Verse 1. “In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel.” God is known in his works as a God of power; in his providence as a God of authority, wisdom and order; in his common mercies as a God of bounty; and in his punishments and judgements as a God of justice. But, in Christ opened and preached in the gospel, God is known with a clear and saving knowledge as a Father of grace, mercy and loving-kindness.
Verse 4. “Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.” God was not known in Babylon, in Egypt, and in other nations; his tabernacle and dwelling place was not amongst them; therefore, they were not glorious. But, see what it says in this verse, “Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.” Thou Judah, thou Israel, thou Salem, thou Zion, that hast spiritual mercies and blessings, art more glorious than they whatever their glory be. Have the nations abroad goodly towers? Thou hast the Temple; have they stately cities? Thou hast Jerusalem, the city of God; have they wise men? Thou hast the prophets; have they gods of gold and silver and stone? Thou hast the true and living God, Jehovah, to be thy God; have they human laws that are good? Thou hast divine laws that excel, have they temporal excellencies? Thou hast spiritual; have they the glory of the world? Thou hast the glory of heaven.
Verses 8 & 9. “Thou didst cause judgement to be heard from heaven; the earth feared and was still, when God arose to judgment...” This great judgement was wrought upon the enemies when God “arose.” It was not done when God sat; for the whole time that He “sat” his enemies were abroad, raging in murder, oppression and blood. But the psalmist brings in God here after the manner of earthly judges and after the custom of our own judges. First they sit down, they try, they seek out an advise; after consideration they resolve, and after resolution they rise up, give forth the judgment and pronounce the sentence. Even so, the prophet brings in God after the same manner; sitting, and after sitting, rising and pronouncing the sentence.
Verse 10 “Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.”
“Surely the wrath of man ...” In the original, it is the wrath of clay – weak, impotent man. It is the wrath of “Adam” - of red clay. How contemptibly doth the Spirit of God speak of man and of the power of man in the Scriptures? “Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for wherein is he to be accounted of?” The wrath of man, even when it is lengthened out to its utmost boundaries, can only go to the length of killing the body, or of breaking the sheath of clay in which the soul lodges, and then it can do no more.
“Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee ...” What work of God in the church is advanced by the wrath of man?
(1) His discovering work; for by the wind of man's wrath he separates the precious and the vile – the chaff and the wheat. In the day of the church's prosperity and quietness, hypocrites and true believers are mingled together, like the chaff and the wheat on the barn floor. But, the Lord, like the husbandman, opens the door of his barn and puts the wind of man's wrath through it, that the world may know which is which.
(2) God's purging work is advanced among his own children by the wrath of men. There is much of the dross of corruption cleaving to the Lord's people while in the wilderness. Now, the Lord heats the furnace of man's wrath, and casts his people into it, that when he has tried them, he may bring them forth as gold.
(3) God's uniting work is thereby advanced. In a time of peace and external tranquillity, the sheep of Christ scatter and divide among themselves; but God lets loose the dogs among them, and then the flock runs together; or like pieces of metal cast into a fire, they run together in a lump.
(4) God's enlarging work – or his work of spreading the gospel – is sometimes advanced by the wrath of man. Remember Acts chapter 8, verses 1-5. The gospel, the more it is trodden upon, the more it spreads.
“Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.” the remainder of wrath is what is left over after God has glorified himself and his purposes through the wrath of man. God will only let out as much of the current of man's wrath as shall serve the end of his glory, but the remainder of the stream and current he will turn another way, and restrain. All this comfort is sure and certain; the flame of man's wrath shall praise the Lord, and the superfluous fire shall be quenched, or hemmed in.