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Commentary on Psalms 94 verses 12–23
The psalmist, having denounced tribulation to those that trouble God's people, here assures those that are troubled of rest. See Th2 1:6, Th2 1:7. He speaks comfort to suffering saints from God's promises and his own experience.
I. From God's promises, which are such as not only save them from being miserable, but secure a happiness to them (Psa 94:12): Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest. Here he looks above the instruments of trouble, and eyes the hand of God, which gives it another name and puts quite another color upon it. The enemies break in pieces God's people (Psa 94:5); they aim at no less; but the truth of the matter is that God by them chastens his people, as the father the son in whom he delights, and the persecutors are only the rod he makes use of. Howbeit they mean not so, neither doth their heart think so, Isa 10:5-7. Now it is here promised,
1.That God's people shall get good by their sufferings. When he chastens them he will teach them, and blessed is the man who is thus taken under a divine discipline, for none teaches like God. Note, (1.) The afflictions of the saints are fatherly chastenings, designed for their instruction, reformation, and improvement. (2.) When the teachings of the word and Spirit go along with the rebukes of Providence they then both manifest men to be blessed and help to make them so; for then they are marks of adoption and means of sanctification. When we are chastened we must pray to be taught, and look into the law as the best expositor of Providence. It is not the chastening itself that does good, but the teaching that goes along with it and is the exposition of it.
2.That they shall see through their sufferings (Psa 94:13): That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity. Note, (1.) There is a rest remaining for the people of God after the days of their adversity, which, though they may be many and long, shall be numbered and finished in due time, and shall not last always. He that sends the trouble will send the rest, that he may comfort them according to the time that he has afflicted them. (2.) God therefore teaches his people by their troubles, that he may prepare them for deliverance, and so give them rest from their troubles, that, being reformed, they may be relieved, and that the affliction, having done its work, may be removed.
3.That they shall see the ruin of those that are the instruments of their sufferings, which is the matter of a promise, not as gratifying any passion of theirs, but as redounding to the glory of God: Until the pit is digged (or rather while the pit is digging) for the wicked, God is ordering peace for them at the same time that he is ordaining his arrows against the persecutors.
4.That, though they may be cast down, yet certainly they shall not be cast off, Psa 94:14. Let God's suffering people assure themselves of this, that, whatever their friends do, God will not cast them off, nor throw them out of his covenant or out of his care; he will not forsake them, because they are his inheritance, which he will not quit his title to nor suffer himself to be disseised of. St. Paul comforted himself with this, Rom 11:1.
5.That, bad as things are, they shall mend, and, though they are now out of course, yet they shall return to their due and ancient channel (Psa 94:15): Judgment shall return unto righteousness; the seeming disorders of Providence (for real ones there never were) shall be rectified. God's judgment, that is, his government, looks sometimes as if it were at a distance from righteousness, while the wicked prosper, and the best men meet with the worst usage; but it shall return to righteousness again, either in this world or at the furthest in the judgment of the great day, which will set all to-rights. Then all the upright in heart shall be after it; they shall follow it with their praises, and with entire satisfaction; they shall return to a prosperous and flourishing condition, and shine forth out of obscurity; they shall accommodate themselves to the dispensations of divine Providence, and with suitable affections attend all its motions. They shall walk after the Lord, Hos 11:10. Dr. Hammond thinks this was most eminently fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem first, and afterwards of heathen Rome, the crucifiers of Christ and persecutors of Christians, and the rest which the churches had thereby. Then judgment returned even to righteousness, to mercy and goodness, and favour to God's people, who then were as much countenanced as before they had been trampled on.
