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Psalm One
Hundred Fifteen
Psalm 115
Chapter Contents
Glory to be ascribed to God. (1-8) by trusting in him and
praising him. (9-18)
Commentary on Psalm 115:1-8
(Read Psalm 115:1-8)
Let no opinion of our own merits have any place in our
prayers or in our praises. All the good we do
is done by the power of his
grace; and all the good we have
is the gift of his mere mercy
and he must
have all the praise. Are we in pursuit of any mercy
and wrestling with God for
it
we must take encouragement in prayer from God only. Lord
do so for us; not
that we may have the credit and comfort of it
but that they mercy and truth
may have the glory of it. The heathen gods are senseless things. They are the
works of men's hands: the painter
the carver
the statuary
can put no life
into them
therefore no sense. The psalmist hence shows the folly of the
worshippers of idols.
Commentary on Psalm 115:9-18
(Read Psalm 115:9-18)
It is folly to trust in dead images
but it is wisdom to
trust in the living God
for he is a help and a shield to those that trust in
him. Wherever there is right fear of God
there may be cheerful faith in him;
those who reverence his word
may rely upon it. He is ever found faithful. The
greatest need his blessing
and it shall not be denied to the meanest that fear
him. God's blessing gives an increase
especially in spiritual blessings. And
the Lord is to be praised: his goodness is large
for he has given the earth to
the children of men for their use. The souls of the faithful
after they are
delivered from the burdens of the flesh
are still praising him; but the dead
body cannot praise God: death puts an end to our glorifying him in this world
of trial and conflict. Others are dead
and an end is thereby put to their
service
therefore we will seek to do the more for God. We will not only do it
ourselves
but will engage others to do it; to praise him when we are gone.
Lord
thou art the only object for faith and love. Help us to praise thee while
living and when dying
that thy name may be the first and last upon our lips:
and let the sweet savour of thy name refresh our souls for ever.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on Psalms》
Psalm 115
Verse 8
[8] They that make them are like unto them; so is every one
that trusteth in them.
Are like them — As void of all sense or reason as
their images.
Verse 9
[9] O Israel
trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and
their shield.
Their — Who trust in him.
Verse 10
[10] O house of Aaron
trust in the LORD: he is their help
and their shield.
Aaron — You priests and Levites.
Verse 11
[11] Ye that fear the LORD
trust in the LORD: he is their
help and their shield.
Ye that fear — All of you who worship the true
God
not only Israelites
but even Gentile proselytes.
Verse 12
[12] The LORD hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he
will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.
Mindful — In our former straits
and therefore we trust he will
still bless us.
Verse 13
[13] He will bless them that fear the LORD
both small and
great.
Both small — Of whatsoever quality
high and
low
rich and poor.
Verse 16
[16] The heaven
even the heavens
are the LORD's: but the
earth hath he given to the children of men.
The Lord's — In a peculiar manner
where he
dwelleth in that light and glory
to which no man can approach.
Given — As the foregoing verse declares
that God was the
creator of heaven and earth
so this asserts that he is also their Lord and
governor to dispose of all men and things as he pleases.
Verse 17
[17] The dead praise not the LORD
neither any that go down
into silence.
Silence — Into the place of silence
the grave.
── John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on Psalms》
Exposition
Explanatory Notes and
Quaint Sayings
Hints to the Village
Preacher
SUBJECT. In the former
psalm the past wonders which God had wrought were recounted to his honour
and
in the present psalm he is entreated to glorify himself again
because the
heathen were presuming upon the absence of miracles
were altogether denying
the miracles of former ages
and insulting the people of God with the question
"Where is now their God?" It grieved the heart of the godly that
Jehovah should be thus dishonoured
and treating their own condition of
reproach as unworthy of notice
they beseech the Lord at least to vindicate his
own name. The Psalmist is evidently indignant that the worshippers of foolish
idols should be able to put such a taunting question to the people who
worshipped the only living and true God; and having spent his indignation in
sarcasm upon the images and their makers
he proceeds to exhort the house of
Israel to trust in God and bless his name. As those who were dead and gone
could no longer sing psalms unto the Lord among the sons of men
he exhorts the
faithful who were then living to take care that God is not robbed of his
praise
and then he closes with an exulting Hallelujah. Should not living men
extol the living God?
DIVISION. For the better
expounding of it
the psalm may be divided into an entreaty of God to vindicate
his own honour
verses 1
2; a contemptuous description of the false gods and
their worshippers
3-8; an exhortation to the faithful to trust in God and to
expect great blessings from him
9-15; an explanation of God's relationship to
their present condition of things
verse 16; and a reminder
that
not the
dead
but the living
must continually praise God here below.
EXPOSITION
Verse
1. It will be well to remember that this psalm was sung at the
Passover
and therefore it bears relationship to the deliverance from Egypt.
The burden of it
seems to be a prayer that the living God
who had been so
glorious at the Red Sea and at the Jordan
should again for his own name's sake
display the wonders of his power. Not unto us
O LORD
not unto us
but unto
thy name give glory. The people undoubtedly wished for relief from the
contemptuous insults of idolaters
but their main desire was that Jehovah
himself should no longer be the object of heathen insults. The saddest part of
all their trouble was that their God was no longer feared and dreaded by their
adversaries. When Israel marched into Canaan
a terror was upon all the people
round about
because of Jehovah
the mighty God; but this dread the nations had
shaken off since there had been of late no remarkable display of miraculous
power. Therefore Israel cried unto her God that he would again make bare his
arm as in the day when he cut Rahab and wounded the dragon. The prayer is
evidently tinctured with a consciousness of unworthiness; because of their past
unfaithfulness they hardly dared to appeal to the covenant
and to ask
blessings for themselves
but they fell back upon the honour of the Lord their
God—an old style of argument which their great lawgiver
Moses
had used with
such effect when he pleaded
"Wherefore should the Egyptians speak
and
say
For mischief did he bring them out
to slay them in the mountains
and to
consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath
and repent
of this evil against thy people." Joshua also used the like argument when
he said
"What wilt thou do unto thy great name?" In such manner also
let us pray when no other plea is available because of our sense of sin; for
the Lord is always jealous of his honour
and will work for his name's sake
when no other motive will move him.
The
repetition of the words
Not unto us
would seem to indicate a very
serious desire to renounce any glory which they might at any time have proudly
appropriated to themselves
and it also sets forth the vehemence of their wish
that God would at any cost to them magnify his own name. They loathed the idea
of seeking their own glory
and rejected the thought with the utmost
detestation; again and again disclaiming any self glorifying motive in their
supplication. For thy mercy
and for thy truth's sake. These attributes seemed
most in jeopardy. How could the heathen think Jehovah to be a merciful God if
he gave his people over to the hands of their enemies? How could they believe
him to be faithful and true if
after all his solemn covenant engagements
he
utterly rejected his chosen nation? God is very jealous of the two glorious
attributes of grace and truth
and the plea that these may not be dishonoured
has great weight with him. In these times
when the first victories of the
gospel are only remembered as histories of a dim and distant past
sceptics are
apt to boast that the gospel has lost its youthful strength
and they even
presume to cast a slur upon the name of God himself. We may therefore rightly
entreat the divine interposition that the apparent blot may be removed from his
escutcheon
and that his own word may shine forth gloriously as in the days of
old. We may not desire the triumph of our opinions
for our own sakes
or for
the honour of a sect
but we may confidently pray for the triumph of truth
that God himself may be honoured.
