Psalm 115

 ¹Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,

But to Your name give glory,

Because of Your mercy,

Because of Your truth.

²Why should the Gentiles say,

“So where is their God?”

³But our God is in heaven;

He does whatever He pleases.

⁴Their idols are silver and gold,

The work of men’s hands.

⁵They have mouths, but they do not speak;

Eyes they have, but they do not see;

⁶They have ears, but they do not hear;

Noses they have, but they do not smell;

⁷They have hands, but they do not handle;

Feet they have, but they do not walk;

Nor do they mutter through their throat.

⁸Those who make them are like them;

So is everyone who trusts in them.

⁹O Israel, trust in the Lord;

He is their help and their shield.

¹⁰O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord;

He is their help and their shield.

¹¹You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;

He is their help and their shield.

¹²The Lord has been mindful of us;

He will bless us;

He will bless the house of Israel;

He will bless the house of Aaron.

¹³He will bless those who fear the Lord,

Both small and great.

¹⁴May the Lord give you increase more and more,

You and your children.

¹⁵May you be blessed by the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth.

¹⁶The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s;

But the earth He has given to the children of men.

¹⁷The dead do not praise the Lord,

Nor any who go down into silence.

¹⁸But we will bless the Lord

From this time forth and forevermore.

Praise the Lord!

Commentary

Vs. 1-2 ¹Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,

But to Your name give glory,

Because of Your mercy,

Because of Your truth.

²Why should the Gentiles say,

“So where is their God?”

This Psalm opens with a declaration that we will not receive the glory that is only due the Lord, that is due His Name. For it is by His Name that we are saved from our sins and brought to everlasting life! For there is salvation in no other name, other than the Name of God's Son the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). Therefore His Name is to receive all glory, honor, and praise, for all of His mercy and all of His truth which He has so freely given to us all who believe in Him. This then is to be done openly by us all who believe in Him, for why should the Gentiles (unbelievers) say, “So where is there God?”

Vs. 3 “But our God is in heaven;

He does whatever He pleases.”

Verse three is a most just response to their taunts, to their arrogant unbelief, which only binds them to the "gods'" of this earth, "gods" which last for season then fall to their everlasting ruin. But our God is in heaven, and He does whatever He pleases. For His Sovereign Reign and Power has no limits! 

Vs. 4-8 ⁴Their idols are silver and gold,

The work of men’s hands.

⁵They have mouths, but they do not speak;

Eyes they have, but they do not see;

⁶They have ears, but they do not hear;

Noses they have, but they do not smell;

⁷They have hands, but they do not handle;

Feet they have, but they do not walk;

Nor do they mutter through their throat.

⁸Those who make them are like them;

So is everyone who trusts in them.

Now we see who should really be taunted, all those whose “god” is only an idol, the work of men’s hands, the creation and fabrication of their sinful and debased hearts. And so it is that they fashion their idols into the figure of man, (or woman), giving them mouths (but yet they cannot speak to them), giving them eyes, (but they cannot see them), giving them ears, (but their idols cannot hear their prayers and cries to them), giving them noses but they cannot smell their offerings, giving them hands, but their idols hands cannot uphold, nor save them, giving them feet but their idols cannot walk amongst them, and not a single sound can their idols mutter from their throats to them. Their idols then cannot instruct and guide them in anything; thus, they are only left to follow their own debased hearts and minds reasonings. Everyone then who makes them is just like them, completely dead in their sins and transgressions and utterly devoid of all true Spiritual life, wisdom, and understanding, just like everyone who trusts in them. What then is your god? Is it the Lord Jesus Christ, or is it something or someone far less, for everyone and everything is always exceedingly less than Him, and they, or it will never be able to save you nor satisfy your souls deepest hungers and thirsts (John 6:35-40, 47-48; John 4:13-14; 7:38).

Vs. 9 “O Israel, trust in the Lord;

He is their help and their shield.”

Therefore, the call is for Israel; God’s people chosen in Old Testament times who were to prepare the way for His Son, and thus make Him known to all the world, to make Him their trust alone! For He is their help and shield alone, not other nations, nor other peoples “god’s and practices", but the Lord God and His Word alone.

Vs. 10 “O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord;

He is their help and their shield.”

From the nation collectively, right down to its priesthood who ministered the Old Covenant laws and statutes, all the men who come from Aaron and his house (i.e., his son’s descendant’s), for they were chosen by God to be His leaders in this, to trust in the Lord, for the Lord alone is their help and shield.

Vs. 11 “You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;

He is their help and their shield.”

Finally, the call goes out to everyone who fears the Lord, to trust in the Lord, for He is your help and shield! There then is an equally from God for all who trust in the Lord. 

Vs. 12-13 ¹²The Lord has been mindful of us;

He will bless us;

He will bless the house of Israel;

He will bless the house of Aaron.

¹³He will bless those who fear the Lord,

Both small and great.

The Psalm now reminds us all that the Lord has been mindful of us all as His people; each one of us individually as well of us collectively; thus He will bless the house of Israel collectively and the house of Aaron individually, indeed He will bless all who fear Him both small and great. Now when the Lord blesses us, He adds no sorrow with it, and that is how you will know His blessing to you (Prov. 10:22).

