Spurgeon PS1013

EXPOSITION.

In these verses (#13,14,15|) the description of the wicked is condensed, and the evil of his character traced to its source, viz., atheistical ideas with regard to the government of the world. We may at once perceive that this is intended to be another urgent plea with the Lord to show his power, and reveal his justice. When the wicked call God’s righteousness in question, we may well beg him to teach them terrible things in righteousness. In verse #13|, the hope of the infidel and his heart-wishes are laid bare. He despises the Lord, because he will not believe that sin will meet with punishment: “_he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it_.” If there were no hell for other men, there ought to be one for those who question the justice of it. This vile suggestion receives its answer in verse #14|. “_Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand_.” God is all-eye to see, and all-hand to punish his enemies. From Divine oversight there is no hiding, and from Divine justice there is no fleeing. Wanton mischief shall meet with woeful misery, and those who harbour spite shall inherit sorrow. Verily there is a God which judgeth in the earth. Nor is this the only instance of the presence of God in the world; for while he chastises the oppressor, he befriends the oppressed. “_The poor committeth himself unto thee_.” They give themselves up entirely into the Lord’s hands. Resigning their judgment to his enlightenment, and their wills to his supremacy, they rest assured that he will order all things for the best. Nor does he deceive their hope. He preserves them in times of need, and causes them to rejoice in his goodness. “_Thou art the helper of the fatherless_.” God is the parent of all orphans. When the earthly father sleeps beneath the sod, a heavenly Father smiles from above. By some means or other, orphan children are fed, and well they may when they have such a Father.

EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS.

Verse 13.–“_He hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it_.”–As when the desperate pirate, ransacking and rifling a bottom, was told by the master, that though no law could touch him for the present, he should answer it at the day of judgment, replied, “If I may stay so long ere I come to it, I will take thee and thy vessel too.” A conceit wherewith too many land-thieves and oppressors flatter themselves in their hearts, though they dare not utter it with their lips.–^Thomas Adams.

Verses 13,14.–What, do you think that God doth not remember our sins which we do not regard? for while we sin the score runs on, and the Judge setteth down in that table of remembrance, and his scroll reacheth up to heaven. Item, for lending to usury; item, for racking of rents; item, for starching thy ruffs; item, for curling thy hair; item, for painting thy face; item, for selling of benefices; item, for starving of souls; item, for playing at cards; item, for sleeping in the church; item, for profaning the Sabbath-day, with a number more hath God to call to account, for every one must answer for himself. The fornicator, for taking of filthy pleasure; the careless prelate, for murthering so many thousand souls; the landlord, for getting money from his poor tenants by racking of his rents; see the rest, all they shall come like very sheep when the trumpet shall sound, and the heaven and earth shall come to judgment against them; when the heavens shall vanish like a scroll, and the earth shall consume like fire, and all the creatures standing against them; the rocks shall cleave asunder and the mountains shake and the foundation of the earth shall tremble, and they shall say to the mountain, Cover us, fall upon us, and hide us from the presence of his anger and wrath, whom we have not cared to offend. But they shall not be covered and hid; but then shall they go the back way, to the snakes and serpents, to be tormented of devils for ever.–^Henry Smith.

Verse 14.–“_Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hands_,” etc. This should be a terror to the wicked, to think that whatsoever they do, they do it in the sight of him that shall judge them, and call them to a strict account for every thought conceived against his majesty; and therefore, it should make them afraid to sin; because that when they burn with lust, and toil with hatred, when they scorn the just and wrong the innocent, they do all this, not only in _conspectu Dei_, within the compass of God’s sight, but also in _sinu divinitatis_, in the bosom of that Deity, who, though he suffered them for a time to run on, like “a wild ass used to the wilderness,” yet he will find them out at the last, and then cut them off and destroy them. And as this is terror unto the wicked, so it may be a comfort unto the godly to think that he who should hear their prayers and send them help, is so near unto them; and it should move them to rely still upon him, because we are sure of his presence wherever we are.–^G. Williams, 1636.

Verse 14.–“_The poor committeth himself unto thee_.” The awkwardness of our hearts to suffer comes much from distrust. An unbelieving soul treads upon the promise as a man upon ice; at first going upon it he is full of fears and tumultuous thoughts lest it should crack. Now, daily resignation of thy heart, as it will give thee an occasion of conversing more with the thoughts of God’s power, faithfulness, and other of his attributes (for want of familiarity with which, jealousies arise in our hearts when put to any great plunge), so also it will furnish thee with many experiences of the reality both of his attributes and promises; which, though they need not any testimony from sense, to gain them credit with us, yet so much are we made of sense, so childish and weak is our faith, that we find our hearts much helped by those experiences we have had, to rely on him for the future. Look, therefore, carefully to this; every morning leave thyself and ways in God’s hand, as the phrase is. #Ps 10:14|. And at night look again how well God hath looked to his trust, and sleep not till thou hast affected thy heart with his faithfulness, and laid a stronger charge on thy heart to trust itself again in God’s keeping in the night. And when any breach is made, and seeming loss befalls thee in any enjoyment, which thou hast by faith insured of thy God, observe how God fills up that breach, and makes up that loss to thee; and rest not till thou hast fully vindicated the good name of God to thy own heart. Be sure thou lettest no discontent or dissatisfaction lie upon thy spirit at God’s dealings; but chide thy heart for it, as David did his. #Ps 42:|. And thus doing, with God’s blessing, thou shalt keep thy faith in breath for a longer race, when called to run it.–W. Gurnall.

