1. Judge me, O Lord. Worried and worn out by the human injustice, the innocent
spirit flies from its false accusers to the throne of Eternal Right. Whoever
dares take his case to heaven needs a clear case. Such an appeal as this is not
to be rashly made; and as to the whole of our walk and behavior, it should
never be made at all, except as we are justified in Christ Jesus. A far more
fitting prayer for a sinful mortal is, “Enter not into judgment with thy
servant.” For I have have walked in mine integrity. He had integrity as
his principle, and walked in it as his practice. David had not used any
traitorous or unrighteous means to gain the crown, or to keep it; he was
conscious of having been guided by the noblest principles of honor in all his
actions with regard to Saul and his family. What a comfort it is to have the
approbation of one’s own conscience! I have trusted also in the Lord. Faith is the root and sap of
integrity. Faith will work hard for the Lord, and in the Lord’s way, but she
refuses so much as to lift a finger to fulfill the devices of unrighteous
cunning. Faith trusts God to accomplish his own decrees. Why should I steal
when God has promised to supply my need? Why should I avenge myself when I know
that the Lord has espoused my cause? Therefore I shall not slide.
Slippery as the way is, faith keeps my heels from tripping. The ways of
honesty, though often rough, are always safe. We cannot trust God if we walk
crookedly; but straight paths and simple faith bring the pilgrim to his
journey’s end.
2. The three
modes of trial here are said in the original to refer to trial by touch, trial
by smell, and trial by fire. The psalmist was so clear from the charge laid
against him that he submitted himself unconditionally to any form of
examination which the Lord might see fit to employ: Examine me, Lord, and prove me. Put me again to
trial and see if I would follow such wicked designs as my enemies impute to me.
Try my reins and my heart. All this is a very bold appeal, revealing a
complete conviction of innocence. It should teach us the thoroughness of the
divine judgment, and the necessity of being sincere, lest we be found wanting
at the last. Our enemies are severe with us with spite, and this a brave man
endures without a fear; but God’s severity is that of unswerving right. Who can
stand before his justice?
3. For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes. An object of memory and a ground of hope. A sense of mercy
received sets a fair prospect before the faithful mind in its gloomiest
condition, for it yields visions of mercies yet to come. The goodness of God to
us should be before our eyes as a motive actuating our conduct; we are not
under the bondage of the law, but under grace. People sin with the law before
their eyes, but divine love when clearly seen sanctifies behavior. If we were
not so forgetful of the way of mercy in which God walks towards us, we should
be more careful to walk in the ways of obedience towards him. And I have
walked in thy truth. The psalmist was preserved from sin by his assurance
of God’s promise, whose truth he endeavored to imitate as well as to believe.
Experience of divine love will show itself in practical following of divine
truth; those who neglect either the doctrinal or practical parts of truth must
not wonder if they lose the experience of enjoying it. Some talk of
truth; it is better to walk in it. Some vow to do well in future, but
their resolutions come to nothing; only the regenerate can say, I have
walked in thy truth.
4–5. We are
known by our company, and if we have kept apart from the wicked, it will always
be evidence in our favor should our character be impugned.
4. I have not sat with vain persons. True citizens have no dealings with traitors. We need to
see, and speak, and trade with people of the world, but we must on no account
take our rest and solace in their empty society. Not only the profane but the
vain are to be shunned by us. All those who live for this life only are quite
unworthy of a Christian’s friendship. It is well to keep from tolerating the
vain, lest we should come to admire the wicked. Neither will I go in with
dissemblers. Since I know that hypocritical piety is double iniquity, I
will cease all acquaintance with pretenders. This clause is in the future
tense; the writer felt no desire to begin an acquaintance with characters whom
up till then he had shunned. Those who would be transfigured with Jesus must
not be disfigured by conformity to the world. As there are vain people outside
the church, so there are dissemblers in it, and both are to be shunned.
5. I have hated the congregation of evil-doers. A severe sentence, but not too severe. Someone who does not
hate evil terribly does not love good heartily. We must always love people as
people, for they are our neighbors and therefore to be loved as ourselves; but
evil-doers, as such, are traitors to the great King, and no loyal subject can
love traitors. What God hates we must hate. The congregation or assembly
of evil-doers signifies violent people in alliance for the overthrow of
the innocent. And will not sit with the wicked. Saints have a seat at
another table, and will never leave the King’s dainties for all the husks of
the swine-trough. Such company as we keep in this world we are likely to keep
in the next.
