We conclude this month our readings of the precious book of Psalms, which we hope has indeed been increasingly endeared to all our hearts, That which will occupy us during the present month is the fifth book, or Deuteronomy-psalms 107:-150:It is of somewhat a recapitulatory character, though by no means, as we have always found in Scripture, is it a mere repetition. Divine principles are gathered up, and the lessons unfolded in the four previous books are here grouped together and emphasized in a fresh way.
The first division here is psalms 107:-113:, where we have the general character of God's ways in dealing with His people, and the results. Psalm 107:gives the general character of the entire book, man's evil in departure from God, His faithful chastening and equally faithful grace when they cry to Him for mercy. This is beautifully. enlarged upon.
Psa. 108:shows God's victory for His people, who are thus brought into blessing. It is very significant that this psalm is composed of the last part of two previous ones-psalms 57:and 60:The next two psalms, 109:and ex., give us respectively the sufferings of Christ and the glory that follows.
In psalm 109:we have suffering at the hands of man rather than of God, and the result is judgment upon the wicked. What a contrast to psalm 22:, where the wicked have but small place and God's forsaking is prominent; the result is unmingled blessing.
In psalm 110:we see Him as King and Priest upon His throne, after the order of Melchizedek The remaining psalms of this division (111:-113:) are the outburst of praise which flows from the suffering and glorification of Christ. Each of them is introduced with the word " hallelujah." It will be noticed that the psalms of this latter portion of the book which are devoted to His people's exercises are quite different from the similar ones in the earlier books. There, the work of Christ and His glory were seen as objects of faith by His people who still were in the midst of an ungodly nation, and therefore subject to all manner of persecution. Here our Lord's sufferings and glory are celebrated as accomplished facts by a people who have been introduced into permanent blessing, and therefore exultant praise is the result.
Psalm 111:is an alphabetic acrostic which describes the works of Jehovah and His faithfulness.
Psalm 112:, also acrostic, dwells upon the blessedness of trust in the Lord, while psalm 113:is solely occupied with the glory of the name of the Lord.
The next division of the book (psalms 114:-119:) enlarges upon the character of God's salvation, and communion flowing from that.
Psalm 114:celebrates God's power in delivering His people out of Egypt, in face of which the sea fled and Jordan stopped its course.
Psalm 115:contrasts the excellence of God with the folly of idols. How significant, in view not only of the past idolatry of the people, but of their future recognition of the image of the beast in the latter days!
Psalm 116:celebrates the deliverance of the remnant as from the jaws of death, brought up by the Lord. It is a suited companion to psalm 40:, which refers to our blessed Lord in similar circumstances.
Psalm 117:, brief as it is, has a mighty theme, in which all the nations of the earth are invited to join.
Psalm 118:refers to our blessed Lord rejected and disallowed of men, chosen of God and precious, and the Head of the corner.
Psalm 119:is in many respects the most wonderful of the entire book. It is a perfect acrostic, in which each letter of the Hebrew alphabet stands at the head of a section of eight verses, each of which also is introduced by the same letter. Eight is the number of new creation. The theme of this psalm is the celebration of the perfections of God's written Word. How beautifully, then, does the acrostic suggest this! The whole alphabet is exhausted in setting forth the perfections of that Word, which is no longer seen as the law of requirement, written upon tables of stone, which could only bring condemnation; but now written in the heart of His people, even as it was ever enshrined in the heart of their blessed Lord, it becomes the ground of constant thanksgiving and their strength in the face of all temptation.
The third division (psalms 120:-136:) of the book is composed of a large number of brief psalms, each of which brings out some salient feature of divine blessing. Nearly the entire division is taken up by the fifteen " songs of degrees," which are a wonderful witness to the perfection, not merely of literal, verbal inspiration, but of the order of the psalms. They are divided into five groups of three psalms each, and thus form a miniature pentateuch in the larger pentateuch of psalms. They are called "songs of degrees," or "ascents," which suggests their use in the service of the temple, being sung, as is supposed, by the people upon the steps of the temple as they drew nearer and nearer to the sanctuary. Morally, they celebrate the praises of God, as His saints in the latter days draw ever nearer to His presence. While the form, of course, is Jewish, the principles abide for all time, and, with appropriate modifications, contain many a precious lesson for the present dispensation.
