This Psalm is the complaint of the Beloved as trusting in God's word—the faithfulness of God to His trust in Him, when He had to wander, not having where to lay His head, in that land of which He was born and anointed King; compare Heb. 5:77Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; (Hebrews 5:7), Psa. 69:13, 1413But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation. 14Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters. (Psalm 69:13‑14), and Isa. 49:88Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; (Isaiah 49:8). This last is a chapter singularly indicative of the union or identity, in the mind of the Spirit, of the Lord and Israel. The thread is quite evident; verse 3 is literal, but in verse 5, this assumption of the Remnant into His character is marked. In verse to, “His” is put in; it is the testimony on which the trust rests. We may notice the expressions “God" and "Lord"; both are the object of faith.
What is first present to His mind is man swallowing Him up—then God's Word. In Psa. 57, it is the shadow of God's wings, and thence God's sending even from heaven to save Him. This enlarges the sphere, otherwise these two Psalms run in the same stream of thought.
7. Ammim (peoples).
This Psalm applies itself also specially to the state of exclusion and exile, in which the Spirit of Christ found itself, and specially from the midst of those who ought to be His, but, as we have seen, they are all watching together against Him. It is man He finds—Jew or Gentile—man. God only was His refuge—all were as Philistines for Him. Consequently not as united to Israel, speaking of man (a-dam) but all people (ammim). Man would swallow Him up as an outcast, as wandering. The former Psalm saw more the evil within, here without. He feels well what man is. They are active against Him. It is not so much treachery, there is the pursuit of those who have been treacherous against Him, but in effect, the ammim (peoples) are all there. In God only is trust—His position throws Him on this, and throws Him on the faithfulness of God. God is for Him. The Word of God takes the place, as it were, of company. The word and promise of God is His resource and assurance. So ever, when cast out by man, and the word is sure. As the word of God is sure, so is He debtor to God, as one vowing to Him, and when the promise of His word is fulfilled, praises for the accomplishment of it will then burst forth. He is so sure of the truth of the word that He looks to, and knows He shall, “render praises."
13. This is the principle, so often found, of the power of deliverance from death—the resurrection, the center of this. Our portion is to suffer with—theirs to be delivered from.