Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/spurgeon/ps2.1

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        TITLE.--We shall not greatly err in our summary of this
sublime Psalm if we call it THE PSALM OF MESSIAH THE PRINCE; for
it sets forth as in a wondrous vision the tumult of the people
against the Lord's anointed, the determinate purpose of God to
exalt his own Son, and the ultimate reign of that Son over all
his enemies. Let us read it with the eye of faith, beholding, as
in a glass, the final triumph of our Lord Jesus Christ over all
his enemies. Lowth has the following remarks upon this Psalm:
"The establishment of David upon his throne, notwithstanding the
opposition made to it by his enemies, is the subject of the
Psalm. David sustains in it a twofold character, literal and
allegorical. If we read over the Psalm, first with an eye to the
literal David, the meaning is obvious, and put beyond all dispute
by the sacred history. There is indeed an uncommon glow in the
expression and sublimity in the figures, and the diction is now
and then exaggerated, as it were on purpose to intimate, and lead
us to the contemplation of higher and more important matters
concealed within. In compliance with this admonition, if we take
another survey of the Psalm as relative to the person and
concerns of the spiritual David, a noble series of events
immediately rises to view, and the meaning becomes more evident,
as well as more exalted. The colouring which may perhaps seem too
bold and glaring for the king of Israel, will no longer appear so
when laid upon his great Antitype. After we have thus attentively
considered the subjects apart, let us look at them together, and
we shall behold the full beauty and majesty of this most charming
poem. We shall perceive the two senses very distinct from each
other, yet conspiring in perfect harmony, and bearing a wonderful
resemblance in every feature and lineament, while the analogy
between them is so exactly preserved, that either may pass for
the original from whence the other was copied. New light is
continually cast upon the phraseology, fresh weight and dignity
are added to the sentiments, till, gradually ascending from
things below to things above, from human affairs to those that
are Divine, they bear the great important theme upwards with
them, and at length place it in the height and brightness of
heaven."

        DIVISION.--This Psalm will be best understood if it be
viewed as a four-fold picture. (In verses #1,2,3|) the Nations
are raging; (#4-6|) the Lord in heaven derides them; (#7-9|) the
Son proclaims the decree; and (from #10-12|) advice is given to
the kings to yield obedience to the Lord's anointed. This
division is not only suggested by the sense, but is warranted by
the poetic form of the Psalm, which naturally falls into four
stanzas of three verses each.

                           EXPOSITION.

        We have, in these first three verses, a description of
the hatred of human nature against the Christ of God. No better
comment is needed upon it than the apostolic song in #Ac
4:27,28|: "For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou
hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles,
and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do
whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be
done." The Psalm begins abruptly with an angry interrogation; and
well it may: it is surely but little to be wondered at, that the
sight of creatures in arms against their God should amaze the
psalmist's mind. We see the _heathen raging_, roaring like the
sea, tossed to and fro with restless waves, as the ocean in a
storm; and then we mark the people in their hearts _imagining a
vain thing_ against God. Where there is much rage there is
generally some folly, and in this case there is an excess of it.
Note, that the commotion is not caused by the people only, but
their leaders foment the rebellion. "_The kings of the earth set
themselves_." In determined malice they arrayed themselves in
opposition against God. It was not temporary rage, but
deep-seated hate, for they _set themselves_ resolutely to
withstand the Prince of Peace. "_And the rulers take counsel
together_." They go about their warfare craftily, not with
foolish haste, but deliberately. They use all the skill which art
can give. Like Pharaoh, they cry, "Let us deal wisely with them."
O that men were half as careful in God's service to serve him
wisely, as his enemies are to attack his kingdom craftily.
Sinners have their wits about them, and yet saints are dull. But
what say they? what is the meaning of this commotion? "_Let us
break their bands asunder_." "Let us be free to commit all manner
of abominations. Let us be our own gods. Let us rid ourselves of
all restraint." Gathering impudence by the traitorous proposition
of rebellion, they add--"_let us cast away_;" as if it were an
easy matter,--"let us fling off '_their cords from us_.'" What! O
ye kings, do ye think yourselves Samsons? and are the bands of
Omnipotence but as green withs before you? Do you dream that you
shall snap to pieces and destroy the mandates of God--the decrees
of the Most High--as if they were but tow? And do ye say, "Let us
cast away their cords from us?" Yes! There are monarchs who have
spoken thus, and there are still rebels upon thrones. However mad
the resolution to revolt from God, it is one in which man has
persevered ever since his creation, and he continues in it to
this very day. The glorious reign of Jesus in the latter day will
not be consummated, until a terrible struggle has convulsed the
nations. His coming will be as a refiner's fire, and like
fuller's soap, and the day thereof shall burn as an oven. Earth
loves not her rightful monarch, but clings to the usurper's sway:
the terrible conflicts of the last days will illustrate both the
world's love of sin and Jehovah's power to give the kingdom to
his only Begotten. To a graceless neck the yoke of Christ is
intolerable, but to the saved sinner it is easy and light. We may
judge ourselves by this, do we love that yoke, or do we wish to
cast it from us?

              EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS.

        Verse 1.--"_Why do nations make a noise_," tumultuate or
rage? The Hebrew verb is not expressive of an internal feeling,
but of the outward agitation which denotes it. There may be an
allusion to the rolling and roaring of the sea, often used as an
emblem of popular commotion, both in the Scriptures and the
classics. The past tense of this verb (_why have they raged_?)
refers to the commotion as already begun, while the future in the
next clause expresses its continuance.--^J. A. Alexander, D.D.,
1850.

