 |
Within this website's 44 pages (and thousands more available for download) scriptural treasure is unburied!
"For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light." Mark 4:22
A prophetic scripture compendium (with cross references) expounded with
conservative Bible commentaries
(many more can be viewed on the downloadable pages on the opposite side of this page)
there are now 44 pages of detailed research completed on this site
(listed as follows)
Genesis 2:6 (see page 18)
Genesis 3:15 (see page 21)
Genesis 22:2-4 (see page 21)
Genesis 49:9-12 (page 26)
Exodus 30:1 (see page 41)
Leviticus 14:1-7 (see page 27)
Leviticus 16: 3-14 (see page 28)
Numbers 17:8 (see page 16)
Deuteronomy 18:15 and vs.18 (see page 8)
Deuteronomy 30:10-13 (see page 19)
2 Samuel 23: 2-4 (see page 17)
1 Kings 17:17-23 (see page 30)
1 Chronicles 17:9-27 (see page 26)
Psalm 2: 6-7(see page 29)
Psalm 16:8 (see page 14)
Psalm 16:9 (see page 14)
Psalm 16:10 (see page 13)
Psalm 16:11 (see page 15)
Psalm 18:47-50 (see page 36)
Psalm 20:1-9(see page 25)
Psalm 30:1-12 (see page 31)
psalm 21:1-7 (see page 23)
Psalm 24:1 and Psalm 24:7 (see page 22)
Psalm 89:27 (see page 16)
Psalm 97:11 (see page 27)
Psalm 110:1-7 (see page 34)
Psalm 118:22-24 (see page 35)
Isaiah 11:10 (see page 38)
Isaiah 26:19 (see page 32)
Isaiah 42:5-8 and the corresponding Matthew 12:18-21
(see page 22)
Isaiah 49:5(see page 44) from the greek scriptures (translated) only
Isaiah 53:8 (see page 12)
Isaiah 53:10 (see page 12)
Isaiah 53:11(see page 6)
Isaiah 53:12 (see page 12)
Isaiah 55:3 (see page 11)
Isaiah 55:4-5 (see page 10)
Isaiah 61:10-11 (see page 33)
Jeremiah 23:5-6, 9 (see page 24)
Ezekiel 17:22 (see page 43)
Hosea 13:14 (see page 33)
Amos 9:11-12 (see page 15)
Jonah 2:1-3 (see page 9)
Zephaniah 3:8 from the Greek (translated) Bible only,
(see page 9)
Zacharias (Zechariah) 6:11-12 (see page 13)
The New Testament scriptural references are
prophecied by the Son of God Himself!
Matthew 20:17-19 (see page 20)
Matthew 26:32 (see page 19)
Mark 8:31 and Mark 10:33-34(see page 8)
Mark 9:2-9 (see page 18)
Mark 10:33-34 (see page 20)
Luke 1:31-33 (see page 35)
John 2:19 (see page 18)
John 10:15 (see page 17)
John 11:24-26 (see page 8)
John 16:4-11(see page 38)
|
|
If you arrived at this page from a web search engine please click on the page link to page 1 or just click on this link: http://www.messiahprophecies.com/
Genesis 3:15 LXX (Thomson version) ; " And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed, He shall wound thy head, and thou shalt wound His heel."
Genesis, 3:15 "KJV Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." [see my ft]
[ft] The Septuagint, the greek Old Testament, (signified by the letters LXX) has the SINGULAR form of "seed" ("spermatos") ;used in both instances in this verse. ; the New International Version has " crush your head".
Cross references :
Hebrews 2:14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,"
Hebrews 2:15* "and might deliver those, whoever, with fear of death, throughout all their life, were subjects of bondage," (Young's Literal Translation)
and also : 1 John 3:8 ; " He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil."
Colossians 2 :13-15 , verse 13 ; " And you-being dead in the trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh-He made alive together with him, having forgiven you all the trespasses,
14 having blotted out the handwriting in the ordinances that is against us, that was contrary to us, and He hath taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross;
15 having stripped the principalities and the authorities, He made a shew of them openly-having triumphed over them in it."
1 John 3:8* KJV 1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. "
"Rabbi" Tan Huna of whom it was said that he was "the seal of the Midrashim says that ; "God prepared another seed from another place, and He is the Messiah-King."
The "Believer's Bible Commentary says ; ".This verse is known as the protevangelium, meaning "The First Gospel." It predicts the perpetual hostility between Satan and the woman (representing all mankind), and between Satan's seed (his agents) and her Seed (the Messiah). The woman's Seed would crush the Devil's head, a mortal wound spelling utter defeat. This wound was administered at Calvary when the Savior decisively triumphed over the Devil. Satan, in turn, would bruise the Messiah's heel. The heel wound here speaks of suffering and even of physical death, but not of ultimate defeat. So Christ suffered on the cross, and even died, but He arose from the dead, victorious over sin, hell, and Satan. The fact that He is called the woman's Seed may contain a suggestion of His virgin birth. Note the kindness of God in promising the Messiah before pronouncing sentence in the following verses."
IRENAEUS (an early Church "father") ; "For this end did He put enmity between the serpent and the woman and her seed, they keeping it up mutually: He, the sole of whose foot should be bitten, having power also to tread upon the enemy's head; but the other biting, killing, and impeding the steps of man, until the seed did come appointed to tread down his head, - which was born of Mary, of whom the prophet speaks: "Thou shalt tread upon the asp and the basilisk; thou shalt trample down the lion and the dragon;" - indicating that sin, which was set up and spread out against man, and which rendered him subject to death, should be deprived of its power, along with death, which rules [over men]; and that the lion, that is, antichrist, rampant against mankind in the latter days, should be trampled down by Him; and that He should bind "the dragon, that old serpent" and subject him to the power of man, who had been conquered so that all his might should be trodden down. Now Adam had been conquered, all life having been taken away from him: wherefore, when the foe was conquered in his turn, Adam received new life; and the last enemy, death, is destroyed, which at the first had taken possession of man. Therefore, when man has been liberated, "what is written shall come to pass, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death sting?" This could not be said with justice, if that man, over whom death did first obtain dominion, were not set free. For his salvation is death's destruction. When therefore the Lord vivifies man, that is, Adam, death is at the same time destroyed." and... "And the Lord summed up in Himself this enmity, when He was made man from a woman," and
".He has therefore, in His work of recapitulation, summed up all things, both waging war against our enemy, and crushing him who had at the beginning led us away captives in Adam, and trampled upon his head, as thou canst perceive in Genesis that God said to the serpent, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; He shall be on the watch for (Latin:observabit) thy head, and thou on the watch for His heel."(10) For from that time, He who should be born of a woman, [namely] from the Virgin, after the likeness of Adam, was preached as keeping watch for the head of the serpent."
