6. For thou shalt give him everlasting felicity: and make him glad with the joy of thy countenance. 66 Everlasting felicity" blessings for ever; or, "Thou makest him blessings "-i.e., blessed himself, and the means of blessing others, see Gen. xii., 2. "Thou" = God. Who is thus made a blessing? In the first instance David; but in a much higher sense the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the source and fountain of all blessing. Joy of thy countenance joy in thy presence. "In thy presence there is joy for evermore." God manifested His presence to David in the many blessings He bestowed upon him, but for David's Lord it was reserved to hear "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." He is now "before the presence of the Father's glory with exceeding joy," and "is set upon the throne of His glory." II.-7. And why? because the King putteth his trust in the Lord : and in the mercy of the most Highest he shall not miscarry. Here begins the second part of the Psalm. The first six verses are addressed to Jehovah, and the last seven are addressed to the King. The King trusts in the Lord. This confidence is the secret of his success. "The Lord is his ground of hope, his Saviour." "Let me fall into the hand of the Lord," said David, "and not into the hand of man." 2 Sam. xxiv., 14. "O Lord God, thou art my trust from my youth." Ps. Ixxi., 5. "Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe." Prov. xxix., 25. And in the mercy of the most Highest he shall not miscarry: "not be moved." The stability of David's kingdom rested not on his armies, his chariots, nor his mighty men, but on "the mercy of the most Highest." His faith and hope in God gave him confidence and security. David's Lord is now King of Zion. None of His designs shall miscarry; He shall never be moved from His purpose. All that He has promised He will perform. He has declared that all that trust in Him shall find mercy. 8. All thine enemies shall feel thy hand: thy right hand shall find out them that hate thee. David subdued all his enemies round about by the help of Jehovah. But here we have a description of how God will deal, not with David's enemies, but with His own. They shall "feel His hand." None shall He will take vengeance on "all." escape. All shall feel: God's enemies are those who rebel against His authority; who will not have Him to reign over them. Shall find out: In the day of vengeance those who hate God will try to flee from His presence. This will be in vain, for "His right hand shall soon find them out." He will send neither servant nor winged 66 messenger to bring them to justice, for His own right hand shall find them. Them that hate Thee: "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Heb. x., 31; Rev. vi., 16.) Bring hither mine enemies, and slay them before me." Thy hand: Thy right hand: Here is signified strength, power, irresistibly. Find: Not only discover them, find them out; but take hold of them, grasp them, "teach them terrible things." 9. Thou shalt make them like a fiery oven in time of Thy wrath: the Lord shall destroy them in His displeasure, and the fire shall consume them. This may aim at the fate of the Ammonites after the fall of Rabbath Ammon, when some died under instruments of torture, and others were cast into brick-kilns. (2 Saml. xii., 26-31.) Here David did with his enemies as a burning fiery furnace would, he consumed them. (Mal. iv., 1.) The wicked shall be consumed with the fire of divine wrath, like wood put into a furnace. Fire is an image frequently used to represent God's anger. (Deut. iv., 24; xxxii., 22; Ps. xviii., 8; S. Matt. xiii., 42; xviii., 8; xxv., 41; S. Mark ix., 44; 2 Thes. i., 8.) "Who shall be able to abide His coming?" The Lord shall destroy them in His displeasure, and the fire shall consume them. "Jehovah in His anger shall consume them." Those who have rejected Christ here will be consumed in His wrath hereafter. His displeasure shall destroy them the fire of His wrath shall consume them. 10. Their fruit shalt Thou root out of the earth: and their seed from among the children of men. Here their overthrow will be complete, their posterity shall be blotted out. "Fruit"= children, posterity. (Lam. ii., 20; Hos. ix., 16.) The fruit of words, the fruit of deeds, the posterity of the wicked shall all be destroyed. "Their fruit," "their seed," shall perish; for the name of the wicked shall rot." "From the earth," ,, "from among men," not a trace of his existence shall remain or be preserved. 11. For they intended mischief against Thee: and imagined such a device as they are not able to perform. They intended evil, they imagined mischief, but cannot perform it. Man would dethrone God if he could; it is not for want of intention, of scheming, plotting, devising, that God's enemies are unsuccessful, it is for want of power. Man, a mere worm, devising mischief against his Maker! What would he not do if he could? Let Calvary tell. Their hostility is only bounded by their inability. 