A Song. A Psalm of David.
1 O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
2 Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.
3 I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
4 For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth;
6 That Your beloved may be delivered,
Save with Your right hand, and hear me.
7 God has spoken in His holiness:
“I will rejoice;
I will divide Shechem
And measure out the Valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead is Mine; Manasseh is Mine;
Ephraim also is the helmet for My head;
Judah is My lawgiver.
9 Moab is My washpot;
Over Edom I will cast My shoe;
Over Philistia I will triumph.”
10 Who will bring me into the strong city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
11 Is it not You, O God, who cast us off?
And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies?
12 Give us help from trouble,
For the help of man is useless.
13 Through God we will do valiantly,
For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.
[This psalm] represents in fact a combination of the parts of two previous psalms—verses 1-5, corresponding to Psalm 57:7-11, and verses 6-13, corresponding to Psalm 60:5-12. — Wechsler, page 257.
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David begins by underscoring the depth from which his praises are brought forth to God—i.e., from his soul (lit., “glory,” which is employed as a poetic euphemism for the soul as that part of man that was derived not from the ground, but from the breath of God Himself (Genesis 2:7)—hence also underscoring the depth (or “height,” per the imagery of v.4) of God’s lovingkindness form which David praises Him. — Wechsler, page 258.
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This worship … will be fulfilled when Messiah returns to sin upon David’s throne. … The night is over; sorrow, oppression, persecution, affliction are all forgotten. That terrible period, rightly called night, is now passed. The remnant of saints will be awakened by singing songs of praise and thanksgiving to Him who loved them and gave Himself for them. This praise and worship will be heard by all the nations of the earth. His glory will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.
Since this Psalm is in the midst of a cluster of prophetic Psalms, it is easy to see that the speaker in this section was inspired to impersonate the Faithful Remnant of Israel, whom the Messiah will bring back tot he land of Abraham, to be loved and admired, not only during the Kingdom Age, but throughout eternity (Jeremiah 30:3; Isaiah 27:6).
Shechem, the valley of Succoth, Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim, Judah, Edom and Philistia, all belong to Israel for ever, because God gave it to her. The deed is recorded in Genesis 15:18. … The deed has never been revoked, but stands. Psalm 108 is a prophecy that God Himself will give it back to the Faithful Remnant … Phillips, pages 266-267.
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David here (vs.6-9) affirms God’s promises regarding the land—i.e., that He has given it to Israel and that they will dwell in it in peace and flourish therein—by focusing on those places and peoples within it that have served as historical focal points of opposition to the fulfillment of these promises. Hence he mentions ( in v.8) Israel’s most prominent tribal-ethnic enemies in the land: Moab (to the east), Edom (to the southeast), and Philistia (to the south and southwest)—all of which have since been judged and removed by God from the face of history. (The “Palestinians” of today, despite the oft-touted claims of their religious and political authorities, bear no connection whatsoever—except that of a similar ethos of opposition to Israel—to the “Philistines” of the Old Testament.) In vs 7-8 he mentions those places epitomizing opposition to Israel’s presence in the land not before David’s time, but also in the time after David—specifically, after Israel’s return from Babylonian exile and especially in the present day. i.e., Shechem (on Mount Ephraim; the political center of the Northern Kingdom of Israel [1 Kings 12:1, 25] and, today, the area around Nablus in the West Bank), the valley of Succoth (a city east of the Jordan River alloted to the tribe of Gad (Joshua 13:27) and in present-day Jordan), Gilead, Manasseh, and Ephraim (all three of which collectively encompass those areas of the Promised Land currently part of the West Bank and western Jordan). These references culminate with the mention of Judah, whose capital (i.e., Jerusalem) has always served as a political nexus of opposition to Israel (as it still does in the ongoing controversy over “East Jerusalem,” and as it will until the end cf. Zechariah 12:3)—the resolution of which opposition is concisely affirmed by the qualification of Judah as God’s “scepter,” referring to His promise in Genesis 49:10 to raise up a Jewish king from the tribe of Judah who will bring peace to His people and receive the obedience of all other nations on earth. — Wechsler, page 258.
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The dominant note in this song is sounded in the words, “God hath spoken” (v.7). Upon this assured foundation Messiah builds all His confident expectations in regard to His future Kingdom in Israel and His dominion over the Nations (vs.7-9). His expectation is based upon the holiness of the Word of God; for such being its moral character and value, its engagements and promises are absolutely sure of fulfillment. By the union of these two Psalms 57 and 60 from Book 2, the fundamental truth is repeated the emphasised that all blessing for Israel, for the Nations and for the Earth is based upon Messiah as the Word of God. — Williams, page 383
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David concludes—in characteristic fashion (cf. 1 Samuel 17:45-47; Psalm 20:7; 124:8)—by affirming his and (what should be) his people’s utter dependence of God for military victory, for whereas deliverance by man in in vain, through God they shall do valiantly. — Wechsler, page 259.
Thanksgiving to the Lord for His Great Works of Deliverance
1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,
3 And gathered out of the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and from the south.
4 They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way;
They found no city to dwell in.
5 Hungry and thirsty,
Their soul fainted in them.
6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
And He delivered them out of their distresses.
7 And He led them forth by the right way,
That they might go to a city for a dwelling place.
8 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
9 For He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness.
10 Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
Bound in affliction and irons—
11 Because they rebelled against the words of God,
And despised the counsel of the Most High,
12 Therefore He brought down their heart with labor;
They fell down, and there was none to help.
13 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.
14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
And broke their chains in pieces.
15 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
16 For He has broken the gates of bronze,
And cut the bars of iron in two.
17 Fools, because of their transgression,
And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.
18 Their soul abhorred all manner of food,
And they drew near to the gates of death.
19 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.
20 He sent His word and healed them,
And delivered them from their destructions.
21 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
22 Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
And declare His works with rejoicing.
23 Those who go down to the sea in ships,
Who do business on great waters,
24 They see the works of the Lord,
And His wonders in the deep.
25 For He commands and raises the stormy wind,
Which lifts up the waves of the sea.
26 They mount up to the heavens,
They go down again to the depths;
Their soul melts because of trouble.
27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man,
And are at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble,
And He brings them out of their distresses.
29 He calms the storm,
So that its waves are still.
30 Then they are glad because they are quiet;
So He guides them to their desired haven.
31 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
32 Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people,
And praise Him in the company of the elders.
33 He turns rivers into a wilderness,
And the watersprings into dry ground;
34 A fruitful land into barrenness,
For the wickedness of those who dwell in it.
35 He turns a wilderness into pools of water,
And dry land into watersprings.
36 There He makes the hungry dwell,
That they may establish a city for a dwelling place,
37 And sow fields and plant vineyards,
That they may yield a fruitful harvest.
38 He also blesses them, and they multiply greatly;
And He does not let their cattle decrease.
39 When they are diminished and brought low
Through oppression, affliction, and sorrow,
40 He pours contempt on princes,
And causes them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way;
41 Yet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction,
And makes their families like a flock.
42 The righteous see it and rejoice,
And all iniquity stops its mouth.
