Psalms 120–126

Psalm cxx. These psalms of degrees all treat the circumstances of the restored but undelivered remnant; our part now is to enquire into their moral bearing. The first psalm declares their state and resource. “In my distress I cried unto Jehovah, and he heard me.” The character of evil is spoken of: deceit and hostile power. It was grief of heart to have constantly to say to this. But such was his condition. He was dwelling in the midst of evil. It was his sorrow, and distress to him. He sought peace: they were for war. It is the spirit and chai’acter of the Christian in the midst of the power of evil, which, when called out by the presence of good, shows itself thus. Judgment, howevei’, would come on the false tongue. It is the simple expression of the grief of a soul, peace-loving and peaceable, having to do with the wicked deceit of man. The resource is calling on the Lord, who hears.

Psalm exxi. Where should the soul look”? To the hills’? (Comp. Jer. iii. 23.) Help was to be found in the Lord. I suppose it is: shall I look to the hills 1 My help is in Jehovah, and Jehovah would surely keep me. He slumbers not, nor sleeps. The point is, Direct me away from all false and vain hopes, and set forth the one true object and resource, surely to be reckoned upon, and reckoned upon to keep all evil away. Only we must now note that the literal application of this is not now just. Christ has been reckoned among transgr id we have to go on no

looking for absolute deliverance: yet we are to be assured that the hairs of our bead are numbered. God withdraws not His a the righteous now; but

we do not look in result to be kept for earth, as the Jew rightly will in the path of faithfulness. Yet our Father dues watch over us with unceasing vigilance. We may be at peace under the shadow of His wings. Our instruction is, in the midst of every evil, to look ■11 1 v to the Lord.

Psalm exxii. The Lord’s house, i.e., His pres< nee and worship in the place of His rest, is our desire (for us, heaven). But love to that place of God’s dwelling is accompanied by the sense that all tins is united in blessing. It is loved, not only for the Lord’s own sake, the centre of all, but for all the saints’ sake, for our brethren’s and companions’ sake. This cannot be the first thing, but it is the first circle round the true centre — dove to all saints. Heaven is loved, but it is loved for the sake of the dwelling-place of Him with whom we have to do — our Father’s house. If heaven r to me, that is what especially makes it so. We desire even the Church’s good now for the same n We do take our place in heavenly places. They are bright and holy: we rejoice in it. But the house of God is the centre there for our hearts.

I’ hnexxiii. The heart waits on God for deliverance. So we. There ’ on the heart by the presence

of the power of evil. We wait continually upon God for the coming of the blessed Lord to remove it all.

The contempt of the proud will cease. All will be wholly changed to the soul’s- rest.

Psalm exxiv. God alone keeps His people. The great point all through here is to look to Him alone. And it is our part along our path, and specially in these last days. All other refuges will give in something or another. A wrong direction to the soul will lead it into a false path, makes its state less holy in purpose, less pure and wise in walk. God can make use of everything, because His motive to bless us is always in Himself, and He disposes of everything. Whereas we arc formed in heart by the objects we have, and must adapt ourselves to what we lean on.

But then (Psalm exxv.) trusting in the Lord is perfectly sure. A divine and almighty hand secures us. “We know from many passages, the Lord may see good to let us suffer, but not a hair of our head shall perish. “When His time is come, the rod of the wicked shall not be on the lot of the righteous. He may let us suffer for our God, or for His name’s sake; but even so it is not according to the will and power of the wicked, but according to His own. Only this supposes one walking in His ways.

Psalm exxvi. We find here a partial restoration, leading to look for full blessing. God may have delivered the soul, too, from the alienation and sorrow of its evil days, when it has gone wrong, backslidden, without its being yet fully restored. God comes in in goodness on repentance, encourages us, brings

THE PSALMS. — PSALM CXXVI. ol7

Qga we neve;- could have hoped for, re-establishes the bouI in the place of blessing, makes His favour so far manifest, bo that we feel Be is for us with great joy. Yet it is not the peaceful How of favour in communion with Him, as if there was nothing but favour naturally enjoyed in the place we are in. Just as to Jacob a Peniel, God blessed him, but would not reveal His name — blessed, bul did not reveal Himself. Tin

the blessing from God, finds so far His favour; but it is not in communion, nor does it receive the communication of what He is, so as to he able, going forth from Him into the world, to be a witness for Him in it. This is our true place. No doubt to be I and restored, when we have gone astray, is great mercy; hut our place is to be peacefully in communion where God has set us with Himself, and thus the vessels of His revelation of Himself to others. And this, in the Jewish form of it, is what our psalm expresses. But there is another principle also. In a world where the power of evil is, sowing time, in which we meet the evil in possession with the word, is a time “I’ tears. “I have given them Thy word, and the world hath hated them.” (John xvii.) Christianity

own in the tears of the Son of God. It is the fruit of the travail of His soul which He will see in that day. So in all service (and we must make up our minds to it), where there is to be real blessing, there niiiM he the soi-row of the world’s opposition, and even in the Church the greater Borrow of trials, of failure and shortcoming where we desire to see Christ fully represented. But, going forth with the precious word. we may reckon on bringing our sheaves hack with us.