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D av id . H e p rom ises to “in stru c t,” “tea ch ” a n d “co u n sel” h im . I t is n o t en o u g h th a t o u r p a st w ro n g d o in g be fo rg iv en , w e n eed to be g u id ed in th e rig h t w ay fo r th e fu tu re , a n d it is Je h o v a h h e re w h o p rom ises D av id H e w ill do it fo r him , a n d H e w ill do it fo r ev ery o th e r fo rg iv en sin n e r also. S om e e x p o sito rs w o u ld m ak e D av id h im se lf th e sp eak er in v, 8, b u t it is fa r b et te r to tak e th e w o rd s a s G o d ’s resp o n se' to D av id . T h e ch an g e o f sp eak ers, a s al re a d y said, is in d icated b y th e sig n “S elah .” T h e p rom ise is a m o st p recio u s one, a n d one th a t w e sh o u ld claim daily. T h e only w ay in w h ich w e can k n o w th e w ay in w hich w e sh o u ld go is w h en G o d “in stru c ts” an d “teach es” us in it. T h e W ords o f th e last p h ra se o f th e v erse in d ic a te th a t G od co u n sels u s w ith a g lan ce o f H is eye (see R . V .) . I f w e a re to b e g u id ed by a g lan ce o f H is eye, w e m u st k eep n ear en o u g h to H im to catch H is g lance. G od’s in stru c tio n a n d tea ch in g com e th ro u g h H is W o rd a n d th e H o ly S p irit (P s . 119.:105; Jo h n 1 6 :1 3 ). v. 9. “Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose trappings must he bit and bridle to hold them in, else they will not come near unto thee.” E v en th e fo rg iv en sin n e r is q u ite likely to a ct lik e “th e h o rse ,” o r even “th e m ule.” S u ch can n o t be g u id ed by G od’s e y e : n ev erth eless, G od does n o t give th em u p ; H e h o ld s th em in w ith “b it a n d b rid le.” E ach on e o f u s h as h is choice b etw een th ese tw o fo rm s o f g u id an ce— p f th e glance o r G od’s eye, o r th e sev ere g u id an ce o f b it a n d b rid le. T h e tro u b le w ith th e h o rse a n d m ule, an d w ith m an y C h ristian s too, is th a t th ey “h a v e no u n d e rsta n d in g .” O nly by b it an d b rid le can th ey be b ro u g h t n e ar u n to , G od (R . V .) , B e tte r to be b ro u g h t n e a r th a t w ay th a n n o t to com e a t all, b u t how m u ch b e tte r to com e by th e g en tler g u id an ce o f H is eye. v. 10. “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.” T h ese w o rd s sta te th e co n clu sio n o f th e w hole m atte r. T w o p erso n s a re p u t in co n tra st,
th e m id st o f all he su ffered as a conse q uence o f h is sin, he h a d th e a ll-satisfy in g jo y o f th e co n scio u sn ess o f G od’s fav o r. v. 6. “ For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest he found.” T h e w o rd “g o dly” m eans a “recip ien t o f g race,” D av id “w as a re c ip ien t o f g ra ce ” becau se o f G o d ’s fo rg iv en ess o f co n fessed sin. E v ery recip ien t o f G od’s g race p ray s u n to H im in j“a tim e w h en h e m ay be fo u n d ;” o r, “In a tim e o f finding o u t sin ” (se e th e m a rg in A . V . a n d R . V .). T h e re is a tim e w h en G od can n o t be found (Is . 5 5 :6 ; P ro v . 1 :24-28; L u k e 1-3 :24-28; 19:42-44). T h e tim e 'w h e n G od m ay be fo u n d is n ow (2 C or. 6 :2 ). T h e re is -no c e rta in ty th a t H e can be fo u n d at any fu tu re date. “Surely when the great waters overflow they shall not reach unto him.” T h is is the re su lt o f p ra y in g u n to th e L o rd in a tim e w h en H e m ay be fo u n d ; ab so lu te security becom es o u rs, n o t only in o rd in a ry tim es b u t in flood tim es. v. 7. “ Thou art my hiding place.” T h is gives th e reaso n w h y “w h en th e g re a t w a ters overflow th e y sh all n o t reach ” u n to “th e recip ien t o f g race” w h o calls upon G od in a tim e w h en H e m ay be found. G od H im self becom es h is h id in g place. I t is a g reat th in g to be able to say to Jeh o v ah , “T hou a r t m y h id in g place.” H e is a h id in g place from ev ery k in d of evil (P s . 9 1 :1-16; 3 1 :20; 1 4 3 :9 ; 4 6 :1 -3 ; Isa. 32:1, 2 ). “ Thou wilt preserve me from trouble; thou wilt compass me about with songs of deliverance.” T h e fo rg iv en sin n er w hom G od co v ers sh all be p reserv e d from tro u b le (cf. P s. 3 4 :1 9 ); n o t o n ly th at, b u t his life sh all be fu ll of m u sic ; G od w ill fill his life w ith m usic, H e sh all com pass him ab o u t “w ith so n g s o f d eliv eran ce,” songs on ev ery h and. v. 8. "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will counsel thee with mine eye upon thee.” T h e ch an g e in th o u g h t an d sp eak ers h as been in d icated by th e w o rd “S e lah ” w ith Which th e sev en th v erse closes. D av id is n o lo n g er sp eak in g to G od, G od is n ow sp eak in g to
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