43 Whoever is wise will observe these things,
And they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.
It is thought that [this psalm] was composed for the first celebration of the feast of tabernacles, after the return from the exile [Isaiah 43:5-6; 56:8], when Israel was gathered as one man at Jerusalem, and sacrifices were offered (Ezra 3:1-3).
The Psalm begins with an exhortation to praise, on account of God’s gracious deeds: and in the following verses we are presented with four tableaux: Of the caravan in the wilderness (vs.4-9); of the prisoner (vs.10-16); of the sick (vs.17-22); of the mariner int he storm (vs.23-32). In each of these paragraphs there is a great similarity of order: first the trouble, then the cry for help, then the gracious deliverance, and, lastly, the exhortation to give thanks. After this, there is a glad reference to the restored nation (vs.33-43), which, in spite of the hate of its enemies, had been reinstated in its own land, and was already preparing to rebuild the Holy City. — Meyer, page 130.
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Though the Hebrew text of this psalm has no heading, early Jewish tradition attributes it to David. Consistent with its placement at the beginning of the fifth and final of the “books” of the Psalms, this psalm focuses on—and hence introduces—the main theme of the fifth book, which, parallel to the fifth book of the Pentateuch (i.e., Deuteronomy), concerns the restoration of God’s people to the Promised Land and their living therein under the perfect and intimate rule of their divine King. …
In view of its theme, this psalm hold a central place in the Jewish liturgical-festal consciousness, being recited on the eve of Israeli Independence Day and, in the Sephardic (i.e., Oriental/Eastern Jewish) traditions, on every day of Passover. — Wechsler, pages 254-255.
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This psalm—and hence the Fifth Book of Psalms—commences with the exhortation par excellence, for praising God—to wit: because His lovingkindness endures forever. This statement, which is the most repeated qualification of praise in the book of Psalms, occurs most often in this Fifth Book—not surprisingly, since it is god’s lovingkindness more than anything else, that is represented by His regathering of Israel to their Land and consequent fulfillment of all that He promised to eventually do for them therein. That the psalmist is indeed envisioning the final, complete, and everlasting fulfillment of all God’s promises (per the Abrahamic Covenant) both to and through Israel is evident from (1) the past tense, indicating that these actions are (as viewed from a prophetic perspective) completed, (2) the specific phraseology describing Israel’s gathering from all points of the compass, which hearkens to the prophetic phraseology elsewhere employed to describe Israel’s final regathering and redemption (cf. Isaiah 43:5-6; 56:12; Ezekiel 11:17; 20:33ff.); and (3) the specific use (in v.2a) of the term [translated] “redeemed,” signifying, as in Isaiah 35:9 and 62:12, both spiritual and physical redemption. — Wechsler, pages 255-256.
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In [verses 4-22] the psalmist takes up the theme of the manifestation of God’s lovingkindness in His chastisement of Israel. It is for this reason that, in the midst of his review of God’s chastisement of Israel from the Exodus generation (which “rebelled against the words of God—v.11) to the Babylonian exile (see esp. v.20, employing the same specific phraseology applied to this exile as a means of divine chastisement—e.g., in Lamentations 4:20; Hosea 7:1; 14:4), the psalmist exhorts his people to give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness (v.15)—not only for redeeming them from the afflictions of those chastisements, but also for bringing those chastisements upon them in the first place (cf. Proverbs 3:11-12; Hebrews 12:4-11). — Wechsler, pages 256-257
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In [verses 23-43], in keeping with the overall theme of this Fifth Book of Psalms, the psalmist moves on from focusing on God’s lovingkindness as expressed in the process of chastisement to focusing on God’s lovingkindness (vs.31, 43) as expressed in His preservation of Israel through their chastisement and, ultimately, His restoration of Israel to a better place—both spiritually and materially—than that which they left. In order to underscore the surety of God’s accomplishing this, the psalmist describes throughout this section God’s absolute dominion over nature (vs.23-38; and hence over any natural impediments to His people’s restoration) as well as over all human circumstances (vs.39-42; and hence over any political or social impediments). — Wechsler, page 257.
Joy in Forgiveness of Israel’s Sins
1 Praise the Lord!
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
2 Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise?
3 Blessed are those who keep justice,
And e who does righteousness at all times!
4 Remember me, O Lord, with the favor You have toward Your people.
Oh, visit me with Your salvation,
5 That I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones,
That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation,
That I may glory with Your inheritance.
6 We have sinned with our fathers,
We have committed iniquity,
We have done wickedly.
7 Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders;
They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies,
But rebelled by the sea—the Red Sea.
8 Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake,
That He might make His mighty power known.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it dried up;
So He led them through the depths,
As through the wilderness.
10 He saved them from the hand of him who hated them,
And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11 The waters covered their enemies;
There was not one of them left.
12 Then they believed His words;
They sang His praise.
13 They soon forgot His works;
They did not wait for His counsel,
14 But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness,
And tested God in the desert.
15 And He gave them their request,
But sent leanness into their soul.
16 When they envied Moses in the camp,
And Aaron the saint of the Lord,
17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan,
And covered the faction of Abiram.
18 A fire was kindled in their company;
The flame burned up the wicked.
19 They made a calf in Horeb,
And worshiped the molded image.
20 Thus they changed their glory
Into the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They forgot God their Savior,
Who had done great things in Egypt,
22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham,
Awesome things by the Red Sea.
23 Therefore He said that He would destroy them,
Had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach,
To turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them.
24 Then they despised the pleasant land;
They did not believe His word,
25 But complained in their tents,
And did not heed the voice of the Lord.
26 Therefore He raised His hand in an oath against them,
To overthrow them in the wilderness,
27 To overthrow their descendants among the nations,
And to scatter them in the lands.
28 They joined themselves also to Baal of Peor,
And ate sacrifices made to the dead.
29 Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds,
And the plague broke out among them.
30 Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,
And the plague was stopped.
31 And that was accounted to him for righteousness
To all generations forevermore.
32 They angered Him also at the waters of strife,
So that it went ill with Moses on account of them;
33 Because they rebelled against His Spirit,
So that he spoke rashly with his lips.
34 They did not destroy the peoples,
Concerning whom the Lord had commanded them,
35 But they mingled with the Gentiles
And learned their works;
36 They served their idols,
Which became a snare to them.
37 They even sacrificed their sons
And their daughters to demons,
38 And shed innocent blood,
The blood of their sons and daughters,
Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
And the land was polluted with blood.
39 Thus they were defiled by their own works,
And played the harlot by their own deeds.
40 Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against His people,
So that He abhorred His own inheritance.
41 And He gave them into the hand of the Gentiles,
And those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies also oppressed them,
And they were brought into subjection under their hand.
43 Many times He delivered them;
But they rebelled in their counsel,
And were brought low for their iniquity.
44 Nevertheless He regarded their affliction,
When He heard their cry;
45 And for their sake He remembered His covenant,
And relented according to the multitude of His mercies.
46 He also made them to be pitied
By all those who carried them away captive.
47 Save us, O Lord our God,
And gather us from among the Gentiles,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
To triumph in Your praise.
