Psalm 97:
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Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 Job Proverbs
Psalm 97
Complete Concise
This psalm dwells upon the same subject, and is set to the same
tune, with the foregoing psalm. Christ is the Alpha and the Omega of both; they
are both penned, and are both to be sung to his honour; and we make nothing of
them if we do not, in them, make melody with our hearts to the Lord Jesus. He it
is that reigns, to the joy of all mankind (v. 1); and his government speaks, I.
Terror to his enemies; for he is a prince of inflexible justice and irresistible
power (v. 2-7). II. Comfort to his friends and loyal subjects, arising from his
sovereign dominion, the care he takes of his people, and the provision he makes
for them (v. 8-12). In singing this psalm we must be affected with the glory
of the exalted Redeemer, must dread the lot of his enemies, and think ourselves
happy if we are of those that "kiss the son."
Verses 1-7
What was to be said among the heathen in the foregoing psalm (v.
10) is here said again (v. 1) and is made the subject of this psalm, and of
psalm 99.
The Lord reigns; that is the great truth here laid down. The
Lord Jehovah reigns, he that made the world governs it; he that gave being gives
motion and power, gives law and commission, gives success and event. Every man's
judgment proceeds from the Lord, from his counsel and providence, and in all
affairs, both public and private, he performs the thing which he himself has
appointed. The Lord Jesus reigns; the providential kingdom is twisted in with
the mediatorial and the administration of both is in the hand of Christ, who
therefore is both the
head of the church and
head over all things to
the church. The kingdom of Christ is so constituted that,
I. It may be matter of joy to all; and it will be so if it be
not their own fault.
Let the earth rejoice, for hereby it is
established
(Ps. 96:10); it is honoured and enriched, and, in part, rescued from the vanity
which by sin it is made subject to. Not only let the people of Israel rejoice in
him as King of the Jews, and the daughter of Zion as her King, but let all the
earth rejoice in his elevation; for the kingdoms of the world shall, more or
less, sooner or later, become his kingdoms:
Let the multitude of isles,
the many or great isles,
be glad thereof. This is applicable to our
country, which is a great isle, and has many belonging to it; at least, it
speaks comfort in general to the Gentiles, whose countries are called
the
isles of the Gentiles, Gen. 10:5. There is enough in Christ for the
multitude of the isles to rejoice in; for, though many have been made happy in
him, yet still there is room. All have reason to rejoice in Christ's
government. 1. In the equity of it. There is an incontestable justice in all the
acts of his government, both legislative and judicial. Sometimes indeed
clouds
and darkness are round about him; his dispensations are altogether
unaccountable;
his way is in the sea and his path in the great waters. We
are not aware of what he designs, what he drives at; nor is it fit that we
should be let into the secrets of his government. There is a depth in his
counsels, which we must not pretend to fathom. But still
righteousness and
judgment are the habitation of his throne; a golden thread of justice runs
through the whole web of his administration. In this he resides, for it is his
habitation. In this he rules, for it is
the habitation of his throne. His
commandments are, and will be,
all righteous. Righteousness and judgment
are the basis of his throne (so Dr. Hammond); for
therefore his
throne
is for ever and ever, because his
sceptre is a right sceptre, Ps.
45:6.
The throne is established in righteousness. Even
the heavens
declare his righteousness (v. 6); it is as conspicuous and as illustrious as
the heavens themselves. The angels of heaven will declare it, who are employed
as messengers in the administration of his government and therefore know more of
it than any of his creatures. His righteousness is incontestable; for who can
contradict or dispute what the
heavens declare? Ps. 50:6. 2. In the
extent of it in the upper and lower world. (1.) All the men on earth are under
his government; either he is served by them or he serves himself by them.
All
the people see his glory, or may see it. The glory of God, in the face of
Christ, was made to shine in distant countries, among many people, more or less
among all people; the gospel was preached, for aught we know, in all languages,
Acts 2:5, 11. Miracles were wrought in all nations, and so
all the people saw
his glory. Have they not heard? Rom. 10:18. (2.) All the angels in heaven
are so. Perhaps we should not have found this truth in those words (v. 7),
Worship
him, all you gods, if we had not been directed to it by the inspired
apostle, who, from the Septuagint version of those words, makes the Messiah to
be introduced into the upper world at the ascension with this charge (Heb. 1:6),
Let all the angels of God worship him, which helps us to a key to this
whole psalm, and shows us that it must be applied to the exalted Redeemer, who
has gone into heaven,
and is on the right hand of God, which intimates
that all power is given him both in heaven and earth,
angels, authorities,
and powers, being made subject unto him, 1 Pt. 3:22. This speaks the honour
of Christ, that he has such worshippers, and the honour of all good Christians,
that they have such fellow-worshippers.
