The address of this Psalm conducts us to further inquiries. The Shepherd of Israel between the Cherubim according to His placement in the wilderness, the desert—yet a Vine planted and laid waste—yet for the whole nation. This last feature we have observed throughout this Book. It is before the manifestation of the power of the Son of man, at least in His full exercise of it, for it is recognized by the Spirit—the Man of His right hand.
As we find in Amos and Hosea we find here, Israel is connected with the whole nation. This Psalm seems to me the Remnant of Israel identifying itself with the nation, its earliest and better hopes, and with the ark of the covenant, from which, as their first great sin, i.e., as distinguishing them from Judah, they had departed. “Dwellest between the Cherubim" is not the "calves of Bethel and Dan"—they have repented. "Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh" was the order of Israel in the desert next the ark at the west. "Thou hast brought up a vine out of Egypt"; Ephraim no longer mars Judah, nor does Judah hurt Ephraim. The divine interests of the nation are the question now, like a humbled people, honest with their God. Also there is the recognition of the offspring of David, the Son of man. On the whole, this seems to me to be the Remnant of Israel, who have returned, considering, with thorough national, i.e., divine interest by the Spirit, the state of the whole people. This gives an additional interest to these times, and to this Book, as thus taking in all their sympathies, and makes this a very interesting Psalm. How gracious is our God!
This Psalm has no specific relation to any portion of Israel, save as Joseph more particularly implied and involved the land. The Jews being first restored into the trials and exercises of the latter day, the restoration of the others more particularly involved the full coming in of the nations. I believe this Psalm to have its application after the coming back of Ephraim, but before the acceptance of all in blessing. It acknowledges, as looking at them also, God—the God and Shepherd of all, and, while it says Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh, it places God in the midst of the whole nation, as He was when in the ark to which, in the encampment of the tribes, these tribes were next. It recognizes the planting of the whole vine, and refers to the Son of man, as to His hand being upon whom all their strength would be set up. It wonderfully sanctions and clears up the whole view we have recently taken of the order of Israel's restoration. The Lord God of Hosts is He that is looked to. It is, on the whole, the Psalm of the Spirit in the Remnant (not as amongst the Jews in Jerusalem as formerly) but after the restoration outwardly of Ephraim also, when all the hearts of the just were upon them, looking to and praying for His strength to be upon David. It is a most beautiful, and simply instructive Psalm as to all these things. The allusion to the nearness of those tribes to the ark is most beautiful. The whole of these Psalms from Psa. 78 open out the whole of this subject very sweetly, and leading us in much submission of truth.