Verse
2. Wherefore should the heathen say
Where is now their God?
Or
more literally
"Where
pray
is their God?" Why should the
nations be allowed with a sneer of contempt to question the existence
and
mercy
and faithfulness of Jehovah? They are always ready to blaspheme; we may
well pray that they may not derive a reason for so doing from the course of
providence
or the decline of the church. When they see the godly down trodden
while they themselves live at ease
and act the part of persecutors
they are
very apt to speak as if they had triumphed over God himself
or as if he had
altogether left the field of action and deserted his saints. When the prayers
and tears of the godly seem to be unregarded
and their miseries are rather
increased than assuaged
then do the wicked multiply their taunts and jeers
and even argue that their own wretched irreligion is better than the faith of
Christians
because for the present their condition is so much preferable to
that of the afflicted saints. And
truly
this is the very sting of the trials
of God's chosen when they see the veracity of the Lord questioned
and the name
of God profaned because of their sufferings. If they could hope that some good
result would come out of all this they would endure it with patience; but as
they are unable to perceive any desirable result consequent thereon
they
enquire with holy anxiety. "Wherefore should the heathen be permitted to
speak thus?" It is a question to which it would be hard to reply
and yet
no doubt there is an answer. Sometimes the nations are permitted thus to
blaspheme
in order that they may fill up the measure of their iniquity
and in
order that the subsequent interposition of God may be rendered the more
illustrious in contrast with their profane boastings. Do they say
"Where
is now their God?" They shall know by and by
for it is written
"Ah
I will ease me of mine adversaries"; they shall know it also
when the righteous shall "shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their
Father." Do they say
"Where is the promise of his coming?" That
coming shall be speedy and terrible to them. In our own case
by our own
lukewarmness and the neglect of faithful gospel preaching
we have permitted
the uprise and spread of modern doubt
and we are bound to confess it with deep
sorrow of soul; yet we may not therefore lose heart
but may still plead with
God to save his own truth and grace from the contempt of men of the world. Our
honour and the honour of the church are small matters
but the glory of God is
the jewel of the universe
of which all else is but the setting; and we may
come to the Lord and plead his jealousy for his name
being well assured that
he will not suffer that name to be dishonoured. Wherefore should the pretended
wise men of the period be permitted to say that they doubt the personality of
God? Wherefore should they say that answers to prayer are pious delusions
and
that the resurrection and the deity of our Lord Jesus are moot points?
Wherefore should they be permitted to speak disparagingly of atonement by blood
and by price
and reject utterly the doctrine of the wrath of God against sin
even
that wrath which burneth for ever and ever? They speak exceeding proudly
and
only God can stop their arrogant blusterings: let us by extraordinary
intercession prevail upon him to interpose
by giving to his gospel such a
triumphant vindication as shall utterly silence the perverse opposition of
ungodly men.
Verse
3. But our God is in the heavens—where he should be; above
the reach of mortal sneers
over hearing all the vain jangling of men
but
looking down with silent scorn upon the makers of the babel. Supreme above all
opposing powers
the Lord reigneth upon a throne high and lifted up.
Incomprehensible in essence
he rises above the loftiest thought of the wise;
absolute in will and infinite in power
he is superior to the limitations which
belong to earth and time. This God is our God
and we are not ashamed to
own him
albeit he may not work miracles at the beck and call of every vain
glorious boaster who may choose to challenge him. Once they bade his Son come
down from the cross and they would believe in him
now they would have God
overstep the ordinary bounds of his providence and come down from heaven to
convince them: but other matters occupy his august mind besides the
convincement of those who wilfully shut their eyes to the superabundant
evidences of his divine power and Godhead
which are all around them. If our
God be neither seen nor heard
and is not to be worshipped under any outward
symbol
yet is he none the less real and true
for he is where his adversaries
can never be—in the heavens
whence he stretches forth his sceptre
and rules
with boundless power. He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Up till this
moment his decrees have been fulfilled
and his eternal purposes accomplished;
he has not been asleep
nor oblivious of the affairs of men; he has worked
and
he has worked effectually
none have been able to thwart
nor even so much as
to hinder him. "Whatsoever he hath pleased": however distasteful to
his enemies
the Lord has accomplished all his good pleasure without difficulty;
even when his adversaries raved and raged against him they have been compelled
to carry out his designs against their will. Even proud Pharaoh
when most
defiant of the Lord was but as clay upon the potter's wheel
and the Lord's end
and design in him were fully answered. We may well endure the jeering question
"Where is now their God?" while we are perfectly sure that his
providence is undisturbed
his throne unshaken
and his purposes unchanged.
What he hath done he will yet do
his counsel shall stand
and he will do all
his pleasure
and at the end of the great drama of human history
the
omnipotence of God and his immutability and faithfulness will be more than
vindicated to the eternal confusion of his adversaries.
Verse
4. Their idols are silver and gold
mere dead inert matter;
at the best only made of precious metal
but that metal quite as powerless as
the commonest wood or clay. The value of the idol shows the folly of the maker
in wasting his substance
but certainly does not increase the power of the
image
since there is no more life in silver and gold than in brass or iron.
The work of men's hands. Inasmuch as the maker is always greater than the thing
that he has made
these idols are less to be honoured than the artificers
who
fashioned them. How irrational that men should adore that which is less than
themselves! How strange that a man should think that he can make a god! Can
madness go further? Our God is a spirit
and his hands made the heavens and the
earth: well may we worship him
and we need not be disturbed at the sneering
question of those who are so insane as to refuse to adore the living God
and
yet bow their knees before images of their own carving. We may make an
application of all this to the times in which we are now living. The god of
modern thought is the creation of the thinker himself
evolved out of his own
consciousness
or fashioned according to his own notion of what a god should
be. Now
it is evident that such a being is no God. It is impossible that there
should be a God at all except the God of revelation. A god who can be fashioned
by our own thoughts is no more a God than the image manufactured or produced by
our own hands. The true God must of necessity be his own revealer. It is
clearly impossible that a being who can be excogitated and comprehended by the
reason of man should be the infinite and incomprehensible God. Their idols are
blinded reason and diseased thought
the product of men's muddled brains
and
they will come to nought.
Verse
5. They have mouths
but they speak not. The idols cannot
utter even the faintest sound
they cannot communicate with their worshippers
they can neither promise nor threaten
command nor console
explain the past
nor prophesy the future. If they had no mouths they might not be expected to
speak
but having mouths and speaking not
they are mere dumb idols
and not
worthy to be compared with the Lord God who thundered at Sinai
who in old time
spake by his servants the prophets
and whose voice even now breaketh the cedars
of Lebanon. Eyes have they
but they see not. They cannot tell who their
worshippers may be or what they offer. Certain idols have had jewels in their
eyes more precious than a king's ransom
but they were as blind as the rest of
the fraternity. A god who has eyes
and cannot see
is a blind deity; and
blindness is a calamity
and not an attribute of godhead. He must be very blind
who worships a blind god: we pity a blind man
it is strange to worship a blind
image.
