By Rev Alex. Macaskill, Lochinver *
* Taken down by a hearer.—Editor.
We have here one of the psalms of David. God raised up David and called him from following his father’s sheep to feed the Lord’s poor. Kindness shown to the Lord’s people will have its reward. The Lord will not forget them. They shall not only be recompensed in the resurrection of the just but on the earth. The Lord will preserve them in the evil day and strengthen them on the bed of languishing. When the Lord makes the bed it must be a restful bed. To have the comfort of knowing that the Lord is with one in trouble is more precious than words can express. In the 23rd Psalm he says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.” We find in Matthew, xxv. 31, the Lord speaking of His second coming when all nations shall be gathered before Him, and after separating them as a shepherd, separating sheep from goats, He shall say to those on His right hand. “Come, ye blessed of my Father and inherit the kingdom. For I was an hungred and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.” They answer, “When saw we thee an hungred or thirsty?” etc. And he shall answer them, “Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
In the fourth verse of this psalm we have a Confession and a Request.
His Confession is “I have sinned against thee” and this is put forward as a reason for his twofold request. What a wonderful revelation is the gospel revelation! The sinner lost and undone for ever, welcome to all the fullness of the covenant of grace. It is only those who realise that they are sinners that ask for mercy.
We may notice first the confession “I have sinned against thee” and secondly his twofold request.
(1) It is good to draw nigh to God in this way. The promise of mercy is bound up with confessing our sins. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Prov. xxviii. 13. “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1. John i. 9. Under the law as a covenant of works there is no room for forgiveness. Confession of sin can only be of the free grace of God in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit as the Spirit of grace and supplication was given to David and to all who are brought nigh to God in this way. Although confession of our sins to God is far removed from us as we are in our fallen state, it is so natural to grace that grace knows no other way of drawing nigh to God. The Prodigal son knew no other way but to make an open breast to his father. “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy son.” While Christ’s atonement is the only ground of salvation—those who are brought nigh by the Holy Spirit in this way are made willing in a day of mercy to confess their sins whatever God in His sovereignty will do with them. It is evident from God’s Word and from the experience of the Lord’s people that of themselves they cannot confess sin from the heart. This can only be of grace. It is a blessed experience when the sinner, broken in heart and grieved in mind, is enabled by the grace of God to open his or her heart in grief and hatred of sin to confess as David does here, “I have sinned against thee.” This was the root of his sorrow. The evil of sin can only be seen in being against God. “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned.” Ps. li. 4.
(2) (a) The first part of his request “Lord be merciful unto me” can only come from the heart of one who sees himself undone for ever because of sin. This revelation concerning mercy brings us within sight of Calvary. God has not given us this revelation apart from the One and only Mediator, His only begotten Son in our nature. How glorious is His revelation to a poor sinner deserving nothing but to be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone! How high above our thoughts are the thoughts of God and how high above our ways are His ways who gave His only begotten Son to suffer and die the shameful death of the Cross so that sinners, even the chief of sinners, might be forgiven. In another psalm he says, “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. For I said, Mercy shall be built up for ever; thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.”
(2) (b) “Heal my soul.” The whole race of fallen mankind have received a mortal wound. The bite of the fiery serpent was fatal apart from looking to the serpent of brass lifted up. The Lord Jesus Christ was lifted up in the promise, in the ceremonial law and in the fullness of time on Calvary’s cross as the only remedy. The Church beholding him by faith could say—”With his stripes we are healed.” We see the confidence that the Psalmist had in the Lord’s work, the same confidence as in Psalm li—”Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” No one can heal his soul but One and that is the Lord. (a) The Lord heals by his word. “He sent his word and healed them.” Psalm cvii, 20. (b) When he is pleased to grant His gracious presence as in the case of Moses. “My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” (c) When he answers prayer—”He inclined unto me and heard my cry.” (d) When he gives the kiss of reconciliation—”Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; for thy love is better than wine.” Song of Solomon, i. 2.