PSALM 33. The psalmist here speaks of the earth as being full of the goodness of the LORD, and he expresses a faith that looks on and sees it as already brought to pass. All are called on to rejoice. Jehovah’s glory in creation is celebrated. The peoples of the nations stand in awe of Him when His power is realized. There is special blessing for that nation whose God is Jehovah, the nation whom He has chosen for Himself. This blessing radiates out unto all the inhabitants of the world. So the hearts of His people, in view of all this, rejoice in Him and they call for His mercy to be upon them.
Psalm 34. The spirit of Christ in the faithful remnant calls upon them to praise Jehovah for His deliverance. The Messiah was the poor man who cried and was delivered. He tells them that the angel of the Lord encamped about all them that fear Him. The righteous in this psalm expect to pass through trial, but have confidence that Jehovah’s ears are open to their cry, and that He will deliver them. The latter part of verse 20 is quoted in John 19:3636For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. (John 19:36): “A bone of Him shall not be broken.” The soldiers refrained from breaking the legs of the Lord Jesus on the cross, thus showing the overruling power of God in restraining the hatred of the heart of man, so as to fulfill the Scriptures.
Psalm 35. Here the faithful feel the treachery of their own nation, as to how they have rewarded good with evil. The psalmist asks that the Lord rescue his soul from their destructions and his darling from the lions. Then he will give thanks unto Him in the great congregation, that is, Israel restored as a nation.
Psalm 36. Something within the heart of the godly remnant shows him that there is no fear of God before the eyes of the nation. But as he looks away from all this iniquity and deceit, he sees the mercies and lovingkindness to them that know Him, which casts him upon Jehovah in prayer.
Psalm 37. In this psalm one is counseled not to be fretful of evildoers for they shall soon be cut down like the grass. Then it is shown that there is blessing in waiting upon Jehovah ill all their trying circumstances. The Lord is conscious of all that they are passing through and they are told that the time of the wicked is short. The suffering righteous ones are to inherit the land. The Lord addresses the meek in Matthew 5:55Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5), saying, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth,” only He goes further and shows that those to whom He was speaking are to be brought into the kingdom of heaven. The disciples, as the faithful remnant of that day, did obtain a heavenly portion.
Psalms 38 and 39. Though the godly remnant have learned something of forgiveness of sins, yet they also feel that they are under the government of God, for they have not yet been brought to see the full extent of what the rejection of the Messiah was in the sight of God. Grace and government are two different things in God’s ways with man. These psalms show a beautiful state of soul on the part of the godly remnant, as led by the Spirit of God. They desire to know the measure of their days and how frail they are. They realize that man at his best estate is altogether vanity.
ML-11/27/1960