Commentary on Psalms - Volume 3 - Bible Study Guides

Comm on Psalms (V3)John Calvinconfess that the great accumulation of calamities with which they are overwhelmed, is to be tracedto the wrath of God. Being fully persuaded that the wicked, whatever they may plot, cannot inflictinjury, except in so far as God permits them — from this, which they regard as an indubitableprinciple, they at once conclude, that when he allows such ample scope to their heathen enemiesin persecuting them, his anger is greatly provoked. Nor would they, without this persuasion, havelooked to God in the hope that he would stretch forth his hand to save them; for it is the work ofHim who hath given loose reins to draw in the bridle. Whenever God visits us with the rod, andour own conscience accuses us, it especially becomes us to look to His hand. Here his ancientpeople do not charge him with being unjustly displeased, but acknowledge the justice of thepunishment inflicted upon them. God will always find in his servants just grounds for chastisingthem. He often, however, in the exercise of his mercy, pardons their sins, and exercises them withthe cross for another purpose than to testify his displeasure against their sins, just as it was his willto try the patience of Job, and as he vouchsafed to call the martyrs to an honorable warfare. Buthere the people, of their own accord, summoning themselves before the Divine tribunal, trace thecalamities which they endured to their own sins, as the procuring cause. Hence it may, withprobability, be conjectured that this psalm was composed during the time of the Babylonish captivity.Under the tyranny of Antiochus Epiphanes, they employed, as we have previously seen, a differentform of prayer, saying,“All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thycovenant. Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way,”(Psalm 44:17, 18.)We are not to suppose that, in the passage now quoted, the faithful murmured against God, butthey employ this language because they knew that he had another end in view than simply to punishtheir sins; for, by means of these severe conflicts, he prepared them for the prize of their highcalling.6. Pour out thy fury upon the heathen, who have not known thee. This prayer is apparentlyinconsistent with the rule of charity; for, while we feel anxious about our own calamities, and desireto be delivered from them, we ought to desire that others may be relieved as well as ourselves. Itwould seem, therefore, that the faithful are to be blamed in here wishing the destruction ofunbelievers, for whose salvation they ought rather to have been solicitous. But it becomes us tobear in mind what I have previously stated, that the man who would offer up such a prayer as thisin a right manner, must be under the influence of zeal for the public welfare; so that, by the wrongsdone to himself personally, he may not suffer his carnal affections to be excited, nor allow himselfto be carried away with rage against his enemies; but, forgetting his individual interests, he musthave a sole regard to the common salvation of the Church, and to what conduces thereto. Secondly,he must implore God to grant him the spirit of discretion and judgment, that in prayer he may notbe impelled by an inconsiderate zeal: a subject which we have treated more at large in anotherplace. Besides, it is to be observed, that the pious Jews here not only lay out of consideration theirown particular advantage in order to consult the good of the whole Church, but also chiefly directtheir eyes to Christ, beseeching him to devote to destruction his enemies whose repentance ishopeless. They, therefore, do not rashly break forth into this prayer, that God would destroy theseor other enemies, nor do they anticipate the judgment of God; but desiring that the reprobate maybe involved in the condemnation which they deserve, they, at the same time, patiently wait untilthe heavenly judge separate the reprobate from the elect. In doing this, they do not cast aside the172