The title. The contents. The title is simply, "of David," and this much we may remark regarding the penman's style in it, that in very many portions his own history supplied striking exemplifications of his doctrinal statements. In verses 1-6 we have the Lord's treatment of Ilis own. He lets them be proved and tried, while the wicked prosper. David's adversity in the day of Saul's authority, and Nabal's history, might be referred to as illustrating these verses. “Dwell in the Land” may send us to Gen. xxvi. 34, or to 1 Sam. xxvii. 1, 2, by contrast. Notice how it is faith and hope together that are recommended in verses 5, 6, and remark that "judgment" may well be rendered "The decision of thy cause in favour of the right," just as in Isaiah xlii. 3, 4; John xii. 31, and xvi. 11, it signifies the decision of the controversy pending between God and us, against the great Accuser. In verses 7-15 we have The Lord's treatment of his foes. Instead of complaining of our burdens, and anxieties, and cares, and fears, and instead of throwing them off in stoical indifference, let us "roll them on the Lord" (as ver. 5), and then "Wait-be silent"-q.d., standing still at the Red Sea, till God opens the way. "The meek" are they who bow to God's will; they shall as surely "inherit the earth," as ever Israel entered into possession of Canaan. This is a promise repeated in verses 11, 22, 29, 34, as if to reiterate," that though you have little of earth and earth's good things now, all shall yet be yours, and the ungodly be gone for ever." From verses 16-22 we have God's blessing on the substance of the godly, and his curse on what belongs to the wicked. This is seen in the godly enjoying sufficiency at all times, and in their being able (ver. 21) to give to others also; whereas the ungodly are blighted, yea so reduced (ver. 21) as to be found "borrowing," and unable to repay. All this is a foretaste of the future day described in Matt. xxv. 34, 41, and to which reference is made in these words, “For the Lord's blessed ones shall inherit the earth, And his cursed ones shall be cut off." In verses 23-26 we have contrasts that even now distin guish the lot of these two classes of men. The godly are directed; lifted up when calamity has overtaken them (ver. 24); never forsaken (ver. 25). "I have never seen the righteous forsaken (of God), Nor (have I seen) his seed (forsaken) even when in greatest poverty.” Nay, so far from this, the righteous is enabled to shew kindness to others (ver. 26), and leaves blessing to his seed. "For (says one) so far is charity from impoverishing, that what is given away, like vapours emitted by the earth, returns in showers of blessing." From verses 27-33 we have an implied invitation to join the godly, whom the Lord so cares for, in cherishing all that is holy. Things are said which in their full sense are realised only in the person of the Righteous One. In verses 34-40 we arrive at the final issues of things. Wait-that "wicked one" who is so "terrible" (y), shall soon disappear-that Saul, that foe of yours, that Antichrist, the Church's foe! And fail not to mark the perfect, " For to the perfect there is an end," an 8. This "" is what Baalam speaks of in Numb. xxiii. 10, the end in the latter day, the resurrection time. And now let us revert to several expressions, in which we find a marked likeness to our Lord's mode of speaking when on earth. We noticed at verse 22, the resemblance to Matt. xxv. 34, 41, the "blessed" and the "cursed;" but not less remarkable is the five times repeated “inherit the earth,” for our Lord quotes it in Matt. v. 5, when promising still future blessing. Add to these the "little while" of verse 10, as used by the Lord in John xvi. 16-19, and also "the end" as parallel to our Lord's" end of the age" in Matt. xiii. 19. With all these expressions before us, may we not say that the Master himself is the chief speaker of this Psalm? It is as properly the lips of David's Son that utter it, as it is the pen of David that writes it. And this is the theme of it The Righteous One quieting our heart by teaching us to discern between the godly and the wicked. Christ the speaker. Christ in it PSALM XXXVIII. A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance. 1 O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. 2 For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore. 3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; Neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. 4 For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. 5 My wounds stink and are corrupt, because of my foolishness. 