The Lord is my strength and song
. The strength of Moses and the children of Israel against the
fears of the Egyptians, and of entrance into the Red sea; who
inspired them with courage, and strengthened their faith, neither
to fear being destroyed by the one, or drowned in the other; and
so in the glory of his nature, and of his divine perfections, of
his justice, holiness, faithfulness, truth, and goodness, he was
the subject matter of their song. As Christ is the strength of
his spiritual Israel, the author and giver of strength unto them,
the strength of their lives, their hearts, and graces; and who
strengthens them to do his will and work, to exercise every
grace, withstand corruptions, resist temptations, bear
afflictions, and overcome every enemy; and who on the account of
the glory of his person, the beauty, fitness, and fulness of it,
and because of his offices of Mediator, Saviour, prophet, priest,
and King, as well as by reason of what he has done for them, the
righteousness he has brought in, and the salvation he has wrought
out, is the sum and substance of their song of praise: and
he is become my salvation;
the salvation of Israel in a temporal sense, having saved them
out of the hands of the Egyptians their enemies; and the
salvation or Saviour of his spiritual Israel, who are saved by
him with an everlasting salvation; he is not only their Saviour,
but salvation itself; being not only the author of it, and that
being in him for them, but made that itself unto them, even their
all in all; their righteousness, atonement, peace, light, life,
food, health, comfort, and joy; all their grace being in him, and
from him, as well as their eternal glory and happiness: and this
he is to them now, he is their salvation by impetration having
obtained it by his obedience, sufferings, and death; and by
application, they being convinced of their need of salvation by
him, and the suitableness of it to them, seek to him for it,
desire that and no other, which is brought nigh unto them by the
Spirit of God, and witnessed to by him as theirs; so that they
are already saved by grace, through faith and hope in Christ; and
of their particular interest in it, they have knowledge by the
same Spirit, which fills them with joy unspeakable and full of
glory. This and the preceding clause are words so very
expressive, and contain such fulness of matter, and such
interesting things, that both the psalmist David, and the church,
in the times of the evangelic prophet Isaiah, have borrowed them
to express their sense of the great things the Lord was to them,
and had done for them, ( Psalms
118:14 ) ( Isaiah 12:2 ) he
[is] my God, and I will prepare him an habitation;
Christ is God, truly God, as appears from the names given him,
particularly Jehovah; from the perfections ascribed to him, from
the works done by him, and from the worship of him both by angels
and men; and he is his people's God, their Immanuel, God in their
nature, the God in whom they believe, and in whom they have an
interest; he is the God of their salvation, the Lord their
righteousness; their Lord, head, and King; their husband,
beloved, Father, brother, friend; their God and guide, even unto
death; their portion and exceeding great reward, now and
hereafter: wherefore Moses, or the people of Israel, or both,
determine to "prepare" him an "habitation", being concerned that
he had no better dwelling place among them than he had; and seem
to have some respect unto, and knowledge of an habitation
hereafter to be built, the tabernacle and temple; which were
typical of the human nature of Christ, and of his church; but
then they were both of God's preparing, and not men's; wherefore
an habitation in the hearts of, his people may be chiefly
designed; the preparation of which, though it is principally and
efficaciously of the Spirit of God, yet in some sense may be said
to be prepared by the saints, when they show a concern for grace
to be in exercise; to have duty regularly and constantly
performed in a manner acceptable to him, and that no disturbance
be given to occasion his departure from them. The Septuagint
version is, "I will glorify him"; with soul and body, which are
both his; and so much to the same purpose other versions, "I will
decorate or beautify" F20 him; declare his beauty and glory,
and speak in praise of it: "my father's God, and I will exalt
him"; Christ was not only the God of Amram, the father of Moses,
who was a good man; but the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as
he declared himself to be, ( Exodus 3:6 ) , the
ancestors not only of Moses, but of all the children of Israel.
This shows the antiquity of Christ, that he was their fathers'
God, and that he is to be trusted and depended on, as he was by
their fathers, and to be regarded, and highly valued and
esteemed, having been their fathers' friend, and is a reason why
he should be exalted by them; for though he cannot be raised
higher than he is, being the Son of the Highest, God over all,
blessed for ever, whose kingdom ruleth over all, and is now as
man ascended on high, and is highly exalted by his Father, and at
his right hand, and glorified by him with himself; yet he may be
said to be exalted and lifted up by us, when we celebrate and set
forth the height of his glory and excellency, by asserting his
proper deity, ascribing the same perfections, worlds, and worship
to him, as to his Father, by attributing distinct divine
personality to him, confessing his eternal sonship, owning him in
all his offices, and giving him the glory due unto him on account
of them, and for salvation wrought out by him; the whole honour
and praise of it belong to him: he may and should be exalted in
the hearts of his people, in their thoughts and affections, and
with their lips in songs of praise; and in the house of God, and
the ordinances of it, where everyone should speak of his glory;
the reasons are, because he is above all in his person and
perfections, is the only Mediator, Saviour, and Redeemer, and to
exalt him is the way to be exalted, ( Proverbs 4:8
) .