C.H.Spurgeon; "Here, too, the great fact of the sufferings of Christ is clearly foretold-"Thou shalt bruise his heel." Within the compass of those words we find the whole story of our Lord's sorrows from Bethlehem to Calvary. "It shall bruise thy head": there is the breaking of Satan's regal power, there is the clearing away of sin, there is the destruction of death by resurrection, there is the leading of captivity captive in the ascension, there is the victory of truth in the world through the descent of the Spirit, and there is the latter-day glory in which Satan shall be bound, and there is, lastly, the casting of the evil one and all his followers into the lake of fire. The conflict and the conquest are both in the compass of these few fruitful words. They may not have been fully understood by those who first heard them, but to us they are now full of light. The text at first looks like a flint, hard and cold; but sparks fly from it plentifully, for hidden fires of infinite love and grace lie concealed within. Over this promise of a gracious God we ought to rejoice exceedingly."...and he further comments;"...but now, behold, our Champion whose heel was bruised has risen from the dead, and given us a pledge that all his followers shall rise from the dead also. Thus is Satan foiled, for death shall not retain a bone, nor a piece of a bone, of one of those who belonged to the woman's seed. At the trump of the archangel from the earth and from the sea they shall arise, and this shall be their shout, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" Satan, knowing this, feels already that by the resurrection his head is broken. Glory be to the Christ of God for this!"
".And your resurrection, too, when Satan shall see you come up from the grave like one that has been perfumed in a bath of spices, when he shall see you arise in the image of Christ, with the same body which was sown in corruption and weakness raised in incorruption and power, then will he feel an infinite chagrin, and know that his head is bruised by the woman's seed.
I ought to add that every time any one of us is made useful in saving souls we do as it were repeat the bruising of the serpent's head. When you go, dear sister, among those poor children, and pick them up from the gutters, where they are Satan's prey, where he finds the raw material for thieves and criminals, and when through your means, by the grace of God, the little wanderers become children of the living God, then you in your measure bruise the old serpent's head. I pray you do not spare him. When we by preaching the gospel turn sinners from the error of their ways, so that they escape from the power of darkness, again we bruise the serpent's head.
Whenever in any shape or way you are blessed to the aiding of the cause of truth and righteousness in the world, you, too, who were once beneath his power, and even now have sometimes to suffer from his nibbling at your heel, you tread upon his head. In all deliverances and victories you overcome, and prove the promise true, "Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet."
Adam Clarke ; " But there is a deeper meaning in the text than even this, especially in these words, 'it shall bruise thy head', or rather,.. 'HE (shall bruise thy head'; [my ft]
[ft] the Septuagint, New King James, and New Revised Standard have " He" rather than " it"
Adam Clarke notes the identity of the One to come who will crush his head asks the question ; "who? the seed of the woman; the person is to come by the woman, and by her alone, without the concurrence of man.... and it was in consequence of this purpose of God that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin; this, and this alone, is what is implied in the promise of the seed of the woman bruising the head of the serpent. Jesus Christ died to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, and to destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. Thus he bruises his head -destroys his power and lordship over mankind, turning them from the power of Satan unto God; Acts 26:18. [my ft]
[ft] Acts 26:18 . " To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."
And Satan bruises his heel - God so ordered it, that the salvation of man could only be brought about by the death of Christ; and even the spiritual seed of our blessed Lord have the heel often bruised, as they suffer persecution, temptation, etc., which may be all that is intended by this part of the prophecy."
John Gill ; "...of the Messiah, the eminent seed of the woman, should bruise the head of the old serpent the devil, that is, destroy him and all his principalities and powers, break and confound all his schemes, and ruin all his works, crush his whole empire, strip him of his authority and sovereignty, and particularly of his power over death, and his tyranny over the bodies and souls of men; all which was done by Christ, when he became incarnate and suffered and died."
and..."The Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase this passage of the days of the Messiah, and of health and salvation in them: what is here delivered out in a way of threatening to the serpent the devil, carries in it a kind intimation of grace and good will to fallen man, and laid a foundation for hope of salvation and happiness: reference seems to be had to this passage in "Ps 40:7" "in the volume", in the first roll, en kefalidi the Greek version, at the head, [my ft]
[ft] as used in in the beginning "of the book, it is written of me, to do thy will, O my God."
Wil Pounds ; "...Dr. Merill C. Tenny says, "It may be believed that resurrection faith is at the center of the paradox of the Savior-man. In the crushing of the head of the serpent, deliverance was promised: and in order to effect that deliverance, the redeemer had to be able to conquer death." He adds, "How could Christ (the seed of the woman) take upon Himself the consequences of the serpent's sting and yet live? Resurrection seems to be the answer."
Death symbolized the wounding of the heel by Satan and takes place before the smashing of the head of Satan by the seed of the woman. The wounding appears to be the death on the cross, since Christ identified His executioners as the seed of the serpent. Jesus said, "You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him . . . " (John 8:44).
This preceding death makes mandatory the resurrection of the seed of the woman to perform the smashing of the serpent's head.
This promise was no doubt the cause of Abraham greeting the "day of Christ" with glad assurance in John 8:54).
Genesis 3:15 is the first shining light on the horizon of eternal life. It is the root of Abraham's obedience to the Lord to offer Isaac as a burnt offering. Why else would he make such a sacrifice if he did not have the hope before him that God would raise the son of the promise from the dead? Abe probably believed the seed of the woman was the promise of a seed through Isaac.
In Hebrews 11:19, Abraham "considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead; from which he also received him back as a type." Jesus said, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad."
Genesis is more than a story. It is the record of God's work on behalf of the redeemed. It is the history of God's redemptive work.
Romans 16:20, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet." That crushing certainly includes all the labor of Jesus the Messiah. The hope of the resurrection is as old as sinful men and is mighty to support them in all their pilgrimages to heaven.
Dr. Harold Stigers, "Gen. 3:15 has become the most important verse in all the Bible." The central message of the whole Bible, old and new covenants, are the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The greatest commentary on Gen. 3:15 is John 3:16. No doubt, the "seed of the woman" is referring to the virgin birth of Christ. The virgin- born conquers death, hell and the grave.
Christ will give the death blow to Satan when He returns."
Alfred Edersheim ; "...this grand primeval promise, 'The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent,' would stand out as a beacon-light to all mankind on their way, burning brighter and brighter, first in the promise to Shem, next in that to Abraham, then in the prophecy of Jacob, and so on through the types of the Law to the promises of the Prophets, till in the fulness of time 'the Sun of Righteousness' arose 'with healing in His wings'!"
Benjamin Keach's thoughts concerning the wound that the Messiah would suffer and God's resurrecting power of Christ from the dead ; ".but My divine omnipotence shall cure that wound, by giving Him a glorious resurrection from death, and by my Gospel, declaring Him to the whole world to be conqueror of hell, and all its powers : whereas thou the Devil) shalt utterly perish ; not only thy heel, but thy very head shall be broken.