Verse
6. They have ears
but they hear not. The Psalmist might have
pointed to the monstrous ears with which some heathen deities are
disfigured
—truly they have ears; but no prayer of their rotaries
though
shouted by a million voices
can ever be heard by them. How can gold and silver
hear
and how can a rational being address petitions to one who cannot even
hear his words? Noses have they
but they smell not. The Psalmist seems to heap
together these sentences with something of the grim sardonic spirit of Elijah
when he said
"Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking
or he is
pursuing
or he is on a journey
or peradventure he sleepeth
and must be
awaked." In sacred scorn he mocks at those who burn sweet spices
and fill
their temples with clouds of smoke
all offered to an image whose nose cannot
perceive the perfume. He seems to point his finger to every part of the
countenance of the image
and thus pours contempt upon the noblest part of the
idol
if any part of such a thing can be noble even in the least degree.
Verse
7. They have hands
but they handle not. Looking lower down
upon the images
the Psalmist says
"They have hands
but they handle not
"they cannot receive that which is handed to them
they cannot grasp the
sceptre of power or the sword of vengeance
they can neither distribute
benefits nor dispense judgments
and the most trifling act they are utterly
unable to perform. An infant's hand excels them in power. Feet have they
but
they walk not. They must be lifted into their places or they would never reach
their shrines; they must be fastened in their shrines or they would fall; they
must be carried or they could never move; they cannot come to the rescue of
their friends
nor escape the iconoclasm of their foes. The meanest insect has
more power of locomotion than the greatest heathen god. Neither speak they
through their throats. They cannot even reach so far as the guttural noise of
the lowest order of beasts; neither a grunt
nor a growl
nor a groan
nor so
much as a mutter
can come from them. Their priests asserted that the images of
the gods upon special occasions uttered hollow sounds
but it was a mere
pretence
or a crafty artifice: images of gold or silver are incapable of
living sounds. Thus has the Psalmist surveyed the idol from head to foot
looked in its face
and sounded its throat
and he writes it down as utterly
contemptible.
Verse
8. They that make them are like unto them. Those who make
such things for worship are as stupid
senseless
and irrational as the figures
they construct. So far as any spiritual life
thought
and judgment are
concerned
they are rather the images of men than rational beings. The censure
is by no means too severe. Who has not found the words leaping to his lips when
he has seen the idols of the Romans? So is every one that trusteth in them.
Those who have sunk so low as to be capable of confiding in idols have reached
the extreme of folly
and are worthy of as much contempt as their detestable
deities. Luther's hard speeches were well deserved by the Papists; they must be
mere dolts to worship the rotten relics which are the objects of their
veneration. The god of modern thought exceedingly resembles the deities
described in this Psalm. Pantheism is wondrously akin to Polytheism
and yet
differs very little from Atheism. The god manufactured by our great thinkers is
a mere abstraction: he has no eternal purposes
he does not interpose on the
behalf of his people
he cares but very little as to how much man sins
for he
has given to the initiated "a larger hope" by which the most
incorrigible are to be restored. He is what the last set of critics chooses to
make him
he has said what they choose to say
and lie will do what they please
to prescribe. Let this creed and its devotees alone
and they will work out
their own refutation
for as now their god is fashioned like themselves
they
will by degrees fashion themselves like their god; and when the principles of
justice
law
and order shall have all been effectually sapped we may possibly
witness in some form of socialism
similar to that which is so sadly spreading
in Germany
a repetition of the evils which have in former ages befallen
nations which have refused the living God
and set up gods of their own.
Verse
9. O Israel
trust thou in the LORD. Whatever others do
let
the elect of heaven keep fast to the God who chose them. Jehovah is the God of
Jacob
let his children prove their loyalty to their God by their confidence in
him. Whatever our trouble may be
and however fierce the blasphemous language
of our enemies
let us not fear nor falter
but confidently rest in him who is
able to vindicate his own honour
and protect his own servants. He is their
help and their shield. He is the friend of his servants
both actively and
passively
giving them both aid in labour and defence in danger. In the use of
the pronoun "their
"the Psalmist may have spoken to himself
in a
sort of soliloquy: he had given the exhortation
"trust in Jehovah
"and then he whispers to himself
"They may well do so
for he is at
all times the strength and security of his servants."
Verse
10. O house of Aaron
trust in the LORD. You who are nearest
to him
trust him most; your very calling is connected with his truth and is
meant to declare his glory
therefore never entertain a doubt concerning him
but lead the way in holy confidence. The priests were the leaders
teachers
and exemplars of the people
and therefore above all others they should place
an unreserved reliance upon Israel's God. The Psalmist is glad to add that they
did so
for he says
He is their help and their shield. It is good to exhort
those to faith who have faith: "These things have I written unto you that
believe on the name of the Son of God; ...that ye may believe on the name of
the Son of God." We may stir up pure minds by way of remembrance
and
exhort men to trust in the Lord because we know that they are trusting already.
Verse
11. The next verse is of the same tenor—Ye that fear the LORD
trust in the LORD
whether belonging to Israel
or to the house of Aaron
or not
all those who reverence Jehovah are permitted and commanded to confide
in him. He is their help and their shield. He does aid and protect all those
who worship him in filial fear
to whatever nation they may belong. No doubt
these repeated exhortations were rendered necessary by the trying condition in
which the children of Israel were found: the sneers of the adversary would
assail all the people
they would most bitterly be felt by the priests and
ministers
and those who were secret proselytes would groan in secret under the
contempt forced upon their religion and their God. All this would be very
staggering to faith
and therefore they were bidden again and again and again
to trust in Jehovah. This must have been a very pleasant song to households in
Babylon
or far away in Persia
when they met together in the night to eat the
Paschal supper in a land which knew them not
where they wept as they
remembered Zion. We seem to hear them repeating the threefold word
"Trust
in Jehovah
"men and women and little children singing out their scorn of
the dominant idolatry
and declaring their adhesion to the one God of Israel.
In the same manner in this day of blasphemy and rebuke it becomes us all to
abound in testimonies to the truth of God. The sceptic is loud in his unbelief
let us be equally open in the avowal of our faith.
Verse
12. The Lord hath been mindful of us
or "Jehovah hath
remembered us." His past mercies prove that we are on his heart
and
though for the present he may afflict us
yet he does not forget us. We have
not to put him in remembrance as though he found it hard to recollect his
children
but he hath remembered us and therefore he will in future deal well
with us. He will bless us. The word "us" is supplied by the
translators
and is superfluous
the passage should run
He will bless; he
will bless the house of Israel he will bless the house of Aaron. The
repetition of the word "bless" adds great effect to the passage. The
Lord has many blessings
each one worthy to be remembered
he blesses and
blesses and blesses again. Where he has once bestowed his favour he continues
it; his blessing delights to visit the same house very often and to abide where
it has once lodged. Blessing does not impoverish the Lord: he has multiplied
his mercies in the past
and he will pour them forth thick and threefold in the
future. He will have a general blessing for all who fear him
a peculiar
blessing for the whole house of Israel
and a double blessing for the sons of
Aaron. It is his nature to bless
it is his prerogative to bless
it is his
glory to bless
it is his delight to bless; he has promised to bless
and
therefore be sure of this
that he will bless and bless and bless without
ceasing.
Verse
13. He will bless them that fear the LORD
both small and great.
