Psa. 42 — 72.
In this second book appeal to Jehovah is, comparatively speaking, rarely found, but ‘Elohim’ more largely predominates than in any of the other books of psalms; and there is very frequent cry to Adonay, the Deliverer of His people, executing judgment on the wicked. ‘Shadday,’ Accomplisher of promise in absolute power, is also invoked in Psa. 68, the only other occasion being Psa. 91. From these facts the inference may be drawn that the people of God are here seen suffering under a sense of rejection, but with the hope of Jehovah’s favor and restoring grace casting its beams from time to time across their souls. They await the day of power. The detail of the various psalms will show this to be their purport. The book may be said to apply especially to the last half of the Seventieth Week of Daniel’s prophecy, and to the godly Remnant driven out of Jerusalem. It divides into three general portions. Psa. 42–49. are historical, 1–68. moral exercises, 69.–72. Messiah is brought in Psa. 49 is, however, a meditation on man’s history; Psa. 50., 51. stand alone as introductory, and Psa. 68 is the psalm of ascension as the ground of deliverance for Israel. Psa. 42–49 are psalms ‘of the sons of Korah.’
42.— Circumstances of the severest affliction are here combined with the tenderest piety and trust in God. We see a soul aroused to the deepest sense of what it is to be shut out from communion with God in His House. As in all the psalms, the scene is in connection with the earth; and Jehovah and Jewish blessing are remembered. But the memory of the past is a ground for challenging the soul and rallying it from its despondency. These are the first symptoms of a sound recovery after failure, accompanied, as indeed it must be, by a true recognition of one’s own state and place. (10:6, 7.) It is really the Remnant driven out from God’s house and the proper limits of the land. There they are exposed to the taunts of the ungodly (vs. 3), the deep questionings of their own heart (vv. 2, 5, 9, 11), the governmental displeasure of God (vs. 7), the oppression of the external enemy (vs. 9), and the adversaries’ reproaches. (vs. 10.) Well could the Spirit of Christ dictate the sentiments expressed, while arousing renewed confidence in God.
Elohim, 10; El, 3; Jehovah, 1.
NOTE. ― ‘El,’ the Strength of holiness in supremacy over evil, is more often appealed to in this psalm than in any other of the second book. Next to it in this respect is Psa. 52, a psalm which strongly confirms the special force of the Name. The point here is faith, aroused by the memory of the past, in the ‘living El’ as the ‘El of my life.’
43. — He gets increased light in regard to his actual position with God and with man, his faith too increases and brightens; but as yet there is no deliverance. This is God’s way in restoration; there must be definiteness, and true discernment of state. Here the nation is ungodly; man deceitful and unrighteous; God has cast him off, and the outside enemy still oppresses him. But hope is bright as to the future, and the way of blessing is understood. God’s light and truth shall lead him.
Elohim, 7; El, 1.
NOTE. — Faith for the future is prominent, and he counts on righteousness. The source of his joy amid the prevalence of evil is ‘El,’ supreme over it in holiness. (vs. 4.)
44. — Faith in the individual here recognizes and identifies itself with the whole nation as the people elect of God, to whom He had given the land in grace. (vv. 1-3.) Yet the faith is individual. (vv. 4-6.) Their present state is one of utmost misery — spoiled in the land, and scattered out of it. Faith alone recognizes it — faith of the babe and suckling; for confession must come before praise. (Cf. vs. 16; Psa. 8:22Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. (Psalm 8:2)) He pleads integrity and faithfulness as true of the whole Remnant (cf. vs. 22 and Rom. 8:3636As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (Romans 8:36)); and bases his appeal to Adonay for help and redemption upon His loving-kindness. His plea is effectual for deliverance.
Elohim, 5; Adonay, 1.
NOTE. ―It is faith taking the ground of the Nation, and counting on mercy, though rejected and sold. God is owned to be King, and is addressed by the same divine title (vs. 4), as is applied to the Lord Jesus in the depth of humiliation. (Psa. 102:2727But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. (Psalm 102:27).) It is the same Person. The cry for help to Adonay’ is very beautiful, and distinctly marks the force of this divine Name, the Deliverer of His people by the judgment of the wicked.
45. — ‘A song of the Beloved’ well describes this psalm. It is ‘touching the King,’ seen previously to be God (44:4); here a Man (10:2, 7), yet God (vs. 6), and ‘Adonim’ (vs. 11), the Supreme Object of adoration. (Cf. Psalms 8:1,9; 135:51<<To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David.>> O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. (Psalm 8:1)
9O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:9)
5For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. (Psalm 135:5).) We see prophetically the renewed espousals of the Jewish Bride, and her attendant towns as publicly received by their divine Messiah, who is Jehovah. Instead of going back to Abraham or Sinai, all henceforth shall date from this. (10:16, 17.)
Elohim, 4; Adonim, 1.
NOTE. — Messiah in manhood is especially presented here in connection with His earthly throne, and the companions of His reign. Yet, in no part of Scripture is His absolute deity and eternal throne more immediately recognized, as well as that He is the Supreme to whom all homage is rendered.
46. — The nuptials celebrated, and their divine King in their midst at Jerusalem, they can boldly declare their confidence in Him, and call upon His Name, Jehovah of Hosts, in fully recognized relationship with them. (10:1-7.) He has intervened for them, and they appeal to the manifest proofs of it. (vs. 8.) The personal declaration of Jehovah abruptly introduced, stilling every other voice, is exceedingly grand. (vs. 10.) It seems clear that something yet remains to be done, in order that His glory may be established in the earth. (Cf. vs. 2 with Zech. 14:4,54And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. (Zechariah 14:4‑5); vs. 4 with Zech. 14:88And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. (Zechariah 14:8).)
Elohim, 7; Jehovah, 3; Elion, 1.
NOTE. — Jehovah is now invoked, and the Millennial Name, ‘Elion,’ the Most High, is introduced in this and the following psalm. The day of glory is prophetically in view. The city and sanctuary of God are established; God is there, and the river of blessing.
To understand the prophetical place occupied by this and the two following psalms, it is of great importance to compare them with Zech. 14:1-111Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 2For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 4And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. 6And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: 7But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. 8And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. 9And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one. 10All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses. 11And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited. (Zechariah 14:1‑11). In fact, all these psalms of Korah (Psa. 42–49) take up, in a large measure, the position and principles of Zechariah’s prophecy. Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem, as in his day, are scattered by the ‘horns of the Gentiles’ (Zech. 1:18-2118Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. 19And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. 20And the Lord showed me four carpenters. 21Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it. (Zechariah 1:18‑21)), but the time has come ‘to fray them,’ and to comfort Zion, and choose Jerusalem. Moreover, the bringing back of Zion’s captivity (2:9), the joining of many nations with them to the Lord (vs. 11), and the founding and finishing of the house of Jehovah, in which many that are afar off shall build (4:9, 15), are public proofs of the mission of the divine prophet, Messiah. He it is who shall build the temple of the Lord (6:12), for He is the Branch, and acts in the title of ‘Adon of all the earth.’ (4:14, 6:5) But He comes to His people first in grace, and is rejected (9:9); then in power (vs. 10), involving, and indeed necessitating, if His people are to be delivered, heart-felt repentance for their depreciation and contempt of Jehovah. (11:12, 12:11-14.) Then, to save His scattered ones, the little ones of the flock, He appears, and ‘His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof.’ (14:1-5.) It is to this event that Psa. 46. directly refers, providing comfort and consolation for His people at a moment of unparalleled terror, when the earth is removed, and the mountains carried into the heart of the seas (Psa. 46:22Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; (Psalm 46:2)), and all the land ‘turned as a plain from. Geba (on the north) to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem.’