We have insisted on the larger upon this great oracle of divine truth because it is the foundation of the prophecies concerning the Messiah, and all our hope and comfort, which we hope shall not seem tedious to the pious reader."
Genesis 22:2-4, LXX " 2 And he said, Take thy son, the beloved one, whom thou hast loved. Isaac, and go into the high land, and offer him there for a whole-burnt-offering on one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
3 And Abraam rose up in the morning and saddled his ass, and he took with him two servants, and Isaac his son, and having split wood for a whole-burnt-offering, he arose and departed, and came to the place of which God spoke to him,
4 on the third day; and Abraam having lifted up his eyes, saw the place afar off."
Genesis 22:2-4, Douey-Reims (from Latin Vugate) 2 He said to him: Take thy only begotten son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and go into the land of vision; and there thou shalt offer him for an holocaust upon one of the mountains which I will shew thee.
3 So Abraham rising up in the night, saddled his ass, and took with him two young men, and Isaac his son: and when he had cut wood for the holocaust, he went his way to the place which God had commanded him.
4 And on the third day, lifting up his eyes, he saw the place afar off."
KJV/MT Genesis 22:2-4, verse 2 ; " And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him."
4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off."
Cross references :
Exodus 5:3 "And they said, The Elohim of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto Yahweh our Elohim; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword."
Exodus 15:22 "So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water."
Exodus 19:11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day Yahweh will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
Hebrews 11:17 (NKJV) ; " By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
vs.18 of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called," vs.19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense."
Matthew 10:37 "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."
Numbers 19:12 "He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean." [ft]
[ft] note the linkage between the third day and the seventh day. Many Christians observe a "Sabbath day every seven days (on the first day of the week) in honoring the One Who was resurrected on the third day.
Joshua 1:11 , LXX (Thomson version) ; "Go through the camp of the people, and give them orders, saying, Prepare all necessary provisions ; for in three days you are to cross the Jordan, to go in and take possession of the land which the Lord the God of your fathers giveth you."
2 Kings 20:5 "Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith Yahweh, the Elohim of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of Yahweh."
Adam Clarke; " And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
Abraham desired earnestly to be let into the mystery of redemption; and God, to instruct him in the infinite extent of the Divine goodness to mankind, who spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, let Abraham feel by experience what it was to lose a beloved son, the son born miraculously when Sarah was past child-bearing, as Jesus was miraculously born of a virgin. The duration, too, of the action, Genesis 22:4, was the same as that between Christ's death and resurrection, both which are designed to be represented in it; and still farther not only the final archetypical sacrifice of the Son of God was figured in the command to offer Isaac, but the intermediate typical sacrifice in the Mosaic economy was represented by the permitted sacrifice of the ram offered up, Genesis 22:13, instead of Isaac."
John Gill; "The Jews (ft. Bereshit Rabba, sect. 56. fol. 49. 3) take great notice of this third day, and compare the passage with (see Ho 6:2); and which they interpret of the third day of the resurrection; and the deliverance of Isaac on this third day was doubtless typical of Christ's resurrection from the dead on the third day; for from the time that Abraham had the command to offer up his son, he was reckoned no other by him than as one dead, from whence he received him in a figure on this third day, (see Heb 11:19):
John Calvin; "But it may be asked, 'how, under the guidance of faith, he could be brought to sacrifice his son, seeing that what was proposed to him, was in opposition to that word of God, on which it is necessary for faith to rely?' To this question the Apostle answers, that his confidence in the word of God remained unshaken; because he hoped that God would be able to cause the promised benediction to spring up, even out of the dead ashes of his son.(Hebr. 11:19). "[my ft]
[ft] Hebrews 11:19 NKJV ; " concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense."
Edersheim ; "Upon Isaac, also, the event had a most important bearing. For when he resisted not his father, and allowed himself to be bound and laid on the altar, he entered into the spirit of Abraham, he took upon himself his faith, and thus showed himself truly the heir to the promises. Nor can we forget how this surrender of the first-born was the first of that dedication of all the first-born unto God, which afterwards the law demanded, and which meant that in the first-born we should consecrate all and everything unto the Lord. Perhaps the lesson which the Canaanites might learn from the event will seem to some quite secondary, as compared with these great truths. Yet we must bear in mind, that all around cruel human sacrifices were offered on every hill, when God gave His sanction to a far different offering, by for ever substituting animal sacrifices for that surrender of the best beloved which human despair had prompted for an atonement for sin. And yet God Himself gave up His Beloved, His own only begotten Son for us, - and of this the sacrifice of Isaac was intended to be a glorious type; and as Abraham received this typical sacrifice again from the dead "in a figure," so we in reality, when God raised up His own Son, Jesus Christ, from the dead, and has made us sit together with Him in heavenly places."
Herbert Lockyer ; "With Isaac, the three days ended with a substitute dying in his place. With Jesus, the three days ended with His resurrection."
Psalm 24:1, and vss. 7-10, LXX, Thomson Version, vs.1 ; A Psalm for David. on the first day of the week
The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof; the world, and all its inhabitants."
and
Psalm 24:7, LXX : "Lift up your gates, ye princes, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; and the king of glory shall come in."
Psalm 24:7 LXX (Thomson version) ; "Open wide your gates, ye chiefs! And be opened wide, ye everlasting doors ; that the glorious king may enter."
Vs. 8 "Who is this king of Glory? the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your gates, ye princes; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the king of glory shall come in.
10 Who is this king of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is this king of glory."
Cross references :
Daniel 7:13-14 " And I beheld in the vision of the night, and lo! with the clouds of heaven One like a son of man coming! And He advanced to the Ancient of Days and was led into to Him."
Vs.14 "And to him was given the dominion, and the honour, and the kingdom; and all nations, tribes, and languages, shall serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed."
Hebrews 2:14-15 ; "Since then the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." [my ft}
[ft] the word "deliver" in vs.15 is the same word in the greek as is the word "renew"
John 16:28 "I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father."
Mark 14:62 "And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."
Mark 16:19 "So then after the Lord had spoken to them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God."
Matthew 28:18 "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."
Hebrews 9:12 "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."
