The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 199

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-16.~ehovah's self-revelation, andfaith's response thereto. There is no known character and career in Scripture that would correspond to this psalm as well as those of David. And it seems difficult to resist the conclusion that the words in ver. 10 were written about the same time that those in 1 Sam. xxii. 3 were spoken. Tho objection of Delitzsch, that David left his father and mother, not they him, is of no weight; for either way his peril and exposure were such that he was lert without them; a.n<l we a.re left to wonder why they consented to be sundered from him. But these chequered experiences in life serve to bring out to him more and more fully the wealth of ea.re aud love that bis God makes over to him. If we were a.ske<l whether this psalm is one of those which come directly from God, and .so contain a revelation from him, we should reply, "It is one of those records of the experience of an Old Testament saint who could triumph in God as the revealed God of his salvation." What God was to the saints of old, he is to bis people still. Therefore the psalm discloses God's revelation of himself to his people of the olden time, a.n<l it is one in which believers now may rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. And the expositor will ba.ve here a rich mine for exploration, as in the light of this psalm he studies God's self-revelation to his saints, anrl faith's response thereto. Let us study these in or<ler. l. WE HA VE IIERE INDICATED THE FULNP:88 OF Gon's SELF-REVELATION TO BIB SAINTS. The revelation of God which is implied in this psalm is one of exceeding tenderness, richness, and glory. 1. God himsdf ha,1, led the W'1,y in inviting souls to Rcelc him. (Ver. 8, "When thou ea.id et, Seek y-d my face." 1) The heart of God deeirrs the friendship and fellowship of man. Our hearts a.re so ma.de they can rest only in God; God's heart is such that he seeks a reMt in us. The fact of hie giving an invitation to us to seek him is proof of this (cf. Isa. xiv. 19; lv. 6; liv. G). So also is the 1 Bo Gen. xxii. 14 may be rendered; at all events, this is the meaning of the proverb: When faith is ~trained almost to breaking point, Goel speaks, and all is plain: lsa1LO is eparP,d; the sacrifice provided; Abraham blessed. • Of. 2 Sam. xxi. I (Hebrew). See Fausset on this expression, in hie • Horm Pealmicro,' p. 47. Pe. xxvn. 1-14.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 203