The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 2 — Section 112

Wo may to.ke euggesUons of a division from the passage in Exodus which presents three points in which Jehovah is unapproachable-holiness, awefulness, and miraculous power. I. GoD IB "OLomoue IN llOLINEBS;" that is, in character. We may read the story of God's dealings in either of lwo ways. 1. We ma.y study it in order to find out what Goel is in himself. 2. We may bring our knowledge of what God is in himself to help us in explaining the meaning and mystery of his dealings. This latter is the higher work. When we are fully satisfied with the character of God, we begin to trace purposes of holiness and love in all his doings. We see that God's way is right, because lie is right. If he is holy, we can trust him, if we cannot trace his way. II. GoD Is "FEARFUL IN PRAISES." The proper object of I.he profoundest awe, even to those who approach him with praise and thanksgiving. They wl,o are duly impresse,l with the Divine holiness never permit any growth of knowledge, any acquaintance wilh God's ways, to nourish undue familiarities with his sacred Name. Think what we may of God's dealings, we must keep in our souls due reverence for God himself. No awe can attach to the gods of man's creation. It is the unique response of man to adequate impressions of the Divine holines3. III. GoD "DOETH WONDERS." "Both through nature, and on occasions overruling nature, accomplishing the most astonishing results," which are seen to be most astonishing when viewed in the moral issues which they accomplish.-R. T. Ver. 19.-God's unknown ways. 11 Thy footsteps were not known; " that is, they were not known or understood beforehand. They were not, they could not have bee □, anticipated. It is said that II the unexpected is the thing that happens." And so it is in connection with the ways of God. Man can but seldom find out the .Almighty intent. God's "ways are higher than our ways, and his thoughts than our thoughts." The life of a godly man is full of the "surprises of grace;" and so he is taught lessons of trust. Recall the scene on the Egyptian side of the Red Sea. Observe that such were the hopeless features of the situation, that a way of rescue never came to the minds of any of the leaders. They must "stand still, and see the salvation of God;" and to the surprise of every one, his way proved to be II in the sea, and his path in the great waters." Of God's ways with his people, three things may be said. I. ExPEnIENCE CANNOT SUGGEST THEM. We fall back on our experience to guide our conduct under new circumstances. What happened before will explain what is happening now, But the sphere of human experiences is strictly limited. Men never do things that somebody has not done before them. 11 There has no temptation taken us but such as is common to man." But God is under no limitation to the circle of hnman experiences. He does, he is constantly doing, new things. Life for every one of us is like the story of the children of Israel, full of Divine surprises, and we are never "straitened in Goel." Illustrations may be taken from Old Testament history, in which God delivered his people in ways which experience could not have suggested. II. '1.'110UGBT CANNOT ANTICIPATE TIIEM, 11 It is not in man that walketh to direct hie steps." In a similar way, show how man's thought is limited by man's limited knowledge. No man has compassed the entire circle of Divine possibilities. 'l'he man who knows most must say, "These are parts of his ways." So man bas not the material for decirling what God will be sure to do in any given case. III. TRUST CAN ALWAYS WAIT FOR TIIEM, sure that God will unfold them in the best times and in the best ways. God's people Bre as safe as Israel at the Red Sea. God's unknown way for them will be revealed to them in good time.-R. 'l'. Ver. 20.-God the Shepherd of his people. "Thou leddest thy people like a flock." Vaihinger gives a key-note in his sentence, "The minstrel lets his harp drop, and reclines in fulness of faith on God's love." In the psalm depressing circumstances awaken depressing thoughts; they even make the psalmist think hard tl!ings about God. lie fouod relief in turning his thoughts away from himself and his own con- dition, and dwelling on the larger theme of God's ways of deRling with hi~ people through all the gcnerRtions. After going over them awhile, he lightens upon a new and satisfying idea of God with which he may close his meditations. God is really the Shepherd of his people. Read his work aright, nnd you cannot fail to rec0g11ize 122 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PS. LXXVll, 1-20.