96 The Preacher's Homiletical Commentary. HOMILETIC SKETCHES ON THE BOOK OF PSALMS. OUR PURPOSE.-Many learned and devout men have gone Philologically through this TEHELIM, this book of Hebrew hymns, and have left us the rich results of their inquiries in volumes within the reach of every Biblical student. To do the mere verbal hermeneutics of this book, even as well as it has been done, would be to contribute nothing fresh in the way of evoking or enforcing its Divine ideas. A thorough HOMILETIC treatment it has never yet received, and to this work we here commit ourselves, determining to employ the best results of modern Biblical scholarship. OUR METHOD.-Our plan of treatment will comprise four sections:-(1) THE HISTORY of the passage. Lyric poetry, which the book is, is a delineation of living character; and the key, therefore, to unlock the meaning and reach the spirit of the words is a knowledge of the men and circumstances that the poet sketches with his lyric pencil.-(2) ANNOTATIONS of the passages. This will include short explanatory notes on any ambiguous word, phrase or allusion that may occur.-(3) The ARGUMENT of the passage. A knowledge of the main drift of an author is amongst the most essential conditions for interpreting his meaning.(4) The HOMILETICS of the passage. This is our main work. We shall endeavour so to group the Divine ideas that have been legitimately educed, as to suggest such thoughts and indicate such sermonizing methods as may promote the proficiency of modern pulpit ministrations. No. CLIV. The Sublime Object of Worship. "PRAISE YE THE LORD, PRAISE YE THE NAME OF THE LORD," &c. Ps. cxxxv. 1-21. HISTORY:-This Psalm is a composite, made up of sentences from other portions of this book, as well as from prophetical productions. Hence some have styled it a Mosaic Psalm. The parts of this ode may be found in Ps. cxxxiv. 1, Ps. cxlvii. 1, cxv., Jer. x. 13, Ps. cxxxvi. 10-22, Deut. xxxii. 26. Hengstenberg regards it as the first of a series running on to the 146th inclusive. No one knows its author, or, rather, Jehovah, they are not exclusively intended, as in Ps. cxxxiv. 1. Even here, however, the priests are representatives of Israel at large." Alexander. Ver. 3. “Praise the Lord, for He is good; sing praises unto His name, for it is pleasant." “Praise ye Jah, for Jahve is good: harp unto His name, for it is lovely."-Delitzsch. Which is pleasant or lovely, the name of the Lord or the act of praising Him? Both are true. Ver. 4. "For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto Himself, and Israel for His peculiar treasure." Here is a special reason why Israel should praise Him for himself as His possession. Ver. 5. "For I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is above all gods." The pronoun "I" is emphatic, indicating the author's personal assurance of what he affirms. Ver. 6. "Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did He in heaven and in earth, in the seas and all deep places.' The idea is whatsoever this God of gods willeth He carries out, whether the will refers to heaven or earth or seas or the abysses of the deep. Ver. 7. "He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth: He maketh lightnings for the rain, He bringeth the wind out of His treasuries." He exhales the vapours, kindles the lightning, and brings forth the "wind out of His treasuries." It is said that rain from a thundercloud is more fertilising than any other rain. Ver. 8. "Who smote the firstborn of Egypt both of man and beast." The destruction of the firstborn in Egypt was the immediate cause of Israel's deliverance. Ver. 9. "Who sent tokens and wonders in the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and See upon all his servants.” our remarks on Ps. lxxviii. 43, also cxvi. 19. Ver. 10. "Who smote great nations and slew mighty kings." To the miracles of Egypt and the Exodus are now added those of Canaan and the Conquest. Ver. 11 and 12. "Sihon, the king of the Amorites, and Og,the king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan," &c. "Sihon and Og are mentioned as the most potent of the vanquished kings (Amos ii. 9), or as the first vanquished and slain. Their slaughter led to the occupation of the land of promise, and seems to have made a deep impression upon the victorious people."-Canon Cooke. Ver. 13. 