So long as a man fears the Lord it matters nothing whether he be prince or
peasant
patriarch or pauper
God will assuredly bless him. He supplies the
want of every living thing
from the leviathan of the sea to the insect upon a
leaf
and he will suffer none of the godly to be forgotten
however small their
abilities
or mean their position. This is a sweet cordial for those who are
little in faith
and own themselves to be mere babes in the family of grace.
There is the same blessing for the least saint as for the greatest; yea
if
anything
the "small" shall be first; for as the necessity is the
more pressing
the supply shall be the more speedy.
Verse
14. The LORD shall increase you more and more
you and your
children. Just as in Egypt he multiplied the people exceedingly
so will he
increase the number of his saints upon the earth; not only shall the faithful
be blessed with converts
and so with a spiritual seed; but those who are their
spiritual children shall become fruitful also
and thus the multitude of the
elect shall be accomplished; God shall increase the people
and shall increase
the joy. Even to the end of the ages the race of true believers shall be
continued
and shall increasingly multiply in number and in power. The first blessing
upon mankind was
"Be fruitful
and multiply
and replenish the
earth"; and it is this blessing which God now pronounces upon them that
fear him. Despite the idols of philosophy and sacramentarianism
the truth
shall gather its disciples
and fill the land with its defenders.
Verse
15. Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth.
This is another form of the blessing of Melchizedek: "Blessed be Abram of
the Most High God
possessor of heaven and earth"; and upon us through our
great Melchizedek this same benediction rests. It is an omnipotent blessing
conveying to us all that an Almighty God can do
whether in heaven or on earth.
This fulness is infinite
and the consolation which it brings is unfailing: he
that made heaven and earth can give us all things while we dwell below
and
bring us safely to his palace above. Happy are the people upon whom such a
blessing rests; their portion is infinitely above that of those whose only hope
lies in a piece of gilded wood
or an image of sculptured stone.
Verse
16. The heaven
even the heavens
are the Lord's. There he
specially reigns
and manifests his greatness and his glory: but the earth hath
he given to the children of men. He hath left the world during the present
dispensation in a great measure under the power and will of men
so that things
are not here below in the same perfect order as the things which are above. It
is true the Lord rules over all things by his providence
but yet he allows and
permits men to break his laws and persecute his people for the time being
and
to set up their dumb idols in opposition to him. The free agency which he gave
to his creatures necessitated that in some degree he should restrain his power
and suffer the children of men to follow their own devices; yet nevertheless
since he has not vacated heaven
he is still master of earth
and can at any
time gather up all the reins into his own hands. Perhaps
however
the passage
is meant to have another meaning
viz.
that God will increase his people
because he has given the earth to them
and intends that they shall fill it.
Man was constituted originally God's vicegerent over the world
and though as
yet we see not all things put under him
we see Jesus exalted on high
and in
him the children of men shall receive a loftier dominion even on earth than as
yet they have known. "The meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight
themselves in the abundance of peace": and our Lord Jesus shall reign
amongst his ancients gloriously. All this will reflect the exceeding glory of
him who reveals himself personally in heaven
and in the mystical body of
Christ below. The earth belongs to the sons of God
and we are bound to subdue
it for our Lord Jesus
for he must reign. The Lord hath given him the heathen
for his inheritance
and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession.
Verse
17. The dead praise not the LORD—So far as this world is
concerned. They cannot unite in the Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with
which the church delights to adore her Lord. The preacher cannot magnify the
Lord from his coffin
nor the Christian worker further manifest the power of
divine grace by daily activity while he lies in the grave. Neither any that go
down into silence. The tomb sends forth no voice; from mouldering bones and
flesh consuming worms there arises no sound of gospel ministry nor of gracious
song. One by one the singers in the consecrated choir of saints steal away from
us
and we miss their music. Thank God
they have gone above to swell the
harmonies of the skies
but as far as we are concerned
we have need to sing
all the more earnestly because so many songsters have left our choirs.
Verse
18. But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for
evermore. We who are still living will take care that the praises of God
shall not fail among the sons of men. Our afflictions and depressions of spirit
shall not cause us to suspend our praises; neither shall old age
and
increasing infirmities damp the celestial fires
nay
nor shall even death
itself cause us to cease from the delightful occupation. The spiritually dead
cannot praise God
but the life within us constrains us to do so. The ungodly
may abide in silence
but we will lift up our voices to the praise of Jehovah.
Even though for a time he may work no miracle
and we may see no peculiar
interposition of his power
yet on the strength of what he has done in ages
past we will continue to laud his name "until the day break
and the
shadows flee away
"when he shall once more shine forth as the sun to
gladden the faces of his children. The present time is auspicious for
commencing a life of praise
since today he bids us hear his voice of mercy.
"From this time forth" is the suggestion of wisdom
for this duty
ought not to be delayed; and it is the dictate of gratitude
for there are
pressing reasons for prompt thankfulness. Once begin praising God and we have
entered upon an endless service. Even eternity cannot exhaust the reasons why
God should be glorified. Praise the Lord
or Hallelujah. Though the dead cannot
and the wicked will not
and the careless do not praise God
yet we will shout
"Hallelujah" for ever and ever. Amen.
EXPLANATORY
NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS
Whole
Psalm. Several manuscripts and editions
also the Septuagint
the
Syriac
and many of the old translators join this Psalm to the preceding
and
make one of them. But the argument and the arrangement of the two Psalms do not
allow of the least doubt as to their original independence of each other. Justus
Olshausen.
Verse
1. Not unto us
O LORD
not unto us
but unto thy name give
glory. The Psalmist
by this repetition
implies our natural tendency to
self idolatry
and to magnifying of ourselves
and the difficulty of cleansing
our hearts from these self reflections. If it be angelical to refuse an undue
glory stolen from God's throne
Re 12:8-9; it is diabolical to accept and
cherish it. "To seek our own glory is not glory
"Pr 25:27. It is
vile
and the dishonour of a creature
who
by the law of his creation
is
referred to another end. So much as we sacrifice to our own credit
to the
dexterity of our hands
or the sagacity of our wit
we detract from God. Stephen
Charnock.
Verse
1. Not unto us
but unto thy name give glory
etc. This is
not a doxology
or form of thanksgiving
but a prayer. Not for our safety or
welfare
so much as for thy glory
be pleased to deliver us. Not to satisfy our
revenge upon our adversaries; not for the establishment of our own interest;
but for the glory of thy grace and truth do we seek thine aid
that thou mayest
be known to be a God keeping covenant; for mercy and truth are the two pillars
of that covenant. It is a great dishonouring of God when anything is sought
from him more than himself
or not for himself. Saith Austin
it is but a
carnal affection in prayer when men seek self more than God. Self and God are
the two things that come in competition. Now there are several sorts of self;
there is carnal self
natural self
spiritual self
and glorified self; above
all these God must have the preeminence. Thomas Manton.
