31 I am the man that has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. 2 He has led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light. 3 Surely against me he turns his hand again and again all the day. 4 My flesh and my skin has he made old; he has broken my bones. 5 He has built against me, and surrounded me with gall and travail. 6 He has made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead. 7 He has walled me about, that I can’t go forth; he has made my chain heavy. 8 Yes, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer. 9 He has walled up my ways with cut stone; he has made my paths crooked. 10 He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places. 11 He has turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he has made me desolate. 12 He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow. 13 He has caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my kidneys. 14 I am become a derision to all my people, and their song all the day. 15 He has filled me with bitterness, he has sated me with wormwood. 16 He has also broken my teeth with gravel stones; he has covered me with ashes. 17 You have removed my soul far off from peace; I forgot prosperity. 18 I said, My strength is perished, and my expectation from Yahweh. 19 Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. 20 My soul still remembers them, and is bowed down within me.
21 This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope. 22 It is of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 Yahweh is my portion, says my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 25 Yahweh is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. 26 It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Yahweh. 27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. 28 Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he has laid it on him. 29 Let him put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope. 30 Let him give his cheek to him who strikes him; let him be filled full with reproach. 31 For the Lord will not cast off forever. 32 For though he cause grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses. 33 For he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. 34 To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth, 35 To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High, 36 To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord doesn’t approve.
37 Who is he who says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord doesn’t command it? 38 Doesn’t evil and good come out of the mouth of the Most High? 39 Why does a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? 40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Yahweh. 41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.
42 We have transgressed and have rebelled; you have not pardoned. 43 You have covered with anger and pursued us; you have killed, you have not pitied. 44 You have covered yourself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through. 45 You have made us an off-scouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples. 46 All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us. 47 Fear and the pit are come on us, devastation and destruction. 48 My eye runs down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people. 49 My eye pours down, and doesn’t cease, without any intermission, 50 Until Yahweh look down, and see from heaven. 51 My eye affects my soul, because of all the daughters of my city. 52 They have chased me sore like a bird, those who are my enemies without cause. 53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone on me. 54 Waters flowed over my head; I said, I am cut off.
55 I called on your name, Yahweh, out of the lowest dungeon. 56 You heard my voice; don’t hide your ear at my breathing, at my cry. 57 You drew near in the day that I called on you; you said, Don’t be afraid. 58 Lord, you have pleaded the causes of my soul; you have redeemed my life. 59 Yahweh, you have seen my wrong. Judge my cause. 60 You have seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me. 61 You have heard their reproach, Yahweh, and all their devices against me, 62 The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day. 63 You see their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their song. 64 You will render to them a recompense, Yahweh, according to the work of their hands. 65 You will give them hardness of heart, your curse to them. 66 You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Yahweh.
41 How is the gold become dim! how is the most pure gold changed!
The stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head of every street. 2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold,
How are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! 3 Even the jackals draw out the breast, they nurse their young ones:
The daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. 4 The tongue of the sucking child cleaves to the roof of his mouth for thirst:
The young children ask bread, and no man breaks it to them. 5 Those who did feed delicately are desolate in the streets:
Those who were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills. 6 For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom,
That was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands were laid on her. 7 Her nobles were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk;
They were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was as of sapphire. 8 Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets:
Their skin cleaves to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick. 9 Those who are killed with the sword are better than those who are killed with hunger;
For these pine away, stricken through, for want of the fruits of the field. 10 The hands of the pitiful women have boiled their own children;
They were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people. 11 Yahweh has accomplished his wrath, he has poured out his fierce anger;
He has kindled a fire in Zion, which has devoured its foundations. 12 The kings of the earth didn’t believe, neither all the inhabitants of the world,
That the adversary and the enemy would enter into the gates of Jerusalem.
13 It is because of the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests,
That have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her. 14 They wander as blind men in the streets, they are polluted with blood,
So that men can’t touch their garments. 15 Depart! they cried to them, Unclean! depart, depart, don’t touch!
When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn here. 16 The anger of Yahweh has scattered them; he will no more regard them:
They didn’t respect the persons of the priests, they didn’t favor the elders. 17 Our eyes do yet fail in looking for our vain help:
In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save. 18 They hunt our steps, so that we can’t go in our streets:
Our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come. 19 Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky:
They chased us on the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness. 20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Yahweh, was taken in their pits;
Of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.
21 Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom, that dwell in the land of Uz:
The cup shall pass through to you also; you shall be drunken, and shall make yourself naked. 22 The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, daughter of Zion; he will no more carry you away into captivity:
He will visit your iniquity, daughter of Edom; he will uncover your sins.