Though this scripture speaks primarily of the Lord's ascension and exaltation, the early churchman Justin demonstrates Christ's living power in the following and how His resurrection and exaltation are inexorrably linked ; i.e. There could be no exaltation without the resurrection ; "Moreover, some of you (Jews) venture to expand the prophecy which runs, 'Lift up your gates ye rulers, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors, that the King of Glory may enter'. but to this our Christ alone, Who appeared without comeliness and inglorious (at His advent), as Isaiah and David and all the scriptures said ; who is the Lord of Hosts, by the will of the Father Who conferred on Him, who also rose from the dead, and ascended to heaven, as the Psalm and other Scriptures manifested, when they pronounced Him to be Lord of Hosts, and of this you may, if exorcised in the name of this very Son of God-Who is the First-Born of every creature, Who became man by the virgin, Who suffered, and was crucified under Pontius Pilate by your nation, Who died, Who rose from the dead and ascended into heaven -is overcome (victorius) and subdued (His enemies). "
Christopher Wordsworth, D.D. Ver. 1. "The earth is the Lord's. It is Christ's, by creation (Psalm 24:2 John 1:1-2), and it is his by resurrection (Matthew 28:18), and by his glorious ascension into heaven, where he is enthroned King of the world in his human nature. This Psalm takes up the language of the first Ascension Psalm (Psalm 24:8.)"[my ft]
[ft] Psalm 24:8, LXX ; " Who is this king of Glory? the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle."
Matthew Henry ; "...It is likewise to be applied to the dominion Christ has, as Mediator, over the utmost parts of the earth, which are given him for his possession: the Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hand, power over all flesh. The apostle quotes this scripture twice together in his discourse about things offered to idols, 1Corinthians 10:26,28."
Spurgeon ; Ver. 7. "These last verses reveal to us the great representative man, who answered to the full character laid down, and therefore by his own right ascended the holy hill of Zion. Our Lord Jesus Christ could ascend into the hill of the Lord because his hands were clean and his heart was pure, and if we by faith in him are conformed to his image we shall enter too. We have here a picture of our Lord's glorious ascent. We see him rising from amidst the little group upon Olivet, and as the cloud receives him, angels reverently escort him to the gates of heaven.
The ancient gates of the eternal temple are personified and addressed in song by the attending cohorts of rejoicing spirits."
"Lo his triumphal chariot waits, And angels chant the solemn lay. Lift up your heads, ye heavenly gates; Ye everlasting doors, give way."
F. A. Cox, D.D., L.L.D., 1852 ; From the "Legend of the Songs of the Night," in the Talmud, quoted in "Biblical Antiquities." ; " 'He heard me', croaked the raven, 'when I was forsaken and alone;" "He heard me", said the wild goat of the rocks, "when my time came, and I brought forth.' And the turtle dove cooed, and the swallow and other birds joined the song, 'We have found our nests, our houses, we dwell upon the altar of the Lord, and sleep under the shadow of his wing in tranquillity and peace.' 'And peace', replied the night, and echo prolonged the sound, when chanticleer awoke the dawn, and crowed with joy, "Open the portals, set wide the gates of the world! The King of glory approaches. Awake! Arise, ye sons of men, give praises and thanks unto the Lord, for the King of glory approaches.' "
"The sun arose, and David awoke from his melodious rapture. But as long as he lived the strains of creation's harmony remained in his soul, and daily he recalled them from the strings of his harp." By F. A. Cox, D.D., L.L.D., 1852.
Adam Clarke ; "...both among ancients and moderns, have thought this Psalm speaks of the resurrection of our Lord, and is thus to be understood. It is easy to apply it in this way: Jesus has conquered sin, Satan, and death, by dying. He now rises from the dead; and, as a mighty Conqueror, claims an entrance into the realms of glory, the kingdom which he has purchased by his blood; there to appear ever in the presence of God for us, to which he purposes to raise finally the innumerable hosts of his followers; for in reference to these, He is the Lord of hosts; and, in reference to his victory, He is the Lord mighty in battle."
Albert Barnes comments on verse 7 ; "And the King of glory shall come in - The glorious King. The allusion is to God as a King. On the cover of the ark, or the mercy-seat, the symbol of the divine presence - the Shekinah - rested; and hence, it was natural to say that God would enter through those gates. In other words, the cover of the ark was regarded as his abode - His seat - His throne; and, as thus occupying the mercy-seat, He was about to enter the place of His permanent abode."
[ft]The cherubim of the mercy-seat were human figures, each having two wings."".Hence, the cherubim, described by Ezekiel, have been regarded as representing the whole creation engaged in the worship and service of God (compare Rev_4:9-11; Rev_5:13); and it would be in harmony with this view to suppose that the more strictly human shape of the cherubim of the mercy seat represented the highest form of created intelligence engaged in the devout contemplation of the divine law of love and justice. (Compare 1Pe_1:12.) It is worthy of notice that the golden cherubim from between which Yahweh spoke Exo_25:22 to His people bore witness, by their place on the mercy-seat, to His redeeming mercy; while the cherubim that took their stand at the gate of Eden, Gen_3:24, to keep the way to the tree of life, witnessed to His condemnation of sin in man."
Adam Clarke on verse 8 ("Who is this king of Glory? the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.")
".Several, both among ancients and moderns, have thought this Psalm speaks of the resurrection of our Lord, and is thus to be understood. It is easy to apply it in this way: Jesus has conquered sin, Satan, and death, by dying. He now rises from the dead; and, as a mighty Conqueror, claims an entrance into the realms of glory, the kingdom which he has purchased by his blood; there to appear ever in the presence of God for us, to which he purposes to raise finally the innumerable hosts of his followers; for in reference to these, He is the Lord of hosts; and, in reference to his victory, He is the Lord mighty in battle."
Matthew Henry on verse 8; "Doubtless it points at Christ, of whom the ark, with the mercy-seat, was a type. 1. We may apply it to the ascension of Christ into heaven and the welcome given to him there. When he had finished his work on earth he ascended in the clouds of heaven, Dan_7:13, Dan_7:14. The gates of heaven must then be opened to him, those doors that may be truly called everlasting, which had been shut against us, to keep the way of the tree of life, Gen_3:24. Our Redeemer found them shut, but, having by his blood made atonement for sin and gained a title to enter into the holy place (Heb_9:12), as one having authority, he demanded entrance, not for himself only, but for us; for, as the forerunner, he has for us entered and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. The keys not only of hell and death, but of heaven and life, must be put into his hand. His approach being very magnificent, the angels are brought in asking, Who is this King of glory? For angels keep the gates of the New Jerusalem, Rev_21:12. When the first-begotten was brought into the upper world the angels were to worship him (Heb_1:6); and accordingly, they here ask with wonder, "Who is he? - this that cometh with dyed garments from Bozrah? (Isa_63:1-3), for he appears in that world as a Lamb that had been slain." It is answered that he is strong and mighty, mighty in battle, to save his people and subdue his and their enemies. 2. We may apply it to Christ's entrance into the souls of men by his word and Spirit, that they may be his temples. Christ's presence in them is like that of the ark in the temple; it sanctifies them. Behold, he stands at the door and knocks, Rev_3:20. It is required that the gates and doors of the heart be opened to him, not only as admission is given to a guest, but as possession is delivered to the rightful owner, after the title has been contested. This is the gospel call and demand, that we let Jesus Christ, the King of glory, come into our souls, and welcome him with hosannas, Blessed is he that cometh. That we may do this aright we are concerned to ask, Who is this King of glory? - to acquaint ourselves with him, whom we are to believe in, and to love above all. And the answer is ready: He is Jehovah, and will be Jehovah our righteousness, an all-sufficient Saviour to us, if we give him entrance and entertainment. He is strong and mighty, and the Lord of hosts; and therefore it is at our peril if we deny him entrance; for he is able to avenge the affront; he can force his way, and can break those in pieces with his iron rod that will not submit to his golden sceptre.
