721 O God, give the king thy judgments, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.
2 He will judge thy people with righteousness, and thine afflicted with judgment. 3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the hills, by righteousness. 4 He will do justice to the afflicted of the people; he will save the children of the needy, and will break in pieces the oppressor. 5 They shall fear thee as long as sun and moon endure, from generation to generation. 6 He shall come down like rain on the mown grass, as showers that water the earth. 7 In his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace till the moon be no more. 8 And he shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. 9 The dwellers in the desert shall bow before him, and his enemies shall lick the dust. 10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall render presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer tribute: 11 Yea, all kings shall bow down before him; all nations shall serve him. 12 For he will deliver the needy who crieth, and the afflicted, who hath no helper; 13 He will have compassion on the poor and needy, and will save the souls of the needy: 14 He will redeem their souls from oppression and violence, and precious shall their blood be in his sight. 15 And he shall live; and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba; and prayer shall be made for him continually: all the day shall he be blessed. 16 There shall be abundance of corn in the earth, upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon; and they of the city shall bloom like the herb of the earth. 17 His name shall endure for ever; his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and [men] shall bless themselves in him; all nations shall call him blessed.
18 Blessed be Jehovah Elohim, the God of Israel, who alone doeth wondrous things! 19 And blessed be his glorious name for ever! and let the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen, and Amen. 20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
731 Truly God is good to Israel, to such as are of a pure heart. 2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped; 3 For I was envious at the arrogant, seeing the prosperity of the wicked. 4 For they have no pangs in their death, and their body is well nourished; 5 They have not the hardships of mankind, neither are they plagued like [other] men: 6 Therefore pride encompasseth them as a neck-chain, violence covereth them [as] a garment; 7 Their eyes stand out from fatness, they exceed the imaginations of their heart: 8 They mock and speak wickedly of oppression, they speak loftily: 9 They set their mouth in the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. 10 Therefore his people turn hither, and waters in fulness are wrung out to them. 11 And they say, How can God know, and is there knowledge in the Most High? 12 Behold, these are the wicked, and they prosper in the world: they heap up riches. 13 Truly have I purified my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency: 14 For all the day have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
15 If I said, I will speak thus, behold, I should be faithless to the generation of thy children. 16 When I thought to be able to know this, it was a grievous task in mine eyes; 17 Until I went into the sanctuaries of God; [then] understood I their end. 18 Truly thou settest them in slippery places, thou castest them down in ruins. 19 How are they suddenly made desolate! they pass away, consumed with terrors. 20 As a dream, when one awaketh, wilt thou, Lord, on arising despise their image.
21 When my heart was in a ferment, and I was pricked in my reins, 22 Then I was brutish and knew nothing; I was [as] a beast with thee. 23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden my right hand; 24 Thou wilt guide me by thy counsel, and after the glory, thou wilt receive me. 25 Whom have I in the heavens? and there is none upon earth I desire beside thee. 26 My flesh and my heart faileth: God is the rock of my heart and my portion for ever. 27 For behold, they that are far from thee shall perish; thou destroyest every one that goeth a whoring from thee. 28 But as for me, it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord Jehovah, that I may declare all thy works.
91 I say [the] truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing witness with me in [the] Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great grief and uninterrupted pain in my heart, 3 for I have wished, I myself, to be a curse from the Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen, according to flesh; 4 who are Israelites; whose [is] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the law-giving, and the service, and the promises; 5 whose [are] the fathers; and of whom, as according to flesh, [is] the Christ, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
6 Not however as though the word of God had failed; for not all [are] Israel which [are] of Israel; 7 nor because they are seed of Abraham [are] all children: but, In Isaac shall a seed be called to thee. 8 That is, [they that are] the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned as seed. 9 For this word [is] of promise, According to this time I will come, and there shall be a son to Sarah. 10 And not only [that], but Rebecca having conceived by one, Isaac our father, 11 [the children] indeed being not yet born, or having done anything good or worthless (that the purpose of God according to election might abide, not of works, but of him that calls), 12 it was said to her, The greater shall serve the less: 13 according as it is written, I have loved Jacob, and I have hated Esau.