Nor is this all; desolation is displaced by fruitfulness and blessing, and with joy the psalmist views ‘a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God, the sanctuary of the habitations of the Most High.’ (Psa. 46:44There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. (Psalm 46:4).) It is the living waters of which the prophet had spoken, which, in summer and winter, go out from Jerusalem — half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea. (Zech. 14:88And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. (Zechariah 14:8).) The verse that follows (vs. 9) shows us that not only earthly blessing, but Jehovah’s glory, characterizes that scene — ‘The Lord shall be King over all the earth.’ Glorious is the result of this divine intervention on Israel’s behalf. Psalms 48. fully sets this forth. Zion is beautiful in elevation, ‘the joy of the whole earth,’ ‘on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.’ Thus is viewed the actual accomplishment of the prophecy of Zechariah 14:1010All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses. (Zechariah 14:10), which states that all the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate,’ etc. Finally, Psalms 49. is a consequent meditation upon the futility of human joy without God.
47 — Power, ever increasing, still more widely and firmly establishes blessing, with Israel as its center. Addressed as God of Jacob, in Psalms 46, His intervention has Jerusalem especially in view. Now, He is declared to be the God of Abraham, and the willing-hearted of the peoples participate in the blessing. For He is a great King over all the earth, and the peoples and the nations are subdued under the feet of Israel. (Cf. Genesis 12:3, 22:18.)
Elohim, 8; Jehovah, 2; Elion, 1.
NOTE. — This psalm summons the peoples to praise God, and presents the fulfillment (see 10:2,7) of Zechariah 14:99And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one. (Zechariah 14:9). The previous psalm agrees with Zechariah 14:4-84And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. 6And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: 7But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. 8And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. (Zechariah 14:4‑8).
48 — Prophetically, Zion is freed from every foe — the kings, their armies, and fleets are scattered by the manifestation of God’s presence in the midst of her. Her memories of the past (Psa. 44:11<<To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, Maschil.>> We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old. (Psalm 44:1)) are realized now, in a still more excellent way. She is the city of Jehovah of hosts. In His Temple, His loving-kindness is the theme of their meditation; without, He is the bulwarks of the city. They attribute their blessing to His grace and power. Divine power has elevated Zion in the earth, in fact, as well as figuratively. (See verse 2.) It is the accomplishment of Zechariah 14:1010All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses. (Zechariah 14:10).
Elohim, 8; Jehovah, 2.
NOTE. — Probably, the last assault of Jerusalem is contemplated here; not the armies of Gog, i.e. Russia. (See Zechariah 14:2-52For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 4And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. (Zechariah 14:2‑5); Daniel 11:40,4540And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. (Daniel 11:40)
45And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. (Daniel 11:45).) Comp. verse 6; 1Thessalonians 5:33For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:3).
A meditation follows upon man’s history, as prophetically set forth in the eight previous psalms.
49. — The lesson of comfort for the heart of the saint at all times, suggested by the last verse of Psalms 48, is now developed and extended. There are two great riddles proposed in the Psalms, mysteries which faith alone could enable the saint of that day to unravel, namely, the prosperity of the wicked and the failure of the saint. (See Psa. 78) The former is dealt with here. It is solved by death and that which follows it. Observe the difference of the companies addressed. In Psalms 49 ‘all the inhabitants of the world’ are addressed: in Psalms 78 it is ‘O my people.’ There the history of Israel is cited. Here are enunciated general principles, true in the nature of man, not peculiar to any special people, but true of all sons of Adam, sons of Ish. The psalmist contrasts the state of the upright with that of the man who supplants him and lives in honor in this world. Like Lazarus, the former has his day of adversity now; the others, like the rich man, boast themselves in the abundance of their riches, but they can neither redeem their brother, retain their wealth, nor abide in life. Yet they ignore these truths, and their sayings only serve to deceive those who come after. Death preys upon all they have and are. Sheol consumes their comeliness, and their dwelling-place is gone forever. The upright shall have dominion over them, for God will redeem him from the power of Sheol, and receive him. Whereas they shall never see light. The great and needed lesson is this, that man, who is in honor and understands not, is like the beasts that perish: morally lacking intelligent relationship with God, and all their pride and possessions coming to an end in death.
Elohim, 2.
NOTE. — The tried Remnant need to understand this mystery in order to pass with God through the sorrows of the great tribulation, thus testing all the glory of man and of the world by what it is before Him. The Christian knows it by the Cross.
We now enter upon the next great division of the second hook. (Psa. 50-68) The two prefatory psalms give the thesis; namely, God’s great sessional act of judgment in power; and, secondly, in anticipation of this, moral judgment and cleansing in grace by the Spirit through the Word. Historically, the appearing and call to judgment precede confession, but the latter subject seems to be before the mind of the Spirit to review first. (Psa. 52 — 60) Then the King is introduced (Psa. 61), and faith is enabled to repose calmly in God (Psa. 62), and to count upon His power. This produces the confidence that the King shall rejoice in God’ (Psa. 63), and that ‘the righteous shall rejoice in Jehovah.’ (Psa. 64) The remainder of the series (Psa. 65-68) presents the actual exercise of divine power that brings in, and establishes the blessing on the judgment of the wicked, based necessarily upon Psalms 1.
50.— This solemn and important psalm is, in a sense, the entire contrast of the previous one. There the prosperity of the wicked was an enigma, and the lesson to be learned was that man that is in honor and understandeth not is like the beasts that perish.’ Here the public judgment sets everything in its true light, and according to its real character, the godly and the wicked being distinguished and dealt with according to righteousness. The earth is immediately in question, though the heavens also are summoned in testimony to Jehovah’s righteousness. Zion is the seat of His manifestation in judgment. And what is most remarkable, occurring as it does in the midst of a legal and ceremonial system, the typical sacrifices are wholly nullified, even in the case of the righteous. (See 10:7-16.) Thanksgiving, uprightness, and calling upon God, are alone recognized. As regards the wicked, God refuses entirely to deal with them on the ground of covenant, since they are characterized by the rejection of His words, by lust, lying, and slander. (Cf. ye. 19:20; Zechariah 7:10; 8:16, 1710And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. (Zechariah 7:10)
16These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbor; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: 17And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord. (Zechariah 8:16‑17).) Still the judgment is as yet only prophetically declared, and the last two verses apply, by way of warning and encouragement respectively, to the two classes of persons addressed.
