This
short psalm may be summed up in those words of the prophet (Isa. iii. 10,
11), "Say you to the righteous, It shall be well with him. Woe to the
wicked, it shall be ill with him." Thus are life and death, the
blessing and the curse, set before us often in the psalms, as well as in the
law and the prophets. I. It is certainly well with the people of God; for,
1. They have the promises of a good God that they shall be fixed (ver. 1),
and safe (ver. 2), and not always under the hatches, ver. 3. 2. They have
the prayers of a good man, which shall be heard for them, ver. 4. II. It is
certainly ill with the wicked, and particularly with the apostates, ver. 5.
Some of the Jewish rabbies are of opinion that it has reference to the days
of the Messiah; however, we that are members of the gospel-church may
certainly, in singing this psalm, take comfort of these promises, and the
more so if we stand in awe of the threatening.
|
The
Security of God's People.
|
|
|
|
A song of degrees.
1 They that trust in the LORD
shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but
abideth for ever. 2 As the mountains are round about
Jerusalem, so the LORD
is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.
3 For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous;
lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.
Here are three very precious promises made to the people of God, which,
though they are designed to secure the welfare of the church in general, may
be applied by particular believers to themselves, as other promises of this
nature may. Here is,
I. The character of God's people, to whom these promises belong. Many call
themselves God's people who have no part nor lot in this matter. But those
shall have the benefit of them and may take the comfort of them, (1.) Who
are righteous (v. 3), righteous before God, righteous to God,
and righteous to all men, for his sake justified and sanctified. (2.) Who trust
in the Lord, who depend upon his care and devote themselves to his
honour. All that deal with God must deal upon trust, and he will give
comfort to those only that give credit to him, and make it to appear they do
so by quitting other confidences, and venturing to the utmost for God. The
closer our expectations are confined to God the higher our expectations may
be raised from him.
II. The promises themselves.
1. That their hearts shall be established by faith: those minds shall be
truly stayed that are stayed on God: They shall be as Mount Zion. The
church in general is called Mount Zion (Heb. xii. 22), and it shall
in this respect be like Mount Zion, it shall be built upon a
rock, and its interests shall be so well secured that the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it. The stability of the church is the
satisfaction of all its well-wishers. Particular persons, who trust in God,
shall be established (Ps. cxii. 7); their faith shall be their fixation, Isa.
vii. 9. They shall be as Mount Zion, which is firm as it is a
mountain supported by providence, much more as a holy mountain supported by
promise. (1.) They cannot be removed by the prince of the power of
the air, nor by all his subtlety and strength. They cannot be removed from
their integrity nor from their confidence in God. (2.) They abide for
ever in that grace which is the earnest of their everlasting continuance
in glory.
2. That, committing themselves to God, they shall be safe, under his
protection, from all the insults of their enemies, as Jerusalem had a
natural fastness and fortification in the mountains that were
round about it, v. 2. Those mountains not only sheltered it from
winds and tempests, and broke the force of them, but made it also very
difficult of access for an enemy; such a defence is God's providence to his
people. Observe, (1.) The compass of it: The Lord is round about his
people on every side. There is no gap in the hedge of protection which
he makes round about his people, at which the enemy, who goes about them,
seeking to do them a mischief, can find entrance, Job i. 10. (2.) The
continuance of it--henceforth even for ever. Mountains may moulder
and come to nought, and rocks be removed out of their place
(Job xiv. 18), but God's covenant with his people cannot be broken (Isa.
liv. 10) nor his care of them cease. Their being said to stand fast for
ever (v. 1), and here to have God round about them for ever,
intimates that the promises of the stability and security of God's people
will have their full accomplishment in their everlasting state. In heaven
they shall stand fast for ever, shall be as pillars in the temple
of our God and go no more out (Rev. iii. 12), and there God himself,
with his glory and favour, will be round about them for ever.
