Psalm CXLIV
1 Blessed be the Lord my strength,
Which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:
2 My goodness and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer;
My shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.
3 Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! Or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!
4 Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.
5 Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down: touch the mountains, and they
shall smoke.
6 Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy
them.
7 Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, From the hand of strange children;
8 Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of
falsehood.
9 I will sing a new song unto thee, O God:
Upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.
10 It is he that giveth salvation unto kings:
Who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.
11 Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children,
Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand ot falsehood.
12 That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth;
That our daughters may be as corner-stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:
13 That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store:
That our sheep may bring forth thousands, and ten thousands in our streets:
14 That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor
going out;
That there be no complaining in our streets.
15 Happy is that people, that is in such a case!
Yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.
The Spirit of the Lord spake by David the words of this song when the king felt his need of the King of kings to subdue the turbulent and proud spirits who were ambitious of distinction (ver. 2), as well as to conquer the nations of idolaters who hated God’s anointed, (ver. 7-11). The Spirit leads him back to the day when he sang Psa. xviii. (see ver. 1, 2), the day when he was delivered from Saul and other foes; and still
The allusions.
farther back to the quiet night when the strains of Psa. viii. ascended to the ear of Jehovah, (see ver. 3); but he does not fail also to lead him forward to a future day, when earth shall witness its millennial scenes, among which not the least wonderful and refreshing shall be Israel in all the restored plenty of his last times, with the favour of Jehovah over all. In all this, David was the type of Christ.
Jehovah’s grace to tnan is the theme of verses 1,2; that expression, “My goodness,” nOH, may be understood as if declaring that all the kindness or nfiercy that is in God is made over to his own people; q.d., all in thee that is kind is my property.
Man’s unworthiness and littleness are the theme of verses 3, 4 — the contrast to the preceding verse. The Hebrew of verse 4, “man is a vapour,” reads suggestively pITV Uy, recalling the disappointment of the first family on earth; q. d., all come of Adartx are as sure to disappoint, and to be disappointed, in the fond hopes cherished concerning them, as Abel, so short-lived, and untimely in his end.
God’s strength laid hold upon by his own against foes is the theme of verses 5-8. The God of Sinai is remembered in verse 5; and the ease with which he can overwhelm his foes is expressed, verse 6, “Lighten ivlfh lightning,” and forthwith they are scattered, {aoTsa-^ov asraTriv. — Sept.). The “right hand of falsehood,” verse 8, expresses the violation of solemn oaths and engagements, in ratifying which the right hand was lifted up to heaven, (Gen. xiv. 22). Hence Tholuck renders it, “Their oaths are perjuries.” With majesty and might, with lightning and fire like this, shall the Lord appear, when he arises at last to the final conflict.
Praise and prayer, in prospect of victory, form the matter of verses 9-11. And here “The New Song” is mentioned, which “New Song” is ever sung by one whose eye is on that vail which was rent — looking either at the Saviour going in with the sacrifice, or coming out the second time to bless.
The happy scene to he witnessed, when these desires are responded to, is the subject of verse 12, to the end. Do all this for us, in answer to our prayer, so that, as a consequence of this deliverance,” Our sons may be as plants (of the palm-tree, says the Targuni), Vigorously slwoting up in their youth; Our daughters like corner-columns, Polished like a palace
Others take this last clause to contain an allusion to the costly stones so carefully prepared for the building of the Temple: “hewn for the building of the Temple.” These are the choice of men! each one full of life and beauty, walking before the Lord.
“Our granaries full, supplying one kind of food after another;” like Egypt in Joseph’s da;fs. It is a scene of plenty, as if the curse were lifted off the soil.
“Our flocks increased to thousands, Increased to thousands in our fields.” {^’1^T^^ Job v. 10.)
Here are the pastures peopled with their appropriate tenants, and a scene of peaceful plenty is set before us. And then follow the yoked cattle, carrying their loads through the streets — a token of busy commerce.
“No breach’” in the tribes, like Judges xxi. 15; or in individuals, like
Uzzah, 2 Sam. vi. 8. “No going forth” to war. “No cry’” like that in Isa. xxiv. 11, over disasters.
Happy days when these scenes are realised! Happy people who shall enjoy them. Men shall in that day exclaim with Balaam, “How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob! “— or rather, all shall then unite in tracing the blessing to its fountain-head,” Blessed are the people whose God is Jehovah.’^
Every member of Christ may take up this Psalm in behalt The .^peakiof his own country and people — yea, in behalf of our common humanity, praying for the day when all earth shall enjoy these blessings, by enjoying Jehovah as their God. It is a prospect that awaits the world when Christ returns; and our expectation of such happiness in reserve for our world is kept alive by a song like this,
A prayerful song of David, and David’s Lord,, anticipating the prosperity which Jehovah brings to his own.