Psalm 35:23

EXPOSITION

Verse 23. Stir up thyself. Be upon thy mettle. Prove that thou art no indifferent witness to all this infamy. Awake to my judgement. Take the sceptre and summon the great assize; vindicate justice, avenge oppression. Do not tarry as men do who sleep. Even unto my cause, my God and my Lord. He claims a nearness to his God, he holds him with both hands; he leaves his case with the righteous Judge. He begs that the suit may be brought on, heard, tried, and verdict given. Well is it for a man when his conscience is so clear that he dares to make such an appeal.

EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS

Verse 23. My God and my Lord. The cry of Thomas when he saw the wounds of Jesus. If he did not count our Lord to be divine, neither does David here ascribe Deity to Jehovah, for there is no difference except in the order of the words and the tongue in which they were spoken, the meaning is identical. What words they are, with their two eyes seeing Jehovah in two aspects yet as one, grasping him with two hands in the double "my" to one heart for the word is but one, bowing before him on both knees to worship him in lowliest reverence. Well might Nouet, in his exposition of the words as used by Thomas, exclaim, "Oh, sweet word, I will say it all my life long; I will say it in the hour of death; I will say it in eternity." C. H. S.

HINTS FOR PASTORS AND LAYPERSONS

None.