PRAISE TO THE RULER OF THE WORLD AS THE PROTECTOR OF HIS PEOPLE.
This entire psalm is a call to lively and joyful praise of God for His
wonderful and glorious attributes and works, as displayed in creation,
and of His general and special providence, in view of which the
psalmist, in the name of all... [ Continue Reading ]
Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous, those justified by the grace of
God; FOR PRAISE IS COMELY, fitting, proper, FOR THE UPRIGHT, it is
both their duty and their honor to praise the Lord; for silence on
their part would be equivalent to a denial of His blessings.... [ Continue Reading ]
Praise the Lord with harp, a kind of zither; SING UNTO HIM WITH THE
PSALTERY AND AN INSTRUMENT OF TEN STRINGS, a ten-stringed harp or
lute, which was also used in the Temple orchestra.... [ Continue Reading ]
Sing unto Him a new song, one especially adapted to the occasion; PLAY
SKILLFULLY WITH A LOUD NOISE, with a vim, showing the eagerness of the
heart to praise the glory of Jehovah in a song never heard before.... [ Continue Reading ]
For the Word of the Lord is right, upright, true, not full of mistakes
and contradictions; AND ALL HIS WORKS ARE DONE IN TRUTH, in
faithfulness, the fulfillment always agreeing with His promises.... [ Continue Reading ]
He loveth righteousness and judgment; He delights to show these
attributes of His divine essence. THE EARTH IS FULL OF THE GOODNESS OF
THE LORD, of the many proofs of His kindness.... [ Continue Reading ]
By the Word of the Lord, the great Word which was in the beginning
with God, John 1:1, WERE THE HEAVENS MADE, Proverbs 8:22; AND ALL THE
HOST OF THEM BY THE BREATH OF HIS MOUTH, by the power of His Spirit,
the reference obviously being to the third person of the Trinity.... [ Continue Reading ]
He, the Triune God, GATHERETH THE WATERS OF THE SEA TOGETHER AS AN
HEAP, the mighty ocean being firmly held together by the almighty
power of Jehovah; HE LAYETH UP THE DEPTHS IN STOREHOUSES, assigning to
the vast extent of the ocean waters their place where they must stay.... [ Continue Reading ]
Let all the earth, even the inanimate creatures, FEAR THE LORD; LET
ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE WORLD, especially men, who are endowed with
reason and sense, STAND IN AWE OF HIM, with a reverence verging on
fear.... [ Continue Reading ]
For He spake, with the almighty word of His command, AND IT WAS DONE;
HE COMMANDED, AND IT STOOD FAST. The reference is plainly to the story
of creation: God said, Let there be; and there was, Genesis 1. God is
furthermore to be praised on account of His almighty rule of the
universe.... [ Continue Reading ]
The Lord bringeth the counsel to the heathen to naught, making void
their plans as actually devised; HE MAKETH THE DEVICES OF THE PEOPLE,
the very thoughts and intentions of their hearts, OF NONE EFFECT, thus
frustrating their wickedness.... [ Continue Reading ]
The counsel of the Lord standeth forever, in contrast with the vain
counsels and thoughts of men, THE THOUGHTS OF HIS HEART TO ALL
GENERATIONS, abiding forever.... [ Continue Reading ]
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, Jehovah, as their Ruler,
being also their greatest treasure; AND THE PEOPLE WHOM HE HATH CHOSEN
FOR HIS OWN INHERITANCE, as was the case in Israel at the time of
David, the spiritual Israel, the Church of God, being His heritage in
the highest sense of th... [ Continue Reading ]
The Lord, as the great Ruler of the universe, LOOKETH FROM HEAVEN,
with the eyes of His omniscience; HE BEHOLDETH ALL THE SONS OF MEN,
not one being hidden from His knowledge.... [ Continue Reading ]
From the place of His habitation He looketh upon all the inhabitants
of the earth, all their deeds being open to His gaze.... [ Continue Reading ]
He fashioneth their hearts alike, He is the Former of their hearts all
at once, both in the creation of each soul and in forming the thoughts
of the heart under His providence; HE CONSIDERETH ALL THEIR WORKS,
understanding exactly how they put their plans into execution.... [ Continue Reading ]
There is no king saved by the multitude of an host, no matter what
display of strength and arms he may make; A MIGHTY MAN IS NOT
DELIVERED BY MUCH STRENGTH, all this is useless without God.... [ Continue Reading ]
An horse is a vain thing for safety, for a man to rely on; NEITHER
SHALL HE DELIVER ANY BY HIS GREAT STRENGTH; as it is a delusion for
help and victory, so it will disappoint him who absolutely relies upon
it to carry him to safety. All this is subject to God's government.... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him, the entire
purpose of the world and of His government is realized in them, UPON
THEM THAT HOPE IN HIS MERCY, putting aside all trust in themselves;... [ Continue Reading ]
to deliver their soul from death, sustaining them in all dangers which
threaten their life, AND TO KEEP THEM ALIVE IN FAMINE. These facts
being set forth, the psalmist makes the application to the Church of
God of all times.... [ Continue Reading ]
Our soul waiteth for the Lord, trusting firmly in His help, no matter
when it is manifested; HE IS OUR HELP AND OUR SHIELD.... [ Continue Reading ]
For our heart shall rejoice in Him because we have trusted in His holy
name, as the foundation of their faith, love, and hope, from which all
salvation comes.... [ Continue Reading ]
Let Thy mercy, O Lord, which alone gives the believers the courage to
invoke the Lord, BE UPON US, ACCORDING AS WE HOPE IN THEE, their
confident waiting and trusting and the divine answer being correlates.
In this way the attitude of hope and trust is the attitude of the
Church in all ages, sustaine... [ Continue Reading ]