PSALMS


Chapter 26 Chapter 31 Chapter 36 Chapter 41 Chapter 46
Chapter 27 Chapter 32 Chapter 37 Chapter 42 Chapter 47
Chapter 28 Chapter 33 Chapter 38 Chapter 43 Chapter 48
Chapter 29 Chapter 34 Chapter 39 Chapter 44 Chapter 49
Chapter 30 Chapter 35 Chapter 40 Chapter 45 Chapter 50

Chapter 26


(Verses 1 through 3) Judge me, O LORD, for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD: therefore I shall not slide. Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart. For Thy loving kindness is before mine eyes: I have walked in Thy truth.

Here David asks the LORD for judgment, not condemnation, as judgment is often considered, but consideration and vindication. Although David surely knew that his way was not perfect before the LORD, (for he often confessed his sins and transgressions,) he knew that he was striving to walk in his integrity, and he trusted in the LORD for that which he could not do for himself. Remember that the Apostle Paul declared strongly, in the seventh chapter of the Roman Letter, that we neither do, nor can do, the things we would and should in the service of the Lord, because of the weakness of the flesh. Yet, when addressing those on the ship that was taking him to Rome , (Acts 27:23) he said, “There stood by me this night the angel of God, Whose I am, and Whom I serve.” This is the same claim made by David at this point. He was striving to walk in his integrity, and he did trust in the LORD. This is the light in which his entire declaration in this psalm is to be seen. Remember that Paul has told us, (Romans 7:25 ,) “So then with the mind I myself serve the law of the Lord; but with the flesh the law of sin.” This will apply to everyone who is sincerely striving to serve the Lord by walking in his integrity and putting his trust in the LORD. Notice that David did not say, “my integrity will keep me from sliding,” but “I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.” The firmness of our footing in the pathway of righteousness depends, not upon our integrity, but upon our trust in the LORD. He then asks that the LORD will examine him, even to his heart. As Paul pointed out in our last quotation from him, the purposes and thoughts of our hearts are more the criteria for the Lord’s assessment of our service than are the actions themselves. So David declares that his eyes are set upon the loving kindness of the LORD. That is, this is that for which he strives; and in so doing he walks in the truth of the LORD.

(Verses 4 through 7) I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers. I have hated the congregation of evildoers; and will not sit with the wicked. I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass Thine altar, O LORD: that I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all Thy wondrous works.

We sometimes hear someone say, “I just don’t know whether or not I love the Lord. I wish I had some way to know for sure about this.” This really seems to be what is often called a “cop out.” But, if one really is unsure of this in his mind, let him examine what David has here said, and ask himself a question. David says, “I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.” He does not mean that he has never sat down beside a vain person. The dictionary gives quite a long list of meanings for “vain;” but, since we are only concerned with “vain persons,” we shall consider only those meanings that apply to persons: “light minded; foolish; silly; proud of petty things or of trifling attainments; having a foolish craving for the admiration or applause of others; puffed up; inflated; conceited.” From this it is obvious that to completely avoid such persons, it would be as the Apostle Paul said, (I Corinthians 5:16 ) “For then ye must needs go out of the world.” However, David is not saying that he has never had any contact with such persons, but that he has not “sat with” them, or been part of their council as they planned their activities. Instead, he has, when possible avoided their company. The same thing is true with dissemblers. Of course, a dissembler is one who dissembles. The meaning of “dissemble” is given thus: “to hide under an assumed manner; to conceal or disguise by false outward show; to hide by false pretenses.” So, although he cannot completely avoid such persons while in this world, he will not “go in with them,” or take any part with them in their plans or activities: neither will he “sit with” the wicked. As pointed out above, He will have no part with them in their plans and deliberations. The question for us is, “Do we feel as did David about these persons and their activities?” If so, we can therein find comfort and assurance; for with the mind we are serving the law of God, though we may, indeed be far from perfect in some of the things we do, and may have sorrow because of our weaknesses. But if our view of these evildoers is the same as that expressed by David, we do love the Lord: and of one thing we can be sure; if we love Him, He first loved us. As David continues, he declares his intention to “wash my hands in innocency,” that is, to avoid sin with as much strength and determination as the LORD will give him; and thus he can compass, or approach, the altar of the LORD. His purpose in approaching God’s altar is that he “may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all Thy wondrous works.” This should also be our purpose as we attempt to worship the Lord.

(Verses 8 through 10) LORD, I have loved the habitation of Thy house, and the place where Thy honor dwelleth. Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men: in whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.

What a contrast between “the habitation of Thy house, and the place where Thy honor dwelleth,” and the company of sinners and bloody men. The fellowship of the LORD’S house and the place where He is honored has been so wonderful, not only to David, but also to all that love the LORD that, surely, our prayer would be the same as that of David; “Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men.” This may be David’s prayer that we be not caught up with them when the Lord comes to bring judgment upon them; but it seems, rather, to be his desire that the LORD will not suffer us to be put in a position where we will have to associate with them while we live here. Because their hands are always ready to cause mischief. Indeed that is what they are constantly striving to do; and they think that by bribery they can accomplish all their evil designs. So he prays that he not be gathered with them.

(Verses 11 and 12) But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me. My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregation will I bless the LORD.

David’s confidence in the LORD is such that, after thus praying for deliverance from the wicked, he declares, “I will walk in mine integrity.” That is, “I will put forth every effort to walk uprightly before God.” Yet he realizes that this is not enough, so he prays, “Redeem me, and be merciful unto me.” Without the redemption and mercy of the LORD we would still be in a hopeless condition. Our integrity is not enough, because it is not perfect. But, with our Lord answering this prayer, we too can say, “My foot standeth in an even place.” Resting upon His mercy, our footing is solid, and cannot slip. Therefore thus we too can praise the LORD in the congregation, or among His people.

 


Chapter 27


(Verses 1 through 3) The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me, to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

Let us, for study, set verse 1 after verses 2 and 3. As David speaks in verse 2, he recounts an event in which his enemies, the wicked, attacked him to destroy him, in his words, “to eat up my flesh.” At this time, “They stumbled and fell.” He did not overthrow them, but they were overthrown by another Power, even the LORD. This gave him such confidence that he said, “Though an host (army) should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise up against me, in this will I be confident.” That in which he will remain confident is that which he has expressed in verse 1. “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?” Surely confidence in this is not misplaced. We may not have been in a situation in which an army of enemy soldiers had come upon us bent upon our destruction. But many times we have been beset with temptations, doubts, trials, fears, and all of Satan’s devices, which he frequently brings against us, to destroy our peace, our integrity, and our hope. Many times it has seemed that they were about to “eat up our flesh.” Somehow, their attack fell apart, “they stumbled and fell.” We have to confess that we did not overthrow them: but One with greater power did. He it is, Who is our light, our salvation, and the strength of our life. How wonderful is that realization! When we are made fully aware of this, there is no one of whom we should be afraid; there is no enemy that we should fear. In this is our confidence.

(Verses 4 and 5) One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock.

David declares that there is only one thing, which he has desired of the LORD. That is neither wealth nor fame; it is none of those things after which the world seeks. It is simply that God will let him dwell all his life in “the house of the LORD,” that he may behold the beauty of the LORD and inquire in His temple. Sometimes, in scripture, “the house” of someone does not mean the building in which he resides, but his  “household.” or family. In this instance, that seems to be a viable meaning. So David’s desire is that he may dwell among the children of the LORD all the days of his life. In this situation, he can see the beauty of the LORD, and can there pray for guidance along life’s way. Not only so, but there the LORD will hide him in His pavilion and in the secret place of His tabernacle, and set him up upon a rock. That is, God will establish him upon a sure foundation that will not fall.

(Verse 6) And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in His tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

Having desired of God that He will permit him to “dwell in the house of the LORD” all his life, and being fully persuaded that the LORD will grant his petition, and will, in time of trouble, keep him hidden away, and set him upon a foundation that will not fall; he is now confident that the LORD will uphold him, so that his head is above that of his enemies. In this confidence, he declares that he will offer sacrifices of joy in the tabernacle of the LORD, and will sing praises unto Him.

(Verses 7 through 10) Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When Thou saidst, “Seek ye My face,” my heart said unto Thee, “Thy face, LORD, will I seek.” Hide not Thy face far from me; put not Thy servant away in anger: Thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.

As he has prayed all along, David continues, asking the LORD to hear him, and in mercy answer him. He declares that when the LORD said, “Seek ye My face,” there was no delay; but his heart immediately answered, “Thy face,  LORD, I will seek.” Therefore he asks that the LORD not hide His face far from him, and that He not put him away in anger. His statement, “Thou hast been my help,” indicates, not that the LORD has helped him just once, but, rather, that the LORD has always been his help, and there is no other to whom he can go. So he prays that He neither leave nor forsake him; because He is the God of his salvation. Since the LORD is the God of David’s, and our, salvation, He is all that we will ever need. Should the time come that even our father and mother should forsake us, yet the LORD is dependable; and He will take us up. He will never abandon His own.

(Verses 11 through 13) Teach me Thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. Deliver me not over to the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

David continues his prayer that the LORD will lead him in a plain path. This can mean in a path that is easy to see, or one that has no obstacles in it over which one might stumble, lest his enemies overtake him. His enemies have even enlisted false witnesses, as well as those who breathe out cruelty, against him. He prays to be delivered from them. He then declares that his faith is all that has kept him going. Were it not that he believed that “in the land of the living,” that is, in this life, he would see the goodness of the LORD, he would have fainted. When he says that he would have “fainted,” it does not, necessarily, mean that he would have lost consciousness, as we commonly consider this word to mean, but, rather, that he would have become “faint hearted,” and would have given up the fight. We too sometimes are tempted to do exactly that; but our faith in the LORD keeps us trying to continue on.

(Verse 14) Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

This advice is surely as important today as it was when David penned it down. The going may be rough; it may seem that the forces of Satan will surely overwhelm us: but we know from experience that in such times we need to wait on the LORD, and be of good courage. Then the LORD will strengthen our hearts that we may hold out to the end. Then, surely, we shall “see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” So he again says, “Wait, I say, on the LORD.”

 


Chapter 28


(Verses 1 through 3) The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me, to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

Let us, for study, set verse 1 after verses 2 and 3. As David speaks in verse 2, he recounts an event in which his enemies, the wicked, attacked him to destroy him, in his words, “to eat up my flesh.” At this time, “They stumbled and fell.” He did not overthrow them, but they were overthrown by another Power, even the LORD. This gave him such confidence that he said, “Though an host (army) should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise up against me, in this will I be confident.” That in which he will remain confident is that which he has expressed in verse 1. “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?” Surely confidence in this is not misplaced. We may not have been in a situation in which an army of enemy soldiers had come upon us bent upon our destruction. But many times we have been beset with temptations, doubts, trials, fears, and all of Satan’s devices, which he frequently brings against us, to destroy our peace, our integrity, and our hope. Many times it has seemed that they were about to “eat up our flesh.” Somehow, their attack fell apart, “they stumbled and fell.” We have to confess that we did not overthrow them: but One with greater power did. He it is, Who is our light, our salvation, and the strength of our life. How wonderful is that realization! When we are made fully aware of this, there is no one of whom we should be afraid; there is no enemy that we should fear. In this is our confidence.

(Verses 4 and 5) One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock.

David declares that there is only one thing, which he has desired of the LORD. That is neither wealth nor fame; it is none of those things after which the world seeks. It is simply that God will let him dwell all his life in “the house of the LORD,” that he may behold the beauty of the LORD and inquire in His temple. Sometimes, in scripture, “the house” of someone does not mean the building in which he resides, but his  “household.” or family. In this instance, that seems to be a viable meaning. So David’s desire is that he may dwell among the children of the LORD all the days of his life. In this situation, he can see the beauty of the LORD, and can there pray for guidance along life’s way. Not only so, but there the LORD will hide him in His pavilion and in the secret place of His tabernacle, and set him up upon a rock. That is, God will establish him upon a sure foundation that will not fall.

(Verse 6) And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in His tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

Having desired of God that He will permit him to “dwell in the house of the LORD” all his life, and being fully persuaded that the LORD will grant his petition, and will, in time of trouble, keep him hidden away, and set him upon a foundation that will not fall; he is now confident that the LORD will uphold him, so that his head is above that of his enemies. In this confidence, he declares that he will offer sacrifices of joy in the tabernacle of the LORD, and will sing praises unto Him.

(Verses 7 through 10) Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When Thou saidst, “Seek ye My face,” my heart said unto Thee, “Thy face, LORD, will I seek.” Hide not Thy face far from me; put not Thy servant away in anger: Thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.

As he has prayed all along, David continues, asking the LORD to hear him, and in mercy answer him. He declares that when the LORD said, “Seek ye My face,” there was no delay; but his heart immediately answered, “Thy face,  LORD, I will seek.” Therefore he asks that the LORD not hide His face far from him, and that He not put him away in anger. His statement, “Thou hast been my help,” indicates, not that the LORD has helped him just once, but, rather, that the LORD has always been his help, and there is no other to whom he can go. So he prays that He neither leave nor forsake him; because He is the God of his salvation. Since the LORD is the God of David’s, and our, salvation, He is all that we will ever need. Should the time come that even our father and mother should forsake us, yet the LORD is dependable; and He will take us up. He will never abandon His own.

(Verses 11 through 13) Teach me Thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. Deliver me not over to the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

David continues his prayer that the LORD will lead him in a plain path. This can mean in a path that is easy to see, or one that has no obstacles in it over which one might stumble, lest his enemies overtake him. His enemies have even enlisted false witnesses, as well as those who breathe out cruelty, against him. He prays to be delivered from them. He then declares that his faith is all that has kept him going. Were it not that he believed that “in the land of the living,” that is, in this life, he would see the goodness of the LORD, he would have fainted. When he says that he would have “fainted,” it does not, necessarily, mean that he would have lost consciousness, as we commonly consider this word to mean, but, rather, that he would have become “faint hearted,” and would have given up the fight. We too sometimes are tempted to do exactly that; but our faith in the LORD keeps us trying to continue on.

(Verse 14) Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

This advice is surely as important today as it was when David penned it down. The going may be rough; it may seem that the forces of Satan will surely overwhelm us: but we know from experience that in such times we need to wait on the LORD, and be of good courage. Then the LORD will strengthen our hearts that we may hold out to the end. Then, surely, we shall “see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” So he again says, “Wait, I say, on the LORD.”

 


Chapter 29


(Verses 1 and 2) Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

The first thing we should notice is that, “give” should be understood as “ascribe,” or “render,” inasmuch as man has nothing he can “give” to the LORD, in the sense in which we commonly use the word. The glory that is to be ascribed to God is already His. “The mighty,” may think themselves important; but they are to be reminded that their strength, or greatness, is not inherently theirs, but is given them of God. Therefore they are not to consider themselves worthy of any glory, nor the source of their own strength. Only the LORD is glorious; and only He is of Himself strong. Therefore render to Him the glory that is His due. Let us praise His name, and not our own. Thus we can really see the beauty of the holiness of the LORD; and therein we can worship Him.

(Verses 3 through 7) The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters. The voice of the LORD is full of majesty. The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars, yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon. He maketh them to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn. The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.

When David says, “The voice of the LORD is upon the waters,” our thoughts go back to Genesis 1:2. “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of the LORD moved upon the face of the waters.” He has been in control of the waters, as well as everything else, even from the beginning. If we read on through that first chapter of Genesis, we find that, as God spoke, and said, “Let it be,” each object of His creation came into being. Surely such a voice is full of majesty, as well as power. The same “voice of the LORD” that can, and does break the cedars of Lebanon, thus showing its mighty power, can also cause the same places to be as happy as a young calf. It is a very pleasing sight to see a young calf, so full of life that, in his exuberance he runs, jumps, and skips around just for the joy of doing so. “The voice of the LORD divides the flames of fire.” This seems to be such a little thing that we might overlook it. Any flame one may observe is divided, and is constantly being divided. That is what causes the light of a flame to flicker. It is never a uniform and smooth unit of fire, but tongues of flame, sometimes divided all the way to the base, and at others separated at other points. One may think this a very trivial discussion, but it is to prove that the LORD is mindful, not only of things we might consider great, or important, but also of small things. All things are important to Him; for He created them all. So His voice, or word controls all.

(Verses 8 and 9) The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in His temple doth everyone speak of His glory.

This is a continuation of David’s discussion of the power of the “voice,” or word of God. Everything that we commonly attribute to the workings of Nature, from the shaking of the wilderness to the birth of the young deer, or other wildlife, as well as even the falling of the leaves of the forest are at His word. To discover anything, is to bring it forth into the open, or lay it bare. So, no doubt, David’s expression, “discovereth the forests,” refers to the falling of the leaves, thus laying bare, or “discovering,” the trees of the forests. In fact, David, without cataloging each and every thing in the world, has shown that the “voice,” or word, of the LORD controls all things. Without question, this is for our comfort, that we may know that, no matter how weak and worthless we may feel, the LORD is still mindful of us: and for this reason, in his temple, everyone speaks of His glory.

(Verses 10 and 11) The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever. The LORD will give strength unto His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace.

Having declared to us the power of the word of the LORD, David brings this to a wonderful conclusion. “The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever.” This great God, Who only has to speak, and whatsoever He says is done, even “sits upon,” or rides, the flood. In recent years we have heard reports of terrible damage done by floods all over the world, both near and far. Our hearts have been saddened by the destruction, and loss of life, caused by them. Yet we must remember that they are controlled by the voice of God. We do not understand all His purposes, but we must remember that He not only has all power, but also He has all knowledge and wisdom. So whether we understand, or not, He does: and therefore all these things must come within the framework of His will. He sits upon the flood; and He sits King forever. He has always been King: and He always will be King. Even though some of these things that come upon us cause sadness, yet we must remember that, “the LORD will give strength unto His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace.” He did not say that the LORD will take away all these unpleasant things, but, “The LORD will give strength unto His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace.”

 


Chapter 30

(Verses 1 through 3) I will extol Thee, O LORD; for Thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. O LORD my God, I cried unto Thee, and Thou hast heard me. O LORD, Thou hast brought up my soul from the grave; Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

This may only be David’s praise to God for having given him the victory over his enemies. It may be that he had been brought so low that he seemed to be facing death and the pit (grave). Yet it seems remarkably well suited to our Lord Jesus. He indeed cried unto the LORD, “My God, my God. Why hast Thou forsaken me?” and the LORD healed Him. The LORD literally brought up His soul from the grave, kept Him alive, and lifted Him up, even up to His own right hand. His enemies, though they momentarily rejoiced at His death, had their rejoicing cut short by His resurrection from the dead. His sending His gospel into all the world is the extolling of the LORD for lifting Him up, and not suffering His foes to triumph over Him. The LORD has kept Him alive: and He lives forever.