Vs. 14-16 ¹⁴May the Lord give you increase more and more,

You and your children.

¹⁵May you be blessed by the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth.

¹⁶The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s;

But the earth He has given to the children of men.

The prayer of blessing (which began in verse twelve) continues invoking God’s blessing upon all of God's people and their children. For God's Word is wanting all of God’s people to know and experience the blessings of the Lord, which can take many forms beyond mere material prosperity, the Psalm even goes so far as to extend this sentiment to all people everywhere. Now in doing this there is the acknowledgment that it is the Lord who made heaven and earth, who is the proprietor of everything, who rules in heaven and all the farthest reaches of the heavens, but He has assigned the earth to the children of men, thus we all bear a responsibility in our governance on it and caretaking of it (consider Rev. 11:18).

Vs. 17-18 ¹⁷The dead do not praise the Lord,

Nor any who go down into silence.

¹⁸But we will bless the Lord

From this time forth and forevermore.

Praise the Lord!

The Psalm closes with the exhortation for believers everywhere to praise the Lord while we are living here on earth! For the dead do not praise the Lord, nor any who go down to silence. Then it Firmly concludes that we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

 

 

Psalm 114

 ¹When Israel went out of Egypt,

The house of Jacob from a people of strange language,

²Judah became His sanctuary,

And Israel His dominion.

³The sea saw it and fled;

Jordan turned back.

⁴The mountains skipped like rams,

The little hills like lambs.

⁵What ails you, O sea, that you fled?

O Jordan, that you turned back?

⁶O mountains, that you skipped like rams?

O little hills, like lambs?

⁷Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,

At the presence of the God of Jacob,

⁸Who turned the rock into a pool of water,

The flint into a fountain of waters.

Commentary

Vs. 1-2 ¹When Israel went out of Egypt,

The house of Jacob from a people of strange language,

²Judah became His sanctuary,

And Israel His dominion.

The Psalm opens by declaring the Lord God’s deliverance of Israel, of His bringing them out of their Egyptian bondage just as He told Abraham that they would be brought into bondage and that He would deliver them some 400 years before the event. No longer then would they be slaves of a people of a strange language, of a people who did not have, nor acknowledge the Lord as God. For He in His Perfect timing delivered all of His people from them. Now when He did this, He made Judah His sanctuary; the tribe He choose to establish His Throne and Temple from forever, (see Gen. 49:8-12; also Gen. 22:2-14; 2 Chr. 3:1 etc.). Therefore, when the Lord God delivered His people from their Egyptian bondage, and thus removed them from amongst them He made all of Israel His dominion. The chosen people of the Lord which began with Abraham alone, now had the Lord God dwelling amongst them all!

Vs. 3 “The sea saw it and fled;

Jordan turned back.”

With His Presence leading them when they came to the Red Sea it saw Him and fled at the Presence of the Lord before them, making a way for them to cross safely. And again when Joshua and Israelites came to the Jordan River to enter the promised land, it was the Lord God’s Presence before them that made it turn back and create a dry pathway for them to cross over on. These two events then present or foretell both our redemption and our finial salvation by the Lord our God alone.

Vs. 4 “The mountains skipped like rams,

The little hills like lambs.”

Such was the Lord’s Presence and Power before His people that even the mountains skipped like rams’ and the little hills like lambs at the presence of the Lord before them. For all of creation feels the Lord’s presence when He is amongst it.

Vs. 5-6 ⁵What ails you, O sea, that you fled?

O Jordan, that you turned back?

⁶O mountains, that you skipped like rams?

O little hills, like lambs?

The Psalm now takes a mocking jab at the Red Sea and Jordan River; the two seemingly unpassable barriers for God’s people became completely subservient to the Lord's Will as He led them through both. Same with the mountains and the hills as they were "tickled" to move by Him, by His Glory and Presence amongst them, which far and away excels theirs.  

Vs. 7-8 ⁷Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,

At the presence of the God of Jacob,

⁸Who turned the rock into a pool of water,

The flint into a fountain of waters.

Because of the Lord’s mighty works on behalf of His people the whole earth should tremble at the Presence of Him. For He is the Great IAM who raises up and brings down all according to His Will. And He is the God of Jacob, Israel’s God who even turned the rock in the desert wilderness into a pool of water so that He could satisfy their thirsts (see Ex. 17:6; Num. 20:11). Therefore, all peoples know this and fear Him, for he who touches them touches the apple of His eye (Deut. 32:10; Zechariah 2:8).

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

Psalm 113

 ¹Praise the Lord!

Praise, O servants of the Lord,

Praise the name of the Lord!

²Blessed be the name of the Lord

From this time forth and forevermore!

³From the rising of the sun to its going down

The Lord’s name is to be praised.

⁴The Lord is high above all nations,

His glory above the heavens.

⁵Who is like the Lord our God,

Who dwells on high,

⁶Who humbles Himself to behold

The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?