48 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, “Amen!”
Praise the Lord!
Though the Hebrew text of this psalm has no heading, evidence for its partial attribution to David is attested by (1) the presentation of verses 1 and 47-48a in 1 Chronicles 16:34-36 (following vs.1-15 of Psalm 105) as part of a psalm of thanksgiving ascribed to David, and (2) the attribution to David of verse 38 in Jewish tradition. At the same time, verses 40-47 bear the hallmarks of an exilic perspective, and quite likely represent the words of a later prophet that were added at a later point so as to continue (and hence further emphasize) the picture of God’s unbroken chastisement of—and hence lovingkindness towards—His people (which “picture” is still further extended by Paul in the New Testament period, in Romans 11:28-29). — Wechsler, pages 251-252.
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The basis of God’s faithfulness is not, as is sometimes thought, His covenants—as if binding Him to do (or not do) something whether He wishes it so or not—but rather His character, of which His actions and covenants are in turn a consistent and harmonious expression. The psalmist thus begins by focusing on those aspects of God’s character that undergird his faithfulness to Israel—i.e.: His goodness and His lovingkindness. It is on the basis of these two divine attributes, both of which “operate” irrespective of human merit, that god chose Israel as “a people for His own possession” (Deuteronomy 7:6)—as emphasized by the four different epithets applied to Israel in vs.4-5 (i.e., “they people,” “Thy chosen ones,” “Thy nation,” and “Thine inheritance”).
The expression of God’s faithfulness—which is, in essence, simply the inevitable expression of His goodness and lovingkindness once bestowed—constitute the bulk of this psalm and focuses on the ongoing cycle of God’s chastisement of sinful Israel. — Wechsler, pages 252-253.
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The answer to the question of verse 2 is, that no one can exhaustively analyse, understand, and show the meaning and purpose of Divine actions, or adequately praise such actions. But Messiah can, and He will show forth all God’s praise (Psalm 9:14).
But a spiritual intelligence will recognise Divine action and bow in worship because of such action (v.3). That intelligence results only from subjection of mind to the Scriptures, and from an unvarying life of righteous conduct. A conscious salvation (v.4) enables the believer “to see,” “to rejoice” and “to glory” (v.5). — Williams, page 380.
leanness (v.15) = wasting disease (spiritually)
They envied Moses and Aaron (v.16) — Numbers 16:3-7
He said He would destroy them (v.23) — Exodus 32:10-14
despised the pleasant land (v.24) — Numbers 13:32; 14:41.
They joined themselves unto Baal-peor (v.28) — This was the result of the suggestions of Balaam to Balak (Numbers 25:3; Revelation 2:14).
plague (v.29) — Numbers 25:7-8
mingled with the Gentiles (v.35) — In spite of Joshua’s warning (Joshua 23:12-13).
The psalmist turned to the unfaithfulness of the people in the land (vs.32-48). This he begins by referring to Moses’ exclusion. This reference seems to be a remarkable recognition of the strength of the man. The fair deduction from the setting of the story seems to be that if he had entered with them, some of the things might have been different.
The story of their failure in the land is tragic, but there is evident a recognition on the part of the singer of a poetic justice in their calamity. Moses was excluded because of his failure to represent God to His people, but that failure was provoked by their sin; and they , passing into the land without him, were from the beginning in greater or less degree corrupted. Their initial sin was that of disobedience, either on the ground of pity, or for purpose of compromise. The result was that they descended to all the abominations of which the peoples were guilty. — Morgan, page 200.
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Like Moses in Psalm 90, so too the present psalmist concludes by focusing on the ultimate goal of God’s chastisement—i.e., not only that Israel might be restored to their land and live therein in a state of outward blessing and abundance, but that they might view such as the ideally intended expression of their heavenly Father’s goodness and lovingkindness (v.1) towards them and, in response, give thanks to His holy name and glory in His praise. Verse 48 is employed as a “double-duty” doxology by which both this psalm and the Fourth Book of Psalms (Psalms 90-106) are brought to a close. — Wechsler, page 254.
The Eternal Faithfulness of the Lord
1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
2 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
3 Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
4 Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
5 Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
6 O seed of Abraham His servant,
You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!
7 He is the Lord our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.
8 He remembers His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,
9 The covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac,
10 And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
To Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11 Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
As the allotment of your inheritance,”
12 When they were few in number,
Indeed very few, and strangers in it.
13 When they went from one nation to another,
From one kingdom to another people,
14 He permitted no one to do them wrong;
Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,
15 Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones,
And do My prophets no harm.”
16 Moreover He called for a famine in the land;
He destroyed all the provision of bread.
17 He sent a man before them—
Joseph—who was sold as a slave.
18 They hurt his feet with fetters,
He was laid in irons.
19 Until the time that his word came to pass,
The word of the Lord tested him.
20 The king sent and released him,
The ruler of the people let him go free.
21 He made him lord of his house,
And ruler of all his possessions,
22 To bind his princes at his pleasure,
And teach his elders wisdom.
23 Israel also came into Egypt,
And Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham.
24 He increased His people greatly,
And made them stronger than their enemies.
25 He turned their heart to hate His people,
To deal craftily with His servants.
26 He sent Moses His servant,
And Aaron whom He had chosen.
27 They performed His signs among them,
And wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness, and made it dark;
And they did not rebel against His word.
29 He turned their waters into blood,
And killed their fish.
30 Their land abounded with frogs,
Even in the chambers of their kings.
31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
And lice in all their territory.
32 He gave them hail for rain,
And flaming fire in their land.
33 He struck their vines also, and their fig trees,
And splintered the trees of their territory.
34 He spoke, and locusts came,
Young locusts without number,
35 And ate up all the vegetation in their land,
And devoured the fruit of their ground.
36 He also destroyed all the firstborn in their land,
The first of all their strength.
37 He also brought them out with silver and gold,
And there was none feeble among His tribes.
38 Egypt was glad when they departed,
For the fear of them had fallen upon them.
39 He spread a cloud for a covering,
And fire to give light in the night.
40 The people asked, and He brought quail,
And satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
It ran in the dry places like a river.
42 For He remembered His holy promise,
And Abraham His servant.
43 He brought out His people with joy,
His chosen ones with gladness.
44 He gave them the lands of the Gentiles,
And they inherited the labor of the nations,
45 That they might observe His statutes
And keep His laws.
Praise the Lord!
Though the Hebrew text of this psalm has no heading, evidence for its partial—if not complete—attribution to David is attested by (1) the presentation of verses 1-15 in 1 Chronicles 16:8-22 as part of a psalm of thanksgiving ascribed to David, and (2) the attribution to David of verse 38 (and by implication the rest of the psalm) in Jewish tradition. — Wechsler, page 249.