(Verses 4 and 5) Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness. For His anger endureth but for a moment; in His favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

The fact that the LORD has done all this calls for His saints to sing unto Him, and render thanks at the remembrance of His holiness. His anger, or displeasure, against them is fleeting. It only lasts for a moment; but in His favor is life. There may, indeed, be things, which will cause us sorrow, as they come to pass, even to the point of making us weep: but that will be short lived. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” When, momentarily it seems that He is angry with us, it well may cause sorrow and weeping, but when He shows His face by revealing His mercy and love to us, we have no more time for weeping.

(Verses 6 through 10) And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. LORD, by Thy favor Thou hast caused my mountain to stand strong: Thou didst hide Thy face, and I was troubled. I cried to Thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication. What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise Thee? Shall it declare Thy truth? Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD be Thou my helper.

David’s experience here seems to be very similar to that of the LORD’S people even today. When things are going well with us, (“in our prosperity”) we often become lifted up, and think it will continue thus with us. We seem to be on a mountain, and the LORD has made that mountain to stand strong. Then it seems that, for a time the LORD hides His face; and we are cast down. Then we cry to Him for mercy. We might be brought so low, that, like David, we began to contemplate our possible death, and ask, “What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the grave?” that is, “Will the LORD get any benefit from my death?” We, certainly do not see how our dust (decomposed bodies) can render praise to the LORD, or declare His truth. So we cry to Him, and beg for mercy. We need help, and we ask Him to be our helper. That also was David’s desire.

(Verses 11 and 12) Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; to the end that my glory may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto Thee for ever.

Having been brought down from the uplift of his prosperity to the depths of sorrow so great that he was contemplating even death, David prayed to the LORD for help. This he must, surely, have received; for now he declares that the LORD has turned his sorrow into such great joy, that his sackcloth, or garment of sorrow, has been laid aside, and his rejoicing is such that He will not be silent; but he will give thanks unto the LORD forever.

 


Chapter 31

(Verses 1 through 3) In Thee, O LORD, do I put my trust. Let me never be ashamed: deliver me in Thy righteousness. Bow down Thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be Thou my strong rock, for an house of defense to save me. For Thou art my rock and my fortress: therefore for Thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.

There may be controversy among many as to whether this should be interpreted as only a prayer of David, or whether the scope is greater, and is a prophecy of our Lord Jesus. In either case, it can also, to some extent, be applied to our own experience. As David says, “In Thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in Thy righteousness,” surely we can relate to this, by reason of the fact that our trust is also in the LORD. If  it were not, we would have no desire to call upon Him. Since it is in Him, we pray that He will never let us be ashamed, or brought to shame, by not receiving that for which we pray. That for which we ask is that He deliver us in His righteousness. Surely, that is our hope of deliverance, whether the deliverance we desire is that of being saved from men, who would overthrow us, or from the hosts of Satan, which are always resisting us as we try to serve the LORD. Our own righteousness is never sufficient for this: it must be in His. The next expression used here, “Bow down Thine ear to me,” brings to mind a little child desiring to say something to an adult with whom he is walking. The child asks the adult to bend down to him so that his ear will be closer, and he can better hear what the child wishes to say. How wonderful to always have this childlike love for, and trust in the LORD. The request is, “Deliver me speedily: be Thou my strong rock, for an house of defense to save me.” This is exactly what is needed to give that deliverance. Proverbs 30:26 says, “The conies (rabbits) are but a feeble folk, yet they make their houses in the rocks.” Surely, we too are feeble, even as the rabbits; but if the LORD is our rock, and house of defense, we are perfectly safe. Having prayed thus, David declares, “For Thou art my Rock and my fortress; therefore for Thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.” Since the LORD is our rock and house of defense, we also pray that He not leave us to wander according to our desires, but lead and guide us.

(Verses 4 through 6) Pull me out of the net that they have privily laid for Me: for Thou art my strength. Into Thy hand I commit My Spirit: Thou hast redeemed Me, O LORD God of truth. I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.

The first text we considered of this Psalm, as we noted, might be considered as only David’s prayer for deliverance, or the prayer of our Lord Jesus as He suffered on the cross. But it is obvious that this is the prayer of our Lord, since it contains the very words He spoke at that time. The first thing He desires is that the LORD pull Him out of the net which His enemies have laid privily (secretly) for Him, and in which He is entangled. This prayer is not to be confused with that prayed in the garden of Gethsemane , that this cup be removed from Him. Instead, it is after His feet are securely caught in the net; and He prays that the Father will pull Him out of it. This the Father did, but only by the resurrection from the dead. There can be no doubt that the LORD was His strength. Having prayed for deliverance from this net, and being fully confident that His prayer would be heard by the Father, He then says, “Into Thy hand I commit My Spirit.” This is exactly what He said to the Father as He was dying, although in the Gospel records it is translated, “Into Thy hand I commend My Spirit.” The Greek word there translated “commend” actually means “commit” as well. The next statement here may seem a little obscure: for He had no sins from which to be redeemed, unless we consider the fact that He took our sins upon Himself, and made them His own. Still it seems better to consider “redeemed” as meaning the same as “delivered,” which it often does. So as He says, “Thou hast redeemed Me, O LORD God of truth.” He is giving praise to the Father for delivering Him from death and the grave by the resurrection, as He was fully confident that He would. Then He declares, “I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.” May we do the same.

(Verses 7 and 8) I will be glad and rejoice in Thy mercy: for Thou hast considered My trouble: Thou hast known My soul in adversities; and hast not shut Me up into the hand of the enemy: Thou hast set My feet in a large room.

Since the LORD has considered Him, (that is, He has looked favorably upon Him,) in His trouble, and has known (given recognition to) His soul in adversities, it is time for gladness and rejoicing in the mercy of the LORD. He further declares that the LORD has not left Him shut up in the hand of the enemy (death and the grave): but has raised Him up, and set His feet in a large room, or space. The Father has indeed lifted Him up from death and the grave, and has set Him at His own right hand in heaven. There can be no larger room.

(Verses 9 and 10) Have mercy upon Me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: Mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, My soul and My belly. For My life is spent with grief, and My years with sighing: My strength faileth because of Mine iniquity, and My bones are consumed.

In Isaiah 53, beginning with verse 3, and taking only excerpts from selected verses, we find, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; _ _ _ Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: _ _ _ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way: and the LORD hath laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. _ _ _ By His knowledge shall My righteous servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities.” (It would be extremely profitable to read this entire chapter.) Certainly this bears out what we said earlier about His iniquities. Although they were ours, they are His because, as the sacrifice for our sins, they were, of the Father, laid upon Him. They were, indeed, such a load that His strength failed, and His bones were as if literally consumed, so that His body was not able to carry the load. In the garden of Gethsemane an angel was sent from heaven to strengthen Him; and when His body could not carry the cross, Simon, the Cyrenian was compelled to carry it. How clearly this portrays Him, just as Isaiah prophesied!

(Verses 11 through 14) I was a reproach among all Mine enemies, but especially among My neighbors, and a fear to Mine acquaintance: they that did see Me without fled from Me. I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind; I am like a broken vessel. For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side while they took counsel against Me, they devised to take away My life. But I trusted in the LORD: I said, Thou art My God.

Even if this might also apply to David’s experience, there can be no doubt that it describes our Lord Jesus. Not only was He considered “a reproach,” and even a “blasphemer,” by His enemies, but even more so by His neighbors, the Jews. Not only did Peter, His apostle and friend, deny being one of His disciples, but he even cursed and swore that he not only did not know Him, but that he did not even know what those who accused him were talking about. Lest we be too hard in our judgment of Peter, we must remember that without a special gift of God’s grace, we would have done just as he, if not worse. Our Lord was a source of fear to His acquaintance, and they fled from Him, just as He had foretold to them. When we consider Cleopas’ statement in Luke 24:21, “And we trusted that it had been He, Which should have redeemed Israel ,” we can recognize the truth of verse 12 of the present text. “I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.” Cleopas and the other disciples were all alike in this matter. So far as literally forgetting Him is concerned, they did not do that: but they counted Him out as a dead man, and no more a source of hope for anything. “We trusted that it had been He _ _ _ ,” signifies clearly that they no longer had any trust in Him: for He was dead, and like a broken vessel of no value. In all the things done by His enemies at this time, He heard the slander of many. Not only did He know of their council before they arrested, tried, and crucified Him, but He also knew they took counsel with their own guards, and bribed them to lie about the events at the tomb on the morning of His resurrection. Before His crucifixion they plotted His death; and when He was dead they took counsel to deny His resurrection: but they overlooked one outstanding fact. “But I trusted in Thee, O LORD: I said, ‘Thou art My GOD.’” The power of God they could not overthrow. Our Lord has often told us that just as the Father always stood by Him, so will He stand by us. This is the greatest comfort we can find, when everything appears to be going against us.

(Verses 15 through 18) My times are in Thy hand: deliver Me from the hand of Mine enemies, and from them that persecute Me. Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant: save Me for Thy mercies’ sake. Let Me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon Thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave. Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

This is a continuation of the prayer, which began in verse 14. Here our Lord declares that His times are in the hand of the Father, just as is so often testified in the writings of the four evangelists, and especially that of Matthew. Often we are told that the reason the Jews could not take Jesus and inflict some punishment upon Him was, “For His hour was not yet come.” Since both He and the Father are eternal, and change not, this principle will continue to govern. His times are in the hand of the Father. When He prays for deliverance from His enemies and those who persecute Him, He asks that it be done “for Thy mercies’ sake.” We might sometimes wonder why the Son of God would have to ask that it be for the Father’s mercies’ sake. We might want to ask, “Was not the Son worthy to ask that it be for His sake?” Surely He was. Yet, because His coming and fulfilling His work, not only His crucifixion, but especially His resurrection, was the purposed means whereby the Father’s mercies were to be bestowed upon His elect, it was for their sake that this was to be done. So He prays, “Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant: save Me for Thy mercies’ sake. Let Me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon Thee.” The remainder of verse 18 is a prayer, which we, as imperfect followers of the LORD cannot pray: for we are commanded to love our enemies, and pray for those who despitefully use us. Nevertheless, our Lord, not only perfect as the Son of God, but especially as having completed the great sacrifice, can, and ought to pray. “Let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave. Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.” No doubt “the righteous” in this passage is our Lord Himself. Yet by the grace and mercy of the Father this righteousness is imputed freely to all, who trust in Him.

(Verses 19 and 20) Oh how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of Thy presence from the pride of man. Thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

Whether we consider this as the continuation of our Lord’s prayer to the Father, (which surely it is,) or as David’s declaration of his wonder at the goodness and mercy of God, or what we too have learned from our experience, it is a truth which we should never forget. When we examine our own experience, we too are made to exclaim, “Oh how great is Thy goodness!” In times when we have faced troubles, and, perhaps, some of them of our own making, He has delivered us for no reason but His own love and mercy. Some of us may have suffered more severe trials than some others, but none of us has suffered as did our Lord. Yet even our trials have been enough that, at the time of our deliverance, His grace and mercy appeared so great that we felt we would never again doubt Him. Still because of the fickleness of humanity and the weakness of the flesh, we do sometimes forget; but He does not. His goodness has been repeated again and again. He has wrought His goodness for us “before the sons of men.” That is, it is not hidden, but is in the open for all to see. Then we have the promise that this same wonderful God will hide us “in the secret” of His presence. The goodness He has wrought for us is in the public, but the most precious thing of all is to be hidden in the secret of His presence. In John 10:9, Jesus said, “I am the door, by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and shall find pasture.” In II Peter 1:11, we find, “For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” In Romans 14:17 , the Apostle Paul said, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” We would think that surely “the secret of the presence of God,” and the kingdom of God , as defined by the Apostle Paul, are one and the same thing. Since it is by the great work of Christ Jesus our Lord that the mercies of God are brought to us, that we enter into the fold, and that the entrance into the everlasting kingdom is ministered unto us, surely it is by Him that we are hidden in the secret of the presence of God: and thus we have righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. All these things are precious to us; but our enemies can neither see nor understand them. Further, in this secret presence of God, He will keep us “secretly in a pavilion (shelter) from the strife of tongues.” They may raise all the disturbance they wish with their slander against us, but we are in the shelter of the LORD. What can they do?

(Verses 21 and 22) Blessed be the LORD: for He hath shewed  Me His marvelous kindness in a strong city. For I said in My haste, I am cut off from before Thine eyes: nevertheless Thou heardest the voice of My supplications when I cried unto Thee.

Although this will, in some measure, apply to us, it appears to be primarily a continuation of our Lord’s declaration . When He says, “Blessed be the LORD,” it is not to be thought that the LORD is in need of a blessing, nor that we could confer one upon Him. Rather, as is often the case throughout the Old Testament, and especially in the Psalms, it means, “Praised be the LORD.” He is to be praised at all times. In the present instance, He is to be praised “for He hath shewed Me His marvelous kindness in a strong city.” He raised Jesus from the dead, and placed Him at His own right hand in heaven, truly “a strong city.” No doubt verse 22 is a reference to our Lord’s cry of, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” In that moment, or as He says, “In My haste,” He felt that He was cut off from before the eyes of the Father. Yet even in that moment of despair, the Father heard the voice of His supplications when He cried unto Him. Although, in keeping with the Father’s purpose, it was necessary that He forsake the Son for a moment that He might lay down His life, He still heard His cry, and through the resurrection of the dead, delivered Him. Let us always remember that it is never too late for the LORD to fulfill His purposes. When we are in trouble, let us not forget to call upon Him, even if we think we are at the end of the way.

(Verses 23 and 24) O love the LORD, all ye His saints; for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

What wonderful admonition to all the saints of God! We should remember that the word, “saint,” is not restricted to one who lives a perfectly sinless life, nor to one who has been canonized by some church. Rather, it means one, who has been called of the LORD, and cleansed by the blood of the Son of God, the people of God. To these saints the message is, “O love the LORD.” Certainly there are many reasons why we ought to love the LORD; but those given here are, “For the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.” We are to love the LORD, and depend upon Him, not only to keep us, but also to reward those who would destroy us. We do not have to concern ourselves with what will become of the wicked. That is in the LORD’S hand, and He knows exactly how to take care of it, and is fully able to do so. Therefore we should be of good courage in whatever situation we find ourselves. If we do this, He will strengthen our hearts, or give us more courage, to face whatever may come. This is directed to all that hope in the LORD. We may feel as the poet has expressed it in one of the hymns we often sing, “Poor, weak, and worthless,” but that is no reason to despair. With our hope in the LORD, we have the greatest of all friends.



Chapter 32

(Verses 1 and 2) Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD will not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

Here we have another use of the word, “blessed.” Certainly here it can mean “blessed,” or it can mean “happy.” Either is acceptable. It is indeed a blessed man whose transgression is forgiven, and whose sin is covered by the blood of the Christ, (and that is the only way it can be covered). Such a man also has every right to be happy; for His sin is all gone, forgiven by our Lord, and covered by His blood. This does not mean that he will never do anything wrong again, but that his errors and failures are, by the blood of our Lord, erased forever from before the Father, so that there is never any more condemnation for them. This man is further blessed, and should be happy because the LORD will not impute (or charge) sin to him, since Jesus has paid the full penalty for all his sins. Therefore in his heart there is no guile, or deceit. His flesh may still be weak, and because of this he may not be able to walk as closely to the Lord as he would desire, but his spirit has been completely set free from sin.

(Verses 3 through 5) When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned to the drought of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and my iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD, and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

Here David tells us how he knows the blessedness of the man whose sin is forgiven. It is from experience. His sin was made to weigh so heavily upon him that he “roared,” or groaned all the time, “all day long,” because of it. So, in this condition he did all that one can do. He acknowledged his sin and iniquity, and confessed his transgressions to the LORD: and the LORD forgave “the iniquity of his sin.” No more is he laboring under that sin. Although our sins are already forgiven for the sake of Christ Jesus our Lord, we may do things for which the LORD will lay upon us such chastisement that we will feel as did David. Yet this is sent, not as punishment for the sin, but as chastisement that we may be brought to confess our sins to the LORD. Then He forgives that sin, and relieves our conscience of it, and its attending sorrow. Thus we are taught by chastisement to walk more closely to Him, or, as the writer of the Hebrew Epistle says, we are made “partakers of His holiness.”

(Verses 6 and 7) For this shall everyone that is godly pray unto Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. Thou art my hiding place; Thou shalt preserve me from trouble; Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.

David, in verse 6, refers back to the experience he has just described, saying, “For (or because of) this shall everyone that is godly pray unto Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found.” Those who are godly are those to whom God has granted repentance and forgiveness: and all, who have experienced this, will pray unto the LORD. The most wonderful thing about this is that, when they pray to Him, they will find Him. He does not hide Himself from them, except to show them their need for Him. The “floods of great waters,” or great afflictions, shall not approach them: for God is their refuge. One must remember that this does not mean that we will have no afflictions, but that they shall not overwhelm us. Consider what the Apostle Paul said after enduring what we might want to call some very great afflictions. (Romans 8:18) “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.” And again, (II Corinthians 4:17-18) “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” So when we pray to Him and find Him, He opens our eyes to those things which are not seen: and thus those things that are seen, such as “the floods of great waters” are, in our sight, so reduced in size that they no longer seem so important. Thus the LORD is our hiding place: and He will save us from troubles, and cause us to sing songs of praise to Him for delivering us from our afflictions.

(Verses 8 and 9) I will instruct thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye. Be ye not as the horse, or the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near thee.

This is the LORD’S instruction to those who would seek Him. He says, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way thou shalt go.” He does this in many ways. He has already caused His word, the Bible, to be written for us; and in it we find instructions for how we should live, as well as a record of some of the marvelous things He has done for us, and some, which He has reserved for the future. If we follow these instructions, we find great happiness in serving Him. When we stray from them, He will surely chastise us that we may learn not to disobey. He sent His prophets, and now He sends His ministers to teach us His word, in which are His wonderful truths of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of His only begotten Son, Christ Jesus our Lord. All of those are part of His instruction to us, in which He teaches us the way in which we should go. He is able to see all things, past, present, and future, at once. So He guides us with His eye lest we come into danger. Since He does all this for us, He says, “Be ye not as the horse, or the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.” Certainly, had it pleased Him to do so, He could have established that every thought we think, every word we say, and every act we perform, would conform perfectly to His will. But He did not put bit and bridle in our mouth, as we must do for the horse or the mule, to hold us in such strict control. He has given us understanding, and set instruction before us, to guide us in the way. But make no mistake: when we stray, He is fully able to bring us back to His way, and make us wish we had not turned aside. That is the work of chastisement; and it is “for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.” To that end He instructs us to use the understanding He has given, and be not as the horse, or the mule.

