In this Psalm Jehovah is celebrated by Messiah as in the war and conflict for the people. First, verse 2, what He is to Him-then subduing His people under Him—then comes the righteous inquiry for judgment, "What is man, that the Lord so long lingers, and pauses before He gets rid of the wicked and the evil?" Compare Psa. 8 For here man is seen—the proud adversary on earth of the Man of God's right hand—after lengthened and infinite mercy bounded just by this state of adversary, which was patience, not with abstractedly possible return, but manifested opposition to good, and therefore would—be feeble acquiescence in evil. Now God's patience had been the patience of perfect power, not of feebleness with evil-man's worthlessness is here then presented to Him. It was now the hand of strange children, and Messiah (pleading withal for them, first for, and then with, whom He was afflicted) must be delivered. "Man is like to vanity," "Bow thy heavens, 0 Jehovah," and the righteous Messiah claims the intervention of power, and this brings judgment and new songs—judgment, in order that righteousness may bear its unhindered and natural fruits of blessing. It is here with intercession for judgment, because of the position of things. "Happy the people" in this case of blessing of righteousness—Messiah's blessing! Yea, "the people that have Jehovah for their God!" Thus the vanity of man, the judgment and blessing of righteousness are all identified, through Messiah, with His people, even the Remnant of Israel.
Before, we had David in sorrow-our blessed Master bowing under the burthen. Now, David emerged from that in blessing, though yet in conflict. Oh! how deep the former! His Spirit overwhelmed within Him! Ah! what was that depth, through which He passed His soul that He might take up the strength of the new covenant for us-witness of God's faithful righteousness! For there also, in our behalf as to be saved, may we say "My strength is made perfect in weakness." "Crucified through weakness," but "living by the power of God"; but because of the power of evil against us, overcome in this righteousness of suffering-so in sympathy with them ("why persecutest thou me?") still. Now, this being gone through, it is "What is man?" here. And, in the full sense of victory, "Why dost thou delay the accomplishment of thy purposes concerning thy people? What are they that they should stand in the way? Remove out of the way! "Compare most interesting testimony, to the other uses of this phrase and thought, in Job 7 and Psa. 8
It is now "The Lord my Rock." The Beloved is still in great waters, and with the hand, or strength, of strange children—unbelieving and haughty Gentiles—but He has passed through the depth of sorrow about the Remnant of the Jews, where judgment (and so for the Church, of course) as the place of righteousness, must be entered into, i.e., met; and, having passed through that, He has simply the strength of the Lord, His Rock, to lean on, and stand firm on against them, exulting in it.
The Psalm blessedly exhibits the effects of Messiah's deliverance for the Jews, as the former the trial of His Spirit for them. In both we have the marvelous identification of the thoughts and interests of His heart with them. Blessed be His name! Deliverance of Messiah is deliverance of all under Him, for it is the breaking of the actual power of the enemy. It then becomes a question, "Jehovah, what is man?" This last too, as to the circumstances, specially affects the Jews. "Thy heavens," and then the effect is plain. It is marvelous how any can doubt the application of these Psalms, though the depth of their principles may well, and will exercise the mind. Well might the Redeemer say, "Lord, what is man?" after what He had passed through, knowing from Jehovah, as in Jehovah, what they were. Oh! the knowledge! Then see the infinite blessedness of Psa. 8 Man's foolishness is in Job 7. Here also He uses the inquiry, "Why make any account of him? Why delay to execute purpose for man—such a creature as man? "Job's inquiry is, why He should take any notice of him to worry him? Here, Messiah's, why should He stop His hand to bring in the blessing, for the folly of resisting man, calls upon the Lord, above the heavens, to show His power and to scatter them in a moment—this is very plain. Psa. 8 unites and solves the two, in showing the humiliation and exaltation of Jesus, the secret way of all God's dealings in both—the hour of trial, the ground of the patience, and the certainty of the subjection of all things to humble, subject Man—quod rota.