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A Praise to the God of the Abrahamic Covenant for choosing a People and Giving Them a Land (vs.1-11). Insofar as this psalm focuses on God’s faithfulness in upholding the three promises/provisions of the Abrahamic Covenant (i.e., land, people, and blessing), the psalmist begins by exhorting his audience (i.e., Israel) to make known His deeds (i.e., His sovereignty and character as borne out by His deeds of salvation and judgment—in essence, the Old Testament gospel; cf. Isaiah 52:7) among the peoples—thus reflecting God’s primary motivation in making His covenant with Abraham (and one which has never changed, from the creation of the different peoples in Genesis 11 to their gathering before the throne of glory), i.e.: to bless all peoples through Abraham, and ultimately through his seed, the Son of God. In order to provide a defined venue through which to bring this seed of blessing, God (1) sovereignly chose the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, from the sons of which last (v.6) He created “a people for His own possession” (Deuteronomy 7:6; that this choice was based on God’s grace along is made by Paul in Romans 9:8, where “of the flesh” refers to the customary right of the firstborn [which neither Isaac nor Jacob were]), and (2) sovereignly giving them a land—i.e., the land of Canaan (v.11)—as their everlasting inheritance (v.11; that the land is an everlasting inheritance of ethnic Israel follows logically from the fact that the Abrahamic Covenant under which it was promised is “an everlasting covenant” [v.10]; cf. also Genesis 17:7-8). — Wechsler, pages 249-250.
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A Praise to the God of the Abrahamic Covenant for Preserving His People Outside of Their Land (vs.12-38). In addition to entailing their creation as a distinct people, God’s covenant with Abraham also entails their preservation as a people—regardless of whether or not they conduct themselves in a manner worthy of their being called His people (vs.24, 43). Indeed, God’s covenant promise of blessing entailed not only that He would bless all families of the earth through Israel, but also, by virtue of their being His “chosen ones (so vs.6 and 43), that He would bring blessing directly to Israel as a people (see Genesis 12:2b-3). How God blessed Israel during the initial years of their nation existence is thus the focus of the present section—specifically, how, even when they were outside of their homeland for a period of about four hundred years— God provided for and protected them. — Wechsler, pages 250-251.
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A Praise to the God of the Abrahamic Covenant for Establishing His People Within Their Land (vs. 39-45). The psalmist closes by reflecting on God’s faithfulness in restoring His people to their land… which blessing was expressed not only by the giving of land alone, but also by His giving them a land already prepared to live in by the labor of (the Canaanite) peoples (v.44; cf. Deuteronomy 6:10-11). — Wechsler, page 251.
Praise to the Sovereign Lord for His Creation and Providence
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
2 Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.
3 He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters,
Who makes the clouds His chariot,
Who walks on the wings of the wind,
4 Who makes His angels spirits,
His ministers a flame of fire.
5 You who laid the foundations of the earth,
So that it should not be moved forever,
6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
The waters stood above the mountains.
7 At Your rebuke they fled;
At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away.
8 They went up over the mountains;
They went down into the valleys,
To the place which You founded for them.
9 You have set a boundary that they may not pass over,
That they may not return to cover the earth.
10 He sends the springs into the valleys;
They flow among the hills.
11 They give drink to every beast of the field;
The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 By them the birds of the heavens have their home;
They sing among the branches.
13 He waters the hills from His upper chambers;
The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works.
14 He causes the grass to grow for the cattle,
And vegetation for the service of man,
That he may bring forth food from the earth,
15 And wine that makes glad the heart of man,
Oil to make his face shine,
And bread which strengthens man’s heart.
16 The trees of the Lord are full of sap,
The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,
17 Where the birds make their nests;
The stork has her home in the fir trees.
18 The high hills are for the wild goats;
The cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers.
19 He appointed the moon for seasons;
The sun knows its going down.
20 You make darkness, and it is night,
In which all the beasts of the forest creep about.
21 The young lions roar after their prey,
And seek their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they gather together
And lie down in their dens.
23 Man goes out to his work
And to his labor until the evening.
24 O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions—
25 This great and wide sea,
In which are innumerable teeming things,
Living things both small and great.
26 There the ships sail about;
There is that Leviathan
Which You have made to play there.
27 These all wait for You,
That You may give them their food in due season.
28 What You give them they gather in;
You open Your hand, they are filled with good.
29 You hide Your face, they are troubled;
You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
30 You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;
And You renew the face of the earth.
31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
32 He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the hills, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
34 May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord.
35 May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!
Though the Hebrew text of this psalm has no heading, its likely attribution to David is suggested by (1) its close thematic and phraseological parallels to the previous (explicitly Davidic) psalm, with which it may well have been recited “as a piece” (hence the omission of a heading), and (2) the ascription of this psalm to David in early Jewish tradition. — Wechsler, page 247.
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Just as in the previous psalm, so too here the psalmist begins — and concludes in verse 35 — with the exhortation, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, thus signaling at the outset that the theme of the present psalm is intended to complement that of the previous one; specifically: whereas the previous psalm affirmed the blessing due to God for the benefits to man inherent in His direct dealings with man, the present psalm affirms the blessing due to God for the benefits to man inherent in His creation of the world, man’s home. In this first section, accordingly, the psalmist reviews the scope of those benefits, emphasizing first the awe-inspiring power that went into the world’s creation (vs.1-13) and then remarking specifically on the positive relevance to man of the finished product (vs.14-30) — e.g.: “cattle (v.14, referring to a category of animal created specifically for man’s use, “vegetation for the labor of man, “wine which makes man’s heart glad” (v.15), “the moon for the seasons” (v.19, referring to the regular observance of Israel’s redemption-focused “appointed times,” and “the sea … [where] ships move along” (vs. 25-26). — Wechsler, pages 247-248.
ministers (v.4) — angels
The benefits accruing the the world, man’s home, are unending — specifically, as cyclical and repeating, continually renewed by God (as opposed to being portrayed as self-renewing)—hence reinforcing the notion of God’s direct involvement in providing benefits to man (as opposed to simply “winding up” the world and letting it run through its cyclical patters; cf. also Colossians 1:17). Thus, with regard to the world’s animals: God sustains their lives (v.17: “You give them their food”), takes away their breath, and creates them again; and so too with regard to the world’s vegetation” “Thous dost renew the face of the ground” (v.30b, which latter phrase refers specifically to the vegetation witch is on the face of the ground). — Wechsler, page 248.
leviathan (v.26) — Some commentaries try to make this into a crocodile, others into a whale. The literal meaning is “dragon.” I think it could be whale, or maybe a reference to a type of dinosaur, or maybe just a general term for large sea creatures. I don’t agree with one my commentaries that claims it’s a mythological beast, as that would be out of place in a psalm on God’s creation.
The purpose of God’s benefits to man as mediated through the world are, of course, one and the same as the purpose of those benefits accruing from His direct dealings with man—to wit: the glorification of God (v.31). This glorification is achieved both through the praise and worship of those who love God and truly “know” Him as well as through His just judgment of sinners and removal of the wicked from His presence forever. The psalm closes with the well-known exhortation to praise “Halleluyah” (“Praise the Lord”), which occurs only in Psalms, and here for the first time—introducing the melodious “bridge,” of which the volume is steadily increased by the repetition of the same phrase at the end of the next two psalms (the last in Book Four) into the grand culminating theme of the Fifth and final Book of Psalms. — Wechsler, pages 248-249.
