Psalm LXIV

To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 Hear my voice, 0 God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the

enemy.

2 Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked;
From the insurrection of the workers of iniquity.

3 Who whet their tongue like a sword,

And bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:

4 That they may shoot in secret at the perfect:
Suddenly they do shoot at him, and fear not.

5 Tlicy encourage themselves in an evil matter .•

They commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?

6 They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: Both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.

7 But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be

wounded.

8 So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves. All that see them shall flee away.

9 And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; For they shall wisely consider of his doing.

10 The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him; jlnd all the upright in heart shall glory. * “Thy power” — with special reference to the “Ark of his Strength” (2 Chron. vi. 41). So in Psalm lxxviii. 61 — “Ms glory,” is his Ark.

It is a probable conjecture that David may have been led to write this Psalm while still a youth at Saul’s court, when there discerning the arts and deceits of courtiers. We may illustrate it by referring to the case of Joseph and his many foes. Here is the Righteous One, or “the Perfect” (ver. 4), set before us — a name applicable to Christ in its fullest significancy, but applied also to his members, as being “Perfect” in purpose and in prospects, impartially aiming at the whole will of their God in heart and life. But the world hates such, as his brethren hated Joseph; the world )ays snares, and levels arrows of malignity at them. “The archers have shot at them” — at our Joseph and his seed. He says, verse 5, “They will tell about hiding snares,” and they think no eye is on them.

“They search deep into iniquity” (to find out the most deadly device).

“We have got it ready! Here is a tvell-matiired plan /” (This is their shout over their deep-laid plot.)

“And close is each one,
And deep of heart.” (Ver. 6.)

But there is another that is an Archer: “God has shot at them.” God has his bow, and his time is coming, (ver. 7). “All their hard speeches,” are to be brought into judgment at the Lord’s coming (Jude 15); and if they wounded others sorely, sorely shall they in turn be wounded. Theirs shall be a doom like Korah’s (ver. 8), when all Israel fled at the cry (Num. xvi. 34).

“He lias cast them down! Their tongues come on themselves.” (Ver. 8.) All earth shall then discern the righteous ways of God. That is the day of his Redeemed so often spoken of, so long expected — the day when the Righteous shall “enter into the joy of their Lord,” and utteraloud their rejoicings and theirglorying in Him.

“TJie Righteous One shall be glad in the Lord, And flee for refuge to none but to him; And all the upright in heart shall boast themselves.” (Ver. 6.)

May we not, then, describe this song of Zion as one in which we find Our Joseph and his seed foreseeing the doom of the archers that have shot at them.

The contents.

192 PSALM LXV. — BLESSING SHOWERED ON THE EARTH.