is, this corresponds with his power to number the stars. There is no limit to it. It is not bounded. There is no point reached where it can be said that there is no more; that it is exhausted. "There is no searching of his understanding" (see notes at Isaiah 40:28).

Infinite in the verse above means impossible to number. There is no way to measure His greatness. There is nothing so great that you could compare it to. Great in this instance, just does not seem to be descriptive enough of Him. All things are possible to Him. Have you ever noticed that a miracle comes from Him, when it is impossible to man? Our intelligence is not great enough to even describe the greatness of the Lord. Lord is Adonai in this particular instance.

Psalms 147:6 "The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground."

Each part of the psalm ends with a contrast, here the meek and the wicked (compare verses 10, 11, 19, 20).

Matthew 5:5 "Blessed [are] the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."

The meek may seem to be down trodden now, but God has plans for them to inherit the earth. Those who seem to be in control now, will be cast down and ruled over by the meek.

Psalms 147:7 "Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:"

Accompany the praise of God, the expression of worship, with a grateful remembrance of the past. The one will aid the other, and the two will constitute acceptable and proper worship. The first word here means properly to answer, or respond. And the idea would seem to be, that we are to make a suitable response or answer to the manifold layouts which we have received at the hand of God.

"Sing praise upon the harp unto our God": An instrument of music used in the times of the Old Testament. An emblem of the heart, and of making melody in it to the Lord. The hearts of believers are the harps of God, on and with which they sing unto him. When they sing aright, and these are in proper tune.

In the last few verses, we have been seeing the greatness of God and what He does for His own. Now, we see what our response to all of His goodness should be. We have said before in these lessons, that praising Him in prayer is not always enough to do. Our heart is so full of praise at times that it burst forth in singing. David is saying in this verse, to not only sing, but play the harp as well. This is the highest form of praise and thanksgiving. We must show our thanks to God who has done all of this for us.

Psalms 147:8 "Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains."

God sends “rain” as part of His blessing on all people so crops can grow (Leviticus 26:1-13; Job 38:41; Matthew 5:45). Theologians call this “common grace”, God’s goodness to all people, both the saved and the unsaved.

There are some modern ministers who would have you believe that the devil is in control of the elements of this earth. Over and over in these studies, we have seen that it is God who causes it to rain or not to rain. It is God who set the heavens in place, it is God who causes the mountain to grow grass. God is in control of everything.

Psalms 147:9 "He giveth to the beast his food, [and] to the young ravens which cry."

Through the plenty of grass growing upon the mountains. By the rain falling from the clouds of heaven upon them. These cannot provide for themselves, but the Lord feeds them. And they wait upon him for their food, and receive it of him (Psalms 104:27). How much more will he feed his own people, both with temporal and spiritual food. Though in their fallen state they are become like the beasts, of which they are sensible when called by grace, and own and acknowledge it (Psalms 49:12).

"And to the young ravens which cry": Which are particularly mentioned, because contemptible creatures, and of no use and service to men, and by the ceremonial law were impure to the Jews. And the rather, because, as naturalists observe, they are very early turned out of their nests, or forsaken by their dams. And this particular instance of the care of Providence is elsewhere observed (Job 38:41). Arama takes notice of the preservation of this creature in the ark, and the use of it to Elijah. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Ethiopic, and Arabic versions, render it, "that call upon him"; that is, upon God and to him. They are expressly said to cry (Job 38:41). The ancient fathers interpret this figuratively. And by the "ravens" understand the Gentiles; and by their "young ones" Christians that spring from them, who call upon the true God.

God built this earth and the heavens, and the animals, and the grass to furnish the needs of the animals, who in turn take care of the needs of man. Everything was made for the habitation of man upon this earth. God is concerned about all the animals and birds and fish. He even told Noah to take the animals and birds on the ark with him to preserve them.

Psalms 147:10 "He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man."

The horse is among the noblest works of God, perhaps the noblest of all the animals that he has made (see notes at Job 39:19-25). Yet God regards with more interest and pleasure humble piety than he does any mere power. However great and wonderful it may be.

"He taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man": Not the same pleasure as in piety. He prefers the humble heart to this. The reference is to man as capable of rapid marches, of quick movements in assaulting an enemy. The allusion being, perhaps, to an army prepared for war, cavalry and infantry. The horse moving on with resistless force, the foot-soldiers with rapid motion.

A horse to God, was a work animal. His strength was for the purpose of helping man. God is not interested in how far the horse can run, neither is He interested in the athletic ability of the man. God is interested in man’s soul, not his body.

Psalms 147:11 "The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy."

In those who truly worship him, however humble, poor, and unknown to people they may be. However unostentatious, retired, unnoticed may be their worship. Not in the "pride, pomp, and circumstance of war" is his pleasure. Not in the march of armies; not in the valor of the battlefield. Not in scenes where "the garments of the warrior are rolled in blood." But in the closet, when the devout child of God prays. In the family, when the group bend before Him in solemn devotion. In the assembly, quiet, serious, calm, when his friends are gathered together for prayer and praise. In the heart that truly loves, reverences, adores Him.

"In those that hope in his mercy": It is a pleasure to him to have the guilty, the feeble, the undeserving hope in Him, trust in Him, seek Him.

As we said in the verse above, God is interested in our spirit and soul. This is speaking of those who have put their faith and hope in the mercies of God. The wise hearted who fear Him are the Christians.

Psalms 147:12 "Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion."

In addition to this general praise in which all may unite, there are special reasons why Jerusalem and its inhabitants should praise God. Just as now, in addition to the general reasons pertaining to all people why they should praise God. There are special reasons why Christians, why his redeemed people, should do it. What those reasons, as pertaining to the inhabitants of Jerusalem were, is specified in the following verses.

Jerusalem is the city of our Great God. Zion is speaking of the church. This is really speaking of physical and spiritual Israel. The church of believers should be praising God continually.

Psalms 147:13 "For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee."

“He hath strengthened”: Refers to a means of defense, most likely in reference to the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls in Nehemiah’s time.

There is a wall that surrounds the physical Jerusalem. He has built a hedge around those spoken of in the verse above. He is the fortress for the Christians. His blood covers us, and surrounds us and keeps us safe. The children within are the children of God. We are the ones who have been transformed from sons of men into sons of God.

Romans 8:15 "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."

Psalms 147:14 "He maketh peace [in] thy borders, [and] filleth thee with the finest of the wheat."

Margin, he maketh thy border peace. The word border here refers to a boundary, and stands for all the domain or territory included within the boundaries of a country. The idea is that peace prevailed throughout the land.

"And filleth thee with the finest of the wheat": Margin, as in Hebrew, fat of wheat. Literally, "He satisfies thee with the fat of wheat." There is no want of wheat, and that of the best kind. "I will satisfy her poor with bread" (compare notes at Psalms 132:15).

The only real peace is the peace that the Lord Jesus Christ brings, for He is the King of peace. The choice wheat is speaking of the believers in Christ.

Matthew 13:30 "Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."

Psalms 147:15-18 : Describes the cold weather that Jerusalem can experience. God sovereignly oversees the normal and the extraordinary.

Psalms 147:15 "He sendeth forth his commandment [upon] earth: his word runneth very swiftly."

That is, with reference to the productions of the earth. To the changes which occur. To the seasons. To snow, frost, ice, cold, heat, wind; and he is universally and immediately obeyed. Nature everywhere yields a ready acquiescence to his will.

"His word runneth very swiftly": So the Gospel did in the first times of it. Like lightning, from one end of the heaven to the other. The words of it went into all the world, and the sound of it unto the ends of the earth. It had a free course, and was glorified. And so it will in the latter day, when many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased (see Romans 10:18).

It was by the Word of God that the world, and in fact, the universe was created. The Word of God is the great power in the earth. The spoken and the written Word are the two greatest powers, and they are one. His Word is law. His Word will make a quick work of this earth.

Psalms 147:16 "He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes."

He covers the earth with snow, so that it seems to have a clothing of wool. "For he saith to the snow, be thou on the earth" (compare notes at Job 37:6).

"He scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes": As if ashes were strewed over the earth. Or, as easily as one strews ashes.

This is just saying that it snows at His command. The snow is white and fluffy like wool. One very amazing thing to me is that no two snowflakes are alike. You wake up in the morning and frost is everywhere. Just as soon as the sun arises, it is gone.

Psalms 147:17 "He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?"

The word rendered morsels means properly a bit, a crumb, as of bread (Genesis 18:5; Judges 19:5). The allusion here would seem to be to hail, which God sends upon the earth as easily as one scatters crumbs of bread from the hand.

"Who can stand before his cold"? Or, hail. The word is the same, except in pointing, as the preceding word rendered ice. The idea is that no one can stand before the pelting of the hail, when God sends it forth, or scatters it upon the earth.

The answer is no one. The body cannot live, if the temperature of the blood changes more than ten degrees. Notice, in all of this, God’s control over nature.

Psalms 147:18 "He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, [and] the waters flow."

He commands: or, he speaks.

"And melteth them": Melts the snow and the ice. "By the breath of God frost is given" (compare notes at Job 37:10-12). The idea is, that they are entirely under his control. They obey him when he speaks.

"He causeth his wind to blow": The warm south wind: "his" wind, because he directs it, and causes it to perform his will.

"And the waters flow": The snow and the ice melt.

