they who began by deceiving others shall end with being deceived
themselves. Our old proverb saith, "Bloody and deceitful men dig
their own graves." The voice of the people is in this instance the
voice of God. How forcible is the word abhor! Does it not show
us how powerful and deep-seated is the hatred of the Lord against the
workers of iniquity?
Verse 7. With this verse the first part of the Psalm ends. The
Psalmist has bent his knee in prayer; he has described before God, as
an argument for his deliverance, the character and the fate of the
wicked; and now he contrasts this with the condition of the
righteous. "But as for me, I will come into thy house." I will
not stand at a distance, I will come into thy sanctuary, just as a
child comes into his father's house. But I will not come there by my
own merits; no, I have a multitude of sins, and therefore I will come
in the multitude of thy mercy. I will approach thee with
confidence because of thy immeasurable grace. God's judgments are all
numbered, but his mercies are innumerable; he gives his wrath by
weight, but without weight his mercy. "And in thy fear will I
worship toward thy holy temple," —towards the temple of thy
holiness. The temple was not built on earth at that time; it was but
a tabernacle; but David was wont to turn his eyes spiritually to that
temple of God's holiness where between the wings of the Cherubim
Jehovah dwells in light ineffable. Daniel opened his window toward
Jerusalem, but we open our hearts toward heaven.
Verse 8. Now we come to the second part, in which the Psalmist
repeats his arguments, and goes over the same ground again.
"Lead
me, O Lord," as a little child is led by its father, as a blind
man is guided by his friend. It is safe and pleasant walking when God
leads the way. "In thy righteousness," not in my
righteousness, for that is imperfect, but in thine , for thou
art righteousness itself. "Make thy way," not my way,
"straight before my face." Brethren, when we have learned to
give up our own way, and long to walk in God's way, it is a happy
sign of grace; and it is no small mercy to see the way of God with
clear vision straight before our face. Errors about duty may lead us
into a sea of sins, before we know where we are.
Verse 9. This description of depraved man has been copied by the
Apostle Paul, and, together with some other quotations, he has placed
it in the second chapter of Romans, as being an accurate description
of the whole human race, not of David's enemies only, but of all men
by nature. Note that remarkable figure, "Their throat is an open
sepulchre," a sepulchre full of loathsomeness, of miasma,
of pestilence and death. But, worse than that, it is an open
sepulchre, with all its evil gases issuing forth, to spread death and
destruction all around. So, with the throat of the wicked, it would
be a great mercy if it could always be closed. If we could seal in
continual silence the mouth of the wicked it would be like a
sepulchre shut up, and would not produce much mischief. But, "their
throat is an open sepulchre," consequently all the wickedness
of their heart exhales, and comes forth. How dangerous is an open
sepulchre; men in their journeys might easily stumble therein, and
find themselves among the dead. Ah! take heed of the wicked man, for
there is nothing that he will not say to ruin you; he will long to
destroy your character, and bury you in the hideous sepulchre of his
own wicked throat. One sweet thought here, however. At the
resurrection there will be a resurrection not only of bodies, but
characters. This should be a great comfort to a man who has been
abused and slandered. "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the
sun." The world may think you vile, and bury your character; but if
you have been upright, in the day when the graves shall give up their
dead, this open sepulchre of the sinner's throat shall be compelled
to give up your heavenly character, and you shall come forth and be
honoured in the sight of men. "They flatter with their
tongue." Or, as we might read it, "They have an oily tongue, a
smooth tongue." A smooth tongue is a great evil; many have been
bewitched by it. There be many human ant-eaters that with their long
tongues covered with oily words entice and entrap the unwary and make
their gain thereby. When the wolf licks the lamb, he is preparing to
wet his teeth in its blood.
Verse 10. "Against thee:" not against me. If they were
my enemies I would forgive them, but I cannot forgive
thine. We are to forgive our enemies, but God's enemies
it is not in our power to forgive. These expressions have often been
noticed by men of over refinement as being harsh, and grating on the
ear. "Oh!" say they, "they are vindictive and revengeful." Let us
remember that they might be translated as prophecies, not as wishes;
but we do not care to avail ourselves of this method of escape. We
have never heard of a reader of the Bible who, after perusing these
passages, was made revengeful by reading them, and it is but fair to
test the nature of a writing by its effects. When we hear a judge
condemning a murderer, however severe his sentence, we do not feel
that we should be justified in condemning others for any private
injury done to us. The Psalmist here speaks as a judge, ex
officio; he speaks as God's mouth, and in condemning the wicked
he gives us no excuse whatever for uttering anything in the way of
malediction upon those who have caused us personal offence. The most
shameful way of cursing another is by pretending to bless him. We
were all somewhat amused by noticing the toothless malice of that
wretched old priest of Rome, when he foolishly cursed the Emperor of
France with his blessing. He was blessing him in form and cursing him
in reality. Now, in direct contrast we put this healthy commination
of David, which is intended to be a blessing by warning the sinner of
the impending curse. O impenitent man, be it known unto thee that all
thy godly friends will give their solemn assent to the awful sentence
of the Lord, which he shall pronounce upon thee in the day of doom!
