721 By Solomon. O God, Thy judgments to the king give, And Thy righteousness to the king's son.
2 He judgeth Thy people with righteousness, And Thy poor with judgment. 3 The mountains bear peace to the people, And the heights by righteousness. 4 He judgeth the poor of the people, Giveth deliverance to the sons of the needy, And bruiseth the oppressor. 5 They fear Thee with the sun, and before the moon, Generation—generations. 6 He cometh down as rain on mown grass, As showers—sprinkling the earth. 7 Flourish in his days doth the righteous, And abundance of peace till the moon is not. 8 And he ruleth from sea unto sea, And from the river unto the ends of earth. 9 Before him bow do the inhabitants of the dry places, And his enemies lick the dust. 10 Kings of Tarshish and of the isles send back a present. Kings of Sheba and Seba a reward bring near. 11 And all kings do bow themselves to him, All nations do serve him, 12 For he delivereth the needy who crieth, And the poor when he hath no helper, 13 He hath pity on the poor and needy, And the souls of the needy he saveth, 14 From fraud and from violence he redeemeth their soul, And precious is their blood in his eyes. 15 And he liveth, and giveth to him of the gold of Sheba, And prayeth for him continually, All the day he doth bless him. 16 There is a handful of corn in the earth, On the top of mountains, Shake like Lebanon doth its fruit, And they flourish out of the city as the herb of the earth. 17 His name is to the age, Before the sun is his name continued, And they bless themselves in him, All nations do pronounce him happy.
18 Blessed is Jehovah God, God of Israel, He alone is doing wonders, 19 And blessed 'is' the Name of His honour to the age, And the whole earth is filled 'with' His honour. Amen, and amen! 20 The prayers of David son of Jesse have been ended.
731 Only—good to Israel 'is' God, to the clean of heart. And I—as a little thing, My feet have been turned aside, 2 As nothing, have my steps slipped, For I have been envious of the boastful, 3 The peace of the wicked I see, That there are no bands at their death, 4 And their might 'is' firm. 5 In the misery of mortals they are not, And with common men they are not plagued. 6 Therefore hath pride encircled them, Violence covereth them as a dress. 7 Their eye hath come out from fat. The imaginations of the heart transgressed; 8 They do corruptly, And they speak in the wickedness of oppression, From on high they speak. 9 They have set in the heavens their mouth, And their tongue walketh in the earth. 10 Therefore do His people return hither, And waters of fulness are wrung out to them. 11 And they have said, 'How hath God known? And is there knowledge in the Most High?' 12 Lo, these 'are' the wicked and easy ones of the age, They have increased strength. 13 Only—a vain thing! I have purified my heart, And I wash in innocency my hands, 14 And I am plagued all the day, And my reproof 'is' every morning.
15 If I have said, 'I recount thus,' Lo, a generation of Thy sons I have deceived. 16 And I think to know this, Perverseness it 'is' in mine eyes, 17 Till I come in to the sanctuaries of God, I attend to their latter end. 18 Only, in slippery places Thou dost set them, Thou hast caused them to fall to desolations. 19 How have they become a desolation as in a moment, They have been ended—consumed from terrors. 20 As a dream from awakening, O Lord, In awaking, their image Thou despisest.
21 For my heart doth show itself violent, And my reins prick themselves, 22 And I am brutish, and do not know. A beast I have been with Thee. 23 And I 'am' continually with Thee, Thou hast laid hold on my right hand. 24 With Thy counsel Thou dost lead me, And after honour dost receive me. 25 Whom have I in the heavens? And with Thee none I have desired in earth. 26 Consumed hath been my flesh and my heart, The rock of my heart and my portion 'is' God to the age. 27 For, lo, those far from Thee do perish, Thou hast cut off every one, Who is going a whoring from Thee. 28 And I—nearness of God to me 'is' good, I have placed in the Lord Jehovah my refuge, To recount all Thy works!
91 Truth I say in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing testimony with me in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great grief and unceasing pain in my heart— 3 for I was wishing, I myself, to be anathema from the Christ—for my brethren, my kindred, according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, whose 'is' the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, and the promises, 5 whose 'are' the fathers, and of whom 'is' the Christ, according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed to the ages. Amen.
6 And it is not possible that the word of God hath failed; for not all who 'are' of Israel are these 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, the children of the flesh—these 'are' not children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for seed; 9 for the word of promise 'is' this; 'According to this time I will come, and there shall be to Sarah a son.' 10 And not only 'so', but also Rebecca, having conceived by one—Isaac our father— 11 (for they being not yet born, neither having done anything good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to choice, might remain; not of works, but of Him who is calling,) it was said to her— 12 'The greater shall serve the less;' 13 according as it hath been written, 'Jacob I did love, and Esau I did hate.'
14 What, then, shall we say? unrighteousness 'is' with God? let it not be! 15 for to Moses He saith, 'I will do kindness to whom I do kindness, and I will have compassion on whom I have 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.