⁷He raises the poor out of the dust,

And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,

⁸That He may seat him with princes—

With the princes of His people.

⁹He grants the barren woman a home,

Like a joyful mother of children.

Praise the Lord!

Commentary

Vs. 1 “Praise the Lord!

Praise, O servants of the Lord,

Praise the name of the Lord!”

The call to praise the Lord is given in the first three verses. Expounding the Lord's Praise then begins the first three lines of verse one. Now the only Person of our praise is the Lord, not culture icons and pop stars, not religious idols and symbols, but the Person of the Lord! For we His servants owe Him our praise, for He has saved and redeemed us, and He is preserving us for His heavenly Kingdom! Therefore, let us all who believe in Him Praise the Name of the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ, for it is to Him that all honor and blessing and glory and praise belong!

Vs. 2-3 ²Blessed be the name of the Lord

From this time forth and forevermore!

³From the rising of the sun to its going down

The Lord’s name is to be praised.

Blessed be the Name of the Lord, From this time forth and forevermore! For He has accomplished what we could never do, made everlasting peace with God for us all who believe and trust in Him alone. For by His Death on the Cross and Resurrection from the grave He has brought new and everlasting life into us all who believe in Him, thus He has made a New Covenant of people of God saved by the grace of God! Therefore let us always and at all times bless and be thankful to and for the Lord our God! For this is our hearts cry, the cry of everyone redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ through the grace of God (Eph. 2:8-9). Therefore: “From the rising of the sun to its going down The Lord’s name is to be praised.” Everywhere and in everyplace by us all who receive and believe Him. There is then no time nor place where the Lords Name should not be praised by us His children, for one Day it will be praised by all in the new heavens and new earth!

Vs. 4 “The Lord is high above all nations,

His glory above the heavens.”

The Lord's Person and Prestige cannot be summed up nor measured, for He has no equal, whether on earth or in heaven, He alone is the Almighty Creator who is seated high above all nations, high above all of their prestige and power, His glory alone excels even the highest heavens! No star’s brilliance nor constellations magnificence can come even close to approaching the Lord’s glory and honor!

Vs. 5-6 ⁵Who is like the Lord our God,

Who dwells on high,

⁶Who humbles Himself to behold

The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?

Though the Lord is Higher then all the heavens and all the earth, He is not indifferent to us. For He cares for us all, all of His creation, and He watches over it all to direct it all according to His own Sovereign Will and Power.

Vs. 7-9 ⁷He raises the poor out of the dust,

And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,

⁸That He may seat him with princes—

With the princes of His people.

⁹He grants the barren woman a home,

Like a joyful mother of children.

Praise the Lord!

The Psalm now gets specific about the Lord’s doings on earth. For He does not acknowledge the proud nor pay homage to them. No, the Lord’s focus is on the poor, those humble individuals whose heart He has formed and knows, He raises them up out of the dust and lifts the needy out of the ash heap. And this He does for anyone who humbles themselves before Him, who sees their need for Him and seeks Him. These then He does not look down upon with arrogance like the rich and powerful do, nor does think on them with contempt and mistreatment like the proud always do. No, He Himself raises us up (unlike the proud who are always exalting themselves) so that He may seat us with the princes of His people. For true exaltation never comes by mans hand, and in Christ’s Kingdom all will know and see this, as many who are now first shall be last and the last first. This passage then speaks to that as well as His exalting the poor and needy here and now. For Lord alone grants the barren widow a home, and He  makes her rejoice like a joyful mother with children, and in His Kingdom she will be highly revered! Praise the Lord!

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

Psalm 112

 ¹Praise the Lord!

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,

Who delights greatly in His commandments.

²His descendants will be mighty on earth;

The generation of the upright will be blessed.

³Wealth and riches will be in his house,

And his righteousness endures forever.

⁴Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;

He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.

⁵A good man deals graciously and lends;

He will guide his affairs with discretion.

⁶Surely he will never be shaken;

The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.

⁷He will not be afraid of evil tidings;

His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

⁸His heart is established;

He will not be afraid,

Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.

⁹He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor;

His righteousness endures forever;

His horn will be exalted with honor.

¹⁰The wicked will see it and be grieved;

He will gnash his teeth and melt away;

The desire of the wicked shall perish.

Preamble: Psalm 112 picks sup where Psalm 111 left off, expounding the fear of the Lord. And so here we see the benefits of doing so. For the fear of the Lord is not some “religious” zealot’s cry; it is God given practical wisdom that when applied in one’s life will lead to one seeing and receiving the Lord’s blessings in one’s life. Keeping God’s commandments, specifically the Lord Jesus Christ’s commandments then will lead to one living a fruitful and abundant life. Try it and see!

Commentary

¹Praise the Lord!

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,

Who delights greatly in His commandments.

²His descendants will be mighty on earth;

The generation of the upright will be blessed.

³Wealth and riches will be in his house,

And his righteousness endures forever.

