The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 137

Law. Now the psalmist passes on to consider his own relation to the Divine Law; what light it throws upon his character and circumstances, e.nd what rewards it bestows upon those who abide in the steadfast observance of it. I. WHAT TIIE DIVINE LAW TAUGHT THE PSALMIST. (Vers. 12, 13.) 1. His manifold sins and er1'0rs. "Who can understand his errors?" Who can tell how often he offendeth? Our sins and mistakes are greater in number than we can under- stand or reckon. Our moral infirmity is greater than we can estimate. 2. That he was l,argely an ignorant transgressor. "Cleanse thou me from the sins that I know not of." Ari~ing from self-deception and self-i~uorance. Others see in us what we cannot see in ourselves. 'l'he proud and covetous and unjust do not think themselves so. Cleanse us from the pretence to virtues which we have not. 3. To pray for deliverance from the temptation to deliberate sins. That he might not commit pre- sumptuous, wilfol sin. He does not ask for the pardon of such sin~, but to be restrained from them. "If we sin wilfully after that we have come to the knowledge of the truth," etc. No sacrifice in the Jewish Law for such sins. II. THE LAW GREATLY REWARDS THE STEADFASTLY OBEDIENT. (Vers. 11, 14, 15.) 1. By giving them an increasing spirit of consecration, "Let my words and medita- tions and actions be more and more acceptable in thy sight." Obedience leads to further obedience, and longs for nothing short of being perfectly acceptable to God. 2. By giving a more perfect consciousness of God's acquaintance with our thoughts and ways. The whole passage shows that, as well as the fourteenth verse. The disobedient think they cau hide their ways from God. "How doth God know?" The obedient know that all things are naked and open before him; and rejoice in the thought, because they are aiming at what is acceptable to him. 3. By revealing God as a sure, faithful Redeemer from all evil. A rock is the image of faithrul stability, and means that God will not swerve from his promise of redemption. The disobedient are the unbelievers; they attribute their own mind to God, and so cannot trust hirn.-S. Ver. 14--.A sacrifice and a prayer. "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, 0 Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer." Let us look at this language- ! . .As OFFERING A SACRIFICE. The thoughts and feelings of the sonl uttered and unuttered. 1. The sacrifice is spiritU,a,l. Words and meditations. Man's heart is the most precious thing God has created-the jewel of the universe. The thoughts that come out of the heart and the words that utter them-the~e are the precious treasures the psalmist offers before God. 2. The sacrifice is complete. The words of the mouth and the meditation of the heart indicate the whole man. This is the Christian view of man's priestly work-the presenting of body and soul as living sacrifices. Not e. partial offering of one part of our lives, nor of the outward apart from the inward life, but the total consecration of our whole being. 3. This offering is not acceptable to God on its own account. It is acceptable to God on account of the great expiatory sacrifice, and because that has brought us into a new and peculiar relation with God. Intrinsi- cally, the offerirJg is not acceptable. For all man's words taken together, what are they? Our words when they utter our most religious thoughts, our truest deepest faith, our most rapturous love, our triumphant hope and praise, are unworthy of being thus offered. But when you add the words of every day and every employment, these are vair,, proud, ineligious, sometimes blasphemous. An,l then our thoughts I But God in Christ is pleased with our offering. A child's lettt•r is pleasing to its father because it is bis child's. II. As CONTAINING A rnA YER. Then what do they imply? 1. That God alone can deli uer him from the sins he prays against. From secret and presumptuous sin. A faith is implied that God would so deliver him. They may have a wider meaning. 2. That God is the Inspirer of right words and ri,qht thoughts. "Make my words and thoughts such as sha[ be acceptable in thy sight." III. 'I'm~ WARRANT FOR OFFERmG DOTH SAClllFICE AND PRAYF:R. The psalmist felt thai God was Lis Rock and his Salvation. Stability and deliverance are the principal thoughts here.-S, PB,:n.1-9.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 139