Elohim, 9; El, 1; Eloah, 1; Jehovah, 1; Elion, 1.
NOTE. — In the second book the divine Name, ‘Eloah,’ appears alone here. The first book has it only in Psalms 18, where the divine Names are the same precisely as in this psalm, though Jehovah is used far more largely. Here ‘Elohim’ predominates, and is found in both its forms. Supremacy and power in judgment strongly mark both psalms, the one governmental judgment, and the other sessional. The use of ‘Eloah’ seems to convey this. (Cf. Psalms 114:7; 139:197Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob; (Psalm 114:7)
19Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. (Psalm 139:19).) ‘Elion,’ the millennial title, is employed, but neither Shadday ‘nor Adonay’; for judgment, not the deliverance of His people, is in question.
In Psalms 68, where the latter is the point, both ‘Shadday’ and ‘Adonay’ are invoked. (See 10:14, 20, 22, 32.) Psalms 78 has both ‘Adonay’ and ‘Elion.’ (See verse 65.) We know from Acts 17:3131Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31), that ‘El, Elohim― Jehovah,’ who judges, is the Lord Jesus. This explains the two closing verses, for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy. The psalm is ‘of Asaph,’ the only one in this book that is such.
51. — The moral process by which the godly ones, the Remnant so-called, are separated from their own sins and evil associations (Psa. 51-60) is then taken up. Here it is moral judgment of self before God, and cleansing in grace. Precious instruction! There appear to be two principal thoughts in the mind of the Spirit — the blotting out of transgression, and the cleansing from sin; that is, from its moral power in the soul. First there is full confession of sin in all its heinousness as directed against God (vss. 4), and also of natural depravity. The very springs of man’s moral existence are polluted. But God must have truth and wisdom there. (vv. 5, 6.) This, therefore, is the first object of the psalmist’s desire; for God alone can produce it. Then in conscious nearness to God, and delight in holiness, sustained by a joyful and willing spirit, he would become a teacher of others who had wandered like himself. (vv. 7-13.) The question of blood-guiltiness next arises. From this God alone can deliver — sacrifices are of no avail. Indeed, the sacrifices suitable to the divine nature are a truly repentant spirit. (Cf. Psa. 1:14, 23.) His heart being now fully out with God, he can seek the manifested expression of God’s good pleasure in the establishment of Zion and Jerusalem. Then shall sacrifices of righteousness and whole burnt-offerings be offered acceptably. The psalm applies to David originally, and to any contrite soul distressed on account of sin, but evidently has precisely in view the Remnant of the latter day, owning their guilt in having slain Messiah, and looking, through faith and in the confidence of God’s loving-kindness, to the re-establishment, for His own glory, of their political and religious state.
Elohim, 6; Adonay, 1.
NOTE. — All is ‘Elohim’ here, for sin is the question. When thinking of praise and deliverance, he invokes ‘Adonay.’ (vs. 15.) Again we observe the positive rejection of the legal sacrifices (vs. 16), as in Psalms 1:8-13, 40:6.
52. — A clue to the understanding of this psalm is afforded by the title. It is the jealous pride and enmity of the flesh, allying itself with the boasted place of divinely delegated authority, in order to destroy God’s anointed. Antichrist really fills this place. His evil is expressed more in deceitful words than by open violence. But God’s loving-kindness is perpetual, and the man who trusted in his own resources shall be extirpated Forever. He is thus a perpetual instruction to the righteous, while Christ identifying Himself in sympathy with His saints, expresses their confidence in God’s loving-kindness Forever and ever. (10:8, 9.)
Elohim, 3; El, 2.
NOTE. — Flesh established and planted in the land is before us (vs. 5), and become wealthy in wickedness (vs. 7), but to be destroyed at last, while faith flourishes in the house of God. As yet, however, it is still the moral judgment of faith in regard to the wicked prosperous. ‘El’ is supreme in holiness over the mighty but evil man.
53. — As the crisis approaches, the evil state of things becomes ever more accentuated, and permeates the mass. They are not only corrupt, but do not seek God; they are indeed apostate, and no longer call upon God. Yet He had already intervened on behalf of His own. It is a solemn and remarkable condition, and shows that intervention by power is distinct from establishment in grace. Faith longs for the latter, that God’s people may rejoice.
Elohim, 7.
NOTE. — The principal point in this psalm is faith’s judgment, morally of the state of the people —a state which is not in itself corrected by destroying the external enemy. (Cf. Psa. 14)
54. — Wickedness now reaches its climax, and justice exercised in power is called for. To the enemies God will requite evil. The character that leaves no other resource is plainly indicated. They are not only strangers and violent, but they ignore God. (vs. 3.) Therefore they are reckoned wholly enemies.
Elohim, 4; Adonay, 1; Jehovah, 1.
NOTE. ― ‘Adonay’ is now appealed to. He executes judgment on the wicked. The Ziphites were of David’s own tribe, but because of their ungodly treachery they are counted strangers. Evil in its final phase takes this character. (See 1 Sam. 23:1414And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand. (1 Samuel 23:14).) When deliverance comes, Jehovah is praised.
A fresh departure of thought now appears. It is not merely the moral judgment of individuals, but the process by which the national, yet apostate, system and government are judged, and refused, and separated from, by the godly Remnant. (Psa. 55-60)
50. — As identified with the Nation, the psalmist, in his supplication, first thinks, even though driven out, of the external enemy, and the oppression of the wicked. (10:1-3) But the consciousness of impending trouble, of a more terrible character, weighs heavily upon his heart (10:4-8), for, within the city, violence and corruptions of every kind, as it were, throng the streets. (10:9-11) The righteous are the butt of all this wickedness. From the foe without, such bitterness might have been expected; a known adversary could have been avoided, but to be dealt with thus by one whom the heart had fully trusted in the most precious things — even the sacred service of God — betrayed a perfidy which called for utter judgment. (10:12-15.) Meanwhile, faith is cast upon God, and looks to Jehovah saving. Finally, the violent and deceitful character of the ungodly multitude within the city is fully exposed and judged, but the righteous commits himself to Jehovah. (vv. 20-23.)
El, 1; Elohim, 5; Adonay, 1; Jehovah, 2.
NOTE. — Jer. 9:1-111Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! 2Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. 3And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord. 4Take ye heed every one of his neighbor, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will walk with slanders. 5And they will deceive every one his neighbor, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity. 6Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the Lord. 7Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people? 8Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait. 9Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? 10For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through them; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled; they are gone. 11And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant. (Jeremiah 9:1‑11) accords exactly with the scene and circumstances of which this psalm speaks (cf. 10:6-8 with Jer. 9:22Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. (Jeremiah 9:2)), though Jeremiah was not actually driven forth. The point given us in the psalm seems to be that of positive separation between the righteous and the wicked, who, until now, had been nationally identified. Jehovah is therefore more definitely appealed to ‘El,’ eternal in His holy supremacy, will afflict the wicked. (vs. 19.)
