Psalm 140

Psalm 140  •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 8
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The saved people being righteous and searched, and the wicked to be judged and slain, these are brought in in their relative condition. And, passing on to the condition of the Jewish people, to speak the words of Christ among the Remnant as taking up their cause in that day, it looks for deliverance from them on the earth; possibly, in the "evil man," noticing the last enemy arising from within, more especially the Antichrist, and, in "the violent," those who seek their own will, from without, against the men of peace and righteousness.
12, 13. These verses show the sure confidence of faith in those circumstances. The Psalm, however, is one of character in those He sought to be delivered from—the evil ones and enemies, not designation.
The Lord in this Psalm is spoken of, not in His exercised perfectness towards God, but as connected with the Jews in trial, exhibiting the wrongfulness of His enemies. The "wicked man" I believe to be Antichrist; the "violent man," the subsequent enemies of the Jews, as the Assyrian. And He prays for the Remnant-under Antichrist, they are-from the violent, they are preserved. They have both indeed one general character—which verses 2 and 3 give; though the first and second parts of verse 2 particularly refer to the same in verse 1. He is called ra-sha (the wicked) in verse 4.
6, 7. These apply to the different deliverances; verse 6 against Antichrist-verse 7, the violent man.
8. Still, I believe this verse to be Antichrist.
9, 10. These are the destruction of the other enemies, who "compass about." Their being destroyed proves no tongue of man shall prevail over violence.
11, 12. This is the result. When the man of violence is overthrown, from His rest the Lord says for them, "I know that Jehovah will maintain the cause of the afflicted"—the poor, humbled, but soon to be blessed Remnant of the Jews "the right of the poor," for they are in Jesus. He is afflicted in their affliction. The righteous (so made) shall give thanks in Jehovah's name. "The upright shall dwell in thy presence," i.e., in Jehovah's, before Zion, in that day. They "shall dwell," not the wicked among them, but "the upright" when the "man of violence" is put out—their enemies that have compassed them, and the wicked among the Jews, destroyed. Fear, and the snare, and the pit shall have been on the yoshev haaretz (inhabitant of the earth); but the upright delivered and preserved, as righteous, from the wickedness that has come in, shall yesh-vu eth panekha (dwell in thy presence).