Once again, our praise and adoration must be directed to the Lord alone, whom all blessings, honor, and wisdom flow from. Truly blessed then is the man or woman who fears the Lord; who keeps His Word, who greatly delights in His commandments. For God loves everyone who makes His Word their treasure. For it is by His Word that we are saved and made wise and given understanding, and thus kept back from doing great harm to ourselves or others (vs. 1). Verses two and three then declare the blessings from God that come to all who do so. First is their descendants will be mighty on the earth, they will be exalted by the hand of God into positions of great prestige and power. “Wealth and riches will be in houses of those who fear the Lord. For as the Scripture says, the generation of the upright will be blessed, (by both God and man), they will be kept in everlasting remembrance, for their righteousness will endure forever (vs. 2-3), which stands juxtaposed to the wicked whose name will only rot (Prov. 10:7); whose wealth, “prestige” and whatever treasures they acquire are always temporary, for their gain is being stored up for the righteous (Prov. 13:22; also, Job 27:13-23, vs. 16-17; Ecc. 2:26 etc.). For God Himself will secure their wealth and riches for the generation of the upright, for they will be blessed by God, both in this life and in His Kingdom. which is available to all who repent and believe in the Gospel, who can thus start a new and everlasting life with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Vs. 4 “Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;

He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.”

God not only secures and blesses the upright and their offspring, but He is there for them in their time of need. For no one gets through this life free of troubles and times of need. And so, in their darkness He will be their illuminating light. For God is gracious and full of compassion, He is righteous, He will not turn His back on them.

Vs. 5-6 ⁵A good man deals graciously and lends;

He will guide his affairs with discretion.

⁶Surely he will never be shaken;

The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.

The virtues of a good man is now declared, for his heart is not greedy, nor is he corrupt, instead he deals graciously with all and lends, yes, he lends to those in need; and not for reward or profit (consider Deut. 15:7-11; 24:10-13; 28:1-14; Psalm 37:26; Luke 6:34-35; 14:12-14 etc.). Because he guides his affairs with discretion, i.e., tact and wisdom, surely he will never be shaken, (i.e. removed from his place), for the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance; for their virtuous lives that they lived, and the good that they have done. This then is how to build a legacy that will last well beyond your life down here.

Vs. 7-8 ⁷He will not be afraid of evil tidings;

His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

⁸His heart is established;

He will not be afraid,

Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.

Because his faith is in and his fear is directed to the Lord, (not man), he will not be afraid of evil tidings. For He knows that God works all things together for God to those who love Him, who are called according to His purposes (Rom. 8:28). Therefore his heart steadfastly trusts in the Lord, his heart is established in the Lord, he will not be swayed to worship or serve another "god". Therefore he will not be afraid of those who rise against him, or of bad news when it comes to him. For his heart is established, firm in the faith, firm in the Lord! For he knows that it will be the Lord who will cause him to see his desires on his enemies, for our God will repay them in His own way and of His own timing.

Vs. 9-10 “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor;

His righteousness endures forever;

His horn will be exalted with honor.”

¹⁰The wicked will see it and be grieved;

He will gnash his teeth and melt away;

The desire of the wicked shall perish.

Verse nine is a most beautiful verse and promise, a promise which the Apostle Paul quotes in 2 Cor. 9:9 as motivation for us to follow, to know that our generous giving has everlasting rewards and honor. Verse ten then declares the response of the wicked in seeing the righteous honored by God, and though they hate it, gnash at it with their teeth, like the wild beast before it devours its prey, they can do nothing to stop it, for the desire of the wicked shall perish, it shall perish with them, amen (consider Psalm 37:12).

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

Psalm 111

 ¹Praise the Lord! I will praise the Lord with my whole heart,

In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.

²The works of the Lord are great,

Studied by all who have pleasure in them.

³His work is honorable and glorious,

And His righteousness endures forever.

⁴He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;

The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.

⁵He has given food to those who fear Him;

He will ever be mindful of His covenant.

⁶He has declared to His people the power of His works,

In giving them the heritage of the nations.

⁷The works of His hands are verity and justice;

All His precepts are sure.

⁸They stand fast forever and ever,

And are done in truth and uprightness.

⁹He has sent redemption to His people;

He has commanded His covenant forever:

Holy and awesome is His name.

¹⁰The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.

His praise endures forever.

Commentary

Vs. 1 “Praise the Lord! I will praise the Lord with my whole heart,

In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.”

This Psalm opens with an exhortation too, “Praise the Lord!” Literally, hallelujah! To the Lord our God! It then moves to a personal declaration of our praising the Lord with our whole heart, thus completely and freely, which is to be done in assembly of the upright. Thus, not amongst dogs and swine who will only mock, laugh at, or trample the Word of God under their defiled unbelieving feet (Matt. 7:6); but in the assembly of the upright, of everyone who sets, (and wants to set), their heart and life right for our God. Praising the Lord then in our homes singing worship songs, or in a Bible study where God’s praise and knowledge is welcomed and sought. And of course, in the congregation where the local church or assembly of believers gather is where our heartfelt Praise to the Lord is always to be heard.

Vs. 2 “The works of the Lord are great,

Studied by all who have pleasure in them.”

