PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 2
George Rawlinson [1812-1902] · 374,103 words · 397 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 2 — Section 241
II. THAT MAN'B WORK SHOULD BF, ESTATILTRIIED. This is the prayer of those who feel the uncertainty of life, and fear that they will ho unable to complete what they have begun. The pmyer may take two forms. 1. Permit me to finish the work I have started. 2. Let my children carry on to completion my work. Do not let it b…
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and is "the most vivid of the liturgi011l through the land in the hours of darkness. psalms" (Cheyne). It has a certain resem- Parll.llele have been found in the literature ble.noe to the speech of Eliphaz the Teme.nite of the Babylonians (see • DILbylonian and Orient&! Record,' vol. i. p. 12) 1Lnd else- in Job v. …
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atone (oomp. Prov. iii. 23, 24). More.I "exalt him above his fellows "-" bring impediments Rre, no doubt, chiefly meant. him to honour." Be~e.111e he hath known Ver. 13.-Thou she.It tread upon the lion my Name. "Knowing God's Name" is and adder. Conquered enemies prostre.ted nearly equivalent to knowing him. It im- th…
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, er. 15.-Trnc prayer. "He shnll call," etc. This is the simplest view of prayer. Au,l in our present wcakness, sin, need, that which comes most home, suits us most. Prayer may extend far beyonu the range of our own need, as in the first three prtitions of the Lord's Prayer. Jt may rise above petition into converse …
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Vers. 1-3.-Abiding under God's shadow. In order to understand this most precious promise, inquire- !. WHAT 1s THE SIWRET PLACE OF THE MosT HIGH? The idea of this "secret place" is frequently met with. 1. Sometimes it tells of some secret hiding-place, such as David often resorted to when a fugitive; and the sure prote…
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Ver. 2.-" My God." These words come as a climax to all that profession of faith which the former part of the verse contains. It is good to say of the Lord, "He is my Refuge "-to have gone to him, and found in him deliverance from all the guilt and condemnation due to our sin, which otherwise would have overwhelmed u…
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of the Spirit to the fact that God is his God. 2. He asserts ie-openly confesses and profosses Lhis truth. 3. lle delights in it. H is no mere abstract proposition, but a perennial spring to him of peace, purity, and power. 4. And others recognize it. When no one but ourselves believes that that which we call ours i…
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Snnres in thy quiet; snRreB in thy commotion; Snares in thy diet; snares in thy devotion; SnRres lurk in thy resolves, snares in thy doubts; Suares lie within thy heart, aud Silltl'8S without; Snares are above thy head, and snares beneath; Snares in thy sickness; sna.res a.re in thy death." There is not a place in…
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Vera, 11-13.-" His angels." The mention of them is introduced here in order to show how the blessed promise of ver. 10 is fulfilled. The angels are continually spoken of in Scripture, First of all, we read of them in connection with the story of Hagar, and from thence onward the pages of Holy Scripture make perpetual r…
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Ver. 12.-The angel,s' charge of little things. To whom is this promise addressed? Not to any and everybody indiscriminately, but only to those who dwell "in the secret place of," etc. (ver. 1). Therefore it was e3pecially applicable to our Lord. Some have concluded, that, as this verse was made use of by Satan when …
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Ver. 1.-0ur place of safety. The construction of this psalm is peculiar (see exegetical notes). Ewald gives the best suggestion concerniug its structure. Partly the poet expresses his own feelings as from himself, and partly as if they were uttered by another. He seems to listen to the thoughts of his own spirit till t…
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providence is mine inherite.nce." But the man who lived there was not the only good man in Choster at tho time. Other good men were not thus protected. Evidently the psalmist "accepts in nil simplicity the belief in that which, but for sin and its consequences, would bo the law of human life-that visible blessing, and …
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to any snch belief. We should obtain & worthier idea of the Bible representations of angels, if we regarded their sensible appearances as designed to illustrate God's abiding, unseen spiritual agenci<'s in the blessing of men. The term "angel" is properly applied to any _end every agency God uses to do his work of k…
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the testimony of hie servant. 'He bath set his love upon me; he knoweth my name; he calleth upon me.' These are the marks of a true servant of God.'' It has been noticed that the words, "I will," are repeated six times in the last three verses of this psalm: "I will deliver;" "I will set him on high;" "I will answer;…
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EXPOSI'l'ION. night. The suitableness of worship every PSALM xcn morning 11.nd evening has been almost Ta:s p,o.lm is entitled, "e. Psalm or Song univerae.lly felt. The Mosaic Lo.w pro- vided for it by the establishment of the for the sabbo.th do.y," o.nd was therefore, morning 11.ud evening sacrifice (Exod. xxix. …