        Verse 1.--"_Rage_." The word with which Paul renders this
in the Greek denotes rage, pride, and restiveness, as of horses
that neigh, and rush into the battle. _'ephruaxan_, from
_phruassô_ <5433>, to snort or neigh, properly applied to a
high-mettled horse. See #Ac 4:25|.

        Verse 1.--"_A vain thing_." A medal was struck by
Diocletian, which still remains bearing the inscription, "The
name of Christians being extinguished." And in Spain, two
monumental pillars were raised, on which were written:--I.
"Diocletian Jovian Maximian Herculeus Caesares Augusti, for
having extended the Roman Empire in the east and the west, and
for having extinguished the name of Christians, who brought the
Republic to ruin." II. "Diocletian Jovian Maximian Herculeus
Caesares Augusti, for having adopted Galerius in the east, for
having everywhere abolished the superstition of Christ, for
having extended the worship of the gods." As a modern writer has
elegantly observed: "We have here a monument raised by Paganism,
over the grave of its vanquished foe. But in this, 'the people
imagined a vain thing;' so far from being deceased, Christianity
was on the eve of its final and permanent triumph, and the stone
guarded a sepulchre empty as the urn which Electra washed with
her tears. Neither in Spain, nor elsewhere, can be pointed out
the burial place of Christianity; it is not, for the living have
no tomb."

        Verses 1--4.--Herod, the fox, plotted against Christ, to
hinder the course of his ministry and mediatorship, but he could
not perform his enterprise; 'tis so all along, therefore it is
said, "_Why do the heathen imagine a vain thing?_" A vain thing,
because a thing successless, their hands could not perform it. It
was vain, not only because there was no true ground of reason why
they should imagine or do such a thing, but vain also because
they laboured in vain, they could not do it, and therefore it
follows, "_He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord
shall have them in derision_." The Lord see what fools they are,
and men (yea, themselves) shall see it. The prophet gives us an
elegant description to this purpose. #Isa 59:5,6|. "_They weave
the spider's web ... Their webs shall not become garments,
neither shall they cover themselves with their works_." As if he
had said, they have been devising and setting things in a goodly
frame to catch flies; they have been spinning a fine thread out
of their brains, as the spider doth out of her bowels; such is
their web, but when they have their web they cannot cut it out,
or make it up into a garment. They shall go naked and cold,
notwithstanding all their spinning and weaving, all their
plotting and devising. The next broom that comes will sweep away
all their webs and the spiders too, except they creep apace. God
loves and delights to cross worldly proverbs and worldly
craft.--^Joseph Caryl, 1647.

        Verse 2.--_The many_ had done their part, and now the
mighty show themselves. --^John Trapp.

        Verse 2.--"_They banded themselves against the Lord, and
against his Anointed_." But why did they band themselves against
the Lord, or against his Anointed? What was their desire of him?
To have his goods? No, he had none for himself; but they were
richer than he. To have his liberty? Nay, that would not suffice
them, for they had bound him before. To bring the people into
dislike of him? Nay, that would not serve them, for they had done
so already, until even his disciples were fled from him. What
would they have then? his blood? Yea, "they took counsel," saith
Matthew, "to put him to death." They had the devil's mind, which
is not satisfied but with death. And how do they contrive it? He
saith, "they took counsel about it."--^Henry Smith, 1578.

        Verse 2.--"_Against Jehovah and against his Anointed_."
What an honour it was to David to be thus publicly associated
with Jehovah! And, because he was HIS anointed, to be an object
of hatred and scorn to the ungodly world! If this very
circumstance fearfully augmented the guilt, and sealed the doom
of these infatuated heathen, surely it was that which above
everything else would preserve the mind of David calm and serene,
yea, peaceful and joyful notwithstanding the proud and boastful
vauntiness of his enemies ... When writing this Psalm David was
like a man in a storm, who hears only the roaring of the tempest,
or sees nothing but the raging billows threatening destruction on
every side of him. And yet his faith enabled him to say, "The
people imagine a vain thing." They cannot succeed. They cannot
defeat the counsels of heaven. They cannot injure the Lord's
Anointed.--^David Pitcairn, 1851.

        Verse 3.--Resolved they were to run riot as lawless, and
aweless, and therefore they slander the sweet laws of Christ's
kingdom as bonds and thick cords, which are signs of slavery.
#Jer 27:2,6,7|. But what saith our Saviour? "My yoke is easy, and
my burden is light." It is no more burden to a regenerate man
than wings to a bird. The law of Christ is no more as bands and
cords, but as girdles and garters which gird up his loins and
expedite his course.--^John Trapp.

                       HINTS TO PREACHERS.

        Whole Psalm.--Shows us the nature of sin, and the
terrible results of it if it could reign.

        Verse 1.--_Nothing is more irrational than irreligion_. A
weighty theme.

        The reasons why sinners rebel against God, stated,
refuted, lamented, and repented of.

        The crowning display of human sin in man's hatred of the
Mediator.

        Verses 1,2.--Opposition to the gospel, unreasonable and
ineffectual.--_Two sermons by John Newton.

        Verses 1,2.--These verses show that all trust in man in
the service of God is vain. Inasmuch as men oppose Christ, it is
not good to hang our trust upon _the multitude_ for their number,
_the earnest_ for their zeal, _the mighty_ for their countenance,
or _the wise_ for their counsel, since all these are far oftener
against Christ than for him.

        Verse 2.--"Spurgeon's Sermons," No. 495, "The Greatest
Trial on Record."

        Verse 3.--The true reason of the opposition of sinners to
Christ's truth, viz.: their hatred of the restraints of
godliness.