Verse
1. There are many sweet and precious texts of Scripture which are so
endeared
and have become so habituated to us
and we to them
that one cannot
but think we must carry them with us to heaven
and that they will form not
only the theme of our song
but a portion of our blessedness and joy even in
that happy home... But if there be one text which more especially belongs to
all
and which must
I think
break forth from every redeemed one as he
enters heaven
and form the unwearying theme of eternity
it is the first verse
of this Psalm. I am sure that not one of the Lord's chosen ones on earth
as he
reviews the way by which he has been led
as he sees enemy after enemy
prostrate before his utter feebleness
and has such thorough evidence and
conviction that his weakness is made perfect in the Lord's strength
but must
from the very ground of his heart
say
Not unto us
O LORD
not unto us
but unto thy name be the praise and the glory ascribed. And could we see
heaven opened—could we hear its glad and glorious hallelujahs—could we see its
innumerable company of angels
and its band of glorified saints
as they cast
their crowns before the throne
we should hear as the universal chorus from
every lip
"Not unto us
O LORD
not unto us
but unto thy name give
glory
for thy mercy
and for thy truth's sake. I know not why this should
not be as gladly and as gratefully the angels' song as the song of the
redeemed: they stand not in their own might nor power
—they kept not their
first estate through any inherent strength of their own
but
like their
feebler brethren of the human race
are equally "kept by the power of
God"; and from their ranks
I doubt not
is reechoed the same glorious
strain
"Not unto us
O LORD
not unto us
but unto thy name give
glory. Even our blessed Lord
as on that night of sorrow he sung this hymn
of praise
could truly say
in that nature which had sinned
and which was to
suffer
"Not unto us
"—not unto man
be ascribed the glory of this
great salvation
which I am now with my own blood to purchase
but unto thy
name and thy love be the praise given. Barton Bouchier.
Verse
1. "Non nobis
Domine
sed tibi sit gloria." A part
of the Latin version of this Psalm is frequently sung after grace at public
dinners
but why we can hardly imagine
except it be for fear that donors
should be proud of the guineas they have promised
or gourmands should be
vainglorious under the influence of their mighty feeding. C.H.S.
Verses
1-2. He
in a very short space
assigns three reasons why God should
seek the glory of his name in preserving his people. First
because he is
merciful; secondly
because he is true and faithful in observing his promise;
thirdly
that the Gentiles may not see God's people in a state of destitution
and
find cause for blaspheming him or them. He therefore says
for thy mercy
and for thy truth's sake
show thy glory
or give glory to thy name
for it
is then thy glory will be exhibited when you show mercy to thy people; and then
thou wilt have carried out the truth of the promise which thou hast made to our
fathers. Lest the Gentiles should say
Where is their God? lest the
incredulous Gentiles should get an occasion of detracting from thy power
and
perhaps
of ignoring thy very existence. Robert Bellarmine.
Verses
2-3. If God be everywhere
why doth Christ teach us to pray
"Our
Father which art in heaven"? And when the heathen made that scoffing
demand
Where is now their God? why did David answer
Our God is in
the heavens? To these and all other texts of like import we may answer; heaven
is not there spoken of as bounding the presence of God
but as guiding the
faith and hope of man. "In the morning" (saith David
Ps 5:3)
"will I direct my prayer unto thee
and will look up!" When the eye
hath no sight of any help on earth
then faith may have the clearest vision of
it in heaven. And while God appears so little in any gracious dispensation for
his people on earth
that the enemy begins to scoff
"Where is now
their God?" when his people have recourse by faith to heaven
where
the Lord not only is
but is glorious in his appearing. From whence as he the
better seeth how it is with us
so he seems to have a position of advantage for
relieving us. Joseph Caryl.
Verse
2-8. Contrast Jehovah with any other God. Why should the heathen say
Where
pray
(ag) is your God? Take up Moses' brief description in De 4:28
and expand it as is done here. Idols of gold and silver have a mouth
but give no counsel to their worshippers; eyes
but see not the
devotions nor the wants of those who serve them; ears
but hear not
their cries of distress or songs of praise; nostrils
but smell not the
fragrant incense presented to their images; hands
but the thunderbolt
which they seem to hold (as Jupiter Tonans in after days)
is a brutum
fulmen
they cannot launch it; feet
but they cannot move to help
the fallen. Ah! they cannot so much as whisper one syllable of response
or
even mutter in their throat! And as man becomes like his God
(witness Hindu
idolaters whose cruelty is just the reflection of the cruelty of their gods
)so
these gods of the heathen being "soulless
the worshippers become soulless
themselves" (Tholuck). Andrew A. Bonar.
Verse
3. And our God (is) in heaven; all that he pleased he has done.
The "and
"though foreign from our idiom
adds sensibly to the
force of the expression. They ask thus
as if our God were absent or had no
existence; and yet all the while our God is in heaven
in his exalted and
glorious dwelling place. Joseph Addison Alexander.
Verse
3 (first clause). It would be folly to assert the like
concerning idols; therefore
if the heathen say
Where is your God? we
reply
He is in heaven
&c.: but where are your idols? In the earth
not making the earth
but made from the earth
&c. Martin Geier.
Verse
3. But our God is in the heavens. When they place God in
heaven
they do not confine him to a certain locality
nor set limits to his
infinite essence; but on the contrary they deny the limitation of his power
its being shut up to human instrumentality only
or its being subject to fate
or fortune. In short
they put the universe under his control; and teach us
that
being superior to every obstruction
he does freely everything that may
seem good to him. This truth is still more plainly asserted in the subsequent
clause
he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. God then may be said to
dwell in heaven
as the world is subject to his will
and nothing can prevent
his accomplishing his purposes. John Calvin.
Verse
4. Their idols are silver and gold. Can there be anything
more absurd than to expect assistance from them
since neither the materials of
which they are formed
nor the forms which are given them by the hand of men
possess the smallest portion of divinity so as to command respect for them? At
the same time
the prophet tacitly indicates that the value of the material
does not invest the idols with more excellence
so that they deserve to be more
highly esteemed. Hence the passage may be translated adversatively
thus
Though they are of gold and silver
yet they are not gods
because they are the
work of men's hands. John Calvin.
Verse
4. Their idols are silver
etc. They are metal
stone
and
wood. They are generally made in the form of man
but can neither see
hear
smell
feel
walk
nor speak. How brutish to trust in such! and next to them
in stupidity and inanity
must they be who form them
with the expectation of
deriving any good from them. So obviously vain was the whole system of idolatry
that the more serious heathens ridiculed it
and it was a butt for the jests of
their freethinkers and buffoons. How keen are these words of Juvenal!
Audis
Jupiter
haec? nec labra moves
cum mittere vocem
Debueras
vel marmoreus vel aheneus? aut cur
In carbone tuo charta pia thura soluta
Ponimus
et sectum vituli jecur
albaque porci
Omenta? ut video
nullum discrimen habendum est
Effigies inter vestras
statuamque Bathylli. Sat. 13
ver. 113.
"Dost
thou hear
O Jupiter
these things? nor move thy lips when thou oughtest to
speak out
whether thou art of marble or of bronze? Or
why do we put the
sacred incense on thy altar from the opened paper
and the extracted liver of a
calf
and the white caul of a hog? As far as I can discern
there is no
difference between thy statue and that of Bathyllus." This irony will
appear the keener
when it is known that Bathyllus was a fiddler and player
whose image
by the order of Polycrates
was erected in the temple of Juno at
Samos. Adam Clarke.
