Psalms 70
Butler1. Make haste, O God, to deliver me; Make haste to help me, O LORD. 2 Let them be ashamed and confounded That seek after my soul: Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonour That delight in my hurt. 3 Let them be turned back by reason of their shame That say, Aha, Aha.
4. Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee; And let such as love thy salvation say con- tinually, Let God be magnified. 5 But I am poor and needy; Make haste unto me, O God: Thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying.
THIS Psalm is a repetition, with some varia- tions, of the last five verses of Psalm 40. It would seem that it formed originally a part of that Psalm, and was subsequently detached and altered for a special occasion. P.—The re- semblance of Psalm 40 to Psalm 69 has already been noticed. This fragment stands in similar relation to both Psalms. Yet it is complete in itself, and therefore suitable for separate use. De Witt.
1-5. The title tells us that this Psalm was designed to bring to remembrance, to put God in remembrance of His mercy and promises; for so we are said to do when we pray to Him and plead with Him (Isa. 43: 26)—Put Me in remembrance. Not that the Eternal Mind needs a remembrancer, but this honor He is pleased to put upon the prayer of faith. It was rather to put Himself and others in remembrance of former afflictions, that we may never be secure, but always in expectation of troubles, and of former devotions, that when the clouds return after the rain, we may have recourse to the same means which we have formerly found effectual for fetching in comfort and relief.
4. He prays that all those who seek God and love His salvation, who desire it, delight in it, and depend upon it, may have continual matter for joy and praise, and hearts for both. To make the service of God our great business, and the favor of God our great delight and pleas- ure, that is seeking Him and loving His salva- tion. H.—They that love Christ, love to think of Him, love to hear of Him, and love to read of Him. They love to speak of Him, for Him, to Him. They love His presence, His yoke, His name. His will is their law, His dishonor is their affliction, His cause is their care, His people are their companions, His day is their delight, His Word is their guide, His glory is their end. They had rather ten thousand times suffer for Christ than that He should suf- fer by them. J. Mason.
This is not such a world that we can afford to live in it without great nearness to Him who, having died once, liveth evermore. This is not such a life as we should dare to try to live any further without offering the whole of it— its gold, its incense, and its myrrh—possessions, prayers, and praises at the feet of its spiritual King. Light the lamps of faith, then, and watch. Kindle the fire of incense and wait—not sleeping, but watching unto prayer F. D. H.
5. Men forget the poor and needy and sel- dom think of them, but God’s thoughts toward them are their support and comfort. They may assure themselves that God is their Help under their troubles, and will be in due time their Deliverer out of their troubles, and will make no long tarrying; for the vision is for an appointed time, and therefore, though it tarry, we may wait for it, for it shall come; it will come, it will not tarry. H.
I am poor and needy. I do not regard my lot either with weariness or compulsion; I continue in the same sentiment fixed and im- movable. I do not think my God displeased with me; neither is He displeased; on the con- trary, I experience and thankfully acknowledge His paternal clemency and benignity toward me in everything that is of the greater moment, especially in this, that He is Himself consoling and encouraging my spirit. I acquiesce with- out a murmur in His sacred dispensations; it is
through His grace that I find my friends, even more than before, kind and affectionate toward me; nor is it an occasion of anguish to me, though you count it miserable, that I am fallen in vulgar estimation into the class of the blind, the unfortunate, the wretched, and the helpless, since my hope is that I am thus brought nearer to the mercy and protection of the universal Father. Milton.