56. — The saint is now distinctly separated and outside— man is his enemy and persecutor. His destruction is sought on every hand by secret treachery, as well as by open violence; but God is his confidence. Strong in faith, it is a confidence that rises up into praise and thanksgiving in a known relationship. (See vv. 4, 10, 11; cf. Heb. 13:5, 65Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. (Hebrews 13:5‑6).) The position of the early Christians from among the Jews explains this psalm, but deliverance from death, not out of it, is the blessing looked for. (10:12, 13.)
Elohim, 9; Jehovah, 1.
NOTE. ―This and the four following are Michtam’ psalms, and, with the exception of Psa. 16, no others appear to bear this title. Their character seems to be exultant faith in God, and reprobation of evil amid the fiercest trial and persecution from within and without. They are all ‘of David.’ The special occasion here is evidently the same as that of Psa. 34, which it much resembles. There, however, it is all ‘Jehovah,’ and the recognition of His principles of government by a delivered person. Here it is Elohim,’ and a poor wanderer trusting Him for deliverance from the men of the world.
57. — We are still with David in his wanderings as regards the occasion of this psalm. It is an advance upon the previous one, just as 1 Sam. 22:1, 21David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him. 2And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men. (1 Samuel 22:1‑2) is morally, and, in fact, a step beyond 1 Sam. 21:10-1510And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? 12And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. 14Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me? 15Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house? (1 Samuel 21:10‑15). He is no longer occupied with the doings of the Philistines — men of the world, who assert their own title in the flesh to God’s land— but, whatever the calamities, he is, in spirit, alone with God. He does not now say, ‘Be gracious unto me, for man would swallow me up’ (Psa. 56:11<<To the chief Musician upon Jonath-elem-rechokim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath.>> Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me. (Psalm 56:1)), but, ‘Be gracious unto me, O God, be gracious unto me; for my soul taketh refuge in Thee.’ (vs. 1.) He appeals to ‘Elohim, Elion’ (the millennial name of Him who is supreme in government and blessing), even unto ‘El’ —the Strength of holiness in supremacy over evil. (Cf. Gen. 14:2222And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, (Genesis 14:22). Jehovah’ also is there introduced.) He looks for no earthly intervention (vs. 3), though his soul ‘is in the midst of lions.’ (vs. 4.) But his one and repeated desire (vv. 5, 11) is, ‘Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Thy glory be above all the earth.’ The grace that gave David a safe retreat in the cave of Adullam from the malice of Saul, and from the pride and cruelty of Achish, produced in his heart, by the Spirit of Christ, this outburst of faith and exultation. The same blessed Spirit of Christ will put this faith and these words into the hearts and lips of the escaped Remnant in the coming day. The dawn of the day of glory is casting its first beams across the dark scene of this poor world.
Elohim, 6; El, 1; Elion, 1; Adonay, 1.
NOTE. — ‘El’ undertakes supremely in grace for His servant. (vs. 2.) ‘Elohim’ sends forth His loving-kindness and His truth; but it is ‘Adonay’ who delivers him, for His loving-kindness is unto the heavens, and His truth unto the clouds — the glorious results of deliverance.
Power, through the Most High, to overcome every difficulty, and then praise, characterize this psalm. Amid the power and presence of evil, praise takes the place of the complaints and call for judgment of Psa. 56. ‘The shadow of Thy wings’ is the source, of power here. (10:1-3.) In Psa. 17 it is the place of escape and protection (10:7-9); in Psalms 36:7-97How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. 8They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. 9For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. (Psalm 36:7‑9), of approach and satisfaction; in Psalms 63:3-73Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. 4Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. 5My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: 6When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. 7Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. (Psalm 63:3‑7), of worship, praise, and joy.
58. — Faith’s judgment of the wicked in the place of governmental power becomes ever more pronounced (10:1, 2), looking for God’s exterminating judgment upon them, so that His government may be established; viz., that ‘there is fruit for the righteous,’ ‘there is a God that judgeth in the earth.’ (vs. 11.)
Elohim, 2; Jehovah, 1.
NOTE. — How deep a judgment, morally, of man’s practical wickedness is here! Their whole moral state, with its outcome from their very birth, is malignant and insensate. (vv. 2-5.) Transient as fierce, their power shall be utterly broken. The destruction of the wicked is a necessity of earthly blessing in righteousness. Judgment must therefore introduce the Millennium.
59. — In the previous psalm the wicked were within, occupying the seat of judgment. Now, the external enemy is in question. They are men of blood — mighty ones, gathered together against the righteous with whom Christ associates Himself in sympathy. They are plotters of iniquity, the mass of the nations (not Christianized Gentiles) ravaging in their impiety. (vv. 6, 7, cf. vv. 5, 8; Ezek. 39:2121And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. (Ezekiel 39:21).) Jehovah will laugh at them; for He takes up anew the cause of His people, not as ‘Adonay’ sitting at the right hand. (Cf. Psa. 2:1-101Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 2The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, 3Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 4He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. 5Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. 6Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. 7I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 8Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 9Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. 10Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. (Psalm 2:1‑10)) But the people are Christ’s, for He is Jehovah, they are ‘my people’ (vs. 11); and for their instruction and blessing He asks, not that the heathen may be slain, but, that their power may be brought to an end. Let them grudge and be unsatisfied, but He identifies His people with Himself, and praises, as in their midst, participating in the joy of their deliverance.
Elohim, 9; Jehovah, 3; Adonay, 1.
NOTE. — Much of this psalm is personal of Christ, especially verse 11. It has distinctly in view the final destruction of Israel’s enemies; and Jehovah, as the God of hosts, the God of Israel, is called upon to visit all the nations. The enemies immediately on the scene are distinguished by impiety and falsehood. (Cf. Daniel 8:23-2523And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. 24And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. 25And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. (Daniel 8:23‑25).) Just as the Spirit of Christ took occasion by Saul’s malice to dictate this psalm in the heart of David, that the faithful Remnant might have a divine expression of their faith and sorrows in the future day, so does Christ then make their cause His own, calling them ‘my people,’ and identifying them with all the grace and power of Jehovah.
60. — The first three or four verses show the standpoint of this psalm. As to fact, the righteous Remnant are still suffering under the consequences of divine chastisement. But the power of testimony is with them (10:4,5), and the knowledge of God’s reclamation of His land. (10:6-8.) To effectuate His promise, however, His power alone avails.
(10:9-12.) The ‘me’ of 10:5 and 9 seems Christ’s personal intercession on behalf of His people identifying Himself with them.
Elohim, 5.
NOTE. — This psalm is the same as Psa. 108, except that the first four verses are there substituted by the last five verses of Psa. 57 This distinctly marks their difference of character. ‘That Christ speaks of me’ (10:5, 9) in connection with, and intercession for, His people, is in no wise as viewing Him apart from what He is as divine. On the contrary, it is because He is divine, and recognized to be such, that He can plead His own perfections on their behalf, and call Jehovah’s people His. (See Psalms 59:1111Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield. (Psalm 59:11).)