In singing this let our hearts cheerfully answer to this call, as it is in the first words of the next psalm, Unto thee, O Lord! do I lift up my soul."
Spurgeon Psa_24:10 ; "The closing note is inexpressibly grand. Jehovah of hosts, Lord of men and angels, Lord of the universe, Lord of the worlds, is the King of glory. All true glory is concentrated upon the true God, for all other glory is but a passing pageant, the painted pomp of an hour. The ascended Saviour is here declared to be the Head and Crown of the universe, the King of Glory. Our Immanuel is hymned in sublimest strains. Jesus of Nazareth is Jehovah Sabaoth."
Matthew 12:18-21(these versus are taken from Isaiah 42:1-4 in the Old Testament) ; "Behold my Servant, whom I have chosen; my Beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon Him, and He shall show Justice to the Gentiles.
He shall not quarrel, nor cry; neither shall any man hear His voice in the streets.
A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he shall send forth Justice to victory. And in His name shall the Gentiles trust."
(Continuing with Isaiah 42 Vss.5-8 from Justin's Septuagint or as abbreviated LXX) ; vs.5 ; "Thus says the Lord, the God that created the heavens, and made them fast, that established the earth, and that which is in it ; and gave breath to the people upon it, and spirit to them who walk therein :
Vs.6 I the Lord God have called Thee in righteousness, and will hold Thine hand, and will strengthen Thee ; and I have given Thee for a Covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles,
Vs.7 to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out them that are blind, to bring out them that are bound from the chains, and those who sit in darkness from the prison-house .
Vs.8 I am the Lord God ; this is my name ; my glory will I not give to another, nor my virtues to graven images."
Isaiah 42:1-8,Dead Sea Scroll, vs. 1 ; "Behold my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I put my spirit upon him: and his judgement will go out to the Gentiles.
(2.) He shall not cry, nor shout, nor cause his voice to be heard in the outskirts.
(3.) A bruised reed he shall not break, and the smoking flax he shall not quench: for truth he shall bring out judgement.
(4.) He shall not falter nor be discouraged, until he puts judgement in the earth: and for his Torah the islands shall wait.
(5.). Thus says the God and God (elohiym) the creator of the heavens, and stretched them out in the firmament and the earth, and that which comes out of it; the Giver of breath to the people upon it, and spirit to those walking in it:
(6.) I have called you in righteousness, and I will hold your hand, and will keep you, [a nazarene word] and I will give you for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; [or "I will make you a Nazarene and give your for a covenant and light of the Gentiles." [See http://www.ao.net/~fmoeller/40-45.htm#sing]
(7.) To open the blind eyes, to bring out from prison the prisoners, and from the house of confinement those who sit in darkness.
(8.) I am YHWH that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to idols." see www.ao.net/~fmoeller/qa-tran.htm
Cross references :
Isaiah 49:1-13, Dead Sea Scroll, vs.1 ; "Hear me, O islands, and listen peoples, from afar; YHWH called me from the womb; from My mother's belly He caused My name to be remembered.
(2.) And He has put my mouth a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand He hid me, and made Me as a polished arrow; in His quiver he hid Me;
(3.) And He said to Me, You are My Servant Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
(4.) Then I said, for emptiness I have toiled, My strength for a void and a vapor I have spent : surely My judgment is with YHWH and My work with My God.
(5.) And now, says YHWH who formed You from the womb to serve Him, to return Jacob to Him,
and to gather Israel to Him, and I shall be glorious in the eyes of YHWH, and My God shall be My strength.
(6.) And He said, Is it a light thing from your being to me a servant to raise up the tribes of Israel and to restore the Nazarenes of Jacob : I will also give you for a light to the Gentiles, to be My Salvation {Yeshua] to the end of the earth.
(7.). Thus says the Lord YHWH your Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to those despising his soul, to Him who the nation counts an abomination, to a Servant of rulers,
Kings shall see and arise, princes shall worship, for the sake of YHWH who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, shall choose You.
(8.) Thus says YHWH, In an excellent time have I heard You, and in a day of Salvation [Hebrew:Yeshua] I helped You: and I will preserve [or "make Nazarene "] You, and I will give You for a covenant of the people, to raise up the earth, to cause them to inherit heritages of desolation;
(9.) saying to the prisoners, Go out; to them that are in darkness, reveal yourselves upon all the mountains they shall feed, and in all the high places of their pastures.
(10.) They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall it strike them the heat nor the sun : for He has mercy on them shall lead them, and onto the springs of water He guides them.
(11.) And I will set all my mountains as a roadway and My highways shall be exalted.
(12.) Behold, these shall come from far: and behold, these from the north and west; and these from the land of China.
(13.). Sing, O heavens; and rejoice, O earth; and break out into singing, O mountains: because YHWH has comforted his people, and on the afflicted He will have mercy." [FT]
[FT] see [ft] see http://www.ao.net/~fmoeller/qa-tran.htm
Isaiah 52:13 "Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high."
Job 11:15-17 " For thus shall thy countenance shine again, as pure water; and thou shalt divest thyself of uncleanness, and shalt not fear. 16 And thou shalt forget trouble, as a wave that has passed by; and thou shalt not be scared. 17 And thy prayer shall be as the morning star, and life shall arise to thee as from the noonday."
Acts 28:28 "Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of Yahweh is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.
Acts 13:42 ¶ And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
Acts 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of Yahweh: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed."
Revelation 6:1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four living beings saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw, and behold, a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given to him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer."
Isaiah 42:1-8 (the first four verses I quote from Matthew's Gospel that is from a greek translation as is considered the most accurate when differing from the Old Testament text) The LXX (Charles Thomson version) has the following for verse 4; "He will shine out, and shall not be broken until he hath established judgement on the earth. In his name therefore let the nations trust." (this agrees with Justin Martyr's LXX) The Dead Sea Scroll for verse for is; "He shall not falter nor be discouraged, until he puts judgement in the earth: and for his Torah the islands shall wait."
