Kings have usually small care to hear the word of the Lord; but King David feels assured that if they do hear it they will feel its power. "They shall sing in the ways of the Lord." I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. Hengstenberg. 3. Ver. Delivered from, sustained in, sanctified through, trouble. For as they are rejoiced to discern a good frame of spirit in you, to see you keep that order God hath set in the church and state, to walk as Christians to the honour of God; so they are grieved to see the contrary, and you must answer for your sins against these great officers in the great family of heaven and earth. "There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one": 1 John 5:7, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God": John 1:1. It may be when there are some extraordinary works of God in the world, thunder and lightning, etc., we are ready to be afraid, and oh! Whoever edited and arranged these sacred poems, he had an eye to apposition and contrast; for if in Psalms 137:1-9 we see the need of silence before revilers, here we see the excellence of a brave confession. We are told that the very hairs of our head are all numbered; and if the hairs of our head, then surely all else beside. In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, etc. Ver. Look upon the wounds of thine hands, and forsake not the works of thine hands, prayed Queen Elizabeth. Because Christ "The Word" is the embodiment and most glorious manifestation of God. —"all the kings of the earth!" Study the Bible online. Therein we have good company, good accommodation, good prospects, good daylight. b) They do not go out of them to find pleasure. Would you have soul strength for the work you have in view? He does not need to come near them in order to discover their utter vanity: a glance from afar reveals to him their emptiness and offensiveness. so that, if God has revealed his truth to your soul, and given you faith to anchor in the world of promise, sooner than that should fail, he would suffer the loss of all; for he has magnified his word above all his name. In the Messiah alone the greatness of the promise finds, and shall hereafter more fully find, its realization for Israel and the whole world. It is ignorance of its glory and grace that makes silence possible: but to hear it as God’s word of caring love is to be compelled to extol. 2. When they are miles away he knows all about them. 3. Ver. He would sooner allow all his other perfections to come to naught, than for his faithfulness to fail. 2. This is the first of a series of eight Psalms (Psalms 138:1-8; Psalms 139:1-24; Psalms 140:1-13; Psalms 141:1-10; Psalms 142:1-7; Psalms 143:1-12; Psalms 144:1-15; Psalms 145:1-21), probably the last composed by David, a kind of commentary on the great Messianic promise in 2 Samuel 7:1-29. Strength imparted to the soul is an inestimable boon; it means courage, fortitude, assurance, heroism. Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. Let a man once know the ways of Jehovah, and he will find therein abundant reason for song; but the difficulty is to bring the great ones of the earth into ways so little attractive to the carnal mind. Material temple not yet built. We are not only to adore the true God, but to do so in his own appointed way: the Jew looked to the temple, we are to look to Jesus, the living temple of the Godhead. Ver. Faith in divine purpose no hindrance to prayer, but rather an encouragement in it: "The Lord will perfect." The worshipper's argument. His utmost dexterity shall be displayed. Copyright StatementThese files are public domain.Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. 1. I believe David referred to the false gods of the neighbouring nations, and the deities of the surviving Canaanites. The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. 1615: "Singing in the Ways of the Lord.". What a purpose! 3. Praising and singing are our armour against the idolatries of heresy, our comfort under the depression caused by insolent attacks upon the truth, and our weapons for defending the gospel. He is in a blessed condition who can confidently use the language of David, — "thou wilt revive me." Here is a double wonder—kings in God's ways, and kings singing there. It corresponds also to the greatness of the benefaction, in the expression, before the gods, —demanding of these, whether they would verify their godhead by pointing to any such boon conferred by them on their servants. When he rests, it is because, looking on his work, he sees it all "very good." : For Jahve is exalted and he seeth the lowly, and the proud he knoweth from afar. 2. But not only do men attack the lovingkindness of God, but the truth of God is at this time assailed on all sides; some doubt the truth of the inspired record as to its histories, others challenge the doctrines, many sneer at the prophecies; in fact, the infallible word of the Lord is at this time treated as if it were the writing of impostors, and only worthy to be carped at. 2. Adversaries may be many, and malicious, and mighty; but our glorious Defender has only to stretch out his arm and their armies vanish. —Christoph Starke. There are two beautiful thoughts brought out here; one is, "God's condescension in thought"; the other, "his tenderness in action." 