Verse
4. Idols. Idolaters plead in behalf of their idols
that they
are only intended to represent their gods
and to maintain a more abiding sense
of their presence. The Spirit
however
does not allow this idea
and treats
their images as the very gods they worship. The gods they profess to represent
do not really exist
and therefore their worship is altogether vain and
foolish. Must not the same lie said of the pretended worship of many in the
present day
who would encumber their worship with representative rites and
ceremonies
or expressive symbols
or frame to themselves in their imaginations
a god other than the God of revelation? W. Wilson.
Verse
4. Silver and gold proper things to make money of
but not to
make gods of. Matthew Henry.
Verse
4. The work of men's hands. The following advertisement is copied
from a Chinese newspaper:—"Archen Tea Chinchin
sculptor
respectfully
acquaints masters of ships
trading from Canton to India
that they may be
furnished with figure heads of any size
according to order
at one fourth of
the price charged in Europe. He also recommends for private venture
the
following idols
brass
gold
and silver: the hawk of Vishnoo
which has
reliefs of his incarnation in a fish
boar
lion
and turtle. An Egyptian apis
a golden calf and bull
as worshipped by the pious followers of Zoroaster. Two
silver mammosits
with golden earrings; an aprimanes
for Persian worship; a
ram
an alligator
a crab
a laughing hyena
with a variety of household gods
on a small scale
calculated for family worship. Eighteen months' credit will be
given
or a discount of fifteen percent for prompt payment of the sum affixed
to each article. Direct. China street
Canton
under the marble Rhinoceros and
Gilt Hydra." Arvine's Anecdotes.
Verse
4. The work of men's hands. Works
and not the makers of
works. Adam Clarke.
Verse
4. The work of men's hands. And therefore they must needs be
goodly gods
when made by bunglers especially
as was the rood of Cockram;which
if it were not good enough to make a god would make an excellent devil
as the
Mayor of Doncaster merrily told the complainants. John Trapp.
Verses
4-7. A beautiful contrast is formed between the God of Israel and the
heathen idols. He made everything
they are themselves made by men; he is in
heaven
they are upon earth; he doeth whatsoever he pleaseth
they can do
nothing; he seeth the distresses
heareth and answereth the prayers
accepteth
the offerings
cometh to the assistance
and affecteth the salvation of his
servants; they are blind
deaf
and dumb
senseless
motionless
and impotent.
Equally slow to hear
equally impotent to save
in time of greatest need
will
every worldly idol prove
on which men have set their affections
and to which
they have
in effect
said
"Thou art my God." George Horne.
Verses
4-7. In Alexandria there was a most famous building called the Sarapion
a temple of Serapis
who presided over the inundations of the Nile
and
the fertility of Egypt. It was a vast structure of masonry
crowning a hill in
the centre of the city
and was ascended by a hundred steps. It was well
fortified and very handsome. The statue of the god was a colossal image
which
touched with outstretched hands both sides of the building
while the head
reached the lofty roof. It was adorned with rich metals and jewels. The Emperor
Theodosius
having commanded the demolition of the heathen temple
Theophilus
the bishop
attended by the soldiers
hastened to ascend the steps and enter
the fane. The sight of the image
for a moment
made even the Christian
destruction pause. The bishop ordered a soldier to strike without delay. With a
hatchet he smote the statue on the knee. All waited in some emotion
but there
was neither sound nor sign of divine anger. The soldiers next climbed to the
head and struck it off. It rolled on the ground. A large family of rats
disturbed in their tranquil abode within the sacred image
poured out from the
trembling statue and raced over the temple floor. The people now began to
laugh
and to destroy with increased zeal. They dragged the fragments of the
statue through the streets. Even the Pagans were disgusted with gods who did
not defend themselves. The huge edifice was slowly destroyed
and a Christian
church was built in its place. There was still some fear among the people that
the Nile would show displeasure by refusing its usual inundation. But as the
river rose with more than usual fulness and bounty
every anxiety was
dispelled. Andrew Reed
in "The Story of Christianity
" 1877.
Verses
4-8. Theodoret tells us of S. Publia
the aged abbess of a company of
nuns at Antioch
who used to chant
as Julian went by in idolatrous procession
the Psalm
"Their idols are silver and gold
the work of men's hands...
They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in
them"; and he narrates how the angry Emperor caused his soldiers to buffet
her till she bled
unable as he was to endure the sting of the old Hebrew song.
Neale and Littledale.
Verse
5. Mouths
but they speak not. The noblest function of the
mouth is to speak. Eyes
ears
and nose are the organs of certain senses. The
mouth contains the organ of taste
and the hands and feet belong to the organ
of touch
but speech is the glory of the mouth. James G. Murphy.
Verse
6. They have ears
but they hear not. But are as deaf as
doornails to the prayers of their suppliants. The Cretians pictured their
Jupiter without ears
so little hearing or help they hoped for from him.
Socrates
in contempt of heathen gods
swore by an oak
a goat
a dog; as
holding these better gods than those. John Trapp
Verse
7. They have hands
but they handle not. Even their artist
therefore surpasses them
since he had the faculty of moulding them by the
motion and functions of his limbs; though thou wouldest be ashamed to worship
that artist. Even you surpass them
though thou hast not made these things
since thou doest what they cannot do. Augustine.
Verse
7. Neither speak they through their throat. Yehgu;not so much
as the low faint moaning of a dove. Isa 38:14. William Kay.
Verse
7. Speak
or
as the Hebrew word likewise signifies
breathe.
They are not only irrational
but also inanimate. Thomas Fenton.
Verse
8. They that make them are like unto them. They that make
them images
show their ingenuity
and doubtless are sensible men; but
they that make them gods show their stupidity
and are as senseless
blockish things as the idols themselves. Matthew Henry.
Verse
8. They that make them are like unto them. They are like
idols
because
though they hear and see
it is more in appearance than in
reality; for they neither see nor hear the things that pertain to salvation
the things that only are worth seeing
so that they may be said more to dream
than to see or hear; as St. Mark has it
"Having eyes ye see not
having
ears ye hear not." Robert Bellarmine.
Verse
8. Like unto them. etc. Every one is just what his God is;
whoever serves the Omnipotent is omnipotent with him: whoever exalts
feebleness
in stupid delusion
to be his god
is feeble along with that god.
This is an important preservative against fear for those who are sure that they
worship the true God. E. W. Hengstenberg.
Verse
8. Like unto them. Namely
"hollowness
"vanity
unprofitableness: (tohu). Isa 44:9-10. William Kay.
Verse
8. They that serve a base god cannot but be of a base spirit
and so
can do nothing worthily and generously. Every man's temper is as his god is. Thomas
Manton.
Verse
9. He is their help. We should rather have expected
"Our help and our shield
"&c. But the burden thrice introduced
appears to be a well known formula of praise. "Their
"i.e.
"of all who trust in him." The verses contain a climax: (1) Israel in
general is addressed; (2) the priests or ministers of God's service; (3) the
true Israelites; not only chosen out of all people
or out of the chosen people
for outward service; but serving God in sincerity of heart. Speaker's
Commentary.
Verse
10. He is the help of his people; they are helpless in
themselves
and vain is the help of man
for there is none in him; there is no
help but in the Lord
and he is a present
seasonable
and sufficient help.
