In this section the Psalmist seems to draw still nearer to God in prayer, and to state his case and to invoke the divine help with more of boldness and expectation. It is a pleading passage, and the key-word of it is, "Consider." With much boldness he pleads his intimate union with the Lord's cause as a reason why he should be aided. The special aid that he seeks is personal quickening, for which he cries to the Lord again and again.

Verse 153. "Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law."

"Consider mine affliction, and deliver me." The writer has a good case, thought it be a grievous one, and he is ready, yea, anxious, to submit it to the divine arbitration. His matters are right, and he is ready to lay them before the supreme court. His manner is that of one who feels safe at the throne. Yet there is no impatience; he does not ask for hasty action, but for consideration. In effect he cries - "Look unto my grief, and see whether I do not need to be delivered. From my sorrowful condition judge as to the proper method and time for my rescue." It should be the desire of every gracious man who is in adversity that the Lord should look upon his need, and relieve it in such a way as shall be most for the divine glory, and for his own benefit. "For I do not forget thy law." His affliction was not sufficient, with all its bitterness, to drive out of his mind the memory of God's law: nor could it lead him to act contrary to the divine command. He will not long leave that man in trouble whose only fear in trouble is lest he should leave the way of right.

Verse 154. "Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word."

"Plead my cause, and deliver me." In providence the Lord has many ways of clearing the slandered of the accusations brought against them. He can make it manifest to all that they have belied, and in this way he can practically plead their cause. He can, moreover, raise up friends for the godly who will leave no stone unturned till their characters are cleared; or he can smite their enemies with such fearfulness of heart that they will be forced to confess their falsehood, and thus the righteous will be delivered without the striking of a blow. What a comfort that if we sin we have an advocate, and if we do not sin the same pleader is engaged on our side! "Quicken me". We had this prayer in the last section, and we shall have it again and again in this. It is a desire which cannot be too often felt and expressed. As the soul is the centre of everything, so to be quickened is the central blessing. More life means more love, more grace, more faith, more courage, more strength; and if we get these we can hold up our heads before our adversaries. "According to thy word," What a mighty plea is this - "according to thy word"! No gun in all our arsenals can match it.

Verse 155 "Salvation is far from the wicked: for thy seek not thy statutes."

"Salvation is far from the wicked." By their perseverance in evil they have almost put themselves out of the pale of hope. "For they seek not thy statutes." They do not endeavour to be obedient but quite the reverse; they seek themselves, they seek evil, and therefore they never find the way of peace and righteousness. When men have broken the statutes of the Lord, their wisest course is by repentance to seek forgiveness, and by faith to seek salvation: then salvation is near them, so near them that they shall not miss it; but when the wicked continue to seek after mischief, salvation is set further and further from them. Salvation and God's statutes go together: those who are saved by the King of grace love the statutes of the King of glory.

Verse 156. "Great are thy tender mercies, O LORD: quicken me according to thy judgments."

"Great are thy tender mercies, O LORD." Her the Psalmist pleads the largeness of God's mercy, the immensity of his tender love; yea, he speaks of mercies - mercies many, mercies tender, mercies great; and with the glorious Jehovah he makes this a plea for his one leading prayer, the prayer for quickening. Quickening is a great and tender mercy; and it is many mercies in one. Shall One so greatly good permit his servant to die? Will not One so tender breathe new life into him? "Quicken me according to thy judgments." We shall never be short of arguments if we draw them from God himself, and urge both his mercies and his judgments as reason for our quickening.

Verse 157. "Many are my persecutors and mine enemies; yet do I not decline from thy testimonies."

"Many are my persecutors and mine enemies." It seems a strange thing that such a truly godly man, as David was, should have many enemies; but it was inevitable. The disciple cannot be loved where his Master is hated. The seed of the serpent must oppose the seed of the woman; it is their nature. "Yet do I not decline from thy testimonies." So long as they cannot drive or draw us into a spiritual decline, our foes have done us no great harm; indeed, they have accomplished nothing by their malice.

Verse 158. "I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved: because they kept not thy word."

"Because they kept not thy word." My grief was occasioned more by their sin against God then by their enmity against myself. O Lord, I could bear their evil treatment of my words, but not their neglect of thy word.

Verse 159. "Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O LORD according to thy lovingkindness."

"Consider," or see, "how I love thy precepts." This is a sure test: many there are who have a warm side towards the promises, but as for the precepts, they cannot endure them. "Quicken me, O LORD, according to thy lovingkindness." Here he comes back to his former prayer, "Quicken me" (verse 154), "quicken me." (verse 156). "Quicken me." He prays again the third time, using the same words. There is no harm in using repetitions: the thing forbidden is the using of vain repetition, as the heathen do.

Verse 160. "Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever."

"Thy word is true." Whatever the transgressors may say, God is true, and his word is true. The ungodly are false, but God's word is true. They charge us with being false, but our solace is that God's true word will clear us. "From the beginning." God's word has been true from the first moment in which it was spoken, true throughout the whole of history, true to us from the instant in which we believed it; ay, true to us before we were true to it. "And every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever." That which thou hast decided remains irreversible in every case. Against the decisions of the Lord no writ of error can be demanded, neither will there ever be a repealing of any of the acts of his sovereignty. There is not one single mistake either in the word of God or in the providential dealings of God. Neither in the book of revelation nor of providence will there be any need to put a single line of "errata", The Lord has nothing to regret or to retract, nothing to amend or to reverse. "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." God's justice endureth for ever. This is a cheering thought; but there is a much sweeter one, which of old was the song of the priests in the temple; let it be ours: "His mercy endureth for ever."

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Spurgeon's Golden Alphabet (Internet edition 28) "Wicket Gate" Magazine
Magazine of the Reformed Baptist Church, Inverness Scotland
Church Contact is Cliff Westcombe - click here to send an e-mail
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