II. Christ's government, though it may be matter of joy to
all, will yet be matter of terror to some, and it is their own fault that it is
so, v. 3-5, 7. Observe,
1. When the kingdom of Christ was to be set up in the world,
after his ascension, it would meet with many enemies, and much opposition would
be given to it. He that reigns, to the
joy of the whole earth, yet, as he
has his subjects, so he has
his enemies (v. 3), that not only will not
have him to reign over them, but would not have him to reign at all, that not
only will not
enter into the kingdom of heaven themselves, but do all
they can to
hinder those that are entering, Mt. 23:13. This was fulfilled
in the enmity of the unbelieving Jews to the gospel of Christ, and the violent
persecution which in all places they stirred up against the preachers and
professors of it. These enemies are here called
hills (v. 5), for their
height, and strength, and immovable obstinacy. It was the
princes of this
world that
crucified the Lord of glory, 1 Co. 2:8; Ps. 2:2.
2. The opposition which the Jews gave to the setting up of
Christ's kingdom turned to their own ruin. Their persecuting the apostles, and
forbidding them to speak to the Gentiles, filled up their sin, and
brought
wrath upon them to the uttermost, 1 Th. 2:15, 16. That wrath is
here compared, (1.) To consuming fire, which
goes before him, and burns up
his enemies, that have made themselves like chaff and stubble, and have
set
the briers and thorns before him in battle, Isa. 27:4. This fire of divine
wrath will not only burn the rubbish upon the hills, but will even
melt the
hills themselves
like wax, v. 5. When our God appears as a consuming
fire even rocks will be wax before him. The most resolute and daring opposition
will be baffled
at the presence of the Lord. His very presence is enough
to shame and sink it, for he is
the Lord of the whole earth, by whom all
the children of men are manageable and to whom they are accountable. Men hate
and persecute God's people, because they think him absent, that the Lord has
forsaken
the earth; but, when he manifests his presence, they melt. (2.) To amazing
lightnings
(v. 4), which strike a terror upon many. The judgments God brought upon the
enemies of Christ's kingdom were such as all the world took notice of with
terror:
The earth saw and trembled, and the ears of all that heard were
made to tingle. This was fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem and the
Jewish nation by the Romans, about forty years after Christ's resurrection,
which, like fire, wholly destroyed that people, and, like lightning, astonished
all their neighbours (Deu. 29:24); but the heavens declare God's righteousness
in it, and all the people, to this day, see his glory, in those lasting
monuments of his justice, the scattered Jews.
3. Idolaters also would be put to confusion by the setting up of
Christ's kingdom (v. 7):
Confounded be all those who serve graven images,
the Gentile world, who
did service to those that by nature are no gods
(Gal. 4:8), who boasted themselves of idols as their protectors and benefactors.
Did those that served idols boast of them, and shall the servants of the living
God distrust him, or be ashamed of him?
Let those be ashamed that serve
graven images. (1.) This is a prayer for the conversion of the Gentiles,
that those who have been so long serving dumb idols may be convinced of their
error, ashamed of their folly, and may, by the power of Christ's gospel, be
brought to serve the only living and true God, and may be as much ashamed of
their idols as ever they were proud of them. See Isa. 2:20, 21. (2.) This is a
prophecy of the ruin of those that would not be reformed and reclaimed from
their idolatry; they shall be confounded by the destruction of Paganism in the
Roman empire, which was fulfilled about 300 years after Christ, so much to the
terror of idolaters that some think it was the revolution under Constantine that
made even the mighty men say to the rocks,
Fall on us and hide us, Rev.
6:15, 16. This prayer and prophecy are still in force against antichristian
idolaters, who may here read their doom:
Confounded be all those that worship
graven images, v. 7. See Jer. 48:13.
Verses 8-12
The kingdom of the Messiah, like the pillar of cloud and fire,
as it has a dark side towards the Egyptians, so it has a bright side towards the
Israel of God. It is set up in spite of opposition; and then
the earth saw
and trembled (v. 4), but
Zion heard and was glad, very glad, to hear
of the conversion of some and of the confusion of others, that is, the conquest
of all that stood it out against Christ.