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Light here appears as in Genesis 1, as the first attribute and evidence of the Creator (v.2). “Curtain” means tabernacle. The word occurs fifty-three times in the Bible, Of these, forty-seven relate to the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. The heavens are presented scientifically in v.2 as a vast tent curtaining from view the angelic hosts and their glorious Creator. The higher heavens (“His chambers” vs.3 and 13), the atmosphere (the deep, v.6), the waters, the clouds and the winds picture the wondrous envelope within which the the World that then was existed.
The apparition of the solid earth (vs.5-9), the provision of streams of water for the living creatures (vs.10-13, and of vegetable food (vs.14-18), couple with shelter (vs.16-18), form the subject matter of the second stanza of the Psalm. His appointment of the Sun and Moon for times and seasons, and His providence toward the earth and its living creatures, including man, is celebrated in the third stanza (vs.9-24).
the seas and their inhabitants are sung of in the fourth stanza (vs.25-30). These creatures also depend for breath and food upon the wisdom, the power and the benevolence of their mighty Creator. …
Earthquakes and volcanoes, so full of terror to man, are wholly subject to God (v.32).
The word Hallelujah first occurs here in the Bible (v.35). It is connected, not with the salvation, but with the destruction of men. Verse 35 is a prediction and a prayer. Both are expressed in the form of the Hebrew verb, which reads: “Sinners shall be consumed out of the earth,” and, “let sinners be consumed out of the earth.” The language of the New Testament is similar, for Matthew 13:41-42; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9; and 1 Corinthians 16:22, together with many passages in the Revelation, are predictions and prayers fore-telling and approving the destruction of the wicked. — Williams, page 379.
I like Wechsler’s point that God is actively involved in His creation. He created laws that regulate nature, but He didn’t then walk away. He is actively keeping it inhabitable for man’s benefit (see also Colossians 1:17). This puts the lie to the political claim that the planet with be destroyed if we don’t submit to control by those in power. Yes, we should behave responsibly and not abuse God’s creation—no, it’s not going to be destroyed by anything humanity does.
A Psalm of David.
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
3 Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
4 Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord executes righteousness
And justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the children of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
9 He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
14 For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
And its place remembers it no more.
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
18 To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them.
19 The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
And His kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Who excel in strength, who do His word,
Heeding the voice of His word.
21 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
22 Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
In its heading this psalm is attributed to David. It evinces close parallels, both in theme and phraseology, to the following psalm, with which it may well have been recited “as a piece.” — Wechsler, page 245.
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This psalm has a great prophetic outlook. It is located in the midst of a number of Millennial Psalms. The Psalm gives us a glimpse of saved Israel in worship and praise when the Messiah they rejected, reigns as King of kings upon David’s throne. This Psalm is “The New Song,” mentioned in so many of the Psalms that Israel will sing “in that day” when all the promises that God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are fulfilled. — Phillips, page 249.
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The phrase, “Who healeth all they diseases,” [v.3] means exactly that. Some have said that He meant “spiritual diseases” … Spiritual restoration must come before everything else. This was true in the dealing of Jesus of Nazareth with the paralytic of Matthew 9:2-8. … “Who healeth all they diseases” was a promise made to Israel in this Psalm for that glorious day we call the Millennium, or the Kingdom Age, and not for the present age. Death will have no more dominion then, for it is written, “As the days of a tree are the days of my people, and min elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands” (Isaiah 65:22), and again, “He will swallow up death in victory” (Isaiah 25:8). “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). — Phillips, pages 252-253.
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Messiah’s benefits to sinful and sorrowing men without distinction, occupy the first place in the psalm—they are six in number (vs.1-5). Then the Spirit recalls his benefits in the past to His ancient people when oppressed in Egypt (v.6); when wanderers in the desert (vs.7-9); and when settled in Canaan (vs.10-18)—an amazing story of love, patience, power and forgiveness; and, finally, the Spirit confirms the benefits promised under Messiah’s coming dominion when angels and men and nature will unite to bless Him (vs.19-22). — Williams, page 378.
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The opening clause, “Bless the LORD, O my soul,” is repeated again at the end of the psalm—a literary device known as “inclusio” that serves to emphasize the central idea, or didactic “goal,” of the overall unit—in this case: the obligation to bless (i.e., when applied to God, to express praise and thanksgiving to) the LORD for the manifold benefits (as described throughout this psalm) that accrue to man in His dealings therewith. In their scope these benefits are both spiritual and well as physical, corresponding to the two “parts” (i.e, the soul and the body) of man as uniquely brought together in his creation by God. Hence, beginning with reference to the soul (as the more precedent, or “essential” part of man), David points to the central benefit of the LORD being one (i.e., the only one: cf. Psalm 49:7-9; Isaiah 43:25) who pardons all our iniquities (v.3), and then, with reference to the body, God’s benefits are epitomized by the reference to Him as the one who (ultimately; cf. Isaiah 33:24; 35:5ff; Revelation 21:4) heals all our diseases. — Wechsler, page 245.
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In order to underscore the unending duration of God’s benefits to man, David points to the temporality of man (vs.15-16; cf. Isaiah 40:6-8) and then contrasts it … to the eternality of God’s lovingkindness. … As to the expression “those who keep His commandments” (v.18)—this refers to those who, like Abraham, believe in the truth of God’s word and strive, however imperfectly, to uphold it. — Wechsler, page 246.
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David refers to the Lord as having “established His throne in the heavens (v.19)—as opposed to referring to His throne always having been in the heavens—because there was nothing for Him to reign over prior to Creation; there “was” (which verb itself is insufficient, since time is also a apart of Creation) only Him, self-sufficient and existent with all His “essential” qualities. — Wechsler, page 246.
Verse 14 has to be one of the most comforting verses in Scripture — “He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” God always views us through the lens of His grace.
A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the Lord.
1 Hear my prayer, O Lord,
And let my cry come to You.
2 Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble;
Incline Your ear to me;
In the day that I call, answer me speedily.
3 For my days are consumed like smoke,
And my bones are burned like a hearth.
4 My heart is stricken and withered like grass,
So that I forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of the sound of my groaning
My bones cling to my skin.
6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness;
I am like an owl of the desert.
7 I lie awake,
And am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.
8 My enemies reproach me all day long;
Those who deride me swear an oath against me.
9 For I have eaten ashes like bread,
And mingled my drink with weeping,
10 Because of Your indignation and Your wrath;
For You have lifted me up and cast me away.
11 My days are like a shadow that lengthens,
And I wither away like grass.
12 But You, O Lord, shall endure forever,
And the remembrance of Your name to all generations.
13 You will arise and have mercy on Zion;
For the time to favor her,
Yes, the set time, has come.
14 For Your servants take pleasure in her stones,
And show favor to her dust.
15 So the nations shall fear the name of the Lord,
And all the kings of the earth Your glory.
16 For the Lord shall build up Zion;
He shall appear in His glory.
17 He shall regard the prayer of the destitute,
And shall not despise their prayer.
18 This will be written for the generation to come,
That a people yet to be created may praise the Lord.
