Commentary on Psalms - Volume 3 - Bible Study Guides

Comm on Psalms (V3)John Calvin11. Who knoweth, the power of thy anger? Moses again returns to speak of the peculiar afflictionsof the Israelites; for he had also on this occasion complained before of the common frailty andmiseries of mankind. He justly exclaims that the power of God’s wrath is immeasurably great. Solong as God withholds his hand, men wantonly leap about like runaway slaves, who are no longerafraid at the sight of their master; nor can their rebellious nature be reduced to obedience in anyother way than by his striking them with the fear of his judgment. The meaning then is, that whilstGod hides himself, and, so to speak, dissembles his displeasure, men are inflated with pride, andrush upon sin with reckless impetuosity; but when they are compelled to feel how dreadful hiswrath is, they forget their loftiness, and are reduced to nothing. What follows, According to thyfear, so is thy wrath, is commonly explained as denoting that the more a man is inspired withreverence towards God, the more severely and sternly is he commonly dealt with; for “judgmentbegins at the house of God,” (1 Peter 4:17.) Whilst he pampers the reprobate with the good thingsof this life, he wastes his chosen ones with continual troubles; and in short, “whom he loveth hechasteneth,” (Hebrews 12:6.) It is then a true and profitable doctrine that he deals more roughlywith those who serve him than with the reprobate. But Moses, I think, has here a different meaning,which is, that it is a holy awe of God, and that alone, which makes us truly and deeply feel hisanger. We see that the reprobate, although they are severely punished, only chafe upon the bit, orkick against God, or become exasperated, or are stupified, as if they were hardened against allcalamities; so far are they from being subdued. And though they are full of trouble, and cry aloud,yet the Divine anger does not so penetrate their hearts as to abate their pride and fierceness. Theminds of the godly alone are wounded with the wrath of God; nor do they wait for his thunderbolts,to which the reprobate hold out their hard and iron necks, but they tremble the very moment whenGod moves only his little finger. This I consider to be the true meaning of the prophet. He had saidthat the human mind could not sufficiently comprehend the dreadfulness of the Divine wrath. Andwe see how, although God shakes heaven and earth, many notwithstanding, like the giants of old,treat this with derision, and are actuated by such brutish arrogance, that they despise him when hebrandishes his bolts. But as the Psalmist is treating of a doctrine which properly belongs to truebelievers, he affirms that they have a strongly sensitive feeling of the wrath of God which makesthem quietly submit themselves to his authority. Although to the wicked their own conscience is atormentor which does not suffer them to enjoy repose, yet so far is this secret dread from teachingthem to humble themselves, that it excites them to clamor against God with increasing frowardness.In short, the faithful alone are sensible of God’s wrath; and being subdued by it, they acknowledgethat they are nothing, and with true humility devote themselves wholly to Him. This is wisdom towhich the reprobate cannot attain, because they cannot lay aside the pride with which they areinflated. They are not touched with the feeling of God’s wrath, because they do not stand in aweof him.12. Teach us so to number our days. Some translate to the number of our days, which gives thesame sense. As Moses perceived that what he had hitherto taught is not comprehended by theunderstandings of men until God shine upon them by his Spirit, he now sets himself to prayer. Itindeed seems at first sight absurd to pray that we may know the number of our years. What? sinceeven the strongest scarcely reach the age of fourscore years, is there any difficulty in reckoning upso small a sum? Children learn numbers as soon as they begin to prattle; and we do not need ateacher in arithmetic to enable us to count the length of a hundred upon our fingers. So much the284