14 What shall we say then? [Is there] unrighteousness with God? Far be the thought. 15 For he says to Moses, I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy, and I will feel compassion for whom I will feel compassion.
(Read Romans 9:1-5)
Being about to discuss the rejection of the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles, and to show that the whole agrees with the sovereign electing love of God, the apostle expresses strongly his affection for his people. He solemnly appeals to Christ; and his conscience, enlightened and directed by the Holy Spirit, bore witness to his sincerity. He would submit to be treated as "accursed," to be disgraced, crucified; and even for a time be in the deepest horror and distress; if he could rescue his nation from the destruction about to come upon them for their obstinate unbelief. To be insensible to the eternal condition of our fellow-creatures, is contrary both to the love required by the law, and the mercy of the gospel. They had long been professed worshippers of Jehovah. The law, and the national covenant which was grounded thereon, belonged to them. The temple worship was typical of salvation by the Messiah, and the means of communion with God. All the promises concerning Christ and his salvation were given to them. He is not only over all, as Mediator, but he is God blessed for ever.
(Read Romans 9:6-13)
The rejection of the Jews by the gospel dispensation, did not break God's promise to the patriarchs. The promises and threatenings shall be fulfilled. Grace does not run in the blood; nor are saving benefits always found with outward church privileges. Not only some of Abraham's seed were chosen, and others not, but God therein wrought according to the counsel of his own will. God foresaw both Esau and Jacob as born in sin, by nature children of wrath even as others. If left to themselves they would have continued in sin through life; but for wise and holy reasons, not made known to us, he purposed to change Jacob's heart, and to leave Esau to his perverseness. This instance of Esau and Jacob throws light upon the Divine conduct to the fallen race of man. The whole Scripture shows the difference between the professed Christian and the real believer. Outward privileges are bestowed on many who are not the children of God. There is, however, full encouragement to diligent use of the means of grace which God has appointed.
(Read Romans 9:14-24)
Whatever God does, must be just. Wherein the holy, happy people of God differ from others, God's grace alone makes them differ. In this preventing, effectual, distinguishing grace, he acts as a benefactor, whose grace is his own. None have deserved it; so that those who are saved, must thank God only; and those who perish, must blame themselves only, Hosea 13:9. God is bound no further than he has been pleased to bind himself by his own covenant and promise, which is his revealed will. And this is, that he will receive, and not cast out, those that come to Christ; but the drawing of souls in order to that coming, is an anticipating, distinguishing favour to whom he will. Why does he yet find fault? This is not an objection to be made by the creature against his Creator, by man against God. The truth, as it is in Jesus, abases man as nothing, as less than nothing, and advances God as sovereign Lord of all. Who art thou that art so foolish, so feeble, so unable to judge the Divine counsels? It becomes us to submit to him, not to reply against him. Would not men allow the infinite God the same sovereign right to manage the affairs of the creation, as the potter exercises in disposing of his clay, when of the same lump he makes one vessel to a more honourable, and one to a meaner use? God could do no wrong, however it might appear to men. God will make it appear that he hates sin. Also, he formed vessels filled with mercy. Sanctification is the preparation of the soul for glory. This is God's work. Sinners fit themselves for hell, but it is God who prepares saints for heaven; and all whom God designs for heaven hereafter, he fits for heaven now. Would we know who these vessels of mercy are? Those whom God has called; and these not of the Jews only, but of the Gentiles. Surely there can be no unrighteousness in any of these Divine dispensations. Nor in God's exercising long-suffering, patience, and forbearance towards sinners under increasing guilt, before he brings utter destruction upon them. The fault is in the hardened sinner himself. As to all who love and fear God, however such truths appear beyond their reason to fathom, yet they should keep silence before him. It is the Lord alone who made us to differ; we should adore his pardoning mercy and new-creating grace, and give diligence to make our calling and election sure.