The first group here (psalms 120:-122:) dwells upon the faithfulness of God, who delivers His people who are at a distance from Him (psalm 120:). God is seen as their Helper and Preserver (120:and 121:), and thus they enter with gladness into the house of the Lord (psalm 122:).
The second group of three psalms (123:-125:) brings out the enemy, whose pride is seen (psalm 123:), their opposition like the floods of proud waters (psalm 124:), but from which His people emerge, steadfast upon mount Zion (psalm 125:).
The third group (psalm 126:-128:) dwells upon details of the people's restoration.
Psalm 126:shows us their captivity turned, those who sowed in tears now reaping in joy; the need of absolute dependence upon God if His house and city are to be builded (psalm 127:), while the fruitfulness and blessedness of the man who trusts in the Lord are seen in psalm 128:).
The fourth group (psalms 129:-131:) form a little wilderness experience. The affliction of Israel from his youth is seen in psalm 129:Deliverance from the results of sin, yea, from the depths, is the theme of psalm 130:, and childlike praise in psalm 131:
The last group brings in Christ. Psalm 132:shows Him in David as type, not resting until He had found a habitation for the ark of the Lord, the throne in His house. In psalm 133:we see Him as the Priest anointed and exalted, the fragrance of whose name reaches down to the very skirts of His garments, binding His people in unity. Psalm 134:closes all by letting us hear the praises of the Lord's servants who still are in His house praising Him day and night.
Psalms 135:and 136:are a wonderful unfolding of the character of the praise to which we are privileged to listen in psalm 134:The psalms are similar; that is, they go over the same ground, but with this remarkable difference, that psalm 136:has a refrain repeated between each act recounted, "His mercy endureth forever." Thus God's mercy is celebrated both in the deliverance of His people and in His judgment upon their enemies.
The fourth division of this book (psalms 137:-114:) brings out, with increasing clearness, by reiteration, the utter incapacity of man and the faithfulness and all-sufficiency of God.
Psalm 137:takes us back to Babylon, where the captive people are unable to sing the Lord's songs, but still look with longing eyes and loving hearts to the beloved city which lies in ruins. Deliverance follows this (psalm 138:), for God will lift up the lowly out of their need.
Psalm 139:speaks of the omniscience of God searching the secrets of the heart, which does not now shrink from His holy eye.
Psalms 140:-143:emphasize the helplessness of man, his cry in need to the Lord, and the deliverance which flows from this.
Psalm 144:celebrates God's deliverance, and 114:is another acrostic, in which we see our Lord leading the praises of His people.
The closing division of the book (psalms 146:-150:) puts the crown of praise upon the entire collection. The psalms begin and end with hallelujahs. God's might is declared in psalm 146:; His helping hand, which has tenderly ministered to His people's needs (147:) ; heaven and earth unite together in His worship (psalm 148:); the nations are called to join in this in psalm 149:; while psalm 150:gathers all the instruments of human music and uses them, with the worship of all creation, to praise the name of the Lord. " Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord."
2nd Thessalonians is similar to the first epistle, with the exception that the coming of our Lord is dwelt upon more in relation to the wickedness of the world than to the hope of His people. Its three chapters form three divisions.
In chapter 1:we have God's righteousness, which will vindicate His suffering people in the execution of judgment upon their enemies. This is in fitting accord with what we have been learning in the book of Psalms.
Chapter 2:shows the progress of that evil which, though now hidden, is going steadily on until it culminates, after the rapture of the Church, in Antichrist, the man of sin, who exalteth himself as God.
Chapter 3:still emphasizes the lessons of holiness for the Lord's people, though pressed by such evil. Any carelessness of walk or indifference to the natural responsibilities of life is guarded against. The disorderly are to be admonished, and, if need be, no company kept with them.