(Verses 10 and 11) Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about. Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

Sometimes we may be tempted to envy the wicked for the worldly advantages that come to him, such as wealth, honor, fame, etc. But to do so is very foolish indeed: for many sorrows shall be to him. See Jesus’ illustration of the rich man and Lazarus, in Luke 16:19-31. On the other hand, mercy shall be upon, and all around those who trust in the LORD, even though it may seem that they are having a hard time as they go through this life. Therefore all who are upright in heart, and all who are righteous, should rejoice and shout for joy. Once in a while a Christian may get a little depressed; but if he will only think of what our Lord has done for him, he will find that he has every reason to shout for joy.


Chapter 33


(Verses 1 through 4) Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. Praise the LORD with the harp: sing unto Him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto Him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise. For the word of the LORD is right; and all His works are done in truth.

This entire psalm is a song of praise to the LORD, with, in the last verse, a plea for His mercy. All the righteous are here called to rejoice in the LORD and praise Him, not only with singing, but also with instrumental music. Whatever means we may have at hand should be used in praising Him. We are to “sing unto Him a new song.” Perhaps, since in Old Testament days, the LORD’S people had not the finished work of salvation before them, but could only look forward to the time when it should be finished, that new song is the song of praise we are now able to sing to God for having sent His Son into the world for the work of redemption. Through His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, that work is now an accomplished fact. Of course, there is still another new song, which we cannot yet sing; but it too will be sung when all of God’s saints are gathered home. See Revelation 5:9-10. The LORD is to be praised because “The word of the LORD is right; and all His works are done in truth.” What a wonderful God He is!

(Verses 5 through 7) He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD. By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: He layeth up the depth in storehouses.

Here we get a little glimpse of our LORD. First, David declares that the LORD loves righteousness and judgment, and the earth is full of His goodness. Not only does the LORD love righteousness: He is righteousness itself. He also loves judgment. This does not mean that He loves to bring judgment, or punishment, upon the wicked, although that is a righteous work with Him. Instead, it means that He loves the manifestation of truth, which is the object of all true judgment. Even the earth itself, in spite of the curse placed upon it because of the sin of man, is full of the goodness of the LORD. It is by His goodness and mercy that man has been spared to this day. It is through His goodness that man is provided food, shelter, and all other necessities of life. It is especially through His goodness that He blesses and delivers His saints. It is by the word of the LORD that the heavens and the earth, together with all the fullness thereof, were created. It was by the “breath of His mouth” His spoken word, that all things were brought into being. He said, “Let it be,” and it was done. No doubt, verse 7 refers to the work of Genesis 1:9. “And God said, ‘Let the waters under the heaven be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear,’ and it was so.”

(Verses 8 and 9) Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.

He is God, and no other can lay claim to His great power and glory. For the world to be created, He only spoke, and it was done. No other action, and no other words were necessary to bring it to pass. He commanded, and that which He commanded was established so that, no other could move it or change it. Why then, should not all the world fear and stand in awe of Him? He is GOD: and there can be no other.

(Verses 10 through 12) The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to naught: He maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance.

In Psalm 2:1-6 we find, “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel against the LORD and His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.’ He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision. Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure. ‘Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion.’” It seems obvious that “the counsel of the heathen” and “the devices of the people” in the present text are the same as the rage of the heathen and the vain thing imagined by the people, in Psalm 2:1: and the LORD brings them to naught and makes them of none effect. Yet His counsel stands forever, and it is: “Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion.” Even His thoughts stand to all generations. Certainly any nation, whose God is the LORD, is blessed indeed. The very founding and building of our nation is proof of that. The sad fact is that, just as the nation whose God is the LORD is blessed, so the one that turns away from Him, as ours has in recent times, loses that blessing. The people whom the LORD has chosen for His inheritance are also blessed: and all who love Him should rejoice in that fact.

(Verses 13 through 15) The LORD looketh from heaven; He beholdeth the sons of men. From the place of His habitation He looketh upon all the inhabitants of the world. He fashioneth their hearts alike; He considereth all their works.

In this, David declares that the LORD not only looks upon the Jews, as seemed to be the idea they had, since they considered Him as the God of the Jews only; but He beholds all the inhabitants of the world, “all the sons of men.” This means more than that He only sees what they are doing. It means that He can work His will in one nation as easily as in another. “He fashioneth their hearts alike” means, not that He gives everyone of them the same thoughts and desires of the heart, but that He can work His will in one as easily as in another. All alike are before Him; and His power over one is the same as over another. He considers, or evaluates, all their works.

(Verses 16 through 19) There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear Him, and upon them that hope in His mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

Notice that this is completely opposite from the philosophy of the world. It is commonly thought that, there is safety in numbers. So the bigger the army one has, the greater his safety; and the greater physical strength one has, the better able he is to protect and deliver himself. I Samuel 14:1-16 tells the story of Jonathan and his armor bearer, as they, by the help of the LORD, overthrew a whole garrison of Philistines; and I Samuel 17:39-51 tells of David’s encounter with Goliath, the giant warrior of the Philistines. Since David was well acquainted with both of these incidents, he could declare that it is not by the multitude of the host, (army,) nor by the strength of a man that we are delivered. Even a horse, which was at that time the best “war machine” they had, is a vain thing in which to trust. In Psalm 4:8, he tells us the greatest protection we can have: “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for Thou, LORD, only makest me to dwell in safety.” Here he says, Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear Him, and upon them that hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.” That is, He both protects and feeds us. What more can we want?

(Verses 20 through 22) Our soul waiteth for the LORD: He is our help and shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted His holy name. Let Thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in Thee.

If we can feel in our hearts to know the truth of what David has already said, surely, we can also declare with him, “Our soul waiteth for the LORD: He is our help and shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name.” This should be our comfort and strength. As he so often does, David prays that the LORD’S mercy be upon us, “according as we hope in Thee.” This should also be our constant prayer. The stronger hope we have in the LORD, the greater will be our desire for His mercy.


Chapter 34


(Verses 1 through 6) I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto Him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

In these first three verses, David declares that he will at all times continually praise the LORD, as indeed he, and we also, should. His only boast will be of the LORD, and “the humble,” or as he says in other places, “ the meek,” or “the poor,” which are the LORD’S people, shall hear his boast of the LORD, and be glad. He also calls upon others to join him in this act of magnifying the LORD, and exalting His name in praise. He then says that when he sought the LORD, the LORD heard him, and delivered him from all his fears. Not only did He deliver him from the danger in which he was, but from even the fear of it. He gave him a peaceful mind and heart. Verse 5 might be a little clearer if re-arranged. “They that looked unto Him were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.” We may sometimes be shut up in darkness, or even in depression; but when we look to the LORD, He gives us light, and causes us to lift our heads, and rejoice in Him, instead of being put to shame by Satan’s tactics. He says that he was in such distress that, he felt very poor, and in need; but when he called upon the LORD, He heard him, and saved him out of all His troubles. No doubt this has been the experience of all the LORD’S children. So we should, by reviewing our own experiences, as well by David’s recounting of his, be encouraged to trust the LORD.

(Verses 7 and 8) The angel of the LORD encampeth round them that fear Him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.

Sometimes the expression, “the angel of the LORD,” actually means “the Presence of the LORD,” and that may be its usage in verse 7. However, in Hebrews 1: 13 -14 we find, “But to which of the angels said He at any time, ‘Sit Thou on My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool?’ Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” So it can mean that the LORD makes use of His angels to take care of His elect, “them that fear Him.” Thus He delivers them. When David says, “O taste and see that the LORD is good,” he is clearly exhorting us to make use of every opportunity we have to draw near to the LORD, and experience His goodness. Those who trust in Him are surely blessed.

(Verses 9 and 10) O fear the LORD, ye His saints: for there is no want to them that fear Him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

Indeed, we should fear, seek, and serve, the LORD, because of the blessings He has already bestowed upon us; but He has also ordered that when we do fear and seek Him, other blessings are also added. The young lions, which are very successful predators, may sometimes fail to find food, and have to suffer hunger: but they, who seek and fear the LORD, “shall want no good thing.” He will always supply their needs.

(Verses 11 through 14) Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good: seek peace, and pursue it.

Unquestionably, this is the greatest teaching we can find concerning our conduct. David has called us to listen to him: for He is going to teach us the fear of the LORD. He does not say that he will teach us to fear the LORD: only the LORD can do that. What he will teach us is what the fear of the LORD requires of us. His question, “What man is he that desireth life and loveth many days, that he may see good?” might be a little clearer, if re-worked as an indicative statement: “Anyone who desires to have a long life, and that he may see good things therein.” And almost everyone would claim this. Here are his instructions for achieving this. “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.” That is, neither use foul, or evil, language, nor speak evil of others; and do not speak falsehoods.” The second part of this rule is: “Depart from evil, and do good: seek peace, and pursue it.” This surely needs no explanation. What is needed is that we obey it. These admonitions cover what the fear of the LORD requires of us. Proverbs 8:13 defines the fear of the LORD thus: “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil.” How simple! If we would only keep that in mind, and follow it, we would find far greater joy in our lives.

(Verses 15 through 18) The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

The LORD is always watching over the righteous for their good and protection; and He is always listening to their cries. So no matter how rough the road, they have nothing to fear. On the other hand, He is always against the wicked. We sometimes forget this, as we look around at the evils of the world. We may even wonder if He is concerned: but we must remember that His timetable is not always the same as ours. He will, at His time, bring all things to judgment. He will “cut off the remembrance of them (the wicked) from the earth.” He hears the cry of the righteous, and delivers them out of all their troubles. His ways are not our ways: He may see fit to deliver us only through death and the resurrection, as He did His martyr, Stephen, and even His own Son, Jesus. If that is His manner of delivering us, remember the Apostle Paul’s statement, (Philippians 1:21 ,) “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” To die, and be with our Lord is much better than to stay here amid the wickedness of the world. If we are heart broken and contrite, we need not despair: for “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and such as be of a contrite spirit..” I suppose that we are all well enough acquainted with the word, “contrite,” to know that it relates to being sorry for something we have done, but to review its depth, let us consider the dictionary definition of it. “CONTRITE: Broken hearted for sin; deeply affected with grief and sorrow for sin; humble; penitent.” So, we can readily see that it is not just superficial sorrow brought about by our being caught in some evil deed, but a very deep sorrow for having done it, whether, or not, anyone else ever knows about it. If our spirit is thus affected, we can take comfort in the promise that He will save us, and deliver us from that grief.

(Verses 19 and 20) Many are the afflictions of the Righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

We do not have to ask, as did the Eunuch, “Of whom speaketh the prophet this? Of himself, or of some other man?” John has given us the answer. (John 19:36) “For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled. ‘A bone of Him shall not be broken.’” There can be no doubt that this points to the Christ. He is the only truly righteous Man Who ever lived in this world; and His afflictions were greater than those of any other. But the LORD delivered Him out of them all. He is now seated at the right hand of the Father on high. He has also promised that, just as the Father did not forsake Him, but delivered Him from all His troubles, so will He always be near to hear our cries. So we should never despair.

(Verses 21 and 22) Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. The LORD redeemeth the soul of His servants: and none of them that trust in Him shall be desolate.

Certainly this text needs no explanation, but it does bring to mind another scripture, which, like many others, shows that the LORD will bring about exactly what is said here. II Peter 2:9 says, “The LORD knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.” We should never be discouraged because the wicked are not punished as soon as we might think proper. Remember that the LORD knows how to deliver us, and He also knows how to reserve, or hold back, the wicked until His appointed time for bringing them to judgment and punishment. He has already appointed the times, both for our deliverance and their punishment. Nothing can stop that, or even delay it. So let us rejoice in Him, and praise Him continually.


Chapter 35

(Verses 1 through 3) Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help. Draw also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.

Here we find David praying that the LORD will prepare for the battle against those who are fighting against him, and persecuting him. He asks the LORD to take shield, buckler, and spear, and stop the way, or block the path of those who persecute him. Sometimes “buckler” means shield, and at others it refers to a “boss” that is on the shield for easier identification of a warrior in battle. So David desires the LORD to make Himself known as He joins the battle. Surely, if He is openly identified, that will throw fear into David’s enemies. He further desires the LORD to comfort him by declaring Himself the salvation of his soul. Certainly when we find ourselves surrounded by Satan and all his forces, this is also our prayer. Just to have the assurance of the LORD that He is the salvation of our souls removes much of our fear and distress. For we know that He never loses a battle. This prayer seems also to be prophetic of our Lord Jesus, as He approached the time of His sacrifice for the sins of His elect. It may not be quite so apparent here as it will appear later in this psalm.

(Verses 4 through 8) Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that desire my hurt. Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them. Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them. For without cause they have hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul. Let destruction come upon him at unawares: and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.

There cannot possibly be any misunderstanding of the meaning of this text. It is a prayer for the total destruction of the enemies of the one who is praying. Let us consider it from three different perspectives. First, as the prayer of David, we might wonder how he, being a man after God’s own heart, could so vehemently pray for the utter destruction of his enemies, since our Lord has told us that we are to love our enemies, and pray for those who persecute us, and treat us badly. We must remember that David lived under the law dispensation, at which time the ruling concept was “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” This, of course, was set aside under the gospel.

Then as we consider this in relation to our Lord Jesus, as He approached His trial and crucifixion, we must remember that He was not only man, but God manifested in the flesh. As God, it is a righteous act for Him to pour out vengeance upon His enemies; and His enemies are also the enemies of the Father, Who has said “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay.” While it is true that Jesus, while on the cross, prayed for those who put Him there, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do,” we must also keep in mind that He had already proven that “The Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sin.” Therefore, had it been His purpose to forgive all their sins, he had only to speak, and it was done. Therefore His prayer at that time, must have been as a man, and only included their sin of crucifying Him, as they were ordered by their superiors to do. He prayed that it not be added to their account. Thus He gave us an example, that we should do as He had done.

Finally, as we look at this in its application to us, let us remember that temptations, doubts, fears, weakness of the flesh, and all such, are the real enemies we have to face from day to day; and it should be our prayer that the LORD will completely overthrow them all, and destroy them with the same destruction, which they attempt to wreak upon us. Such things are Satan’s army, and we should beg the LORD to help us against them in every way.

(Verses 9 through 12) And My soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in His salvation. All My bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto Thee, Which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him? False witnesses did rise up: they laid to My charge things that I knew not. They rewarded Me evil for good to the spoiling of My soul.

This could, perhaps, be considered from all three perspectives as in the preceding text; but we believe that it primarily relates to our Lord Jesus: and that will be our primary consideration. Verses 9 and 10 declare the joy He had in the assurance that the Father was His salvation. The phrase, “His salvation,” simply means that the Father was the source of His deliverance: He was never in need of salvation, in the sense of having been lost in sin, as were we. Certainly Jesus rejoiced in the knowledge that the Father would deliver Him, even from the grave. There is also in this a promise for us that the LORD will also deliver us from those who spoil us and are too strong for us. In verses 11 and 12 he describes the mock trials through which they brought our Lord, before the priests, before Pilate, and before Herod. There the false witnesses arose, and charged Him with things He “knew not.” This is not to say that He had no knowledge of the accusations; for as the Son of God, He knew all things; but these were utterly false charges, containing accusations of things, which He had neither said nor done; and, in that sense, He “knew not” of them. After all His wonderful works on their behalf, healing the sick, causing the lame to walk, casting out devils, cleansing the lepers, and even raising the dead, they brought false charges against Him to have Him crucified. This is the height of rewarding evil for good.

(Verses 13 and 14) But as for Me, when they were sick, My clothing was sackcloth: I humbled My soul with fasting, and My prayer returned into Mine own bosom. I behaved Myself as though he had been My friend and brother: I bowed down heavily as one who mourneth for his mother.

When we read the gospel accounts of the ministry of our Lord among the people, we readily see that He fulfilled this description. He was constantly engaged in healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, causing the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, the dumb to talk, and even the lepers to be cleansed, as well as even raising the dead. Sometimes the crowds pressed around Him, and in their clamoring for His attention, would not even give Him time to eat. He had no time for Himself; for He was always busy relieving the sorrows and afflictions of others, as though they were His friend, brother, or even His mother. Yet they rewarded His unselfish service to them by bearing false witness against Him, that they might destroy Him.

(Verses 15 through 18) But in Mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against Me, and I knew it not; they did tear Me, and ceased not: with hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon Me with their teeth. LORD, how long wilt Thou look on? Rescue My soul from their destructions, My darling from the lions. I will give Thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise Thee among much people.

Verses 15 and 16 are a continued description of the conduct of those whom the Lord had so unselfishly served. They rejoiced at His adversity, and gathered themselves together for the sport of seeing Him crucified. To them it was entertainment, just another crucifixion. The abjects, those who had sunk to the very lowest stratum of humanity, utterly despicable, gathered themselves together against Him. He says, “and I knew it not." This does not mean that He was unaware of it, but that He gave it no notice. Remember how calmly He answered Pilate when Pilate said to Him, “I have power to release thee, and I have power to crucify thee.” His answer was, “Thou couldest have no power at all against Me, except it were given thee from above.” “They did tear Me, and ceased not.” For approximately 14 to 16 hours He suffered their abuse. That is, from the time He was taken to the high priest’s palace until Pilate, with his famous statement, “Behold your King,” presented Him before the people. He was beaten, mocked, and scourged: and the scourging, in particular, was such that it literally tore the flesh from the bones. ”And they ceased not.” Even while He was hanging on the cross, they continued to mock Him and gnash on Him with their teeth. Verse 17 is His prayer for deliverance. “LORD, how long wilt Thou look on? Rescue My soul from their destructions, My darling from the lions.” The Father did rescue Him from their destruction. He raised Him from the grave and seated Him at His own right hand in heaven. In verse 18 He declares, “I will give Thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise Thee among much people.” Surely when all His elect are gathered home, that will be a great congregation of much people: and there, as He delivers “up the kingdom to God, even the Father,” He will give His thanks unto the Father.

(Verses 19 through 22) Let not them that are Mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over Me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate Me without a cause. For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land. Yea, they opened their mouth wide against Me, and said, Aha, aha, our eyes hath seen it. This Thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O LORD be not far from Me.

As we study this text, we find that it is a continuation of our Lord’s prayer and complaint against His enemies. He asks that these wicked ones not be allowed to “wrongfully rejoice over Him or, as people often do when they think they are getting away with something, wink at one another, which is of itself a form of mockery. They have no cause to hate Him, but they have done everything possible to overthrow Him. So He calls the LORD to help against them. Not only do they not speak peace, but they make up lies in an effort to stir up those who are at peace. When they bring forth their false witness against Him, they let their mouths drop open wide as if they are surprised and shocked that He would do the things they accuse Him of; but they declare themselves eyewitnesses of these evil things. The LORD has already seen all of this. So He begs the LORD to neither keep silent about it nor be far from Him.

