I.GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENT BY PSALMIST (1-6). INTRODUCTION. 1. Concerning Jehovah's Advent (1-3). 2. Concerning Jehovah's Assize (4-6). Selah. II. JEHOVAH'S ADDRESS TO ISRAEL (7-15). The Godly Remnant. Their _worship analysed. First table of the decalogue violated. Formalism denounced. r. Act approved (7-8). Negative side. 2. Attitude reproved (9-13). 3. Admonition uttered (14-15). Positive side-Praise; Prayer; Promise.
ANALYTICAL STUDIES IN THE P-SALMS III. PSALMIST'S ANNOTATION (r6a). IV. JEHOVAH'S ADDRESS TO ISRAEL (r6b-22). The Graceless Renegades. Their works arraigned. Second table of the decalogue violated. Hypocrisy denounced. r. Attitude considered (16b-r7). 2. Acts condemned (r8-2r). 3. Admonition uttered (22). Duty-Danger. V. GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENT BY JEHOVAH (23). CONCLUSION. Summary of the Psalm. r. Concerning Acceptable Worship and Result (23a). See 7-r5. 2. Concerning Acceptable Ways and Result (23bc). See r6-22. SUPERSCRIPT.-A psalm of Asaph. SUBSCRIPT.-For the Chief Musician. PRIMARY AssocIATION .-Writer is Asaph; historical occasion almost certainly connected with 1 Chron. xv.-xvi. Asaph took a prominent part in this great procession (1 Chron. xv. 17, 19) and here seems to allude to things seen and heard, 1 Chron. xvi. 4-5. David himself composed a hymn of praise for the occasion. ,Asaph ( = "the gatherer," c£ 5) was one of the three choral leaders, 1 Chron. xv. 17-19; chief minister before the Ark, l Chron. xvi. 4-15; a seer (=prophet), 2 Chron. xxix. 30; and poet. This is the only Asaphic psalm in Book II; eleven others are found in Book III. In all his writings the holiness of God is a prominent theme. Our present psalm is didactic in purpose and dramatic in form. It is a solemn scene of judgment; Israel is indicted, God appears as complainant, witness and judge, and the inhabitants of the whole universe are spectators. PROPHETIC ANTICIPATION.-This psalm. shows there will be a sessional judgment of Israel after the appearing of Christ in glory, a judgment answering to that of the Gentiles depicted Matt. xxv. Those who are really Jehovah's in that day will be separated from the rest and addressed in similar fashion to the "sheep" and the " f M G d' " .th th h goats o att. xxv. o s con¾oversy W1 e nation ere, has respect to the Law; in Ps. li. it has respect to the rejection of Messiah. PERSONAL APPLICATI0N.-Note the emphasis on the righteousness of the Judge and the righteousness required by Him. God has spoken through His servants and through His Son, Heb. i. He will
speak again, not in grace but in judgment, and all will hear His voice (1). His long silence will soon be broken by His open intervention in the affairs of men (2-3). Judgment must begin with God's own people (3); c£ 1 Peter iv. 17. In the place where they crucified their Messiah, Israel will be judged; where the Gentiles crucified the Son of God, they, too, will be judged, Matt. xxv. Guilt is in proportion to privilege (7); cf. Amos iii. 2. God is spirit (John iv.); He is not dependent on man (9-11), nor is He materially sustained (12...,.13); ctr. pagan· notions. Ritual without righteousness is abomination to God. To hold the form of godliness (2 Tim: iii. 5) whilst denying the power thereof is severely denounced (16-17). In Christianity profession without practice is far too common. Prayer is a proof of trust (15). The voice of slander often sounds like the voice of righteousness. Recounting another's evil with inward relish is scandal-mongering ·(19-20). The world misinterprets the silence of God (21). God's silence does not spel licence to sin, but long-suffering towards the sinner (21). The execution of the sentence upon sin is not always sumn1ary, but it is sure (21); cf. Eccles viii. 11. "Human nature loves posing and posturing; hypocrisy is the art of making up" (16 ff.). God listens to the language of the life, not of the lip (16). VERSE NOTES 1. The combined title befits One who is universal Judge (occurs elsewhere only Josh. xxii. 22); El Elohim Jehovah emphasises God's personal attributes of might, majesty and mercy respectively.· Other titles also appear, Eloah (22) and El yon (14); see App. II. 3. The Coming predicted and described; note phenomena suiting God's august presence, Exod. xix. 16; xx. 18-19; Deut. xxxiii. 2; (a) c£ Isa. xlli. 13-15; (be) these signs show that "God as yet cannot manifest His holiness in the ser½nity of complacent love." 4. Inhabitants of both spheres summoned to witness the judgment of Israel; cf. Matt. xxv. 31; Mark viii. 3 8; Luke ix. 26. The Lord will be accompanied by myriads of angels as well as multitudes of saints. 5. "saints,° Heb. = godly, or favoured ones; the recipients of God's loving kindness and exhibiting the same to their fellows. (b) prim. re£ to Exod. xxiv.; h h h . 1 " . b . d Ii '' . th s ows ow t e tlt e samts was o tame ; t. = cut a covenant ; ror e expression see Jer. xxxiv. 18-19, which explains and confums Heb. ix. 15-18. The Noahic, Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants were all made over sacrifice, Gen. ix. 9; with viii. 20-22; xv. 10-18; Exod. xxiv. 8; also the New Covenant, Matt. xxvi. 27-28, etc. 6. The justice of the Judge declared by those in the heavens, probably includes
the raptured saints of our present age. (b) hr. " ... for God is about to judge." "Selah" connects the call to judgment (1-6) with the grounds for judgment (7 ff.). 7. The trial opens; (c) cf. Exod. xx. 2. 8. c£ Num. xxviii., xxix. and I Chron. xvi. 40; xxiii. 31. 14. Refers back to Lev. vii. 12-15; xxii. 29-30. The sacrifice of ýgiving was in the nature of a peace offering; (b) the "vows" or votive offerings (Lev. vii. 16) were of" a higher character than the thanksgiving sacrifice as expressing a more positive faith in God under the pressure of circumstances"; c£ for the spiritual application, Heb. xiii. 15-16 with faith as exhibited in Heb. xi.-xii. 15. The LXX inserts a "Selah" at the end of this verse. Prayer is based upon the assurance of acceptance implied it). the peace offering. 16. "wicked" = lawless, ctr. "saints" (5), the loyal ones; lawless ones are not in true covenant relationship with God. 17. See margin. 18. Br. " ... thou didst delight thyself ... " 19. More lit. "Thou has let loose thy ... " 20. Sin against the fifth commandment; moral degeneracy in which the closest ties of kinship are ignored. 21. (b) or, "Thou thoughtest Ehyeh (s.H.w. Exod. iii. 14) such an one as thyself"; (c) the limit of divine patience is reached; "set in order," i.e. the various counts of the indictment. 22. This warning to the careless shows God's yearning love over sinners. 23. Sums up the teaching of the psalm; (b) i.e. to him who orders his way as taught here; (c) shows that despite the material sacrifices, salvation is still needed.
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