This psalm has something of David in it, but much
more of Christ. It begins with such expressions of devotion as may
be applied to Christ; but concludes with such confidence of a
resurrection (and so timely a one as to prevent corruption) as must
be applied to Christ, to him only, and cannot be understood of
David, as both St. Peter and St. Paul have observed,
Michtam of David.
1 Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. 2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee; 3 But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight. 4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips. 5 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. 6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. 7 I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
This psalm is entitled Michtam, which some translate a golden psalm, a very precious one, more to be valued by us than gold, yea, than much fine gold, because it speaks so plainly of Christ and his resurrection, who is the true treasure hidden in the field of the Old Testament.
I. David here flies to God's protection
with a cheerful believing confidence in it (
II. He recognizes his solemn dedication of
himself to God as his God (
III. He devotes himself to the honour of
God in the service of the saints (
IV. He disclaims the worship of all false
gods and all communion with their worshippers,
V. He repeats the solemn choice he had made
of God for his portion and happiness (
1. Choosing the Lord for its portion and happiness. "Most men take the world for their chief good, and place their felicity in the enjoyments of it; but this I say, The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup, the portion I make choice of, and will gladly take up with, how poor soever my condition is in this world. Let me have the love and favour of God, and be accepted of him; let me have the comfort of communion with God, and satisfaction in the communications of his graces and comforts; let me have an interest in his promises, and a title by promise to everlasting life and happiness in the future state; and I have enough, I need no more, I desire no more, to complete my felicity." Would we do well and wisely for ourselves, we must take God, in Christ, to be, (1.) The portion of our inheritance in the other world. Heaven is an inheritance. God himself is the inheritance of the saints there, whose everlasting bliss is to enjoy him. We must take that for our inheritance, our home, our rest, our lasting, everlasting, good, and look upon this world to be no more ours than the country through which our road lies when we are on a journey. (2.) The portion of our cup in this world, with which we are nourished, and refreshed, and kept from fainting. Those have not God for theirs who do not reckon his comforts the most reviving cordials, acquaint themselves with them, and make use of them as sufficient to counterbalance all the grievances of this present time and to sweeten the most bitter cup of affliction.
2. Confiding in him for the securing of this portion: "Thou maintainest my lot. Thou that hast by promise made over thy self to me, to be mine, wilt graciously make good what thou hast promised, and never leave me to myself to forfeit this happiness, nor leave it in the power of my enemies to rob me of it. Nothing shall pluck me out of thy hands, nor separate me from thy love, and the sure mercies of David." The saints and their bliss are kept by the power of God.
3. Rejoicing in this portion, and taking a
complacency in it (
4. Giving thanks to God for it, and for
grace to make this wise and happy choice (
5. Making a good use of it. God having
given him counsel by his word and Spirit, his own reins also
(his own thoughts) instructed him in the night-season; when he was
silent and solitary, and retired from the world, then his own
conscience (which is called the reins,
All this may be applied to Christ, who made the Lord his portion and was pleased with that portion, made his Father's glory his highest end and made it his meat and drink to seek that and to do his will, and delighted to prosecute his undertaking, pursuant to his Father's counsel, depending upon him to maintain his lot and to carry him through his undertaking. We may also apply it to ourselves in singing it, renewing our choice of God as ours, with a holy complacency and satisfaction.
8 I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. 10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 11 Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
All these verses are quoted by St. Peter in
his first sermon, after the pouring out of the Spirit on the day of
pentecost (
I. These verses must certainly be applied
to Christ; of him speaks the prophet this, as did many of the
Old-Testament prophets, who testified beforehand the sufferings
of Christ and the glory that should follow (
1. That he should suffer and die. This is
implied here when he says (
2. That he should be wonderfully borne up
by the divine power in suffering and dying. (1.) That he should not
be moved, should not be driven off from his undertaking nor sink
under the weight of it, that he should not fail nor be discouraged
(
3. That he should be brought through his
sufferings, and brought from under the power of death by a glorious
resurrection. (1.) That his soul should not be left in hell, that
is, his human spirit should not be long left, as other men's
spirits are, in a state of separation from the body, but should, in
a little time, return and be re-united to it, never to part again.
(2.) That being God's holy One in a peculiar manner, sanctified to
the work of redemption and perfectly free from sin, he should not
see corruption nor feel it. This implies that he should not only be
raised from the grave, but raised so soon that his dead body should
not so much as being to corrupt, which, in the course of nature, it
would have done if it had not been raised the third day. We, who
have so much corruption in our souls, must expect that our bodies
also will corrupt (
4. That he should be abundantly recompensed
for his sufferings, with the joy set before him,
II. Christ being the Head of the body, the
church, these verses may, for the most part, be applied to all good
Christians, who are guided and animated by the Spirit of Christ;
and, in singing them, when we have first given glory to Christ, in
whom, to our everlasting comfort, they have had their
accomplishment, we may then encourage and edify ourselves and one
another with them, and may hence learn, 1. That it is our wisdom
and duty to set the Lord always before us, and to see him
continually at our right hand, wherever we are, to eye him as our
chief good and highest end, our owner, ruler, and judge, our
gracious benefactor, our sure guide and strict observer; and, while
we do thus, we shall not be moved either from our duty or from our
comfort. Blessed Paul set the Lord before him, when, though bonds
and afflictions did await him, he could bravely say, None of
these things move me,