Our verdict shall applaud the condemning curse which the Judge of all
the earth shall thunder against the godless.
In the following verse
we once more find the contrast which has marked the preceeding
Psalms.
Verse 11. Joy is the privilege of the believer. When sinners are
destroyed our rejoicing shall be full. They laugh first and weep ever
after; we weep now, but shall rejoice eternally. When they howl we
shall shout , and as they must groan for ever, so shall we
ever shout for joy. This holy bliss of ours has a firm
foundation, for, O Lord, we are joyful in thee. The eternal
God is the well-spring of our bliss. We love God, and therefore we
delight in him. Our heart is at ease in our God. We fare sumptuously
every day because we feed on him. We have music in the house, music
in the heart, and music in heaven, for the Lord Jehovah is our
strength and our song; he also is become our salvation.
Verse 12. Jehovah has ordained his people the heirs of blessedness,
and nothing shall rob them of their inheritance. With all the fulness
of his power he will bless them, and all his attributes shall unite
to satiate them with divine contentment. Nor is this merely for the
present, but the blessing reaches into the long and unknown future.
"Thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous." This is a promise of
infinite length, of unbounded breadth, and of unutterable
preciousness. As for the defence which the believer needs in this
land of battles, it is here promised to him in the fullest measure.
There were vast shields used by the ancients as extensive as a man's
whole person, which would surround him entirely. So says David,
"With favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield."
According to Ainsworth there is here also the idea of being crowned,
so that we wear a royal helmet, which is at once our glory and
defence. O Lord, ever give to us this gracious coronation!
EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS
Verse 1. "Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my
meditation." It is certain that the greater part of men, as they
babble out vain, languid, and inefficacious prayers, most unworthy
the ear of the blessed God, so they seem in some degree to set a just
estimate upon them, neither hoping for any success from them, nor
indeed seeming to be at all solicitous about it, but committing them
to the wind as vain words, which in truth they are. But far be it
from a wise and pious man, that he should so foolishly and coldly
trifle in so serious an affair; his prayer has a certain tendency and
scope, at which he aims with assiduous and repeated desires, and doth
not only pray that he may pray, but that he may obtain an answer; and
as he firmly believes that it may be obtained, so he firmly, and
constantly, and eagerly urges his petitions, that he may not flatter
himself with an empty hope. Robert Leighton, D.D.
Verses 1, 2. Observe the order and force of the words, "my
cry," "the voice of my prayer;" and also, "give ear,"
"consider," "hearken." These expressions all evince the urgency
and energy of David's feelings and petitions. First we have, "give
ear;" that is, hear me. But it is of little service for the words
to be heard, unless the "cry," or the roaring, or the
meditation, be considered. As if he had said, in a common way
of expression, I speak with deep anxiety and concern, but with a
failing utterance; and I cannot express myself, nor make myself
understood as I wish. Do thou, therefore, understand from my feelings
more than I am able to express in words. And, therefore, I add my
"cry;" that what I cannot express in words for thee to hear, I
may by my "cry" signify to thine understanding. And when thou
hast understood me, then, O Lord, "Hearken unto the voice of my
prayer," and despise not what thou hast thus heard and
understood. We are not, however, to understand that hearing,
understanding, and hearkening, are all different acts in God, in the
same way as they are in us; but that our feelings towards God are to
be thus varied and increased; that is, that we are first to desire to
be heard, and then, that our prayers which are heard may be
understood; and then, that being understood, they may be hearkened
unto, that is, not disregarded. Martin Luther.
Verse 1. "Meditation" fits the soul for supplication;
meditation fills the soul with good liquor, and then prayer broaches
it, and sets it a-running. David first mused, and then spake with his
tongue, "Lord, make me to know mine end." Psalm 39:3, 4. Nay, to
assure us that meditation was the mother which bred and brought forth
prayer, he calls the child by its parent's name, "Give ear to my
words, O Lord, consider my meditation." Meditation is like the
charging of a piece, and prayer the discharging of it. "Isaac went
into the field to meditate." Genesis 24:63. The Septuagint, the
Geneva translation, and Tremellius, in his marginal notes on it, read
it to "pray;" and the Hebrew word (Heb.) used there signifieth both
to pray and meditate; whereby we may learn that they
are very near akin; like twins, they be in the same womb, in the same
word. Meditation is the best beginning of prayer, and prayer is the
best conclusion of meditation. When the Christian, like Daniel, hath
first opened the windows of his soul by contemplation, then he may