righteousness from the God of his salvation." So that the saints need
salvation; they receive righteousness, and "the blessing" is a boon from
God their Saviour. They do not ascend the hill of the Lord as givers but as
receivers, and they do not wear their own merits, but a righteousness which
they have received. Holy living ensures a blessing as its reward from the
thrice Holy God, but it is itself a blessing of the New Covenant and a
delightful fruit of the Spirit. God first gives us good works, and then
rewards us for them. Grace is not obscured by God's demand for holiness,
but is highly exalted as we see it decking the saint with jewels, and
clothing him in fair white linen; all this sumptuous array being a free gift
of mercy.
Verse 6. "This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy
face, O Jacob." These are the regeneration, these are in the line of
grace; these are the legitimate seed. Yet they are only seekers; hence
learn that true seekers are very dear in God's esteem, and are entered upon
his register. Even seeking has a sanctifying influence; what a
consecrating power must lie in finding and enjoying the Lord's face and
favour! To desire communion with God is a purifying thing. Oh to hunger
and thirst more and more after a clear vision of the face of God; this will
lead us to purge ourselves from all filthiness, and to walk with heavenly
circumspection. He who longs to see his friend when he passes takes care to
clear the mist from the window, lest by any means his friend should go by
unobserved. Really awakened souls seek the Lord above everything, and as
this is not the usual desire of mankind, they constitute a generation by
themselves; a people despised of men but beloved of God. The expression "O
Jacob" is a very difficult one, unless it be indeed true that the God of
Jacob here condescendeth to be called Jacob, and takes upon himself the name
of his chosen people.
The preceding verses correct the inordinate boastings of those Jews who
vaunted themselves as the favourites of heaven; they are told that their God
is the God of all the earth, and that he is holy, and will admit none but
holy ones into his presence. Let the mere professor as he reads these
verses listen to the voice which saith, "without holiness no man shall see
the Lord."
"Selah." Lift up the harp and voice, for a nobler song is coming; a
song of our Well-beloved.
Verse 7. These last verses reveal to us the great representative man, who
answered to the full character laid down, and therefore by his own right
ascended the holy hill of Zion. Our Lord Jesus Christ could ascend into the
hill of the Lord because his hands were clean and his heart was pure, and if
we by faith in him are conformed to his image we shall enter too. We have
here a picture of our Lord's glorious ascent. We see him rising from amidst
the little group upon Olivet, and as the cloud receives him, angels
reverently escort him to the gates of heaven.
The ancient gates of the eternal temple are personified and addressed
in song by the attending cohorts of rejoicing spirits.
"Lo his triumphal chariot waits,
And angels chant the solemn lay.
'Lift up your heads, ye heavenly gates;
Ye everlasting doors, give way."
They are called upon "to lift up their heads," as though with all
their glory they were not great enough for the Allglorious King. Let all
things do their utmost to honour so great a Prince; let the highest heaven
put on unusual loftiness in honour of "the King of Glory." He who, fresh
from the cross and the tomb, now rides through the gates of the New
Jerusalem is higher than the heavens; great and everlasting as they are,
those gates of pearl are all unworthy of him before whom the heavens are not
pure, and who chargeth his angels with folly. "Lift up your heads, O ye
gates."
Verse 8. The watchers at the gate hearing the song look over the
battlements and ask, "Who is this King of glory?" A question full of
meaning and worthy of the meditations of eternity. Who is he in person,
nature, character, office and work? What is his pedigree? What his rank
and what his race? The answer given in a mighty wave of music is, "The
Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle." We know the might of
Jesus by the battles which he has fought, the victories which he has won
over sin, and death, and hell, and we clap our hands as we see him leading
captivity captive in the majesty of his strength. Oh for a heart to sing
his praises! Mighty hero, be thou crowned for ever King of kings and Lord
of lords.
Verse 9. "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye
everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in." The words are
repeated with a pleasing variation. There are times of deep earnest feeling
when repetitions are not vain but full of force. Doors were often taken
from their hinges when Easterns would show welcome to a guest, and some
doors were drawn up and down like a portcullis, and may possibly have
protruded from the top; thus literally lifting up their heads. The picture
is highly poetical, and shows how wide heaven's gate is set by the ascension
of our Lord. Blessed be God, the gates have never been shut since. The
opened gates of heaven invite the weakest believer to enter.
Dear reader, it is possible that you are saying, "I shall never enter
into the heaven of God, for I have neither clean hands nor a pure heart."
