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.
(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.”
(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.”
(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.”
(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.
(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.
(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!
(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.”
(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.”
(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.
(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.
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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