(Verses 23 through 26) Stir up Thyself, and awake to My judgment, even unto My cause, My God and My LORD. Judge Me, O LORD My God, according to Thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over Me. Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so we would have it: let them not say, We have swallowed Him up. Let them be ashamed, and brought to confusion together that rejoice at Mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonor that magnify themselves against Me.

He continues His prayer that the LORD will awake to His judgment. He is not asking that the penalties, which are sometimes referred to as “judgments” be sent upon Him, but that His cause be judged, He be exonerated, and His enemies be given their proper punishment. He desires that they not be allowed to rejoice over what they perceive to be a victory over Him, nor to claim that they have accomplished their purpose. May they all be brought to shame and confusion; and instead of being able to claim honor for their supposed victory over Him, may all, who magnify themselves against Him, be clothed in shame and dishonor. For the greater part, this Psalm is a cry for vengeance upon His enemies; and the LORD both heard and answered it. For He raised Him up from the grave, and set Him at His own right hand. Not only did the Father raise Him from the dead, but He also sent an angel to declare His resurrection to the women at the tomb, in the presence of the guards, who were as powerless “as dead men” to do anything about it

(Verses 27 and 28) Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor My righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, Which hath pleasure in the prosperity of His Servant. And My tongue shall speak of Thy righteousness and of Thy praise all the day long.

Having completed His testimony against the wicked, and His prayer for their punishment, He now speaks of those who favor His righteous cause. “Let them shout for joy, and be glad _ _ _ let them say continually, ‘The LORD be magnified, Which hath pleasure in the prosperity of His Servant.” Isaiah speaks also of this righteous Servant. (Isaiah 53:10-12) “Ye hath it pleased the LORD to bruise Him. He hath put Him to grief: when Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see of the travail of His soul, and be satisfied: by His knowledge shall My righteous Servant justify many: for He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He hath poured out His soul unto death: and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” This seems to sum up what has been said in this psalm. When the LORD vindicated His cause, He raised Him up from the dead, and seated Him at His own right hand in heaven. He, having finished His work, and knowing that it is effective to the justification of every one of His elect, although it was, indeed, travail of His soul, is satisfied. Even now He, seated at the Father’s right hand, makes intercession for the saints according to the will of the Father. Certainly, we can never praise Him enough. In the words of an old hymn, “Eternity is too short to utter all Thy praise.” What a wonderful Savior is He!


Chapter 36


(Verses 1 through 4) The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good. He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.

We are all prone to make excuses for one who is doing things, which we all know to be wrong. It seems that the most popular excuse today is, “He had an abused childhood.” However, David says that the message sent to his heart by the transgression of the wicked is that, there is no fear of God before his eyes. This shows forth in the fact that he flatters himself in his own eyes. He thinks that his evil ways show him off to be smart, or greater than others; and that continues until his iniquity is discovered, and shown to be something that everyone hates, instead of something to be admired. Even the words of his mouth are iniquity and falsehood. David’s language seems to indicate that this person, instead of not having any understanding of what is right and what is wrong, has deliberately turned from the right to the wrong. Even while on his bed, instead of sleeping, he is plotting some kind of evil scheme, and planning how to accomplish it. He does not hate evil, but on the contrary, he thrives on it.

(Verses 5 through 7) Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; Thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, Thou preservest man and beast. How excellent is Thy loving kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings.

Having finished his description of the wicked, David turns to a consideration of the LORD; and what a contrast there is! Perhaps, Isaiah said it best: “’For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ saith the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are above the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.’” Not only does the LORD not engage in evil, but His mercy is in, or extends all the way to heaven, and His faithfulness reaches even unto the clouds. His righteousness is as great as the great mountains. At the same time, the depth of wisdom in His judgments makes them as great as “the great deep,” or, as we call it today, “outer space.” He is also the One Who preserves, or keeps, both man and beast. All are utterly dependent upon Him. Being overwhelmed by the majesty of God, David exclaims, “How excellent is Thy loving kindness, O God!” Words are totally inadequate to describe either Him or His loving kindness. “Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings.” All over the world, those who know the LORD, put their trust in Him, just as the baby chicks trust the mother hen, and run to the shelter of her wings when danger threatens. Those who trust in Him are never disappointed in His protection.

(Verses 8 and 9) They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house; and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures. For with Thee is the fountain of life: in Thy light shall we see light.

Here David tells us what we shall receive when we put our trust under the shadow of the wings of the LORD. All who do this shall be abundantly satisfied with “the fatness,” or the blessings of the house of the LORD. Although, usually when we speak of the “house of the LORD,” we mean the church of the Lord, and under the law dispensation, it meant the temple, this reference is better understood as the “Presence of the LORD, with no reference to any particular location. We might, so far as human companionship and fellowship is concerned, be completely forsaken and alone; but if we can feel the Presence of the LORD, we will be abundantly satisfied with His goodness. Those who trust in Him shall be made partakers of His pleasures; for with Him is the fountain of life. What more could we want? In His Presence, which is light, we shall see light. In Him is no darkness at all.

(Verses 10 through 12) O continue Thy loving kindness unto them that know Thee; and Thy righteousness to the upright in heart. Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me. There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.

This is a prayer for the LORD to continue His loving kindness and His righteousness upon those who trust in Him, and are upright in heart. It was David’s prayer, and should be ours, that the LORD not suffer the “foot of pride,” or the “hand of the wicked,” to overcome us. Verse 12 looks forward to the time of God’s final judgment of the wicked. While we are in this present world, we will be harassed by the wicked, as well as by all temptations, trials, troubles, and snares of Satan: but on that day of the LORD it can be truly said, “There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.”


Chapter 37

(Verses 1 and 2) Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

These two verses give the outline of this entire psalm. It is a contrast between the wicked and the righteous, for the purpose of teaching us that, although, temporarily, the wicked may appear to have all the advantages in things of this world, the day is coming when he will be cut off, never to rise again. So David’s first caution to us is, “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.” In the first place, though the wicked may do things to threaten you, and even cause you damage, do not worry about it, and do not try to avenge yourself. Leave it in the hands of the LORD, and above all, do not envy them, although they may have much more of this world’s wealth and advantages that you do. For the time is soon to come that they will be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Some may consider this a false comfort, “Because,” they say, “the wicked may prosper all his life here in the world, and leave a great fortune to his heirs.” David has already covered that in Psalm 17: 14-15,  “_ _ _ from men of the world which have their portion in this life, and whose belly Thou fillest with Thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes. As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake with Thy likeness.” We must remember that the LORD’S timetable may be different from ours. With Him the entire lifetime of a man is but a moment. As the Apostle Paul said in II Corinthians 4:17-18, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory: while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Without controversy, the life span  of a man is but a moment when compared to eternity. So workers of iniquity shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither like the green herb.

(Verses 3 through 10) Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass. And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

The reason why many are disappointed with the promises contained in this text is that, they have misunderstood them and the instructions given with them. If we buy a complicated piece of machinery, which we have to partially assemble, we usually find with the item a set of step by step instructions for the assembly. If we understand and follow these instructions to the letter, most likely, the product will work as it should, when we finish the assembly. On the other hand, if we throw away the instructions, or, failing to understand them set out to assemble the item by our own imagination, there is a great likelihood that we will be disappointed in its operation. So, let us examine the instructions. First, we are to “Trust in the LORD, and do good.” This does not mean that we are just to profess faith or trust in Him, but actually, in our hearts, realize that we are totally helpless without Him: then we will lay aside our ways, and depend upon Him to lead us. Since He has already given us His written word to direct us, we cannot ignore it and expect Him to lead us by inspiration, as He did those whom He chose to write it. By following His word and trusting in Him we will, indeed, be doing good. Another caution must be observed also. While attempting to do this, we cannot retain in our minds the idea that, “I am going to trust in Him in order to get Him to do something for me.” Such a thought is self-serving, and is wickedness itself. So, with it, we would not be following His instructions, and therefore we could not expect good results. Yet, if in sincerity and truth we do trust Him to direct our lives as pleases Him, He will give us the desires of our hearts, because our desires have been transformed into compliance with His will. “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass. And He will bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.” The same understanding of committing our way unto the LORD, and trusting in Him, that we have already discussed, is to be considered binding upon this also. He told us, in verse 3, that if we do this we shall both dwell in the land and be fed. That is, the LORD will take care of our necessities. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus tells us the same thing in different words: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God , and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Now David says, “And He shall bring it to pass.” The next verse tells what He shall bring to pass. “And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.” A light shines forth that all around it may see it. Thus shall it be with our righteousness when we follow these instructions. Also the LORD will show forth our judgment (our ability to evaluate a course of life, and follow the good) “as the noonday.”

The next instruction we have is, “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.” The order in which these instructions are given is noteworthy. Unless we have already put the preceding instructions into practice, we cannot use this one. Only when we trust in the LORD can we rest in Him, and wait patiently for Him. We are not to try to initiate action against the wicked; we are not even to fret, or worry about them. The LORD will take care of the matter in His own time. Therefore rest in Him, and wait patiently for Him to deal with the matter as He sees fit. The flesh gets a little upset when we see those, who practice evil, prospering in everything they do: but we are to keep ourselves under control, and not fret because of such. Also we are to cease from anger and forsake wrath. In James 1:20, we are told, “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” So, we need to overcome such, and leave it off.  “Fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.” We are to put forth no effort to do evil of any sort, but leave it off completely. These are the instructions David has given us for pleasing the LORD. Our purpose in doing them should be to please Him. Nevertheless, He has promised that when we do this, He will bestow His blessings upon us. Yet the reason why we should not be envious of evildoers is that, although they may seem to be prospering in everything they do, there is coming a day when they shall be brought down, never to rise again. Those who wait upon the LORD shall inherit the earth. This looks forward to the new earth wherein dwells righteousness, not the present earth with its curse of sin and sorrow. In that day the wicked shall no longer be; and his place can no more be found.

(Verses 11 through 15) But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth against him with his teeth. The LORD shall laugh at him: for He seeth that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn out the sword, and bent the bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation. Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

Verse 11 is the same as Matthew 5:5, with the addition of, “and they shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace,” which is further proof that this does look forward to the new earth, which will be in perfect peace; for the curse shall have been removed. Notice that “shall inherit,” and “shall delight,” are both in the future tense, while, as we continue to read, David says, “The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth against him with his teeth.” Both of these verbs are in the present tense. The LORD knows that the day of the downfall of the wicked is coming. So He shall laugh at him. This laugh is one of derision, because He knows that He will Himself overthrow the wicked, and protect the “meek,” or the righteous. The wicked have already taken up their weapons of war to destroy the poor and needy, and such as be of an upright conversation. Usually, in scriptural usage, “conversation” means not just what is said, but the whole lifestyle of the person. This war began when Cain slew Abel, and will continue until the LORD brings the wicked to judgment. He will cause their own swords to be turned against them, and their bows to be broken. Thus they shall finally be destroyed, and the righteous shall be delivered.

(Verses 16 through 20) A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous. The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.

God has never promised His people, “the righteous,” great wealth in this world. Their glory is reserved for His return. David often speaks of the LORD’S people as “the poor.” The righteous man may have very little of this world’s goods; but it is better than the riches of many wicked. Surely, if this life only were under consideration, this would not be true: but remember what Abraham said to the rich man who was in hell. “Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.” From any perspective you may view it, torment in eternity is worse than a little suffering here in time. David’s way of saying it is, “The arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be forever.” He continues, “They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.” The righteous are they of whom he thus speaks. The LORD has engaged His own unfailing word on their behalf. Even in “the evil time,” which is often a reference to the time of death, although it could also refer to any time when the enemy is closing in on them, they shall not be brought to shame, and neither shall they be ashamed of Him. In the days of famine, we need not fear, for by Him we shall be satisfied. Jesus tells us that our heavenly Father feeds the fowls of the air; so, surely, He will provide for us. “But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.” The lamb is an animal much used for sacrifice to God, under the law. When so used, often most of it was eaten; but never the fat. That must be completely burned by fire on the altar. That is what David means when he says,” They shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.”

(Verses 21 through 24) The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. For such as be blessed of the LORD shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of Him shall be cut off. The steps of a good man are ordered of the LORD: and He delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with His hand.

The fact that a man borrows and does not repay might, by some, not be considered sufficient evidence that he is wicked. However, the inference here is that he borrows with no intention of repaying; and that is wickedness, even in the planning of it. On the other hand, when the righteous finds someone in need, he shows mercy and gives, expecting nothing in return. This manifests the difference between the wicked and the righteous. The wicked is not wicked because he borrows and does not repay; but because he is wicked, this is his manner of living. Likewise, the righteous is not righteous because he shows mercy and gives; but because he is righteous, he does this. David then declares the destiny of both the wicked and the righteous. “For such as be blessed of the LORD shall inherit the earth; but they that are cursed of Him shall be cut off.” The LORD takes delight in the way of the righteous, “a good man,” because it is He, Who has ordered his steps. Although, compared to God, no man is good; yet, those who by the grace of God, strive to walk in His way, are of Him accounted good, and are the righteous of whom David so often speaks. If the good man falls, which he probably will, “he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with His hand.”

(Verses 25 through 28) I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed are blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not His saints: they are preserved for ever; but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

David declares that in all his life (youth and old age) he has never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed, his children, begging bread. This does not mean that he has never known harm to come to righteous man. This is proven by II Samuel 3:22-39. What it does mean is that God will never forsake the righteous, but will remember them, even in death: and He does provide for the “seed of the righteous.” He says that the righteous is always merciful, and ready to lend, or as he earlier said, give, to those in need. Again he says that the seed of the righteous are blessed. He now gives us one more instruction, which we do well to add to those given earlier. “Depart from evil, and do good.” Those who do this shall “dwell for evermore;” for that is the lot of the righteous. In verse 28 he again reminds us of the end of both the wicked and the righteous. “For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not His saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.”

(Verses 29 through 33) The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. The law of God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him. The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.

As we have pointed out before, David’s declaration that “the righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever,” looks forward to that day when there will be no more curse on the earth, but only righteousness will dwell therein forever. Since the LORD has called forth the righteous, He has given them wisdom and judgment: and this shows forth in their speech as well as in their actions. The law of God has been written in their hearts, and this gives them solid footing as they walk in His pathway. Although the wicked is constantly looking for a way to kill the righteous, the LORD will not leave them in his hand: and although the righteous too must be judged, the LORD will not condemn them.

(Verses 34 through 36) Wait on the LORD, and keep His way, and He shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked is cut off, thou shalt see it. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

David again repeats the promise that, those who wait on the LORD, and keep His way, shall inherit the land, or the earth. He says that when the wicked shall be cut off, you shall see it. That is, it will not come to pass until the wicked are cut off. He gives an example he has seen of the wicked, as he tries to take over everything within reach. Yet that same wicked was cut down, and even his place could not be found. His simile is that of a green bay tree, as it spreads out, and covers much space; but when it is cut down, people soon cannot even find the exact spot it occupied. Thus it is with the wicked. During the course of history, many wicked men have arisen to positions of great power, even to such posts as kings or dictators. Yet all have been cut down, and of many of them, little trace can be found. They could not continue. So those who, by the grace of God, rely upon the hope of eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord are much more greatly blessed.

(Verses 37 through 40) Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: He is their strength in time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him.

Those who trust in the LORD are accounted by Him as perfect; because they are redeemed by the blood of the Christ, and by that blood their sins are all washed away. Thus they are made righteous by His righteousness, as it is imputed to them by the grace of God. So when David says, “Mark the perfect man,” he is referring to the righteous, those who strive to follow the word of the LORD. So, take notice of the righteous and the upright, for their end, or final destiny, is peace. However, that is not the final sentence of the wicked. “The end of the wicked shall be cut off.” That is reserved for the wicked, and shall not be changed. Verses 39 and 40 are so clear as to need no explanation. “But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: He is their strength in time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him.”

 

Chapter 38

(Verses 1 and 2) O LORD, rebuke me not in Thy wrath: neither chasten me in Thy hot displeasure. For Thine arrows stick fast in me, and Thy hand presseth me sore.

This seems to be David’s prayer in the midst of great sorrow and repentance for his transgressions. Nothing is said about any particular sin, but he does confess that whatever it is bears heavily upon his mind and heart. In these first two verses, he is begging for mercy. He prays that the LORD will not rebuke him in His wrath, nor chastise him in His hot displeasure, but lighten the chastisement, for he has already been made to feel the prick of His arrows, and the weight of His hand.

(Verses 3 through 12) There is no soundness in my flesh because of Thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink, and are corrupt because of my foolishness. I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart. LORD all my desire is before Thee; and my groaning is not hid from Thee. My heart panteth, my strength faileth me; as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me. My lovers and my friends stand afar off. They also that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.

David paints a very vivid picture of himself as he is under heavy conviction and sorrow for his sin. We too, no doubt, have had similar experiences with our sin. Just to feel that the LORD is angry with us brings us to the point that there seems to be no strength nor soundness in our body. Even our bones cannot rest, and seem to have lost their strength. Our sin mounts up so that it seems to be over our heads, and we are in danger of drowning in it. It becomes such a burden that we can no longer bear it. He says, “My wounds stink, and are corrupt because of my foolishness.” When he says, “my foolishness,” he does not mean just some little thoughtless act that we would commonly call “foolishness,” but, in reality, a total failure to use any understanding in the matter. It was something that he knew was wrong, but instead of using his understanding, and avoiding it, he did it anyway. That is what has caused him to feel that he has wounds that stink, and are corrupt. Surely we can understand this. Because of this terrible feeling, he is bowed down under his sorrow, and goes mourning all the time. One’s loins are considered the center and source of his strength; but his sorrow is such that he feels as if he had some hated disease, which has completely sapped his strength, and left no soundness in him. His heart is so broken that he feels feeble and broken. He recognizes the fact that the LORD already knows his desire and his groaning. Not only is his heart broken, and his strength failing, but because of his sorrow and weeping “the light of his eyes,” or his sight, has gone from him. While he is in this burdened condition, even his loved ones, friends, and kinsmen, back away from him as if he had some contagious disease. Then, to complete his distress, his enemies lay snares for him, and try to design mischievous things and false charges to present against him. This seems to be about as much trouble as one could possibly stand. Were it not that he has already declared that his sin is the cause of all of this, one might think this description of his suffering, and what he says in the next few verses about how he bore it to be a prophecy of our Lord Jesus, as He endured His trials and His crucifixion: but it seems to actually be David’s description of his own experience in his repentance for his sin.

