LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Psalms 90:1.-A meditation: the Lord our dwelling-place, the counterpoise to our transitory life: death, the wages of sin (Psalms 90:1); prayer: as men so little know the connection of our dying frailty with God's mighty anger against our... [ Continue Reading ]
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. BEFORE THE MOUNTAINS WERE BROUGHT FORTH, OR EVER THOU HADST FORMED THE EARTH AND THE WORLD, EVEN FROM EVERLASTING THOU (ART) GOD. As man's weakness is conn... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men. THOU TURNEST MAN TO DESTRUCTION - literally, to the state of being crushed to pieces [ dakaa' (H1793)] Genesis 3:19 is alluded to here, as the next words prove. AND SAYEST, RETURN, YE CHILDREN OF MEN - i:e., return to your... [ Continue Reading ]
For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. FOR A THOUSAND YEARS IN THY SIGHT ARE BUT AS YESTERDAY WHEN IT IS PAST, AND AS A WATCH IN THE NIGHT. The "For" introduces the reason which establishes the speedy mortality of man, alleged in . To... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up. THOU CARRIEST THEM AWAY AS WITH A FLOOD - as one is unexpectedly and irresistibly wept away with a flood, the product of a storm of rain (cf. Isaiah 25:4). Hebrew, 'a rain torrent a... [ Continue Reading ]
In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth. IN THE MORNING IT FLOURISHETH, AND GROWETH UP; IN THE EVENING IT IS CUT DOWN, AND WITHERETH. The contrast is between the morning state of the grass and the evening state. The "it" is the figurative grass... [ Continue Reading ]
And if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow - i:e., if one be possessed of an unusually strong constitution, and thereby his years reach fourscore. The Hebrew for the second "strength" [ raahªbaam (H7296)] is different from that for the first "stren... [ Continue Reading ]
Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. -The Second part, First division. The mysterious relation of death to sin, as its wages, is little, if at all, known by man; therefore the Psalmist prays, God so teach us it as to lead us to wisdom of the heart. V... [ Continue Reading ]
Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants. -The Second division of the Second part. Prayer for God's mercy as the source to us of joy, and of the establishment of our work. Verse 13. RETURN - from the wrath which now lies upon us. So Exodus 32:12. HOW LONG? - how... [ Continue Reading ]