This is the voice of the Remnant arguing, from the faithfulness of faith, that it was the Lord and not their own arm which had delivered them—that the same Arm could deliver through any circumstances. It is spoken under the apparent utter dereliction of the latter day, i.e., the time between their outward prosperity, in which the wickedness of the Jews had grown up in the Land, and the full blessing of Immanuel's deliverance, when the latter day enemies should then come up on the Land, and the Remnant should, between them and the ungodly Jews, seem to be deserted. Paul quotes it as evidence of the portion of the Remnant. And as the Holy Ghost recognizes it as the portion of the accepted Remnant, and the voice of the Spirit in their mouth, it was evidence of anything but their rejection, and thus the testimony of evil becomes the evidence of acceptance, to secure their faith, of those on whom the evil falls when it comes; so the Lord, "These things I tell you before it come," etc. This is a gracious arrangement of God. The written sufferings are evidence of the acceptance of those on whom they fall, when their faith might be taken, so that “Out of the eater comes forth sweetness," and "We are more than conquerors," etc.; and so I have found it in beginning my course in these Psalms in sorrow.
This Psalm is on the inroad of Gog, I apprehend, which drives the unbelieving Jews into collusion with Antichrist. It is the display of their condition in comparison with former enemies, but now a separated, faithful Remnant, not mixed with the national sin, though smitten “in the place of dragons”—the happy effect of judgments there, better than with sinners united to them.
I remark, in this Psalm, God only is acknowledged King; Psa. 45 brings in Messiah, Christ revealed—faithfulness to God only is pleaded before—known as Man, all blessing comes in. Psa. 44 itself is a positive point of progress, for God is owned. As separated to Him as the only Power, the character of Christ then is clearly shown. The queen is Jerusalem. The discovery of who God is then comes forth in declared and promised covenant mercies, but as mercies, see verse 26, and therefore Jehovah of Hosts is now known; and, though God be spoken of, Jehovah, Most High, in covenant and special relation in His own place, is fully known (Psa. 47), and thus Psa. 48 praises Him as such. The establishment of Zion, in her own place, is very remarkable.