(Verses 13 through 18) But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth. Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs. For in Thee, O Lord, do I hope: Thou wilt hear, O LORD my God. For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me. For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me. For I will declare mine iniquity: I will be sorry for my sin.

He declares that in the face of all his enemies have tried to do to him, and say about him, he has remained completely quiet, and left the whole matter in the hands of the LORD, because his trust is in the LORD. Then he asks the LORD to hear him, lest his enemies might rejoice over him. He is confident that the LORD will hear him. If he did not expect help from Him, he would be ready to give up; and his sorrow is constantly before him. Then he says that he will declare (or confess) his sin and repent of it.

(Verses 19 and 20) But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied. They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that is right.

This certainly is not hard to understand. His enemies are lively and strong, and those who hate him without a cause are multiplied. They are the ones who render evil for good; and the reason why they hate him is that he follows the way of righteousness.

(Verses 21 and 22) Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me. Make haste to help me, O LORD, my salvation.

Thus he makes a final plea that the LORD not forsake him. But deliver him speedily. Surely, just as the LORD is his salvation, He also is ours.

 

Chapter 39

(Verses 1 and 2) I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.

We do not know in what order the Psalms were written, but in this instance the arrangement of them seems extremely appropriate. In Psalm 38 David described his deep sorrow and repentance for his sin, and here he tells us that he had determined not to sin with his tongue. That is, he would not say anything that he ought not. He would “keep his mouth with a bridle.” Even today we speak of “bridling the tongue,” and everyone knows what that means. He was going to do this when the wicked were present. We all know how hard it is to refrain from speaking when someone who irritates us is present; and that was his situation. He says that he accomplished this by not saying anything, not even good things. He simply acted as one who is totally mute; but even then, his sorrow was stirred.

(Verses 3 through 5) My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue, LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is, that I may know how frail I am. Behold, Thou hast made my days as an handbreadth: and mine age as nothing before Thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.

Although David was able to bridle his tongue, and refrain from speaking to the wicked before him, “his sorrow was stirred.” (When we consider the remainder of this, we wonder if there might have been a mistranslation made here. We wonder if the better word selection might have been “anger.”) While he thought upon the situation, the fire of indignation was burning in his heart. Yet when he spoke, it was not to the wicked before him, but to the LORD. “LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.” He did not ask the LORD to tell him how many more days were left of his life; but that He make him know, or realize, the brevity of human life; how insignificant it is as compared to eternity. Thus he would know his own frailty and limitations. If we can always keep this in mind, no matter how rough the way may be, we can say, as did the Apostle Paul, “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” Even if it lasts all our life, it is still but a moment in the sight of God. The LORD answered David’s prayer, and taught him to say, “Behold, Thou hast made my days as an handbreadth, and mine age as nothing before Thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.” Sometimes we may get exalted in our own minds, and begin to think that we are of some importance. When this occurs, we begin to wonder, “Why is this happening to me? I deserve better than this.” If such thoughts enter our minds, we should review this basic fact: “Behold, Thou hast made my days as an handbreadth: and mine age as nothing before Thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.” Then we can bear whatever comes upon us, and thank God that things are as well with us as they are. We are already blessed far above what we deserve.

(Verses 6 through 11) Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them. And now, LORD, what wait I for? My hope is in Thee. Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish.. I was dumb, I opened not my mouth because Thou didst it. Remove Thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of Thine hand. When Thou with rebukes doth correct a man for iniquity, Thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah.

Not only is every man at his best state vanity, but in addition to that, “every man walks in a vain show.” That is, just as actors in a show, which has no worthwhile meaning, carry on their make believe lives to the end of the show, so it is with all humanity. Should we meet a hundred people on the street, and poll them, as some do, about what they consider most important in life, perhaps, at least half of them would choose wealth as their first priority. Notice David’s next statement. “They are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.” How true this is! All men are constantly trying to find some way of acquiring more wealth, which is a vain pursuit. If they succeed, they will soon be called away from it; and they do not know who will reap the benefit of it. They may intend that their children, or others they specify, will receive it, and, perhaps, in most cases it may be that way. Yet, if that does come to pass, the situation is still as described by Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3:18-19. “Yea, I hated my labor, which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it to the man that shall be after me. And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? Yet shall he have rule over all my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.” So it is much better to serve the LORD in quietness and fear than to be worried and anxious about heaping up wealth, and not knowing who shall have control over it.

Notice the change in David’s attitude and his prayer. Heretofore his prayer has been, “Deliver me from my enemies.” Since the LORD has taught him to consider the frailty of man and the brevity of human life, his prayer is, “And now, LORD, what wait I for? My hope is in Thee. Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish.” Since my life is as a handbreadth, and my age as nothing before God, why should I worry about being delivered from my enemies, and having my life prolonged for a moment? For what am I waiting? The important thing is to be delivered from all my transgressions, and thus not be the reproach of the foolish, or those with no understanding. The length of my life, whether ended now, or extended for a while, means nothing: for in either case, it is not enough to be considered before God. “Deliver me from all my transgressions.”

Now he says, “I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because Thou didst it. Remove Thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of Thine hand.” He did not remain silent before the wicked because of their presence, but because the LORD had brought this upon him. He knew he was under the chastening of the LORD. So He prays that God will remove His stroke from him: for he feels that he is already consumed by the blow of the hand of the LORD. In verse 11 he says, When Thou with rebukes doth correct a man for iniquity, Thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity.” No doubt, every person, whether he or she is good looking, will consider himself as looking fairly well; but when the LORD rebukes us to correct us, in our eyes that beauty immediately fades away. He makes us see the truth of an old adage, “Beauty is as beauty does,” and as He shows us just how ugly our actions have been, all beauty we thought we had is gone, just as a moth, no matter how beautiful it is, is soon dead. So His conclusion is, “Surely every man is vanity.”

(Verses 12 and 13) Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not Thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with Thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.

Here David prays that the LORD will strengthen and comfort him once more, before he is called away from this life. This is not a prayer for extension of life, but that he be lifted out of his depressed condition, brought on by the chastening of the LORD, and made to rejoice in Him again while here. When he says, “I am a stranger with Thee,” his meaning is not that he is unknown to God, but that his lifetime is so short that it is as a stranger passing by. Just as were his forefathers, so too he is a sojourner, or one who stops only for a little while. That is the way our life is before God. We are but for a moment: He is eternal. May He spare us that we to may recover strength before we are called away; that we may go shouting His praises.

 

Chapter 40

Probably the most traditionally acceptable manner of viewing this Psalm is as setting forth some of David’s experiences. As such it can have great value to us. However, it seems to me that, if that is all we see in it, we are missing a great blessing. I believe that it reflects in a prophetic manner the work of our Lord Jesus. That is the primary perspective from which we shall study it at this time.

(Verses 1 through 4) I waited patiently for the LORD: and He inclined unto Me, and heard My cry. He brought Me up out of an horrible pit, and out of the miry clay, and set My foot upon a rock, and established My goings. And He hath put a new song in My mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. Blessed is the man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

From the beginning to the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus waited patiently for the LORD, the Father. He often declared that the works He did were only those that were of the Father, and were pleasing to the Father. But the outstanding example of His patient waiting for the LORD was shown from the time of His arrest until, on the cross, He said, “It is finished,” and He committed His spirit into the hands of the Father. He did make one great cry while on the cross, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” Although, according to the purpose of God, it was necessary that He momentarily forsake the Son, He still heard that cry, and answered it by raising Him up from the most horrible pit ever known to man, the grave. Miry clay is a medium in which it is easy to become so bogged down that it is impossible for one to extricate himself. Can a more miry clay than death be found? The LORD brought Him up from that. The Father set His foot upon a rock, a solid foundation that cannot be shaken, and upon which no foot can ever slip. That rock is the almighty power of the eternal God. Upon that rock the Father established His “goings,” or His works, that they cannot fail. He even placed a new song in His mouth, “even praise unto our God.” This song of praise is not for something that will be done in the future, but for an accomplished mission, the redemption of His elect. When the LORD “made this same Jesus both Lord and Christ,” as the Apostle Peter told the people on the Day of Pentecost, He is forever established. “Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.” Not only did many see it when it was done, but since that day, many more have, by the grace of God, seen it: and those who have, fear, and trust the LORD. The man who makes the LORD his trust is blessed and happy indeed, for the word of God assures us that those who believe in Him are born of God. Those who do trust in Him will neither respect the proud, nor turn aside to lies.

(Verse 5) Many, O LORD My God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee: if I would declare and speak them, they are more than can be numbered.

This seems to be David’s reaction as he considered the wonderful works that God has wrought for us. Surely there is no man who can even begin to number all these great things, which the LORD has done: and no man can know all the thoughts of God that are to “us-ward,” or favorable to us. He long ago could have completely annihilated the whole human race without suffering any loss: but because of His own great love, grace, and mercy, He has spared us even until now; and He has provided eternal salvation for us through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son. His works and His thoughts in our favor are without number. If any man attempted to speak of them all, he would be faced with an impossible task; for no man’s mind is sufficient for that.

(Verses 6 through 8) Sacrifice and offering Thou didst not desire; Mine ears hast Thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast Thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of Me, I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart.

In Hebrews 10:5-10 the writer confirms that this is a prophecy of our Lord Jesus the Christ. So, instead of trying to prove it here, we shall only try to consider the content of the text. At first glance, verse 6 seems to contradict the entire ceremonial law of God. God’s own law demanded these sacrifices and offerings, such as sin offerings, burnt offerings, and others. Yet here He says, and we paraphrase, “You did not want sacrifice and offering, and did not require burnt offering and sin offering.” He further declares that the LORD has opened His ears to this. That is, He has directly told Him this. What can this mean? If we examine God’s law, we find in every sacrifice and offering a type, or a likeness, of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross of Calvary , the shedding of blood, the bread of life, etc. Since God’s purpose is eternal, it is not something that is brought up on the spur of the moment, as so many of our decisions seem to be, and neither is it something to be changed to fit the occasion. When, because of the disobedience of the people, God gave them His law, He ordered these sacrifices, not that they were of themselves effectual, but that they would be reminders, and always point His people to the great sacrifice for sin, which, before time began, He had purposed to send into the world. There is no doctrine of remission of sin under the law. Remission is only through Christ Jesus our Lord. The sacrifices and offerings under the law were reminders to the people that at His appointed time God would make the sacrifice that takes away sin. So, insofar as the sacrifices and offerings themselves were concerned, they were neither desired nor required for putting away sin. The LORD, as we have already said, gave them to direct His people to the Christ, Who would put away sin. Now Jesus, the Son of God, testifies, “Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of Me, ‘I delight to do Thy will, O God: yea, Thy law is within My heart.’” How often we find Him in the gospel records, testifying that His only purpose was to do the will of His heavenly Father! Even in that prayer of agony in the garden, He said, “Nevertheless, not what I will, but what Thou wilt.” The law of the Father was indeed in His heart.

(Verses 9 through 13) I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained My lips, O LORD, Thou knowest. I have not hid Thy righteousness within My heart; I have declared Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation: I have not concealed Thy loving kindness and Thy truth from the great congregation. Withhold not Thy tender mercies from Me, O LORD: let Thy loving kindness and Thy truth continually preserve Me. For innumerable evils have compassed Me about: Mine iniquities have taken hold upon Me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of Mine head: therefore My heart faileth Me. Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver Me: make haste to help Me.

Verses 9 and 10 seem to adequately sum up the earthly ministry of our Lord Jesus. He declares that He “preached righteousness in the great congregation,” and did not hold back anything. The gospel confirms that He did so preach everywhere He went. He preached the same message in every place, and held back nothing. He did not hide the righteousness of God in His heart, but manifested it in His life, and showed it forth in healing the sick, making the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, the blind to see, the dumb to speak, and even the dead to rise. He fully demonstrated both the righteousness and the power of God in all of this. He declared the Father’s faithfulness, and His salvation. He ascribed to the Father all the honor of everything He did, He did not attempt to conceal the Father’s loving kindness, nor His salvation, but openly declared both to the multitudes that gathered to hear Him. According to John 18:20, when the high priest asked about His doctrine, Jesus said, “I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.” When He spoke “openly to the world,” that would seem to fit the phrase, “the great congregation.” Now He says to the Father, “Withhold not Thy tender mercies from Me, O LORD: let Thy loving kindness and Thy truth continually preserve Me.” Through His tender mercies and loving kindness the Father raised Jesus from the dead. And even now, and forever, He is kept by the Father’s loving kindness and truth, as He is seated at the Father’s own right hand on high. One thing in verse 12 might not be immediately clear to some. That is, “Mine iniquities have taken hold upon Me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of My head.” Certainly He had no sins of His own, and no iniquities by reason of either original sin or sinful actions: but when He took our sins upon Himself, He made them His, that He might pay the penalty for them in our stead. They are what caused Him such great suffering. It was for them He shed His blood, died, and was buried. But the glory of it is, He arose from the dead for our justification. Because of His great love for us, we are free. Now He says, “Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver Me: O LORD, make haste to help Me.” In seventy-two hours, more or less, from the time He finished His work, and laid down His life, the Father raised Him from the dead, that He might be “alive for evermore.” The LORD did make haste to help Him.

(Verses 14 through 16) Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after My soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish Me evil. Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto Me, Aha, aha. Let those that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee: let such as love Thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.

What this text, which is really a prayer, says seems to be clear enough to need no explanation: but let us look briefly at its fulfillment, to understand that the Father did, unquestionably, answer the cry of His holy Son. Nobody can deny that the chief priests, the scribes, and the Pharisees, were the ones, who, above all others, sought to destroy Jesus, as well as all His teachings and works: and they were the ones, who led in mocking Him while He was on the cross. His prayer is that, they be driven backward, put to shame, and made desolate. According to history, in less than fifty years their city, Jerusalem , was overcome, their temple was destroyed, and they were dispersed over the world. It has been almost two thousand years since they have been able to fully practice their religion; because the temple is the only place where they can legally offer their sacrifices. This is to them complete desolation. Those who passed by Him on the cross wagging their heads and mocking, have been rewarded with shame. On the other hand, those who sincerely seek the LORD, are still made to rejoice in Him; and those who love His salvation, are still saying, “The LORD be magnified.” Is this a literal fulfillment of that prayer? Who could doubt it?

(Verse 17) But I am poor and needy: yet the LORD thinketh upon Me: Thou art My help and My deliverer: make no tarrying, O My God.

In that last hour of suffering, especially when He said, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” we would be forced to concede that He was poor and needy. He had no fame and no wealth, and He was nearing death, with no friends to even hold His hand. It would be difficult to imagine one poorer, or more needy. “Yet the LORD thinketh upon Me.” How wonderful to know that, in His hour of need, the Father did not forget His precious Son, but had His attention fully focused upon Him. He has promised also that He will neither leave nor forsake us. So, no matter how terrible the situation we face, we too can pray the same prayer Jesus prayed, and expect it to be answered. “Thou art My help and deliverance; make no tarrying, O My God.” We need also to keep always in mind what the Apostle Paul said about the poverty of our Lord Jesus. (II Corinthians 8:9) “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.”

 

Chapter 41

(Verses 1 through 3) Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive, and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and Thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: Thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.

Here David, without using either “righteous,” or “righteousness,” tells us what the LORD will do for the righteous. We do not become righteous by doing righteous works; but righteous works show the righteousness with which one is blessed of the LORD. And having consideration for the poor is a righteous act. Therefore those who minister to the poor are blessed; and the LORD shall deliver them in the time of trouble. The LORD will preserve (keep) them, prolong their days, and bless them in this life. This does not necessarily mean that He will give them wealth in this life. There are many blessings, which outrank wealth in importance. Further, the LORD “will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.” This does not mean that he will never have any troubles; for the next verse says, “The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing.” That is, when he becomes feeble, the LORD will be his strength. This may mean that the LORD will give him physical strength, or that He will give him comfort and spiritual strength; and it may mean both. When he says, “Thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness,” it surely does not mean that the LORD will do his housekeeping chores for him; but that the presence of the LORD will give him comfort , just as a freshly made bed makes one more comfortable. All these blessings will the LORD give to the righteous. Some may apply this text to the Father’s care for our Lord Jesus during His suffering; and there are several things in it that make that seem appropriate. However, verse 4 seems to identify it as being as we have applied it.

(Verse 4) I said, LORD, be merciful unto me; heal my soul; for I have sinned against Thee.

Here we find David confessing his sin and praying for mercy from the LORD, He declares that he has sinned against the LORD; and, in reality, every sin we may commit is against the LORD. Even when we trespass against a brother or sister, the sin is still against the LORD, because it is His law we have violated. When we are made aware of our sin, we must pray for mercy; for nothing else will reach our case: and we desire that the LORD will heal our soul. It is not the body that is affected, but the soul.

(Verses 5 through 8) Mine enemies speak evil of Me. When shall He die, and His name perish? And if he come to see Me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it. All that hate Me whisper together against Me: against Me do they devise hurt. An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto Him: and now that He lieth He shall rise up no more.

This appears to be a description of the conduct of the enemies of our Lord Jesus, as they plotted against Him, to put Him to death. There were many that came, pretending to want to know more about His doctrine, and even flattering Him for His faithfulness in declaring the word of God faithfully, while their real purpose was to trap Him, if they could. When they finally arrested Him, brought Him before the council of the chief priests, and had Him condemned by them; they considered their condemnation of Him to be an evil disease that would destroy Him. Oh, how deceived they were! They did not consider the power of God that was to be demonstrated in the resurrection from the dead.

(Verses 9 and 10) Yea, Mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of My bread, hath lifted up his heel against Me. But Thou, O LORD, be merciful unto Me, and raise Me up that I may requite them.

In John 13:18, Jesus tells us that verse 9 is a prophecy of the traitor, Judas Iscariot. So it seems reasonable that the complaint against His enemies in verses 5 through 8, are the prophecy of the conspiracy between Judas and the chief priests against our Lord. Now in verse 10, Jesus prays that the Father will be merciful to Him, and raise Him up that he may requite them: and this the Father surely did. He raised Him up from the grave and set Him at His own right hand: and He also requited His enemies, by shortly destroying their nation and their temple and scattering them over the world.

(Verses 11 through 13) By this I know that Thou favorest Me, because Mine enemy doth not triumph over Me. And as for Me, Thou upholdest Me in Mine integrity, and settest Me before Thy face for ever. Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.

This certainly sums up the matter fully. Jesus says that by reason of the fact that His enemies do not triumph over Him, He knows that the Father favors Him. Not only so, but the LORD upholds His integrity, and has set Him ever before His face. This is solidly borne out by gospel records; and because of it David could say, and so can we, “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting, Amen, and Amen.” His praise shall forever ring in eternity.

 

Chapter 42

 

(Verses 1 through 3) As the hart panteth for the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?