II. From his own experiences and observations.
1.He and his friends had been oppressed by cruel and imperious men, that had power in their hands and abused it by abusing all good people with it. They were themselves evil-doers and workers of iniquity (Psa 94:16); they abandoned themselves to all manner of impiety and immorality, and then their throne was a throne of iniquity, Psa 94:20. Their dignity served to put a reputation upon sin, and their authority was employed to support it, and to bring about their wicked designs. It is a pity that ever a throne, which should be a terror to evil-doers and a protection and praise to those that do well, should be the seat and shelter of iniquity. That is a throne of iniquity which by the policy of its council frames mischief, and by its sovereignty enacts it and turns it into a law. Iniquity is daring enough even when human laws are against it, which often prove too weak to give an effectual check to it; but how insolent, how mischievous, is it when it is backed by a law! Iniquity is not the better, but much the worse, for being enacted by law; nor will it excuse those that practise it to say that they did but do as they were bidden. These workers of iniquity, having framed mischief by a law, take care to see the law executed; for they gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, who dare not keep the statutes of Omri nor the law of the house of Ahab; and they condemn the innocent blood for violating their decrees. See an instance in Daniel's enemies; they framed mischief by a law when the obtained an impious edict against prayer (Dan 6:7), and, when Daniel would not obey it, they assembled together against him (Psa 94:11) and condemned his innocent blood to the lions. The best benefactors of mankind have often been thus treated, under colour of law and justice, as the worst of malefactors.
2.The oppression they were under bore very hard upon them, and oppressed their spirits too. Let not suffering saints despair, though, when they are persecuted, they find themselves perplexed and cast down; it was so with the psalmist here: His soul had almost dwelt in silence (Psa 94:17); he was at his wits' end, and knew not what to say or do; he was, in his own apprehensions, at his life's end, ready to drop into the grave, that land of silence. St. Paul, in a like case, received a sentence of death within himself, Co2 1:8, Co2 1:9. He said, "My foot slippeth (Psa 94:18); I am going irretrievably; there is no remedy; I must fall. I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul. My hope fails me; I do not find such firm footing for my faith as I have sometimes found." Psa 73:2. He had a multitude of perplexed entangled thoughts within him concerning the case he was in and the construction to be made of it, and concerning the course he should take and what was likely to be the issue of it.
3.In this distress they sought for help, and succour, and some relief. (1.) They looked about for it and were disappointed (Psa 94:16): "Who will rise up for me against the evil-doers? Have I any friend who, in love to me, will appear for me? Has justice any friend who, in a pious indignation at unrighteousness, will plead my injured cause?" He looked, but there was none to save, there was none to uphold. Note, When on the side of the oppressors there is power it is no marvel if the oppressed have no comforter, none that dare own them, or speak a good word for them, Ecc 4:1. When St. Paul was brought before Nero's throne of iniquity no man stood by him, Ti2 4:16. (2.) They looked up for it, Psa 94:20. They humbly expostulate with God: "Lord, shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee? Wilt thou countenance and support these tyrants in their wickedness? We know thou wilt not." A throne has fellowship with God when it is a throne of justice and answers the end of the erecting of it; for by him kings reign, and when they reign for him their judgments are his, and he owns them as his ministers, and whoever resist them, or rise up against them, shall receive to themselves damnation; but, when it becomes a throne of iniquity, it has no longer fellowship with God. Far be it from the just and holy God that he should be the patron of unrighteousness, even in princes and those that sit in thrones, yea, though they be the thrones of the house of David.
4.They found succour and relief in God, and in him only. When other friends failed, in him they had a faithful and powerful friend; and it is recommended to all God's suffering saints to trust in him. (1.) God helps at a dead lift (Psa 94:17): "When I had almost dwelt in silence, then the Lord was my help, kept me alive, kept me in heart; and unless I had made him my help, by putting my trust in him and expecting relief from him, I could never have kept possession of my own soul; but living by faith in him has kept my head above water, has given me breath, and something to say." (2.) God's goodness is the great support of sinking spirits (Psa 94:18): "When I said, My foot slips into sin, into ruin, into despair, then thy mercy, O Lord! held me up, kept me from falling, and defeated the design of those who consulted to cast me down from my excellency," Psa 62:4. We are beholden not only to God's power, but to his pity, for spiritual supports: Thy mercy, the gifts of thy mercy and my hope in thy mercy, held me up. God's right hand sustains his people when they look on their right hand and on their left and there is none to uphold; and we are then prepared for his gracious supports when we are sensible of our own weakness and inability to stand by our own strength, and come to God, to acknowledge it, and to tell him how our foot slips. (3.) Divine consolations are the effectual relief of troubled spirits (Psa 94:19): "In the multitude of my thoughts within me, which are noisy like a multitude, crowding and jostling one another like a multitude, and very unruly and ungovernable, in the multitude of my sorrowful, solicitous, timorous thoughts, thy comforts delight my soul; and they are never more delightful than when they come in so seasonably to silence my unquiet thoughts and keep my mind easy." The world's comforts give but little delight to the soul when it is hurried with melancholy thoughts; they are songs to a heavy heart. But God's comforts will reach the soul, and not the fancy only, and will bring with them that peace and that pleasure which the smiles of the world cannot give and which the frowns of the world cannot take away.