Now our praise is born out of our study of the Lord, of seeing and understanding the great works of the Lord in redemption and salvation of all of His people. In fact, studying the Word of God is what causes praise to well up inside of us. I don’t know how many times I’ve been studying the Word of God when a great truth is given me by God’s Spirit through His Word by which I must immediately rejoice! For the Lord’s Works alone are great and everlasting and seeing them in His Word and in our lives is bliss!

Vs. 3 “His work is honorable and glorious,

And His righteousness endures forever.”

The Lord's Work is always honorable and glorious. His Work alone is without any fault or any prejudice, without any moral or spiritual error or defilement. His Righteousness alone then endures forever! A Righteousness which is freely bestowed upon everyone who repents and believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Perfection of all honor and all glory then is seen in His Works alone. And on His Day the knowledge of the glory of the Lord shall fill the earth, forever! 

Vs. 4 “He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;

The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.”

Through His Word (and His people) the Lord has made His wonderful Works to be remembered. Though His Work does not end there, for it is seen everywhere by all who open their eyes to observe it, in the heavens and on earth, both mankind and angel's observe His wonderful works. Works that are born out of His graciousness and His immense compassion. For the Lord is gracious and full of compassion, and that is how you will know our God’s Works and Righteousness, for in doing justly towards all, He never forsakes or forgets grace and compassion. The Crucifixion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, His willingly doing this for us all, is evidential proof of this to one and to all. For just as Jesus Christ Rose from the dead to everlasting life, so shall all who believe in Him. God’s mercies then are for everyone and anyone who will receive Him through His Son Jesus Christ (John 1:12).

Vs. 5 “He has given food to those who fear Him;

He will ever be mindful of His covenant.”

The Lords covenant people have always known the Lord’s provisions for them. From Abraham onward. But here this Psalm also focuses on all who fear Him, who keep His Word, who believe in His Son Jesus Christ will never hunger and we will never thirst, that is we will always be satisfied by Him. For He is ever mindful of His covenant; whether this is the Old Covenant He made with Israel, or His New Covenant for all of the redeemed in Christ, the Lord God is ever mindful of His Covenant. He will never break it (Lev. 26:45; Jeremiah 31:33-34; Ezekiel 37:26; Hosea 2:18-20).

Vs. 6 “He has declared to His people the power of His works,

In giving them the heritage of the nations.”

The Lord’s powerful works have been revealed to His people in many ways, but none more so than His giving them the heritage of the nations, all their land and labors, God’s people were given when He brought them into the land of Canaan, and they will be given when Christ Reigns (Isaiah 60:1-18, vs. 5, 11; Zechariah 14:14 etc.).  

Vs. 7-8 ⁷The works of His hands are verity and justice;

All His precepts are sure.

⁸They stand fast forever and ever,

And are done in truth and uprightness.

The Works of God’s hands are truth (i.e., verity) and justice. This again is how you will know the Lord’s Works, in this world, and in your life, and the lives of others. As for His precepts they are sure, they are absolutely the right way and only way to go. For they alone stand fast forever and ever, unchanged and unalterable, from times past to all eternity. For they are all done in truth and uprightness. You can trust them!

Vs. 9 He has sent redemption to His people;

He has commanded His covenant forever:

Holy and awesome is His name.

Seeing both their immediate need and foreseeing the future, the Word of God now declares how the Lord has sent redemption to His people. How He has commanded His covenant forever by which He will preserve us. Therefore, we will never stop being His people, by faith in His Son’s Person and Name. Holy and Awesome is His name! 

Vs. 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.

His praise endures forever.

Over and over again in the Holy Scripture we are told that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Job 28:27-28; Prov. 1:20-33; 9:10; 10:27; 14:26-27; 15:33; 16:6; 19:23; 22:4; 23:17; Isaiah 11:2-4; 33:6; Acts 9:31 etc.). There is then no wisdom apart from reverence for God's Person and Name. For a good understanding comes from keeping His commandments (Prov. 1:7-8), for it is the Lord's praise alone that endures forever, mans not so much, therefore seek and obey the Lord! 

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

 

 

Psalm 110 A Psalm of David.

¹The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at My right hand,

Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”

²The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion.

Rule in the midst of Your enemies!

³Your people shall be volunteers

In the day of Your power;

In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning,

You have the dew of Your youth.

⁴The Lord has sworn

And will not relent,

“You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”

⁵The Lord is at Your right hand;

He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath.

⁶He shall judge among the nations,

He shall fill the places with dead bodies,

He shall execute the heads of many countries.

⁷He shall drink of the brook by the wayside;

Therefore He shall lift up the head.