19 For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary;
From heaven the Lord viewed the earth,
20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner,
To release those appointed to death,
21 To declare the name of the Lord in Zion,
And His praise in Jerusalem,
22 When the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.
23 He weakened my strength in the way;
He shortened my days.
24 I said, “O my God,
Do not take me away in the midst of my days;
Your years are throughout all generations.
25 Of old You laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
26 They will perish, but You will endure;
Yes, they will all grow old like a garment;
Like a cloak You will change them,
And they will be changed.
27 But You are the same,
And Your years will have no end.
28 The children of Your servants will continue,
And their descendants will be established before You.”
[This is] a truly Messianic Psalm, identified for us as such in the quotation from verses 24-26 in Hebrews 1:10-12. … We learn that the words beginning with, “thy years are throughout all generations” of Psalm 102:24, and going on through verses 25-27, are words addressed by the Father to His Son. …
What we have in the Psalm is a dialogue carried on between the Father and the Son, and it is evident that the scene of this dialogue is laid for the most part, in the Garden of Gethsemane. …
The Psalm really opens with the note preceding the first verse, for that note is a part of the inspired record: “A Prayer of the afflicted, when He is overwhelmed, and poureth out His complaint before Jehovah.” Then as the Psalm proceeds we hear His prayer, reaching from the first verse to the eleventh inclusive.
It would be impossible to imagine a more graphic picture of the utter loneliness of the Son of God as He had moved among men, the object of their hatred and derision. “He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not” (Isaiah 53:3). It was not the Father’s indignation and wrath for His beloved Son as such, but rather His indignation and wrath against our sins, which had brought this suffering upon His holy Son. Here again, as in other Messianic Psalms, we find the Lord Jesus identifying Himself with us, and confessing our sins as His own. …
Down to this point [v.11] we have had only the minor chord in our Psalm as the suffering Son of God poured out His complaints before His Father. But now there comes a great change as the Father replies to His Son, beginning at verse 12. Let us observe here that just as the Son addressed His Father by the title Jehovah in verse 1, so not the Father addresses His Son by the same title in verse 12.
The sacrifice of Calvary was primarily for Israel, “to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16). The Lord Jesus was first of all, “a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers” (Romans 15:8). That is to say, God had made certain promises to Israel through the Father, and in order to fulfill these promises it was necessary that the Lord Jesus should come and die on the cross of Calvary. … To Israel it was a matter of righteousness in the fulfillment of promises; to the Gentiles it was a matter of pure mercy, since no promises had been made to the Gentiles. …
Here again [verses 23-24] we come to a change in the Psalm. The Father has been addressing His Son in reply to that Son’s petition, and now the Son for a moment speaks again, saying “He weakened my strength in the way; He shortened my days. I said, “O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days.”
Here we may find an answer to the much discussed question as to what our Lord meant when in the garden He cried out, saying, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me” (Matthew 26:39). To what cup did He refer? By man it is held that our Lord was praying to be delivered from dying on the cross. Others who reject this theory teach that our Lord was praying to be delivered from having His Father hide His face from Him while on the cross. Our own conviction is that our Lord was praying to be delivered from dying in the garden, and thus failing to reach the cross. to us it is evident that in Gethsemane Satan made an attack upon the Son of God and sought to kill Him there and thus prevent the fulfillment of the prophetic Word that the Lamb of God should die on the cross. The 22nd Psalm predicts and depicts His death by crucifixion, and He Himself prophesied concerning the manner of death He should die, in being lifted up form the earth (John 3:14-15; 8:28; 12:32-34). …
So if Satan could kill Him in the garden then the Word of God should be broken. In Hebrews 5:7-8 we read of our Lord, “Who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.”
It is evident that this Scripture refers to Gethsemane, and it is equally clear that our Lord actually feared the death which Satan sought to thrust upon Him. In Hebrews 4:15 it is declared that our Lord “was in all points tempted like as we are, apart from sin.” The word “tempted” has the meaning of testing. He was tested in all points like as we ourselves are tested, with the single exception of indwelling sin. There was no sin in Him, and so He could not be tempted from within, but only from without. … Is fear itself a sinful thing? Certainly not. … If our Lord was tested in all points like as we are apart from sin, then it follows that He must have been tested by fear. …
His prayer was “heard” [Hebrews 5:7], that is to say, it was granted. Whatever He was asking for was given to Him. … He said, “if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” It was possible, and therefore the prayer was granted, and He was delivered from drinking of that particular cup. He drank instead of another cup, the cup which His Father gave Him (Matthew 20:22; John 18:11). But from His Father’s cup He did not pray to be delivered. He prayed to be delivered from death in the garden.
It is also clear that the cup from which He prayed to be delivered was not the hiding of His Father’s face at Calvary, for His Father’s face was hidden from Him at Calvary, and thus we see that this was not the cup from which He was delivered. …
He said to His Father in His agony, “O My God, take Me not away in the midst of my days” (Psalm 102:24). It was for these days that He had been born. Up to this time He had been saying, “Mine hour is not yet come,” but now it had come, and His threatened death in the garden within so short a distance from the cross overwhelmed Him with fear. …
In Mark 14:33-34 we read that in Gethsemane our Lord was “sore amazed” and “very heavy,” and that He said, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death.” … Then in verse 35, “He went forward a little, and fell on the ground.” … Then in Luke 22:44 we read that “being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his seat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” the word for “drops” is really “clots”—great clots of blood pouring through His skin falling to the ground.
Coming back not to the Psalm we have the Father again replying to the Son in the latter part of the 24th verse [and continuing through the end of the psalm]. — Pettingill, pages 137-145.
I copied much of Pettingill’s comments because I’d never heard that interpretation before that Christ was praying not to die in the garden. I’ve always wondered about that prayer, and this interpretation makes sense to me. I’ll have to ponder and study more.
Some three thousand years have taken place since this prediction. It was a thousand years after the Psalm was written before the first 12 verses were fulfilled in Jerusalem when Jesus of Nazareth was crucified. Two thousand years have elapses since then, and we are just beginning to anticipate the fulfillment of verses 13-17. — Phillips, page 244.
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These verses [25-28] were a comfort to the human side of the Messiah as He was paying the penalty of sin in His death. He was to live, and live on for ever. — Phillips, page 247.
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In response to His complaint (vs.1-11) the Holy Spirit addressing Him in verse 12, and with special reference to verse 11, says: “But Thou, O Jehovah, shalt sit enthroned as King forever.” He then passes on to foretell the restoration of Israel (vs. 13-14); the salvation of the Gentiles (v.15); the subjection of all the kings of the earth (vs. 15 and 22); His apparition in glory (v.16); and the beneficence of His reign over the new nation that is to be born (v.18, with Matthew 21:43) [Still Israel, but an Israel separate from unbelieving Israel—the “little flock” of Luke 12:32]. Thus His glories (1 Peter 1:2) as the Great King are set over against His sufferings as the Rejected Man. Here, as in son many other Scriptures, His sufferings and His glories are brought together, and always in that order. — Williams, page 377.