The phrase "shine again" in the LXX Job 11:15-17 (" For thus shall thy countenance shine again, as pure water; and thou shalt divest thyself of uncleanness, and shalt not fear. 16 And thou shalt forget trouble, as a wave that has passed by; and thou shalt not be scared. 17 And thy prayer shall be as the morning star, and life shall arise to thee as from the noonday.") is the same phrase in text of the LXX vs. 4 ("he will shine out" ; the Greek is in both; "avna&la,mpw, f. &yw, to flame up, take fire, Xen.II. metaph. to break out anew, as war, Plut. 2. to come to oneself again, revive, Id. See Liddell-Scott Greek-English Lexicon abridged)
Also attention should be drawn to the fact that neither the Septuagint (LXX) nor Matthew's Gospel in quoting verse 4 read as the Hebraic Massoretic, "Authorized Version", and most modern Bibles that read as "He shall not fail nor be discouraged until." but the Greek versus rather have "He shall shine out." or as Matthew has "...till He shall send forth justice to victory." Establishing justice in the earth is not failure nor anything to be discouraged by! By reading from the AV/Massoretic text it could be said that His life didn't fail until He established justice in the earth. The LXX doesn't say that, rather, it says "He shall not be broken until he hath established judgement on the earth". In the final analysis, we need to trust the Holy Spirit-anointed and Messiah-taught scripture texts as the final authorities. No doubt they had superior or more authentic ("Authorized", if you will) versions in their hands than what we have two thousand years later. T Mc.
Matthew Henry comments on Matthew 12:20 (the New Testament quoting the Old Testament of Isaiah 42:1-4) ; "...That judgment which he showed to the Gentiles shall be victorious, he will go on conquering and to conquer, Rev_6:2. Both the preaching of the gospel in the world, and the power of the gospel in the heart, shall prevail. Grace shall get the upper hand of corruption, and shall at length be perfected in glory. Christ's judgment will be brought forth to victory, for when he judges he will overcome."
John Gill ; ".This prophecy is ushered in with a "behold"; exciting attention to what is said concerning Christ, as of the greatest importance; directing the eye of faith to him for righteousness and salvation; and as expressive of admiration at him, that he who was the Son of God should become a servant, and undertake the salvation of men:
mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth (from verse 1 of the KJV/MT/AV): ".this character of "elect" may respect the choice of the human nature to the grace of union with the Son of God; which was chosen out from among the people, and separated from them for that purpose; and was preordained to be the Lamb slain for the redemption of man, and appointed to glory; and likewise the choice of Christ to office, to be the Mediator between God and man; to be the Saviour and Redeemer of the Lord's people; to be the Head of the church, and to be the Foundation and the Corner Stone of that spiritual building; and to be the Judge of quick and dead: and with him, as such, was the Lord "well pleased, or delighted"; with his person; as the Son of God; and with all his chosen, as considered in him; with what he did as his servant; with the righteousness he wrought out; with the sacrifice he offered up; and with his sufferings and death, through which peace and reconciliation were made with God for sinners:
I have put my Spirit upon him; my Holy Spirit, as the Targum; not on him as a divine Person, as such he needed him not; but as man, with which he was filled without measure at his incarnation, and which rested upon him, and qualified him for his work and office, as Prophet, Priest, and King:
he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles; the Gospel, the produce of divine wisdom; the Gospel of God, whose judgment is according to truth; the rule of human judgment in things spiritual and saving, and by which Christ judges and rules in the hearts of his people; this he brought forth out of his Father's bosom, out of his own heart, and published it in person to the Jews, and by his apostles to the converted by it, became subject to his rule and government. Gentiles, who being converted by it, became subject to his rule and government.
".the Septuagint version, "he shall shine"; in the glory of his person, as the Son of God; in the fulness of his grace, as Mediator, which shall never fail; and in the hearts of his people by his Spirit; and in his Gospel published to the world:
nor be discouraged; at the number, power, and menaces of his enemies, he had to grapple with, sin, Satan, the world, and death: or,
nor be broken; with the weight of all the sins of his people upon him; and with a sense of divine wrath; and with the whole punishment due unto them, inflicted on him, enough to have broke the backs and spirits of men and angels; but he stood up under the mighty load, and did not sink beneath it, but endured all with an invincible courage and resolution of mind:
till he have set judgment in the earth; fully satisfied the justice of God for the sins of his people, and performed the work of their redemption in righteousness; and then he sent and settled his Gospel in the world, proclaiming the same; and fixed a set of Gospel ordinances to continue the remembrance of it, till his second coming.."
and the isles shall wait for his law; his doctrine or Gospel, the law or doctrine of faith, particularly that of justification by his righteousness, with every other; this the inhabitants of the islands, or distant countries, the Gentiles, should be desirous of hearing, readily embrace and receive, and trust in Christ, made known to them in it. The Septuagint version is, "and in his name shall the Gentiles trust"; and so in Matthew 12:20 Acts 28:28 13:42,48.'
Albert Barnes; "...There are such applications of the passage in the New Testament to the Lord Jesus, as to leave no room to doubt that, in view of the sacred writers, the passage had this reference. Thus, in Luke_2:32, he is spoken of as ?a light to lighten the Gentiles' (compare Isa_42:6). In Acts_26:18, Paul speaks of him as given to the Gentiles,' to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light' (compare Isa_42:7). In Mat_3:17, God says of the Redeemer, 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,' - language remarkably similar to the passage before us Isa_42:1, where he says, 'mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth.' And the whole inquiry is put to rest by the fact that Matthew Mat_12:17-21 expressly and directly applies the passage to the Lord Jesus, and says that it was fulfilled in him.
3. It may be added, that the entire description is one that is exactly and entirely applicable to the Lord Jesus. It is as applicable as if it had been made after he had appeared among people, and as if it were the language of biography, and not of prophecy. It is an exceedingly beautiful and tender description of the Son of God; nor can there be any objection to its application to him, except what arises from a general purpose not to apply any part of the Old Testament to him, if it can be avoided. I shall regard the passage, therefore, as applicable to him, and him alone; and suppose that the design of the Spirit here in introducing this reference to the Messiah is, to comfort the hearts of the exile Jews with the assurance that they must be restored to their own land, because it was from them that the Messiah was to proceed, and from them that the true religion was to be spread around the world.
Whom I uphold - whom I sustain, or protect; that is, who is the object of my affection and care. In Mat_3:17, the expression is, ?in whom I am well pleased.' And so in Mat_12:18, it is rendered, ?my servant, whom I have chosen.'
Mine elect - My chosen one; or the one whom I have selected to accomplish my great purposes. It implies that God had designated or appointed him for the purpose. In Mat_12:18, it is rendered ?my beloved.' It implies that he was the object of the divine favor, and that God had chosen or appointed him to perform the work of a Messiah...."
