The Spirit then calls the remembrance of Jehovah, to David and all His afflictions—the type and memorial of a greater Sufferer. This, in each class of the Psalms, is introduced, and David forms the root and center of Israelitish hopes in grace, through Him who was the Root and Offspring of David, and that on the full apostasy of Israel as to its own ways and God's dealings. The ark, pledge of the covenant, the pledge of God's rest, was heard of at Ephratah, and found in the fields of the wood. Possibly there is allusion here to Christ's birthplace, or when David was little and despised there, as the Root of David was. His heart was secretly on the ark of the covenant of His God, which was cast away by the apostasy of His people (for David was the type of grace after apostasy) and He could have no rest until a habitation for it (Exodus is) was found. Hence, i.e., from this identification with God's glory in the midst of apostasy, all His afflictions. It was not now, as in Israel's journeyings, "Rise Lord and let thine enemies," etc., and "Return 0 Lord to the many thousands of Israel," but "Arise into thy rest"—His rest, which grace had recovered in the midst of apostasy, where worship and service was to be.
5 and 8. There is a difference between " Habitation " and " Rest." God has a habitation where He cannot finally rest, only it holds out the ground and place of rest, to faith. Habitation, as we have often seen, rests on redemption; as soon as Israel is out of Egypt it is spoken of, not before. But this was not God's rest, as indeed is shown in Heb. 4, only it was a hypothetical rest, and indeed founded on responsibility as a present enjoyment, but, as Psa. 95 proves, not really the rest. So in the words analogous to but contrasted with verse 8, it was, "Arise 0 Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered," not "Arise into thy rest"—then He returned to the "thousands of Israel," but it was not His rest. The dealing of Christ with the Sabbath is connected with this- His Father worked hitherto, and He worked. Redemption, then, gave the ground for habitation, and laid the basis of rest; but, even so, Man was tried for it, and, as we have seen, Ichabod was written on all—God, though He vindicated His glory, gave "His strength into captivity, his glory into the enemy's hand." There was a total close to the whole history of man as connected with his responsibility as in Israel and as such (for sending His Son in grace went on a different ground) and then grace comes in in power and sets, when man is proved and found wanting and the breach with man is complete—the ark of God, where God sat as dwelling in Israel, gone—God in His rest, i.e., the ark of His strength in Zion. So that, for the rest of God, not only redemption, but practically the testing of man and finding him wanting, is needed. Then God does His own work in power, and enters into His rest; and this, as He is love, is grace founded on Christ's work and sufferings.
9, 10. Here we have the supplication.
11, 12. The sure basis of promise, and its terms.
13. From this verse we have the answer, which will be seen in each request to surpass the desire, as it expresses the Lord's own purpose and the will of His heart in the matter. "For the Lord hath chosen Zion"—it is not merely the want of the people—He hath desired it—it is His rest forever. Her priests are to be "clothed with salvation"—her saints "shout aloud for joy." Then the horn of David is "to bud," and "a lamp" is ordained for His Anointed—"On himself shall his crown flourish." It is not merely "their children." This shows us, who David is, in the prophets, etc.
Now, to go on to the substantial truth, God being love, love must rest in making perfectly blessed those whom it brings to know and be happy in it, or it could not rest in its love; and, as God rests in His love in us, we, partakers of the divine nature, His love shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto us, rest in the communion of that perfect love. He rests in perfect love in our blessing, and we rest in the communion of that perfect love, having a nature which can find its rest only there; redemption having enabled us to be there and enjoy it in righteousness—redemption that love has wrought. This rest is founded in the end of man's nature as a child of Adam, as well as on redemption.
