Psalms 18–19

Psalm xviii. is of the deepest interest, as regards the interpretation, presenting, as it does, the sufferings of Christ as the centre of all the deliverance of Israel. His cry there called out upon Israel all the favour of God in power. But I have not a great deal to say upon it, for that very reason, in its application to us. The great principle developed — and it is a precious one — is the cry to a trusted God in distress, which He surely hears. Of this Christ is the example, as elsewhere.” This poor man cried, and Jehovah heard

THE PSALMS. — PSALM XVJir. o9

liiin.” Only that here it is not, us in psalm xxxiv., tender commiseration towards the suffering poor; but the interest that Jehovah takes in a suffering Christ, who has walked in perfect obedience to the law. The psalm is a psalm of praise, because He has been heard and Jehovah known as a rock and a deliverer; but this, as often remarked, is the result expressed in the first verses, and what leads to it is then pursued.

“I will call upon Jehovah,” for His name it is, and 1 lis alone, the God of His people, which inspires confidence. It is His name which is celebrated, but what has drawn all his praise out is the answer to the cry raised to Him in distress in the midst of enemies, in the sorrows of death. In that distress Jehovah heard out of His temple. This associates it at once with the earth, and deliverance, and triumph there. But another point of the highest interest does so to — obedience to the law laid as the ground for his living-, heard in the day of distress, (ver. 20 — 20.) The righteous mi earth and dependence of Messiah on Jehovah, calling (Mi Him ia distress, brought JJim earthly deliverance and earthly triumph. The two previous psalms look onward to heavenly blessing. though the latter of them for the disappointment of the enemy also; and the hope held out is heavenly, the righteousness not legal; but in the former the heart Bel on Jehovah, in the latter a heart right with God, and in this world, and looking for righteousness.

Here in psalm win. there is obedience to His

statutes, a cry in distress even to the pains of death,

and deliverance, and triumph on the earth. Such is

uii of the legal righteousness of Christ, when in distress, in the midst of the floods of ungodly men and LTis strong enemy. Note, it is the power of men and death, and His crying thus to God, and His cry comes before Him — in no way God’s hand upon Him as suffering for sin. Messiah’s legal righteousness and distress bring earthly triumph and supremacy to David and to his seed. It is the government of God, (see 25, 26,) having regard to righteousness on the earth which in Christ was perfect. But this, perfectly accomplished when Christ’s enemies are put under His feet, is not* actually so now, because God prepares His saints for a heavenly dwelling and joy. and, during all the proving of the first Adam, shows by their trials that their rest is not here. Still there are some precious points for every soul. In uprightness and suffering through it, he can surely count upon God; and remark here that the interest and sympathy of God, awakening in us the blessedest affections, are sweetly shown. The Lord hears when we call in distress, and in the greatest depth we can have confidence, and what ought to seem to shut us out from it is just the occasion of it’. The psalm instructs us thus to call upon the Lord in distress, come how or why it may — to call on the Lord; and thus not only the deliverance is known, but the Lord is known in His sympathy, and kindness, and interest in us. I love the Lord, he says; or rather the heart turns to the Lord Himself and says, “I will love thee, 0 Lord, my strength,” and then the heart thinks of all He is for us. uThe Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my strength, in whom I will trust, my buckler, the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” The heart enlarges in the sense of what He has been for us. And so lie is. Though our deliverances may not be exactly of the same kind, yet difficulties and distress often beset us, and there is deliverance in crying to the Lord. Note also, there are holy affections drawn out by the dealings of the Lord, as by His eternal salvation — holy and confiding affections, piety; not merely praise, because he has redeemed us for ever, but daily exercise of sympathy and tender thoughts of compassion. He cannot bear to see us suffer, save when needed, and there are trials which draw out love to Him. Surely, lie says, “Ephraim is my dear child; for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still.” There indeed it was the remembrance of him when under chastisement. Here it is suffering in integrity, but at bottom there is integrity in the Christian and in Christ. He can cry in that distress. The psalm however is the cry <if a holy and calm spirit, confiding in God and finding the abundant results in His faithfulness. The heart is drawn to Himself.

