Gleanings in the Psalms

Verse 1. “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.” This one short verse contains the summary, pith, and argument of the whole psalm; wherein observe the song’s theme – the lovingkindness and truth of the Lord, manifested unto the whole world generally, and to David’s house (that is, the Church) especially.”

Verse 2. “For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.” The elect constitute and form one grand house of mercy. A house, erected to display and perpetuate – the riches of the Father’s grace, of the Son’s atoning merit, and of the Holy Ghost’s efficacious agency. This house, contrary to the fate of all temporal houses, will never fall down, nor ever be taken away. As nothing can be added to it, so nothing can be diminished from it. Fire cannot injure it; storms cannot overthrow it: age cannot impair it. It stands on a rock and is immovable as the rock on which it stands – the threefold rock of God’s inviolable decree of Christs finished redemption, of the Spirit’s never-failing faithfulness.

Verse 2. “For I have said Mercy shall be built up …” Mention of a building of mercy presupposes miserable ruins and denotes that this building is intended for the benefit of an elect world ruined by Adam’s fall. Free grace and love set on foot this building for them, every stone in which, from the lowest to the highest, is mercy to them. From top to bottom, from the foundation-stone to the top-stone, all is free and rich mercy to them. And the ground of this glorious building is God’s covenant with His chosen: “I have made a covenant with my chosen.”

Verse 3. “I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant.” On heaven’s side is God Himself, the party who proposes the covenant agreement. Although he was the party offended, yet the motion for a covenant comes from him. The Father of mercies says, “These lost creatures cannot make a contract for themselves; and if another doesn’t undertake for them, they must perish; yet they cannot even rightly choose one to undertake for them. So, I will choose one for them, and I will make a covenant with my chosen one.” This is the Son, the last Adam. And who else is fit to be undertaker on man’s side? Who else could have been the Father’s choice for this vast undertaking? No angel or man was capable of it, but “the mighty One” of whom we read in verse 19, and whom the Father points out as His chosen One.

Verses 3 - 4. “I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.” Do you suppose that this was spoken to David in his own person only? No; indeed, but to David as the antitype, figure, and forerunner of Jesus Christ. God has “sworn” unto the Messiah, who was typified by David; unto his co-eternal Son, who stipulated to take upon himself the form of a servant. The “seed” are all those who have been given to Christ in the decree of election, and they shall be “established for ever.” His “throne” shall be built up for all generations: his mediatorial throne, as King of saints and covenant Head of the elect.

Verse 4. “Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.” Observe here, that when Christ received this promise from his Father concerning the establishment of his throne to all generations, the great application is that his people shall be thus established. For, consider Christ in his Divine capacity as the Son of God, and his throne was already established, and had been from everlasting, and would have continued to be established without end, even if he had never become incarnate at all. Therefore, the promise shows that Christ shall reign, not simply as a person in the Godhead (which he ever did, ever will, and ever must), but mediatorially, as the deliverer and king of his Zion. Hence it follows that his people cannot be lost, for he would be a poor sort of a king who had no subjects to rule over. Consequently, that throne of glory, already encircled in part, will at last be completely surrounded by that innumerable company, the general assembly of the Church.

(To be Continued).