PSALM 104
This Psalm shows the supremacy of Jehovah in all the earth, in all temporal blessings constituted under His hand, therefore for ever. It is intimately connected with and dependent on the former Psalm — it is a dependent subject. In the sense of this blessing the Spirit of Christ blesses Jehovah. It involves the consumption of sinners out of the earth.
It appears to me that these Psalms involve the post-millennial blessing — the new heavens and the new earth — and declare its perpetuity, and that it is the time in full when the Son shall be subject, i.e., this time contemplated in joy by the Son, and the hand of Jehovah, which shall produce it, recognised in present government. I say “of all”, because the connection of the partial blessing of the millennium is shown to flow from the same faithfulness of Jehovah, the stability of whom,
[p. 205] in blessing, is the source from which the Anointed Man, the Head of creation, who in perfect union with Him had tasted the blessing, reckons on, and prophetically (in His own joy, for joy is prophecy, i.e., joy in Jehovah’s character, for He is stable) declares the fulness and perpetuity of it. It is therefore a most instructive Psalm, and associates the present existing things with the perpetuity of Jehovah’s stability, though man be as grass, yea, may have introduced sin amongst it when given as a portion into his hand. But He, knowing the stability and goodness of Jehovah will sing praise to His “God while he has his being”, i.e., it is manifestly the Man, Christ Jesus, in His perpetual life. It is a very wide and blessed Psalm in this reaching out into full and ultimate post-millennial blessing. Its connection with present things is its blessed importance, as marking their blessing and stability in Jehovah, not of course in se, where man is not; see verse 5.
So far as it is Jehovah judging, ruling, in this Psalm it is in Creation, but in the glory of Jehovah, i.e., not simply in Creation as God, as in Psalm 19, where the glory of Creation and the perfection of the Law are abstractedly shown, but as One who, governing and supreme, has His glory (to whom it belongs) as “very great” in the midst of all things — evil being, perhaps, in judgment if needed — but glorified in all, and ministers blessing to man in the midst of this state of things; but “Lord” is His Name with those that fear Him. The young lions, subject to the same power, seek their meat from God. The Spirit of Messiah will praise Him in this, verse 35. There is still a work remaining for Him who, even in the midst of disorder, sees that the earth is the Lord’s, and His glory in it (as a righteous Jew should and would), “Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more”. Such is the view of the righteous soul of Messiah in Spirit, viewing the position of Jehovah in the midst of a world whose efforts indeed witnessed misery, but where faith saw Him in the midst of it. “Let sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more” — such desires are imperious, and for the glory of the Lord, and the desire, providentially, of the children of God, for it is Jehovah Shaddai who calls them His children. But it belongs to the providential government of the world, not to the present position of the children — they are to grow together to the harvest; but by faith, one can have meditations of Him in the providence which precedes it,
[p. 206] which are sweet, and most sweet to the soul — it is of a glory which shall endure for ever, despite the evil and the efforts of wicked men.
Psalm 105 - Psalm 108 These Psalms are in immediate connection. The first is the great general principle of Sarah’s inheritance, not carried into the questions which thus sin had raised upon it; so and so had God dealt with them making them His people, that they might keep His statutes, and observe His laws.
Psalm 106 is the consideration of the great principle (elsewhere noted) of the endurance of His mercy, in spite of, and overabounding in faithfulness all their failures. Ki tov ki l’olam chasdo (for He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever). The end of which is the salvation and blessing of His chosen, and closes in the recognition that they were dependent on His mercy, being among the heathen; compare the last three verses of Psalm 105 with the four last of Psalm 106.
Psalm 107 is the ways of the Lord in bringing them through all these things, when they have received the mercy sought for in the last, compare the first three verses herein; in the last three verses, we have all the principles from this question. Verse 6 appears to me what happens to them after their restoration. The wise understand these ways. From verse 23 to 30, I see manifest allusion to the position typically verified in the disciples, and exhibited for the purpose of faith in Mark 4:37, et seq, John 6, Matthew 14, etc.
Psalm 108 is then exceedingly plain. It is the joy of Jesus in putting into possession His people Israel according to the full extent of the promise, after He has vindicated the Name of God among the ammim (peoples). Herein we have again the super-celestial glory of God. His truth surpassing even that glory, and bringing it into play for the purpose of accomplishing His promises, exhibited in mercy to His people, for whom Jesus now stood. You will remark that this is Elohim, not Jehovah, for God is referred to, only this is shown to be Jehovah, even of the Jews in verse 3. He being celebrated among the people (ammim) of the Gentiles (goyim). It is the subjugation of the Israelitish nation at the close of the judgments on the ammim, as noticed elsewhere; see Isaiah 11:14, etc.
We have again here Christ identified with the Jews ([p. 207] Remnant). It begins by the spiritual Remnant identifying itself with Christ the Beloved — He will praise God among the peoples, even Jehovah, recognising Jehovah as Elohim, otherwise it is always Elohim. It knows now the mercy of Elohim above the heavens, therefore it is after the exaltation of the saints in Christ, and His truth reaching unto the clouds in Jesus and His saints. Therefore He prays that God assume this glory and power in order to the rescue of the Beloved. Christ then, as identified with the Jews, is now brought out into ultimate deliverance in verse 6, which takes up the request of the Remnant, and thereupon Elohim answers that He will vindicate all His territory to Himself, for it is His, and He will own it. There is however the strong city, Edom, a question of conquest, into which the Beloved enquires “Who will bring” Him there? Then is the chorus of all the Remnant nation in the consciousness of recognition that the God who had cast off their hosts would do it, and in Him they would do valiantly. It is that part then of the conflict in which God vindicates the Jewish victory to Himself as then to be possessed, and in which Christ accordingly brings in His unity with the people. Verse 12 casts off the help of man.
Thus in Psalm 105 and 106 we have the position of Israel, often noticed, in grace according to the promise of Abraham, and in their own character under the correction therefore and discipline of God.