This is an exceedingly interesting Psalm. It evidently involves different speakers. Messiah, and the part He takes in identity with the Jews, is the subject of it. It is a conversation, of which He is the subject, with His avowal of the position He takes. It begins by the testimony of the Spirit generally, of which Christ consequently on the confession of Jehovah gets the blessing. One, dwelling in the secret place of the Most High, i.e. entering into the purposes of Him who is over heaven and earth, compare Gen. 14:19, 2019And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: 20And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. (Genesis 14:19‑20), shall abide under the shadow of Shaddai - the name of Abraham's God. Then, says Jesus, I will own Jehovah, the God of the Jews, the name in which the true God, Jah, was known to the Jews, see Ex. 6:2, 32And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord: 3And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. (Exodus 6:2‑3). This was His faith—this Jewish God I will own. He recognizes the Object of His faith in His identity with the Jews, pledges Himself to them, i.e., to their God, which is faith, but this is El Shaddai Elion (God Almighty, the Most High). Then the Spirit, in the prospective Jewish Remnant, asserts what He, this Jehovah, will do, “Surely he will cover thee with his feathers"compare verse 9. In verse 14, El Shaddai answers as Jehovah, “Because he hath set," etc.-two things, “His love upon me," and the full recognition of His character, "Know my name," i.e., Jehovah, who He is, always the same, the God of the Jews. The result is trouble, but audience in it, and the full life of resurrection in salvation.
We have then the connection of the names in which God was revealed to Abraham, and the covenant name with Israel. The love of Jehovah, of Shaddai Elion, was on Israel—but how bless them in iniquity? First then, according to the secret of this love, the righteous One declares, on the announcement of Abraham's God, that it is Israel's He takes as His refuge. Thus the love known has its way in righteousness—grace reigns through righteousness.
This is the announcement of the Spirit.
2. The declaration of Messiah.
3. The reply of the Spirit in announcement.
But in saying “I will say of the Lord," He has satisfied the love of the Lord in setting up Israel. But the Remnant, led by the Spirit of Christ and identified with His blessing, come in under the promises—He could say, “Fear not little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom," then indeed in a higher sense.
8. Here “Only with thine eyes," being thus separated to Jehovah, "Thou shalt see the reward of the wicked."
9. This seems to be the address of the Spirit in the Remnant to Christ, verified in the blessing on the Remnant.
14. This is the answer of Jehovah.
Identification of Christ with Israel, and of the Most High, who is over all things, with Jehovah, is the great point of this Psalm.
It is evident that the Lord gave up the place and promises of this Psalm, to accomplish His Father's glory in obedience—even His earliest temptation shows Satan trying to get Him to take up this ground, and not simply obey and wait upon God. In vain! Overcome! He is Deliverer, as Son of man, of man from Satan, never in our Gospels presenting Himself as Christ to the people; then, at the close, the question was not of His being obedient and not claiming them, but of giving them all up in death. And this He did—the Shepherd was smitten, Messiah cut off, and had nothing. Hence the sure mercies of David are cited as a proof of resurrection—Paul knowing no man after the flesh, not even Messiah. It was deep suffering, but the more I learn from Scripture, the more I see that, though this were a part of its accompaniments, expiation was a totally different thing, and of an infinitely deeper nature—the moral wrath of God falling on the Blessed One about sin.