The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 184

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1--22.-Prayer: its warrant, petitions, and arguments. It is thought by some that this prayer belongs to the Exile period; but by whomsoever it may have been penned, or at whatsoever age, matters little. 'l'here is nothing in it which depends 011 known historic incidrnt 1 for its elucidation. And whoever desires to dive into the depths of its meaning will find the habit of waiting on God tho brat key to its words and phrases. No merely natural man can possibly unravel spiritual things, an<l he who is a stranger to prayer will get no help whatever in the understanding of this psalm from all the schoL,stic critics in the world. There are o. few doubtful phrases, on which Perowne's notes will throw some light; but, speaking generally, this is one of the psalms on \\'hich Calvin and Matthew Henry will furnish adequately suggestive remarks. Rescning all dealing with specific texts in it for other writers in this Commentary, we propose to survey the psalm as a whole, though it may be that c~ch heading thereon might fnrnish a theme for separate discourse. This prayer of an Old Testament sai11t sugs:;ests- I. 'l'HAT WE KNOW ENOUGH OF Goo TO FURNISH us WITH A SOUND BASIS FOR PRAYER, Interspersed among the several pet.itio11s there are here several stateme11ts of exquisite beauty ( d. vers. 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 3, 13). These may be thus set forth: 1. God is good and upright; therefore will he teach and guide those who seek hirn. Good, so that he delights to do it; upright, so that he will be true to his promise. 2. This guidance be vouchsafes to the meek (ver. 9). Taken in a. physical se11se, the word tra11slated "meek" is equivalent to "afflicted;" in a moral sense its meaning is as given here (cf. Jas. i 21; iv. 6; Matt. xi. 25). 3. To loyal souls all his ways are mercy and truth (ver. 10); hence be cannot shut bis ear to their prayer (see also ver. 12). "Him shall he tea.eh in the way that he shall choose;" Luther, "Er wird ihn u11terweisen den besten Weg." 4. He will give such souls a rest and refuge in himself (ver. 13). "His soul shall lodge i11 goodness" (Hebrew; cf. Ps. xci. 1, Hebrew). 5. 'l'o such God will open up the heavenly secrets of his covenant love. A gloriouP 1mticipatio11, by spiritual i11tuition, in Old Testament times, of Joh11 xv. 15. 6. He will never put to shame those that wait on him (ver. 3, Revised Versio11; see Perowne's note thereon). As followers of our Lord Jesus, we may add to all this the amazing stateme11t, "'fhe Father seeketh such to worship him.'' God is not only willing to receive their worship, but he eagerly desires it (John iv. 23). II. 'fHAT PRAYER IS THE HIGHEST EFFORT OF MAN. It is described in the first verse as" lifting up the sonl to God" (cf. Pss. cxxi. 1; cxliii. 8). 'l'his the psalmist did (1) in the morning (Ps. v. 3); (2) at noon a11d at evening (Ps. Iv. 17); (3) seven times a day (P,;. ex.ix. 164); (4) all the day (Ps. xxv. 5); (5) perpetually (Ps. xxv. 15). 'l'he psalmist prayed not only when trouble came, but always. His heart sponta- neously went up ever to God, as to the Friend wit.bout whose smile he could not live, and without whose protection be dared not move. Note: For elevation of life our spirits must be ever looking above and beyond themselves. An upward look will uplift character; the downward look will degrade. JI!. THAT INWARD CONFLICTS AND OUTWARD CIRCUMSTANCES OFTEN GIVE SPECIAL INTENSITY TO PRAYER. Glanci11g over the varied forms of expression which indicate the psalmist's me11tal state and his surrou11dings, we shall see this: 1. The remem- brance of past sins troubles him. Oh that the young would beware of sin! Lo11ir, lo11g after it is forgivc11 by God, it will poison 11nd worry the memo1·y (ver. 7). So much so, that only as the sinnin~ one flings himself on mercy, can he have o.ny rest at all. 2. The psalmist is desolate, affiicted (ver. 16), troubled in heart (ver. 17), in a net (ver. 15), surrounded with bitter enemies (ver. 19). What a burden of care o.nd grief he has to roll over upon God I Note: It is an infinite mercy to be permitted to tell God exactly what we feel, and all that we feel, knowing that we shall never be 1 The carefully prepared work of the Rev. A. Il. Fausset, M.A., e11title,l, 'liorie Psalmicm,' is worthy of n cnreful study. Ho rcg,mb this psalm as "David's prayer for ddirnrauce from cncmi,:e like Ahsalom nnd Sl,in,r:i, on the ground of God's covcmmt of graee to tile meek pcnit..!nt" (sec remarks of great interest on this psnlm i11 lectures ii., iv., ,i., 1111d xiv.). l"B, XXV, 1-22,] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 187