In this section of the book, i.e. from Psalms 1, the King, as such, has not been introduced as yet. He is in rejection, but pleading for the people, and owning them as His, because He is Jehovah. The faith that recognizes Him as King is yet, however, dormant in the hearts of the poor outcast Remnant. It is now aroused.
61. — He cries from the end of the earth, and seeks refuge and a resting-place in the tabernacle of God. It is not yet an ordered and established scene of blessing, though faith speaks with assurance of God’s inheritance and of His King.
Elohim, 3.
NOTE. — The King is here spoken of according to Jewish faith, that of the outcast Remnant; but His immutability and perpetuity, as the stability of all blessing (possible only to a divine Person), is fully insisted upon.
62. — In the previous psalm we have seen the simple certainty of faith in God in regard to His inheritance and His King. Now, this faith is tested by the exercises and circumstances through which the saint is passed. He testifies that God alone is his confidence, and this turns to reproof of the violence and deceit of the wicked. (10:1-4.) Again, he encourages his soul to confide in God alone, and is led to exhort the people to the same confidence, as opposed to their own lawless and unjust practices, or trust in their wealth — for power belongs not to man. The truth all-important for that day, and solemnly confirmed, is that power belongs to God, and loving-kindness to Adonay; for He will render to every one according to his work. (Cf. Matt. 16:2727For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. (Matthew 16:27); Rev. 2:2323And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. (Revelation 2:23).)
Elohim, 7; Adonay, 1.
NOTE. — That Adonay is God, and that the Son of man, the Lord Jesus Christ, is He, is most marked from the comparison of vss. 11,12 with the scriptures quoted above. Power is referred to Elohim; and loving-kindness and judgment to Adonay.
63. — The point here is neither faith’s certainty, nor its exercises, but the joy of communion. The circumstances are unaltered, and faith still calls upon ‘El’ (cf. vs. 1, Psa. 57:22I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. (Psalm 57:2)), for it is a dry and weary land, without water; but his soul is nevertheless satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and sings for joy ‘in the shadow of Thy wings.’ (vs. 7.) It is not power to overcome, but praise and blessing, worship and joy, as well as the satisfaction of communion, and appropriation in divinely given strength. (vv. 8, 9.) The King is again introduced (vs. 11), in His full human character, but at the same time is to be invoked as One who is divine (vs. 11), yet rejected.
Elohim, 2; El, 1.
NOTE. — Both Psalms 20:8, 98They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright. 9Save, Lord: let the king hear us when we call. (Psalm 20:8‑9), and Psalms 21:11<<To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.>> The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! (Psalm 21:1), are embraced in this concluding verse, in which the King’s joy in God is first spoken of, and then He is invoked. In the two psalms above quoted, this order is reversed. Compare this psalm with Psalms 57, and again with Psalms 42, There the prayer is, ‘Send out Thy light and Thy truth.’ (vs. 3.) In Psa. 57:33He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth. (Psalm 57:3), he says, ‘God hath sent forth His loving-kindness and His truth.’
64. — The faithful Remnant of that future day, committing themselves to God, leave Him to deal with the secret plans as well as with the insensate violence of the evildoers, whose destruction will be sudden and complete, the retributive result of their own wicked schemes, and a monument of the righteous government of God.
Elohim, 3; Jehovah, 1.
NOTE. — Deliberate corruption is chiefly prominent here, and its judgment is an abiding testimony against it unto all men.
65. — The day of millennial blessedness dawns, though praise is yet silent in Zion; for God is there, and all flesh shall come to Him. Once iniquities had prevailed, but now forgiveness; and blessing rests upon the sovereign choice and powerful grace of God (10:1-4), enthroned as He is in His holy Temple. Power is thus in exercise to establish His authority in the earth, and to restrain the turbulent will of man, while the uttermost bounds of His dominions are awed by the tokens of it. As morning wakes the joyful note of anticipated blessing, so evening closes with the tale of recounted mercies. The story of the year is that of ceaseless, considerate care. Its springing is blessed, and goodness crowns it. Joy and song tell of peace secured by righteousness, and blessing established in grace.
Elohim, 3.
NOTE. — Though faith confidently anticipates the blessing it celebrates, yet the full introduction into this has not yet taken place. ‘The outgoings of the morning and evening’ (vs. 8), perhaps, refer to the wide extent of the blessing. In Psalms 15. the inquiry is raised, ‘Who shall sojourn in Thy tent? Who shall dwell in the hill of Thy holiness?’ but no one is said to answer to the requirements. A similar question is put in Psalms 24, ‘Who shall ascend into the mount of Jehovah? and who shall stand in His holy place?’ There the King of glory, Jehovah of hosts, it is who enters. Here (Psa. 65) the blessing is pronounced upon the man chosen to approach. It is an orderly state of blessing — ‘Thy courts,’ ‘Thy house,’ ‘Thy holy temple,’ — not merely the tent and the hill. The elect Remnant, ‘We,’ count upon entering through grace, not for their righteousness’ sake.
66.— Confident in its own blessing, faith now turns to the spared earth and the peoples, celebrating the praises of God who has delivered them, and inviting their worship. They recognize His hand in all their trials, as well as in their redemption. (Cf. verse 6 and verse 12.)
The House of God becomes, to these poor, despised, but now happy people, not merely a place where they are blest and satisfied, but where God is blessed, and the vows made in their trouble are performed to Him. It is the place of His sacrifices and His testimony.
Elohim, 8; Adonay, 1.
NOTE. — The use of the Name ‘Adonay’ (vs. 18) is very beautiful here. He is the Deliverer of His people, but at the same time executing judgment on the wicked. (Cf. Psa. 62) Had the saint regarded iniquity in his heart, ‘Adonay’ would not hear. How the great acts of grace and power in the past (Red Sea and Jordan, vs. 6) are fresh in their memories, in view of that greater redemption of which these were only types!
67. — It is not selfishly that they desire the light of Jehovah’s countenance, but that Thy way may be known upon earth, ‘Thy salvation among all nations.’ The peoples are called upon to praise, and the nations to rejoice; for the blessing, though from God, is earthly, and Israel is the center of it.
Elohim, 6.