Commentary

Vs. 1 The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at My right hand,

Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”

David opens this Psalm with a prophetic declaration using the covenant Name of God, Lord, then using the descriptive title Lord (Heb. Adonai) as a designation of the Messiah, i.e., the Lord Jesus Christ as being his Lord. This Psalm’s verse then was cited by the Lord Jesus Christ in addressing the Pharisees who held that the Messiah was the Son of David; which as a Man, the Son of Man, Jesus Christ was, but as David makes clear here (and Lord Jesus Christ proved to them, the Messiah is David’s Lord, and not under him, as David himself said, see Matthew 21:41-46; Mark 12:35-37; Luke 20:41-44. Now as to Lord saying to David’s Lord:

“Sit at My right hand,

Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”

This passage then speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ’s exaltation as the Resurrected Son of God who now awaits on the Lord's Judgment upon and subjugation of His enemies. His Person then is above all of  mankind, all angels, and every created thing in heaven and on earth (see Heb. 1:3, 13; 8:1; 10:12-13; 12:2 etc. also see Acts 2:34-36; 5:31; Eph. 1:20; 1 Peter 3:22; Rev. 3:21 etc.). Now when God the Father has placed all things in subjection to Him; and all authority and power is ended; then the Son of God will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father and be subject to Him (see 1 Cor. 15:24-28). This verse then is very powerful and pivotal as to rightly understanding of the role of the Messiah.

Vs. 2 “The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion.

Rule in the midst of Your enemies!”

The Psalm now moves to the Lord Jesus Christ’s Millennial Reign from Jerusalem. For it is from their that the Lord will establish His Kingdom. There will be no opposition then that can withstand Him, for He will rule in the midst of His enemies!

Vs. 3 “Your people shall be volunteers

In the day of Your power;

In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning,

You have the dew of Your youth.”

Where once there might have been fear and trepidation by some of God’s people in ancient times in following Him, through His appointed leadership, into battle. In the Lord Jesus Christ’s Reign all of us will be willing volunteers in the day of His power, for none shall fear when the Lord Himself is leading us (Rev. 19:11-21). The second half of the verse then speaks to Christ’s beauty of holiness as being like the womb of the morning; like the sun rising in its brightness and bringing forth its radiant light. The Lord Jesus Christ’s perfection in beauty and holiness is His having the dew of His youth. 

And will not relent,

“You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”

The Lord Jesus Christ shall then not only reign as King, but He shall also be God’s High Priest. Thus, the offices of King and Priest are Fulfilled and Perfected In Christ. Now as to His Priesthood, this shall not be according to Aaron; whose sons and descendants served as God’s priests under the Old Covenant until they died. No, the Lord Jesus Christ’s Priesthood does not come through a tribe, i.e., Levi, the Levitates. His Priesthood was first revealed to mankind through Melchizedek, the ancient figure who blessed Abraham after his victory (Gen. 14:18-20), whose person has neither beginning nor end and thus serves as a forerunner for the Lord Jesus Christ (see Heb. 4:14-16; 5:5-11; 7:1-9:28). Therefore, Lord Jesus Christ’s Priesthood like Melchizedek's and unlike Aarons shall never end.

Vs. 5-7 ⁵The Lord is at Your right hand;

He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath.

⁶He shall judge among the nations,

He shall fill the places with dead bodies,

He shall execute the heads of many countries.

⁷He shall drink of the brook by the wayside;

Therefore He shall lift up the head.

In these concluding verses the Lord Jesus Christ is now the Conqueror, executing God’s Judgment on His enemies. Every wicked ruler; whether kings, or presidents, or prime ministers shall know His wrath on His Day when He judges all the nations, for as the Scripture says in Isaiah, “the slain of the Lord shall be many” ^{Isaiah 66:16} (Also see Jeremiah 25:33; Matt. 25:31-46; Rev. 19:11-21 etc.). The Psalm concludes then with the Lord Jesus Christ drinking of the brook by the wayside, thus fully resting in peace with His head held high after His glorious Victory, amen.

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

Psalm 109 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

 ¹Do not keep silent,

O God of my praise!

²For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful

Have opened against me;

They have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

³They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,

And fought against me without a cause.

⁴In return for my love they are my accusers,

But I give myself to prayer.

⁵Thus they have rewarded me evil for good,

And hatred for my love.

⁶Set a wicked man over him,

And let an accuser stand at his right hand.

⁷When he is judged, let him be found guilty,

And let his prayer become sin.

⁸Let his days be few,

And let another take his office.

⁹Let his children be fatherless,

And his wife a widow.

¹⁰Let his children continually be vagabonds, and beg;

Let them seek their bread also from their desolate places.

¹¹Let the creditor seize all that he has,

And let strangers plunder his labor.

¹²Let there be none to extend mercy to him,

Nor let there be any to favor his fatherless children.

¹³Let his posterity be cut off,

And in the generation following let their name be blotted out.

¹⁴Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord,

And let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

¹⁵Let them be continually before the Lord,

That He may cut off the memory of them from the earth;

¹⁶Because he did not remember to show mercy,

But persecuted the poor and needy man,

That he might even slay the broken in heart.

¹⁷As he loved cursing, so let it come to him;

As he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him.

¹⁸As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment,

So let it enter his body like water,

And like oil into his bones.

¹⁹Let it be to him like the garment which covers him,

And for a belt with which he girds himself continually.

²⁰Let this be the Lord’s reward to my accusers,

And to those who speak evil against my person.

²¹But You, O God the Lord,

Deal with me for Your name’s sake;

Because Your mercy is good, deliver me.