Verse 14.–“_Thou art the helper of the fatherless.” God doth exercise a more special providence over men, as clothed with miserable circumstances; and therefore among his other titles this is one, to be a “_helper of the fatherless_.” It is the argument the church used to express her return to God; #Hos 14:3|, “For in thee the fatherless find mercy.” Now what greater comfort is there than this, that there is one presides in the world who is so wise he cannot be mistaken, so faithful he cannot deceive, so pitiful he cannot neglect his people, and so powerful that he can make stones even to be turned into bread if he please! … God doth not govern the world only by his will as an absolute monarch, but by his wisdom and goodness as a tender father. It is not his greatest pleasure to show his sovereign power, or his inconceivable wisdom, but his immense goodness, to which he makes the other attributes subservient.–^Stephen Charnock.

Verse 14.–“_Thou hast seen it_,” etc. If God did not see our ways, we might sin and go unpunished; but forasmuch as he seeth them with purer eyes than to behold iniquity and approve it, he is engaged both in justice and honour to punish all that iniquity of our ways which he seeth or beholdeth. David makes this the very design of God’s superintendency over the ways of men: “_Thou hast seen it: for thou beholdest mischief and spite to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless_.” Thus the Psalmist represents the Lord as having taken a view or survey of the ways of men. “_Thou hast seen_.” What hath God seen? Even all that wickedness and oppression of the poor spoken of in the former part of the Psalm, as also the blasphemy of the wicked against himself (verse #13|), “_Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it_.” What saith the Psalmist concerning God, to this vain, confident man? “_Thou_,” saith he, “_beholdest mischief and spite_;” but to what purpose? the next words tell us that–“_to requite it with thy hand_.” As thou hast seen what mischief they have done spitefully, so in due time thou wilt requite it righteously. The Lord is not a bare spectator, he is both a rewarder and an avenger. Therefore, from the ground of this truth, that the Lord seeth all our ways and counteth all our steps, we, as the prophet exhorts (#Isa 3:10,11|), may “say to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.” We may also say, “Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.” Only idols which have eyes and see not, have hands and strike not.–^Joseph Caryl.

Verse 14.–“_Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless_.” Let the poor know that their God doth take care of them, to visit their sins with rods who spoil them, seeing they have forgotten that we are members one of another, and have invaded the goods of their brethren; God will arm them against themselves, and beat them with their own staves; either their own compassing and over-reaching wits shall consume their store, or their unthrifty posterity shall put wings upon their riches to make them fly; or God shall not give them the blessing to take use of their wealth, but they shall leave to such as shall be merciful to the poor. Therefore let them follow the wise man’s counsel (#Ec 10:20|), “Curse not the rich, no, not in thy bedchamber;” let no railing and unchristian bitterness wrong a good cause; let it be comfort enough to them that God is both their supporter and avenge. Is it not sufficient to lay all the storms of discontent against their oppressors, that God sees their affliction, and cometh down to deliver and avenge them?–^Edward Marbury.

Verse 14.–“_Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand,” etc., God considers all your works and ways, and will not you consider the works, the ways of God? Of this be sure, whether you consider the ways of God, his word-ways, or work-ways, of this be sure, God will consider your ways, certainly he will; those ways of yours which in themselves are not worth the considering or looking upon, your sinful ways, though they are so vile, so abominable, that if yourselves did but look upon them and consider them, you would be utterly ashamed of them; yea, though they are an abomination to God while he beholds them, yet he will behold and consider them. The Lord who is of purer eyes than to behold any the least iniquity, to approve it, will yet behold the greatest of your iniquities, and your impurest ways to consider them. “_Thou_,” said David, “_beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it_:” God beholdeth the foulest, dirtiest ways of men, their ways of oppression and unrighteousness, their ways of intemperance and lasciviousness, their ways of wrath and maliciousness, at once to detest, detect, and requite them. If God thus considereth the ways of men, even those filthy and crooked ways of men, should not men consider the holy, just and righteous ways of God?–^Joseph Caryl.

Verses 14-18.–“_God delights to help the poor_.” He loves to take part with the best, though the weakest side. Contrary to the course of most, who when a controversy arises use to stand in a kind of indifferency or neutrality, till they see which part is strongest, not which is justest. Now if there be any consideration (besides the cause) that draws or engages God, it is the weakness of the side. He joins with many, because they are weak, not with any, because they are strong; therefore he is called _the helper of the friendless, and with him the fatherless (the orphans) find mercy_. By fatherless we are not to understand such only whose parents are dead, but any one that is in distress; as Christ promeseth his disciples; “_I will not leave you orphans_,” that is, helpless, and (as we translate) _comfortless_; though ye are as children without a father, yet I will be a father to you. Men are often like those clouds which dissolve into the sea; they send presents to the rich, and assist the strong; but God sends his rain upon the dry land, and lends his strength to those who are weak. … The prophet makes this report to God of himself (#Isa 25:4|): “_Thou hast been a strength to the poor_, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm,” etc.–^Joseph Caryl.

HINTS TO PREACHERS.

Verse 13 (first clause).–An astounding fact, and a reasonable enquiry.

Verse 13.–Future retribution: doubts concerning it. 1. By whom indulged: “_the wicked_.” II. Where fostered: “_in his heart_.” III. For what purpose: _quieting of conscience_, etc. IV. With what practical tendency: “_contemn God_.” He who disbelieves hell distrusts heaven.

Verses 13,14.–Divine government in the world. I. Who doubt it? and why? II. Who believe it? and what does this faith cause them to do?

Verse 14 (last clause).–A plea for orphans.