We know that this is true because of the overwhelming rain that came in Noah’s day. Not only did it rain on His command, but the water came up from the deep as well. It had never rained on the earth, until God commanded it to rain then. All of nature is subject to the commands of God.

Psalms 147:19-20 : The psalmist acknowledges God’s unique election of Israel from among all the nations (compare Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-6; Deuteronomy 7:6-8; Deuteronomy 14:2; Deuteronomy 26:18-19; 2 Samuel 7:23-24; Ezekiel 16:1-7).

Psalms 147:19 "He showeth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel."

Margin, words. His commands; his promises; his laws. The things which were before adverted to, pertain to the world in general. All people see his works; all enjoy the benefits of his arrangements in the seasons, in the changes which occur upon the earth. But he has especially favored his own people by giving them his laws, his revealed will. This distinguishes them above all other nations of the earth, and gives them special occasion for gratitude.

"His statutes and his judgments unto Israel": His laws; his written word. The word judgments here refer to the law of God as being that which he judges or determines to be right.

The family of Jacob, who became the nation of Israel, were blessed to have God judgements spoken to them from the mountain and carved into stone by the finger of God for them. All of the rest of the world looked on with awe.

Psalms 147:20 "He hath not dealt so with any nation: and [as for his] judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD."

Or "every nation"; or all the nations under the heavens. Only with the Jewish nation: these only for many hundreds of years were favored with the divine revelation. With the word and ordinances of God; with the law, and with the Gospel. And with the service and worship of God; as well as with promises and prophecies of Christ, and good things to come by him. These were not communicated to any one nation or body of people besides them. Only now and then, to one here and there among the Gentiles. The Gospel was first preached to them at the coming of Christ, and after them to the Gentiles, when rejected by the Jews.

"And as for his judgments, they have not known them": By which are meant, not the providential dispensations of God, which are unsearchable, and past finding out, till made known. Nor punishments inflicted on wicked men, unobserved by them. But the word of God, and the ordinances of it, which the Gentile world for many ages were unacquainted with (see Psalms 19:9).

"Praise ye the Lord": As literal Israel had reason to do, for those distinguishing instances of his favor and goodness. And as the spiritual Israel of God everywhere have. And his ordinances truly and duly administered; at least in some parts of it. And that more than in any other nation under the heavens.

Why He chose this little nation of Israel, no one except God knows. The knowledge of God was given to them in written word. They had the writings of Moses. God set up His tabernacle with them and guided them with His presence for 40 years across the wilderness. He spoke the Word to Moses, and Moses in turn spoke to them the way of God. The spiritual house of Israel is even more blessed. The Word of God took on the form of flesh, and walked upon the earth, and taught all who would listen. This very Word of God gave His body on the cross, so that all who would believe might be saved. Jesus is the spoken Word and He is the written Word. The Bible is the Word of God in written form. Let it speak to you today. This lesson has been about praise of God, who is so far above human understanding that this is our only way to show Him our love for Him. Do not neglect to praise Him.

PSALM 147

EXPOSITION

Notwithstanding its almost certain post-exilic date and its evidently composite character, this is a beautiful and useful psalm. It would seem disingenuous not to admit that in all probability it received its present form and some of its strains in the post-exilic period, and was provided to celebrate the great Restoration under Ezra and Nehemiah. It is almost equally certain that it was constructed, in part, of pre-existing materials: at least, this hypothesis would best account for the incorporation in it of what appear to be two fragments—one by way of thanksgiving for rain after drought, and the other in grateful recognition of the return of spring after a severe winter: both of which are not likely to have appeared side by side in one and the same original psalm.

The opening lines are unusually suggestive as to the remarkable repetition of the compound word—or rather the phrase—“hallelujah” (properly hallelu Yah) in connection with these late Hallel psalms. Some critics simply treat them as double “hallelujah” psalms, each one beginning and ending with that word. As soon, however, as we accept Dr. Ginsburg’s opinion, as an expert, in favour of treating the word as a phrase, and the phrase as constituting the Public Reader’s Invitation to join in the responses, we seem to be driven to form some other conclusion as to the reduplication—for as such it appears in Dr. Ginsburg’s Hebrew Bible. In the present instance, the simplest theory would appear to be this: the first “hallelujah” may be regarded as the original invitation proper, to be said rather than sung by the prelector; and the second as a choir’s taking up and repeating of the invitation—passing it on to the people, so to speak—at the same time expanding it into a small introductory stanza ending with Comely is Praise. The reason which supports this suggestion is, the unlikelihood that a psalm should begin with the word For (as Del., Per. and Dr. begin this psalm).

All creation to praise the Lord

Psalms 148:1-14

Psalms 148 : Since nothing in heaven above or on earth below is left out in this praise psalm, it may appropriately be designated as the psalm of universal praise. Its structure is quite distinct: there are two calls to praise, each ending with a cause for praise. The psalmist first calls on the heavenly beings and the heavenly bodies to praise the Lord (Psalms 148:1-4), because of His creative power (Psalms 148:5-6). Then the psalmist issues a second call to praise addressed to the earthly beings and earthly substances (Psalms 148:7-12), because of the glory of the Lord and of His people (Psalms 148:13-14).

Psalms 148:1-14 (see notes on Psalms 146:1-10). There is a connection between the creation praising God and His involvement with Israel.

I. Heaven’s Praise (Psalms 148:1-6).

A. Who? (Psalms 148:1-4);

B. Why? (Psalms 148:5-6).

II. Earth’s Praise (Psalms 148:7-14).

A. Who? (Psalms 148:7-12);

B. Why? (Psalms 148:13-14).

Psalms 148:1-14 : A representative sample of God’s creation in the skies and heavens.

The universe praises God because God spoke it into being (Psalms 148:5). God did not need an evolving series of events or cosmic explosions to create the “heavens” and “earth” and all their inhabitants. God spoke- and they were. In return, they praise Him.

Psalms 148:1 "Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights."

Or, hallelujah: Which, in some versions, and with some interpreters, is the title of the psalm. Expressive of the subject matter of it, the praise of the Lord. And is an exhortation of all creatures to it.

"Praise ye the Lord from the heavens": On the part of the heavens. Let those who dwell in heaven begin the song.

"Praise him in the heights": All that are in the heights. Meaning, in the highest parts of the universe, or the heavens.

There is nothing so high above that it should not praise the Lord. He is the Creator of even the heavens and all they contain, as well as the earth and all it contains. This praise is not just to be limited to the heavens but also should extend to the angels, and the cherubim, and seraphim. The archangels, as well, should praise Him. We know that one of the things that the angels do always in heaven, is cry Holy, Holy, Holy.

Psalms 148:2 "Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts."

The Targum adds, who minister before him. The ministering spirits, the angels of Jehovah, even of Christ, who are his creatures, and at his command. And whom he sends forth to minister to others (Hebrews 1:7). And great numbers there are of them, thousands and tens of thousands. Yea, an innumerable company; and all of them are under obligation to praise the Lord for their creation. For invisible spirits, as well as visible bodies. Even the celestial thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers, were created by Christ (Colossians 1:16). And for their preservation in their beings, and confirmation in that happy estate in which they were created. Being chosen and secured in Christ, the head of all principality and power, and so stood while others fell. And also for the various excellent powers, and faculties and properties, they are endowed with. They excel in strength, are possessed of great agility and swiftness and have a large share of knowledge, of things natural, civil, moral, spiritual, and evangelical. They are perfectly holy, and without sin; and happy in the enjoyment of God, in whose presence they always are, and whose face they continually behold. And will ever remain in this state, being immaterial and immortal beings. And as praise is their duty, it is their work. In this they were employed at the creation of all things, then these sons of God and morning stars sang and shouted for joy. And at the incarnation of Christ, when they worshipped him; at the conversion of every sinner. And frequently join the church in this service, and will be concerned in it to all eternity. And when the psalmist calls upon them to engage in it, it does not suppose that they were deficient in it, or backward to it. Or that he had any authority over them to require it of them. But it shows his great desire that the Lord might be praised by the noblest creatures, and in the best manner that could be. And how much his heart was in this work. And he does it to stir up himself and others the more unto it, from this consideration. That if those heavenly creatures should praise the Lord, then much more such as he and others, who were so very unworthy of the divine favors, and so much beholden to the Lord for them.

"Praise ye him, all his hosts": Meaning either the angels as before, sometimes called the hosts of heaven, and the heavenly host. There being armies and legions of them, and these encamping about the saints in a military way (see 2 Kings 19:35). Or else the celestial bodies, the sun, moon, and stars, as follow, sometimes called the host of heaven; and who are represented as militant (Genesis 2:1; 2 Kings 21:3).

The few glimpses that we have had into heaven, has also told of the praise and worship that goes on continually. Even the 24 elders bow down before Him and cry out in praise.

Revelation 19:4 "And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia."

Psalms 148:3 "Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light."

The “sun” praises God in its brilliance all day long. And when the sun goes down, the “moon” rises and continues praising God all through the night. The light of His praise never goes out.

The sun and moon have been the object of pagan worship. They should not be worshipped, because they are God’s creation. We spoke of the fact that they are fixtures that we see the Light in. They are not the source of Light. Jesus is the source of Light. He is the Light.

Psalms 148:4 "Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that [be] above the heavens."

“Waters … above the heavens” (compare Genesis 1:7).