 

Here we find David much cast down, not because of his transgressions, but because, for some reason he has been made to feel that he has been cut off from the blessings of God for a time. This psalm could also well be the prayer of our Lord Jesus as He suffered on the cross. In either case, it still is fully applicable to us. As we read it, it seems clear enough that it is the prayer of one who is, and for some time has been, unable to feel the close fellowship with the LORD that he desires. As mentioned before, this can well describe either the experience of David, or the experience of our Lord on the cross. But since we also have had similar experiences, let us apply it to ourselves. Before considering the first verse, we should remember two things; that we might better understand the simile David uses. First, the hart is the male of the red deer family; and during the greater part of the year he is a solitary animal. Second, the land of Israel is a very dry and dusty land. Now, David’s simile is, “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God.” He has, evidently, been wandering, spiritually speaking, through the heat and dust of a dry and thirsty land. The deer he mentioned is so thirsty that he is panting for water. He feels that he must find the water brooks, or perish. Without question, this is the feeling of one, who loves the LORD, but has been temporarily cut off from that feeling of the close fellowship with God, which he desires. In such a condition, we feel that unless it is restored to us, we will surely perish. In verse 2, David says, “My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” Just as the body thirsts for water, when we have been denied it for a long time, so does our soul thirst for God. Just any god will not do: we need the living God. The gods of the world, or even that which some try to preach as God, will not satisfy the soul. When they try to tell us of a god, who can do nothing without the help, or, at least, the consent of man, our case is too far deteriorated for that god to do anything about it. We need the Almighty God, Who does His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and can neither be hindered nor questioned by man. Then we begin to question, “When shall I come and appear before God?” There are many different depths of meaning that this question can hold for us. If the situation is such that we are only cast down enough that we have what we sometimes call “a case of the blues,” it might only mean, “When shall I again be allowed to feel the presence and fellowship of God?” But it can become so heavy that we wonder, “When shall the LORD take me away from all of this, and set me in His eternal presence?” Have you ever been in great sorrow because of a lack of feeling the presence of the LORD? David had. He said, “My tears have been my meat (food) day and night, while they continually say unto me, ‘Where is thy God?’” And as our Lord was on the cross, they said, “He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God: let Him deliver him now, if He will have him.” Perhaps men do not come to us and taunt us, as they did to David, and to Jesus: but do not doubts, fears, temptations, and all the evils Satan can throw against us, come and taunt us when we are feeling shut out from close fellowship with God? The greater sorrow we have, the more they attack us.

 

(Verses 4 and 5) When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.

 

In such a depressed condition, as we remember these things, or think upon them, we are made to pour out our very soul within us. That is, our prayers are not superficial, nor are they pretended. They come from the soul. Then we begin to think upon former and happier times. We remember that we used to go with a multitude to the house of God; and not only so, but then our voice was a voice of joy and praise, along with a multitude, who, like us, “kept holyday,” or worshipped the LORD. When we can do this, these memories begin to lift our spirits, and cause us to question, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted (disturbed) within me?” The answer to the whole problem is just before us. That answer is: “Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.” This is in perfect accord with what we are told, in Hebrews 10:32-33, to do to strengthen our faith. “But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions, partly whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.” Our hope in God is thus revived, and we are assured that the present situation shall also pass, and we will again be able to praise the LORD for His help, and the light of His face.

(Verses 6 through 9) O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember Thee from the land of Jordan , and of the Hermonites, from the hill of Mizar. Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of Thy waterspouts: all Thy waves and Thy billows are gone over me. Yet the LORD will command His loving kindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. I will say unto God my Rock, Why hast Thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

 

Here David calls upon God to witness the fact that his soul is cast down, or very sorrowful, within him. When we have been made for some time to feel that we have been cut off, even temporarily, from fellowship with the LORD, and from His smile of approval, it does cause us much sorrow, even though we may be confident that He will again give us “the help of His countenance,” or the light of His presence. In this sorrowful condition he says, “Therefore will I remember Thee from the land of Jordan , and the Hermonites, from the hill of Mizar.” Jordan is the river, which flows all the way from the northern extremity of the land of Israel down to the Dead Sea ; and, as is usual with a river, it flows through a valley. The Hermonites are those who live in the area of Mt. Hermon , one of the mountains in the territory of Dan . So the declaration here is that David will remember the LORD wherever he may be, whether in the valley, “the land of Jordan ,” or in the mountains, the land of “the Hermonites, the hill of Mizar.” Just as “deep calleth unto deep at the noise of Thy waterspouts,” he feels that he has been overwhelmed by waves and billows of sorrow. A waterspout is a tornado at sea. So it does stir up quite a commotion of the waves. In spite of this, his confidence is still strong in the LORD, as he says, “Yet the LORD will command His loving kindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. “ The most impressive point about this is that, so far there seems to have been no let up in the sorrow of David, except by reason of his faith, as he looks to the future. He has said nothing yet, which would indicate that the LORD has brought him out of the distress described in the first three verses. Yet the LORD has so increased his faith that he can speak positively about the future, as in verse 8, “Yet the LORD will command His loving kindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.” This reminds us of what the Apostle Paul said in II Corinthians 4:8-9, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” So, even in such times as this we are made to look to the LORD, and He sustains our faith. Then with the LORD’S song of praise as the prayer of our heart, we too can say, “I will say unto God my Rock, ‘Why hast Thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?’” This is, by no means to be considered a demand to know why the LORD has suffered this to be so with us, but a supplication that He enlighten us concerning His purpose for us. We have no right to make any demand of Him; but He has graciously given us the right and privilege to humbly inquire of Him that He show us what He would have us do. There is always a lesson for us in whatever He brings us through.

 

(Verses 10 and 11) As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God? Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall  yet praise Him, Who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

 

Although verse 10 may be David’s complaint concerning his own experience, it also fits remarkably well our Lord’s experience as He was hanging on the cross. It also fits our own lives: for often we are surrounded by all the forces of Satan that are constantly trying to overthrow our faith, and trying to implant doubt in our minds, as they say, “Where is thy God?” Our best weapon in such times is to say to our soul as David did , “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” This puts the enemy to flight.

 

Chapter 43

 

(Verses 1 and 2) Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man. For Thou art the God of my strength: why dost Thou cast me off? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

 

This seems to be a continuation of Psalm 42. In addition to being depressed because of a feeling of being separated from the close fellowship with God, which he desires, David is also besieged by the ungodly, who are deceitful and unjust men. So he begs for judgment, and for the LORD to plead his cause against them. Although we may not be surrounded by evil persons, who would destroy us, we are constantly besieged by the evil forces of Satan, which are always trying to overthrow our faith, and by so doing, destroy our peace and happiness. So, like David, we beg for deliverance from them. We wonder why we are subjected to such an experience, and realize that our only strength or hope of deliverance is in God.

(Verses 3 and 4) O send out Thy light and Thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto Thy holy hill, and to Thy tabernacles. Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise Thee, O God, my God.

 

Just as David, we are sometimes brought to the point, that we seem to be in darkness as well as in sorrow of spirit. Then we desire that God will send forth (“send out”) His light and His truth to lead us, and bring us into a feeling of the joy of His presence (“unto Thy holy hill, and to Thy tabernacles”). When He does this for us, we will be able to approach His altar, and behold Him as our “exceeding joy.” Then we can rejoice in Him, and praise Him as our God. Some of our brethren tell us that, since nothing is said, in The New Testament, about the use of musical instruments for praising God in the gospel church, they should not be used. But does it not seem strange that, with so many references to their use in the praise of God during the time of The Old Testament, and the references to them in The Revelation, with no commandment of our Lord or His apostles against their use, they should be forbidden today? At any rate, David says, “Upon the harp will I praise Thee, O God, my God.”

 

(Verse 5) Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in God: for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

 

This same verse appears twice in Psalm 42: and as there, it calls our attention to the fact that we have no reason to be cast down, or disturbed in our souls; for our God is faithful, and He will still cause us to praise Him. All we have to do now is to, “Hope in God.” That is, hold fast to the faith He has given us. He has not forsaken us; but He will cause our hearts to rejoice and praise Him again.



Chapter 44


(Verses 1 through 3) We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work Thou didst in their days, in times of old. How Thou didst drive out the heathen with Thy hand, and plantedst them, how thou didst afflict the people and cast them out. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because Thou hadst a favor unto them.

 

Here David makes a brief review of Israel ’s history. Although there are those, who do not consider history of any great importance, we can readily see that a true evaluation of it is very worthwhile. As we consider this history of Israel , let us look at the parallel between the history of Israel and that of our own country. “We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us.” This tells us how David knew of those things about which he writes. He was not there to see them, but has heard of them from his forefathers. We were not present to observe the colonists when they landed on the eastern coast of North America , and began establishing their various settlements. Neither their hardships, nor the growth of their colonies, are known to us “firsthand.” We have either heard of them from our forebears, or read of them in history. Nevertheless, we recognize them as true events, just as if we had witnessed them: and they involve the work of the LORD on behalf of our forefathers, just as what David is about to say, shows the works of God for Israel as they were being settled in their land. We might even consider an earlier parallel between the two. Israel ’s request to Pharaoh was that they might go into the wilderness to worship their God: and most of the colonists came to America seeking freedom to worship the same God. Now, let us give consideration to the works of the LORD in this matter. “How Thou didst drive out the heathen with Thy hand, and plantedst them; how Thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou hadst a favor unto them.” David declares that Israel did not win the land by their own sword, or by their own power, but by the power of the LORD: not because they deserved it, but because the LORD favored them, and showed them mercy. He does not attempt to recall all the details of their battles, but only declares that the power of God alone gave them victory. The same can be truly said of our nation. In all the battles of the colonists against the Indians, the French, the English, etc., there is no power but that of God, which could have enabled them to come through victorious, and develop into a nation as great as we are today. Therein, I greatly fear, is our downfall: because we have become so enamoured with our own greatness, that, as a nation, it appears that we have decided we do not need God anymore, WHAT A PITY!

 

(Verses 4 through 8) Thou art my King, O God: command deliverance for Jacob. Through Thee will we push down our enemies: through Thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. But Thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. In God we boast all the day long, and praise Thy name forever. Selah.

 

In our present condition, we desperately need to declare God our King, not just in words, but in the sincerity of our hearts, and pray unto Him for deliverance for our nation, as did David. It is only through Him that we can push down our enemies, and only in His name that we can tread down those who rise up against us. Oh that we and our leaders might be made to realize this, and turn back to Him before we reach the precipice, and hurtle headlong over it to the total destruction of our nation and our people. However, there appears to be little evidence that we will. David declares, “For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.” Our strength is far too little to be worthy of our confidence or trust. He does not say that he will just give up the fight, and sit down: but that his confidence is not in his weapons or his own strength. “But Thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. In God we boast all the day long, and praise Thy name forever. Selah.” Surely our deliverance has been by the hand of God, and not by ours. He it is, Who has delivered us, as a nation, from our enemies: and He has delivered us, individually, from the hosts of Satan that constantly surround us. Surely our boast ought to be in God all the day long: and we ought to praise His name forever.

 

(Verses 9 through 12) But Thou hast cast us off, and put us to shame; and goeth not forth with our armies. Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil us for themselves. Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen. Thou sellest Thy people for nought, and dost not increase Thy wealth by their price.

 

Here we see a total contrast to what verses 1 through 7 have told us. This makes us think that verse 8 is meant, not to indicate that Israel really appreciated what the LORD had done for them in giving them victory over their enemies, but rather that, although they were “all day long” boasting of what He had enabled them to do, they were actually lifted up with pride to think that they had done great things. He had raised them up to triumph over their enemies; and they felt that they could never fall. This same self aggrandizement is evident in our nation today. From the beginning of our nation through World War II, this nation may have lost some battles, but by the help of God it won its wars. Since then the opposite is true. Look at Korea , Viet Nam , Bosnia , and Kosovo. We got out of Viet Nam , but won nothing. Our army may be officially out of Somalia , but with no victory. We are not yet out of  Korea , Bosnia , or Kosovo: and to make matters worse, no one has any idea when, or if, we will ever get out of them. Can none of our leaders see at all? After all Israel ’s boast of what the LORD had done for them, He turned the matter around. Instead of giving Israel the victory, He cast them off, put them to shame, and made them turn their backs to the enemy (flee from them), leaving the enemy to take spoil of them as they please. The LORD has given them to be slaughtered, as a flock of sheep that have been appointed to be butchered for meat. He scatters them among the heathen, and sells them for nothing. That is, He gives them away. He receives no gain from this transaction. Surely there is a reason for His so doing. Later the reason will be given.

 

(Verses 13 through 16) Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us. Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people. My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me. For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger.

 

The complaint continues. The same God, Who brought us from such an humble beginning to be the great nation we are today, has turned us over to the hand of our enemies, so that they have lost their respect for us, and their fear of us. All we have to do to see this is just to look around at conditions in the world today. I realize that this was written concerning Israel : but the God Who chose Israel , and brought the Israelites out of Egypt ’s bondage to settle them in the land of Canaan , is the same God we have claimed since the beginning of our nation. Does He not still work in the same manner that He did with Israel ? At the close of World War II, our nation was considered the leader among leaders. Today, as a nation, we are trying, by our own strength, to maintain that position; while with many, even of the smaller nations of the world, we have lost our credibility. We are trying to police the world, but cannot even police ourselves. We have, indeed, become “a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.” We are constantly in confusion and indecision about what course to pursue. We are constantly blaming other nations for supplying drugs to our people, apparently forgetting that, if we will only stop the demand for drugs, the supply will dry up of itself. Everyone is reproaching and blaspheming because of the enemy; and forgetting that, in reality, we are our own enemy.

 

(Verses 17 through 19) All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten Thee, neither have we dealt falsely in Thy covenant. Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from Thy way; though Thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.

 

This sounds exactly like the answer we are constantly hearing from most of the people of our nation today. At the close of the speeches of many of our politicians either the speaker himself, or someone else with access to the microphone, will loudly say, “God bless America .” However, there is no move made to return to even treating the word of God with any civil respect, to say nothing of attempting to follow its teaching. Officially, we have banned it from our schools, and from all community activities, which may, even in the least manner, be supported, sanctioned, or even approved by our government. Many other similar things could be cited. Yet when we make mention of this to those, whom we meet on the street, or those, with whom we work, we are likely to get the reply, “That’s the way it ought to be. Everyone has the right to his own way We have to show love to everyone, by not doing anything that will antagonize him, or infringe on his rights.” Even our churches will all tell us that, they are following the word of the Lord in their teaching and practice, and have never deviated from either the doctrine or the practice upon which they were founded. While there, no doubt, are many of the modern upstart “churches,” that haven’t changed from what they started with, any church fifty years old, or older, has changed. The changes may have come in so subtly that, no one has recognized them: but the changes are there. Churches, that fifty years ago would have been classified as ultra conservative, are now much more liberal: and those, that at that time leaned toward liberalism, are today so “liberal” that, they tell us the scriptures were never meant to be taken as literal truth, but are to be interpreted to fit the situation: and any part of the scriptures that we do not like can be discarded without our incurring any damage. Yet we say, “All this is come upon us; yet we have not forgotten Thee, neither have we dealt falsely with Thy covenant. Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from Thy way; though Thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.” Isn’t this the modern outlook on everything? “Nobody is responsible for anything. We haven’t done anything wrong. The Lord has just let us down.” That was Israel ’s answer; and that is ours today. But notice the true answer in verses 20 and 21.

 

(Verses 20 through 22) If  we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god; shall not God search this out? For He knoweth the secrets of the heart. Yea, for Thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

 

We claim that we have not turned away from God, that we have not dealt falsely with His covenant, and that our steps have not declined from His way. But, do we think this will fool Him? Do we think that He will not know the truth? "He knoweth the secrets of the heart.” Where, then, does this leave us? We are completely uncovered. The only defense we have ever had is the LORD. Now He, knowing our hypocrisy, sets us forth with no more defense than a flock of sheep appointed for slaughter. We are constantly open to destruction.

 

(Verses 23 through 26) Awake, why sleepest Thou, O LORD? Arise, cast us not off forever. Wherefore hidest Thou Thy face, and forgettest our affliction and oppression? For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth. Arise for our help, and redeem us for Thy mercies’ sake.

 

Here, having confessed that, in spite of our protestations of innocence, the LORD searches out the truth, finds our guilt, and sends chastisement upon us, David calls upon the LORD to awake, and arise for our help. We have been brought down to our proper place. “Our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.” After all, we are dust: and until we are brought to this realization, have our egotism stripped away from us, and have been made to know our proper position in relation to God, we cannot pray acceptably to Him. When thus brought down, we can pray, “Arise for our help, and redeem us for Thy mercies’ sake.” This prayer will surely be heard. As long as we try to falsely claim our integrity and our righteousness, thus accusing God of unjustly casting us off, and delivering us to the enemy, we will not be heard. But when we are brought down to the dust at His feet, we can pray; and He will hear us.

 


Chapter 45


(Verse 1) My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things I have made touching the King: My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

 

Just from this verse it may not be readily apparent, but study of the whole psalm will show it to be set forth as something the LORD says. And this applies to the whole psalm. He says, “My heart is inditing (composing, or setting forth) a good matter.” Those things of which He will speak are good things, and well worthy of our attention. “I speak of things which I have made touching the King.” Although David was the king God had set over Israel , and was also a man after God’s own heart, he is not the King mentioned here. Those things spoken here concern a much greater King, David’s greater Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.. “My tongue is the pen of a ready (skillful) writer.” What He is about to say will be said in the manner in which a skillful writer would word it. That is, He will use proper similes, metaphors, and other figures of speech to adequately illuminate what He says.

 

(Verses 2 through 5) Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into Thy lips: therefore God has blessed Thee forever. Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O most mighty, with Thy glory and Thy majesty. And in Thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and Thy right hand shall teach Thee terrible things. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies; whereby the people fall under Thee.

 

Verse 2 is quite a contrast to what Isaiah says in Isaiah 52:13 through 53:12. The reason for this is that the present text looks beyond those things of which Isaiah speaks. Isaiah was concerned with the “suffering Servant,” while this text sets forth “the reigning King.” Yet both apply to the same Person, Christ Jesus our Lord. “Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into Thy lips.” When Jesus was on earth as “the servant,” John testified of Him, “And the Word was made 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.” If His grace and glory shined forth so greatly while He was here in the flesh, how much more glorious shall He appear in His majesty as the King! If while here to suffer, He was full of grace and truth, how much more shall grace be “poured into His lips,” while reigning in His full majesty! “Therefore God hath blessed Thee forever.” His kingdom is not a temporary thing, but He is blessed forever, and will reign until every enemy is put under His feet: “and the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” So, until death is no more, He must reign. “Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, with Thy glory and Thy majesty. And in Thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and Thy right hand shall teach Thee terrible things.” Although the King is told to gird on His sword with His glory and majesty, the three things, which are said to be the cause of His riding prosperously in His majesty, are those, which most earthly kings seldom consider: “truth and meekness and righteousness.” They make a solid foundation for His majesty and His glory. As He thus prosperously rides in His majesty, His own right hand ( His Power) shall teach Him terrible things. That is, His power shall show forth things of which we shall indeed stand in awe; as shall also the whole world. His arrows shall pierce even to the hearts of His enemies, and the people shall bow down to Him. The LORD has declared that to Him every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Christ Jesus is Lord, to the glory of the Father.

