Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

The previous section foretold of the immediate future restoration of Jerusalem whereas this section is a more far reaching prophecy. The nation that is to be created is the church as Delitzsch says: ‘a peo- ple coming into existence, the church of the future, shall praise God the Redeemer…” The release of the Jewish people who were imprisoned to die in Babylon paved the way for the Messiah to come to Jerusalem and opened the door of salvation to the nations. These verses prophesy of a worldwide restoration of worship that is happening in our time.

IV YOU REMAIN FOREVER - 23-28

“He has cut me down in midlife, shortening my days. But I cried to him, ‘My God, who lives forever, don’t take my life while I as still so young!” (23, 24)

These verses correspond to the deathly illness of Hezekiah. The King prayed: “’Remember, O Lord, how I have always tried to be faithful to you and do what is pleasing in your sight.’ Then he broke down and wept bitterly.” (2 Kgs. 20:3) The Lord heard the prayer of this ‘destitute’ king who was condemned to die and added 15 years to his life. The next verses are quoted in the 1st chapter of Hebrews to show that God’s Son Jesus is greater than the angels and is God himself. This prophecy lifts the psalm into a very high level of prophetic in- sight. Hebrews prefaces the quote with these remarks: “This shows that God’s Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is far greater than their names. For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus:” (Heb. 1:4,5) he then quotes Psalm 102 among some other psalms as words spoken by God the Father to his Son: “Lord, in the beginning you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. Even they will perish, but you remain forever. They will wear out like old clothing. You will roll them up like an old coat. They will fade away like old clothing. But you are always the same; you will never grow old.” (Heb. 1:10-12/ Ps. 102:25-27) Even the heavens will ‘wear out’ revealing the fact that the universe is not eternal. Jesus created them and someday will roll them up like a worn out garment but he will continue forever as the Son of God.

“The children of your people will live in security. Their children’s children will thrive in your presence.” (28)

The last verse is one of abounding optimism. Not only the children who would return from the exile would prosper securely in the land, but all the successive generations of those who love God and his eternal Son will thrive as they live in the worshipful atmosphere of his presence.

1 Keil & Delitzsch 2 Boyce

PSALM 103: PRAISE THE LORD, I TELL MYSELF Song of the Soul

If the student of praise reads only one psalm in ‘The Treasury of David’, the legendary commen- tary by Charles Spurgeon, it might well be this one. He writes of this psalm: ‘It is as the apple tree among the trees of the wood, and its golden fruit has a flavor such as no fruit ever bears unless it has been ripened in the full sunshine of mercy. It is man’s reply to the benedictions of his God, his Song on the Mount answering to his Redeemer’s Sermon on the Mount. Nebuchadnezzar adored his idol with flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer and all kinds of music; and David, in far nobler style awakens all the melodies of heaven and earth in honor of the one only living and true God. …it is one of those all-com- prehending Scriptures which is a Bible in itself, and it might alone almost suffice for the hymn-book of the church.’ 252