Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/spurgeon/ps18.4

Text File | 1993-04-19 | 6KB | 99 lines

                           EXPOSITION.

        Verses 4-19.--In most poetical language the Psalmist now
describes his experience of Jehovah's delivering power. Poesy has
in all her treasures no gem more lustrous than the sonnet of the
following verses; the sorrow, the cry, the descent of the Divine
One, and the rescue of the afflicted, are here set to a music
worthy of the golden harps. The Messiah our Saviour is evidently,
over and beyond David or any other believer, the main and chief
subject of this song; and while studying it we have grown more
and more sure that every line here has its deepest and
profoundest fulfillment in Him; but as we are desirous not to
extend our comment beyond moderate bounds, we must leave it with
the devout reader to make the very easy application of the
passage to our once distressed but now triumphant Lord.

        "_The sorrows of death compassed me." Death like a cruel
conqueror seemed to twist round about him the cords of pain. He
was environed and hemmed in with threatening deaths of the most
appalling sort. He was like a mariner broken by the storm and
driven upon the rocks by dreadful breakers, white as the teeth of
death. Sad plight for the man after God's own heart, but thus it
is that Jehovah dealeth with his sons. "_The floods of ungodly
men made me afraid_." Torrents of ungodliness threatened to swamp
all religion, and to hurry away the godly man's hope as a thing
to be scorned and despised; so far was this threat fulfilled,
that even the hero who slew Goliath began to be afraid. The most
seaworthy bark is sometimes hard put to it when the storm fiend
is abroad. The most courageous man, who as a rule hopes for the
best, may sometimes fear the worst. Beloved reader, he who pens
these lines has known better than most men what this verse means,
and feels inclined to weep, and yet to sing, while he writes upon
a text so descriptive of his own experience. On the night of the
lamentable accident at the Surrey Music Hall, the floods of
Belial were let loose, and the subsequent remarks of a large
portion of the press were exceedingly malicious and wicked; our
soul was afraid as we stood encompassed with the sorrows of death
and the blasphemies of the cruel. But oh, what mercy was there in
it all, and what honey of goodness was extracted by our Lord out
of this lion of affliction! Surely God hath heard me! Art thou in
an ill plight? Dear friend, learn thou from our experience to
trust in the Lord Jehovah, who forsaketh not his chosen.

              EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS.

        Verse 4.--"_Sorrows of death_." It is heaven's peculiar
to be the land of the living; all this life is at most but the
_shadow_ of death, the _gate_ of death, the _sorrows_ of death,
the _snares_ of death, the _terrors_ of death, the _chambers_ of
death, the _sentence_ of death, the _savour_ of death, the
_ministration_ of death, the _way_ of death.--^Matthew Griffith.
1634.

        Verse 4.--"_The bands or cords of death encompassed me_."
It is not very easy to fix the precise meaning of the phrase,
"bands" or "cords" of death. It may either be considered as
equivalent to "the bands by which the dead are bound," in which
case, to be encircled with the bands of death is just a
figurative expression for being dead; or it may be considered as
equivalent to the bands in which a person is bound in the
prospect of a violent death, and by which his violent death is
secured, he being prevented from escaping. It has been supposed
by some, that the allusion is to the ancient mode of hunting wild
animals. A considerable tract of country was surrounded with
strong ropes. The circle was gradually contracted, till the
object of pursuit was so confined as to become an easy prey to
the hunter. These cords were the cords of death, securing the
death of the animal. The phrase is applicable to our Lord in both
senses; but as "the floods" of wickedness, or the wicked, are
represented as making him afraid subsequently to his being
encircled with the cords of death, I am disposed to understand it
in the latter of these two senses.--^John Brown.

        Verse 4.--"_The floods_." There is no metaphor of more
frequent occurrence with the sacred poets, than that which
represents dreadful and unexpected calamities under the images of
overwhelming waters. This image seems to have been especially
familiar with the Hebrews, inasmuch as it was derived from the
peculiar habit and nature of their own country. They had
continually before their eyes the river Jordan, annually
overflowing its banks, when at the approach of summer the snows
of Libanus and the neighbouring mountains melted, and, suddenly
pouring down in torrents, swelled the current of the river.
Besides, the whole country of Palestine, although it was not
watered by many perennial streams, was, from the mountainous
character of the greater part of it, liable to numerous torrents,
which precipitated themselves through the narrow valleys after
the periodical rainy seasons. This image, therefore, however
known, and adopted by other poets, may be considered as
particularly familiar and, as it were, domestic with the Hebrews;
who accordingly introduce it with greater frequency and
freedom.--^Robert Lowth (Bishop), 1710-1787.

                       HINTS TO PREACHERS.

        Verses 4-6.--Graphic picture of a distressed soul, and
its resorts in the hour of extremity.