Psalms 26 and 27
There is a consciousness of a clean walk in Psalm 26 which carries on the substance of what we have looked at in Psalm 25. God is invited to prove the one who addresses Him; there is nothing- that so gives boldness toward God like the possession of a good conscience. The saint here considers his course in verses 4 and 5, as taken in separation from evil; he can then approach to God with clean hands (verse 6), and give thanks to Him (verse 7).
Verse 8 brings out the positive side of a godly life; there is love for God's dwelling place. The unbeliever cannot understand this, but to him, the happiness and joy of those who trust in God, is quite unknown.
In Psalm 27 there are two parts, comprised in verses 1 to 6, and 7 to 12. The first part shows the confidence of the saints, and the second part brings out his distress; at the close is the conclusion he has reached.
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; the strength of my life" (verse 1). Then "of whom shall I be afraid?"
When God is looked to, trusted in, when heart and soul are committed to Him, there is the utmost confidence and rightly so, for He has given His Word. And with this confidence is also the desire to dwell in the house of the Lord, to behold His beauty (or graciousness), and to inquire of Him in His temple. This is Jewish, of course, for it looks on to the presence of the Lord in the temple at Jerusalem, but the Christian, appropriating the language of verse 4, applies it to the thought of being forever with the Lord in that heavenly home which He went to prepare.
From verse 7 is an appeal to God out of distress. God had bade those who trusted in Him to seek His face; would He hide it from them after all? He had been their help, let Him not cast them off or forsake them.
These verses, and those following, let us see the severity of the pressure that will be upon the godly Jews in that day. They can but wait upon God, but their distress is great; He will come to their help at the needed time, and meanwhile they will be the gainers by trusting Him fully.
This is a lesson Christians often have to learn, too.
Messages of God’s Love 6/29/1930