Psalms 22:27

All the ends of the world shall remember, and turn unto the Lord.

The return to the Father

In this Psalm the utterance of the believing heart in trial and in deliverance becomes, at various points, a prophetic anticipation of the experience of Christ. In one verse after another we seem to hear out of His own mouth the sorrow and the triumph of Christ. Regarding the text in this light, as an expectation which a believer might naturally express in the hour of his own enlargement, it brings before us an interesting connection of thought. A believer who has been brought into great temptation and trouble, and whose faith has been drawn out into lively and lowly exercise, when the deliverance comes will be aware of something more than the worth and the gladness of that particular deliverance. He has been holding converse with the mercy of God under pressure. There comes afresh into his heart the impression of the love of God, of which his own relief is only an instance and expression. So God teaches him--forces him to learn afresh--what a blessedness this is to have this God for his God forever and ever. Then how naturally he may go on to such an anticipation as that in the text he has a fresh sense of that in God which saves and blesses. How natural it becomes to cherish even so great an expectation as that the ends of the world may turn to the Lord! If all believers had the fresh sense they might have of Divine compassion there would be less uncertainty about the prosperity of the Gospel, less of feeble and dubious effort. And we may also hear the utterance of a Saviour’s joy and exultation when it is said, “The ends of the world shall remember, and shall turn to the Lord.”

I. The prospect from the cross. So taken, the text suggests to us our Lord’s consciousness of the virtue that lay in His atoning sacrifice. The life of perfect holiness and perfect love was crowned by the death in which He put away sin. Exceeding glory to God and good to man were to be unfolded from it. This lay fully before our Lord’s eye from the first. What He saw it becomes us to believe--the ends of the world shall remember, and turn to the Lord.

II. The soul’s awakening. “They shall remember.” It is as though something long forgotten had come to mind, had melted their hearts within them. In what sense is the truth in Christ new? It is not so new but that it has also something old in it. Just this lay behind many a transient conviction, many a vague and dim impression. Whatever of new has come has put unspeakable meaning into all the old.

III. Man’s place with God. This is not so only with those for whom conversion comes after years of acquaintance with the Christian creed, and with the form of Godliness. It holds for men as men. The God who in Christ becomes ours is the very God for whom man was made. This is the meaning of man. And the blessedness which redemption brings is for the heart of man, as man was planned and made.

IV. The inevitable return. The text points to a time when turning to God shall be the main thing, the prevailing thing, as if a mighty tide setting that way, carried all before it. For the present we do not see this. (Robert Rainy, D. D.)

Three stages in religious life

I. Reflection. “Shall remember.” We use the word reflection here because the usual Bible significance of the word “remember” is not simply “recollect,” but meditate, consider. The act described is far more than one of memory; witness the words, “Remember now thy Creator.” Here also the Psalmist means “remember the Lord.” Thought is the first stage in true life. Right thought on a right subject is essential to right life. “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

1. Think about God.

2. Think what God’s ways with men are.

3. Think of your relationship to God. In the past; now; for the future.

II. conversion. “Turn unto” would be a synonym; or “return.” “Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die?” These passages, with that in our text, remind us--

1. That man is turned away from God. There is aversion and alienation.

2. Man may be restored to God. His face may yet look into the face of the Father, his life spent in Godward sympathies and activities.

3. This conversion, i.e. moral turning round, implies human effort and Divine help. Man is to turn, and God will turn him. Then, and then only, will his back be towards vanities and sins, and his face towards the true and the pure. More than passing sentiment is needed. There must be the putting forth of all the strongest forces of manhood, and the energising grace of God.

III. Adoration. “Shall worship.” This is the climax. It is the fullest development of the higher life, the crown of human destiny. Adoration of God is--

1. The instinct.

2. The obligation.

3. The satisfaction of souls. (U. R. Thomas.)

The importance of true religion, and the care of God to preserve it

I. To glorify and enjoy God are the great ends of our creation and redemption. This is the great and fundamental article of religion. God’s design in the creation and government of the world must have been the manifestation of His perfection, and the conferring happiness on intelligent creatures in proportion to their capacities. To what purpose hath God distinguished man with a rational and immortal soul resembling Himself, but to make him capable of religion and eternal life. What the character of God and the nature of man so clearly demonstrate on principles of reason, God hath expressly declared to us in His Word.

II. God has given men proper information of His character, will, and grace as their rule of duty and their guide to happiness. The existence of the creation demonstrates the existence of the Creator; its greatness proves His immensity; its order, His wisdom; and the provision made for the happiness of His creatures, His boundless goodness. In every state of man the only perfect rule of religion is Divine revelation, which confirms all the principles of natural religion, and informs us of many things necessary to be known which our own reason could not have discovered. The dispensations of God’s providence subserved the design of His revelations for preserving religion and virtue in the world.

III. That before the coming of Christ the worship of the true God should be generally forgotten and neglected by mankind. This melancholy truth the history of the world hath but too amply verified. True religion must always have the true God for its object, and His moral character and revealed will for its rule. False religion originates in a departure from the worship of the true God to that of idols; either as objects of religious adoration or as the means of it. To this cause Moses ascribed the idolatry of Israel. The sun, moon, etc., from being worshipped only as representations of God, came to be considered and worshipped as so many distinct deities. As the multitude of gods worshipped by the heathen distracted their religion, and turned it away from the only true God, so their mean and immoral characters shamefully debased it. Religion is the chief part and foundation of moral righteousness. As before the coming of Christ the Gentiles had grossly departed from the knowledge and profession of the true religion, so the Jews had greatly degenerated from the sincere belief and practice of it.

