Psalms 27–28

Psalm xxvii. shews the heart confident in Jehovah, yet exercised before Him in the presence of the outward manifestations of evil. What would create fear more than distress of spirit? The connexion of confidence in thinking of the enemies, and exercise of heart when looking to God, I think instructive, though at first sight it seems strange in this psalm. Confidence is not indifference or insensibility; but true exercises of heart with God, even when fear accompanies those exercises, shew themselves in confidence and boldness in presence of the hostile action of evil. Man would have spoken of fear when in presence of the enemy and confidence when with God. Whereas grace, working in true exercises of heart with God, gives boldness with the enemy. There is a real power of evil. The rightly taught heart feels it in its inward sources and reality (more or less spiritually,) but feels it with God, and then is at peace in the midst of, and as. to, the conflict itself. So Christ sweat, as it were, great drops of blood in exercise of soul before God, and was of perfect calmness in the presence of His enemies, yea, they fell to the ground at the mention of His name. This is full of instruction as to the difficulties and pains of Christian life. Where the heart, conscious of the power of evil, is exercised with and before God as to it, the evil itself, whatever its power, is powerless when it comes, assuming the exercise to be complete. “This is your hour,” said Christ, “and the power of darkness.” But He had felt all that with God, and took the cup, as to the fact, out of the Father’s, not the enemy’s hand, who had, as to Christ, no such power. The psalm shows us the working of this in ordinary men according to His Spirit. Jehovah is the saints’ light by faith, lightens up all around. There is no power of darkness for the spirit, when darkness is there in power. It rules in the enemies, but light is in the heart from the Lord, and it walks thus in the light. This is a great consolation. But the Lord is more than this — lie is actual deliverance. This, till the cap was drank, He could not be for Christ; but He is known to be so for the redeemed soul in the midst of the trial. The same revelation of Jehovah which gives light, gives us in the light to be assured of the deliverance: I do not say necessarily to see the deliverance, for the how may be obscured, but to be assured of it. Because Jehovah is there in light, He will deliver; so the Father for us, and in His place of government, the Lord. But if it be God Himself, clearly there is nothing to fear. This is celebrated in thinking of the wicked, whom no conscience restrains — of war, where will is unbridled, however violent and mighty; if the Lord is there, all is provided for. But an important principle, or state of soul, is associated with, and is the basis of, this confidence — entire singleness of eye and desire, the looking to Jehovah for, and seeking one thing, to be with Him, in His presence where He is, and can be adored; to behold His beauty, and learn there His will and mind. But this, on the other hand, is connected with confidence in His goodness. The soul, defenceless in itself, knows the Lord will hide it in the time of trouble in His pavilion. Who shah hurt or disturb it there? And what love in the Lord, what interest He takes in those He loves! The soul dwells with Him, and dwells in safety. It is not apparent deliverance, but the secret of His tabernacle. And it is wonderful how the Lord does when evil rages, and there seems no resource; the soul seeks none, it confides sweetly and quietly in the Lord, sure of security in Hun. The 6th verse counts on full dedeliverance and praise in His tabernacle, now not a hiding-place, nor a secret, but the blessed place of open praise. In the following verses we have the exercises of soul with the Lord, while waiting on

lliia for help. The Lord had called to seek His face. He could not tin n it away. The soul recognizes here the possibility of anger, and deprecates it, and counts on grace. This is important for the soul, for one might think it could trust in the Lord if lie had nothing against it. IJut not so: the heart may recognize that it ought to expect anger, yet trust grace. It has known a helping God, and looks not to Inforsaken of one who is a Saviour God. Tins con-Qdence is complete; more than the nearest ties of nature can give, and so indeed it is for him who knows the Lord. It takes up its own matters between itself and God, looks to he taught His way, and led in a plain path, because its enemies watched for its getting Olil of the way. The pressure of enemies was great. and there will be such for the saint. There is a will of evil — false witness, then cruelty. The goodness of the Lord — no human means — is the resource of the heart, the goodness of the Lord in His government. The result is: wait on the Lord. He strengthens the heart. “Wait.! say. on the Lord.” This, indeed, is the secret of strength in the time of evil. There is, then, nothing to fear. We may have learnt that it is a Father’s love in our path of children, and the care of Christ, that good Shepherd. 1 n it the principle of our confiding in the Lord is the same. It is remarkable how entirely absent is the thought of any other resource Or help, than that of the Lord. And this it is maintains integrity. I’mthe Lord cannot help otherwise than in maintaining truth of heart. The wile of enemies is there. The soul knows nothing, (no human means or strength, or wisdom, or plan,) but seeking Jehovah’s face; with Him all is settled, and so in truth in the inward parts, and integrity. The enemies are then Jehovah’s concern. This is the secret of our security and comfort in trial. Hence, grace being there, we can reckon on the Lord at all times. If we have erred, bring it to Him. It is a true exercise of soul in His presence. He deals with it according to truth, between itself and Him, but grace and His secret place, and their deliverance are its position.

