1. This is a
fit refrain to the benediction of the High Priest in the name of the Lord
(Numbers 6:24–25). It begins with a cry for mercy. Forgiveness of sin
is always the first link in the chain of mercies experienced by us. Mercy is a
foundational attribute in our salvation. The best saints and the worst sinners
may unite in this petition. It is addressed to the God of mercy, by those who
feel their need of mercy, and it implies the death of all legal hopes or claims
of merit. Next, the church begs for a blessing: bless us—a very
comprehensive prayer. Our blessings are but words, but when God blesses
he enriches us indeed, for his blessings are gifts and deeds. But his blessing
alone is not all his people crave; they desire a personal consciousness of his
favor, and pray for a smile from his face. The three petitions include all that
we need here or hereafter.
This verse may be regarded as the prayer of Israel, and
spiritually of the Christian church. The largest charity is shown in this
psalm, but it begins at home. The whole church, each church, and each little
company may rightly pray, bless us. It would, however, be
very wrong to let our charity end where it begins; our love must make long
marches, and our prayers must have a wide sweep; we must embrace the whole
world in our intercessions. Selah. Lift up the heart, lift up the voice.
A higher key, a sweeter note is called for.
2. That try way may be known upon earth. As showers which first fall upon the hills afterwards run
down in streams into the valleys, so the blessing of the Most High comes upon
the world through the church. We are blessed for the sake of others as well as
ourselves. God deals in a way of mercy with his saints, and then they make that
way known far and wide, and the Lord’s name is made famous in the earth.
Ignorance of God is the great enemy of mankind, and the testimonies of the
saints overcome this deadly foe. Saving health. The word is
“salvation,” and nothing else. This all nations need, but many of them do not
know it, desire it, or seek it; our prayer and labor should be that the
knowledge of salvation may become as universal as the light of the sun. Despite
the gloomy notions of some, we cling to the belief that the kingdom of Christ
will embrace the whole habitable globe, and that all flesh will see the
salvation of God.
3. Let the people praise thee, O God. Cause them to own thy goodness and thank thee with all
their hearts; let nations do this, and do it continually, being instructed in
thy gracious way. Let all the people praise thee. All are under
obligations to thee; to thank thee will benefit all; praise from all will
greatly glorify thee; therefore, O Lord, give everyone the grace to adore thy
grace, the goodness to see thy goodness. What is here expressed as a prayer in
our translation may be read as a prophecy, if we follow the original Hebrew.
4. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy, or, they will joy and triumph. Nothing creates gladness so
speedily, surely, and abidingly as the salvation of God. Nations never will be
glad till they follow the leadership of the great Shepherd; they may shift
their modes of government from monarchies to republics, and from republics to
communes, but they will retain their wretchedness till they bow before the Lord
of all. Sing for joy. Some sing for form, others for show, some as a
duty, others as an amusement, but to sing from the heart, because overflowing
joy must find a vent, this is to sing indeed. Whole nations will do this when
Jesus reigns over them in the power of his grace. For thou shalt judge the
people righteously. Wrong on the part of governors is a fruitful source of
national woe, but where the Lord rules, rectitude is supreme. He does ill to
none. His laws are righteousness itself. He rights all wrongs and releases all
who are oppressed. Justice on the throne is a fit cause for national
exultation. And govern the nations upon earth. He will lead them as a
shepherd his flock, and through his grace they will willingly follow; then will
there be peace, plenty, and prosperity. It is a fearful crime when a people who
know the salvation of God apostatize and say to the Lord, “depart from us.” Selah.
Before repeating the chorus, the note is again elevated, that full force may be
given to the burst of song and the accompaniment of harps.
5. These
words are a chorus worthy to be sung again and again. The great theme of the
psalm is the participation of the Gentiles in the worship of Jehovah; the
psalmist is full of it, and he hardly knows how to contain or express his joy.
6. Then shall the earth yield her increase. Sin first laid a curse on the soil, and grace alone can
remove it. Under tyrannical governments lands become unproductive; but when the
principles of true religion have elevated mankind, and the dominion of Jesus is
universally acknowledged, the soil will be restored to more than its highest
condition of fertility. There is certainly an intimate relation between moral
and physical evil, and between spiritual and physical good. Alexander notes
that the Hebrew is in the past tense, and he concludes that it is ungrammatical
to render it in the future; but to us it seems that the prophet-bard, hearing
the nations praise the Lord, speaks of the bounteous harvest as already given
in consequence. On the supposition that all the people praise Jehovah, the
earth has yielded her increase. The future in the English appears to be the
clearest rendering of the Hebrew. And God, even our own God, shall bless us.
We never love God aright till we know him to be ours, and the more we love him
the more we long to be fully assured that he is ours. What dearer name can we
give him than “mine own God”? The spouse in the Song has no sweeter canticle
than “my beloved is mine and I am his.”
7. God shall bless us.
The prayer of the first verse is the song of the last. We have the same phrase
twice, and truly the Lord’s blessing is manifold. How many are his beatitudes! How
choice his benedictions! They are the especial heritage of his chosen. He is
the Saviour of everyone, but especially of them that believe. In this verse we
find a song for all future time. God shall bless us, is our assured confidence;
he may smite us, or strip us, or even slay us, but he must bless us. He cannot
turn away from doing good to his elect. And all the ends of the earth shall
fear him. The far-off will fear. Ignorance will be removed, insolence
subdued, injustice banished, idolatry abhorred, and the Lord’s love, light,
life, and liberty will be over all.
Excerpt from:
The Treasury of David
By Charles H Spurgeon
