Bible Lessons

From: Messages of God's Love: 1931

Psalm 109

In this psalm we are brought back to the earthly life of Jesus, to consider again His lonely path of rejection, the enemies who daily sought to destroy Him, and His dependence upon His God as He passed as the obedient man through a scene of man’s guilt and Satan’s triumph.

Evidently, too, as in earlier psalms, those Israelites who should become His disciples and taste His rejection, —the “remnant” of Scripture—are included in the language of Psalm 109. Peter in Acts 1 quoted from this psalm regarding Judas, the betrayer of his Master; and in Matthew 10:16-26¹⁶Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. ¹⁷But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; ¹⁸And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. ¹⁹But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. ²⁰For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. ²¹And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. ²²And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. ²³But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. ²⁴The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. ²⁵It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? ²⁶Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. (Matthew 10:16‑26) and other scriptures, the Lord points to a path of suffering, after the pattern of His own, for His followers, particularly among the Jews.

Matthew 26:47-68⁴⁷And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. ⁴⁸Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. ⁴⁹And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. ⁵⁰And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. ⁵¹And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. ⁵²Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. ⁵³Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? ⁵⁵In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. ⁵⁶But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled. ⁵⁷And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. ⁵⁸But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end. ⁵⁹Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; ⁶⁰But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, ⁶¹And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. ⁶²And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? ⁶³But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. ⁶⁴Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. ⁶⁵Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. ⁶⁶What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. ⁶⁷Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, ⁶⁸Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee? (Matthew 26:47‑68) conies before us as we read verses 2-5. All the power of Satan in deceived, willful and guilty man, full of malignity and scorn, came out in the closing scenes of our blessed Lord’s life here below. How much He suffered from His creatures (and far more God-ward as the Sin Bearer during the second three hours on the cross) we shall never fully measure, but not the least of His suffering was that His love was met with hatred (verse 5); for it they were His adversaries (verse 4).

Christians, instructed in the New Testament to love their enemies, to bless when cursed, are apt to wonder at the calls for vengeance upon the wicked which are found in the Psalms. We are apt to forget that the judgment of the wicked will take place upon earth at the appearing and kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the answer to the suffering of His earthly people is not translation to heaven with Him as is the Christian’s hope, but the setting up of a rule of righteousness, with sin curbed and glory displayed on earth.

Verse 27 looks forward to the day when it will he seen that God was on the side I! is afflicted ones, as verse 26 looks to I lint for help and deliverance.

ML 09/27/1931

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