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
for behold thy king comes unto thee, Zec. 9:9. And not Zion only, where the
temple was, but even
the daughters of Judah, rejoiced; the common people,
the inhabitants of the villages, they shall triumph in Christ's victories. The
command (v. 1) is,
Let the earth rejoice; but it is only the sons of Zion
and the daughters of Judah that do rejoice. All should bid the kingdom of the
Messiah welcome, but few do. Now here observe,
I. The reasons that are given for Zion's joy in the government
of the Redeemer. The faithful servants of God may well
rejoice and be
glad,
1. Because God is glorified, and whatever redounds to his honour is very much
his people's pleasure. They rejoice
because of thy judgments, O Lord!
which may take in both the judgments of his mouth and the judgments of his hand,
the word of his gospel and his works wrought for the propagating of it, miracles
and marvellous providences; for in these we must own,
"Thou, Lord, art
high above all the earth (v. 9); thou hast manifested thy sovereignty in the
kingdom of nature, and thy command of all its powers, and thy dominion over all
nations, over all hearts; thou art
exalted far above all gods"—all
deputed gods, that is, princes—all counterfeit gods, that is, idols. The
exaltation of Christ, and the advancement of God's glory among men thereby,
are the rejoicing of all the saints. 2. Because care is taken for their safety.
Those that pay allegiance to Christ as a King shall be sure of his protection.
Princes are the shields of the earth; Christ is so to his subjects; they may put
their trust under his shadow and rejoice in it, for (v. 10)
He preserves the
souls of the saints; he preserves their lives as long as he has any work for
them to do, and wonderfully
delivers them many a time
out of the hand
of the wicked, their persecutors that thirst after their blood; for
precious
in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. But something more is
meant than their lives; for those that will be his disciples must be willing to
lay down their lives, and not indent for the securing of them. It is the
immortal
soul that Christ preserves, the
inward man, which may be renewed more
and more when the
outward man decays. He will
preserve the souls of
his saints from sin, from apostasy, and despair, under their greatest
trials; he will
deliver them out of the hands of the wicked one that
seeks
to devour them; he will preserve them safely
to his heavenly kingdom,
2 Tim. 4:18. They have therefore reason to be glad, being thus safe. 3. Because
provision is made for their comfort. Those that rejoice in Christ Jesus, and in
his exaltation, have fountains of joy treasured up for them, which will be
opened sooner or later (v. 11):
Light is sown for the righteous, that is,
gladness for the upright in heart. The subjects of Christ's kingdom are
told to expect tribulation in the world. They must suffer by its malice, and
must not share in its mirth; yet let them know, to their comfort, that
light
is sown for them; it is designed and prepared for them. What is sown will
come up again in due time; though, like a winter seedness, it may lie long under
the clods, and seem to be lost and buried, yet it will return in a rich and
plentiful increase. God's goodness shall be sure of a
harvest in the
appointed
weeks. Those that sow in tears shall, without fail,
reap in joy, Ps.
126:5, 6. Christ told his disciples, at parting (Jn. 16:20),
You shall be
sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. Gladness is sure to the
upright in heart, to those only that are sincere in religion.
The joy
of the hypocrite is but for a moment. There is no serenity without a lasting
sincerity,
II. The rules that are given for Zion's joy. 1. Let it be a
pure and holy joy. "You that love the Lord Jesus, that
love his
appearing and kingdom, that love his word and his exaltation, see that you
hate evil, the evil of sin, every thing that is offensive to him and will throw
you out of his favour." Note, A true love to God will show itself in a real
hatred of all sin, as that abominable thing which he hates. The joy of the
saints should likewise confirm their antipathy to sin and divine comforts should
put their mouths out of taste for sensual pleasures. 2. Let the joy terminate in
God (v. 12):
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous. Let all the streams of
comfort, which flow to us in the channel of Christ's kingdom, lead us to the
fountain, and oblige us to
rejoice in the Lord. All the lines of joy must
meet in him as in the centre. See Phil. 3:3; 4:4. 3. Let it express itself in
praise and thanksgiving:
Give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
Whatever is the matter of our rejoicing ought to be the matter of our
thanksgiving, and particularly the holiness of God. Those that hate sin
themselves are glad that God does so, in hopes that therefore he will not suffer
it to have dominion over them. Note, (1.) We ought to be much in the remembrance
of God's holiness, the infinite purity, rectitude, and perfection of the
divine nature. We must be ever mindful of his holy covenant, which he has
confirmed with an oath
by his holiness. (2.) We ought to give thanks at
the remembrance of his holiness, not only give him the glory of it as it is an
honour to him, but give him thanks for it as it is a favour to us; and an
unspeakable favour it will be if, through grace, we are
partakers of his
holiness. It is God's holiness which, above all his attributes, the angels
celebrate. Isa. 6:3,
Holy, holy, holy. Sinners tremble, but saints
rejoice,
at the remembrance of God's holiness, Ps. 30:4.
Psalm 97:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Spurgeon
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 Job Proverbs
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