The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 2 — Section 88

~trife of particB within the city, making Hczekiah's position an extremely difficult one. Some pleaded hard for human alliances as defence againRt the Assyrians • Hezekiah held fast bis dependence on God, the God of his fathers, the God of the natio~. Disorgnniza- tion within paralyzed his pious attempts; and the party of Shebna was plotting to secure a.n alliance with Egypt. The psalm is the expression of steadfast purpose and pious hope in a. ~ime o~ inward trouble. It~ ref~ain is,~• God reigneth, God is Judge, God 1s near. All thmgs will be well, for God 1s with us. See what such a cherished con-· Yiction can do for a man. I. IT GIVES Rm A QUrET OONFIDENCE. He can even give thanks, be0&11Se his trust makes biru feel so restful and happy (see Hab. iii. 17, 18). II. IT nELPS HrM To STAND FAST TO THE RIGHT, uninfluenced by the mere pe.rty contentions of the time. Man's right is va1iable in each generation; God's riabt is the ~ame throughout all generations. 'l'he man whose strength and hope are jJ; God can "jndae uprio-htly " II f IT KiEPS ~n.i: STEADFAST IN EVIL TIMES. "I bear up the pillars." Hezekiah guided the state wisely through that time of commotion and peril. When everything seemed shifting and uncertain, ho stood firm to first principles, primary truths and God. Time always comes round to those who are strong, and stand firm to truth and righteousness. IV. IT FREES nm FROM ALL FEAR OF THE WILFUL. He knows that "God is Promoter." The evil man may push and strive: "God putteth down one, and setteth up another." V. IT ASSURES HIH OF FINAL AND IRll.EVERSraLE JUDGMENT. God must be against thtJ wicked. God must be/or the righteous. And it will be seen at last that he iB. ·-R. T. • 'fer. 1.-The Divine Name and Names. "For that thy Name is near, thy wondrous works declare." Every god worshipped by a people bas his own distinctive name among the people. But this is peculiarly true of the nation of Israel. The Divine Name, Jehovah, was given as the seal of the special covenant made with the nation. So the name Jehovah stands ever for God, God's presence, God's relations. Ilut we can never be wholly satisfied with any one name for God. Brsides it, we must have names of our own for him, which find expression for our sense of his gracious dealings with us, 11nd relations to us. Two points are suggested: 1. God has a Na.me. 2. God has many Names. I. GoD HAB A NAME. This helps us to realize that be is a Person, not a mere force or influence. The general name for God is El. The specific name for God, as God of Israel, is Jehovah (~ee occasion of definitely fixing the name, Exod. iii. 14). Note that it is the assertion of absolute and independent existence. It works out sugges- tively in three directions. It asserts (1) God's unity; (2) God's spirituality; (3) God's holiness. This threefold conception of God lies at the basis of the Mosaic system, and is, therefore, properly gathered up into his Name. But it is striking and impressive to note, that God was not satisfied with giving his people a name which only dealt with his abstract nature. He added a name which would gather up his Telationa with his people, and called himself, "The God of Abraham and Isaac and Ja.cob." God's Name is ,aid to be "near," when men are specially impressed with hie wonderful workings. Past dealings and present dealings bring home to men's hearts the power and justice and grace which are summed up and expressed in hie Name (Deut. iv. 7; lea. xxx. 27). A remarkable delioerance, such as that from Sennacherib, was poetically spoken of as a "coming near of the Divine Name.n II. GoD HAB MANY NAMES. In families there are often pet names as well as the fixed names. Those pet nam<>.s express individual feeling. Bo each person who gains an individual apprehension of 3-od wants to put hie special apprehension into a name, Indicate the variety of names : "God of heaven," "King,'' " Father,'' etc.; and pootio figures like "my Rock," •• Refuge," "Horn," etc. Impress the point that no man really knows God until he finds he can put bis own special meaning into the term he uses for him. Each one of us, re11ding the story of God's wondrous works for us and gracious dealings with us, ought to be able to put our impressioiis iuto a name o/ our own, -R.T. PB, LXXV, 1-10.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS, 97