741 An Instruction of Asaph. Why, O God, hast Thou cast off for ever? Thine anger smoketh against the flock of Thy pasture. 2 Remember Thy company. Thou didst purchase of old, Thou didst redeem the rod of Thy inheritance, This mount Zion—Thou didst dwell in it. 3 Lift up Thy steps to the perpetual desolations, Everything the enemy did wickedly in the sanctuary. 4 Roared have thine adversaries, In the midst of Thy meeting-places, They have set their ensigns as ensigns. 5 He is known as one bringing in on high Against a thicket of wood—axes. 6 And now, its carvings together With axe and hatchet they break down, 7 They have sent into fire Thy sanctuary, to the earth they polluted the tabernacle of Thy name, 8 They said in their hearts, 'Let us oppress them together,' They did burn all the meeting-places of God in the land. 9 Our ensigns we have not seen, There is no more a prophet, Nor with us is one knowing how long. 10 Till when, O God, doth an adversary reproach? Doth an enemy despise thy name for ever? 11 Why dost Thou turn back Thy hand, Even Thy right hand? From the midst of Thy bosom remove 'it'.
12 And God 'is' my king of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth. 13 Thou hast broken by Thy strength a sea-'monster', Thou hast shivered Heads of dragons by the waters, 14 Thou hast broken the heads of leviathan, Thou makest him food, For the people of the dry places. 15 Thou hast cleaved a fountain and a stream, Thou hast dried up perennial flowings. 16 Thine 'is' the day, also Thine 'is' the night, Thou hast prepared a light giver—the sun. 17 Thou hast set up all the borders of earth, Summer and winter Thou hast formed them.
18 Remember this—an enemy reproached Jehovah, And a foolish people have despised Thy name. 19 Give not up to a company, The soul of Thy turtle-dove, The company of Thy poor ones forget not for ever. 20 Look attentively to the covenant, For the dark places of earth, Have been full of habitations of violence. 21 Let not the oppressed turn back ashamed, Let the poor and needy praise Thy name, 22 Arise, O God, plead Thy plea, Remember Thy reproach from a fool all the day. 23 Forget not the voice of Thine adversaries, The noise of Thy withstanders is going up continually!
751 We have given thanks to Thee, O God, We have given thanks, and near 'is' Thy name, They have recounted Thy wonders. 2 When I receive an appointment, I—I do judge uprightly. 3 Melted is the earth and all its inhabitants, I—I have pondered its pillars. Selah. 4 I have said to the boastful, 'Be not boastful,' And to the wicked, 'Raise not up a horn.' 5 Raise not up on high your horn, (Ye speak with a stiff neck.)
6 For not from the east, or from the west, Nor from the wilderness—'is' elevation. 7 But God 'is' judge, This He maketh low—and this He lifteth up. 8 For a cup 'is' in the hand of Jehovah, And the wine hath foamed, It is full of mixture, and He poureth out of it, Only its dregs wring out, and drink, Do all the wicked of the earth, 9 And I—I declare 'it' to the age, I sing praise to the God of Jacob. 10 And all horns of the wicked I cut off, Exalted are the horns of the righteous!
761 In Judah 'is' God known, in Israel His name 'is' great. 2 And His tabernacle is in Salem, And His habitation in Zion. 3 There he hath shivered arrows of a bow, Shield, and sword, and battle. Selah. 4 Bright 'art' Thou, honourable above hills of prey. 5 Spoiled themselves have the mighty of heart, They have slept their sleep, And none of the men of might found their hands. 6 From Thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, Both rider and horse have been fast asleep.
7 Thou, fearful 'art' Thou, And who doth stand before Thee, Since Thou hast been angry! 8 From heaven Thou hast sounded judgment, Earth hath feared, and hath been still, 9 In the rising of God to judgment, To save all the humble of earth. Selah. 10 For the fierceness of man praiseth Thee, The remnant of fierceness Thou girdest on. 11 Vow and complete to Jehovah your God, All ye surrounding him. They bring presents to the Fearful One. 12 He doth gather the spirit of leaders, Fearful to the kings of earth!
16 so, then—not of him who is willing, nor of him who is running, but of God who is doing kindness: 17 for the Writing saith to Pharaoh—'For this very thing I did raise thee up, that I might shew in thee My power, and that My name might be declared in all the land;' 18 so, then, to whom He willeth, He doth kindness, and to whom He willeth, He doth harden. 19 Thou wilt say, then, to me, 'Why yet doth He find fault? for His counsel who hath resisted?' 20 nay, but, O man, who art thou that art answering again to God? shall the thing formed say to Him who did form 'it', Why me didst thou make thus? 21 hath not the potter authority over the clay, out of the same lump to make the one vessel to honour, and the one to dishonour? 22 And if God, willing to shew the wrath and to make known His power, did endure, in much long suffering, vessels of wrath fitted for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on vessels of kindness, that He before prepared for glory, whom also He did call—us— 24 not only out of Jews, but also out of nations,
25 as also in Hosea He saith, 'I will call what 'is' not My people—My people; and her not beloved—Beloved, 26 and it shall be—in the place where it was said to them, Ye 'are' not My people; there they shall be called sons of the living God.' 27 And Isaiah doth cry concerning Israel, 'If the number of the sons of Israel may be as the sand of the sea, the remnant shall be saved; 28 for a matter He is finishing, and is cutting short in righteousness, because a matter cut short will the Lord do upon the land. 29 and according as Isaiah saith before, 'Except the Lord of Sabaoth did leave to us a seed, as Sodom we had become, and as Gomorrah we had been made like.'
30 What, then, shall we say? that nations who are not pursuing righteousness did attain to righteousness, and righteousness that 'is' of faith, 31 and Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, at a law of righteousness did not arrive; 32 wherefore? because—not by faith, but as by works of law; for they did stumble at the stone of stumbling, 33 according as it hath been written, 'Lo, I place in Sion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence; and every one who is believing thereon shall not be ashamed.'
(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.
(Read Romans 9:25-29)
The rejecting of the Jews, and the taking in the Gentiles, were foretold in the Old Testament. It tends very much to the clearing of a truth, to observe how the Scripture is fulfilled in it. It is a wonder of Divine power and mercy that there are any saved: for even those left to be a seed, if God had dealt with them according to their sins, had perished with the rest. This great truth this Scripture teaches us. Even among the vast number of professing Christians it is to be feared that only a remnant will be saved.
(Read Romans 9:30-33)
The Gentiles knew not their guilt and misery, therefore were not careful to procure a remedy. Yet they attained to righteousness by faith. Not by becoming proselytes to the Jewish religion, and submitting to the ceremonial law; but by embracing Christ, and believing in him, and submitting to the gospel. The Jews talked much of justification and holiness, and seemed very ambitious to be the favourites of God. They sought, but not in the right way, not in the humbling way, not in the appointed way. Not by faith, not by embracing Christ, depending upon Christ, and submitting to the gospel. They expected justification by observing the precepts and ceremonies of the law of Moses. The unbelieving Jews had a fair offer of righteousness, life, and salvation, made them upon gospel terms, which they did not like, and would not accept. Have we sought to know how we may be justified before God, seeking that blessing in the way here pointed out, by faith in Christ, as the Lord our Righteousness? Then we shall not be ashamed in that awful day, when all refuges of lies shall be swept away, and the Divine wrath shall overflow every hiding-place but that which God hath prepared in his own Son.