This is speaking of the vastness above the heavens. Even this vastness is in God’s control. We know that there are at least three heavens, because Paul was carried to the third heaven.

Psalms 148:5-6 : He emphatically ascribes creation to God alone.

Psalms 148:5 "Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created."

Set forth the glory of the nature and perfections of God, and celebrate the praise of them. Even all celestial creatures, the angels, the hosts of heaven, the sun, moon, and stars; the heavens, and the heaven of heavens. And the waters above them; and that for the following reasons.

"For he commanded, and they were created": They are all his creatures, and therefore should praise him. He is the "Father of spirits", of angelic spirits, as well as the spirits of men. And the "Father of lights", of all the luminaries of the heavens. And he has made the heavens themselves, and all their hosts, and the firmament dividing the waters above and below. And all this by an almighty "fiat", at a word of command. He spoke, and they came into being at once (Hebrews 12:9; James 1:17).

This is reason enough for all of these things to praise God, He is Creator. They owe their existence to their Creator.

Psalms 148:6 "He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass."

Jeremiah 31:35-37; Jeremiah 33:20-22 might be in mind in the sense that the certain, fixed order of creation was a witness to God’s unbreakable covenants with Abraham and David.

Not only did God create all of the heavenly things, but he established an order where they would stay in orbit and not fly off into space and burn up. They are like people here on the earth in that the life of the sun, moon, or stars is determined by the usefulness it has to God. When He tells the sun to stop shining, it will.

Psalms 148:7 "Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:"

Let his praise resound from all creatures on earth, and reach him in the highest heavens. This phrase comprehends all terrestrial beings afterwards particularly mentioned. All in the globe, consisting of land and water, all that arise from it, are upon it, or within it.

"Ye dragons, and all deeps": Either land dragons, or rather sea dragons. The water or sea being the proper place of them (Psalms 44:19). These, as cruel, as poisonous, and pernicious as they are, are made to honor and praise the Lord (Isaiah 43:20). And such as are mystically signified by them, as Satan. Tyrannical and persecuting princes, and antichristian ones, as Pharaoh king of Egypt. Rome, Pagan and Papal; out of whom the Lord has or will get himself praise in the deliverance of his people from them, and in the destruction of them. And in the confessions they have been obliged to make of him (Revelation 12:3). These seem to be set in contrast with the angels. The word is used for the great whales the Lord made, which are thought to be the same with the "leviathan" of Job. Of whom so many things are said, which declare the power and wisdom of God in the formation of it (Genesis 1:21). And these may be put for the innumerable creatures in the sea, which in their way show forth the praise and glory of God (Psalms 102:24). As "all deeps" do. Deep waters, especially the depths of the sea, and the inhabitants of them. Where the wonders of God are to be seen, and give occasion to those that go down to the sea in ships to praise his name (Psalms 107:23).

Even the devil himself, is a creation of God. When the praise is commanded to go forth, it does not even exclude the evil things of the earth. The devil will operate his little lying, cheating, deceiving ministry here on the earth, until the Lord says it is enough. We read that Satan will be locked up in chains for one thousand years and will not be able to deceive during that time. The praises from up in the heaven can join with the praises floating up from the earth. This just means that all of God’s creation will praise Him.

Psalms 148:8 "Fire, and hail; snow, and vapors; stormy wind fulfilling his word:"

The “wind” and the “Word” praise God. The word wind in the Old Testament Scriptures is the same word translated “Spirit”. There are two things which without, none can ever come to know Jesus Christ: The Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

“Fulfilling His word”: Another way of saying that God sovereignly oversees weather.

A strange phenomenon happened in the days of Pharaoh, because God commanded it to. Fire mixed with hail fell on the Egyptians. These two elements generally are not together. This just shows more clearly that all elements must obey God. In the snow and vapors, we see opposite elements cooperating again. Vapor comes from heat and snow from cold. The winds must obey His voice, as well. They blow, when He gives them permission to blow.

Psalms 148:9 "Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:"

Which are originally formed by the Lord, and set fast by his power and strength. These are the highest parts of the earth, and are very ornamental and useful. They include all in them and upon them. The trees and herbage that grow upon them, gold, silver, brass, and iron in them. All very beneficial to mankind, and afford matter of praise to God for them (see Isaiah 55:12).

"Fruitful trees, and all cedars": Trees bearing fruit are the fig trees, pomegranates, vines, and olives, with which the land of Canaan abounded. And such as bear lemons, oranges, plums, pears, apples, cherries, etc. Which produce fruit for the use, pleasure, and delight of man, and so a means of praising God. And "cedars", the trees of the Lord which he hath planted. Though they bear no fruit, yet very useful in building, and were of great service in the temple at Jerusalem. And which are put for all others of like usefulness, and minister just occasion of praise (see Psalms 96:12).

We seldom think of something as big as a mountain stopping to praise God. We do know, that when the presence of God was on the mountain the mountain quaked. Fruit trees bear fruit, because they are commanded of God to do so. Even the cedar, which is thought to be the strongest tree in the forest, must praise its Creator.

Psalms 148:10 "Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:"

Wild and tame. The beasts of the field, and the cattle on a thousand hills, which are all the Lord’s. Made, supported, and supplied by him. He gives them their food and drink, which they wait for and receive from him. And in their manner, praise him for the same. And these are useful to men for labor or for food. And therefore, should praise the Lord for them (see Isaiah 43:20).

"Creeping things, and flying fowl": Of "creeping things" some belong to the sea and others to the land (see Psalms 104:25). And there is not the least creature on the sea or land, the meanest reptile or worthless worm, but is of such exquisite workmanship as gives praise and glory to the Creator. And so does every fly and every insect, as well as "flying fowl" of the greatest size. As the eagle, vulture, etc. These, though they fly in the air, had their original from the waters (Genesis 1:20).

This is just saying that even the animals that were thought to be ferocious on the earth, are part of God’s creation and must praise Him, as well. It may soar above the earth like a bird, but it cannot soar above God.

Psalms 148:11 Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth:"

This would embrace all, as all are included in the idea of the rulers and the ruled.

"Princes, and all judges of the earth": Those of exalted rank and those high in authority. This is proper in itself considered, as they are people like other people. And proper as an example to the rest. None of any rank are exempt from the obligation to praise God; none are cut off from the privilege.

The kings and judges of this earth who have much authority, will someday stand before the Judge of all the earth and be judged themselves. They too, are part of God’s creation and must praise Him. They have been placed in a place of authority on the earth, because God ordained it. They will be dealt with the same as the rest of God’s creation.

Psalms 148:12 "Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children:"

Those in the morning of life, just entering on their career or just forming their character. With ardor, elasticity, cheerfulness and hope; let them consecrate all this to God. Let all that there is in the buoyancy of their feelings, in the melody of their voices, and in their ardor and vigor, be employed in the praise and the service of God.

"Old men, and children": Old men, with what remains of life. And children, with all that there is of joyousness. Let all unite in praising God. Life, as it closes, life, as it begins, let it all be devoted to God.

There is no male or female with God, because He deals in the spirit and not in the flesh. It is only in the flesh that we are male and female. There is neither young or old with God either. The time element in heaven is just one eternal day. All of God’s creation must praise Him. Mankind who is made in God’s image, should be even more apt to praise Him. Christians even more than sons of men, should praise Him. He is our Father, and we have been adopted into His family.

Psalms 148:13-14 : Two reasons are given for earth’s praise:

(1) His name alone is exalted in heaven (Psalms 148:13); and

(2) He has exalted Israel on earth (Psalms 148:14).

Psalms 148:13 "Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory [is] above the earth and heaven."

His nature and perfections, and celebrate the glory of them. And his wonderful works, and the blessings of his goodness, both of providence and grace. Even all the above creatures and things, celestial and terrestrial, for the following reasons.

"For his name alone is excellent": The name of the Lord is himself, who is excellent in power, wisdom, goodness, truth, and faithfulness. And in all other perfections of his nature. His works, by which he is known, are excellent. Both of nature and of grace, and proclaim his glory. His Son, in whom his name is, and by whom he has manifested himself, is excellent as the cedars. And so are all his precious names by which he is called. And such is the Gospel, by which he is notified to the world. Nay, the Lord’s name is alone excellent. All creature excellences are nothing in comparison of him, in heaven or in earth, those of angels and men. And therefore, should be praised by all, and above all.

"His glory is above the earth and heaven": There is the glory of celestial and terrestrial bodies, which differ. The glory of the sun, moon, and stars, and of one star from another. But the glory of the divine Being, the Creator of them, infinitely exceeds the glory of them all. His glorious Majesty resides above heaven and earth. The heaven is the throne be sits upon, and the earth the footstool he stands on. And Christ, who is sometimes called his glory, and is the brightness of it (Psalms 63:2). Is exalted above every name on earth, and is made higher than the heavens, and so is exalted above all blessing and praise (see Psalms 8:1).

Now we see another very good reason to praise Him. LORD in this, is Jehovah. There is none greater. There is none even close to as good. His glory exceeds all others in heaven, in earth, and under the earth. If there is any other place that exists, He is above that, too. He is God. He is Highest Supreme God.

Psalms 148:14 "He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; [even] of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD."

“The horn”: Refers in general to the strength and prosperity of the nation, which became the cause of praise for Israel. This suggests that Israel will enjoy better times than in the past, e.g., during David’s and Solomon’s reigns or after returning from the Babylonian Captivity.