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tho m1uvellousneee of those 0011n9eJs which the palm tree. To 11n Oriental the palm is the umlerlie tho general achemo of things, queen of trees. "Of all vegetable form5." and make it what it is (comp. Rom. xi. says Humboldt," the palm is that to whieh 33, 34). the prize of beauty has been aeaigne,J by Ver. 7.-When th…
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a mighty eong of praise went up on the Red Soo shore; in remembrance of which, in St. John's visions of the heavenly glory, he beard the ransomed in the be1wenly temple sing" the song of Moses the servant of God" as well as" the sona of the Lo.rob' (Rev. xv. 3). There have been times in which the voice of holy sona~…
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wickedness-" H ie t.hat they shall be destroyed for ever," "perish," and be "scattered." '!'he very climax of their exaltation had ushered in the moment of their fall. lt is so that God forces ungodly men to consider their ways; less terrible appeals too often stand no chance of any heed being given to them. 2. But /01…
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It. bas been noticed by all devout readers of these psalms. One says1 "It is a ?uplicat€ deliciousne8'.'; ther~ are within it linke~ swootnesses long draw n out. It 1, a kmd 0f word with which to cast spells which should charm away all fears." Some h_ave derived the word "kindness" from "kinnedness," the feeling whi…
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shall be light to-morrow. (2) The fear of temptation, We pray," Lead us not into temptation; " but in spite of that, we may be so led; but we need not fear-we 8hall bo anointed with fresh oil. (3) Of backsliuing-that we shall fall away. (4) Of great trials; if they come, it will bo well with us. (5) Of bereavements. We…
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'l"ery p11inful; tbe roots of our life seemed so to cling to our old st11te. But by one means and another we (iavc been ,~ransplanted. ''. If any man be in Obrist Jesus, he is a new crCllturc; old th1m:s havP, etc. 3. And it was done for us, not by ourselves. \Ve ~ere "born, not of the will of man, nor of the will o…
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III. SOME TROUBLE THEMSELVES ABOUT IT WHO SHOULD NOT, Many aged people of God are distressed because they cannot-so they think-see any of this blessed fruit. But this may be owing: I. To mistaking feeling for fruil. They cann,,t summon up those strong rapturous feelings in worship and prayer, and hence they fear lest t…
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Ver. 3.-The .<anctffying ministry ef music. "Upon the harp with a solemn sound." 'l'her~ seem _to have been trumpet-blasts connected with the worship of J chovah from the ~1me of its orderly _arrangem~nt br Moses. But what may be called distinguishing music, the accompamment of mtelhgent sonii;, seems to have been int…
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Yer. 7.-The instability of the success of the ungodly. "Spring as the grass." In Eastern countries, after a time of drought, the grass responds with marvellous sudden- ness to the refreshing rains. But the grass which grows so swiftly is as swiftly cut down by the blazing sunshine or the scorching wind. The sudden succ…
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le the strongest of all the trees. Not only is there the gre:~t grip of the mountain, but the wood is firm and lasting. So we need to have the texture of our souls firm and strong-the strength of our grip of God ever behind and supporting all our beauty of form and grace of relation.-R. T. Ver. 13.-The testimony of ol…
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EXPOSITION. Though God from time to time comes for- PSALM xcm w1i.rd, as it were, and asserts his sovereignty, yet it is no new rule that he sets up. He has LIKE the preceding, a psalm of pmise. always been the King both of heaven ond ,Jehovah Ill set forth 1\8 manifesting him- earth. Thou art from everle.sting. Not…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-5.-" The Lord reigneth." Note- I. THE PROPOSITION To BE PROVED-that " the Lord. reigneth." The psalmis\ describes: 1. Thei·oyal robes. "He hath clothed himself with majesty." The sacred writers seem to have drawn their ideas of the regal splendour of God, not so much from the magn…
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the peculiarity of the Jew, that he had no earthly, visible king. Jehovah unseen yet ever present, w_as to the nation of Israel, all, and more tha•1 all, that human kings were to the nations around them. But this high view of thu Divine Kincrship0 Israel proved unable to maintain. It is that spiritual theocracy which …
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Ver. 3.-The irresistible power of floods. Though we have experience of disastrous floods, the full force of the figure can only be fdt in Eastern and in mountainous lands. The ''spate" in Scotland, the wady-floods of Palestine, and the gigantic overflow of such ri'l'ers as the Tigris and the Euphrates, or the awful …
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Vers. 1-5.-The psalm celebrates the majesty of Jehovah as Creator and Ruler of the universe. 'l'hree principal thoughts- !. GOD IS ABLE TO OVERCOME THE FIERCEST OPPOSITION OF HIS FOES. The "floods" and" rna.ny waters" and" mighty waves" are figures denoting the angry and turbulent opposition of his foes. But he is …
