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v. 11. “B e glad in the L o rd , and re joice, ye righteous: and shout fo r joy, all ye that are upright in heart.” V e rse 11 is th e n a tu ra l o u tcom e o f v e rse 10. I f m ercy su rro u n d s us on ev ery h an d , how can w e b u t be g lad ? T h e w o rd s a re a c om m an d ; it is ju s t a s m u ch a com m an d o f G od “to be g lad in th e L O R D ” as it is n o t to, steal (cf. D eu t. 1 2 :1 2 ; P h il. 3 :1 , 3 ; 4 :4 ) . T h e v erse also tells u s th e sp h ere o f o u r joy, “In th e L O R D ”., (cf. P h il. 4 :4 ) . T h e b e liev er’s jo y is n o t in h is circum stan ces, his en v iro nm en t, in w h a t h e p ossesses, o r in his frien d s, it is “in th e L O R D .” T h e L o rd is b o th th e so u rce a n d sp h ere o f his joy. T h e o v erw h elm in g c h a ra c te r o f h is jo y show s itself by sh o u tin g . T o sh o u t ac ceptably, one m u st be “u p rig h t in h e a rt” : th e h y p o critical sh o u tin g o f so m an y th a t m ak e a n o ise in p ublic m eetin g s is n o t ac ceptable to th e L o rd . W h a t does th e h a n d o f th e L o rd b rin g a b o u t? P s. 3 8 :2 -8 ; Jo b 16:21. Is th e ro d o f c o rre c tio n g o o d fo r m en ? P ro v . 22:15. Is real co n v ictio n fo llow ed by so rro w ? P s. 38:18. W h a t follow s so rro w fo r sin ? Jo sh u a 7 :1 9 ; Je r. 3:13. W h a t does th e L o rd do w h en sin is co n fessed ? 1 Jo h n 1 :9 ; E p h . 4:32. (3) Prayer and Preservation, vs. 6, 7. D oes th e m ercy o f G od in sp ire p ra y e r ? v. 6. W h a t catastro p h e is a v e rte d ? v. 6. W h o becom es th e sin n e r’s h id in g place? v. 7. H o w w ill th e L o rd p re serv e H is sain ts? v - 7. D oes th e L o rd h e a r a n d a n sw e r p ra y er? P s. 34:24-26. D oes th e w o rld n eed th e testim o n y of a n sw ered p ra y e r? 1 T im . 1 :1 6 ; 2 C or. 1:4. A re th e L o rd ’s people safe in tim e o f d is tre ss ? Isa . 4 3 :2,
“T h e w ic k e d ” a n d “H e th a t tru s te th in th e L o rd .” B y “th e w ick ed ” is m e a n t an y m an w hose w ill is n o t fu lly su rre n d e re d to J e h o v ah : “th e rig h teo u s m an ” is th e on e “w ho tru ste th in th e L o rd ,” th e only rig h te o u s n ess th a t G od recognizesv in th e O ld T e s ta m en t as w ell as th e N e w is “th e rig h t eo u sn ess o f fa ith ” (cf. P h il. 3 :9 ; H ab. 2 :4 ) . T h e p o rtio n o f th e w ick ed is “m any so rro w s” (cf. R om . 2 :8, 9 ) . T h e ex p e rien ce o f ev ery w ick ed m an is a fulfilm ent o f th e tru th o f th ese w o rd s o f G od. O n th e o th e r h a n d as to th e on e th a t “tru ste th in th e L o rd ,” “m ercy su rro u n d s h im on ev ery side.” In th e p rev io u s v erses, w e h av e seen h im su rro u n d e d on ev ery side w ith “ so n g s o f d eliv eran ce” (v . 7) ; h e re w e see h im su rro u n d e d by “m ercy ” on ev ery side, w ith in a safe w all, n o enem y can p e n etrate th a t w all. (1) Blessing Imparted and Sin Not Im puted, vs. 1, 2. W h o is b lessed ? v. 1. W h y is h e b lessed ? v. 1. W h o can fo rg iv e sin ? P sa. 130:4; L u k e 7:48, 49. H ow can he fo rg iv e sin ? 1 P et. 2:24. W h a t can a to n e fo r sin ? H eb. 9:22. W h o se b lo o d atones, fo r sin ? J o h n 1 :7. W h o can co v er sin ? P sa. 8 5 :2. C an a m an p ro sp e r w h o co v ers h is ow n sin ? P ro v . 28:13. W ljfit o th e r m an is b lessed ? v. 2. W h y does n o t G od im p u te in iq u ity to m en ? 2 C or. 5:19-21. I f a m an is in C h rist, w h a t is h e ? 2 C or. 5 :17. W h a t is h e com m an d ed to d o ? 1 P e te r 2 : 1 , 2 . (2) Conviction and Confession, vs. 3-5. W h a t w as D av id ’s ex p erien ce w h en his sin w as co n fessed ? v. 3. W h o se h a n d w as h e av y u p o n h im ? v. 4. W h a t is th e testim o n y o f th e con v icted m an ? Isa . 5 7 :1 7 ; Je r. 31:18, 19.
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