PSALM 27. Fear is excluded from the soul when there is joy in the LORD as his light, salvation and strength. The psalmist had been taught to seek Jehovah’s face, and this he would now do. He asks Him not to hide His face from him, now that he is in trouble. He desires to be led in a plain path, that the enemies would not find occasion against him. He would not have had anything unless he had been led to see the goodness of Jehovah.
Psalm 28. The character of the ungodly nation is felt and they are classed as wicked; they profess to be seeking peace, but it is not real. The faithful feel that Jehovah will act in judgment on them and they desire to be separated from them. They feel that Jehovah has heard them and they rejoice and have confidence in Him that He will lift them up forever.
The Apostle refers to this in Romans 11 when he says that “God hath not cast away His people” forever, but a remnant will be saved. (vv. 1, 2, 5.)
Psalm 29. Here they have the courage to issue a call to those among the nation who take the place as mighty. They are to hear the voice of Jehovah, and give to Him what His glory and strength require as that which is due to Him. They are to worship Him in the beauty of His holiness, which is the opposite of forms and ceremonies. His voice is full of majesty and is above all the power of creation or the tumults of men. He sits as King over all the waterfloods, and He will give strength to His people and bless them.
Psalm 30. The soul here has been in dire distress. It felt that it was nigh to the grave, but now it can praise Jehovah for His deliverances. There is confidence that when it seemed that in His governmental ways there we anger, it was only for a moment, and the weeping of the night was turn into joy in the morning. There had been trust in prosperity, but now it was realized that the trust should have been in Jehovah alone. So he had to be brought low, that he might be able to sing praises unto Him forever.
Psalm 31. The faithful remnant, despised by friends and acquaintances, here feel their condition deeply. Their distress was keenly felt. The Lord passed through these sorrows, and although He used part of the expression in verse 5: “Into Thy hand I commend my spirit,” yet He could not use the latter part: “Thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.” Nevertheless this will be a comfort to the tried people in the day to come. They are led into the confidence that He will pride for them, that is, all they that put their trust in Him. The psalmist encourages others in the last two verses on account of his confidence in Jehovah.
Psalm 32. It is acknowledged here that the hand of the Lord had been heavy on them. It had led to the confession of their sins and the forgiveness of them had been realized. This led to the blessedness of the portion of those whose iniquities were not to be charged up against them. They were to be compassed about with songs of deliverances and could therefore rejoice. Here the psalmist is looking forward to the salvation which Peter speaks of: “Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:...” 1 Pet. 1:10-12.
ML-11/20/1960