Wechsler takes an entirely different view of the psalm, one which makes little sense to me, but since I’ve quoted him so often I’ll include some of his comments here.
The prayer is intended as a model for any afflicted (i.e. chastised) believer when he is faint (not only physical, but also emotional “ebbing” (i.e., despair and depression) as in Psalms 61:2; 77:3) and pours out (signifying a full and sincere “confession”) his complaint to the Lord. … The psalmist, moreover, in no way even so much as hints that his affliction is unmerited, but rather affirms that that it is just—even more, that it is an expression of God’s chastisement (as indicated in v.10).
The psalmist’s hope of finding relief from his affliction lies in the fact that the Lord is not only just and righteous … but also compassionate and gracious, leading to His inevitable granting of relief and restoration to His covenant people. … The psalmist thus finds encouragement for his own situation by looking to God’s relationship with Israel. …
The psalmist continues to derive encouragement from the example of God’s relationship with Israel by reflecting not only on what He has promised to do for them, but also on what He has promised to do through them—i.e., that by His interaction with Israel nationally, whether in chastening them or blessing them, He is preparing an example for a people yet to be created (v.18)—i.e., the Church, drawn from both Jew and Gentiles. — Wechsler, pages 242-244.
OK, I have several problems with that interpretation. First, it discounts Hebrews 1:10-12, which quotes this psalm and attributes it to the Messiah. He does throw the Hebrews passage in at the end, saying that verses 25-27 are applied to Christ, but that’s it. Second, if a believer is in agony because of his own sin, how would God’s restoration of Israel be a comfort? And lastly, applying v.18 to the Church is simply wrong because the Church was a mystery that was totally hidden until it was revealed to Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles (Colossian 1:24-27). As I study the Psalms, I’m more and more coming to the conclusion that many if not most of them are Messianic.
A Psalm of David.
1 I will sing of mercy and justice;
To You, O Lord, I will sing praises.
2 I will behave wisely in a perfect way.
Oh, when will You come to me?
I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
3 I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not cling to me.
4 A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will not know wickedness.
5 Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor,
Him I will destroy;
The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart,
Him I will not endure.
6 My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land,
That they may dwell with me;
He who walks in a perfect way,
He shall serve me.
7 He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house;
He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.
8 Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land,
That I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord.
Some commentaries style this Psalm, “The godly-purposes and resolutions of a king.” They think of the Psalm as a king’s pious resolutions, when, as a king reflecting on all that such a resolution implies, he breaks forth in earnest petition that God Himself would come to him and take up His dwelling with Him, giving grace to walk in “a perfect way.”
One writer thinks that it fits in with David’s early life, and that it fits in with what we might expect of a pious young king. In other words, they reduce the Psalm to David’s day dreaming.
Most certainly it is a Psalm of David, but it does not describe his character or his reign. Having due respect for David’s consecration to God, and that of his court, he could not have hoped to keep out all who do not walk a “perfect way.” …
Instead of portraying David and his kingdom, it is a prophecy of a perfect King, of David’s Greater Son, King Messiah. He alone can look into the heart of man and know what they are. — Phillips, pages 235-236.
All my other commentaries fall into the categories mentioned by Phillips (above), even Wechsler, and, surprisingly, Williams. Here’s how Wechsler interprets it:
The present psalm takes up the climatic and conceptually “sustained” note of God’s “everlasting” lovingkindness with which the previous psalm ended and develops it into a new and complementary melody of personal purity. It is God’s “everlasting” (i.e., undiminished and unending) lovingkindness, in other words, that stands at the foundation of his [David’s] desire for personal purity, both in enabling him to truly perceive what it is (via justification), and in providing him with the motive to pursue it as his expression of gratitude and obedience to God (via sanctification). — Wechsler, pages 240-241.
I agree with Phillips. That’s the way I read the psalm before I opened any of my commentaries. If the psalm is an expression of David’s desire, his own repeated failings throughout his life reduce it to a wish list. But even as a wish list it would only make sense if it focused on David’s own behavior, but the King in the psalm clearly intends to enforce his standards on others, which no King but Messiah could do.
David assumes the role of a prophet and portrays the Messiah, the Son of Man on earth, as the perfect ONE. He was the Redeemer, the ONLY begotten of the Father, Who came to the earth, subject to the will of God. Long before His incarnation He said, “I delight to do Thy will, O My God, yea, Thy law is within My heart” (Psalm 40:8). This is repeated in the New Testament in Hebrews 10:7. While He was on earth He said, “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work” (John 4:34). — Phillips, page 236.
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The Psalm has nothing to do with the heavenly Jerusalem. It concerns Jerusalem on earth when the Messiah rules the world. Listen to what Jeremiah was led of God to say, “Behold, the days come saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is the name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jeremiah 23:5-6). The Messiah will not tolerate a perverse heart; the heart of hate will receive swift judgment. The hearts that are proud and manifest self-exaltation will be rejected by Him. Liars, grafters, deceitful people, adulterers, and such like will be cleansed out every morning.
These things can be better understood by reading and meditating on the 22nd Psalm. According to the prophecy which Isaiah was led of God to write, during the Kingdom Age people will build houses, plant vineyards and rear children. The children born will possess the Adamic nature, even though Satan will be bound and the Messiah reigns. Those children must hear the gospel that David portrayed in Psalm 22, and accept it or be lost. Isaiah 65 reveals that the children will be permitted to live one hundred years without being regenerated; though outwardly they will obey the King, but in their hearts they may be rebels. This Psalm reveals that the Messiah will execute judgment every morning.
Isaiah 65 also reveals that all the faithful, whether they be Jews or Gentiles, will live on as the days of a tree. In other words, they will live through the Kingdom Age, and as other Scriptures reveal, they will be translated into eternity at the end of the Kingdom Age, which is to be 1,000 years. — Phillips, page 238.
perverse (v.4) = twisted, perverted
14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;
15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,
16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
these things (v.14) — new heavens and a new earth (v.13). Looking forward is akin to hope, as in Romans 8:18-25.
diligent (v.14) = eager, zealous, hastening
The Lord always wants what’s best for His own. He didn’t want them concerning themselves with circumstances that were beyond their control. After all, worry is a sin! Rather it was His will for them to place their faith in Him, who is in control of all things. They were to trust the promises of God which would anchor their souls in hope — then and only then would they be “found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” this will be particularly needful for those who endure the future horrors of the Tribulation period.
Peter answers for us the critical question of why God isn’t dealing with Israel as a nation during the administration of Grace, when He says, “An account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation,” that is, for the Gentiles. Once the fullness of the Gentiles is complete at the Rapture, then God will turn again to His chosen nation. Then all believing Israel will be saved (Romans 11:25-26). — Sadler, pages 235-236
untaught (v.16) = unlearned, ignorant
unstable (v.16) = unsteady, unsettled, not established, unsteadfast, in contrast to the steadfastness that Peter calls his readers to in v.17. Unstable = lit. describing someone who does not have a staff to lean on, hence, a person who can not be relied on because they are not steady.