66 Thy name, O Lord, endureth for ever, and Thy memorial, O Lord, throughout all generations." He who thus wrought in Israelitish history and works in nature is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever (Exod. iii. 15). Ver. 14. "For the Lord will judge His people, and He will repent Himself concerning His people." That is, He will vindicate them, and see that they are right. Ver. 15 to 18. "The idols of Lord, O house of Israel: bless in Ps. cxv. 9-11, cxviii. 2-4, becomes fourfold here by the introduction of the house of Levi." Ver. 21. "Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem, praise ye the 66 Lord." Blessed be Jahve ARGUMENT:-The Psalmist ex horts all to praise the Lord, ver, 1-4, and then declares His glory in nature ver. 5-7, in His wonderful works for Israel, ver. 8-12, which will again repeat themselves in the future, and raise them out of their wretched state, ver. 13, 14, contrasts with Him the vain idols and their equally vain worshippers, ver. 15-18, and finally returns again to call upon men to praise God, ver. 19-21." -Hengstenberg. HOMILETICS :-The author of this Psalm presents the sublime Object of worship in certain aspects, in order that men might praise and adore Him. A brief glance at those aspects may at once inspire and direct us. He is presented here I. In His ABSOLUTE GOODNESS. "Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the name of the Lord," &c. Why is His name to be praised by all His "servants," and all who stand in His "house" and "courts?" Here is the reason. "For the Lord is good." This is the highest reason for worship, the reason why all intelligences, even the loftiest, must worship Him for ever. He is good essentially, eternally, infinitely, and immutably good. He is the original Fountain, and the universal Standard of all good. Were He not good, who could praise Him? Who ought to praise Him? None. Esteem, reverence, adoration, these necessary elements of worship could not exist were He not good. This makes worship what all true worship ever is, a pleasant thing. Whether the word "pleasant" here applies to His "name," which is Himself, or to His worship, it matters not, it is true of both. His name is happy, and His worship is delightful. He is presented here II. In His RELATIVE KINDNESS. "For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto Himself, and Israel for His peculiar treasure." As if the author had said, He is not only absolutely good in Himself, but kind to us. He has singled us out from all the tribes of the race for merciful ends. But the favours which He bestowed on Israel are only a shadowy specimen of His kindness to all men, especially to Englishmen. Is not Britain, after all, more favoured than ever Palestine was, even in its palmy days, the land of liberty, Bibles, Churches, &c.? He is presented here II. In His TRANSCENDENT SUPREMACY. 6: For I know that the Lord is great, anl that our Lord is above all gods." The whole intelligent universe consists of almost endless gradations, one series rising higher and so on, “thrones, principalities, dominions," &c. But there is One over all, over all worlds, systems, hierarchies, &c., the King of all kings, and the Lord of all lords. He is presented here— IV. In His SOVEREIGN OPERATIONS. "Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did He In heaven and in earth, In the seas and all deep places," &c. First His sovereign operations in material nature are here referred to. "In heaven and in earth, In the sea and all deep places, He causeth the vapours to ascend From the ends of the earth, He maketh lightnings for the rain," &c. Of His own free will He gave birth to the universe in the boundlessness of immensity alone, there was no counsellor to instruct Him, no power to coerce Him. It was with Him to determine whether He should create a universe or not, and as to what kind of universe it should be. "Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did He." Secondly: His sovereign operations in human history are here referred to. "Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, Both of man and beast, Who sent tokens and wonders," &c. The reference in these verses is to what He did to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, and to conduct them into the Promised Land. He "smote the firstborn." He wrought wonders through Moses on the banks of the Nile, He overwhelmed Pharaoh and his hosts, He crushed great nations and their kings, He destroyed the Canaanites and gave their land to Israel. This is only a specimen of God in their history, and in all human history He acts according to the counsel of His own will. He raiseth up one and puts down another. "He doeth what seemeth right in the armies of heaven," &c. He is presented here— |