The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 44

"nor chasten me in thine hot displeasure.") Here is 0110 of the traces of the Old Testament saints' thinking about God: they regarded their afflictions as indications of God's anger, '\Ve are now taught rather to regard them as a patt of the uracious training which our Father sees that wo need, The sharpest trials often forctout the most fervid prayers; yet,, at the same time, we are permitted to cry to our Father to ask him to deal gently with us, and to "throw away his rod,'' since "love will do the work." 2. Supplicatory. "Mercy," "healing,'' "deliverauce,'' "salvation,"-for these be pleads. Probably his yearning is mainly for temporal reliefl and deliverance from his foes. Bu~ we,_ uuder similar circumstances, as wo know more than the psalmist d,d, should nse higher than he could. We should regard temporal deliverances as entirely subordinate to the higher spiritual improvement, which ought to be earnestly prayed for as the result of every trial. We should always be more anxious to have our trials sanctified than to have them removed. Ilf. TrrE PLEA. This also is twofold. 1. The psalmist feels that his burden is so great, it will soon bring him to the grave, if not removed. Hence he says, "In death there is no remembrance of thee; and in Sheol who shall give thee thanks?" Here is another proof that, in <lea.ling with this specimen of the devotion of an Old Testament i;aint, we have to do with one to whom, as yet, life and immortality had not been brought to light; to whom death was but the passage to a. dim and gloomy state of being; although, as we shall see in dealing with Pss. :xvi., :xvii., there was the hope of an awakening. Still, "Sheol," the all-demanding realm, was not as yet lit up with gospel light. The Greek word "Hades" and the Hebrew word "Sheol" both refer to the state after death, though under different symbolic e:xprcssions. 2 Ilistorically, there arc three conceptions of Hades, or Sheol. (1) The pagan: all gloom ancl no hope. (2) The Hebrew : gloom, with hope of a blest awaking in the morning. (3) The Christian: no gloom at e.11, so far as the godly are concerned. "Absent from the body; at home with the Lord." Hence we cannot now adopt ver. 5 of this prayer, knowing that our Lord Jesus Christ died for us, that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him; that hence our death is the gateway to rest, and. that the time of our departure may be peacefully left in wiser hands than ours. 2. The psalmist grounds a second plea on the loving-ki11dness of God. This is better, surer ground (ver. 4). Very often is this plea used. It cannot bo used too often. It takes hold of God's strength. IV. THE ISSUE. 1. The psalmist receives an answer to his praytr. (See Ps. xx:xiv. 6.) Thousands can say the same. "The Lord bath heard the voice of my weeping." 2. Consequently, there is: (1) New confidence God ward (ver. 9). "'l'he Lord will receive my prayer." As he has done in the past, so he will continue to do,3 New courage manward (ver. 10, Revised Version). Yea, by prayer the spirit is calmed. Trouble is turned to rest, fear to bravery, and despair to hope. Note: How much care and worry good people would save themselves if they did but take all their troubles to God at once, without waiting till they obtained such hold upon them I (2) It is infinitely better to tell God everything, than to go about moaning and groaning to our fellows I God knows all. He n~ver misunders~ands us. He knows exactly how to help us. He will help us, at the right moment, m the best wa.y, and to the full extent of our need; yea, he will do "exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or tbink."-C. Vers. 1-10.-.A cry to God, and its response. I. T1rn CRY OF THE FAINTING SOUL. Circumstances are arlverse. 'fhore is gloom without and within. Conscience accuses. God seems full of wrath. Death is regarded, not as a release, but as the minister of judgment; and the grave, not as a quiet reRting-place, but as a" pit," loathsome and 1 Though Rabiger goes too far when he says that the supplication of the pso.lmist ho.a not in view deli veranco from sin : many petitionR in the l'fulms disprove such o. stroug statement. See • Theologicu.l Encyclopmdio.,' vol. ii. p. 142 (Clo.rk). ' See tl.ie writer's exposition of Rev. i. 18 (' Pulpit Commento.ry '). To the Hebrew the u,o.in thought of the alfor-world was that of" the all-demanding reo.lm;" hence the worJ "Bheol." To the Greek, it woe" tlie unseen worl<l;" hence the word" Ho.des." ' See a study on prayer, entitled, "Liberty ancl Prevalence in Prayer," in our homily 011 I John v. 14, 15 (' Pulpit Curutneula1·y '). l'il. VJ, 1-10.] TBE BOOK OF PSALMS.