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hC'nr those cries, nnd see those outrages, God" (Ucb. iv. 9). Until the pit bo diggsd which men, who are his creo.tnree, see o.nd for the wicked (comp. P,s. ix. 1; xxxv. 7, 8). hear? le it oonceivo.ble tbnt be can be o.n Ver. 14.-For the Lord will not cast off unobservant o.nd o.po.thetic God?" (Cheyne). his people, ne…
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HOMILETICS. Ver. 3.-.The sainfs pei·ple:J:ity at the triumph of Bin. "Lord, how long?" etc. This question, which the inspired psalmist, in the anguish of his spirit, could not help putting, is not one of those which are solved by the lapse of time. Rather it grows more urgent. Thousa.nds of years have rolled by sinc…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Ver. 3.-" How long shall the wicked triumph 1" I. SurPOBE TREY NEVER DID. 1. Then the devil would be right when he asked, "Doth Job serve God for nought?" He meant to say that men serve God only from selfish, interested motives. 2. Men would want eu sin, though from fear they held back, Th…
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you," etc. (Mo.tt. v,), 'I'he endure.nee, o.nd yet more the meek acquiescence in it, are e. rcnl revel11tion from God, that such a man is one of the Lord's very own. To know that is blessedness indeed. 2. Because of what it is followed "by. The Lord teaches him out of hie Lo.w. We are all of WI laggard scholars; some o…
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Ver. 1.-.A God of venge,ances. Aglen, in Ellicott's 'Commentary,' proposes to render, "God of retributions, Jehovah, God of retributions, shine forth." The idea in the term "vengeances" would be better expressed by the term "avengements." God is thought of as the great Goel-Avenger of bis oppressed and afflicted peo…
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Ver. 3.-The tether of the ungodly. "How long shall the wicked triumph?" Men ask this question only when they cannot see the rope, or the chain, which keeps the movements of the ungodly within strict limitations. In Jersey and Guernsey the cattle are not left free in the fields, but are tethered so that they can only fe…
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the feelings of the hour; they are based on no careful considerations. Men take them up when they are vexed at not getting what they wish, or not having things accord- ing to their minds. The moods of the hour may well be called" vanity."-R. T. Ver. 12.-The triumph of the wiclced may be the chastening of the righteous…
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Vere. 1-23.-Divine retribution certain. The psalm may be distributed under the following heads. I. A PB.AYER FOB THE Pm.'ISRMKNT OF WICKED OPPRESSORS. (Vere. 1, 2.) Probably in anticipation of the Assyrian invasion. lL Tm: GROUND OF THE PBAYER-THE INSOLENT AND •ATHEISTIC SPIBIT OF THEIB CRUEL WORK. (Vers. 3-7.) They …
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are thue; i.e. "not only &re they I\ people originally intended wo.s tbo.t of Co.no.an, whose feet wander (Ps. cvii. 4), but their when "the Lord gave reet unto Israel from he1uts also have wandered and gone asLray all their enemies round about" (Josh. xxiii. from my paths." And they have not known 1). Dut Cano.an wa…
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HOMILIES BY V .ARIOUS .AUTHORS. Vera. 1-11.-The invitatory psalm. It has been thus called in Christian Liturgies throughout Christendom, and chiefly because of its fervent invitation to praise. But it is also an equally earnest invitation to hearken and to believe. Let us take that which stands at the beginning, and c…
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Vers. 4, 5.-The beautiful and sublime calling to devotion. There is a remarkable diversity in the psalms. Some express the struggling of earnest souls with the moral difficulties and mysteries of life (see Asaph's psalms). Some express the varieties of experience characterizing individual religious experience (see P…
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Ver. 6.-..11ssociated and public prayer. 1. In meeting together for public prayer, we follow the impulses of our own hearts, as well as obey the commands of our God. Prayer and worship a.re connected with our whole relation to God. God is in direct relation to the spirits that we are. We feel this, and therefore we mus…
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Ver. 7.-0ur moraZ relations with God. "People of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand." Some writers try to amend this sentence, because the poetical figure seems complicated. It is much better to leave it in its poetical suggestiveness. It indicates familiarity with Eastern shepherding. The shepherd ,lives with h…
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Ver. 11.-Divine judgments on the unbelieving. "They should not enter into my rest." As the reference is clearly to the murmurings of the Israelites at Meri bah, the " rest" referred to can only be the anticipated rest of settlement in the promised land of Canaan. The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews finds a further…
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EXPOSI'l'ION. PSALM XCVI. Ver. 5.-l!'or all the god1 of the nations a.re idols; rather, 'l!anities, or nothings. In TIIIB pea.Im occure, with very little change, the original there is a. play upon the words in 1 Chron. xvi. 23-33, o.nd ie there (ver. -the e/ohim of the nations a.re mere elilim. 7) ascribed to David. …
