I. APPEAL FOR DELIVERANCE (1-7). Supplication to Jehovah. Fragrance of Faith. Seven Petitions. "Let me not be ashamed." 11. AFFIRMATION OF GUIDANCE (8-10). Declaration concerningJehovah. The Teacher. "He will teach." III. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF SIN (n). Confession to Jehovah. Poignant Prayer and Powerful Plea. IV. AFFIRMATION OF GUIDANCE (12-14). Declaration concerning Jehovah. The Taught. "Him will He teach." V. ASSURANCE OF SALVATION (15). Expectation from Jehovah. Praiseworthy Posture and Positive Persuasion. VI. APPEAL FOR DELIVERANCE (16-21), Supplication to Jehovah. Faltering of Faith. Seven Petitions. "Let me not be ashamed." VII. AMPLIFICATION OF PRAYER (22). Supplementary Petition. Prayer for the Nation. Conclusion. SUPERSCRIPT.-David' s. PRIMARY AssocrATION.-Writer: David; period, probably time of Absalom' s rebellion. One of the nine acrostic psalms, this one is irregular with the omission of two Hebrew letters. Double Aleph at the beginning with a double Resh at 18-19 "connects the uplift of the soul to Jehovah with the downlook ofJehovah upon the sufferer." Close study will show much other interweaving of thought between the sections. This psalm is related to xxxiv. which has a similar alphabetical construction. The imperfect alphabet is in keeping with the yet imperfect apprehension of Divine grace; the irregularity is suited to the troublous times in which it was penned. PROPHETIC ANTICIPATION.-Shows the godly remnant cast upon God in entire confidence to find the fullness and sufficiency of Divine grace. The work of Christ being completed (Pss. xxii.-xxi.v.), we now meet for the first time in the Psalter, a full, unreserved con fession of sin. The true character of the remnant people is seen as "meek," c£ Matt. v. 5. See concluding notes to preceding paragraph. PERSONAL .APPLICATION.-· Like David we cannot plead our merits, only God's mercies (6). Jehovah's secret counsels are more than a match for the enemies' secret plots. (14). The glory of God is His
4-NALYTICAL STUDIES IN THE PSALMS goodness (7) with Exod. xxxiii. 18-19. God remembers the sinner,. but not his sins-if he is a subject of salvation (7). Humility of heart is an essential condition to being taught of God (9) ; we need to remember both our littleness and our sinfulness. The greatness of the iniquity only magnifies the grace that puts it eway (11). Faith anchors itself in God's faithfulness (2). God's tender mercies and loving-kindnesses ( 6) should be met by our integrity and upright ness (21). Note David's three pleas: (a) the Mercies of his faithful God; (b) the Misery of his own soul; (c) the Malignity of his many foes. VERSE NOTES I. Positive aspect; for negative, cf. xxiv. 4. 2. c£ 20. 3. (b) i.e. faithless desertion of God. 4. Lit." Make me to know Thy way," c£ Moses' prayer, Exod. xx:xiii. 13 = not merely ways in which we should walk, but the divine principles of action. th" r . ó'--r._ , 5• trU = IalUUWilesS. 6. (b) lit. " ... for they ... from everlasting." 7. "sins"; the thoughtless offences of youth; "transgressions"; the deliberate offences of later years; "goodness," cf. Rom. ii. 4; xi. 22. 9. "judgment," i.e. wise discernment coupled with right practice. 10. (a) c£ Exod. xxxiv. 6; (b) "testimonies," i.e. His commandments,,., witnesses to His holy will. 13. Blessings temporal; (b) c£ Matt. v. 5. 14. Blessings spiritual; "secret," Hebrew word denotes the confidential inter course of intimate fellowship; a privy council, cf. Gen. xviii. 17; Amos iii. 7. David frequently consulted Jehovah through the high priest and the ephod, 1 Sam. xxii. 15 indicating his practice; see also 1 Sam. xxiii. 6-9; xxx. 7-8; 2 Sam. ii. I. Saul's impatient selfwill would not wait for divine counsel, 1 Sam. x. 8; xiii. 8, 14; xiv. 18-19; (b) lit. "make them to know," note the Persuasion, 3; the Prayer, 4. 6 B "B " c£ . "d Ii .th 1 . r. e graaous unto me ; . 1v. 1, etc.; eso ate = so tary, w1 out other friend or helper. 17. Br. "The straitnesses of my heart enlarge Thou, and bring ... " 18. "Consider " = behold; the downlook is to be in response to the uplook of 15 ; "forgive," lit. -take away; sin here regarded as a heavy burden. C£ 2 Sam. xvi. 5-12. Shimei's charge seems to have found an echo in David's conscience, hence the nature of his reply to Abishai; cf. his spirit of meekness there and that shown in our psalm. 19. "Consider" = behold, as 18; behold (a) my Affliction; (b) my Adversaries; l" crue = v10 ent. 20. "Oh, keep ... oh, preserve ... for I have taken refuge in Thee." 21. "preserve," = guard. As so often in the psalms two divine principles here interwoven, namely confidence in God (20) with integrity of heart (21 ). 22. The psalmist here links the redemption of Israel with his own.
RE C ORD OF THE DIVINE REDEE MER
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