Psalm 144

Psalm 144  •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 10
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This Psalm follows, I may say, in the train of the previous one; for at the close of that the suppliant had sought the destruction of the enemy, and here he speaks as being assured that God would be his strength, his shield, and his victory, in the battle. He, therefore, desires the day of conflict, anticipating victory. And beyond that, he anticipates its fruit and joy in the kingdom, all human prosperity, children and wealth and settled peace, and the common verdict of the whole world, that “happy is that people whose God is the Lord” (Deut. 33:2929Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places. (Deuteronomy 33:29)).
The suppliant (Christ, no doubt, in sympathy with the remnant) contemplates God as making Himself to him all that he can need or desire (Psa. 144:1-21<<A Psalm of David.>> Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: 2My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me. (Psalm 144:1‑2)); and immediately upon this he marvels that it should be so (Psa. 144:33Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him! (Psalm 144:3)). And this surprise is expressed in the same language as in Psalm 8, only there it is the sense of the divine greatness—here it is the sense of the human vanity that awakens this surprise that God should take such counsels of grace and glory about us.
In all this we again find Israel learning divine lessons about themselves, as we observed in the previous Psalm. They own that they are less than the least of all God’s mercies, wondering, as it were, that they should be His objects at all.
The spirit of Psalm 18 is much breathed here. And that is strikingly the language of the true David in the great Jewish deliverance of the latter day leading to the kingdom. (See also Psa. 144:55Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. (Psalm 144:5) and Isa. 64:11Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence, (Isaiah 64:1).) So here the suppliant knows that this desired deliverance will lead directly into the joy of the days of Messiah or the kingdom (Psa. 144:11-1511Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood: 12That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace: 13That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets: 14That our oxen may be strong to labor; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets. 15Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord. (Psalm 144:11‑15)). As the creation knows that her deliverance from present bondage to corruption will be into glorious liberty; and as the saints can and do sing, “Whom He justified, them He also glorified” (Rom. 8:21,3021Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. (Romans 8:21)
30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (Romans 8:30)). For when the blessed God makes a way of escape for sinners or captives, in His love He will carry them into more than liberty.