Whole Psalm – This psalm is an evident prophecy of Christ’s coming to save the world; and what is here foretold by David is, in the blessed virgin’s song, chanted forth as being accomplished. David is the voice, and Mary is the echo.
David. “O sing unto the Lord a new song.”
Mary. “My soul doth magnify the Lord.”
David. “He hath done marvellous things.”
Mary. “He that is mighty hath done great things.”
David. “With his own right hand and holy arm hath he gotten himself
the victory.”
Mary. “He hath showed strength with his arm, and scattered the
proud in the imagination of their hearts.”
David. “The Lord hath made known his salvation; his righteousness
hath he openly showed,” etc.
Mary. “His mercy is on them that fear him, from generation to
generation.”
David. “He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the
house of Israel.”
Mary. “He hath helpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his
mercy.”
These parallels are very striking; and it seems as if Mary had this psalm in her eye when she composed her song of triumph.
And this is a farther argument that the whole psalm, whether it record the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, or the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, is yet to be ultimately understood of the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ, and the proclamation of the gospel through all the nations of the earth. And taken in this view no language can be too strong, nor poetic imagery too high to point out the unsearchable riches of Christ.
Verse 3. “He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel ... .” The psalmist very properly observes that God, in redeeming the world, “remembered his truth” which he had given to Israel; language which implies that He was influenced by no other motive than that of faithfully performing what He had himself promised. To show clearly that the promise was not grounded at all on the merit or righteousness of man, he mentions the “mercy” of God first of all, and then, the faithfulness of God in performing after that. In short, the cause of salvation was not to be found outwith God himself, but was in His own good pleasure, which had been testified long before to Abraham and his posterity. “He hath remembered his mercy and his truth (spoken) toward the house of Israel ... .”
Verse 3. “He hath remembered his mercy and his truth ... .” His mercy moved Him to make His promise, and His truth hath engaged Him to perform it; and He hath been mindful of both, by scattering the blessed influences of His light and bounty over the face of the whole earth, and causing all nations to see and partake of the salvation of God.
Verse 5. “Sing unto the Lord with the harp; with the harp and the voice of a psalm.” With psalms Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah celebrated their victories. Psalms made glad the heart of the exiles who returned from Babylon. The Lord of psalmists – the Great Son of David – sang psalms with His apostles on the night before He suffered, when He instituted the holy supper of His love. With psalms Paul and Silas praised God in the prison at midnight, when their feet were made fast in the stocks, and sang so loud that the prisoners heard them. And after his own example the apostle exhorts the Christians at Ephesus and Colosse to teach and admonish one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.
Verses 7-9. “Let the sea roar ... let the floods clap their hands; let the hills be joyful together before the Lord; for he cometh to judge the earth ... .” Stiller music, such as made the stars twinkle, suited His first coming at Bethlehem; but His second advent calls for trumpets, for He is judge – and for all earth’s acclamations, for He has put on His royal splendour. All things bless His throne, yea, and the very coming of it. As the dawn sets the earth weeping for joy at the rising of the sun, so should the approach of Jesus’s reign make all creation glad.