NOTE. — How the shining of the face of God is connected with the salvation of Israel! (Cf. Psalms 80:3, 7, 193Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. (Psalm 80:3)
7Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. (Psalm 80:7)
19Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. (Psalm 80:19); Daniel 9:1717Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake. (Daniel 9:17); Psalms 31:1616Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies' sake. (Psalm 31:16).) In principle, this psalm embraces the blessing of the Gentiles even now. (Cf. Romans 15:10, 1110And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. 11And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. (Romans 15:10‑11).) It is also worthy of note that, in Psalms 80, the first two verses (cf. Num. 10:33-3633And they departed from the mount of the Lord three days' journey: and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them in the three days' journey, to search out a resting place for them. 34And the cloud of the Lord was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp. 35And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee. 36And when it rested, he said, Return, O Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel. (Numbers 10:33‑36)) correspond with verse 1 of Psalms 68, but verses 3, 7, 19 are similar to verse 1 of Psalms 67 The two last-mentioned psalms are therefore connected in Psalms 80, only the order of thought is reversed. Psalms 67 gives us the blessing first; then Psalms 68 the intervention of power. (10:1, 7, 8, 18.) But in Psa. 80 there is power first (10:1, 2), in order to blessing (vs. 3, vv. 17-19). The same order is maintained, but the thoughts again separated in Psalms 132, 133. The former gives us power, intervening to establish the Ark in rest (vs. 8); and the latter speaks of the blessing descending upon Zion, as the oil on Aaron’s head ran down to the hem of his garments. Israel’s special relationships with Jehovah are more immediately in view in Psalms 132, 133. Also, in Psalms 80, the Shepherd of Israel is directly appealed to. But in Psalms 67, 68. facts and principles of a more general character are presented, which, though precisely applied to Israel, have a universal reference. (See Psalms 68:1818Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them. (Psalm 68:18).) In the last-quoted verse, though Jab is referred to, the passage is applied in Ephesians 3 to Christian truth, and the gifts are received in Man.
68. — We are now rapt by the Spirit into the wide scene of divine glory in connection with the earth, power on God’s part being invoked to effectuate it. It is no longer, ‘God be gracious unto us, and bless us,’ but, ‘Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered.’ Power intervenes to bring in the blessing, which would not in any other way be possible. The psalm begins, not with the blessing of Aaron (Num. 6:23-2723Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, 24The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: 25The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. 27And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them. (Numbers 6:23‑27)), but with the appeal of Moses (Num. 10:3535And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee. (Numbers 10:35)), when the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord went before His people ‘to search out a resting-place for them.’ It concludes with the ascription to Him of strength in bringing them in — ‘Ascribe the strength unto God: His excellency is over Israel, and His strength is in the clouds.’ (10:34,35.) This power of God it is that immediately connects the three days’ march from Sinai (10:1-8) with the establishment of His people and His temple at Jerusalem. (vs. 29.) ‘He that rideth in the deserts’ (vs. 4), is the same that ‘rideth upon the heavens.’ (vs. 33.) ‘Jah’ (vs. 4) — the existing One objectively, is the ‘El of Israel’ —the strength of holiness in supremacy over evil. (vs. 35.) The person is the same, and the power is the same, but manifested differently according to the circumstances, whether in the deserts or upon the heavens. But this Person is Jehovah, yet Man. (Cf. vv. 16, 18.) It is He that has ascended up on high, and led captivity captive. He is Adonay, moreover, and El, the El of salvation, Jehovah Adonay, not only supreme in holy power over all the evil, but the Deliverer also of His people, and executing judgment on the wicked. (Cf. vv. 19-23.) He is their King in the sanctuary (vs. 24), that giveth strength and might unto the people. Blessed be God! (vs. 35.)
The first three verses state the subject of the psalm abstractly in its principle — God arises, the wicked perish, the righteous rejoice. These last then celebrate His coming, riding in the deserts, and give utterance to the thoughts of faith, in contrast with those of unbelief, when Israel were about to enter the land at the first. Then they murmured against Moses, and against Aaron, and said, ‘Wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land.... that our wives and our children should be a prey.’ (Num. 14:33And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? (Numbers 14:3).) But what was the answer of the Lord to them?
‘Your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.’ (vs. 31.) Thus is He presented in this psalm, for in His nature and principles He is the unchangeable One, He is a father of the fatherless’ (vs. 5), and more, ‘a judge of the widows,’ while ‘those that were bound He bringeth out into prosperity: but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.’ (vs. 6.) This is the language of faith; therefore, the next paragraph (vv. 7-14) declares His association with His people. It was before His people He went, when He marched through the wilderness, and His presence formed their circumstances. (So, morally, should it be with us.) In the wilderness the earth trembled, the heavens dropped — even Sinai itself. (vs. 8) In the land a plentiful rain strengthened His inheritance, and His flock dwelt therein. (vv. 9, 10.) When oppressors invaded them, as in Deborah’s day, Kings of armies flee; they flee, and she that tarrieth at home divideth the spoil.’ It is remarkable how much the song of Deborah is before the mind of the Spirit here. (Cf. vv. 7, 8, 12, 27,) with Judg. 5:4, 5, 12, 184Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. 5The mountains melted from before the Lord, even that Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel. (Judges 5:4‑5)
12Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam. (Judges 5:12)
18Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field. (Judges 5:18).) From this point (vs. 14) the Spirit at once passes over to Zion, as Jehovah’s dwelling-place Forever (vs. 16, cf. Psa. 132:1313For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. (Psalm 132:13)), and even to the glory itself. (vs. 18.) From thence — the highest possible place where Man could be, for it is the place of God (cf. Psa. 110:11<<A Psalm of David.>> The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. (Psalm 110:1)), and no creature could be there―from thence it is that salvation comes to Israel. The Assembly truly is associated with, and indeed united to Him, who is at the right hand, and she will be in the glory, but cannot be set at the right hand itself. This passage is therefore cited, in Ephesians 4:88Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Ephesians 4:8), as prophetic of Christ’s gifts to, and care of the Assembly. It strongly speaks of the place in which the Assembly is set that Israel’s future, final, and glorious deliverance from every foe is derived from the same Person, place and power which is the source of her (the Assembly’s) gifts and ministry today. The triumphal procession in the sanctuary follows. (vv. 24-27.) The goings of Him, who aforetime rode in the deserts, and marched through the wilderness, and will hereafter ride upon the heavens (vs. 33), are now seen in the sanctuary (vs. 24), as of Israel’s ‘El’ and King. Power has intervened to recover, but entire supremacy is anticipated. With the addition of Judah, in the stead of Ephraim, with whom Benjamin had been before associated, the same tribes are prominent as in Deborah’s day. (Judg. 5:14, 1814Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer. (Judges 5:14)
18Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field. (Judges 5:18); cf. Psa. 80:22Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us. (Psalm 80:2).) The Temple is gloriously established at Jerusalem, and homage looked for from the mighty and prosperous nations of the earth. Egypt and Ethiopia are especially singled out; and all the kingdoms of the earth are called to praise the God of Israel.
Elohim, 26; El, 5; Jehovah, 2; Jah, 2; Adonay, 7; Shadday, 1.
