By J.G. Bellet
Psalm 11
This is the meditation of a soul in great outward perplexity. The natural securities of the righteous, "the foundations" of the social order, kings and judges (see Psalm 82; Rom. 13), are giving way. But God is still in His due place--that is the soul's relief. "Let God be true, but every man a liar."
It is the utterance of the afflicted Remnant in the last days. But Jesus was their pattern and forerunner in His sorrows from the hand of man.
How different, we may observe, is the world which faith apprehends, from that which sense or sight converses with. The world seen is here declared to be all out of course--the wicked prospering, the righteous oppressed. But faith apprehends a scene where God is in all the sanctity and calmness and power of a throne and a temple, His soul loving the righteous, hating the wicked, and preparing judgments for them when the trial of the righteous is over. Such were the two scenes or worlds opened at the beginning of job. In the seen or felt world, the adversary was doing his pleasure; in the unseen place the God of all grace was sovereignly preparing blessing for His saint. Moses walked as "seeing Him who is invisible."
Psalm 12
This is another meditation, together with a prayer of a righteous one set in the midst of abounding evil; and that evil is evidently the evil that is to be ripe and full in the last days, as we have just seen anticipated in the preceding Psalm. Infidel scoffing (such as that foretold as marking the last days, 2 Peter 3) is the principal feature of it. The mourner, however, hears in spirit the Lord's answer to his prayer (verse 5); then celebrates the faithfulness of His words, that they were all tried and proved words; and finally professes his assurance that God's faithfulness will prevail even in the worst of times.
"This generation" in verse 7 is described in verse 8. This word is, therefore, used in a moral sense; indeed it must be so used from the force of the words "for ever." The people or generation with which both the Lord Jesus and the Remnant contend in their several days, are morally one and the same "generation." And from this we can interpret Matt. 24: 34 in a moral way. Perhaps there is tacit reference there to this passage.
Psalm 13
The cry of a soul put to sore trial of patience, but patience is having "its perfect work;" for this soul trusts in mercy, and by the anticipation of faith sings of salvation. Such was Jesus in the fullest sense; He who was daily "acquainted with grief." But the patient waiting Remnant of the same last days are heard here. It is prepared for them.
These words in the Psalms, "how long" and "for ever," frequently express this trial of patience. "His mercy endureth for ever" will be the changed style of the worshipper when the patience is over and the kingdom is Come.
Psalm 14
This Psalm gives us the solitary musing of a godly soul over the atheism of the world. He recites God's verdict (verses 3, 4) upon man after making a solemn inquisition (such as he made of old at Babel and at Sodom, Gen. 11: 5, Gen. 18: 21)--then anticipates the confusion of the children of men, when God shows Himself in the midst of His generation (thus morally opposed to the generation of Ps. 12: 7, 8), and closes with uttering a desire for that occasion.
The "wilful king" of the last days is surely contemplated in "the fool" or atheist of this Psalm; for the confederacy which he heads is to be broken up when the salvation here anticipated comes out of Zion. But man is man. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh." And thus the apostle can quote this Psalm, when describing men in Rom. 3. For all of us by nature have the mind of "the wilful one," or the atheist--alienated from the life of God. (Eph. 4)
Thus, while this is the meditation of either Jesus or His Remnant looking on the infidel of the last days, every instructed soul may use it. (See Ps. 53) Indeed, the language of verse 3 in the Septuagint is used by the apostle in Rom. 3: 11-18.
Psalm 15
This little Psalm seems to present the righteous in the days of "the fool," the Remnant in the time of the last apostate faction.
Verses 2-5 maybe read as the divine oracle replying to the prophet's enquiry in verse 1
It is not the sinner's title to the kingdom which is here discussed. That would be treated very differently. It is the Remnant, as manifesting themselves in righteousness, in contrast with the evil doers of Ps. 14. See the same thing in Isaiah 33: 15, 16.
It is character and not title that is the subject. Of course it need not be said, that the title of all is one and the same--the worthy and accepted blood of Jesus.
NOTE.--This Psalm may be considered as closing a series of meditations and experiences which opened with Ps. 11. For they are all the utterances of a soul burdened with a sense of the wickedness of the day, and calling with desire on God--and as clearly and surely the last days are contemplated, and those utterances are of the Remnant then.
The challenge in ver. 1 may bring to mind similar language in Ps. 24: 3. But there the answer given to it, at the close of the Psalm, introduces Messiah Himself much more distinctly and personally than it does here.
By this I am also reminded of Rev. 5: 2. For we have a challenge there likewise. "Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?" And the glorious answer there given again introduces Messiah. only in still fuller and richer and sublimer characters, as the Lamb that had been slain, and the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