He shall bring forth judgment - "...The word 'judgment', that is, the act of judging Lev_19:15; the place of judgment Ecc_3:16; a cause, or suit before a judge Num_28:5; a sentence of a judge 1Ki_3:28; and thence guilt or crime, for which one is judged Jer_51:9. It also means right, rectitude, justice; a law, or statute; a claim, privilege, or due; also manner, custom, or fashion; or an ordinance, or institution. Here it is used, probably, in the sense of the order or institution that would be introduced under the Messiah; and it means that he would set up or establish the true religion among the Gentiles.
To the Gentiles - This is one of the many declarations which occur in Isaiah, that the Messiah would extend the true religion to pagan nations, and that they should be brought to participate in its privileges...."
He shall bring forth judgment - (See Isa_42:1). "...The word ?judgment' here evidently denotes the true religion; the laws, institutions, and appointments of God.
"Matthew 12:29 renders this, 'unto victory.' The meaning in Isaiah is, the he shall establish his religion according to truth; he shall faithfully announce the true precepts of religion, and secure their ascendency among mankind. It shall overcome all falsehood, and all idolatry, and shall obtain a final triumph in all nations ..."Barnes continues; "Isa 42: He shall not fail (quoting the KJV/MT)- He shall not be weak, feeble, or disheartened. However much there may be that shall tend to discourage, yet his purpose is fixed, and he will pursue it with steadiness and ardor until the great work shall be fully accomplished."
Nor be discouraged -". The Septuagint renders it, 'He shall shine out, and not be broken.' The connection seems to require the sense which our translators have given to it, and according to this, the meaning is, 'he shall not become broken in spirit, or discouraged; he shall persevere amidst all opposition and embarrassment, until he shall accomplish his purposes.' We have a similar phraseology when we speak of a man's being heart-broken.
Till he have set judgment - Until he has secured the prevalence of the true religion in all the world.
And the isles - Distant nations (see the note at Isa_41:1); the pagan nations. The expression is equivalent to saying that the Gentiles would be desirous of receiving the religion of the Messiah, and would wait for it (see the notes at Isa_2:3).
Shall wait - They shall be dissatisfied with their own religions, and see that their idol-gods are unable to aid them; and they shall be in a posture of waiting for some new religion that shall meet their needs. It cannot mean that they shall wait for it, in the sense of their already having a knowledge of it, but that their being sensible that their own religions cannot save them may be represented as a condition of waiting for some better system. It has been true, as in the Sandwich Islands, that the pagan have been so dissatisfied with their own religion as to cast away their idols, and to be without any religion, and thus to be in a waiting posture for some new and better system. And it may be true yet that the pagan shall become extensively dissatisfied with their idolatry; that they shall be convinced that some better system is necessary, and that they may thus be prepared to welcome the gospel when it shall be proposed to them. It may be that in this manner God intends to remove the now apparently insuperable obstacles to the spread of the gospel in the pagan world. The Septuagint renders this, 'And in his name shall the Gentiles trust,' which form has been retained by Matthew Mat_12:21.
His law - His commands, the institutions of his religion. The word 'law' is often used in the Scriptures to denote the whole of religion."
Barnes comments on Matthew 12:20 ".Till he send forth judgment unto victory - "Judgment" here means truth - the truth of God, the gospel. It shall be victorious - it shall not be vanquished. Though the Messiah is not "such" a conqueror as the Jews expected, yet he "shall" conquer. Though mild and retiring, yet he will be victorious."
Keil and Delitzsch on verse 4; "...His zeal will not be extinguished, nor will anything break His strength, till He shall have secured for right a firm standing on the earth."
Psalm 21:1-7, LXX, Thomson Version ; " O LORD, in Thy strength, the king will rejoice ; and exult greatly in Thy salvation.
Vs 2 Thou hast granted him the desire of his soul, and hast not denied him the request of his lips.
Vs.3 For Thou has pre-engaged him with kind blessings. Thou hast set on his head a crown of precious stones.
Vs.4 He asked of Thee life ; and Thou hast given him length of day forever.
By Thy salvation his glory is great. Thou wilt confer on him honour and magesty.
Vs. 6 For Thou wilt give him everlasting blessing ; and with the joy of Thy countenance make him glad.
Vs. 7 Because the king trusteth in the Lord ; therefore, through the mercy of the Most High, he cannot be shaken."
Cross references:
Romans 6:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. {to the.: or, evermore}
Charles H. Spurgeon ; " It has been called David's triumphant song, and we may remember it as The Royal Triumphal Ode. "The king" is most prominent throughout, and we shall read it to true profit if our meditation of him shall be sweet while perusing it. We must crown him with the glory of our salvation; singing of his love, and praising his power, The next psalm will take us to the foot of the cross, this introduces us to the steps of the throne.
Ver. 1. The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord. Jesus is a Royal Personage. The question, "Art thou a King then?" received a full answer from the Saviour's lips: "Thou sayest that I am a King. To this end was I born, and for this purpose came I into the world, that I might bear witness unto the truth." He is not merely a King, but the King; King over minds and hearts, reigning with a dominion of love, before which all other rule is but mere brute force. He was proclaimed King even on the cross, for there, indeed, to the eye of faith, he reigned as on a throne, blessing with more than imperial munificence the needy sons of earth. Jesus has wrought out the salvation of his people, but as a man he found his strength in Jehovah his God, to whom he addressed himself in prayer upon the lonely mountain's side, and in the garden's solitary gloom. That strength so abundantly given is here gratefully acknowledged, and made the subject of joy. The Man of Sorrows is now anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows. Returned in triumph from the overthrow of all his foes, he offers his own rapturous Te Deum in the temple above, and joys in the power of the Lord. Herein let every subject of King Jesus imitate the King; let us lean upon Jehovah's strength, let us joy in it by unstaggering faith, let us exult in it in our thankful songs. Jesus not only has thus rejoiced, but he shall do so as he sees the power of divine grace bringing out from their sinful hiding places the purchase of his soul's travail; we also shall rejoice more and more as we learn by experience more and more fully the strength of the arm of our covenant God. Our weakness unstrings our harps, but his strength tunes them anew. If we cannot sing a note in honour of our own strength, we can at any rate rejoice in our omnipotent God."
John Gill ; ".Jewish writers understood of the Messiah; as "the King", in Psalm 20:1,7 is in the Targum called the King Messiah; Psalm 21:4 is in the Talmud applied .. to him..'"
'Thou hast given him his heart's desire' Augustine ; "Thou hast given Him the desire of His soul" (vet. 2). He desired to eat the Passover, and to lay down His life when He would, and again when He would to take it; and Thou hast given it to Him. "And hast not deprived Him of the good pleasure of His lips." "My peace," saith He, "I leave with you:" and it was done."
