Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
Psalms
Book: Psalms
Chapter: 73
Overview:
The psalmist's
Temptation.
(1-14) How he gained a victory over
it.
(15-20) How he profited
By it.
(21-28)
1-14 The psalmist was strongly tempted to envy the prosperity
of the wicked; a common
Temptation, which has tried the graces
of many saints. But he lays down the great principle
By which he
resolved to abide. It is the
Goodness of God. This is a
Truth
which cannot be shaken. Good thoughts of
God will fortify
against
Satan's temptations. The
Faith even of strong believers
may be sorely shaken, and ready to fail. There are storms that
will try the firmest anchors. Foolish and wicked people have
sometimes a great share of outward prosperity. They seem to have
the least share of the troubles of this
Life; and they seem to
have the greatest share of its comforts. They live without the
fear of
God, yet they prosper, and get
On in the world. Wicked
men often spend their lives without much sickness, and
End them
without great pain; while many godly persons scarcely know what
health is, and die with great sufferings. Often the wicked are
not frightened, either
By the remembrance of their sins, or the
prospect of their misery, but they die without terror. We cannot
Judge men's state
Beyond Death,
By what passes at their
Death.
He looked abroad, and saw many of
God's people greatly at a
loss. Because the wicked are
So very daring, therefore his
people return hither; they know not what to say to it, and the
rather, because they
Drink Deep of the
Bitter Cup of affliction.
He spoke feelingly when he spoke of his own troubles; there is
No disputing against sense, except
By Faith. From all this arose
a strong
Temptation to cast off religion. But let us learn that
the true course of
Sanctification consists in cleansing a
Man
from all pollution both of soul and body. The
Heart is cleansed
By the
Blood of
Christ laid
Hold upon
By Faith; and
By the begun
Works of the
Lord's
Spirit, manifested in the hearty resolution,
purpose, and study of
Holiness, and a blameless course of
Life
and actions, the hands are cleansed. It is not in vain to serve
God and keep his ordinances.
15-20 The psalmist having shown the progress of his
Temptation,
shows how
Faith and
Grace prevailed. He kept up respect for
God's people, and with that he restrained himself from speaking
what he had thought amiss. It is a sign that we repent of the
evil thoughts of the
Heart, if we suppress them. Nothing gives
more
Offence to
God's children, than to say it is vain to serve
God; for there is nothing more contrary to their universal
experience. He prayed to
God to make this matter
Plain to him;
and he understood the wretched
End of wicked people; even in the
height of their prosperity they were but ripening for ruin. The
Sanctuary must be the resort of a tempted soul. The righteous
Man's
Afflictions End in peace, therefore he is happy; the
wicked
Man's enjoyments
End in
Destruction, therefore he is
miserable. The prosperity of the wicked is short and uncertain,
slippery places. See what their prosperity is; it is but a vain
show, it is only a corrupt imagination, not substance, but a
mere
Shadow; it is as a
Dream, which may please us a little
while we are slumbering, yet even then it disturbs our repose.
21-28 God would not suffer his people to be tempted, if his
Grace were not sufficient, not only to save them from harm, but
to make them gainers
By it. This
Temptation, the working of envy
and discontent, is very painful. In reflecting upon it, the
psalmist owns it was his folly and ignorance thus to vex
himself. If good men, at any time, through the surprise and
strength of
Temptation, think, or speak, or act amiss, they will
reflect upon it with sorrow and shame. We must ascribe our
safety in
Temptation, and our victory, not to our own
Wisdom,
but to the gracious presence of
God with us, and
Christ's
intercession for us. All who commit themselves to
God, shall be
guided with the counsel both of his
Word and of his
Spirit, the
best counsellors here, and shall be received to his
Glory in
another world; the believing hopes and prospects of which will
reconcile us to all dark providences. And the psalmist was
hereby quickened to cleave the closer to
God.
Heaven itself
could not make us happy without the presence and
Love of our
God. The world and all its
Glory vanishes. The body will fail
By
sickness,
Age, and
Death; when the
Flesh fails, the conduct,
courage, and comfort fail. But
Christ Jesus, our
Lord, offers to
be all in all to every
Poor sinner, who renounces all other
portions and confidences.
By Sin we are all far from
God. And a
profession of
Christ, if we go
On in
Sin, will increase our
condemnation. May we draw near, and keep near, to our
God,
By
Faith and
Prayer, and find it good to do
So. Those that with an
upright
Heart Put their trust in
God, shall never want matter
for thanksgiving to him. Blessed
Lord, who hast
So graciously
promised to become our portion in the next world, prevent us
from choosing any other in this.