6. As for us, we firmly believe that God is love, and that in the summing up of all things it will be seen that hell itself is not inconsistent with the beneficence of Jehovah, but is, indeed, a necessary part of his moral government now that sin has intruded into the universe. A Psalm of David.Some believe that the Chief Musician is the Lord GOD Himself, and others suppose him to be a leader of choirs or musicians in David’s time, such as Heman the singer or Asaph (1 Chronicles 6:33, 16:5-7, and 25:6). One grain has been changed, the whole mass will be in due time. His mind is so taken up with God that he does not mention his name: to him there is no other God, and Jehovah is so perfectly realized and so intimately known, that the Psalmist, in addressing him, no more thinks of mentioning his name than we should do if we were speaking to a father or a friend. Ver. Yet hath he respect unto the lowly. —John Lillie. There was some special day in which David cried more vehemently than usual; he was weak, wounded, worried, and his heart was wearied; then like a child he "cried", —cried unto his Father. I. Psalms 138 Commentary, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this seven volume magnum opus was first published in weekly installments in The Sword and the Trowel Hi, Sign out. The gods of the heathen had their worshippers; then, should Jehovah be deserted by his loyal subjects? Love and truth. All men love their own works, many dote upon them: shall we think God will forsake his? What God requires of us, nothing in Creation or Providence can inform us: what he will do for us, we cannot ascertain: how he will deal with us, we cannot ascertain. But in the sacred volume all the glory of the Godhead shines: there we are admitted, so to speak, even to the council chamber of the Most High; to hear the covenant entered into between the Father and the Son; the Father engaging to give to him a seed, whom he should have for his inheritance, if he, on his part, would "make his soul an offering for their sins", and, in their nature, expiate the guilt of their iniquities. Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: That is a sweet text. Psalm 138’s distinctive emphasis on kings offering praise may mean that this psalm was composed by or for a king or governor. His truth. "The Philistines are in the land." Grace and truth Jesus Christ. I will...praise thy name for thy lovingkindness. —John Trapp. “Hands have they,” but they cannot deliver those who cry to them. God's work in us will abide unto perfection because God's mercy towards us thus abideth. So great are God's promises, and so faithful and complete is his performance of them, as even to surpass the expectations which the greatness of his name has excited. Before the gods. It is one gracious way of answering our prayers when God doth bestow upon us spiritual strength in our souls; if he do not give the things we desire, yet if he gives us strength in our souls, he graciously answers our prayers. These eight Psalms are composed in the first person, and they follow very happily after the fifteen "Songs of Up goings", and the three Psalms of praise uttered by the chorus of those who have gone up to Sion. The proud he knoweth afar off. And hard following upon it comes tenderness in action. Ver. “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: Psalms 138:7. Those Psalms were the united utterances of national devotion. A Psalm of David. Ver. Ver. "Psalm 138 celebrates the name, the steadfast love, the faithfulness, and the intimate care of God in the myriad places in which we find ourselves in life -- our sanctuaries of safety; our chaotic social, political, and economic world; our daily trials and troubles." Ver. A little piety goes a long way in courts; but brighter days are coming, in which rulers will become hearers and worshippers: may the advent of such happy times be hastened. Ver. All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth. What a preacher! He will be saved, —saved dexterously, decidedly, divinely; he has no doubt about it. Therefore do we praise him with our, whole heart, even in the presence of those who depart from his Holy Word, and, set up another God and another gospel; which are not another, but there be some that trouble us. Thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands. Ver. --Christopher Wordsworth. This is a dark sentence at the first view, but as a judicious expositor upon the place well observes, the words may be thus read, and will better agree with the Hebrew; "thou hast magnified thy name above all things, in thy word", that is, in fulfilling thy word thou hast magnified thy name above all things, in that thou hast fulfilled thy word. "There are none of the sons of the mighty that can be compared unto him"; yea, "the inhabitants of the earth are before him but as the drop in the bucket, and the small dust in the balance." And yet he has "magnified" something "above his name" —his word — his truth. Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. 7. Ver. In his great palace he makes her "windows of agates", and all her "borders of pleasant stones.". There is a time to be silent, lest we cast pearls before swine; and there is a time to speak openly, lest we be found guilty of cowardly not confessing. a) It would generously show his contempt of the false. It may not be best for us that the trial should come to an end; it may be far more to our advantage that by its pressure we should learn patience. He does not want them to come near to him. O that the blind eyes of men could once behold it, then their hearts would be subdued to joyful reverence. Singing to the self. Is not the light pleasant Psalms 89:15 : "They shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance." Thanks! —William Greenhill. It is beyond all revelation by creation and providence, for it is—. Assured of the love of God and the truth of his word, let us cling the closer to these. 