IV. By the Gospel and the grace of Christ all nations should be brought to remember and turn unto the Lord. The coming of the Saviour was the era of light, reformation, and happiness to the world As to the proper improvement of these truths, let us ever live under the serious belief and impression that, to glorify and enjoy God, our Creator and Saviour, are the great ends of our existence, and can be attained only by the knowledge and practice of true religion. (W. Dalgleish, D. D.)

Nature and extent of true conversion under Messiah’s reign

I. The nature of true conversion.

1. It is to remember. It is fitly expressed by the ease of the prodigal, who is said to have “come to himself.” The Holy Spirit is ever seeking to make us remember. Sometimes by adverse providences, as with Joseph’s brethren. At other times by His Word. Sometimes it is without any apparent cause. “I thought on my ways,” says David, “and turned my feet unto Thy testimonies.” And there will, however brought, be many ways which we shall remember with sorrow and shame. As our ways of open immorality: things which we thought were no harm, since other people did them; and ways which we have thought nothing about--sins of the heart. And ways, too, that you have counted good you will thus remember. All your religion while unconverted will appear odious to you.

2. It is turning unto the Lord. This is very important, for it is possible to remember our evil ways without turning from them. And it is possible both to remember and turn, and yet not to turn to the Lord. And--

3. There will be worship--the homage of the heart presented to God according to His will.

II. The extent. “All the ends of the world”; “all the kindreds of the nations,” etc. It was fit that the accessions of the Gentiles should be reserved for the Gospel day, that it might grace the triumph of Christ over His enemies. And the good work then begun must go on, no longer limited to the seed of Abraham. But the time will come when our text will be abundantly fulfilled. Nor can the time of fulfilment be far distant. The last branch of the last of the four beasts foretold by Daniel is now in its dying agonies. But while we are concerned for all the world, let us not forget our own souls. (Andrew Fuller.)

The assistance derived by Christianity from human learning

it is matter of doubt whether there is real improvement in the world in morals and religion. In some parts matters seem to have become worse. But in others, our own country especially, since the Reformation there has been improvement, and such as is not likely to be lost. Still, we are far enough from perfection. For that we must look on to the kingdom of God yet to be established, but meanwhile we must help it forward as we best can. But note--

I. What are the causes of the improvement we have noticed? They are--

1. General experience, though there are instances in which the moral and religious condition of the people are no better now than they were ages ago. The reason of this is that these communities have possessed no literature, and hence the teachings of experience have been lost and each generation has to begin anew.

2. Letters and learning. Hence these teachings no longer die with those who have acquired them, but are handed on to their successors. But we have instances in which--as in Egypt, Greece, and Rome, where there have been letters and learning, but because separated from true religion--the world has not been morally advanced by them. The experience of France in the eighteenth century is in point here.

3. The revelation of Christianity. But this from an early period down to the time of the Reformation being loaded with superstition, the moral life of men was but little benefited. Hence we gather that there must be the union of Learning and Christianity if any real progress is to be made.

II. What assistance Christianity has received from human learning. This learning may be distinguished--

1. As the study of ancient languages and composition. Hence now we have the Scriptures translated, and this learning is useful not only to translate but to teach us the rules of interpretation, and of just criticism, and of the best models of composition, and to give freedom and strength to the imagination. Even the elegance of ancient writers, though often considered as merely ornamental, is not without its use towards the perfection of Christian morals. There is a connection and a sympathy which, though they do not always appear, have yet a tendency to prevail, between whatever is simple and elegant in the arts, and a simplicity and elegance of manners. By this connection we are rendered more sensible of any thing that can soften the human mind, can heighten the enjoyment of social life, or prepare us for that Christian charity which is the bond of peace and of all virtue.

2. The study of philosophy, which is not merely useful in the discovery of curious and useful arts. It serves a much nobler and more generous purpose, that of promoting our progress towards the perfection of our nature, and of advancing the interests of true religion. (W. Pearce, D. D.)

The triumph of Christianity

Some regard this Psalm as our Lord’s soliloquy when expiring on the Cross. It may be so. Fitter words could not have been conceived. The mighty hero sees the conflict ended, anticipates the victory, and begins to chant the conqueror’s paean.

I. The conversion of the nations to God may be expected. It is much to be desired. But the battle is long and weary and the end is not yet. Some think it is not to be looked for. But--

1. Our newborn nature craves for it; and--

2. Is it not unlikely that on this earth where God has stood in the person of His Son, that evil, after all, should vanquish Him?

3. And see the promises of reward made to our Redeemer. “He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied.” And the Scriptures are full of such promises, in the Psalms and in all the prophets. It is good to be reminded of them, for we shall not labour well if we do not labour in hope. And as yet we have not done so much as to give the fragments of the Gospel feast to the nations. When the Church is ready for great events they shall occur to her.

II. Such conversion will occur in the usual manner of other conversions. “The nations,” says our text, “shall remember, and shall turn unto the Lord, and shall worship before Him.”

1. They shall remember. In this manner conversion begins.

2. They shall turn.

3. They shall worship.

III. The means to accomplish this result are to be found at Calvary. This is a Calvary Psalm; its connection is full of sacrificial suffering. Every conversion is the result of Christ’s death. And His death is our motive for spreading the Gospel. And it is the security of future triumph. We shall conquer the world, but it will be by the Cross. The old legend of Constantine, “In hoc signo vinces,” hath truth in it for us. By this we shall conquer--by the Cross, by the preaching of Jesus Christ. (C. H. Spurgeon.)