 

(Verses 6 through 8) Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of Thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, even Thy God hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows. All Thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of ivory palaces, whereby they have made Thee glad.

 

Here we have the LORD directly addressing the King, and calling Him God, as He says, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of Thy kingdom is a right sceptre.” The scepter is, of course, the baton, or staff, denoting authority; and it was carried by the King to identify Him as the King. Since the King is addressed by the LORD, and is by Him called “God,” there can be no doubt as to His identity. He is Christ Jesus our Lord, the Son of God, and therefore God. Since His kingdom is the kingdom of righteousness, the scepter of His kingdom must be “a right scepter.” In verse 7 we find, “Thou lovest righteousness, and hateth wickedness: therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.” Although the LORD is our God, He is also the God of this great King, the Christ. This certainly reminds us of what Jesus said to Mary at the tomb: “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, ‘I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God.’” It is wonderful that He acknowledges His Father and His God to also be our Father and our God. Because of His love of righteousness, and His hatred of wickedness, His God, and ours, has anointed Him with the oil of gladness above His fellows. In common usage, the phrase, “Thy fellows,” would mean “Your equals;” but since none is equal to Him, we must understand it to mean “Your followers.” Our hearts are always filled with joy when we contemplate that great day, wherein we shall see Him as He is, and be made like Him: but His joy is even greater than ours. All Thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made Thee glad. Even His garments shall be perfumed with such wonderful fragrances that the smell thereof will be very pleasing. This may be a reference to the treatment given His body when Nicodemus and Joseph placed Him in the tomb. See John 19:38-40.

 

(Verses 9 through 11) King’s daughters were among Thy honorable women: upon Thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thy father’s house; so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty; for He is thy Lord; and worship thou Him.

 

 

Traditionally, the people, who are in attendance upon the king, and are invited to the social functions of the palace, are the elite of society. The women who are thus recognized “Thy honorable women,” are often daughters of the kings of neighboring kingdoms. They are not usually chosen from the lower ranks of the populace. The queen herself is “in gold of Ophir." In ancient times, Ophir was considered as not only the most abundant source of gold, but it was noted for the quality of its gold also. So this queen is “in gold of Ophir.” That is she is adorned with the finest of gold, and much of it. This King is so great that His female attendants are king’s daughters and His queen is arrayed in the finest gold. Since this whole psalm is prophetic of our Lord Jesus the Christ, His queen must be His bride, who is also called, “the kingdom of God,” “the church,” “the New Jerusalem,” and other names that identify her as the elect of God. So this description looks forward to the ushering in of the great glory of the kingdom of God . Then verses 10 and 11 are retrospective of that day, and instruct those who are called of God. “Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house; so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty: for He is thy Lord; and worship thou Him.” As we mentioned above, this is in retrospect to verse 9. In verse 9, the queen had already been chosen and confirmed. In these verses it seems that the search is on for her, who will be the bride of the King; that is, the queen. The proclamation is made: “Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear.” That is, those addressed are to listen to, and carefully consider, the following instructions. “Forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house.” Since the King here set forth is our Lord Jesus the Christ, and this summons is for those who will be His bride, the One making the call must be the Holy Ghost. (Although we recognize that all of our Lord’s saints were “chosen in Him before the foundation of the world,” we use the phrase, “will be His bride,” in reference to the fact that the calling forth of them from death in sin to life in Christ is an ongoing event.) As the Holy Ghost calls forth the bride of the King, He instructs each member, “forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house.” As we are called forth, we are to forget the ways of sin, and the companionship of sinners, which is “our own people,” according to the old sinful life. Also we are to forget “our father’s house.” How often it is that, according to nature, those, who have left their childhood home, their “father’s house,” and gone into a completely different environment, look back with longing to that childhood home, “their father’s house.” This we are not to do, but, on the contrary, we are to recognize that the King, Who has called us, is our Lord; and worship Him. Just as a young lady, when she marries, takes a vow to leave all others, and cleave unto her husband, so are we to do in this: for indeed we are married to the Lord. Therefore let us worship Him and Him alone. “So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty.” If we follow these instructions, we will always be pleasing to Him

 

(Verses 12 through 15) And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall entreat Thy favor. The king’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto Thee. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the King's palace.

 

It was not unusual, when seeking a bride for a king, to go to another king, and make arrangements with him to take his daughter to be that bride. Here we have just such a simile. First He says, “The daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall entreat Thy favor.” Ancient Tyre was a great city of the Gentiles. So, even the Gentiles shall bring gifts, as shall also the rich among “the people,” (the Jews,) when the “king’s daughter” shall be presented in all her glory, as the bride of the King. All her cortege, made up of beautiful virgins, will be brought into the palace of the King with gladness and rejoicing. No doubt, this part of this psalm is a description of the preparation for the great marriage of the Lamb, as announced in Revelation 19:7-9. Lest someone argue that these could not be describing the same event, because here “her clothing is wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework,” while Revelation 19:8 says, “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white,” it surely would be acknowledged that she must have been clothed in something before it was granted her to be clothed in the linen. No doubt, the clothing of wrought gold, and the raiment of needlework will be her attire at that time.

 

(Verses 10 through 17) Instead of Thy fathers shall be Thy children, whom Thou mayest make princes in all the earth. I will make Thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise Thee for ever and ever.

 

This is the Father’s promise to the Son. In His eternal kingdom, when it is manifested in its full glory, His children shall be “princes in all the earth,” or, as it is said in Revelation 5:10 , “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” Not only so, but the LORD shall make the King’s name to be remembered in all generations: and the people of this kingdom shall praise Him forever and ever. It will never end.

 


Chapter 46


(Verses 1 through3) God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.

 

We, as we studied earlier psalms, found David declaring that, the LORD is our Rock, our fortress, our shield, our strength, and our Redeemer, as well as many other valuable assets to us. Here the very simple declaration, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” indicates that, not only is this true, but that we fully realize it; and that is proven by the next two verses. Now, if we realize that He is our refuge, it is to Him we will go when we feel threatened by danger. If we know Him to be our strength, it is upon Him we will call when we feel weak, or when we think our enemies are too strong for us alone. The next statement: (He is) “a very present help in trouble,” calls for close scrutiny. “A very present help” is help that is always available. We do not have to wait for it to come to us; for it is always present. This help is always present “in trouble,” not just in the time when trouble might come. When the trouble appears, the help is already present. No delay is necessary. Since this is our situation, David says, “Therefore will not we fear.” We, who are aware of this fact, will because of it, have no fear, when all the things mentioned after this take place. Someone might say that he is only making an hypothesis, and saying, “if these things should come to pass.” However, the expressions, “though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the sea,” etc., although they might, grammatically, allow the substitution of “if” for “though,” set forth things that God has said will be done. Therefore “when” would be more acceptable than “if.” So, let us read it, “When the earth is removed, and the mountains are cast into the sea.” II Peter 3:10 declares that the earth shall be removed, even by fire. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” Revelation 16:20 says, “And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.” Although nothing is said about the mountains being carried into the sea, that seems the most logical place to hide them, since our scientists say that the depth of the oceans is greater that the height of the mountains. Since this will be the result of a great earthquake, no doubt the mountains will “shake with the swelling thereof.” As for the waters of the sea roaring, look at Luke 21:25 , where our Lord says, “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring.” So, definitely all these things shall take place. Yet, if in our hearts we know that, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” there will be no fear in our hearts and minds when these things take place. On the contrary, we will be able to do as the Apostle Paul said to the Thessalonians, (II Thessalonians 1:7-8) “And you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

(Verses 4 through 7) There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God , the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered His voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

 

Perhaps, we may have heard this text expounded as much as, if not more than, any other text from the Psalms. There seem to be many different ideas of what this river is. One will say that it is the river of life mentioned in Revelation 22, while another will say it is the gospel, etc. In some respects, all might be correct. It really seems to be that which is the foundation of, or that which supports, the gospel, and may indeed be the river of life: for it appears to be nothing less than the love of God. It was His love that caused Him to prepare and execute His plan of salvation for His elect. It was His love for us that sent Jesus to the cross, and His love for His Son that brought Him forth from the grave and set Him at His own right hand in heaven. Any work that can be named, which God has done, is doing, or will ever do for us is brought about by His love; not by something we have done, or can ever do. Most rivers, with which we are acquainted, start out as small streams, and as other streams flow into them, they become larger. This river is totally contrary to this. It starts from an eternal source great enough to give it full capacity from the beginning. Instead of being fed by tributaries that flow into it, it feeds the tributaries that flow from it, fully supplying them and whatever areas they reach. At the same time, it can never be diminished, regardless of the area watered by it and its streams. Now, the streams of this river “shall make glad the city of God , the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.” Most people seem to think that “tabernacle” means a temporary structure of some sort. And that is one of its meanings, but if we read a little further in the dictionary, we find that it can also mean “a temple, or a place of worship,” with no reference to its durability, or lack thereof. Some have tried to divide up, according to time, the kingdom of God , or the city of God , thus making its “segments” to be temporary. They speak of  “The dispensation of Conscience,” “The Law Dispensation,” “The Gospel Dispensation,” etc., as if these were all separate, and mostly, unrelated fragments, of “The Kingdom of God,” or “The City of God,” which they certainly are not. At most, they are only differences of ministration, but all are still the same Kingdom. The Kingdom of God and The City of God are one and the same; and this is an eternal kingdom. The streams from this wonderful river have from the beginning made glad the city of God , and they will continue to do so forever. In this City of God , His tabernacles (places of worship, and even the worshippers themselves) are made to rejoice. This has been from the beginning, is still going on today, and will continue, not only while the world stands, but even more so in eternity. The LORD has always been “in the midst of her.” Therefore she shall not be disturbed (“moved”). “God shall help her, and that right early.” That is, there will be no delay. His eye is always upon her, and His hand is ready to help. “The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved.” This leads us back to Psalm 2:1, “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?” Even though the heathen raged and the kingdoms were disturbed, they could do nothing to carry out their vain schemes; because the LORD “uttered His voice, the earth melted.” With His voice great enough to melt the earth, what can mortal man accomplish against Him? This same God is our refuge. He is with us. Why then should we fear?

 

(Verses 8 and 9) Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations He hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the ends of the earth; He breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; He burneth the chariot in the fire.

 

We are invited to come and behold, or consider, the works of the LORD. Most often when we consider the works of the LORD, we think of those things He has created, and of the great miracles He has wrought in the protection, deliverance, and salvation of His people. In this instance we are invited to consider “what desolations He hath made in the earth.” Those who understand the Hebrew language, in which The Old Testament was written, tell us that Genesis 1:2 was slightly mistranslated, and should read, “And the earth was voided, (emptied out,) and was without a form.” (That is, without a form of life.) If this is true, we might consider this the first desolation God made in the earth. It was so complete that whatever God may have put here prior to that time is gone, and no trace of it can be found. Genesis 7:20-23 tells us what He did to the earth by sending the flood upon it in the days of Noah. Then, Genesis 19:24-25 describes the desolation He brought upon Sodom and Gomorrah for the sins of the people. These are by no means all the desolations He has made in the earth, but they are sufficient to call our attention to what is under consideration. Verse 9 looks forward to the great battles described in Ezekiel 38 and 39, Zechariah 14, and Revelation 19 and 20. Then shall the LORD destroy all of man’s weapons of war, and make wars to cease on the earth. Until then, they will continue.

 

(Verses 10 and 11) Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

 

Having called our attention to His great power, by reminding us of the great desolations He has made in the earth, and declaring that He will bring all of man’s weapons of war to naught, and establish universal peace, the LORD speaks directly to us, saying, “Be still, and know that I am God.” This is far more serious than just a request for us to sit still for a little while. It means, “Stop all your protests, murmurings, and complaints against God and His works, and consider the fact that He is God, and we are only the work of His hands.” We cannot tell Him what to do about anything. Rather, we should be thankful for His mercy, and the fact that He has not wrought some great desolation upon us. Regardless of our thoughts, whether for, or against, what He has done, He will be exalted among the heathen, and in all the earth. How blessed we are that He, the LORD of hosts, is with us! He is also the God of Jacob: and He is our refuge.

 


Chapter 47


(Verses 1 and 2) O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the LORD most high is terrible; He is a great King over all the earth.

 

This entire psalm is a song of praise to the LORD, because of His great power and glory. Just as an audience, when pleased by the performance of one, who is before them, will clap their hands in applause of him, we are exhorted to “clap your hands, all ye people.” Everyone should applaud our God, and shout unto Him with the voice of triumph, not celebrating our triumph, but His. We have not done anything worthy of applause; but He has. “For the LORD most high is terrible; He is a great King over all the earth.” If we will but follow the instruction of Psalm 46: 8, “Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations He hath made in the earth,” nothing more will be necessary to convince us that “The LORD most high is terrible.” We certainly prefer to think of Him as the God of love, mercy, grace, long suffering, gentleness, etc., but to give us a broader perspective of Him, and make us better appreciate His power, we need to consider that He is terrible. According to the dictionary, “terrible” is defined thus: “adapted to excite fear, awe, or dread; dreadful; formidable; excessive; extreme.” It is no wonder then, that the Apostle Paul said, “Knowing the terror of God, we persuade men.” (II Corinthians 5:11) “He is a great King over all the earth.” In history we find such names as Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian monarch, Darius the Mede, Alexander the Great of Greece, etc. These men were credited with conquering and ruling “the known world” of their times: but none of them conquered, or ruled “all the earth.” In fact, there was much more of the earth about which they knew nothing at all than that over which they did rule: but this is not the case with God. He created all the earth, has ruled all of it since it was created, and will rule it until He sees fit to execute judgment upon it and destroy it. Surely He is not only a great King over all the earth, but THE Great King over it all. He is worthy of applause.

 

(Verses 3 through 5) He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom He loved. Selah. God is gone up with a shout with the sound of a trumpet.

 

Notice should here be taken that, there is no mention made of our having any part in this battle. This does not mean that there is no warfare for us. We are daily called upon to face the tempter and all the army he can bring against us; but the work of bringing the people and the nations into subjection to the LORD, subduing them under the feet of His saints, and choosing our inheritance for us, is His, and His alone. “God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.” It is preferred, in battle, to hold the high ground. That is, to take the top of the hill, fortify it, and force the attacker to come up the hill against you. Satan thought he had the high ground at Calvary : but “God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.” Not only has this battle been joined, but, although others are to come, this one is finished. The LORD God is so great that He went all the way up the hill, shouting as one in the open, and unafraid, attacking the enemy; and as He finishes that battle He sounds the trumpet of victory. After this battle, our Lord says, “I am He that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” (Revelation 1:18) What a shout of victory!

 

(Verses 6 through 9) Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding. God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of His holiness. The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God. He is greatly exalted.

 

We are thus exhorted to sing praises unto God, sing praises to our King, and sing praises because our God is our King: and He is also the King of all the earth. The next exhortation is one to which we do well to take heed. “Sing praises with understanding.” To do this, we must have understanding of His wonderful power and glory; not that we understand all about it, for none of us are that wise: but that we are familiar with the record He has given us of His wonderful works. A man, who was considered as a good singer of gospel songs once said to me, “I never pay any attention to the words of a song; I only sing for the music.” This IS NOT the way to sing praises unto God. To sing His praises we must know what it is for which we are praising Him. Otherwise we might even falsely accuse Him of something He did not do. In addition to saying that God is King over all the earth, David reinforces that with, “God reigneth over the heathen.” People seem sometimes to be afflicted with a very narrow view of God. They seem to think that He is only concerned with His people. Perhaps, most of His works are done for the sake of His elect: but if He did not reign over and control the heathen, He would not be able to protect His own from their attacks. “God sitteth upon the throne of His holiness.” His own holiness is sufficient to support Him at all times, and is thus His throne. Verse 9, whether written for that purpose, or not, shows very clearly the truth of the Apostle Paul’s argument in Romans 4:11-14. Just as Paul there points out that the promises of God were not according to fleshly lineage, but according to faith, David here says, “The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham.” Usually, in Old Testament usage, “the people” refers to national Israel : but here David gives an appositive that shows of whom he speaks, “even the people of the God of Abraham.” So there can be no misunderstanding of this. It is the princes (leaders) of God’s people, who are gathered together: and this extends throughout the earth instead of just to Israel , because the shields (ensigns) of the earth belong unto God. The armies of the world were equipped with shields, or ensigns, that identified the nation to which they belonged. Since the shields of the earth now belong to God, He is greatly exalted. This verse, of course, looks forward to the day, when, as prophesied in Psalm 46:9, “He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; He breaketh the bow; and cutteth the spear in sunder; He burneth the chariot with fire.” When He shall have done this, all the shields of the earth will be His, and He will be greatly exalted.


Chapter 48

 

(Verses 1 through 3) Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth is mount Zion , on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge.

 

As we have pointed out previously, in spite of the way people have traditionally interpreted it, I am convinced that “the city of our God,” and “mount Zion” refer neither to the earthly city, Jerusalem, nor to the gospel church, per se, but to the kingdom of God, which has been in the world since Abel’s day, and will be here until it is removed just prior to the destruction of the world. Certainly, in David’s day, and even today, to the Jew Jerusalem was, and is, the greatest place on earth, as well as the most beautiful: but I am convinced that this psalm transcends that. In this city, or kingdom, which is, and always has been, “in the mountain of His holiness,” the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised. This city is “Beautiful for situation, and is the joy, not only of Israel , but of the whole earth. This is the mount Sion (or Zion) of which the writer of the Hebrew Epistle says, “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.” (Hebrews 12:22-24) Traditionally, most people try to interpret this as the gospel church; but if we study it carefully, we find that it reaches beyond what is usually meant by “the gospel church,” and covers the whole kingdom of God, which was chosen in Christ Jesus before the world began, and will be brought to its full glory in eternity after this world is no more. While the temple was standing, Jerusalem was considered by all the Jews, as well as by many Gentiles, to be the most beautiful city on earth, and, although New Jerusalem, God’s eternal city is far more beautiful, we cannot yet see it with our eyes. So David uses Jerusalem as an illustration, as he says, “on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.” He then says, “God is known in her palaces for a refuge.” Just as in the temple at Jerusalem God was known for a refuge, so He is today in the kingdom of God , which is also the “everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,” of which the Apostle Peter speaks in II Peter 1:11. When Abel, the first man recorded as offering an acceptable offering to God, was murdered by his wicked brother, Cain, his blood cried out to the LORD from the ground, and was heard, in that God avenged it by putting a mark on Cain. He was a refuge, maybe not for Abel, but for his blood. He is still known in the palaces of the kingdom of God for a refuge. He has delivered many from death, and many by death. If we can just understand, as did the Apostle Paul that, “to live is Christ, and to die is gain,” we can always rest securely in this refuge.