3. That their troubles shall last no longer than their strength will serve
to bear them up under them, v. 3. (1.) It is supposed that the rod
of the wicked may come, may fall, upon the lot of the righteous.
The rod of their power may oppress them; the rod of their anger may vex and
torment them. It may fall upon their persons, their estates, their
liberties, their families, their names, any thing that falls to their lot,
only it cannot reach their souls. (2.) It is promised that, though it may
come upon their lot, it shall not rest there; it shall not continue so long
as the enemies design, and as the people of God fear, but God will cut the
work short in righteousness, so short that even with the temptation he
will make a way for them to escape. (3.) It is considered as a reason of
this promise that if the trouble should continue over-long the righteous
themselves would be in temptation to put forth their hands to iniquity,
to join with wicked people in their wicked practices, to say as they say and
do as they do. There is danger lest, being long persecuted for their
religion, at length they grow weary of it and willing to give it up, lest,
being kept long in expectation of promised mercies, they begin to distrust
the promise, and to think of casting God off, upon suspicion of his having
cast them off. See Ps. lxxiii. 13, 14. Note, God considers the frame of his
people, and will proportion their trials to their strength by the care of
his providence, as well as their strength to their trials by the power of
his grace. Oppression makes a wise man mad, especially if it continue
long; therefore for the elect's sake the days shall be shortened,
that, whatever becomes of their lot in this world, they may not lose their
lot among the chosen.
|
The Security of God's People.
|
|
|
|
4 Do good, O LORD,
unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their
hearts. 5 As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the
LORD
shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall
be upon
Israel
.
Here is, 1. The prayer the psalmist puts up for the happiness of those that
are sincere and constant (v. 4): Do good, O Lord! unto those that
are good. This teaches us to pray for all good people, to make
supplication for all saints; and we may pray in faith for them, being
assured that those who do well shall certainly be well dealt with. Those
that are as they should be shall be as they would be, provided they be upright
in heart, that they be really as good as they seem to be. With the
upright God will show himself upright. He does not say, Do good, O Lord!
to those that are perfect, that are sinless and spotless, but to those that
are sincere and honest. God's promises should quicken our prayers. It is
comfortable wishing well to those for whom God has engaged to do well. 2.
The prospect he has of the ruin of hypocrites and deserters; he does not
pray for it (I have not desired the woeful day, thou knowest), but he
predicts it: As for those, who having known the way of righteousness,
for fear of the rod of the wicked, basely turn aside out of it to their
wicked ways, use indirect ways to prevent trouble or extricate
themselves out of it, or those who, instead of reforming, grow worse and
worse and are more obstinate and daring in their impieties, God shall send
them away, cast them out, and lead them forth with the workers of
iniquity, that is, he will appoint them their portion with the worst of
sinners. Note, (1.) Sinful ways are crooked ways; sin is the
perverting of that which is right. (2.) The doom of those who turn aside to
those crooked ways out of the right way will be the same with theirs who
have all along walked in them, nay, and more grievous, for if any place in
hell be hotter than another that shall be the portion of hypocrites and
apostates. God shall lead them forth, as prisoners are led forth to
execution. Go, you cursed, into everlasting fire; and these shall
go away; all their former righteousness shall not be mentioned unto
them. The last words, Place upon Israel, may be taken as a prayer:
"God preserve his Israel in peace, when his judgments are abroad
reckoning with evil-doers." We read them as a promise: Peace shall
be upon Israel; that is, [1.] When those who have treacherously deserted
the ways of God meet with their own destruction those who faithfully adhere
to them, though they may have trouble in their way, shall have peace in the
end. [2.] The destruction of those who walk in crooked ways will contribute
to the peace and safety of the church. When Herod was cut off the word of
God grew, Acts xii. 23, 24. [3.] The peace and happiness of God's Israel
will be the vexation, and will add much to the torment, of those who perish
in their wickedness, Luke xiii. 28; Isa. lxv. 13. My servants shall
rejoice, but you shall be ashamed.
