For thou, Lord, wilt bless— Yes, thou, Lord, wilt bless; Mudge: who observes, that David seems here to receive the signal that he had been looking for. The word צנה tsinnah, rendered a shield, agreeably to its other significations, must mean some pointed weapon, as a spear. So that the clause should be rendered, Thou wilt encircle him with favour, as with a fence of spears; as a prince is encircled with spears or spearmen.
REFLECTIONS.—1st. The cries of his people are ever pleasing to the ears of the God of Sabaoth, and he will hear and help them. This David knew, and therefore lifts up his heart and voice to God. Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. His lips were not hasty to speak; he first deeply pondered his wants, and then he uttered his petition. Hearken unto the voice of my cry; as his distress was urgent, his importunity was great. Note; Fervour is the life of prayer; cold and negligent requests shew a heart dead to God. The arguments that he uses, as a plea for being heard, are,
1. The relation in which he stood to God. My King, and my God; thou art not only all-sufficient to help me, as the almighty King and eternal God, but in a tender and gracious sense bound to help me, as I am thy subject, and servant, and child in the Beloved. Note; A believing view of God as our God, is a great encouragement to pray.
2. The constant service that he resolved to pay him. For unto thee will I pray, as the only object of my worship, and with ceaseless attendance. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord: no sooner shall my eyes behold the returning light, than early will I offer unto thee the grateful acknowledgment of protection received, and put my body and soul anew under thy care, to be kept from the dangers of the day. Note; The morning is a time peculiarly fit to spend with God in prayer, and our first moments should ever be consecrated to the service of that God who wakeneth us morning by morning. In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up, or out. As when a messenger is dispatched on some important errand, the eye is eager to catch the distant glimpse of his return; so does the soul, that sends to heaven its supplications and prayers, wait with earnestness the returning answer of peace. For want of this, how many prayers become fruitless, because formal!
3. He mentions God's purity, as a foundation of his hope, conscious of his own simplicity, and convinced of the wickedness of his troublers. For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with thee. Sin is the abominable thing that God hates; it is contrary to his nature, and therefore all who love, delight in, and serve sin, must be the objects of his abhorrence. The foolish, or wicked, (for, wickedness is the height of folly,) shall not stand in thy sight, shall be unable to bear his presence in the day of judgment, driven out with indignation, saying, Depart ye cursed, &c. Thou hatest all workers of iniquity; not all that have been workers of it; for when we were yet sinners, God commended his love towards us, and sent his Son to die for the ungodly: but all who, rejecting the grace of a Redeemer, persist in their impenitence, and work iniquity as their practice and delight, these the holy God hates. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing, or a lie; all the forgers and propagators of false reports to hurt and defame. The Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man, the implacable and unmerciful. These are the characters marked for vengeance, not only in David's day, but in every age and place. Such enemies of Christ and his people, foolish, wicked, malicious, false, blood-thirsty men, shall be destroyed with an everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power. Lord, gather not my soul with these sinners!
2nd, Having described the miserable ways and end of the ungodly, we have David's resolution and prayer, that he may take a different course. But as for me, I will come into thy house, to worship there, as one of thy devoted servants, and publickly to make profession of my bounden duty; not that I am worthy to open my polluted lips, or to mention my worthless service; but in the multitude of thy mercy, this being the only ground of a sinner's confidence towards God, the mercy revealed in a covenant of grace through Jesus Christ: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple; with reverence adoring the eternal Majesty who is so greatly to be feared; careful to observe his instituted ordinances, as well as drawing near through the divinely-appointed medium, the great Mediator between God and man, whom the temple and all its service prefigured.