_I will praise Thee, O Lord._ PRAISE, TRUST, AND PRAYER In the Septuagint, this Psalm refers to the death of the Divine Son, and recites His victory over death, the grave, and all our foes. I. There is a predominant note of praise. (Verses 1-5, 11, 12, 14_._) Let us not praise with a divided, but... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou hast maintained my right._ Thou satest in the throne judging right. MAN’S RIGHT, AND GOD’S RIGHT The first part of the fourth verse seems to be merely personal, but the second clause of the verse is universal. In the first clause we may put so much emphasis upon the personal pronoun as to ma... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Lord shall endure forever._ THE ABIDING GOD David here draws a contrast between changing man and the unchanging God; between evermore vanishing thrones and the throne of God, high and lifted up--His throne of judgment--a throne erected to try and determine the cause, not of David only, nor of... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed._ THE REFUGE OF THE OPPRESSED I. The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed. 1. What is a refuge? Shelter--in the cities of refuge; strongholds (2 Samuel 22:23); a harbour of refuge, as on a rocky, dangerous coast. Thus the leading idea is s... [ Continue Reading ]
_They that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee._ THE NAME OF GOD Know Thy name! What does that imply, but to know all that is included in the revelation of the nature and attributes of Almighty God? Every reader of Scripture is well aware of the infinite importance which it attaches to the w... [ Continue Reading ]
_Consider my trouble._ A NOTE OF TROUBLE IN A TRIUMPH PSALM The second part of the Psalm begins with Psalms 9:13. The prayer in that verse is the only trace of trouble in the Psalm. The rest is triumph and exaltation. This, at first discordant, note has sorely exercised commentators; and the violen... [ Continue Reading ]
_With long life will I satisfy him._ HEALTHY RELIGION Through the mistake of its friends religion has been chiefly associated with sickbeds and grave yards. It is high time this thing were changed, and that religion, instead of being represented as a hearse to carry out the dead, should be represe... [ Continue Reading ]
_The wicked shall be turned into hell._ A DESCRIPTION OF THE WICKED I. The characters specified. 1. All those who wilfully violate the plain and positive precepts of God. Drinkers. Profane persons. Those who dishonour God’s holy-day. The dishonest. 2. All the persecutors of the people of God. 3... [ Continue Reading ]
_For the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish forever._ GOOD CHEER FOR THE NEEDY The value of a text depends very much upon the man to whom it comes. The song of the troubadour was very charming to Richard, because he knew the responsive verses. The tra... [ Continue Reading ]