My exceeding joy— Or, as it is literally translated in the Margin of our Bibles, The gladness of my joy; i.e. The great author of all the joy that I have.
REFLECTIONS.—We have here,
1. David's appeal and prayer to God. Though in God's sight he would cry, Enter not into judgment; yet, with respect to his enemies, he desired nothing more than to be tried at the bar of God; where his innocence would certainly engage him for his advocate against the ungodly nation of Israel, and his unnatural son.
2. Under the most discouraging circumstances, he professes his fixed dependance on divine support: his foolish reason could hardly be reconciled to his oppressed situation, and his unbelieving fears were ready to prevail; but he cleaves to God, as the God of his strength; and if so, Omnipotence was his guard.
3. He prays for God's guidance and direction, his light of divine teaching, and his truth in the revealed word, to lead him safe through all his difficulties and dark providences, and once more to bring him back to that happy hill and blest abode, where God's honour dwelled.
4. He promises hereupon to compass God's altar; and his voice, like his harp in tune, should utter grateful sacrifices of praise to him; my God, he says, my covenant God, whom I have ever found gracious, good, and true, and my exceeding joy; joy too big for utterance, and which time is too short to tell. Note; (1.) We have an altar that it becomes us ever to approach with joy, remembering the sacrifice which Jesus hath offered, and the inestimable blessings we receive thereby. (2.) When we can say, my God, we shall be able ever to add, my joy, my exceeding joy; since, compared with him and his love, we shall rejoice in other things as though we rejoiced not.