“A people near unto him”: Compare also “My chosen people” (Isaiah 43:20), and “His own possession” (Psalms 135:4).

Notice that we should not lift our self up, He lifts us up. He lifted us up so high that we are His family. The horn symbolizes strength; He is our strength. The praise that we lift to Him should be continuous. It should never end. We of all of God’s creation, are the most blessed. He sent us a Deliverer, our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Praise Ye the Lord. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Spiritual Israel and Physical Israel Praise with all that is within you.

PSALM 148

EXPOSITION

This psalm is remarkable for its universal sweep, its unrivalled grandeur, and its national application. With clearly marked consecutiveness, it appeals first to the heavens (Psalms 148:1) and then to the earth (Psalms 148:7). In the fewest possible words it touches upon all things and beings above and below: poetically investing things with the intelligence of persons, provoking the interesting inquiry how this feature of the psalm is meant to be understood. And yet it finally gravitates to Israel, as the appointed (earthly) leader in the praises of the universe. The filling in of this outline gives occasion for many felicities of order and grouping: the order observed, beginning with the heavens and then descending to the earth, by a reverse movement, ascends again from the earth to the heavens (Psalms 148:13). The grouping shows such subtle methods as—setting a species first, i.e., messengers (Psalms 148:2 a), a species of heavenly intelligences, and then hosts (Psalms 148:2 b), including both “messengers” and “attendants” (Psalms 103:20-21); and such delightful juxtapositions as young men and maidens, (Psalms 148:12 a) and such charming contrasts as old men and children (Psalms 148:12 b): in the doing of which, resorting to the refinements of a passing compliment to maidenly modesty, by the delicate touch of a yea even; as much as to suggest that, though maidens may characteristically oft remain silent, yet, when Jehovah’s praises call on them to join, they need not hesitate to respond; and by the equally delicate together with of the next line, which has the effect of summoning groups of little ones to their grandsires’ knees. Both order and grouping are honoured by the way in which the breathless enumerations of objects in heaven and on earth are severally followed by deliberately drawn-out and restful reasons why those invoked should respond in praise. In the closing of the first stanza, the permanence of law is made prominent: he commanded—he stationed—a statute he gave, leading up to the significant fact, so beneficent in its results—they do not transgress. Alas for all concerned, if they did! So used as we are to the beneficent regularities of nature that our minds instinctively shrink from the unimaginable crudities and endless mishaps of “chance worlds.” “They do not transgress!” And so “the sun knows” the “place” (and the time) of his going in—to the inch and to the moment; or, if he does not know, we know, for him and of him, that he will not transgress. But when we make the rapid run of the second stanza from monsters to men, we begin to catch glimpses of a still softer light. We are, doubtless, still under the reign of law; but the law is becoming elevated from the law that controls matter to the law that governs mind. And mind perceives the name and fame of Jehovah. The atmosphere in which mind lives is appreciative knowledge. No knowledge in the creature: no name for the Creator. No eye to see: no glory seen, no praise forthcoming: no reciprocal love.

But how of created things that are not endowed with mind? Can they too praise? Yea, in their own way. Unconsciously; or, at best, half-consciously: dependent on Man to interpret their sighings and their songs. As the song of the bird is to the songster’s uncomprehended ecstasy, so is the intelligent and sympathetic adoration of man to the instinctive impulse of the bird: its expression and interpretation.

This intimate relation between man who knows Jehovah’s name and the creatures beneath him who—so far as we can tell—know it not, is deep-seated in the divinely appointed nature of things. As we voice their joys, they share our sorrows. They not only grow and sing, but they also shudder and groan. The sparrow falls dead, leaving its unprotected brood to perish; but not without our Father. And he has appointed that all creation—which at present is “sighing together and travailing-in-birth throes together until the present—shall, at the manifestation of the sons of God, be freed from the bondage of the decay into (not quite the glory, but) the freedom of the glory of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19-21). But everything in its own order: the Sons of God first, and creation afterwards. Everything in its own order: Israel first, and the nations afterwards. Hence, not by lapse or collapse, this magnificent psalm finds its climax in ISRAEL: prophetically declaring that Israel’s God hath uplifted a horn for his people, (which constitutes) a theme of praise for all his—hasidhim—his men of kindness; the Levites, first; then, as represented by them, all Jehovah’s ideal Israel—for the real will yet be transfigured into the ideal—a people near him, and through whom he can act on the nations (Cp. Intro., Chap. III., “Kindness”).

Meanwhile, where is the Church? Is that forgotten? Nay: but, throwing our minds back into the time and atmosphere of these “songs of Israel” before we give our answer, we reply: The Church is at present “hidden in God”; “hidden away from the ages and the generations” (Ephesians 3); and, therefore, “hidden away” from the writers of these psalms. And woe betide us if we exegetically call the Church out of its divine concealment before its time. The presumption of so doing will be avenged at our hands—no later on than in the very next psalm (Cp. Intro., Chap. III., “Kingdom”).

“The Lord taketh pleasure in his people”

Psalms 149:1-9

Psalms 149 : The unique aspect of praise highlighted in this psalm is that praise is related to the kingdom of the Lord. Though the psalm begins with the normal call to praise (Psalms 149:1-3), the cause for praise (Psalms 149:4-9), is quite unexpected: it is because the Lord intends to establish His kingdom on the earth. This kingdom involves both the glorification of the righteous (Psalms 149:4-6), and the judgment of the wicked (Psalms 149:7-9). This aspect of judgment is apparently to be carried out by the righteous (Psalms 149:6-9). This passage should be taken in a prophetic sense to refer to the time when God will in fact establish His kingdom on the earth with His glorified saints right behind Him (Revelation 19:11-21). Even in this age of grace, believers are instructed to pray “Thy kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10), a petition that includes not only the glorification of the righteous but the destruction of the wicked.

Psalms 149:1-9 (see note on Psalms 146:1-10). The composer and occasion for this psalm are unknown.

I. Israel’s Praise for God (Psalms 149:1-5);

II. Israel’s Punishment of the Nations (149:6-9).

Psalms 149:1 "Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, [and] his praise in the congregation of saints."

“A new song” A song of testimony concerning salvation (compare Psalms 149:4). New mercies make people recognize the inadequacy of their past efforts at praise (Psalms 33:3; Psalms 40:3; Psalms 144:9). This “praise” song is offered in the assembly of the pious; there the desire to praise the Lord flourishes best.

“The congregation”: The gathering of the nation for worship.

This new song that is sung here undoubtedly is speaking of those who have experienced the new birth. The congregation of the saints is the church. In the last lesson, we talked of all of creation worshipping the Lord. In this, it seems as if this is the redeemed of the Lord (Christians). This is the song that only the redeemed can sing. This is that glorious song of redemption.

Psalms 149:2 "Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King."

The people of Israel; the Hebrew people; the people of God.

"Rejoice in him that made him": Him, who has made the people what they are. All that they have and are is to be traced to him, as really as the universe of matter is to be traced to his power. Their condition is not one of development, or one which is the result of their own wisdom, grace, or power. "It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves" (see Psalms 100:3).

"Let the children of Zion": Those who dwell in Zion or Jerusalem.

"Be joyful in their King": In God as their king.

(A) That they have a king, or that there is one to rule over them.

(B) That they have such a king; one so wise, so powerful, so good.

(C) That he administers his government with so much efficiency, impartiality, equity, wisdom, and goodness.

The first of this verse above is speaking of physical Israel. They rejoice in their Creator. In the One who made them a nation. The children of Zion are the Christians. Our King, Redeemer, Savior, and Lord is Jesus Christ the Righteous. Our joy is in the fact that He saved us.

Psalms 149:3 "Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp."

“Dance”: Either individual or group, perhaps like David when he brought the Ark to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:15-16).

“Timbrel”: A tambourine like instrument which accompanied dancing and singing (compare Exodus 15:20; 1 Samuel 18:16; see note on 2 Samuel 6:14).

This dance and music here mentioned, are the victory celebration because we are saved. This occurs after the redemption of the people. Miriam led the dance after the crossing of the Red Sea. This is similar to that. This also is very similar to the fact of David dancing before the Ark of the covenant, when it was brought home. The overwhelming joy of the Spirit comes and then the dance. Dancing for any other reason would be out of order, especially planning to dance before the Spirit moved. This is a great time of overwhelming joy, when the entire church would be full of the presence of God. Great swelling song would go forth in praise at the very same time the music was being played to the glory and praise of God.

Psalms 149:4 "For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation."

Let them rejoice on this account. He loves them; he approves their conduct and he bestows his favors upon them. All this should add to their joy, and fill their hearts with gladness (compare notes at Psalms 35:27). The Hebrew word here rendered "taketh pleasure" conveys the idea of complacency, satisfaction, delight. It is the opposite of being pained or offended. God has complacency in his people. He delights in their welfare; he delights in doing them good.

"He will beautify": Hebrew. Adorn or glorify. Make them amiable and honorable in the eyes of the world, who now hate and despise them.

"The meek": Or humble. Meaning, his people. As he now said, who are often in Scripture described by that character. Because all true Israelites are such, and all Israelites profess and ought to be such. Or, the afflicted, as that word is often used in Scripture, which hath been observed before. His poor afflicted and oppressed people, to whom the following salvation is most needful and acceptable.