Though Jehovah be the great subject of Ps. xxviii. as of all these, as regards the faithful there is a special point — his cry to Jehovah, and the supplication addressed to Him. The heart connects itself with the Lord in crying to Him. The cry implies the Lord’s interest in us, and our having this for our starting point; also our avowed dependence on Him. Hence, crying and prayer to the Lord are important, and an index to the state of soul. We may desire from the Lord, have faith in His goodness in giving, but crying to Him identifies us avowedly with Him, even before others. Here the soul is spoken of as in extreme distress — the pit of scheol open before it. But the principle is ever true, even in interceding for others. Here faith is shown in crying, when all seemed to man’s eye hopeless. This connection with the Lord is distinctly marked here, in its being made the ground for not being drawn away with the wicked in judgment. In psalm xxvi. it was the integrity of the believer in his ways, which was laid as the ground for not being so drawn away: here it is this connection With the Lord, shown in calling upon Iliin. And though the wickedness of evildoers be die ground on which their judgmenl is Looked for, yet their disregard of Jehovah is declared to lie the ground of their destruction. The righteous lias dusted in I lini and been helped. Hill there is more, and much more, in the Lord’s deliverance of us than the fact of being delivered. He has delivered us. The heart was attached to Him. adored Him, looked up to Ilini, believed Sim, and He has not failed us. Oh! true this is! and how it attaches afresh the heart to Him. So here, (ver. (5, 7,) “My heart trusted in him, and I am helped; t herefore my heart greatly rejoiceth, and with my son — will 1 praise him.” This looking with confidence to the Lord is a real entering into His character and conformity to it, in the sense of estimating, delighting in, and honouring it, in counting it impossible to be otherwise. It appreciates the Lord; and he who appreciates anything morally excellent is in a dependent way like it. I have a friend, of a noble, faithful, self-devoting character. I am in circumstances where all is opposed to the probability or possibility of his coming in to help. I am sure he will. 1 count with affection on what he is. It is evident thai I hold fast in my appreciation of him. He is to my mind superior to all circumstances, governed by bis own excellence; and this is what 1 appreciate and reckon on. Whatever circumstances may be, my heart goes with his in his conduct, though

in the way of dependence, and his with mine. When he has acted, 1 rejoice in him, in my estimate of him.

I say, I knew my appreciation was just: I knew him, and what he is. I rejoice in his excellence: I have reckoned on it as certain, and above all the circumstances. He has proved his interest in me in intervening. Thus, when God shall deliver the remnant. and when He delivers the Christian, they can say. “This is our God; we have waited for him.” This is what we can see in Job through all his culpable irritation. He reckons on God, and knows what he would be and do if he could find Him. The heart has trusted God’s heart, and found it, and rejoices in it — has really honoured God, though only in waiting, in assured confidence for Him. It is satisfied hi what its mighty Friend is, and in His love. It rejoices in deliverance, for it suffered and was oppressed in vp eakness; but rejoices in heart — delight in the deliverer. It has a friend that has formed the heart after His own excellency, and formed it to confide in it. In the Christian this will be calmer, because he is more instructed in heavenly things, knows God better, and has less anxiety as to what is here below, does not look on the things that are seen. But the principle is the same.