NOTE. — In only one other place in the Book of Psalms (Psa. 91) is the name Shadday employed. Here it is specially in connection with the clearance of the land from the oppressor in the latter day, of which the destruction of Jabin’s hosts was an example and type. Jehovah thus fulfils to Israel the promise made to Abraham (‘Unto thy seed will I give this land’) in spite of their disastrous failure, and the solemn discipline under which He had passed them. In Psalms 91 it is Messiah, and the faith of the Remnant identified with Him, owning Jehovah, Israel’s God, as the Almighty who is able to perform the promises, and also as ‘Elion,’ the Supreme in government and blessing. Of all the names of God ‘Elion’ alone is omitted in Psalms 68, for here the question is not so much of established supremacy as of the perfect power needed to bring it in. Therefore, Shadday is used. Psalms 18 gives ‘Elion,’ but omits ‘Shadday,’ because the Person of the King, not Israel’s promises, is in view. ‘Shadday’ is also omitted in Psalms 78, for the subject there is the failure of the people, under law, to enter into and possess the promises, though accomplished finally according to purpose. It is observable that precisely the same divine names are found in Psalms 1 as in Psalms 18, Shadday and Adonay being omitted from both, for in neither is He seen as delivering His people by judgment, or accomplishing promise in power, but as judging His people (Psa. 1.) and asserting supremacy in His King. (Psa. 18) ‘Adonay’ is largely introduced in the present psalm (Psa. 68), resembling Psalms 86. in this, presenting Himself as the Deliverer of His saints executing judgment as in Israel governmentally. The perfect humanity and the positive deity in one Person, that of the blessed Lord, is strikingly seen by comparing verses 4, 7, 24, 33 with verse 18.
Messiah is now seen in identification with His people, the Security of their blessing to eternity.
69. — Jehovah, ascended for power in Man to deliver Israel and govern the earth, is the subject of the previous psalm. In the present one we see Him still in manhood, but humbled and persecuted, and indeed smitten, but seeking deliverance that Zion may be saved, and the cities of Judah built, so that the heavens and the earth may praise Him. As regards humiliation, it is rather the aspect of Philippians 2 Than atonement. Indeed, just as there the saints are exhorted to have the mind of Christ, so here, if He is smitten they are wounded. (vs. 26.) If He is heard, and set ‘secure on high’ (vs. 29), the meek see it and are glad, they that seek God live. (vs. 32.) Even in His utter humiliation, He desires that it may not stumble those who wait on and seek Jehovah (vs. 6), since it was on His account that He had borne reproach and been covered with confusion.
That this humbled One is prophetically Christ, is evident from verse 4 (cf. John 14:2525These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. (John 14:25)), and verse 9 (cf. John 2:1717And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. (John 2:17), and Rom. 15:33For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. (Romans 15:3)). Consequently, deliverance is assured, not only for Himself, but, on account of His personal worthiness, for those associated with Him; and also the blessing of Israel and the earth is secured. Truly Man, having taken part in flesh and blood, He has formed the path for the children of God; and others besides Himself will be in it; but in His Person He is wholly alone. This verse 9 fully establishes, for if in their measure some can say, ‘Zeal for Thine house devoureth me,’ Jesus alone could command, ‘Take these things hence: make not My Father’s house a house of merchandise,’ and give, as sign of His authority, that which pertained to Deity alone. Yet He is presented fully and perfectly in manhood here. Messiah being thus brought in, Jehovah is at once appealed to (vs. 13), and the circumstances of His servants’ shame and sorrow fully laid before Him. This can only result in the judgment of the adversaries (vv. 22-28), when the question in hand is governmental justice. That the sentiments expressed in this portion were not the expression of the heart of Christ personally, is clear from His intercession for His persecutors on the cross, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ It is therefore important to distinguish between what is proper to Himself personally, and the expression of what is suitable in any position He may be pleased to assume in regard to the creature. He may drive out the man, or sweep the world away with a flood. This was proper and suitable on account of what the creature had become, but was not the expression of the Being of God in His own abstract perfection. Even the law was not that, nor indeed the first creation, however declarative of His eternal power and divinity. Christ alone is that. This psalm sets forth what was right, if determined by the desert of the adversary. But though recognized by Christ, this was never His habit of thought, for He was God manifested in flesh according to the fullness of His Being and perfection, and He expressed always what He was. With Him this was always the determining point, and necessarily so, whatever the position or character He assumed. He was, and is, and ever will be Himself. In this psalm we see the thoughts of the Spirit of Christ, judging of the adversary, and giving divine expression to the spiritual desires of the Remnant in the latter day, for whom the judgment of the wicked will be necessary in order that Jehovah may be glorified in His government of the earth, and blessing be established therein. Much is personal of Christ (see verse 21, cf. Matt. 27:34, 4834They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. (Matthew 27:34)
48And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. (Matthew 27:48)); the deprecations are not, for they are the expression of judgment, and He was not that, but the personal and divine expression of grace. Judgment indeed is committed to Him alone; but this is because He is the Son of man, and it is obedience on His part to exercise it. The psalm is largely true of, and is the expression of the state of the godly Remnant among the Jews in the coming day, ‘The meek shall see it, they shall be glad... For Jehovah heareth the needy, and despiseth not His prisoners... For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah, and they shall dwell there... and the seed of His servants shell inherit it.’ (vv. 32-36) Elohim, 9; Jehovah, 5; Adonay, 1.
NOTE. — The One found zealous for Jehovah, and suffering the depths of humiliation in consequence, can say, ‘Make not My Father’s house a house of merchandise,’ and prove His authority by the attributes of Deity.
70. — This and the previous psalm find their counterpart in Psalms 40 (cf. Psalms 40:13-1713Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me. 14Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil. 15Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha. 16Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified. 17But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God. (Psalm 40:13‑17), and the divine names employed in each), but there it is in the fully expressed sense of relationship. Here, Messiah having been introduced, the name of relationship is again taken up by faith, but the appeal is specially to what God is. In both we see that Christ, in humiliation, is the moral center and test of man’s state. Psalms 40 is, perhaps, more personal of Christ; the words ‘unto me’ (vs. 15), and ‘the Lord thinketh upon me’ (vs. 17) are not found in Psalms 70 This latter psalm seems more historical of the Remnant (see vs. 3), and is urgent in seeking deliverance. (vs. 5.)
Elohim, 3; Jehovah, 2.
71. — The believing Remnant — the Israel of God — are now brought fully into view in the exercise of faith. The psalmist identifies himself with Israel in all their previous history, recognizing throughout it all the righteousness of Jehovah, the marvelous works of God. There are two principal divisions in the psalm (vv. 1-16 and 17-24), in both of which faith stays upon what God had been in the past as its confidence for the future. But, in the former portion, it is more the thought of deliverance for himself that is prominent, while the latter has chiefly the glory of God in view. In verse 5 he says, ‘Thou art my hope, O Adonay Jehovah, my confidence from my youth’; in verse 17, ‘O God, Thou hast taught me from my youth, and hitherto have I proclaimed Thy marvelous works.’ Again, in verse 9, he says, ‘Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth’; but in verse 18 he says, ‘When I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not, until I have proclaimed Thine arm unto this generation.’ The beautiful way in which faith reviews Israel’s troubled history, and uses the deepest trials and chastenings as an assurance of grace and blessing, is very marked in verses 20, 21. It is faith in the God of resurrection, for it is, indeed, distinctly and positively a moral resurrection, which brings Israel, grown old, and on the point of passing away, up again from the depths of the earth, so that he is increased in greatness, and comforted on every side. The points of similarity between this psalm and Psalms 22 are marked by their contrast. Here he says, ‘On Thee have I been stayed from the womb: from the bowels of my mother Thou didst draw me forth.’ This is the expression of the faith of the godly Remnant. Psalms 22:9, 109But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. 10I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly. (Psalm 22:9‑10) gives us what could really be the utterance of the blessed Lord only: ‘Thou art He that took me out of the womb: Thou didst make me trust upon my mother’s breasts. I was cast upon Thee from the womb: Thou art my God from my mother’s belly.’ This is that divine communion possible only to One who was divine and perfect, though found in manhood. Yet God had forsaken Him; but, in Psalms 71, the plea is that He may not be forsaken (10:9, 18), though, so deep was the distress, that His enemies might conclude that God had forsaken Him. (vs. 11.) The deprecations, too, are not found in Psa. 22 Generally speaking, this psalm gives us the faith of the Israel of God, enduring throughout until the new scene.