"With salvation": Both temporal, in delivering them from, and setting them above, all their enemies. And afterwards, with everlasting salvation and glory.

The joy of the Lord should be overflowing. We have so much to praise Him for. The greatest thing being the salvation of our soul. God enjoys sweet praise going up to His throne. We should want to be a sweet sweet sound in His ear. Humble yourself before Almighty God and He will save you.

Psalms 149:5 "Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds."

In the glory of their condition. In the favor of God; in the honor which he bestows upon them. Let them rejoice in this; let them shout and triumph over this. Other men rejoice in honor; in wealth; in houses, lands, parks, libraries, and works of art. Let the saints rejoice in the glory of being the friends of God. In the hope of heaven (compare Psalms 84:11).

"Let them sing aloud upon their beds" (compare and see notes on Job 35:10; Acts 16:25; Psalms 34:1). The idea is, that in the meditations of the night, when darkness is around them, when alone with God, they may find occasion for exultation and praise. Their hearts may be full of joy, and alone they may give expression to their joy in songs of praise.

The glory of the Lord should excite us into loud songs of praise and worship. God is not nervous, He would not be offended, if we shouted the praise. Sometimes the praise and song cannot be shut off and continues even at time for bed. These are the times you might as well get up and continue to praise.

Psalms 149:6-9 : It would appear that this section is eschatological in nature and looks.

(1) To the Millennium when all nations and peoples will acknowledge Christ as king; and

(2) To Jerusalem as His royal capital (compare Ezekiel 28:25-26; Joel 3:9-17; Micah 5:4-15).

Psalms 149:6 "[Let] the high [praises] of God [be] in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;"

Margin, as in Hebrew, in their throat. Literally, "Praises of God in their throat. And a sword of two edges in their hand." That is, in the very work of executing the purposes of God on his enemies, there should be the feeling and the language of praise. Their hearts should be full of confidence in God. They should feel that they are engaged in his service. And while they defend themselves, or inflict punishment on the enemies of God, they should chant His praise. The idea is, that even in the work of war they might feel that they were engaged in the service of God. And that the passions usual in war should be subdued and kept under by the consciousness that they are mere instruments in the hand of God to accomplish His purposes. Perhaps the Hebrew word rendered "high praises" may imply more than mere praise. It may embrace anything that is lofty and exalted. And may mean here that they would have the consciousness that they were engaged in high and lofty aims. That they were carrying out the great designs of God. That they were executing purposes more momentous than their own could be. Even the eternal purposes of the Most High. This would give an importance, a dignity and an elevation to their conduct which could spring from no other source.

"And a two-edged sword in their hand,” literally, a sword of edges. That is, a sword with an edge on both sides of the blade. Roman swords were often made in this manner. They were made for piercing as well as for striking (see notes at Hebrews 4:12).

The two-edged sword of course, is the Bible. We should always have it with us ready to share the Scriptures with all we see. The praises on the tongue and in the mouth originate from a heart overflowing with praise.

Psalms 149:7 "To execute vengeance upon the heathen, [and] punishments upon the people;"

To inflict punishment upon them as a recompence for their sins. The word pagan here means nations. The allusion is, doubtless, to those who had oppressed and injured the Hebrew people. Perhaps referring to those who had destroyed the city and the temple at the time of the Babylonian captivity. They were now to receive the punishment due for the wrongs which they had done to the nation. A just recompence at the hand of God, and by the instrumentality of those whom they had wronged (compare notes at Psalms 137:7-9).

"And punishments upon the people": The people of those lands. Those who had waged war with the Hebrew nation.

Vengeance is mine saith the Lord. God had Israel to fulfill punishment on the heathen nations, as they came to the Promised Land. This perhaps though, is speaking of the time when the saints will reign with Jesus and shall execute judgement.

Psalms 149:8 "To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;"

To make them prisoners and captives. This is but carrying out the idea in the previous verses, of inflicting punishment upon them for the wrongs which they had done to the people of God. There is no evidence that this refers to a spiritual conquest, or to a spiritual subjection of those nations to the true religion. The whole idea is in accordance with what is so often expressed in the Psalms, that of inflicting just punishment on the wicked.

"And their nobles with fetters of iron": To make them prisoners. That is, to subdue them. Captives in war, even those of elevated rank, were often led in chains to grace the triumph of conquerors.

We know that this rule of the Lord will be with a rod of iron. The subordinate jobs will be given to the saints to carry out. I believe this to be speaking of that time. A king or a nobleman, will not hold these offices then unless they were counted among the saints.

Psalms 149:9 "To execute upon them the judgment written: this honor have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD."

The “judgment written” is the law (Deuteronomy 32:40-47), the standard by which the people living in the land of Canaan were judged.

Another way of saying “according to the Scriptures”, as God has prophesied the subjecting of the nations.

“This honor”: The privilege of carrying out God’s will.

These next two Scriptures leave no doubt when this reign is.

2 Timothy 2:12 "If we suffer, we shall also reign with [him]: if we deny [him], he also will deny us:"

Revelation 20:6 "Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."

We will judge as his subordinates in that day, and carry out whatever orders He gives us.

PSALM 149

EXPOSITION

The well-defined People is the Ideal Nation of Israel; the well-defined Time is the time of Israel’s Restoration to Jehovah’s favour, when that people again realise that Jehovah is indeed their King; and the well-defined Work is the work of punishing Gentile nations. The lines along which legitimate interpretation should run are reasonably clear; but, by a corrupted exegesis, the scope of this psalm has been so perverted, that the Sword has been placed in unauthorised hands, and the earth has been drenched with human blood, shed without Divine Authority. The secret of the mischief has lain in substituting the Church for Israel; and this, again, has resulted from the corruption of a Church which has forgotten her own especial calling, and mistakenly deemed herself to be the Kingdom, and has vaingloriously vaulted herself into a place in the Prophetic Word never designed for her.

Happily, expositors are beginning to discover the mistake, and to trace back to it the deplorable consequences which have ensued; though it may be doubted whether they can be said to have laid the axe to the root of the tree so long as they call the nation of Israel a “Church.” The following extract from Delitzsch will lay bare the terrible results which have sprung from this mistaken application of the Word of God:—

“The New Testament spiritual Church cannot pray as the Old Testament state Church prays here. Under the delusion that it could be used as a prayer without any spiritual transformation, Psalms cxlix. has been the pass-word of the most horrible aberrations. By means of this Psalm Caspar Scioppius in his Classicum belli sacri, which, as Bakius says, is written not with ink but with blood, inflamed the Roman Catholic princes to the Thirty Years’ religious war. And within the Protestant Church Thomas Munzer by means of this Psalm stirred up the War of the Peasants. One can easily see that the Christian cannot directly appropriate such a psalm without disavowing the apostolic admonition: ta hopla tees strateias heemon ou sarkika [the weapons of our warfare are not carnal] (2 Corinthians 10:4).”

The serious question arises, whether, in view of such consequences of a mistaken exegesis as are here disclosed, it would not be better to leave off altogether the habit of speaking of the Old Testament Nation as a CHURCH; and, instead of merely abstaining from directly appropriating such a psalm as this, would it not be more reverent and far safer to abstain altogether from appropriating it? Why appropriate it at all? It is not for us. Nevertheless, we can learn much from it. We can gather therefrom lessons which are by no means yet exhausted; and if some “Jew-baiting” communities would only listen to Jehovah’s voice ringing through it, they would not be surprised to hear their rulers calling out to them, with genuine concern, “Hands off!”

It may not be out of place to observe that there is enough in this psalm to prevent even the favoured nation itself from hastily taking up the “sword,” though it were in self-defence. Let them make reasonably sure that Jehovah is again favouring his people, and intends to adorn the humble ones with victory! When Jehovah wills them to “thresh,” he will not fail to say unto them “Arise!” Besides which, it has yet to be emphasised, that even upon Israel a restriction is placed which further safeguards the power of the “sword,” as commissioned by this psalm. This restriction has already been respected by the qualifying term “ideal” in the phrase “ideal Israel”: it is only to “ideal Israel” that the commission to use the “sword” is here prophetically given. Now, as the “ideal Israel” is necessarily a purified and godlike Israel—the real nation, indeed, but the real nation as morally qualified for the stern and critical task of punishing Gentile kings and nations,—it is important that this restriction to the mission of the “sword” be thoroughly grasped and tenaciously held.

Note then, first, that the restriction is well in evidence hereabouts in the Psalms. Recall how strongly it appeared at the close of the last psalm (Psalms 148). The perfect tense there may perhaps be safely taken as the prophetic perfect of anticipation: He hath uplifted a horn for his people—the “horn” being a well-known symbol of royal power and prowess. This “horn” Jehovah will have given to “his people”: say,—naturally, in a Hebrew psalm,—“to his people Israel.” But in what moral condition are “his people” to be when this “horn” of power is restored to them? It is to be observed that the restoration is to be a theme of praise for all Jehovah’s men of kindness. It follows, that it will be an event which will fill Jehovah’s “men of kindness” with joy.

His men of kindness! but who are they? They are His hasidhim: THE RECEIVERS AND REFLECTORS OF HIS OWN DIVINE KINDNESS. It is not difficult to define them: our only misfortune is, that we have not a single word to denote them; and, in the last resort, that is doubtless our own fault; for if we had been awake to the immense importance—within the realm of the Old Testament—of the idea, the happy word to express it would surely have been agreed upon before now; and English readers would not have been suffered to lose themselves amid such a variety of renderings of this Hebrew designation as “holy ones,” “pious ones,” “godly ones,” “favoured ones,” &c, &c. Surely the idea and the character embodying it, should by no means be allowed to escape us. Just here, the restriction implied is vital.