6. I will wash mine hands in innocency. He would publicly avow himself to be altogether clear of
the accusations laid against him, and if any fault in other matters could be
truthfully alleged against him, he would for the future abstain from it. The
washing of the hands is an action demonstrating our having no connection with a
deed. As to perfect innocence, David does not here claim it, but he avows his
innocence of the crimes he was slanderously accused of; there is however a
sense in which we may be washed in absolute innocence, for the atoning blood
makes us clean every whit. We ought never to rest satisfied short of a full
persuasion of our complete cleansing by Jesus’ precious blood. So will I
compass thine altar, O Lord.
Priests of God must take great care to be personally cleansed; God’s worship
requires us to be holy in life. Holy minds delight in the worship of the Lord,
and it is their deepest concern never to enter on any course of action which
would unfit them for the most sacred communion with God. Our eye must be on the
altar which sanctifies both the giver and the gift; yet we must never draw from
the atoning sacrifice an excuse for sin, but rather find in it a most
convincing argument for holiness.
7. That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving. David does not mention the typical offering, but discerns
the spiritual offering which was intended by it: to sound the worthy praises of
God, which should be the everyday business of a pardoned sinner. And tell of
all thy wondrous works. God’s works of love are wondrous if we consider the
unworthiness of their objects, the costliness of their method, and the glory of
their result. And as people find great pleasure in talking about remarkable and
astonishing things, so the saints rejoice to tell of the great things which the
Lord has done for them.
8. Lord, I
have loved the habitation of thy house.
He would not enter the abodes of sin, but he had long loved the house of God,
and he still loved it. The church of the living God is the house of God, and
true Christians delight in her services and assemblies. And the place where
thy honor dwelleth. In his church where God is had in honor at all times,
where he reveals himself in the glory of his grace, and is proclaimed by his
people as the Lord of all. We do not come together to honor the preacher but to
give glory to God.
9. Gather not my soul with sinners. Lord, when like fruit my soul must be gathered, put me not
in the same basket with the best of sinners, much less with the worst of them.
Our comfort is that the great Husbandman discerns the tares from the wheat, and
will find a separate place for distinct characters. In the earlier verses we
see that the psalmist kept himself clear of profane people, and this is to be
understood as a reason why he should not be thrust into their company at the
last. Nor my life with bloody men. Our soul sickens to hear them speak;
their cruel dispatches, in which they treat the shooting of their fellow-men as
rare sport, are horrifying to us. The same paradise with such men would be a
hell, if they remained as they now are.
10. In whose hands is mischief. They have both hands full of it, plotting it and carrying
it out. And their right hand with which they are most dexterous is
full of bribes. The person who gives bribes is every way as guilty as the
one who takes them. Let those whose dirty hands are fond of bribes remember
that neither death nor the devil can be bribed to let them escape their doom.
11. Here is
the lover of godliness entering his personal protest against unrighteous gain.
Trusting in God, the psalmist resolves that the plain way of righteousness will
be his choice, and those who want to may prefer the tortuous paths of violence
and deceit. He is no self-righteous vaunter of his own strength, for he cries
for redemption and pleads for mercy. Our integrity is not absolute or inherent;
it is a work of grace in us, and is marred by human infirmity; we must,
therefore, resort to the redeeming blood and to the throne of mercy, confessing
that though we are saints among mankind, we must still bow as sinners before
God.
12. The song
began in the minor, but it has now reached the major key. Saints often sing
themselves into happiness. The even place on which our foot stands is
the sure, covenant faithfulness of the Lord of Hosts; there is no fear of
falling from this solid basis, or of its being removed from under us.
Established in Christ Jesus, but being vitally united to him, we have nothing
left to occupy our thoughts but the praises of our God. Let us not forsake the
assembling of ourselves together, and when assembled, let us not be slow to
contribute our portion of thanksgiving. Each saint is a witness to divine
faithfulness, and should be ready with his testimony. As for the slanderers,
let them howl outside the door while the children sing within.
Excerpt from:
The Treasury of David
By Charles H Spurgeon
