This Psalm is faith in Jehovah. It and the following Psalm are much more Christ, and up to Psa. 7, open out before us. The principle seems to me, more than ever, the full entering of Christ into the condition of the Remnant of Israel, as displaying the great principles and facts of God's government.
It is much more introductory, and general certain principles. It is Messiah who first speaks, because He has first fully taken—nay, in Him has first fully brought out, He alone could rightly take apart, the place of the Remnant as apart from, and in contrast with the people. Others had felt it, as having His Spirit, and, as prophets, had portrayed it in Him, but He alone could take it in intrinsic righteousness, yet in Him it was as forced to it, i.e., this righteousness forced out the wickedness in the others, and He wept over Jerusalem when it was done; but then He entered into all that concerned Israel to the purpose, love, and revelation of God. The Psalms are the perfect display of all that a divinely perfect heart, in the circumstances, could feel of and as to the relationship of God with Israel, only Israel with God.
Thus in this Psalm we have, in the discovery of its state, the confidence of faith. Another great principle in the midst of no hope, if the state of the people be looked at—“Salvation belongeth unto the Lord," and His blessing is upon His people; compare Dan in Jacob's blessing.
4. " Out of his holy hill."
5. " People” (am) in the singular.
7. " Enemies " (o-y'vai). "Save me"—"Thou hast"—so verse 8, and then "blessing is upon thy people."
We have here the voice of Christ in the Jewish Remnant in its last distress; but the same is true of God's people everywhere since. Also note the testimony concerning the last trouble of the Jews; and the Remnant finds its reception or treatment, and own Him Lord on His appearance amongst them for it, and accordingly the Jews, as such, become identified, through the Remnant, with the ungodly enemy in the last days. This is an interesting and important point—Absalom is typical.
I have no doubt we have Christ in both this Psalm, and the following one, but only as identifying Himself with the Remnant of the Jews, and so in Spirit. We have in them the confidence His Spirit inspires—in Psa. 6 and 7 the feelings circumstances inspire, but aided by His Spirit. Compare, for us, Rom. 8:15-17, 18-27. Psa. 5 is the moral reasoning of faith, compare 2 Thessalonians 1. Hence Psa. 3 and 4 are more directly the expression of the Spirit of Christ but all these Psalms are abstract position before, and looking to, judgment. In Psa. 8 the glory is accomplished; Psa. 16, bringing in Christ at His first coming, shows how He took a place with the Remnant, the excellent of the earth.