In xvi., xvii., xviii, we have found Christ Himself — His personal position, the joy set before Him in heaven, and His final triumph on earth as suffering when legally righteous. In xix. — xxi. we have the godly remnant contemplating the different testimonies presented to the responsibility of man. A few remarks on each are called for. First, there is the testimony of creation, anil in particular the heavens, for the earth has been given t<> man and is corrupt. Here, remark, God is spoken of, not Jehovah — His hope in

(.’(»1 as such. Hence the godly man sees that, the witness goes out into all lands, and that the Gentiles are the objects of God’s testimony. This is a veiy important point, which the Jews ought to have understood, and which Paul, by the Holy Ghost, did understand, citing this psalm to show it — not resting on what the testimony was, but on the fact that the testimony of God went out into all lands to the ends of the earth. The godly man can delight in this testimony to the glory of His God; but he sees it reaches out to all. He enters into and understands the penetrating, pervading character of this testimony, and that it is God who is witnessed to by it. Such, I add, will be the estimate of the restored remnant in the last days. (See psalm cxlviii.) But the godly man estimates the experimental excellence of the law of God also; and though, of course, for Israel it was the law as given by Moses, we must take it here as the testimony of the word of God to the conscience. I say the conscience, because it is not the revelation of the riches of grace, or the unfolding of the person of Christ and the ways of God in Him, but the testimony of God’s word respecting man, to the conscience of man, even when it is taken in the largest sense. He does not say the law of God here, but “the law of Jehovah,” a God known in covenant relationship. His law is given to His people, to His servants. It is perfect, the exact mind of God as to what man ought to be before God, according to God’s will, now that evil is known; but man’s mind is not such, even when the law of God is delighted in. It sets the soul therefore right. One has the consciousness of its doing so: for the soul, having life, appreciates it when revealed, (though it may not Lave had it in mind,) and is livingly susceptible of its truth. It has

living ] xiwer as the word of God for him who lives. But where it is not forgotten, there is enlightening and direction. It is purr and enlightens the eyes, gives to set- clear where we were obscure in heart and spirituality. But the psalm connects this with the State of the heart. There is a reference, not merely, to the law, but to the Lord Himself — the effect of the sense of God’s presence in the conscience — the fear of the Lord — the introduction of God into every tiling, and the reference of the heart to Him. and the judgment which he Has of everything. This is clean; no spot can remain there, and it is an eternal principle, for it depends on the nature of God Himself. Further, God’s dealings and ways as pronounced (for judgments include that, as well as judgments executed; He does show His judgment of things in His chastisements;) but hi general every judgment He forms, however shown, is true and righteous altogether. Bat they are not only this, but as gold and the honey-comb to the faithful; they are the expressions of God’s mind, and that is infinitely precious and sweet to the saint. But, besides this, the heart is in the midst of dangers and human tendencies, which draw us far from God. The judgments of the Lord on all human conduct warn us: for the joy of the word, and, in the case of the Christian, of heaven, do not suffice. We need the wisdom ami prudence which can point out a divine path in the confusion of evil, to guide our steps out of the reach of evil here. God’s word meets us even here. And in keeping His judgments there is great reward: great positive blessing and peace of heart here. The soul is happy with God, and walks in peace through the world, and, as a Christian, the heart is thus wholly free to serve others. Remark that it is not merely what the law is, but what the heart knows it to be: the servant of Jehovah is warned by it. There is delight in it, according to the new nature, and the consciousness of relationship; for we are servants of God, though we have higher, more intimate and glorious relationships. But in this confidence the effect of this nearness is to turn the eye to another point: the want of full self-knowledge, distrust of self. “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults.” In many things, although delighting in the word, and appreciating it when thinking of it, I may not have judged my own heart, or be able morally to prove it, so as to judge it according to that perfection: for there is growth in spiritual judgment. But there is integrity and confidence in the Lord, and he demands to be cleansed from his secret faults, and to be kept from all presumptuous faults — what one would commit with open disregard of God. Thus he would be undefiled, and be kept with God, not turning aside to idols or vanity. For small and neglected sins and unjudged confidence of heart lead to forgetfulness of God, and denial of Him in the truth. I do not speak here of security by grace, but of the path in which these evils leads. Finally, the true desire of the heart is shown: that the words of the mouth, and the meditations of the heart may be acceptable in God’s sight. This is the true test of a godly life, when good is sought inwardly, when only in God’s sight: the research of good with God, not before man or in the knowledge of man. I speak not of hypocrisy, but of walking with God. But in all true righteousness God is owned as our Rock and Redeemer for we cannnot be “with” Him, with the real apprehensions <>f a new life, without feeling* our need of Him in both characters.