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the Lord reigneth ( comp. Pen. xciii, 1 ; Yer. 12.-Let the tleld be joyful; ,.e." lha xc,·ii. I; xoix. 1). The world also shall be oullive.ted ground." And all that is there- established that it shall not be moved. in. Its vines, its olives, its other fruits, and When God takes his throne, and manifestly its harvest…
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worebipe "the God or heaven," and where worship of ancestors is the etrongest form of religion, Buddhism, dating only some five centuries B.c.-at first a system of atheistic morality-has been transformed into idolatry. The two most amazing proofs of Lhe all-but irresistible tendency of human nature are found in the his…
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best to unitr "all the earth" in this song. 6. It is to be g1·ateful, "Bless his Name." ,~'hRt ithundant reason there is for such gratitude I Happy they who thus sing unto the Lord! II._ :--rn:r,roNs. These also are called for-fervent, holy speech for God. Not necessarily set d1~~0ur,:es such as we understand by serm…
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more ready to believe, Do we let men see this? And: 2. It alone is strong enough for tlie worlc. Let me tell you e. pare.hie. 'l'here was a tyrant who sought to oppress the inhabitants of e. certain land. The better to do this he built a strong castle, built it deep and high, and placed it at the entrance of a valley …
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Ver. 8.-" Bring an offering, and come into his cou.rts." This psalm is one continuous appeal for all to render praise unto the Lord. Not men alone, though they, of course chief of all, are to join in the song unto the Lord; but the heavens, the ea.rtb, the sea: the fields, the trees,-all are to testify to their Crea…
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Ver. 3.-The law of Christian missions. The "heathen" of the Old Testament match the" Gentiles" of the New Testament. "Gentiles," as onr Lord used the term, means "those who do not know of God as the Father in heaven." And "heathen" means" those who do not know God as the One, the Spiritual, and the Holy." Bt1t in refer…
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needing offerings; the psalmist thinks only of what is fitting on the part of the people. Distinguish between ta.king a.n honourable share in the support of ChriRtian worship, and ma.king offerings as a sign of loyalty. See under what conditio11s offerings are still acceptable, showing first how far the King-figure for…
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Ver. 13.-The coming Judge. Compare the idea of God's coming to judge with the basis-idea. of all this series of psalms, that God was beginning to reign, setting up again his kingdom among his restored people. Here the Judge is put poetically for the King, because deciding cases, magistracy, is the main feature of Ea.st…
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EXPOSITION. the fo11ndation of his throne-the firm basis PSALM XCVII. on which it is immovably fixed. ANOTHER liturgical psalm on the advent or Ver. 3.-A lire goeth before him So long as there ia e·,il in the worlrl, the "fire" Ohrist. The psalmist eees him take posses- of God's wrath must necessarily "go before sio…
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HOMILETICS. Ver. 1.-God's sovereignty. "The Lord reigneth." To a thoughtful, loving, earnest Christian heart, the spectacle of prevailing disorder, wrong, misery, in this wt,rld (to-day as in past ages) is a source of sometimes almost unbt,arable wonder and grief. Then it is unspeakable consolation to remember " the L…
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profession with a sinful life: "I never knew you; depa.rt from me,, ye tha.t work miquity." II. Therefore THIS oo:r,n,lAND 0OMES TO us, WE MAY BAY, WITH THE WHOLE BIBL■ AT ITS BACK-all the motives of the gospel added to all the motives of the Law, The words of the old Hebrew psalmist should have tenfold force in th…
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el1at the Lord is King, is reigning now. BecaUBe ~uch Is the just conclusion from its constant statements that the coming of Christ was "at hand;" that creneration in whic~ our Lord li~ed was not to pass away until the coming of his kingdom. Some standrng around him-so he declared-should not taste of death till they ha…
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Ver. 10.-Good haters. These are sadly wanted. Evil is not hated as it ought to be, I\S in this verse it is commanded to be. The world and the Church alike aro suffering from need of those who bate well. The world is left without guidance, and the Church without strength, or honour, or joy. I. THERE ARE MANY WHO HATE N…
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word. H Leo.ches tho.t the seed of joy is: (1) Scattered abroad. And BO it is for G,,d's people; they find it everywhere, and often in mo8t unlikely places. As Paul and Sila1 in their dungeon at Philippi. (2) For a time out of sight. 'fhe seed, when sowo, is Bo. See this in our coal-beds. Light is sown there, Let there…
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II. IT IS ASSUMED THAT WE ARE RIGHTEOUS, Such, in the first part of tho veree, are distinctly appealed to. For only such can obey this command. To the ungodly the holiness of God is hateful; it is to him a constant and awful threatenina a dark cloud lowering over his life; he shrinks from corning into contact with i…
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.