Look then to Christ, who has already climbed the holy hill. He has entered
as the forerunner of those who trust him. Follow in his footsteps, and
repose upon his merit. He rides triumphantly into heaven, and you shall
ride there too if you trust him. "But how can I get the character
described?" say you. The Spirit of God will give you that. He will create
in you a new heart and a right spirit. Faith in Jesus is the work of the
Holy Spirit, and has all virtues wrapped up in it. Faith stands by the
fountain filled with blood, and as she washes therein, clean hands and a
pure heart, a holy soul and a truthful tongue are given to her.
Verse 10. The closing note is inexpressibly grand. Jehovah of hosts, Lord
of men and angels, Lord of the universe, Lord of the worlds, is the King of
glory. All true glory is concentrated upon the true God, for all other
glory is but a passing pageant, the painted pomp of an hour. The ascended
Saviour is here declared to be the Head and Crown of the universe, the King
of Glory. Our Immanuel is hymned in sublimest strains. Jesus of Nazareth
is Jehovah Sabaoth.
EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS
Whole Psalm. It will be seen that this Psalm was written to be chanted in
responsive parts, with two choruses. To comprehend it fully, it should be
understood that Jerusalem, as the city of God, was by the Jews regarded as a
type of heaven. It so occurs in the Apocalypse, whence we have adopted it
in our poetical and devotional aspirations. The court of the tabernacle was
the scene of the Lord's more immediate residence—the tabernacle his
palace, and the ark his throne. With this leading idea in his mind, the
most cursory reader—if there be cursory readers of the Bible—cannot
fail to be struck with the beauty and sublimity of this composition, and its
exquisite suitableness to the occasion. The chief musician, who was
probably in this case the king himself, appears to have begun the sacred lay
with a solemn and sonorous recital of these sentences:—
"The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof;
The world, and they that dwell therein.
For he hath founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the floods."
The chorus of vocal music appears to have then taken up the song, and
sung the same words in a more tuneful and elaborate harmony; and the
instruments and the whole chorus of the people fell in with them, raising
the mighty declaration to heaven. There is much reason to think that the
people, or a large body of them, were qualified or instructed to take their
part in this great ceremonial. The historical text says, "David, and all
the house of Israel played before the Lord, upon all manner of
instruments," etc. We may presume that the chorus then divided, each
singing in their turns, and both joining at the close—
"For he hath founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the floods."
This part of the music may be supposed to have lasted until the procession
reached the foot of Zion, or came in view of it, which from the nature of
the enclosed site, cannot be till one comes quite near to it. Then the king
must be supposed to have stepped forth, and begun again, in a solemn and
earnest tone—
"Who shall ascend into the holy hill of the Lord?
Or who shall stand in his holy place?"
To which the first chorus responds—
"He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart;
Who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully."
And then the second chorus—
"He shall receive the blessing from the Lord,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation."
This part of the sacred song may, in like manner, be supposed to have lasted till they reached the gate of the city, when the king began again in this grand and exalted strain:—
"Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
And be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors,
And the King of glory shall come in."
repeated then, in the same way as before, by the general chorus.
The persons having charge of the gates on this high occasion ask—
"Who is the King of glory?"
To which the first chorus answers—
"It is Jehovah, strong and mighty—
Jehovah mighty in battle."
which the second chorus then repeats in like manner as before, closing it
with the grand universal chorus,
"He is the King of glory! He is the King of glory!"
We must now suppose the instruments to take up the same notes, and continue them to the entrance to the court of the tabernacle. There the
king again begins—
"Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
And be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors;
And the King of glory shall come in."
This is followed and answered as before—all closing, the instruments
sounding, the chorus singing, the people shouting—
"He is the King of glory."
John Kitto's "Daily Bible Illustrations."
Whole Psalm. The coming of the Lord of glory, the high demands upon his
people proceeding from this, the absolute necessity to prepare worthily for
his arrival, form the subject-matter of this Psalm.
E. W. Hengstenberg.
Whole Psalm. We learn from the rabbins, that this was one of certain
Psalms which were sung in the performance of Jewish worship on each day in
the week:—
The 24th Psalm on the 1st, the Lord's-day, our Sunday.
48th " 2nd "
82nd " 3rd "
94th " 4th "
81st " 5th "
93rd " 6th "
92nd " 7th, the Jewish Sabbath.
This Psalm, then, appropriated to the Lord's-day, our Sunday, was
intended to celebrate the resurrection of Messiah, and his ascension into
heaven, there to sit as priest upon God's throne, and from thence to come
down bringing blessings and mercies to his people.
R. H. Ryland.