So, then, Jehovah’s “men of kindness” will rejoice and give “praise” when a “horn” is again “uplifted” for “his people”; which presupposes their confidence that “his people” are prepared to wield the “sword” in strict accord with Jehovah’s will. And the next line in Psalms 148 confirms this confidence; for by the very way in which it follows on, without a conjunction, such as “and” or “moreover,” that line—the last of the psalm—is turned into an expansion of the foregoing; and so implies that “the sons of Israel,” AS A BODY, will have become “men of kindness”; in other words, will have become Jehovah’s “ideal nation”; the perception of which prepares us for the splendid climax—a people near him—morally near him, and not merely by outward privilege and profession: ONLY TO SUCH A PEOPLE, hath Jehovah here promised to raise up a horn of power and prowess.

All of which brings us, on a full-flowing tide, over the bar at the entrance of our present psalm, the redoubtable 149th: Sing ye to Jehovah a song that is new; and indeed it is “new,” even to Israel,—so new and peculiar that no others than Jehovah’s “ideal Israel” have any right to sing it with self-appropriation. The same restrictive peculiarity immediately reappears as the psalmist, in the second line, says: his praise in the assembly of his men of kindness. These peculiarly godlike men have now become an “assembly”; and, from what follows, we may infer that they are the whole national assembly of humble ones who have borne the sin and the curse and the shame of centuries: JEHOVAH’S IDEAL ISRAEL. These are the men to whom alone it is possible, without fanaticism, to have, at one and the same time, the extollings of God in their throat, and a sword of two edges in their hand!

With a remarkable—and indeed quite an unusual—maintenance of descriptive power the final stanza of this ominous psalm conducts us steadily up to its unique and amazing climax: To execute—chastise—bind—execute the sentence written (and we thank Dr. Driver for referring us to such appropriate parallels for showing what that “sentence” is) is a stateliness for all his men of kindness! thus, once more and finally, holding us to the Divinely imposed restriction of this unique commission to such men—to these men—and to no others. “A stateliness”: a quite unusual and significant word, whose peculiar value the psalms have recently taught us. As “glory” is an attribute of “majesty,” so is “stateliness” an attribute of the “glory” of “majesty” (Psalms 145:5). Such “stateliness”—such “magnificence,” as the Sep. in some places has it—has Jehovah in reserve for “his men of kindness.” Some day a relieved world will wake up to discover how Jehovah himself has displayed his own kindness in thus forcibly sweeping away centuries of oppression and wrong. Let all tyrants beware!

“Let everything that Hath breath praise the Lord”

Psalms 150:1-6

Psalms 150 : The first psalm contains only six verses and speaks of the man who is blessed. The last psalm also contains six verses but speaks of the God who is praised. No more fitting conclusion to the book could have been written. While the other four books of the Psalms end with a brief verse or two of doxology, Psalms 150 in its entirety forms the doxology to consummate the fifth book. As the final song of praise, it appropriately answers four key question about praise.

(1) Where should God be praised? Everywhere, from His sanctuary of earth to His heavenly creation (Psalms 150:1);

(2) Why should God be praised? For His powerful deeds on behalf of men and for His inherent greatness (Psalms 150:2);

(3) How should God be praised? With every suitable instrument man can offer with his God-given creativity and artistry (Psalms 150:3-5);

(4) Who should praise God? Everything that breathes (Psalms 150:6).

Psalms 150:1-6 (see note on Psalms 146:1-10). This concluding psalm fitly caps the Psalter and the Final Hallel (Psalms 145-150), by raising and then answering some strategic questions about praise:

(1) Where? (Psalms 150:1);

(2) What for? (Psalms 150:2);

(3) With What? (Psalms 150:3-5); and

(4) Who? (Psalms 150:6).

The author and occasion are unknown.

I. Place of Praise (Psalms 150:1);

II. Points of Praise (Psalms 150:2);

III. Proper Means of Praise (Psalms 150:3-5);

IV. Practitioners of Praise (Psalms 150:6).

Though every verse of the psalm is cast in the form of a call to praise, the hymn is certainly prophetic of a day when every creature will in fact bow in praise to the Almighty God (Philippians 2:11; Revelation 5:8-14).

Psalms 150:1-6 : Psalms closes with magnificence and majesty. “Praise” comes from every creature; every instrument of joy and gladness and triumph and jubilee is summoned to raise its voice, and every heart and tongue engages to help the choir. This concluding crescendo is full-toned and jubilant. Each of the four preceding books is concluded by a brief doxology, a hymn praising God (41:13; 72:18-20; 89:52; 106:48). Nothing could be more appropriate than to have a lengthy doxology for the final chapter.

Psalms 150:1 "Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power."

“Sanctuary … firmament of his power”: “Sanctuary” most likely refers to the temple in Jerusalem, so the sense would be “Praise God on earth and in heaven”.

The psalmist here is filled to overflowing with praise. This praise to the Lord here, is to everything that hath breath, as we will see as we go on. God, in the praise of God above, is EL, or Elohim. Praise Father, Word, and Holy Ghost. His sanctuary is His church. This praise is similar to the sweet-smelling savor that rose in the tabernacle. This is very pleasing to God. This power is mixed with the greatest love known. God’s love is so much greater than what man is capable of giving.

Psalms 150:2 "Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness."

Praise should be for:

(1) What God has done; and

(2) Who God is.

His mighty acts have all been to benefit mankind. We could start listing them, and days later still be listing them. His greatest act of Love was taking our sin on His body and giving us His righteousness. The greatness of God is not even something that we can understand. He is Holy, He is righteous, He is Love. He is all things combined that make up perfect goodness. You could think of anything good or positive, and it would be part of His character.

In the next few verses, we see many ways to praise Him. We also see that it is right and in order to praise God with instruments of music.

Psalms 150:3 "Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp."

“Harp”: A smaller, portable version of the harp, most likely played with a plectrum (pick).

Psalms 150:4 "Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs."

Or "pipe". “Timbrel and dance” (see note on Psalms 149:3).

"Praise him with stringed instruments": or different "kinds" of instruments not named. And which, as Aben Ezra says, had all one sound or note. What they were is not known, as also many of them that are particularly mentioned.

"And organs": Which have their name from the loveliness of their sound. These are of ancient origins and use (Genesis 4:21). But were not of the same kind with those now in use, which are of much later invention.

Psalms 150:5 "Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high-sounding cymbals."

Or "cymbals of hearing"; that were heard with pleasure and delight, and afar off. The Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions render it, "well sounding cymbals". Which give a grateful sound to the ear. These were made of brass (1 Chronicles 15:19). To which the apostle alludes (1 Corinthians 13:1).

"Praise him upon the high-sounding cymbals": Or "cymbals of shouting", ovation or triumph. Which were used on joyful occasions, as victories, deliverances, and the like. And were used also in the temple service (see 1 Chronicles 16:5). According to the Targum and Septuagint version, these were three stringed instruments; for so they render the word then in (1 Samuel 18:6). Now these several instruments of music are named, not as to be used in Gospel times; but, being expressive of the highest praise and joy shown in former times. Are mentioned to set forth the highest strains and notes of praise in New Testament saints. As well as to denote their heartiness, agreement, and unanimity in this service (Romans 15:6).

These are all fine to praise Him with, but the one instrument that He most wants to praise Him, is the voice of man.

Psalms 150:6 "Let everything that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD."

“Everything”: All of God’s living creation. This is the fitting conclusion to Book Five of the Psalms (Psalms 107-150), and to the entire Psalter.

We discussed earlier that this breath is life. This breath is the spirit that God breathed into mankind on the sixth day of creation, and man became a living soul. If you have life, if you have the spirit, if you have breath, praise God with everything within you.

PSALM 150

EXPOSITION

As this psalm is unique and makes urgent demands on exegesis, the reader will not be surprised if this endeavour to interpret it extend beyond the length which the brevity of the psalm may have led him to anticipate. For clearness, and to enable MORE and LESS critical readers respectively to find their own, it will be convenient to divide the Exposition into two parts: I. A Critical Defence of the Title, Text and Translation; and II. A Practical Interpretation of the psalm as thus presented.

I. A CRITICAL DEFENCE OF THE TITLE, TEXT AND TRANSLATION.

1. As to the TITLE here presented, it is respectfully submitted: That this psalm is not a “Doxology,” and that the continued classification of it as such diverts attention from its true character. As this conclusion rests mainly on Dr. Ginsburg’s opinion that the phrase hallelu-yah was, originally, not one word but two, which together constituted the “Public Reader’s Invitation” to the People to join in the Responses in Temple Worship (Ginsburg’s Intro., pp. 375–381), it is necessary that this Expert Opinion be well kept in mind; since it is only when that opinion is accepted as sufficiently valid to form a basis of reasoning, that the character of this psalm as an Expansion and Enforcement of that Invitation can be expected to disclose itself. The thoroughness with which, on that assumption, it does vindicate itself, is the sufficient justification of the ultimate conclusion reached as to the character of this psalm.