 

(Verses 4 through 6) For, Lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. They saw it, and so they marveled; they were troubled, and hasted away. Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail.

 

This may refer to the same thing as Psalm 2:2, but not only to that. For the kings, or leaders of the world are still gathered together against the LORD: and although they cannot overthrow Him, they keep assembling, or joining together against Him. They soon pass by, or pass away, and He remains. To them it is a marvelous, or strange thing that, with all their efforts, they cannot prevail; and they are troubled. At His appointed time, they shall “haste away,” or be suddenly taken away. So fear takes hold on them, and pain, as of a woman in childbirth.

 

(Verses 7 and 8) Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it forever. Selah.

 

Tarshish, according to the maps of the ancient world, is the southern portion of what we now call “ Spain ,” which to men of ancient times seemed to be the western end of the world. Beyond it was the Atlantic Ocean . So by the statement, "Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind,” David might mean that these ships were blown out into the Atlantic Ocean , and lost. “As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God.” This indicates clearly that “the city of our God” refers, not to a geographic location, such as Jerusalem , but to the kingdom of God , which is made up of God and all His saints of all ages and places. We have heard of His protection of His people, as exemplified by His destruction of the ships of Tarshish; and although we may not have seen that event, we have seen other demonstrations of His power that are just as impressive. “God will establish it forever.” God’s kingdom is an eternal kingdom, and it is established forever.

 

(Verses 9 through 11) We have thought of Thy loving kindness, O God, in the midst of Thy temple. According to Thy name, O God, so is Thy praise unto the ends of the earth: Thy right hand is full of righteousness. Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of Thy judgments.

 

“We have thought of Thy loving kindness, O God, in the midst of Thy temple.” He is not speaking of just having passing thoughts concerning God’s loving kindness, but concentrating upon it, and especially so in His temple, the place set aside for, and dedicated to His worship. We should at all times think of His loving kindness; and when we assemble to worship Him, it should claim all of our attention. Verse 10 looks forward to the time when all wickedness shall be put down, and the earth shall be full of the righteousness of God. At that time, even to the ends of the earth the praise of God shall be according to His name. Whenever His name shall be mentioned, He shall be praised. There will be no wickedness in the earth to hinder His praise from being set forth as it should be. Again he refers to mount Zion , and with the same meaning as in earlier verses. And when he says, “the daughters of Judah ,” this is not restricted to the little tribe of Israel known as Judah . Instead, since our Lord Jesus is of that tribe, it can reach to Him, and thus include all those redeemed by His sacrifice, and consequently, the kingdom of God . So, let the whole kingdom of God rejoice because of the judgments of the LORD.

 

(Verses 12 through 14) Walk about Zion , and go ye round about her: tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following. For this God is our God for ever and ever: He will be our guide even unto death.

 

Towers were built in strategic places around a city, to allow the defenders thereof to climb up high enough to get a good look at the surrounding terrain, that they might see the enemy as he approached, and be better able to prepare their defenses before the battle was actually begun. They also provided better defense, by permitting the defenders to be above the attackers, which was a great advantage in the hand to hand fighting of the day. A bulwark is a rampart, or fortification to provide more protection for the city. So we are told to walk around, or survey, Zion , to number her towers, to carefully notice her bulwarks, and to take thought of her palaces. Surely this is not natural Zion . If so, our survey would be very disappointing; for today her towers, bulwarks, and palaces are mostly in ruins. The very spot upon which the temple of God stood, is the site of a Moslem mosque, which has been there for centuries. No, this Zion is the same one mentioned in verse 2, and is not a geographic location, but the kingdom of God , the eternal city. Some may, because of the erroneous teaching that this city is the gospel church, want to point to the articles of faith of their church as the towers, bulwarks, and palaces mentioned here. The true gospel church, (and this is not a reference to any “denomination,” as they are called today, but every one in the gospel age, who has been, or will be, called forth  from death in sin to life in the Christ,) is included in it, but is not all of it. This city is the kingdom of God through all generations of the world. The only One, Who has ever been able to protect it is the LORD our God. In Him are all its towers, bulwarks, and palaces. His omniscience enables Him to know exactly when, where, and with what strength the enemy will attack; while His omnipotence enables Him to resist and overcome all enemies. All His attributes, working together with these, forever secure His elect. This has been since the beginning, and will be forever. While I firmly believe that the articles of faith of our church do set forth the truth of those things which they address, they still are conclusions of the human mind concerning the word of God, and therefore are not sufficient to protect the kingdom of God . Only our God is great enough for that. Usually, the palaces of a city or a kingdom are built to show forth the glory of that city or kingdom, and its king. Consider then those things that speak to the glory of the kingdom of our God, that you may be able to teach the generation following, that they may properly praise this great and wonderful King. This King is no other than our God. Not only so, but “this God is our God forever and ever: He will be our guide even unto death." If we could always keep in mind how great our God is, and how much He loves us, would we not be happier and less afraid, as we view those things that are taking place before our very eyes in the world today?

 


Chapter 49


(Verses 1 through 4) Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world: both low and high, rich and poor, together. My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding. I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark sayings upon the harp.

 

Everyone who has been in any of our military service has heard the command, “Now hear this, now hear this.” When that prefaces an announcement, it calls our attention to the announcement as being important to those to whom it is addressed. That is exactly its purpose here. What is about to be said is of importance to all who are thus addressed. Not only the next two verses, but the whole speech is important. This is addressed to “all ye people.” And to identify just which people he means, he says, “Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world; both low and high, rich and poor, together.” This is clear enough to let us know that no living human being is left out. Then he tells what his subject matter is to be. It will be wisdom and understanding. Notice that he does not say that he will speak a parable, nor that he will speak in parables. Instead, he says that he will incline his ear, or listen, to a parable. Then he will speak (“open”) his “dark saying” upon the harp. “Dark saying” does not mean a saying of doom, nor a saying, which cannot be understood. Rather, it means that what he is about to say has been a secret, hidden in darkness, or something which may not heretofore have been understood. Since this is a psalm that was written to the chief musician, and a psalm is a song, he will sing it to the accompaniment of the harp, an instrument much used in the worship of the LORD.

 

(Verse 5) Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?

 

This, at first, seems a strange question. We might wonder, “Why should I not be afraid?” After all, this concerns the time when we are compassed, or trapped by “the iniquity of our heels.” That is, our errors have caught up with us: and indeed, we all have errors. We actually do not find the answer to this until verse 15. So, for now, let us just say that, when our iniquities compass us, that is, we are made conscious of the fact that we are sinners, this is itself the work of the LORD, and points to the answer in verse 15. Most of this psalm is concerning the man, who, with little, if any thought of God, is constantly concerned with worldly things.

 

(Verses 6 through 9) They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: (for the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth forever:) that he should still live forever, and not see corruption.

 

It is obvious that those here, are they who are not concerned about God, but trust in their worldly wealth. Yet, no matter how much of it they have, when one of their loved ones is faced by death, their wealth will do them no good. They, with all their wealth, cannot redeem their brother from death, neither is all their wealth sufficient to offer as a ransom to God that He should let that brother “live forever, and not see corruption,” or die. “For the ransom of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth forever.” That is, it is far more precious than all their wealth, and at death their efforts cease forever.

 

(Verses 10 through 13) For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others. Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue forever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. Nevertheless man being in honor abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish. This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.

 

Remember that this is a continued discussion of the man, who, with no consideration of God, trusts in his worldly wealth. Since, as he sees it, the wise man and the fool, and even the “brutish” man, (he who has no refined or gentle feelings, the violent man) all come to the same end; they die and someone else gets whatever wealth they have accumulated, one is no better than another. As such people view the situation, they think in their hearts that, they can gain immortality by their “house” (household, or family) continuing on forever, and their dwelling place being kept in remembrance. To this end, they are especially concerned about having male heirs to carry on their names. Failing this, they call their lands by their own name, so that by them they will be remembered. This proves futile because “man being in honor abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish, and leave their wealth to others.” Therefore “this their way is their folly; yet their posterity approve their sayings.” No matter how foolish this course of action is proven to be, man never learns, but continues on in the same foolish manner.

 

(Verses 14 and 15) Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling. But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave; for He shall receive me. Selah.

 

In spite of all their efforts to have what they perceive to be their glory remembered to all generations, they die, are buried like sheep, and as death feeds on them, they are forgotten. All of their beauty, and wealth will consume away in the grave; and “in the morning,” that is, in the resurrection, the upright shall have dominion over, or be raised up above, them. But the lot of those who trust in the LORD is different from theirs. “But God shall redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for He shall receive me.” This verse is usually considered as a reference to the resurrection of our Lord Jesus: and it may be, but inasmuch as all of God’s elect were represented in His resurrection, it must refer to us also; for we too shall be raised from the grave by the same power that raised Him. God shall receive us. This is the reason why we should have no fear when the LORD calls us to account for our iniquities. “But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for He shall receive me.”

 

(Verses 16 through 19) Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; for when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men shall praise thee when thou doest well to thyself. He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.

 

These are the instructions and conclusions brought on by the discussion of the natural man as he trusts in his worldly wealth, and plans to have his glory continue forever, all of which has already been proven to be folly. When you see someone accumulating great wealth, and building up such a highly honored family, do not be frightened, or alarmed. When he dies, he cannot take his wealth with him; and the memory of his glory is soon to fade. He may have praised himself greatly for the great things he had done, and he may have been having a “great time” with all his wealth; but when he dies, that is his no more. As long as you are prospering in worldly things men will praise you; but do not let that fool you. He who rejoices in his wealth “shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.” All this is concerning the natural man, who, because that is all he has, trusts in his worldly wealth and glory; and does not know the LORD. David is not denying that there is a resurrection of the dead, both of the just, and the unjust. He is only speaking of things within the realm of the man he is discussing. Since natural light is all with which that man is concerned, he will never see it again.

 

(Verse 20) Man that is in honor, and understandeth not, is like the brute beasts that perish.

 

As we have repeatedly pointed out, this discussion is of one in nature, who has no knowledge of God. As David has said in other places, “God is not in all his thoughts.” He has no understanding of the things of God. So, no matter how much wealth he may have, nor how much honor men may have placed upon him, when death comes, he is like the brute beasts that perish.


Chapter 50

 

A call has been issued. It cannot be considered   “an invitation,” as most people like to consider the Lord’s word when He calls someone. Had it been only an invitation, there would have been no need to reinforce it with, “The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken.” This can only mean that the authority of the Most High Himself is behind it, and it is a summons, not an invitation. This summons is to “the earth from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof." That is, no nation, no race, no tribe, and no kindred of the earth is exempt or omitted from this summons. All are called to meet Him. “Out of Zion , the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.” Although to the Jew, natural mount Zion was considered the most holy, most beautiful, and most nearly perfect place on earth, that is not the Zion from which God has shined forth. Since heaven is His throne, and earth is His footstool, it is only logical that heaven is the “ Zion ” from which He has shined. It certainly is the perfection of beauty. He has shone forth over all the earth. At the time of this meeting to which He has summoned all the earth, “Our God shall come, and not keep silence.” Men may have thought that, because He has kept silence, (that is, He has not brought them to judgment) and has suffered them to go on in their sins, He will never call them to account. But He shall come, and His silence shall be broken. “A fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him.” No doubt this description is in reference to God’s appearance on mount Sinai, when He gave the law to Moses. If His appearance was so terrible then, could it be expected to be any less so when He comes to call the whole world to account for its sins? We are prone to think of the presence of the LORD as being gentle and peaceful: and so it is, when He is showing His smile of approval on His children. But His presence is sometimes such as to strike terror to the bravest heart, and even to His own servants. We have scriptural testimony that Moses was faithful in all his house. Yet , in referring to the events of  Exodus 19:17-20, the Epistle to the Hebrews says, (Hebrews 12:21 ,) “And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, ‘I exceedingly fear and quake.’” Here we are told that when God shall come for this meeting, “a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him.” He is preceded by a devouring fire, and surrounded by a storm.

 

(Verses 4 through 6) He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people. Gather My saints together unto Me; those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice. And the heavens shall declare His righteousness: for God is Judge Himself. Selah

 

Notice that when God makes this call He is calling from above the heavens. From there, He calls both the heavens and the earth. When “the heavens,” the plural, is used it usually refers to the atmospheric heavens and what we call “outer space.” Since this call is made to the heavens from above, it must be made from heaven itself, the throne of God. Inasmuch as the substance of this call is, “Gather My saints together unto Me;” and the call is to the heavens and the earth: we can reasonably conclude that it includes His saints, both living on earth, and already passed on to the Lord in heaven; and thus it seems to answer to what the Apostle Paul says in I Thessalonians 4:13-16. At that time the dead saints shall be raised, and the living shall be changed. Those who are to be gathered are “those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” This seems to refer to Genesis 15:1-18. The Apostle Paul, in his Epistle to The Romans, chapter 4 proves that this covenant which God made with Abraham and “his seed” is a covenant with Christ Jesus our Lord, and includes all who believe in Him, all who are of the faith of Abraham. In Galatians 3:16 Paul again makes it clear that the “seed of Abraham,” with Whom the covenant was made is singular, not plural, and therefore is the Christ. So it embraces those of all ages, whose faith has been, and is, the same as was that of Abraham. At this great event the heavens themselves will declare the righteousness of God, for He, and He alone is Judge.

 

(Verses 7-13) Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God. I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before Me. I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is Mine, and the fullness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

 

As He speaks to Israel , there is a message, not only to the Jews themselves, who followed the commandments of God concerning sacrifices and burnt offerings, but to all of His servants, who may have begun to substitute their works for faith in the Christ. The Jews had begun to forget about the One to Whom the sacrifices and offerings pointed, and trust in the sacrifices themselves. He says, I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before Me.” There is no reproof to them for continually keeping His commandment by offering these things: for He had Himself ordered them. What then is the testimony He will testify against them? That testimony seems to be that they have begun to think that God needs the things they are offering. They think they are doing something for God. They are feeding Him with these sacrifices and offerings. Is not this the same doctrine that the so called “Christian World” is teaching today? They say, “God needs you to open the door of your heart so He can come in,” or “God needs you to go out and help Him save souls,” or “God needs your money for this, or that project,” and on and on. What does the LORD say? “I will take no bullock from thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle of a thousand hills.” To make it short, and to the point, we paraphrase, “I don’t need anything you have, for it is all Mine to begin with.” He continues on, “I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the fields are Mine.” He is not limited to the bullocks and he goats they sacrifice. Should He choose, He has available far more variety. He knows all the fowls of the mountains, as well as all the beasts of the fields. There is no limit to His supplies. “If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is Mine, and the fullness thereof.” If you could imagine such a thing as God being hungry, or in need of anything, what could you do about it? The whole world and everything in it is His. What can you give Him? Then comes that final question: “Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?” In the first place, the flesh of their sacrifices was burned to ashes. Surely, they would not eat it themselves; so why should they think that the LORD would? Then, the blood of these sacrifices was poured out on, or around the altar. Thus it became defiled by the dirt, which would further disincline anyone from drinking it. Even with the flesh and the blood handled in the most sanitary manner, and prepared for bodily consumption, why should anyone think that the LORD God, Who is Spirit, should need natural food on which to survive? So the whole concept of helping God, or feeding God, as with the sacrifices, is worthless. What, then, is the answer to this problem?

 

(Verses 14 and 15) Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: and call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.

 

How simple the answer is! We are first of all to offer thanksgiving to God for every blessing with which He blesses us, thus honoring Him as the Giver of all good things. Next we are to pay our vows to Him. Some people seem to think that, they can make deals, of one sort, or another, with God. We, of course, are not worthy to try such, because we have nothing to offer, or with which to bargain. Even our life and our service belong to Him already. Yet, if you do try to make such a deal by saying, Lord. If you will do this for me, I will do this, or that, for you;” do not forget to pay that vow. We may even be so overcome with joy for something He has done for us, that we will promise to do something, not to repay Him, but to show our thankfulness. This too is a vow we had better remember to pay. It is far better to make no vows at all, than to make them and forget to pay. In addition to offering thanksgiving and paying our vows to Him, there is something else that is pleasing to God. “And call upon Me in the day of trouble.” Should anyone wonder why this should be particularly pleasing to Him, it is acknowledging Him as the One, Who can help us in times of need, thus honoring Him as God, the One, upon Whom we can depend, instead of considering Him in any way dependent upon us, or upon our sacrifices. If we do these things, He declares that He will deliver us, and we will glorify Him. This is in perfect harmony with Ecclesiastes 12:13. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

 

(Verses 16 through 22) But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare My statutes, or that thou shouldest take My covenant in thy mouth? Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest My words behind thee. When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partakers with adulterers. Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue framest deceit. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.

 

There is quite a contrast between what He said to His people in verses 7 through 15, and what He says here to the wicked. There He said He would not reprove them, although He did point out some things in which they were in error, and tell them the remedy for their situation. Here, as He turns to the wicked, His question to them declares that they have no right to declare His statutes, or even speak of His covenant; because they have hated instruction, and have thrown away His words, or teachings. Not only have they done this, but they have also joined themselves to thieves and adulterers. They have turned to evil speaking, and making lies, even that they might slander their own brother. We sometimes hear the phrase, “honor among thieves,” but it is certain that there is none among these. Since the LORD has not yet brought them to judgment, they think Him to be like themselves, and therefore either pleased with their work, or afraid to try to do anything about it. He corrects that idea for them, as He says, “But I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.” He will not only reprove them with words, but will show His judgments before their eyes. They will learn “first hand” what He thinks of them and their evil ways. He calls them that forget God to consider this; and if they do not consider this, and repent, He will “tear them in pieces,” and there will be no one to help them.

 

(Verse 23) Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.

 

Whoever offers praise to God glorifies Him, because he tells of His wonderful power, love, wisdom, and righteousness, as well as His wonderful works of creation, and of the salvation He has wrought for His elect. Therefore Praise of God is more acceptable to Him than all the burnt offerings that could be offered. In scriptural usage, “conversation” means not only what is spoken, but the whole conduct of the person. Therefore to those whose lives are ordered according to the principles of righteousness, God will show His salvation.


 


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