Then the Psalm brings in some other points. We have seen that David's heart could have no rest till Jehovah find His; his faith looks then to what is found to be God's counsels. This I have noted, but there is more. It is God's desire too—He hath chosen Zion; there is the security of His counsel, but also He has desired it for His habitation—His delight, as well as His counsel, is in it. This is immense blessing. The desire of the heart is there, so that there can be no rest till God has His place, and the perfection of faith seeks it as His- desires that His mind may be fulfilled. But God thereon reveals that His desire is there, not only His counsel, so that He is to be glorified thus, but His delight, and that He desires it for His habitation; and thus His habitation and His rest become one (v. 14). Only, man in nature is set aside, and faith enters into the mind of God, which His power accomplishes. There too He dispenses His blessing.
I add some further words on this Psalm. First of all, David's sufferings are the basis of all, i.e., Christ. Next it is sovereign grace; for responsibility even, under the mercy declared through Moses, was closed when the ark was taken captive by the Philistines—there could be no day of atonement, no blood on the mercy-seat. Ichabod was written on all—God had "delivered his strength into captivity, his glory into the enemy's hands." Sovereign grace raised up Samuel the prophet, and then David, who brought the ark, not into the tabernacle at all, but to Mount Zion, which was thus the seat of sovereign grace in power, in contrast with Sinai. God is called on to "arise into his rest," for He will rest in His love. It is His rest we are to enter into-where His love will be satisfied and His nature perfectly met through the fruits of it, as in Eph. 4:4, 54There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5One Lord, one faith, one baptism, (Ephesians 4:4‑5). Christ "will see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied." Hence it is God's rest and of the ark of His strength-a new thing; not "Let God arise and his enemies be scattered" and "Return 0 Lord to the ten thousands of Israel."
But then man's, the saint's, rest is only in this, " I will not go up into my bed, nor give slumber to mine eyes, till I find out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob." His rest, his heart's rest, could only be in the rest of God perfectly glorified. Here we find the desire of the saint's heart, (nota bene) in its desires identified with God, so that it can have no rest until He have rest and be perfectly glorified-a vital principle, the effect of being partakers of the divine nature! And this we shall see brings him in this blessed way into God's counsels, as it is written, "Who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counselor that he should instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ"—the Holy Ghost by the Word leading us "into all truth"; compare Ex. 15 and chapter 29:46. Our rest is, entering into God's rest—an infinite blessing!
But the desire is, rightly according to man, the answer according to God—the desire right and according to God's nature and ways, but the blessing according to the riches of grace. The desire is that Jehovah should arise and enter into His rest, and the ark of His strength, for the strength and faithful covenant—working of God enters into rest when all is accomplished. The answer is "This is my rest forever.... The Lord hath chosen Zion." It is His desire, and He will therefore dwell there. It is more than asked; but it is more, the heart led of God has been brought to desire what is God's desire and the object of His election. So the desire is righteousness for the priests—as John Baptist's father. The answer is, "They shall be clothed with salvation," the full, final deliverance of God. The desire is right—righteousness becomes them—the answer is from God, and becomes Him in the power of His grace. The desire is that the "saints may shout for joy" all right; the renewed heart must desire the prosperity and joy of God's chosen, and God will give it abundantly, "They shall shout aloud for joy."
Remark another thing. In the desire they are Jehovah's priests, Jehovah's saints—"Thy." So, as to the "rest." And as to the "rest," it is repeated; but as to Zion, "This is my rest." And this is what we want—nothing else will do, or would be rest. But, as to the priests and saints, He does not say "My" but "Her," i.e., Zion's. They are His, but so perfectly does God own the complete association of the Church with Him in rest and blessing, that the priests which are His, He calls hers, for they do belong to her, and the saints which are His, to be hers. There is no difference, and I refer now to the Church—we are His priests, and we belong to the Church, are hers in the most absolute sense. We are His saints, but we compose the Church-are hers. This in the identity of the "rest," is of unequaled beauty.