2. Next, as to TEXT, it is necessary to say: That the extraordinary symmetry of this psalm, coupled with the notorious confusion into which the Hebrew letters beth and kaph are known from the ancient versions to have not infrequently fallen, through infirmities incident to copying, conducts to the assured conviction that the NINE occurrences of the preposition beth in this psalm must have been originally TEN, and that the Syriac version is right in having preserved the ten intact. This strong conviction is similar to that of which a critic of modern hymns becomes conscious, when, in examining a new hymn-book, he observes a hymn, otherwise perfect in its rhymes, utterly breaking down in one particular verse. As he would exclaim, “Impossible and Incredible!” so any one with a fair amount of sensitiveness to symmetry of form and a passing acquaintance with the incidents of textual transmission, becomes irresistibly possessed by the persuasion that the one straggling kaph in this psalm is neither more nor less than a clerical error, however ancient, and the more so, that the irregularity serves no good purpose whatever, seeing that the difference between “in view of,” “for” and “according to” cannot in the circumstances be made evident to the common mind.

3. In respect of TRANSLATION, two points claim attention: the rendering of the ten beths; and, that of the word neshamah in the climax of the psalm.

(a) Manifestly, the ten beths should be rendered as uniformly as possible: which at once throws out the “upon” (of A.V. and R.V.) before the two classes of “cymbals,” as a perfectly gratuitous variation; seeing that Jehovah may be praised “with” as well as “upon” any musical instrument. Unfortunately we cannot have a perfectly uniform rendering of beth, simply because this Hebrew preposition is broader than our “with,” easily looking in such two directions as “in view of” = “for” and “with” (the help or accompaniment of), but beyond these two meanings there is, in this psalm, no need to go; as will be seen as soon as we are prepared to deal vigorously with lines one and two, and (with Briggs), without change of consonants, say: for his holiness, for the spreading out of his strength. We shall then have four good, strong, uniform lines:

Praise ye GOD for his holiness,

Praise ye him for the spreading out of his strength,

Praise ye him for his heroic acts,

Praise ye him for his abundant greatness.

Against the introduction—with many translations—of place in the first line, may be urged: that it is first, needless; secondly, feeble; thirdly, puzzling: Needless, inasmuch as the extension of Jehovah’s praise through space (and place) is fully and grandly wrought out in Psalms 148; feeble, because, if we merely say “in his sanctuary,” no mention is made of the beings who dwell in that sanctuary; and puzzling, because we are left in doubt which sanctuary is intended, the earthly or the heavenly, as to which expositors are very uncertain—at least they come to diverse conclusions. But by accepting the four lines as a fourfold reference to the attributes and activities of the Mighty One, an obviously stable foundation is laid on which His praise may rest. Praise him in view of=for—all these.

(b) As to the important noun neshamah, in the climax of the psalm, which—preceded by the little qualifying word kol, “the totality of,” “the whole of,” “all,” or “every”—is literally “every breath,” more freely “every breather”: the one important question is, Does it mean “Every ONE who hath breath,” or “Every THING that hath breath? In other words, Does it (poetically) include animals; or is it strictly and properly confined to mankind? It will probably become evident that it does include all mankind, and is not limited to Hebrew worshippers, even though Temple worship is all the time in view. If we conclude that it is confined to mankind, it will still be left over to ask, in the second part of our Exposition, WHY this peculiar phrase is employed to denote mankind, rather than simply “all nations,” “all men,” or “all flesh.” In answer to the primary question here submitted, it may be said, with confidence: That the word under consideration is here confined to mankind—for the following reasons: (i) it stands alone, and is not one of a series which conceivably might leave this term over to mean animals: (ii) the whole context is charged to the full with the notion of human personality. Praise ye! eleven times repeated (including the Public Reader’s Invitation), so that, if the eleven-fold appeal of the ye be to MEN, then the climax, which is the emphasised sum of all that has gone before, must still mean MEN, and cannot be poetically lavished on animals; (iii) other examples may be found in which “every breath” or “every breather” is limited to human kind; as for example Deuteronomy 20:16; Deuteronomy 20:18; Joshua 11:11; Joshua 11:14, confirmed by Isaiah 57:16, wherein neshahmoth, the plural of the term before us, is clearly synonymous with the “souls” of men (not animals). We may, then safely rest in the translation: Let every ONE who hath breath praise Yah.

II. A PRACTICAL INTERPRETATION OF THE PSALM AS THUS PRESENTED.

We at once find ourselves in a practical atmosphere, if we resume where just now we left off. Frankly admitting—as we have already admitted—that we are (metaphorically) within the Temple area, that we have just heard the “Public Reader” in the Temple Courts give the “Invitation” Praise ye Yah; and that we are now (in all probability) listening to a Levitical or Orchestral prolongation of the Reader’s Invitation,—granting all this, we are constrained nevertheless to maintain that we have been brought under no restrictive influences which can rightfully cramp the terms “Every one who hath breath,” so that they shall mean no more than “Every Hebrew.”

In support of this protest we offer the following reasons:—(a) The psalmist avoids all the many current designations by which he could have restricted his appeal to Hebrews; such as “Men of Israel,” “Sons of Zion,” “Seed of Jacob,” and the like: instead of which he says, simply and broadly, “Every one who hath breath.” (b) Previous psalms have already familiarised us with a class of worshippers outside Hebrews; as where (Psalms 115:9-11; Psalms 135:19-20)—after exhaustively classifying all Israel—we are taken outside Israel by the familiar New Testament designation, “Ye that revere God.” (c) Other psalms, unquestionably prophetic (and therefore probably carrying us beyond the present Church dispensation into the coming age of the Kingdom) have thrown open the Temple Courts to all nations, or all the earth; and invited them to enter and bow down (Psalms 100:1-4; see “Exposition.”). (d) The prophetic word from Isaiah’s hands (Psalms 56:7) distinctly predicts that “My house, a house of prayer shall be called, for all the peoples” (cp. Isaiah 66:18-23). For these reasons it is plainly not permissible to restrict the description “Every one who hath breath” to any narrower limits than ALL MANKIND.

But why should this peculiar description have been selected, and not one of the more obvious phrases, such as “All nations,” “All men,” or “All flesh”? This we now proceed to indicate by submitting the following proposition: The praises of Jehovah primarily call for Song; and for the production of song Breath is essential; hence the inherent fitness of couching the Invitation in these terms rather than any others.

The primary appeal made by the songs of Israel is to the Human Voice, to articulate them. They are not mere sounds, but senses; they celebrate, among other things, the doings and perfections of Jehovah; they appeal to the mind of the listener through his ear. No artificial sounds can articulate them. Song is essential to the praise of Jehovah; and Breath is essential to song.

The present psalm, which may be described as the magnified appeal of Hebrew praise, is absolutely true to this master-thought. The Public Reader’s appeal is not to musical instruments, but to musical men. He does, indeed, call for “music,” because he calls for “praise” in Song; and mere brute sound is not Song; is not, cannot be, intelligent, simultaneous, harmonious, melodious Song. Therefore he appeals to men with minds, men capable of adoring purpose. But MEN standing first and foremost, first and last, in his call. He calls on them for “tuneful” breath. But they must have breath; and therefore the Orchestral Amplification rises to its climax on that clear note. Eleven times “Praise ye, (O men)”: never once, “Praise ye (O instruments)”!

And this reduces all instrumentation to its right dimensions: in rendering the praises of Israel, instrumentation is always, everywhere, evermore secondary and subservient. To guide, prolong, sustain the HUMAN VOICE, is its only place here.

But in this, its legitimate, subservient relation to the human voice, instrumentation is not only permitted but invited!—Divinely invited. And there is this further to be said in passing: That no musical instrument can play itself, nor play at all until a human soul moves it to its subservient end.

According to this Divine Ideal of Sacred Song, it is Man who is sounding the high praises of Jehovah all the while: Man with the instrument, Man in the instrument. All good instrumental music throbs and thrills with human intelligence.

There is something unspeakably pathetic, and immeasurably instructive, in this final appeal to “Every one who hath breath.” When a man’s “breath” departs, his power of song in this world is at an end. When, amid the advancing infirmities of old age, his “breath” for song fails him, and he is compelled to excuse himself from complying with this Invitation, by pleading: “I would fain, O Divine Master, respond to thy call; but alas, I have no available breath,”—may we not believe that his excuse will be accepted? If he is compelled to lean on OTHERS, but still puts his own mind into the song which he has to leave others to sing,—will he not be accepted? If he has a HARP, and his right hand has not yet lost its cunning, and he throws his soul into the strings and by them climbs to Jehovah’s throne in adoration,—will he not be accepted? The very pathos of old age illustrates and accentuates the principle. He who is aged and infirm is, with others, invited to sing; but, if he cannot, what then? He is invited to play; but if he cannot, what then? Is there in the Divine Code no such thing as a “Law of Liberty”? Happily, “to his own Master he standeth or falleth.” Meanwhile, and all the while, the gracious Invitation goes on resounding through the ages, and to earth’s remotest bounds,—Let every one who hath breath praise Yah!

Before we close, a particularisation of the “accompaniments” of praise here enumerated may be acceptable under the law of Moses:—

1.—Horn, Heb. shophar: the curved horn, prob. at first a ram’s horn, which “was used by watchmen, warriors, etc., as well as priests”—O.G., 348. To be distinguished from the straight silver trumpets for the use of the priests (Numbers 10:1-10, the only instance of which in the Psalms is Psalms 98:6). It is remarkable that this is the only instrument still in use which goes back to Mosaic times.

