Tuesday 31 December 2013

Psalm 52 - The hope of the Righteous One when spoken against everywhere.

This Psalm was originally written when Doeg informed Saul against David.

In arranging the Psalms it was natural to place it after the last, inasmuch as the assaults which it describes would no doubt be repeated in some shape on the occasion of David's fall, and even after his restoration to the full sunshine of divine fellowship.

The enemy of the Woman's seed has never in any age been at a loss for matter of calumny and reproach, nor will he cease till the Lord comes and he is finally cast out.

In verse 1, "the mighty man" is like Nimrod (Gen 10:9), the very antithesis in character to "the mighty God" (Isaiah 9:6) who is to destroy him.

In verse 5, closed by the significant Selah, the true rendering of the middle clause is "He will pluck you out of The Tabernacle;" not only referring us back to such cases as Korah, or any rebels whom the Lord thrust out of the holy camp of Israel, but pointing us onward to the time when "the Tabernacle of God shall be with men."

On that day you shall have no place among the blessed ones; they shall see you uprooted with ease, and shall enjoy the "laugh" of Him who sits in the heavens (Psalm 2:4), and of Wisdom whom you did despise (Prov 1:26), but who then mocks at your calamity.

Men will not then speak of the Son of God, as they did in the day of his humiliation, but shall say to his ruined foes: "Behold the man! (v7)

All along their history true Israelites could adopt and appropriate the words of verse 8, but they shall sing it better still on the day of Antichrist's final ruin, when they become "the Olive tree" again (Rom 11:17).

At the same time it is David's Son, Christ himself, who best of all could sing this Psalm, and best of all could appropriate these words: "I am a green olive tree in the house of God" (v8)

He being indeed the true Israelite who "continued in God's goodness" (Rom 11:17,22), the tender love of his God ever being as dew on his branches.

He will, on the Day of his Appearing, give the key-note of praise over foes overthrown for ever, raising the "Hallelujah" of Rev 19:2 - "because you have done it."

Nothing less than this result is what we look for and expect; and Christ along with us is looking for that display of the Divine character, "waiting for your name" (as in Psalm 75:1) when it shall be revealed in judgement acts. Thus viewed, this Psalm may be entitled - The hope of the Righteous One when spoken against everywhere.

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