²²For I am poor and needy,

And my heart is wounded within me.

²³I am gone like a shadow when it lengthens;

I am shaken off like a locust.

²⁴My knees are weak through fasting,

And my flesh is feeble from lack of fatness.

²⁵I also have become a reproach to them;

When they look at me, they shake their heads.

²⁶Help me, O Lord my God! Oh, save me according to Your mercy,

²⁷That they may know that this is Your hand—

That You, Lord, have done it!

²⁸Let them curse, but You bless;

When they arise, let them be ashamed,

But let Your servant rejoice.

²⁹Let my accusers be clothed with shame,

And let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle.

³⁰I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth;

Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude.

³¹For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor,

To save him from those who condemn him.

Preamble

To the slandered, the oppressed, the downtrodden, and everyone who is being wrongfully accused and mistreated; especially by those more powerful than they; read this Psalm.

Commentary

Vs. 1-3 ¹Do not keep silent,

O God of my praise!

²For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful

Have opened against me;

They have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

³They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,

And fought against me without a cause.  

In these opening verses David presents his case to the Lord our God. But first he begins by addressing Him as the God of my (our) praise. David then knows him personally as his Savior, and thus he is appealing to Him as such to act on his behalf as his defense (vs. 1). In verses two and three David then presents to Him his just cause. For wicked and deceitful men have opened their mouths against him, speaking all kinds of defamatory lies about him; seeking then to ruin him and his reputation by their crafty chosen words; and this is what they are doing behind his back on the one hand (vs. 2); while on the other they are confronting him openly with forceful words, words of hatred. It almost seems like they are seeking a provocation from him by which they can then “justly” accuse him or then point to and say, “see”. And yet there are no grounds for their setting themselves so fiercely against him. Now if you see a parallel between David’s life and the Lord Jesus Christ’s Life on earth, you’re not the first one, indeed many a Christian has also endured the hatred of godless and wicked people who in their rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ have done and will do the same to us (John 15:18; 1 John 3:13-15).

Vs. 4-5 ⁴In return for my love they are my accusers,

But I give myself to prayer.

⁵Thus they have rewarded me evil for good,

And hatred for my love.

Even while David extended his love to them they only stood as his accusers. David then turns himself to prayer, not seeking "allies" like they do, but seeking our God. And so refusing his love they now openly reward him with hatred and evil. Their hearts then will not be moved for they have already hardened themselves against him and our God.

Vs. 6-8 ⁶Set a wicked man over him,

And let an accuser stand at his right hand.

⁷When he is judged, let him be found guilty,

And let his prayer become sin.

⁸Let his days be few,

And let another take his office.

David now zeros in on one man, his chief accuser, the man who began all of his troubles, and who continues to orchestrate them. (In one sense this is Satan who first began making the Lord Jesus Christ’s troubles when He was on earth. Later this will be the antichrist/s who will, and who now make war with the Body of Christ.). Thus, David shows no refrain in his open disdain of him, asking our God to set a wicked man over him, and to let an accuser stand at his right hand; which is juxtaposed to how the Lord stands at our right hand to defend us in God’s court; so that when he is judged he is found guilty! David even asks God to reject his prayer, to make it to be sin, since it is only born out of hypocrisy and evil intentions. Now verse eight is clearly cited by the Apostle Peter in Acts 1:20 when speaking of Judas Iscariot; the man who betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ and orchestrated His arrest, whose place as an apostle of Christ was forever forsaken by him for his love of money, who later hanged himself, and thus his position needed to be filled by another. David then as a prophet of God thus spoke of him in then speaking of his own betrayer whom he now asks God to remove him from his office, which is the complete rejection of him.

Vs. 9-11 ⁹Let his children be fatherless,

And his wife a widow.

¹⁰Let his children continually be vagabonds, and beg;

Let them seek their bread also from their desolate places.

¹¹Let the creditor seize all that he has,

And let strangers plunder his labor.

David continues by asking God to make that wicked mans wife a widow, and his children fatherless. That He would make that mans children beggars in the years to come, so that they would never rise to to hold positions of power and authority that their wicked father had (vs. 9-10). And as for his property David asks God to let the creditor seize all of it, and to let strangers plunder (rob) his house (vs. 11). Thus, nothing of his is to be preserved for the generations to come. Just like what happened to Haman, the Jews ancient betrayer.

Vs. 12-13 ¹²Let there be none to extend mercy to him,

Nor let there be any to favor his fatherless children.

¹³Let his posterity be cut off,

And in the generation following let their name be blotted out.

Therefore, David asks God to let there be none to extend mercy to him nor let anyone favor his fatherless children (12). As for his posterity, let them all be cut off, and in the generation following let their family name be blotted out forever. Never then will they be named amongst the people of our God.

Vs. 14-15 ¹⁴Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord,

And let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

¹⁵Let them be continually before the Lord,

That He may cut off the memory of them from the earth;

David now calls upon the Lord to remember the egregious sins of that wicked mans forefathers, nor to forget the sin of that mans mother, (who likely reared him in his evil and scheming ways), to never let her sin be blotted out (vs. 14). Yes, let them be continually before the Lord, so that He may cut off the memory of them from the earth.