I have omitted the desire not to "turn away the face of God's anointed"; the answer also is more-the horn of David is to bud-a lamp is there ordained for Him-and His crown shall flourish on Him, i.e., He goes beyond the wish. For us it is in heaven in glory; but note, it is there in Zion, Christ (literally King there, as in Psa. 2) is to be glorified in the Church. Nor is here Christ separated from God, see Eph. 3:16-2116That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. (Ephesians 3:16‑21); and here too it is "above all we ask or think." But, as to His crown, He will be glorified with His saints. There too it was first sung " His mercy endureth forever," for it had blessed Israel after and in spite of all, and found, in the end of His responsibility, the occasion and beginning of His perfect grace. We see the outgoings of His goodness in that which He will do for Zion.
There are two parts in this Psalm—the prayer and the answer, down to verse 10; from verse 11 to the end, it is Christ under the character and in connection with David- David and his afflictions-seeking a resting—place for the tabernacle of Jehovah, " A habitation for the mighty One of Jacob," finding no rest till He had a habitation; compare Hag. 1:44Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? (Haggai 1:4), and the literal David, 2 Sam. 7:22That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. (2 Samuel 7:2). But the truth is, though there is a rest for the ark of God, the ark of God's strength, yet the Lord builds David's house in a higher sense. It was wandering as lost, heard of at Ephratah, and found in the fields of the wood-neglected and despised of men, not " we will worship at his footstool."
I cannot but think this is the setting the human nature of Christ in His glory and strength. It was not God's strength, but it was the ark of God's strength. It being discovered, and the prayer that Jehovah should enter into His rest, there is thereupon prayer for His priests and His holy ones (chasidim), and that He should not for His servant David's sake, His ancient promise and binding grace, turn away His anointed One's face. The subjection of the spirit of the King is marvelously shown, and shows the righteousness of spirit that was in Christ as to this, for the Lord alone was to be exalted, and we speak of Him here as "the Man Christ Jesus," not as " Lord." They would have taken Him by force and made Him a King—the people's King—but He was Jehovah's King, and showed His righteousness in subjection to Jehovah, and not exalting Himself above His brethren (as the Law also prescribed, and as Rehoboam would) for the Jews, whatever their after-learning, when it was not faith, did not, it would appear, look for a Messiah who was Jehovah. This unity was reserved for the Church.
Then comes Jehovah's answer to this Holy, subject, King, or concerning Him, by the spirit speaking concerning David. The Lord's answer to all this looking mystically for the resting-place of David's afflictions in the ark of His strength, is the exaltation of Him who is both David's seed and the true glory of the ark.
11. The accomplishment of truth to David—"The Lord hath sworn... he will not turn from it. Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne "; that is a settled point. Then comes a conditional one of righteousness, true only in Christ the Lord—"If thy children keep my covenant, then," etc. "For Jehovah hath chosen Zion." They may be casually displaced, if they do not answer Jehovah's character, but Zion was chosen-it was His sought habitation; and this was the answer to David's affliction-in Christ, the fruit of his body was set upon his throne; but that, Jehovah's habitation.
This was His rest "forever"—His earthly rest, and He could rest there, Christ being there, but there was a reason too—He had "desired it." Then the blessing. Hence also, after the miracle of the loaves, the wish of the people, and the suitableness of the temptation as to witness of the blessing; but neither were the path of the humble patience of Jehovah's King, till Jehovah exalted Him—not His own (though well entitled) not the people's (though of the promise) power, but subjection of Him and blessing to them in righteousness and grace. So the Lord remembers David's afflictions, for the Spirit, typically in David, was assuredly fully in Christ the King, " born King of the Jews." But the results in blessing are made to surpass the prayer, when the detail is come to her priests—prayed for as "Thy," but soon stamped as "Zion's"—clothed with salvation, "her holy ones" (chasidim) "shall shout aloud." Not only shall the Anointed's face be not turned away, but "the horn of David" shall "bud" there, for David and Zion are now identified, and " a lamp ordained for "His" Anointed " (Messiah). "His enemies" clothed with shame, for He is the David, the Beloved, the Anointed.