1. The word of promise made to David was in his eyes more glorious than all else that he had seen of the Most High. By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept His creating hands formed our souls at the beginning; his nail pierced hands redeemed them on Calvary; his glorified hands will hold our souls fast and not let them go for ever. Ver. Verses 1-8. 8. God has sent his word to us. 6. 2. It would be paying these dead idols too much respect to cease singing because they were perched aloft. For thou wert far more glorious in revelation than in creation — thy promise did greatly transcend every other display of thyself above all we have ever known or conceived of thee. b) Truth. For great is the glory of the LORD. It is not the legalist, or proud Pharisee, but the poor humble publican, who is smiting on his breast, and crying, "God be merciful to me, a sinner", that submits to the revelation of grace. David strengthens prayer upon this argument: "Forsake not the works of thine own hands." c) As a preparation to eternally honouring him. Oh, how fully I am persuaded that a line of praises is worth a leaf of prayer, and an hour of praises is worth a day of fasting and mourning! The state of the Heathen world clearly attests this; for they behold the wonders of Creation and Providence, as well as we: "There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Before the gods, etc. Unto his hands let us commend our spirits, sure that even though the works of our hands have made void the works of his hands, yet his hands will again make perfect all that our hands have unmade. The first step is all the difficulty, and if you and I have been changed from enemies into sons, and had one spark of love to God kindled in our hearts, that is a mightier change than any that yet remains to be effected in order to make us perfect. 2. He humbleth himself to behold the things of the children of men; he condescends to men of low estate. What worshipper of idols could ever say that of his god? The worshipper's contemplation. 5. Ver. Why has he wrought so much in us if he means to give us up? In the third part (Psalms 138:7-8), the psalmist comes back to his own needs, and takes to his heart the calming assurance born of his experience, that he bears a charmed life. This expression, as in Psalms 9:1, points to the surpassing greatness of the benefit received, which filled the whole heart with thankfulness, and did not proceed, as it were, from some particular corner of it. And praise thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth. JOSEPH A ALEXANDER Psalms Commentary (1864) Spurgeon had high praise for Alexander's work writing that it "Occupies a first place among expositions. I will...praise thy name for thy lovingkindness. —J.W. Lowliness honoured to its great surprise. When thy gospel is preached, and they know it, they shall count it their honour to honour thee. In addition, Acts 4:25 attributes Psalm 2 to David––and Hebrews 4:7 attributes Psalm 95 to He would worship God in God's own way. He expected first to be revived, and afterwards to be protected. “To be sorry for sin is no atonement for it, but it is the right spirit in which to [turn] to Jesus, who is the reconciliation and the Saviour.” (Spurgeon… —Richard Rolle, 1340. Thou hast bestowed the promise of perpetuity to my house and to my kingdom, which rises in grandeur and goodness above all thy past manifestations of thyself in behalf of thy people (2Sa 7:10 12-13 15-16 7:21-22 2Sa 24-26 29; 2 Samuel 7:21 especially, "For thy Word's sake ...hast thou done all these great things"; 2 Samuel 7:26, "And let thy name be magnified for ever" —an undesigned coincidence of language between the history and the Psalm). —Alexander Maclaren, Sermon in "Wesleyan Methodist Magazine", 1879. It is the distinguishing mark of the true and living God that he hears the pleadings of his people, and answers them; the gods hear not and answer not, but Jehovah's memorial is—"the God that heareth prayer." Spurgeons's The Treasury of David". i. I am sure there is more gold and silver (spiritual joy, I mean, and comfort) to be found in Christ's camp, among his suffering ones, than their brethren at home in peace and prosperity ordinarily can show. But of his perfections, generally, we can form no idea from these things; of his purposes we can know nothing. If the burden was not removed, yet strength was given wherewith to bear it, and this is an equally effective method of help. a. In the midst of trouble thou wilt revive me. All the kings of the earth shall praise thee. 3. It is a good road; prophets went by it, and the Lord of the prophets. Forsake not the works of thine own hands. ... See "Spurgeon's Sermons", No. Beyond all question there are higher and clearer manifestations of himself, of his being, of his perfection, of his purposes in the volume of revelation, than any which his works have disclosed or can disclose. "Call upon me", saith God, "in the day of trouble." Ver. Ver. Commentary, Psalm 138:1-8, Nancy deClaissé-Walford , Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2014. In such extremities we usually go with the messenger that comes for us; and so doth God with the prayer. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world": Psalms 19:3-4. How will he act? 1. Why did he begin? The refrain of the former Psalm is in his ears, and he repeats it as his own personal conviction and consolation. c) Nor his work by me unfinished. 2. What are the promises but vessels of cordial wine, turned on purpose against a groaning hour, when God usually broacheth them! Prayer answered by giving strength for the day. Oh, that it were come! 3. When God revives us, trouble will never harm us. 3. And he will not do it; he will carry on unto completion the work which he has begun, blessed be his holy name! There is in Divine truth, when applied by the Holy Spirit, a power to wound, to sanctify, to save: Psalms 19:7-11. This psalm came out of David’s anguish over his sin. Christ the sanctuary. d) Realizing God himself, for it is to God he speaks. These things, if learned at all, must be learned from revelation, and these are of more importance to man as a traveller to another world than all the learning which can be acquired in the schools of philosophy—valuable as that learning is. See "Spurgeon's Sermons", Nos. He is "high" above the heavens; for "the heaven, yea, the heaven of heavens cannot contain him"; and he "humbleth himself" when "he beholds things that are in heaven." Forsake not the works of thine own hands. —to a mere inarticulate wail of grief? These eight Psalms are the devout Israelite's Manual of private prayer and praise. The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: “All that has to do with me — my business, my family, my work, my temporal and my eternal interests,— ‘that which concerneth me,’ and that which troubles me, moves my heart with the deepest concern, Jehovah will perfect.”. Ver. 1. 7. David, the king, cared for kings' souls, and it will be wise for each man to look first after those who are of his own order. Ver. TITLE. Thou strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. Answers to prayer. The sweet singer rehearses his assurance of salvation, and sings of it in the ears of the Lord, addressing him with this confident language. The LORD is gracious and full of compassion: David echoed the self-description of Yahweh to Moses: The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth (Exodus 34:6). Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. Well might the Psalmist say, "I will worship" when he felt bound to say "thou answeredst me." —Joseph C. Philpot. An incident of the road to the city. The common version of this clause ("strengthenedst me with strength in my soul") contains a paronomasia not in the original, where the verb and noun have not even a letter in common. One who was a scoffer met a humble child of God one morning, and he said to him, “Tell me, is your God a great God or a little God,” and the poor man said, “Sir, he is both, for, though he is so great that the heaven of heavens cannot contain him, yet he makes himself so little that he condescends to dwell in my poor heart.” Ah, it was sweetly said. Exquisite lawyers love to wrestle with niceties and difficulties in the law, to show their skill the more. The answer: prompt, divine, effectual, certain. 1. It was a bitter, earnest, eager prayer, as natural and as plaintive as the cry of a babe. —Franz Delitzsch. Ver. Our soul shall become Christly. Ver. Jehovah himself will see to this and therefore it is most sure. 2. Historic accuracy. Spurgeon's wife said that if Spurgeon had never written any other work, this would have been a permanent literary memorial. Be not wroth very sore, O LORD." Because they think little of themselves he thinks much of them. Ver. 1. By his word and Spirit the Lord can make the trembler brave, the sick whole, the weary bright. Pride passed by to its eternal mortification. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/spe/psalms-138.html. ", Ver. Ver. 8. Every creature bears the name of God; but in his word and truth therein contained it is written at length, and therefore he is more choice of this than of all his other works; he cares not much what becomes of the world and all in it, so that he keeps his word, and saves his truth. Go to, To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use our convenient, Spurgeon's Verse Expositions of the Bible, Commentary Critical and Explanatory - Unabridged, Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible, Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures. He would not submit to act as one under restraint, because of the opinions of others; but in the presence of the opponents of the living God he would be as hearty in worship as if all were friends and would cheerfully unite with him. Ver. The Story of Psalm 138. Faith's full assurance: "The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me. Psalm 138. 231 and 1506: "Faith in Perfection", and, "Choice Comfort for a Young Believer.". A promise that covers it: "the Lord will perfect. Burgon. His grand design in all was to rear up a glorious high throne, from which he might display the riches of his free and sovereign grace; this is that which he will have magnified through eternity above all his other name. Ver. 8. the meaning is, "Before, or in the presence of, the gods of the heathen, i.e., in scorn of, in sight of, the idols, who can do nothing, I will praise Jehovah, who does miracles for me and his people."
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