I. THE MAINTENANCE OF PERSONAL INTEGRITY (1-4). THE MONARCH.· r. By Emphasising Worship (r). 2. By Exercising Wisdom (2a). "The Perfect Way." 3. By Establishing Walle (2bc). "Within my House." 4. By Esch¬wing Wickedness (3-4). "Before mine eyes." II. THE MAINTENANCE PUBLIC · INTEGRITY (5-8). MINISTERS. 1. By Eradicating Evil-doers (s). His Retinue. "Rooted out."
- By Encouraging Faithful Ministers (6). "A Perfect Way." 3. By Excluding False-hearted Ministers (7). "Within my House ... " 4. By Eradicating Evil-doers (8). His Realm. "Rooted out." SUPERSCRIPT.-A Psalm of David. PRIMARY AssocIATION.-David wrote this psalm in the early period of his reign. Primarily it is his vow to rule in righteousness, banishing baseness from his own heart and expelling all evil-doers from his presence, that he may be worthy to receive Jehovah in the visible symbol of the ark. Written therefore in connection with and after 2 Sam. vi. 9, when the fear then engendered had changed into yearning for Jehovah's presence in the city of His choice. The evils here mentioned had no doubt characterised the last troubled years of Saul's reign. Such evil-doers are too often found in court circles especially in the East where royal palaces are notorious as abodes of lust and extravagance. This royal proclamation against vice and immorality was sadly falsified in David's own history, 2 Sam. xi. ff. PROPHETIC ANTICIPATION .-Here is the voice of David's "Son" and David's Lord. Messiah st4tes governing principles especially "within the House." Note the twin characteristics of the divine rule in Ia. It is significant that this description of what a king should be immediately follows a series of psalms telling unmistakably who the King is. One cleansing at the beginning of a reign is insufficient (8); there must be a continual process, cf. Matt. xiii. 41. Messiah's judgments will be daily and carried out immediately. Thus no prisons will be needed and the land will be kept clean. PERSONAL APPLICATION.-Here are principles for a potentate. Whether king or subject the first responsibility is to worship God (I). We should put away evil from our own hearts before we begin to deal with those around us (2c, 7a). God's representatives should eschew the path of self-indulgence (2 ff.). A "perfect" heart expels a "perverse" heart (2, 4). Private integrity and public integrity go together (2, 7). We should shake off "worthless" (3a) and wicked (3b) things that take hold of us unawares (3c) like Paul did the viper, Acts xxviii. 3-6. High looks are a visible sign of a haughty heart (5). Pride like a "puffed up" (so Heb. word) child's balloon is liable to sudden collapse (5b). Faithfulness to God guarantees fidelity to man (6). Ill weeds grow apace, even under just rule (8).
EJOICING IN COVENANT RELATIONSHIP VERSE NOTES 1. (a) "lovingkindness " is love in action; (b) " ... will I make melody." 2. or as margin; "perfect " = blameless; (b) David feels that his resolves require µie presence of God Himself to carry them out; (c) cf. margin and David's earlier resolutions, l Sam. xviii. 5, 14-15, 30; and see l Chron. xxviii. 9; xxix. 19. 3. "base thing," lit. =.matter of Belia! (=worthlessness). (b) or, "I hate the practice of depravities." 4. Psalmist is still speaking of himself; (b) "Evil I will not know," i.e. by experience and love of it. "d tr "H b t t 8 "hi hi " ( h) es oy, e . = roo ou, so a; m . . . m emp .. 6. (c) "He shall minister ... " In Messiah's kingdom office will go not to mere ability or servility, or birth, but to moral and spiritual qualities. God's city will be. pure, c£ Rev. xxii. 15. 7. (b) "before mine eyes "= in my Rresence. 8. (b) Br. "That I may cut off. . . The king holds his court of justice each morning ? Sam. xv. 2; Jer. xxi. 12) that he may purÅe Jerusalem of evil and make it a' holy city " worthy of its title "City ofJehovah, • cf. Pss. xlvi. 4; xlviii. 1, 8 ; Isa. i. 26.