Jehovah the Father has promised them help
and he is both able and faithful to
make it good; he has laid help upon his Son for them; and has set up a throne
of grace
where they may come for grace to help them in time of need. Christ
has helped them out of the miserable estate they were fallen into by sin; he
helps them on in their way to heaven
by his power and grace
and at last
brings them thither. The Spirit of God helps them to the things of Christ; to
many exceeding great and precious promises; and out of many difficulties
snares and temptations; and he helps them in prayer under all their
infirmities
and makes intercession for them
according to the will of God; and
therefore they should trust in the Lord
Father
Son
and Spirit. John Gill.
Verse
12. The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us. God
hath
and therefore God will
is an ordinary Scripture argument. John Trapp.
Verse
13. He will bless... both small and great. Mercy
according to
the covenant of grace
giveth the same grounds of faith and hope to everyone
within the church; so that whatever of favour is shown to one of God's people
it is of a general use and profit to others. This Scripture sheweth that as the
duty of trusting in the Lord is common to all sorts of persons
so the blessing
of trust is common
and doth belong to all sorts of believers
small and great.
God's Israel consists of several degrees of men. There are magistrates who have
their peculiar service; there ate ministers who intercede between God and man
in things belonging to God; and there are the common sort of them that fear
God
and are admitted to the honour of being his people. Now these have all the
same privileges. If God be the help and shield of the one
he will be the help
and shield of the other; if he bless the one he will bless the other. Every one
that feareth God
and is in the number of the true Israelites
may expect his
blessing as well as public persons; the meanest peasant as well as the greatest
prince
as they have leave to trust in God
so they may expect his blessing.
The reason is that they have all an equal interest in the same God
who is a
God of goodness and power
able and willing to relieve all those that trust in
him. He is alike affected to all his children
and beareth them the same love. Thomas
Manton.
Verse
13. He says
both small and great
by which circumstance he
magnifies God's paternal regard the more
showing that he does not overlook
even the meanest and the most despised
provided they cordially seek his aid.
Now as there is no acceptance of persons before God
our low and abject
condition ought to be no obstruction to our drawing near to him
since he so
kindly invites to approach him those who appear to be held in no reputation. The
repetition of the word "bless" is intended to mark the
uninterrupted stream of his lovingkindness. John Calvin.
Verse
14. The LORD shall increase you
etc. This is expressive of the
further and increasing blessing of Jehovah on his Israel
upon his ministers
and upon the whole church. They are to be increased in light and knowledge
in
gifts and graces
in faith and utterance
in numbers and multitude. Samuel
Eyles Pierce.
Verse
14.
The
Lord will heap his blessings upon you
Upon you and your children.
—William Green
in "A New Translation of the Psalms
"
1762.
Verse
15. Blessed are ye
etc. Ye are the people blessed of old in
the person of your father Abraham
by Melchizedek
priest of the Most High God
"Creator of heaven and earth
"Ge 14:19. "Of Jehovah
"
literally
to Jehovah
as an object of benediction to him. Or the Hebrew
proposition
as in many other cases
may be simply equivalent to our by.
The creative character of God is mentioned
as ensuring his ability
no less
than his willingness
to bless his people. Joseph Addison Alexander.
Verse
16. The heaven
even the heavens
are the LORD'S. He
demonstrates
that
as God has his dwelling place in the heavens
he must be
independent of all worldly riches; for
assuredly
neither wine
nor corn
nor
anything requisite for the support of the present life
is produced there.
Consequently
God has every resource in himself. To this circumstance the
repetition of the term "heavens" refers. The heavens
the
heavens are enough for God;and as he is superior to all aid
he is to
himself instead of a hundred more. John Calvin.
Verse
16. The earth hath he given
etc. This verse is full of
beauty
when read in connection with what follows
as a descriptive declaration
of the effect of "the regeneration" on this lower scene. For until
then
man has rather been given to the earth than the earth to the sons of men.
It is but a place of graves
and the day of death seems better than the day of
birth
so long as men walk in no brighter light than that of the sun. Arthur
Pridham.
Verse
17. The dead praise not the LORD
etc. David considers not
here what men do
or do not
in the next world; but he considers only that in
this world he was bound to propagate God's truth
and that he could not do so
if God took him away by death. Now there is a double reason given of David's
and other holy men's deprecation of death in the Old Testament; one in relation
to themselves
qui promissiones obsurae
because Moses had conveyed to
those men all God's future blessings
all the joy and glory of heaven
only in
the types of earthly things
and said little of the state of the soul after
this life. And therefore the promises belonging to the godly after this life
were not so clear that in the contemplation of them they could deliver
themselves confidently into the jaws of death: he that is not fully satisfied
of the next world
makes shift to be content with this. The other reason was quia
operarii pauci
because God had a great harvest in hand
and few labourers
in it
they were loath to be taken from the work; and this reason was not in
relation to themselves
but to God's church
since they would not be able to do
God's cause any more good here. This was the other reason that made those good
men so loath to die. Quid facies nomini tuo? says Joshua in his prayer
to God. If the Canaanites come in to destroy us
and blaspheme thee
what wilt
thou do unto thy mighty name? What wilt thou do unto thy glorious church
said
the saints of God under the Old Testament
if thou take those men out of the
world
whom thou hast chosen
enabled
and qualified
for the edification
sustanation
and propagation of that church? Upon this account David desired to
live
not for his own sake
but for God's glory and his church's good; neither
of which could be advanced by him when he was dead. Abraham Wright.
Verse
17. The dead praise not the LORD
etc. Who are here meant by "the
dead"? I cannot rest in the view taken by those who consider this
verse simply as a plea by those who use it
that they may be saved from death.
They are words provided for the church at large
as the subsequent verse proves
By "the dead
"then
I understand those who descend to the
silence of eternal death
who have not praised God
and never can. For them the
earth might seem never to have been given. W. Wilson.
Verse
17. Into silence. Into the grave—the land of silence. Ps
94:17. Nothing is more impressive in regard to the grave than its utter silence.
Not a voice
not a sound
is heard there
—of birds or men—of song or conversation—of
the roaring of the sea
the sighing of the breeze
the fury of the storm
the
tumult of battle. Perfect stillness reigns there; and the first sound that
shall be heard there will be the archangel's trump. Albert Barnes.
Verses
17-18. The people of God cannot die
because the praise of God
would die with them
which would be impossible. E. W. Hengstenberg.
Verses
17-18. It is not to be overlooked that there do occur
in certain
Psalms
words which have the appearance of excluding the hope of eternal life
(Ps 6:5 30:9 88:10
12 89:47 115:17)... Yet it is a very significant fact
that
in all the Psalms in question
there is an earnest solicitude expressed for the
glory of God. If death is deprecated
it is in order that the Lord may not lose
the glory
nor his church the services which a life prolonged might furnish.
This is well exemplified in the hundred and fifteenth
which I the rather cite
because
being the sole exception to the rule
that the dark views of death are
found in Psalms of contrition and deep sorrow; it is the only Psalm to which
the preceding observations are inapplicable. It is a tranquil hymn of praise.
17.
It is not the dead who praise Jah: Neither any that go down into silence.
18.
But WE will bless Jah
From this time forth and for evermore. Hallelujah!