Elohim, 9; Jehovah, 3; Adonay, 2.
72 — We now find the new blessing introduced and established on earth. The blessing and the inheritance, settled in Abraham and in his Seed, are now verified and fulfilled righteously in the King, the King’s Son (vs. 17, Gen. 22:1818And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. (Genesis 22:18)), who is no other than Jehovah Elohim, the Elohim of Israel. (vs. 18.) The peaceful reign of Messiah is described in beautiful and poetic imagery. Peace will be secured on the part of the governmental authorities (‘mountains and hills,’ vs. 3) by the due administration of righteousness. A general diffusion of prosperity (‘rain on the mown grass,’ verse 6) on earth shall be the effect of His power, which exercises universal sway. The waste and unfrequented places (‘the top of the mountains,’ verse 16) shall yield a plentiful supply for the food of man, while the populated parts shall bloom with freshness and verdure (‘like the herb of the earth,’ verse 16), health, beauty, and prosperity. All nations call Him blessed, but in result it is Jehovah Elohim, the God of Israel, who is blessed. It would thus seem that the seed of Abraham (Gen. 22:1818And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. (Genesis 22:18)), the Son of David, and Jehovah God are identified. David has nothing left to pray for; his largest anticipations are realized, and the blessing of His glorious Name alone remains Forever.
Elohim, 3; Jehovah, 1.
NOTE. ―It is certain that Messiah is spoken of in this psalm, in His Jewish and earthly throne; but verse 5 evidently addresses Him as a then-existing Object of faith and adoration from generation to generation. Though, no doubt, Solomon was literally in view.
The ‘He’ of prophecy was the ‘Thou,’ a known and addressed Object of faith then. This explains the transference from the Him ‘whom all nations should call blessed, whose Name should endure Forever, to blessing Jehovah Elohim and His glorious Name Forever. (vv. 17-19.) vs. 6 may also be emblematic of the revelation of Himself by the Word of doctrine. (See Deut. 32:22My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: (Deuteronomy 32:2).) in vs. 18 he says, ‘When I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not, until I have proclaimed Thine arm unto this generation.’ The beautiful way in which faith reviews Israel’s troubled history, and uses the deepest trials and chastenings as an assurance of grace and blessing, is very marked in vss. 20,21. It is faith in the God of resurrection, for it is, indeed, distinctly and positively a moral resurrection, which brings Israel, grown old, and on the point of passing away, up again from the depths of the earth, so that he is increased in greatness, and comforted on every side. The points of similarity between this psalm and Psa. 22 are marked by their contrast. Here he says, ‘On Thee have I been stayed from the womb: from the bowels of my mother Thou didst draw me forth.’ This is the expression of the faith of the godly Remnant. Psa. 22:9, 109But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. 10I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly. (Psalm 22:9‑10) gives us what could really be the utterance of the blessed Lord only: Thou art He that took me out of the womb: Thou didst make me trust upon my mother’s breasts. I was cast upon Thee from the womb: ‘Thou art my God from my mother’s belly.’ This is that divine communion possible only to One who was divine and perfect, though found in manhood. Yet God had forsaken Him; but, in Psa. 71, the plea is that He may not be forsaken (10:9, 18), though, so deep was the distress, that His enemies might conclude that God had forsaken Him. (vs. 11.) The deprecations, too, are not found in Psa. 22 Generally speaking, this psalm gives us the faith of the Israel of God, enduring throughout until the new scene.
Elohim, 9; Jehovah, 3; Adonay, 2.
72 — We now find the new blessing introduced and established on earth. The blessing and the inheritance, settled in Abraham and in his Seed, are now verified and fulfilled righteously in the King, the King’s Son (vs. 17, Gen. 22:1818And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. (Genesis 22:18)), who is no other than Jehovah Elohim, the Elohim of Israel. (vs. 18.) The peaceful reign of Messiah is described in beautiful and poetic imagery. Peace will be secured on the part of the governmental authorities (‘mountains and hills,’ vs. 3) by the due administration of righteousness. A general diffusion of prosperity (‘rain on the mown grass,’ verse 6) on earth shall be the effect of His power, which exercises universal sway. The waste and unfrequented places (‘the top of the mountains,’ verse 16) shall yield a plentiful supply for the food of man, while the populated parts shall bloom with freshness and verdure (‘like the herb of the earth,’ verse 16), health, beauty, and prosperity. All nations call Him blessed, but in result it is Jehovah Elohim, the God of Israel, who is blessed. It would thus seem that the seed of Abraham (Gen. 22:1818And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. (Genesis 22:18)), the Son of David, and Jehovah God are identified. David has nothing left to pray for; his largest anticipations are realized, and the blessing of His glorious Name alone remains Forever.
Elohim, 3; Jehovah, 1.
NOTE. — It is certain that Messiah is spoken of in this psalm, in His Jewish and earthly throne; but verse 5 evidently addresses Him as a then-existing Object of faith and adoration from generation to generation. Though, no doubt, Solomon was literally in view.
The ‘He’ of prophecy was the ‘Thou,’ a known and addressed Object of faith then. This explains the transference from the ‘Him’ whom all nations should call blessed, whose Name should endure Forever, to blessing Jehovah Elohim and His glorious Name Forever. (vv. 17-19.) vs. 6 may also be emblematic of the revelation of Himself by the World of doctrine (See Deut. 32:22My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: (Deuteronomy 32:2))
The form of the doxology concluding this book is peculiar. ‘Elohim’ is added to ‘Jehovah’ in celebrating the power of the God of Israel; and the prayer is, that the whole earth be filled with His glory. This agrees with the general character of these psalms (42.–72.), which seem to have a precise reference to the condition of the Remnant during the last half of Daniel’s seventieth week, when driven out of Jerusalem (Psa. 42, 43. 56:8, 59, 61. 63. etc.), and apparently cast off by God, given up together with the whole ordered system of Jewish public worship, to be trodden under-foot by the Gentiles. (Psa. 44:9-26, 55. 66. 10-12, 69. 71:9-12.) Yet Jehovah is recognized as God — the God of Israel, and faith looks to the whole scene being filled with His glory.