This Psalm takes another ground-it sings of the mercy of Jehovah, quite other, and introduces therefore His promise and covenant, with David, of grace, but He is to be “feared in the assembly of his saints."
This Psalm treats of many miseries, but it takes up the covenant of grace, and mercies, and their centering in the seed of David, or David and his seed. He sings of mercies, though mercies in circumstances may sometimes seem to fail. But the Law is not mercy. The more I regard and the more truly Jehovah, being under the Law, the more thoroughly awful my position—the more I regard Him in mercies, though those mercies may have an apparent momentary failure, the more I can triumph in His goodness and fidelity to His character—fidelity to His character under the Law is ruin. He sings then here of mercies—mercy to be established forever—and recalls their faithfulness in the time of their distress, a faithfulness established in the heavens. This has been accomplished in Christ, even when all the foundations of the earth are out of course. "Touch me not," "Recognize me not," said the Lord, the blessed Lord, "Own me not as your covenant King of hope, for I am not yet ascended," i.e., unto the heavens to establish these very mercies. Still this establishment in the heavens secures, whatever intervenes, “the sure mercies of David"; and here they are—Jehovah is our defense, k'dosh (Holy One of), Israel is our King. But then He has spoken in visions of His chasid (Holy One). “Holy One” is not then k'dosh, i.e., of Him in whom all the mercies center, and are accomplished. They are recounted therefore, and the covenant made, and then the circumstances and miseries recounted in the light of this covenant, and presented to God with the praise of faith on this ground—the Anointed with whom God is in covenant. The footsteps of the Anointed have been reproached—He bears in His bosom the reproach of all the mighty men of the earth; terrible when judgment burst forth therefore upon them.
In the Psalms which follow, we have the introduction of Messiah into blessedness, in the immediate circumstances, to wit, of Israel in that day.
I suppose the Lord must enter into the sorrows and humiliation of the house of David, as such, as well as of man and Israel.
This is a remarkable Psalm, as declaring the mercies of the Lord in the midst of trials. It seems to me to have its application subsequent to the destruction of Antichrist, and during the time of the subsequent trial. It is after David has taken the crown, but His crown is profaned as it were to the ground, but it is the mind of the Spirit, at that time. “His mercy endureth forever," was the great article of Jewish faith. The righteousness of the Jew also was in confessing mercy, etc.; thus the Psalm begins: “I will sing of thy mercies forever." The rejection of the Jew was that he might be fully brought under this principle; Rom. 11:31, 3231Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. (Romans 11:31‑32). His faithfulness is establishing mercy forever, but it is ruled now in the heavens. This (in the throne of David) is the great thesis of the Psalm.
3, 4. These seem to be the Spirit recounting, as before in the Remnant, so here in Jehovah, the answer of God as to the manner in which He would act in the accomplishment of that which the Spirit in them expected—"I have made a covenant with my chosen." But while this, as to the purpose of God, is established, a brighter scene is behind, and it appears that the following verses open out this, as a bright appendix seen and recognized (quod nota, for it is joy, and also shows the mercy, as our looking at the Jews does) by the Jews in the Spirit.
5. "And the heavens shall praise thy wonders," for they also recognize His works below, and hence they minister one to another. Thus they are known in the heavenlies as now raised and set there, and God known in the midst of them. Then come His dealings on earth-Rahab slain, and the enemies scattered, i.e., first Antichrist and pride, and then the other nations, as elsewhere, as first Egypt and then the nations of Canaan. Then comes the possessions of the Lord thereon, i.e., thereon in result-the bringing in Israel, subjection however various yet Israel. The strength that is in it in joy, as before, in scattering and judgment—the character of the throne then set—the happiness of the people that know it, i.e., the joy of the righteousness of that throne, to wit, the Remnant of the Jews, who having learned the truth (so now), the reality as however formed on this truth, and then he breaks out into all the blessedness of the people of Israel, as a definite object before him (vv. 16-18).
8. " Who is like unto thee, a strong Jah”—in the sense of compact in which a breach cannot be made.
Note, mercy and truth having met us, we can dwell with God in the habitation of judgment and justice—the abiding dwelling-place of its constant residence. Observe, too, the constant order in which these things are said to meet us. Jehovah, kodesh Israel, closes this scene in the view of faith. Then the Lord, the Father, the God of Israel takes up the word, i.e., the Spirit realizes Him in the prophet thus speaking. But I take the vision la chasideka (to Thy Holy One) to be the accepted manhood of Christ, brought in in the recognition of Jehovah of the Jews. This is the Person—He is the Jehovah—the Help of might, and as the former was Jehovah li k'dosh (to the Holy One of) this la chasideka in the prospect or vision of the Person of Christ who is the chasid, the righteous Jew, the Head of them. The Anointed Man is the chasid with, though in vision, them. Things were spoken about David—the accomplishment of mercy in truth (in the Person of Him who could realize both); for chasid is the same as "I will sing of the mercies (chas-de) of Jehovah," only with the emphatic he, so that the whole tenor of the Psalm is plain in representing the mercies of Jehovah (accomplished) in the Person of Christ as ha chasid, i.e., in the Man. Nothing can be more interesting than the deposit of all the mercies (chas-de) in the risen Jesus, ha chasid—the Man anointed; and then compare verse 28, and again verse 34, so His faithfulness.
19. Chasid, see verse 1; verse 18 is k'dosh.
35. The oath is in His holiness.
40, then shows that it is His interest in the inheritance—the plea of David in the time of trial in the latter day.
49. We have the chasadeyka (Thy mercies) again.
Verses 19 and 20 give the key to the Psalm, only that the latter part brings in the trouble, and David thereon, the intercessor under it, as identified with the help, i.e., of them, as the beginning gives the general result to the people owning it in Jehovah. Jehovah shows it in the Person of Jesus, and Jesus-David takes up the sorrows which enable them so to trust and rejoice. Note, the Kod-shi (my Holy) as connected there with Jehovah k'dosh (Holy One of); and see the note as to Kod-shi (my Holy) of the saints, and Khas-di (my mercy) of the Jewish people in Remnant. For, observe, verse 52 is the great summary thesis, " Blessed be Jehovah forever more " (Baruk Jehovah l'olam amen v'amen). "Amen and Amen."
We must note, however, that Jesus was rightfully King at His birth, and His crown, in Person, was cast down to the ground then, and He assumed that position in fact with them in their trouble, as noticed, in the latter day.