The
Psalm thus closed
was one of the Songs of the Second Temple. What we hear in
it is the voice of the church
rather than of an individual soul. And this may
assist us in perceiving its entire harmony with faith in the heavenly glory. It
much concerns the honour of God that there be continued
on the earth
a
visible church
in which his name may be recorded from generation to
generation. That is a work which cannot be performed by the dead. Since
therefore
the uppermost desire of the church ought ever to be that God's name
may be hallowed
his kingdom advanced
and his will done in the earth; it is
her duty to pray for continued subsistence here
on the earth
to witness for
God. And it is to be carefully observed
that not only in this passage
but in
all the parallel texts in which the Psalmists seem to speak doubtfully or
disparagingly of the state of the departed
it is in connection with the
interest of God's cause on the earth. The thought that is uppermost in their
hearts is
that "in death there is no commemoration" of God—no
recording of his name for the salvation of men. This single circumstance might
I think
suffice to put the reader on his guard against a precipitate fastening
on them of a meaning which would exclude the hope of eternal life. It goes far
to show that what the Psalmist deprecates
is not death simply considered
but
premature death. Their prayer is
"O my God
take me not away in the midst
of my days." Ps 102:24. And I do not hesitate to say that there are men so
placed in stations of eminent usefulness
that it is their duty to make the
prayer their own. William Binnie.
HINTS TO THE
VILLAGE PREACHER
Verse
1. The passage may be used as
1.
A powerful plea in prayer.
2. An expression of the true spirit of piety.
3. A safe guide in theology.
4. A practical direction in choosing our way of life.
5. An acceptable spirit when surveying past or present success.
Verse
1.
1.
No praise is due to man. Have we a being? Not unto us
etc. Have we health? Not
unto us
etc. Have we outward comforts? Not unto us
etc. Friends? Not unto us
etc. The means of grace? Not unto us
etc. Saving faith in Christ? Not unto us
etc. Gifts and graces? Not unto us
etc. The hope of glory? Not unto us
etc.
Usefulness to others? Not unto us
etc.
2.
All praise is due to God. (a) Because all we have is from mercy. (b) Because
all we expect is from faithfulness. G. R.
Verse
2. A taunting question
to which we can give many satisfactory
replies.
Verse
2. Why do they say so? Why doth God permit them to say so? Matthew
Henry.
Verses
2-3.
1.
The inquiry of heathens: Ps 115:2. (a) Of ignorance. They see a temple but no
god. (b) Of reproach to the people of God when their God has forsaken them for
a time: "While they say daily unto me
where
"etc.
2.
The reply to their inquiry: Ps 115:3. Do you ask where is our God? Ask rather
where he is not? Do you ask what he has done? "He has done whatsoever he
hath pleased." G. R.
Verse
3.
1.
His position betokens absolute dominion.
2. His actions prove it.
3. Yet he condescends to be "our God."
Verse
3 (second clause). The sovereignty of God. Establish and
improve the great scriptural doctrine
that the glorious God has a right to
exercise dominion over all his creatures; and to do
in all respects
as he
pleases. This right naturally results from his being the Former and the Possessor
of heaven and earth. Consider
1.
He is infinitely wise; he perfectly knows all his creatures
all their actions
and all their tendencies.
2.
He is infinitely righteous.
3.
He is infinitely good. George Burder.
Verses
4-8.
1.
The character of idol gods. Whether our gods are natural objects or riches or
worldly pleasures
they have no eye to pity
no ear to hear petitions
no
tongue to counsel
no hand to help.
2.
The character of the true God. He is all eye
all ear
all tongue
all hand
all feet
all mind
all heart.
3.
The character of the idol worshippers. All become naturally assimilated to the
objects of their worship.
Verse
8. The likeness between idolaters and their idols. Work it out in
the particulars mentioned.
Verse
9. The living God claims spiritual worship; the life of such worship
is faith; faith proves God to be a living reality—"He is their help
"etc. Only elect Israel will ever render this living worship.
Verses
9-11.
1.
The reproof. "O Israel!" "O house of Aaron!" "Ye who
fear the Lord." Have you been unbelieving towards your God?
2.
The correction or admonition. "Trust in the Lord
"Have you trusted
in the true God as others have in their false gods?
3.
The instruction. "He is their help
"etc. Let churches
ministers
and all who fear God know that at all times and under all circumstances he is
their help and their shield. G. R.
Verse
10.
1.
Those who publicly serve should specially trust. "O house of Aaron
trust."
2.
Those who are specially called shall be specially helped. "He is their
help."
3.
Those who are specially helped in service may be sure of special protection in
danger...and their shield.
Verse
11. Filial fear the foundation of fuller faith.
Verse
12. What we have experienced. What we may expect. Matthew Henry.
Verses
12-13.
1.
What God has done for his people: "He hath been mindful of
us." (a) Our preservation proves this. (b) Our mercies. (c) Our trials.
(d) Our guidance. (e) Our consolations. Everything
even the minutest blessing
represents a thought in the mind of God respecting us. "How precious are
thy thoughts concerning me
O God
how great
"etc.
and those thoughts go
back to an eternity before we came into being. "The Lord hath been mindful
of us"; then should we not be more mindful of him?
2.
What he will do for his people—"He will bless us." (a)
Greatly. His blessings are like himself
great. They are blessed whom he
blesses. (b) Suitably. The house of Israel
the house of Aaron
all who fear
him
according to their need
both small and great. (c) Assuredly. "He
will
""he will
""he will
""he will." With
one" will" he curses
with four "wills" he blesses. G.
R.
Verse
13.
1.
The general character—"fear the Lord."
2. The degrees of development—"small and great."
3. The common blessing.
Verse
14.
1.
Gracious increase—in knowledge
love
power
holiness
usefulness
etc.
2.
Growing increase—we grow faster
and advance not only more
but more and more.
3.
Relative increase—our children grow in grace through our example
etc.
Verse
14. The blessings of God are
1. Ever
flowing "more and more."
2. Over
flowing—"you and your children." Let parents seek more grace for
themselves for the sake of their children. (a) That they may be more influenced
by their example. (b) That their prayers may be more prevalent on their behalf.
(c) That their children may be more blessed for their sakes. G. R.
Verse
15. A blessing.
1.
Belonging to a peculiar people—"ye."
2. Coming from a peculiar quarter—"of the Lord
"etc.
3. Bearing a peculiar date—"are."
4. Stamped with peculiar certainty—"Ye are blessed."
5. Involving a peculiar duty—"Bless the Lord now and evermore."
Verse
15. The Creator's blessing—its greatness
fulness
variety
etc.
Verse
16. Man's lordship over the world
its limit
its abuse
its
legitimate bound
its grand design.
Verses
17-18.
1.
Missing voices—"The dead praise not."
2. Their stimulus upon ourselves—"But we."
3. Their cry to others—"Praise ye the Lord." Let us make up for the
silent voices.
Verses
17-18.
1.
They who do not praise God here will not praise him hereafter. No reprieve
therefore from punishment.
2.
They who praise God in this life will praise him for evermore. Hallelujah for
this. "Praise the Lord." G.R.
Verses
17-18. A new year's sermon.
1.
A mournful memory—"the dead."
2. A happy resolve—"but we will bless the Lord."
3. An appropriate commencement—"from this time forth."
4. An everlasting continuance—"and for evermore."
── C.H. Spurgeon《The Treasury of David》