Vs. 16-20 ¹⁶Because he did not remember to show mercy,

But persecuted the poor and needy man,

That he might even slay the broken in heart.

¹⁷As he loved cursing, so let it come to him;

As he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him.

¹⁸As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment,

So let it enter his body like water,

And like oil into his bones.

¹⁹Let it be to him like the garment which covers him,

And for a belt with which he girds himself continually.

²⁰Let this be the Lord’s reward to my accusers,

And to those who speak evil against my person.  

David now declares why God should do this. The man was cruel, he had no regard or use for showing mercy to anyone, instead he persecuted the poor and needy man, (here David, but more than likely many others as well). And this this he did to him so that he might even slay the broken of heart, thus he intentionally targeted David so that he could do such things to him (vs. 16). As for his mouth it was a vile cesspool, cursing continually filled it, for this he loved, for he had nothing but disdain for blessing others. Their well being meant nothing to him. Therefore, David now asks God to let the same come to him, for as he did not delight in blessing others so let God’s blessings be far from him (vs. 17), and as he loved cursing which he clothed himself with like a garment, so now let it enter his own body and fill his own bones like oil (vs. 18), thus let his poisoness words by which poisoned others now poison him. Indeed, let all his evil words cover him like a garment and gird his waist like a belt (vs. 19). Thus, let him reap in full all the consequences of His evil words and deeds. David then concludes this section by asking the Lord to let this be done to all of his accusers, to all of those who speak evil of his person who have aligned themselves with his accuser (vs. 20). Now regarding such things consider Jude 14-15 which recalls God’s ancient prophecy and coming judgment through the prophet Enoch on all the ungodly who have also spoken against the Lord. That said, I would be terribly remiss if I denied the Lord Jesus Christ’s own Words which state that every blasphemy of man will be forgiven them; when they repent and believe in Him; except the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, for which there is no forgiveness (see Matt. 12:31-32; Mark 3:28-30; Luke 12:10). Thus David is not speaking about people who will or will want to repent and believe, but those who will not. 

Vs. 21 “But You, O God the Lord,

Deal with me for Your name’s sake;

Because Your mercy is good, deliver me.”

Having made the just case against his wicked persecutors, David now asks the Lord to deal with him for his Names sake, so God’s Name may not be scorned by his persecutors who know he has faith in Him. For David is looking to the Lord alone to have mercy on him, to deliver him from them, for he knows and trusts that the Lord’s mercies are good.

Vs. 22-25 ²²For I am poor and needy,

And my heart is wounded within me.

²³I am gone like a shadow when it lengthens;

I am shaken off like a locust.

²⁴My knees are weak through fasting,

And my flesh is feeble from lack of fatness.

²⁵I also have become a reproach to them;

When they look at me, they shake their heads.

David now reveals the depths of his own despair, describing himself as poor and needy, saying to the Lord that his heart is wounded with in him (vs. 22); all of which originates from those who have wrongly set themselves against him. Such is David’s despairing of them that he feels that his person and life have come to their end; that people have cast him aside with utter indifference (vs. 23-24); that is what he means when he says: “I am gone like a shadow when it lengthens; I am shaken off like a locust.” Even David's body and vitality has been ravished from his fasting because of what they have been doing to him. So now instead of bearing honor and dignity as the king of Israel, he only bears their open rejection and reproach as they shake their heads at him when they see him in his broken demeanor and appearance.

Vs. 26-29 ²⁶Help me, O Lord my God! Oh, save me according to Your mercy,

²⁷That they may know that this is Your hand—

That You, Lord, have done it!

²⁸Let them curse, but You bless;

When they arise, let them be ashamed,

But let Your servant rejoice.

²⁹Let my accusers be clothed with shame,

And let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle.

David’s appeal could not be more personal as he now asks the Lord my God (who is not their God by their choice, but his God by his choice) to save him according to His mercy (vs. 26), so that they may know that it is God’s hand who has saved him from them (vs. 27). Yes, David says let them curse; for this is what they love; but You O Lord my God bless; for Your blessings always surpass their cursing a man! And when they arise to exalt themselves as wicked people always do when they feel they have the upper hand; David asks God to let them be put to shame, but to let him, His servant rejoice (vs. 28). Yes, David says let all of his accusers be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle (vs.29); that is let their shame and disgrace fully cover them all, just as his brokenness now covers him.

Vs. 30-31 ³⁰I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth;

Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude.

³¹For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor,

To save him from those who condemn him.

David’s faith in the Lord our God delivering him and dealing with all of them now fills David’s mouth with praise to the Lord our God. Indeed, David’s heart resounds with a burning desire to praise Him among the multitude. For David knows, and I hope that you know this as well, that the Lord shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those who condemn him! For it is the poor in spirit whom God saves, not the proud in spirit. (Consider Matthew 5:3; Luke 7:36-50; 18:9-14; John 8:1-11).

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.