"...Christ rejoices at the effectual calling and conversion of his people, when salvation is brought near unto them; and especially at their glorification, when they shall be in the full enjoyment of it; then will they be his joy, and crown of rejoicing: this is the joy that was set before him, which made him go so cheerfully through his sufferings and death for them, Heb 12:2; the reasons of this joy are, because of the great love he bears to them; the interest and property he has in them; his undertakings for them, as their surety, to bring them safe to glory; his purchase of them by his blood; his intercession for them, that they might be with him to behold his glory; and, last of all, because of his Father's glory, his own glory, and the glory of the blessed Spirit, which are concerned in the salvation of these persons."
And in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! Everything is ascribed to God; the source is thy strength and the stream is thy salvation. Jehovah planned and ordained it, works it and crowns it, and therefore it is his salvation. The joy here spoken of is described by a note of exclamation and a word of wonder: "how greatly!" The rejoicing of our risen Lord must, like his agony, be unutterable. If the mountains of his joy rise in proportion to the depth of the valleys of his grief, then his sacred bliss is high as the seventh heaven. For the joy which was set before him as he endured the cross, despising the shame, and now that joy daily grows, for he rests in his love and rejoices over his redeemed with singing, as in due order they are brought to find their salvation in his blood. Let us with our Lord rejoice in salvation, as coming from God, as coming to us, as extending itself to others, and as soon to encompass all lands. We need not be afraid of too much rejoicing in this respect; this solid foundation will well sustain the loftiest edifice of joy. The shoutings of the early methodists in the excitement of the joy were far more pardonable than our own lukewarmness. Our joy should have some sort of inexpressibleness in it. "
R.H. Ryland ; "The prayer which the church offers up at the conclusion of the preceding Psalm now issues in a hymn of praise, the result of a believing view of the glory which is to follow, when Messiah's sufferings are ended. This is one of the beautiful songs of which we find many in Scripture, prepared by the Holy Spirit to awaken and enliven the hopes and expectations of the church while she waits for the Lord, and to give utterance to her joy at the time of his arrival. The theme is Messiah's exaltation and glory, and the time chosen for its delivery is just the moment when darkness covered the earth, and all nature seemed about to die with its expiring Lord."
'And hast not withholden the request of his lips' ; Spurgeon ; "...The requests of the Saviour were not withheld. He was and still is a prevailing Pleader. Our Advocate on high returns not empty from the throne of grace. He asked for his elect in the eternal council chamber, he asked for blessings for them here, he asked for glory for them hereafter, and his requests have speeded. He is ready to ask for us at the mercyseat. Have we not at this hour some desire to send up to his Father by him? Let us not be slack to use our willing, loving, all prevailing Intercessor."
John Gill ; " .Whatever he asked in the council and covenant of peace was granted; he asked for all the elect, as his spouse and bride; these were the desire of his heart and eyes, and they were given him; he asked for all the blessings of grace for them, and all grace was given to them in him; he asked for glory, for eternal life, and it was promised him; and not only the promise of it was put into his hand, but the thing itself; see Psalm 2:8 2Timothy 1:1,9 1John 5:11; and Psalm 20:4; whatever he requested of his Father, when here on earth, was granted; he always heard him; that memorable prayer of his in John 17:1-26 is heard and answered, both in what respects himself, his own glorification, and the conversion, sanctification, union, preservation, and glorification of his people; whatever he now desires and requests in heaven, as the advocate and intercessor for his saints, is ever fulfilled; which is an instance of the great regard Jehovah has unto him, and may be considered as a reason of his joy in him."
Ver. 3. For thou preventest ("pre-engaged", Thomson) him with the blessings of goodness, Spurgeon ; ".Mercy, in the case of many of us, ran before our desires and prayers, and it ever outruns our endeavours and expectancies, and even our hopes are left to lag behind. Prevenient grace deserves a song; we may make one out of this sentence; let us try. All our mercies are to be viewed as "blessings;" gifts of a blessed God, meant to make us blessed; they are "blessings of goodness", not of merit, but of free favour; and they come to us in a preventing way, a way of prudent foresight, such as only preventing love could have arranged. In this light the verse is itself a sonnet!"
" Thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head. Jesus wore the thorn crown, but now wears the glory crown. It is a "crown", indicating royal nature, imperial power, deserved honour, glorious conquest, and divine government. The crown is of the richest, rarest, most resplendent, and most lasting order? "gold," and that gold of the most refined and valuable sort, "pure gold", to indicate the excellence of his dominion. This crown is set upon his head most firmly, and whereas other monarchs find their diadems fitting loosely, his is fixed so that no power can move it, for Jehovah himself has set it upon his brow. Napoleon crowned himself, but Jehovah crowned the Lord Jesus; the empire of the one melted in an hour, but the other has an abiding dominion. Some versions read, "a crown of precious stones;" this may remind us of those beloved ones who shall be as jewels in his crown, of whom he has said, "They shall be mine in the day when I make up my jewels." May we be set in the golden circlet of the Redeemer's glory, and adorn his head for ever!"
Spurgeon ; "Ver. 4. He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever. The first words may suit King David, but the length of days for ever and ever can only refer to the King Messiah. Jesus, as man, prayed for resurrection and he received it, and now possesses it in immortality. He died once, but being raised from the dead he dieth no more. "Because I live, ye shall live also," is the delightful intimation which the Saviour gives us, that we are partakers of his eternal life. We had never found this jewel, if he had not rolled away the stone which covered it."
"He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever." Ralph Wardlaw, D.D.Ver. 4 The glory of God is concerned in Christ's living for ever?
1. The glory of his faithfulness: for eternal life and blessedness were pledged to Immanuel in covenant as the reward of his work (Ps 110:1-4 Isa 9:6-7, etc.); and it was in the anticipation and confident hope of this, that he "endured the cross, despising the shame." Hebrews 12:2 Ps 16:8-11.
2. The glory of his justice. The justice of God was honoured and fully satisfied in all its righteous demands by the death of Christ. His subsequent life is the expression on the part of God of that satisfaction. His perpetual life is a permanent declaration that in him and his finished work the everlasting righteousness of Jehovah rests for ever satisfied. Death can "never more have dominion over him:" for to inflict the penalty again would be a violation of justice.
3. The glory of his grace. The glory of this grace he now lives actively to promote. John 17:2. By living "ever" at God's right hand, he appears as an eternal memorial of God's love in making him our Mediator and Substitute?our Saviour from sin and wrath; and his permanent appearance there will keep all heaven perpetually in mind that "by the grace of God they are what they are", owing all to the sovereign mercy of God through Jesus Christ. He shall appear as the blessed medium through which all the gifts and joys of salvation shall flow to the guilty for evermore. Thus the power of God and all his moral attributes secure the perpetuity of the life of the risen and exalted Saviour."
Augustine ; "He asked a resurrection, saying | |
|
