The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 2 — Section 224

to hinder this purpose. 3. How God exalts-by choosing those whom he exalts not by, but out of, tho people. The peoplo can rarely be trusted. Go over the list of mankinn's greatest helpers and saviours, right up to our Saviour himself. Would the people have chosen them? They woulcl far more likely have crucified them, as they did the greatest of them all. The voo:: populi is the voz Dei only when it endorses the previous choice of God. For men have seen that God has chosen for them, and they willingly accept his choice. Ilut the main theme of our text concerns: 4. Whom God chooses-from "out of the people." Now, consider in this statement-- I. ITs TRUTH. See this: 1. In tl,e histr,ry of Da~ul. (Ps. lxxviii. 70, 71.) 2. In well-nigh all deliverers of the people, from Moses downwards, from Gideon to Garibaldi -they have been ever" chosen out of the people." 3. In Christ our Lord. He was indeed thus chosen. His royal descent from David availed him not, for the glory of that race had utterly disappeared. Hence he was altogether of the people-by birth; associates; social rank; habits; education; by his teaching, which was not at all "as the scribes," but understood and welcomed by "the common people;" by his life nf poverty ; by his death ; all the way along, from "the bare manger to the bitter cross," he was one of the people. It was a slave's death that he died. "He was rich, yet for our sakes," etc. II. THE REASONS OF THIS CHOICE. 1. '' The people" were the mass of mankind, who needed to be saved. 2. One from themselves would better understand them. 3. More readily sympathize. 4. God is wont to choose the foolish things of this world (1 Cor. i. 27). 5. Christ's sharing the people's lot assured them of the love of God, and so led them to turn to him, which is salvation. They learned so that " God is love." III. lTs LESSONS. They are such as these: 1. The approachableness of God. Christ has shown us that he keeps no state to frighten us from his presence. Every- body came to him, and may come to God. 2. The indispensable condition of rendering i·eal help. (See Mark x. 43-45.) We must go down among those whom we would bless. 3. How little worth are the great things of the world! Power, wealth, rank- God chose none of them. 4. Christ knows all about me; for he, too, was one of the people. I need not keep away. 5. .Adore him. Does he not deserve it? 0 thou ever-blessed Lord I 6. Help in the exaltation. For his throne, the throne of bis exalta- tion and which be delights in, is made of hnman hearts. Enthrone him, then, in your heart. "Take my heart, it is thine own; It shall be thy royal throne." s.c. Ver. 20.-" David my servant." The text reads on," With my holy oil have I anointed him," and right down to ver. 37 we have the repeated declarations of G0d'~ favour towards him. Now, this has seemed to many a choice most strange, and sorely needing vindication. '£he statement concerning David-that he was "a man after God's own heart" (1 Sam. xiii. 14; Acts xiii. 22}---has perplexed not a few. And we unreservedly admit that-- I. Goo's CHOICE OF' DAVID DOES APPEAR STRANGE. For what a category of crimes his career as recorded in the Scriptures declares I In cold blood be slays two hundred Philistines (1 Sam. xviii. 20-27), He leaves his wife Michal to face her father's rage, when she had risked her own life to save his (1 Sam. xix.11-17). Be bids Jonathan lie to his father (1 Sam. xx. 5, 6). He lies cruelly to Abimclech and the priests at Nob, 11nd then left them to S:i.ul's vengeance (1 Sam. xxi. 1, 2; xxii. 9-19). He deceives Achisb (1 Sam. xxi. 10-15). He would, in revenge, have slain Nabal and all his house (1 Sam. xx:v. 2-38). He lies to King Achish, who had given him Ziklag, by pretending that be bad fou~ht against Judah; and, to conceal his lie, he cruelly slaugb ters the Geshurites an,l others (1 Sam. xxvii.). He takes terrible revenge on Amalek (1 Sam. xxx. 1-17). Instead of punishing Joab, as he ought to have done, he utters terrible imprecations against him (2 Sam. iii. 28, 29). He tortures the Ammonites (2 Sam. :xii. 27-31). He deals cruelly with MepbiLosheth, stripping him of all his pro- perty, and giving it to Ziba (2 Sam. xvi. 1-4; xix. 24-30). He violates his oath to Saul, that he would not sla.y bis children; nevertheless, he afterwards gi1ve them up to  248 THE BOOK. OF PSALMS. [PB. LX:tXlL 1-52.