Psalms 33:1. Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
False gods were worshipped with dolorous sounds, accompanied by cutting with knives and with lancets; but our God is the happy God, and he would have his people happy. «Rejoice in Jehovah, O ye righteous.» The praises of God are very beautiful when they are sung by holy people: «for praise is comely for the upright.» But the praises of God on the lips of godless men are altogether out of place. I wonder how Christians can allow those to lead their praises in the sanctuary who never can from their hearts praise God. They who sing to the worldling all the week should not be employed to sing to the God of the holy on the Sabbath, surely. «Praise is comely for the upright.» Hymns and psalms sung by the ungodly are but as sweet spices laid upon a dunghill; but «praise is comely for the upright.»
Psalms 33:2-3. Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise.
Under a dispensation of types and shadows, the use of musical instruments seemed to be necessary and suitable; but in the early Christian Church, in her purest ages, these things were discarded as tending towards Judaism; and at this day, the sweetest singing in the world is heard in the assembly which utterly abjures the use of every musical instrument. Yet I believe that there is Christian liberty about these things; and, for my part, I like to think of Luther with his lute and of George Herbert with his harp. If they were helped to praise God the better, let them have the music. Yet the singing is never sweeter than when it is all song; and there is no better music than that which comes from hearts and tongues that are alive, and that know what sounds they make, and wherefore they make them. Anyhow, let us sing unto Jehovah. Hang not your harps on the willows, suspend not your music. Praise God somehow, praise him anyhow; but do praise him.
Psalms 33:4. For the word of the LORD is right;
Praise him for his Word, then. It is truth, it is righteousness. If we had nothing else but the Bible for which. to praise God, there would be reason enough for giving him endless praise for bestowing upon us such a priceless treasure.
Psalms 33:4. And all his works are done in truth.
Praise him for his providence. There is never a mistake in what he does «All his works are done in truth.»
Psalms 33:5. He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.
Therefore praise him. So good a God should not be without your gratitude.
Psalms 33:6. By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
Praise your Creator, then, the Maker of the universe.
Psalms 33:7-9. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.
These are simple but grand words. The work of creation was very wonderful, and it was all wrought by the word of the Lord. There were no angelic agencies. «He spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.»
Psalms 33:10. The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought
They plot and they contrive, but he baffles them; men may think and scheme as they will, but God has his way, after all.
Psalms 33:10-11. He maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
His decrees stand fast. Still Jehovah reigns, and still he must reign for ever and ever.
Psalms 33:12. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
There is the reason why they are blessed, it is all owing to God's electing love: «the people whom he hath chosen.» If God has chosen them, they are blessed people indeed. Whom he determines to bless, none can effectually curse.
Psalms 33:13. The LORD looketh from heaven; he beboldeth all the sons of men.
As we look out of a window, and see the people passing in the street below, «he beholdeth all the sons of men,» whether at the pole or at the equator. None are hidden from his omniscient eye.
Psalms 33:14-15. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashioneth their hearts alike;
Not that their hearts are alike, but it means that he only fashioneth all their hearts. They were all made by him. There is no understanding so great but he made it, and there is no mind so feeble but still he made it: «he fashioneth their hearts.»
Psalms 33:15-16. He considereth all their works. There is no king saved by the multitude of an host
See what vast companies of soldiers Darius gathered together, yet Alexander smote them; and Napoleon led into Russia more than half a million of men, yet they melted away like snow.
Psalms 33:16. A mighty man is not delivered by much strength.
Sooner or later, he dies, however strong he is.
Psalms 33:17. A horse is a vain thing for safety:
It throws its rider, or falls upon him, or is killed with him.
Psalms 33:17-18. Neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy,
Beautiful expression! I always like that mixture of fear and hope. An old fisherman used to compare it to his net. «Fear,» said he, «is the weight that sinks it, and hope is the cork that floats it.» To make a perfect character, there must he both fear and hope. The man that never fears may begin to fear; but he that is all fear is a miserable creature. God help him to begin to hope!
Psalms 33:19. To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
When ethers die of want, the Lord will take care of them that fear him. I remember a story of the siege of Rochelle, when the city was in such straits that the people had to eat cats, and dogs, and rats, and all manner of filthiness. There was one Christian woman, who, having some stores, fed the poor therewith, whereat her friends said she was a fool, for she would soon be starving. They asked, «Who is to take care of you when all is gone?» She answered, «The Lord will provide for me.» At last her stores were exhausted. She went to beg of her friends, but they refused her. She was nearly famished when, strange to tell (as we put it), some one, unknown to her, shot down a sack full of wheat at her door. She never knew who it was, and then she said to her friends, «God has provided for me,» and. while others died she lived, for she had practiced holy charity. She had feared God, and given to her neighbours, she had not selfishly hoarded what she had; and the Lord rewarded her. Let me read these two verses again: «Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.»
Psalms 33:20. Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.
Notice the three «ours.» Personal possession is the very soul of piety; all else is mere verbiage. Not, «What hearest thou?» but, «What hast thou?» Not, «What he thou talk about?» but, «What dost thou possess?» That is the thing: «Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield.»
Psalms 33:21. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
If you do but trust in his holy name, you shall one day rejoice in him. Trust him in the dark, and you shall see the light. Trust him in famine, and you shall surely be fed.
Psalms 33:22. Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according us we hope in thee.
Let us each one pray that prayer now: «Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.» Amen. Now turn to the 1 st chapter of the 1 st General Epistle of John, that you may see what an apostle had to say concerning joy.
This exposition consisted of readings from Psalms 33:1. and 1 John 1:1.