51 Remember, Yahweh, what has come on us:
Look, and see our reproach. 2 Our inheritance is turned to strangers,
Our houses to aliens. 3 We are orphans and fatherless;
Our mothers are as widows. 4 We have drunken our water for money;
Our wood is sold to us. 5 Our pursuers are on our necks:
We are weary, and have no rest. 6 We have given the hand to the Egyptians,
To the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread. 7 Our fathers sinned, and are no more;
We have borne their iniquities. 8 Servants rule over us:
There is none to deliver us out of their hand. 9 We get our bread at the peril of our lives,
Because of the sword of the wilderness. 10 Our skin is black like an oven,
Because of the burning heat of famine. 11 They ravished the women in Zion,
The virgins in the cities of Judah. 12 Princes were hanged up by their hand:
The faces of elders were not honored. 13 The young men bare the mill;
The children stumbled under the wood. 14 The elders have ceased from the gate,
The young men from their music. 15 The joy of our heart is ceased;
Our dance is turned into mourning. 16 The crown is fallen from our head:
Woe to us! for we have sinned.
17 For this our heart is faint;
For these things our eyes are dim; 18 For the mountain of Zion, which is desolate:
The foxes walk on it. 19 You, Yahweh, abide forever;
Your throne is from generation to generation. 20 Why do you forget us forever,
And forsake us so long time? 21 Turn us to yourself, Yahweh, and we shall be turned.
Renew our days as of old. 22 But you have utterly rejected us;
You are very angry against us.
19 Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 and having a great priest over the house of God, 22 let’s draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and having our body washed with pure water, 23 let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering; for he who promised is faithful. 24 Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good works, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as you see the Day approaching. 26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries. 28 A man who disregards Moses’ law dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will he be judged worthy of, who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance belongs to me,” says the Lord, “I will repay.” [1] Again, “The Lord will judge his people.” [2] 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 32 But remember the former days, in which, after you were enlightened, you endured a great struggle with sufferings; 33 partly, being exposed to both reproaches and oppressions; and partly, becoming partakers with those who were treated so. 34 For you both had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an enduring one in the heavens. 35 Therefore don’t throw away your boldness, which has a great reward. 36 For you need endurance so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise. 37 “In a very little while,
he who comes will come, and will not wait. 38 But the righteous will live by faith.
If he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” [3] 39 But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the saving of the soul.
(Read Hebrews 10:19-25)
The apostle having closed the first part of the epistle, the doctrine is applied to practical purposes. As believers had an open way to the presence of God, it became them to use this privilege. The way and means by which Christians enjoy such privileges, is by the blood of Jesus, by the merit of that blood which he offered up as an atoning sacrifice. The agreement of infinite holiness with pardoning mercy, was not clearly understood till the human nature of Christ, the Son of God, was wounded and bruised for our sins. Our way to heaven is by a crucified Saviour; his death is to us the way of life, and to those who believe this, he will be precious. They must draw near to God; it would be contempt of Christ, still to keep at a distance. Their bodies were to be washed with pure water, alluding to the cleansings directed under the law: thus the use of water in baptism, was to remind Christians that their conduct should be pure and holy. While they derived comfort and grace from their reconciled Father to their own souls, they would adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour in all things. Believers are to consider how they can be of service to each other, especially stirring up each other to the more vigorous and abundant exercise of love, and the practice of good works. The communion of saints is a great help and privilege, and a means of stedfastness and perseverance. We should observe the coming of times of trial, and be thereby quickened to greater diligence. There is a trying day coming on all men, the day of our death.
(Read Hebrews 10:26-31)
The exhortations against apostacy and to perseverance, are urged by many strong reasons. The sin here mentioned is a total and final falling away, when men, with a full and fixed will and resolution, despise and reject Christ, the only Saviour; despise and resist the Spirit, the only Sanctifier; and despise and renounce the gospel, the only way of salvation, and the words of eternal life. Of this destruction God gives some notorious sinners, while on earth, a fearful foreboding in their consciences, with despair of being able to endure or to escape it. But what punishment can be sorer than to die without mercy? We answer, to die by mercy, by the mercy and grace which they have despised. How dreadful is the case, when not only the justice of God, but his abused grace and mercy call for vengeance! All this does not in the least mean that any souls who sorrow for sin will be shut out from mercy, or that any will be refused the benefit of Christ's sacrifice, who are willing to accept these blessings. Him that cometh unto Christ, he will in no wise cast out.
(Read Hebrews 10:32-39)
Many and various afflictions united against the early Christians, and they had a great conflict. The Christian spirit is not a selfish spirit; it puts us upon pitying others, visiting them, helping them, and pleading for them. All things here are but shadows. The happiness of the saints in heaven will last for ever; enemies can never take it away as earthly goods. This will make rich amends for all we may lose and suffer here. The greatest part of the saints' happiness, as yet, is in promise. It is a trial of the patience of Christians, to be content to live after their work is done, and to stay for their reward till God's time to give it is come. He will soon come to them at death, to end all their sufferings, and to give them a crown of life. The Christian's present conflict may be sharp, but will be soon over. God never is pleased with the formal profession and outward duties and services of such as do not persevere; but he beholds them with great displeasure. And those who have been kept faithful in great trails for the time past, have reason to hope for the same grace to help them still to live by faith, till they receive the end of their faith and patience, even the salvation of their souls. Living by faith, and dying in faith, our souls are safe for ever.