2.—Lute, Heb. nebhel: prob. smaller than the lyre, and occasionally more elaborate (Psalms 33:2, Psalms 144:9). In O.G. named also “portable harp, guitar.” For uniformity of rendering, see under next word.

3.—Lyre, Heb. kinnor: prob. larger than the lute, and fitted by its deeper and louder tones to accompany the bass voices in the Temple worship (1 Chronicles 15:21). “Lyre” is the only name given it in O.G. Hence, throughout this translation of the Psalm, this distinction has been uniformly observed—“lute” for nebhel and “lyre” for kinnor.

4.—Timbrel, Heb. toph: the well-known tambourine or hand-drum, chiefly used as an accompaniment to “dancing”; and, therefore, favouring that translation of the next word.

5.—Dance, Heb. mahol: “dance” is the only meaning given in Fuerst, T.G., and O.G.: in the last of which it is followed by the words—“accompanied by Timbrel (toph) and sometimes other instruments.” Stainer inclines to “flute” (Bible Educator, ii., 70): in favour of whose opinion it may be said—that thereby absolute uniformity is secured for all six lines; and, if EIGHT of the items specified are instruments, and not mere accompaniments, why not the NINTH?

6.—Strings, Heb. minnim: so O.G.; regarded by Stainer as a generic name for stringed instruments (Bible Educator, ii., 72).

7.—Pipe, Heb. ‘ugabh: in O.G., “reed pipe or flute,” or “a Pan’s-pipe” or “organ”—“made up of several reeds together.” Stainer evidently concludes that, although the ‘ugabh may have been originally a simple collection of reeds, a syrinx, or Pan’s-pipe, yet it afterwards was developed into the parent of our modern organ, and was identical with the magrepha mentioned in the Talmud. “This organ,” says Steiner, “for it is entitled to the name . . . was capable of producing 100 sounds. These were brought under the control of the player by means of a clavier or key-board. Its tones were said to be audible at a very great distance” (Bible Educator, ii., 73).

8.—Cymbals of clear tone, Heb. zilzelei-shama‘.

9.—Cymbals of loud clang, Heb. zilzelei-teru‘ah: There is a general agreement among scholars in favour of substantially the above distinction. It is quite conceivable that the “clanging” cymbals may have found their place in Temple worship by serving to drown and overpower all other noises, and so secure universal silence throughout the Temple courts; in which case the “clear-sounding” cymbals could be appropriated to the service of beating time, and possibly of making other concerted signals. Recall what the apostle Paul said about "clanging cymbals" ins 1st Corinthians 13.

If the main position respecting the foregoing psalm is correct, several corollaries follow from it: one of them is this—That we must look elsewhere than here for the actual response of the people. The more sure we are that this psalm is none of it of the nature of a response, but all of it of the nature of a continued appeal for a response, the mure urgently it becomes us to indicate the kind of thing which would constitute such a response—in other words, which would serve as an appropriate answer to this appeal. Fortunately, we have not to look far to discover what we seek. The refrain of Psalms 136 is just what we want. On the face of it, that refrain is a people’s response. It is in itself, not a call for praise, but praise: what is therein said is evidently uttered in Jehovah’s praise, and appears in no other light. Its brevity renders it adapted to a people’s lips. Every one, having heard it, could remember it. Its frequent repetition indelibly engraved it on every recollection. Being known to all, and perfectly familiar, it was available on any occasion, at a moment’s notice. All could join in it. Infant voices could lisp it; feeble voices could utter it; faltering voices could sustain it; uncultured voices could pronounce it. Calling only for faith and gratitude, and of course the pure intention of obedience to Jehovah’s claims—it called for no more, as a condition for the appropriation of its God honouring sentiment. It was heart-searching enough to test the deeply tried, who would have to draw upon all their faith and patience and hopefulness, before they could sincerely affirm it; and at the same time it was comprehensive and emphatic enough to suit the bounding hearts and hopes of such as realised that they were laden with mercies.

How popular and general it became in the praises of Israel is evident from a comparison of such passages as 1 Chronicles 16:24; 1 Chronicles 16:41, 2 Chronicles 5:13; 2 Chronicles 7:3; 2 Chronicles 7:6; 2 Chronicles 20:21, Ezra 3:11, Psalms 106:1; Psalms 107:1; Psalms 118:1-4; Psalms 118:29; Psalms 135:3-4; Psalms 136 throughout, Jeremiah 33:11. Some of these passages suggest that the Levites led the people in the rendering of this response, and nothing is inherently more likely. The people would need some signal as to the precise time when their reply should be given; and, it may be, the indication of some note on which they might pitch their voices. Moreover, this hypothesis—that the people’s responses were led by the Levites—at once very simply disposes of a difficulty which might otherwise be raised as an objection to the general view of this psalm here given. But for this explanation, it might have been asked—“How can this psalm be a continued appeal to the people? If so, then the people are invited to play the various instruments of music: is not that very unlikely?” The sufficient answer is ready: “They are invited to do this by the hands of the Levites—their Divinely appointed Representatives and Helpers”: which explanation falls into line with the general teaching of the Psalms throughout—that the Levites were the tribal embodiment of the Ideal Israel. But none of these considerations would alter the character of the popular response itself: it would be and remain brief—direct—comprehensive—fundamental.

Perhaps Israel had other popular responses, worded differently—a little expanded or a little contracted; and it is quite possible that out of the Psalms themselves examples of such other responses may be discriminated and commended to our attention. Meanwhile, the above well-sustained example (from Psalms 136) may settle beyond reasonable question the difference between an Appeal for a Response—whether said or sung, whether coming from one or many voices; and the Reply to that Appeal in the form of the Response itself.

Another thing that follows from our main position respecting the character of this last psalm is this: that instead of being considered as fixed here by way of a doxology—a character we have seen it does not bear—it should be regarded as well placed here, indeed, for convenience having to appear somewhere,—but as being by original intention MOVABLE, adapted to be lifted into any other position where its presence might be desired. So that, whenever and wherever the Public Reader might give his Invitation, then and there, by means of this short psalm, A SINGER, A CHOIR, OR THE WHOLE ORCHESTRA MIGHT ENFORCE HIS INVITATION.

This alone would account for the twofold appearance of the original compound hallelujah in connection with these last five psalms; which critics have classified as, so to speak, Double HALLELUJAH PSALMS. The so-called “Double Hallelujah” may be taken either as a mistaken repetition or more probably as a double putting forth of one and the same Invitation; first to be said, and then to be sung; first to be uttered by one voice, and then to be uttered by many voices—without change of destination or alteration of significance, its destination being, both ways, to the people, and its significance being, both times, that of an Appeal—a Call—an Invitation for a Response. This disposes of all the “doublings” of the phrase halleluyah in this part of the psalter.

In fine, the peculiar character of the last psalm is alone sufficient to account for the appearance of halleluyah at the end of that psalm as well as at its beginning. The psalm itself being nothing else than an Invitation, though Expanded, there could be no possible reason to hinder the repetition of it in brief. It would still remain for the people to respond and say:-

For he is good,

For to the ages is his kindness.

With the disappearance of the Hebrew compound word hallelu-yah from the end of this psalm, and from all the previous places where it occurs, and the setting down in its stead of its exact English equivalent, is completed a process of thoroughness in translation in behalf of which a good defence can be made. No one doubts that proper names should be transferred in the process of translation; and therefore it is admittedly right—as indeed it is absolutely necessary—to pass on into English the abbreviated Divine Name Yah, a shortened form of Yahweh (commonly pronounced Jehovah); but when this is done, there is no more reason for reproducing the Hebrew word hallelu twice in this psalm than in the remaining nine (practically ten) times of its occurrence. Now as no one dreams of saying, in Psalms 150:1, “Hallelu God,” and then “Hallelu him” for nine times more in succession,—the inconsistency of retaining Hallelu at all becomes evident,—that is to say, becomes evident the moment it is admitted that hallelu-yah is a phrase and not a word, a phrase with a meaning, a meaning intended to serve a practical purpose. Not then to TRANSLATE it, is to convert it into a flourish, which may mean anything or nothing according to the fancy of the reader; and meanwhile it is to miss, one knows not how much guidance to the knowledge of the ancient Temple worship. If the foregoing Exposition of this mis-named “Doxology” has served its purpose, it has already corrected and safeguarded several phrases in the psalm itself; and has probably further opened the way to valuable conclusions which cannot at present be foreseen. For one thing, it has—even within the compass of this short psalm—emphasised the subserviency of accompaniments of worship, as towards worship proper, to a degree which could not have been attained in any other way. It is only when we know what the Public Reader’s Invitation means, that we can see how his meaning is caught up, repeated, and emphasised by all that follows. Practically the appeal of the psalm might almost as well have been addressed to musical instruments, instead of being addressed mainly and sustainedly, throughout, to worshipful and musical men.

In this particular instance, as in so many others, fidelity may appear to entail loss; but let us rest assured that in all such cases, temporary loss means permanent gain. We may lose our blessed word “Hallelu-jah”; and, after it, several other idols may have gradually to disappear; but lasting advantage will more than compensate for any sacrifice, if we thereby learn more thoroughly than ever how all aids to public devotion may be transformed and uplifted by the devout intelligence and intentions of worshipful men.