#2. Psalm xl.


This Psalm, written by inspiration of God, gives us in the first place, David’s own experience as a saved sinner; secondly, the experience of the redeemed in all dispensations; and thirdly and chiefly, the heart utterances of the Lord when here on earth. It may perhaps seem strange at first sight that this Psalm should speak of the perfect, sinless, Holy One of God, but, if we keep in mind the passage considered in the first article of this series in connection with Suretyship, we shall be the better able to enter into its wonderful teaching. By nature man was in the “horrible pit”, and to this “pit” the spotless Son of God descended. He humbled Himself even to the death of the cross, wherefore God hath highly exalted Him, and the Gates of Hell (or Hades, the unseen place) could not prevail against Him.

Verses 6, 7 and 8 are quoted in Heb. x. as the Lord’s words, when He entered upon His substitutionary work—when He Who was God over all, blessed for ever, became flesh and tabernacled among us. Verse 8 makes it very clear that Christ was perfectly righteous, and we must keep this in mind as we read verse 12—which speaks of “Mine iniquities”, and “My heart faileth Me”. The sinless One speaks of “Mine iniquities”! Here indeed we see the full extent of substitution. So completely does our Surety enter into our position that, while in His Own nature perfectly sinless and righteous, He graciously bears our sins in His Own Body on the tree, and there receives the stroke and dies as the great Sin-bearer. Hallelujah—What a Saviour!

It should be noted that the passage does not speak of “our iniquities” but “Mine iniquities”. The Saviour can have no fellowship with us here, for He and He alone can put away sin. He and His Father alone accomplished the work of Redemption. No man is called upon to help; no one could do anything but mar such a work. Grace is supreme, and the glory is the Lord’s.

Let us look back now to verse 5. In this verse blessings are the theme, and they are innumerable. In verse 12 sins are the theme, and they are more in number than the hairs of one’s head. In verse 12 Christ stands alone, for when the sword was raised against Jehovah’s shepherd “they all forsook Him and fled”. But in verse 5 it is “to usward”. He was alone in the bearing of sin, but He is in fellowship with His own in receiving the blessing. Dear fellow-believer, every blessing you enjoy now or will enjoy throughout eternity is the result of the vicarious Atoning Work of Christ, and you cannot enter into one of them apart from fellowship with Him. Is your life in harmony with this glorious fact?

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(From The Berean Expositor Volume 28, page 123.)

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