I had a boss at a Christian Bible study ministry who without hesitation stated that she did not like Paul’s writings and much preferred James. I also sat in a room with more than a thousand evangelical youth workers when the speaker said she didn’t like Paul because he was too hard to understand. The room erupted in cheers. (The speaker did go on to say that Paul’s writings were Scripture and should be taken seriously, but there was no cheering at that statement.
Those who teach that Peter’s writings are merely an extension of Paul’s revelation usually point to the fact that Peter encourages his countrymen to read Paul’s epistles. The purpose, however, was not to give further instructions to the Body of Christ. Peter wanted them to study Paul’s writings that they might have a fuller comprehension as to why the promises to Israel were temporarily being left unfulfilled. If they read Paul’s writings they would see firsthand the wonderful work that God was doing among the Gentiles according to His secret purpose.
The wisdom given to Paul spoken of here [v.15] by Peter is the hidden wisdom of God. Of course, this is the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the Mystery (1 Corinthians 2:6-8 cf. Romans 16:25). If we remove Peter’s parenthetical thought for a moment, we are left with the following thought, “Even as our beloved brother Paul … hath written unto you.” We personally believe that the writing to which Peter refers is Paul’s letter to the Hebrews.
Peter always spoke his mind, “As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest.” What things? … We’ll just mention a few; the longsuffering of God among the Gentiles, Jews and Gentiles in one Body, the headship of Christ, the heavenly inheritance of the Gentiles, etc. … These things were hard for Peter to understand in light of the promises to Israel. Peter was still sorting all this out in lieu of Paul’s apostleship and message. On the other hand, the “unlearned and unstable” were twisting the Scriptures to discredit and challenge Paul’s authority, and they did so to their spiritual destruction. …
The terminology “other Scriptures” distinguishes Paul’s epistles from the prophetic Scriptures, which follow the prophetic theme. This should not surprise us, since the things found in Paul’s revelation were kept secret from ages and generations past, but now are brought to light in His epistles alone. — Sadler, pages 237-238.
I believe that Peter was referring to Hebrews when he mentions what Paul wrote to them (v.15) — them being the first-century Jews. I also believe that Paul didn’t use his by-line in Hebrews because he was the apostle to the Gentiles and he wrote that one book to the Jews.
It’s also unlikely that Peter would find Paul’s wisdom hard to understand if Peter and Paul were writing the same message to the same audience. This is additional evidence that they weren’t. See also Galatians 2:7-9.
this (v.17) — that “the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation (v.15).
Another reminder that Peter’s audience for these words will be the saved kingdom Jews who are charged with remaining steadfast though the intense persecution of the Tribulation.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Again, it’s important to remember that Peter had two audiences in mind — first-century Jews of the Dispersion, and Tribulation Jews for whom these events will be imminent.
Peter states in no uncertain terms that the “day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.” Immediately after the Rapture, the next major event on God’s calendar is the Lord’s Day, as the foregoing phrase implies. It will be a day of wrath — a day of trouble, a day of vengeance, a day of darkness, thick darkness (Isaiah 63:2-6 cf. Zephaniah 1:14-18). Although the day of the Lord is usually closely associated with the Second Coming of Christ to the earth, it is actually an extended period which covers the following events:
1. The first three and one-half years of Jacob’s Trouble, known as the Tribulation (Isaiah 13:6-9; Matthew 24:3-14; Revelation 5:1-17).
2. The latter three and one-half years is called the Great Tribulation, which concludes with the battle of Armageddon and the Second Coming of Christ (Isaiah 13:10-11; Matthew 24:15-44; Revelation 16:13-16; 19:11-20).
3. The judgments of Israel and the nations, and the establishment of the millennial kingdom (Matthew 25:14-46; Revelation 20:4).
4. The battle of Gog and Magog, at which time God puts down the final rebellion against His righteousness (Revelation 20:7-9).
5. Then comes the end of time as we know it, when the kingdom is delivered into the hands of the Father and all the unsaved dead are resurrected and made to stand at the Great White Throne Judgment (1 Corinthians 15:24-28; Revelation 20:11-15).
6. Simultaneously God will purge the present heavens and earth with fire (Revelation 20:11 cf. 2 Peter 3:10-12).
It is difficult to ascertain the exact extent of this period, but we do know that it covers at least one thousand seven years (Daniel 9:27 cf. Revelation 20:4).
With these things in mind, Peter transports his hearers to the last event of the day of the Lord when he states: “the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.“
The present heavens and earth, as we know them, are being preserved for a future judgment by fire. Like the days of Noah, this judgment will also be universal, but far more reaching. The combination of a “great noise” and the elements melting “with fervent heat” seem to indicate some type of a nuclear holocaust. In Paul’s letter to the Colossians we learn, “by Him all things consist,” that is, they are literally held together by His almighty power. …
Warnings of judgment are often followed by an admonition to live a godly life. Thus the apostle adds, “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness?” — Sadler, pages 231-233.
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Hasting unto (v.12) = eagerly looking for and desiring. That “day” is fixed and cannot be hastened. It is in the eternal state that all the promises of God will be finally accomplished. It is at the close of the millennium that the present universe is to be dissolved. — Williams, page 1009.
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Out of the ashes [the fire during the Day of the Lord, v.10] comes a new day, the day of God, which introduces us to the eternal state. We believe this phrase is synonymous with the dispensation of the fullness of times spoken of by the Apostle Paul. “That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him” (Ephesians 1:10).
The gathering “together in one all things in Christ” here has to do with God’s eternal purpose for the heavens and the earth. Peter and Paul are in full agreement that the distinction between these two realms will remain throughout eternity. “Looking for” is an indication that Peter’s hearers were anticipating the day when they will reside on a new earth, with the Lord who bought them. It is not God’s purpose to create a new heavens and a new earth after the destruction of the former things of old. … The term “new” in 2 Peter 3:13 is the Greek word kainos, which denotes “not new in time, recent, but new as to form or quality, of a different nature from what is contrasted as old.” In other words, the heavens and earth are going to pass from one state of existence to another. God is going to simply renovate what we presently see around us, as the Scripture confirms (Psalm 104:5; Ecclesiastes 1:4).
As the heavens and earth are restored to a state of perfection, it will mark the completion of God’s plan of redemption, which included the creation (Romans 8:18-23). … Our inheritance as members of the Body of Christ will encompass the heavenlies where we will be seated with Christ. This, however, doesn’t mean we won’t have access to the earth. …
The new earth will be inhabited by the nation Israel and the other prophetic saints, according to the promise of God. During the prophetic program Israel held a preeminent position over the nations that will continue throughout the eternal state. She will have the honor of having the names of the twelve tribes inscribed upon the twelve gates of the New Jerusalem. Furthermore, the wall that surrounds this fifteen-hundred mile enclosure is said to have twelve foundations wherein are emblazoned the names of the twelve apostles of the kingdom. Interestingly, Paul’s name will not be among them. Why? He is the apostle of grace, the one apostle, ordained of God to make known the heavenly ministry of Christ (Galatians 1:1, 11-12 cf. Revelation 21:1-2, 12, 14). — Sadler, pages 233-235.