12. Therefore shalt Thou put them to flight: and the strings of Thy bow shalt Thou make ready against the face of them. Wherefore? Because " they imagined mischief," and devised evil, and this against God. Therefore He shall make them turn their back. And the strings of Thy bow shalt Thou make ready against the face of them. God's judgments are called His arrows, being sharp, swift, sure, and deadly. A mark for the arrows of the Almighty! God's aim is sure. He never misses the mark. His arrows pierce the heart. Against their face," in the very teeth of their malice and opposition will He scatter them. 66 13. Be Thou exalted, Lord, in Thine own strength: so will we sing, and praise Thy power. A fitting conclusion to such a song. This burst of praise is most appropriate. "Exalt Thyself, O Lord," for Thy creatures cannot exalt Thee. We can only sing of Thy power, and praise Thy power, when by Thy power Thou art exalted. Thy power. Thus it must be from first to last, Thy power, Thy goodness, Thy mercy, and our songs and thanksgivings, and praises. PSALM XXIV. This is the first Psalm appointed by the Church for evensong on Ascension Day. Title.-A Psalm of David. But it may be rightly termed “A Song of the Ascension." For, though it tells of the ark's progress to the top of Zion's holy hill, it points to the triumphal entry of Christ into the heavenly Zion, the new Jerusalem. Author. The superscription ascribes the Psalm to David, and this is all we know, or can know respecting it. But it contains expressions peculiar to the genuine Davidic Psalms, and to none other-i.e., "The Lord strong and a hero ;" "The Lord a warlike hero;" "In thy tabernacle." Date. It was composed by David when he brought the ark of the covenant to Mount Zion. It was brought from Kirjath-Jearim, where it remained from the time that the men of Bethshemesh sent it thither. (1 Sam. vi., 20.) Here it was under the care of Eleazar, the son of Abinadab, for twenty years. (1 Sam. vii., 2.) On the passage of the ark to Zion, on the death of Uzzah, it was taken into the house of Obed-edom, where it remained three months. From this house the triumphal procession accompanied it to Zion, on which occasion the twenty-fourth Psalm was sung. Subject. It celebrates (1) Jehovah's entry into Zion. (2) Extols the city gates by which He entered. (3) It also tells who is worthy to enter in and worship there. (4) How the true worshipper shall be rewarded. "Lift up your heads, O ye gates." "Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God." Is. xl., 3. But the prophetic eye of the Psalmist looked even beyond this to the ascension of the King of glory into heaven. Why appropriate. By Messianic interpretation this Psalm refers entirely to the Ascension. The bringing up of the ark was not only a type of Christ's ascension into heaven, but the Psalm contains also a prophecy of His exaltation. Its intention is to lead. the people from mere earthly pomp and ceremony to a holy life and faith in Christ, of whom the ark was a type. Prophecies and References. v. 1, 2. Gen. i., 9, 11; Ps. cxxxvi., 6; Job xxxviii., 4; John i., 1, 2; Rom. xi., 36. v. 3. Ps. xv., 1. v. 4. Matt. v., 8; Job. xvii., 9; 1 Chron. xxviii., 9. "Unto vanity." Either 1. The perishing things of earth. Job xv., 31. 3. Idols, false gods. Ps. v. 5. "The blessing." 66 li., 5. XV., 3. Gen. xxii., 17. Righteousness” = Works of the Law. Is. xlv., 22, 24 ; xlvi, 13; v. 6. Jacob after the Spirit. Rom. ix., 6; Gal. vi., 16. v. 7. Numb. x., 35, 36; Job x., 15; Zech. ii., 10; Rev. xxi., 25. v. 8. Matt. vi., 13; 1 Cor. ii., 8. v. 9. Vide v. 7. v. 10. Vide v. 8. Division. It consists of two principal divisions— I. The preparation for Jehovah's entry into Zion. 1-6. 8, 10. Inquiry concerning the nature and character of the . 1.-1. The earth is the Lord's, and all that therein is: the compass of the world, and they that dwell therein. The God of Israel is the Lord of the whole earth. Unlike the heathen deities, there is no limit to His dominion. All on it, and in it are His, for He made them all. The heavens above, the earth beneath, and all things above and under belong to Christ, who is the sovereign Lord of all, and over all. (Matt. xxviii., 18; John xvi., 15; Heb. i, 2.) The Jew imagined that God only claimed and cared for the seed of Abraham, and the land of promise. The compass of the world, and they that dwell therein. Thus all nations, Jew and Gentile, bond and free, all belong to the Lord. And all living beings "in earth, and sea, and sky" are His property, and the work of His hands. Therefore, we are the Lord's portion, not only by creation, but by redemption. 2. For he hath founded it upon the seas: and prepared it upon the floods. 1. The earth and all therein, } are the Lord's. |