6 I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long, 7 For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh. 8 I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart. 9 Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee. 10 My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: As for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me. 11 My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; stand afar off. 12 They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: And they that seek my heart speak mischievous things, and my kinsmen 13 But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth. 14 Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no re proofs. 15 For in thee, O Lord, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God. When my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me. And they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied. 20 They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; 21 Forsake me not, O Lord: O my God, be not far from me. HERE is "The inhabitant saying, I am sick"-David, and every ence whatever to David" (Tucker); while one of the ancient fathers is content with saying, "It would be hard not to apply to Christ a Psalm that as graphically describes his passion as if we were reading it out of the gospels. (Valde durum et contrarium est, ut ille Psalmus non pertineat ad Christum ubi habemus tam apertam passionem ejus tanquam ex Evangelio recitetur."—Aug). We are content to notice that the tone of the voice of him that speaks is none other than that of the speaker in Psalm vi., as verse 1 in both is sufficient to prove. Nor is it unlike Psalm xxii., as verses 21 and 22 will at once suggest (Psa. xxii. 29). The difficulty in the way of supposing it used by the Lord Jesus, as descriptive of his feelings and state, when he took on our guilt by imputation, is not at all greater than in some passages of Psalms xl. and lxix., which almost no one doubts to be his utterances. There is some light cast on our Lord's feelings under the imputation of our sins, if we consider verse 5 to be a statement of his abhorrence of the sin he bears: "My wounds stink and are corrupt"-i. e., there is inexpressible loathsomeness in my festering wounds, those wounds which I have been subjected to "because of my foolishness," viz., the folly imputed to me (as in Psa. lxix. 5), the foolishness, the infatuation and sins of my people. He was weary of wearing that poisoned garment of our sins; he was weary of having our leprosy appearing on his spotless person; he was weary and woe-begone, and longed for the time when he should “appear without sin,” (Heb. ix. 28). It is thus that we can understand it to have been used by The title. Christ, and yet to be suitable at the same time, though in a different manner, to Christ's redeemed ones, who feel their personal corruption and guilt. And in either case the title is appropriate, “To bring to remembrance”—just as in Psalm lxx. It speaks of God apparently forgetting the sufferer, so that a cry ascends, equivalent to, " Lord, remember David and all his afflictions." What a cry is verse 1, "Lord, rebuke me not," &c., in the The content lips of the Head, or of the members. It conveys a foreboding apprehension of another wave of the wrath to come, ready to. I break over the already bruised soul. "If it be possible, let this cup pass!" What a groan is verse 2, "For thine arrows stirk fast in, or, sink into me”—one of which arrows we saw on the bow in Psalm vii. 12-arrows that drink up the lifeblood. What an overwhelming sight verse 4 presents, "Mine iniquities are gone over my head,"-like the tide rising while he is within tide-mark. What convulsive agony is depicted in verse 6, “I am racked with pain, I am bowed down greatly. Day by day do I go in sadness." How terrible in their very calmness are verses 9 and 10: "Lord, all my desire is before thee, And my groaning is not hid from thee. My heart panteth, my strength faileth,— The light of mine eyes—even that no longer remains to me ;” for weeping and sorrow have dimmed the eye; a state to which His members have been at times reduced, as when that remarkable disciple in the Highlands of Scotland wept herself blind, through sorrow for sin, after her awakening. And then the gloomy cloud closes round Him, verse 11, “Lovers and friends stand aloof,-sympathy there is none. Nor does his gloom soon pass; for verse 17 renews the sad complaint, “I am ready to halt," i.e., to fall and be broken, for the keeper of Israel has to appearance forgotten me, and does not "keep my feet from sliding," (Psa. cxxi. 3). The deliverance is foreseen in verse 21, "Haste to my help;” to save me from those who are to me like Satan (ver. 20); and the fulness of it at last is implied and wrapt up in “O! Jehovah, my salvation." If Jehovah is my salvation, then is He to me what he was to Moses at the Red Sea (Exod. xv. 2), and my triumph is sure and full. The Head and his members have a salvation from Jehovah of wondrous extent-beginning in the resurrection of the Head, and to be completed at the resurrection of all the members. Read, then, in either application, this Psalm describes The Leprosy of sin abhorred by the righteous. |