5.God is, and will be, as a righteous Judge, the patron and protector of right and the punisher and avenger of wrong; this the psalmist had both the assurance of and the experience of. (1.) He will give redress to the injured (Psa 94:22): "When none else will, nor can, nor dare, shelter me, the Lord is my defence, to preserve me from the evil of my troubles, from sinking under them and being ruined by them; and he is the rock of my refuge, in the clefts of which I may take shelter, and on the top of which I may set my feet, to be out of the reach of danger." God is his people's refuge, to whom they may flee, in whom they are safe and may be secure; he is the rock of their refuge, so strong, so firm, impregnable, immovable, as a rock: natural fastnesses sometimes exceed artificial fortifications. (2.) He will reckon with the injurious (Psa 94:23): He shall render to them their own iniquity; he shall deal with them according to their deserts, and that very mischief which they did and designed against God's people shall be brought upon themselves: it follows, He shall cut them off in their wickedness. A man cannot be more miserable than his own wickedness will make him if God visit it upon him: it will cut him in the remembrance of it; it will cut him off in the recompence of it. This the psalm concludes with the triumphant assurance of: Yea, the Lord our God, who takes our part and owns us for his, shall cut them off from any fellowship with him, and so shall make them completely miserable and their pomp and power shall stand them in no stead.
So, to conclude this sermon where we began it, let us pray and put all our trust in God; let us live as he commands us, and when we stumble and stagger in this life, let us call on him as the disciples called upon him when they said, "Lord, increase our faith." Peter too was full of confidence and staggered; yet he was not ignored and allowed to drown but given a helping hand and set on his feet. Just what, after all, did he place his confidence in? It was not in himself, it was in the Lord. How is that? "Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you over the water." The Lord, you remember, was walking over the waters. "If it is you, bid me come to you over the water." I know, you see, that if it is you, you have only to command, and it will happen. And he said, "Come." Peter got down from the boat at his command; he began to tremble at his own weakness. And yet when he grew afraid Peter cried out to him: "Lord, deliver me," he said. Then the Lord took him by the hand and said, "Little faith, why did you doubt?" It was Jesus that invited him, he that delivered him when Peter tottered and staggered. "This fulfilled what was said in the psalm, "If I said, My foot has slipped, your mercy, Lord, would come to my help."
"If I said, My foot has slipt; Your mercy, O Lord, held me up" [Psalm 94:18]. See how God loves confession. Your foot has slipt, and you say not, my foot has slipt; but you say you are firm, when you are slipping. The moment you begin to slip or waver, confess thou that slip, that you may not bewail your total fall; that He may help, so that your soul be not in hell. God loves confession, loves humility. You have slipped, as a man; God helps you, nevertheless: yet say, "My foot has slipt." Why do you slip, and yet sayest, I am firm? "When I said, My foot has slipt, Your mercy, O Lord, has held me up." Just as Peter presumed, but not in strength of his own. The Lord was seen to walk upon the sea, trampling on the heads of all the proud in this life. In walking upon the foaming waves, He figured His own course when He tramples on the heads of the proud. The Church too does trample upon them: for Peter is the Church Herself. Nevertheless, Peter dared not by himself walk upon the waters; but what said he? "Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto You on the water." [Matthew 14:28] He in His own power, Peter by His order; "bid me," he says, "come unto You." He answered, "Come." For the Church also tramples on the heads of the proud; but since it is the Church, and has human weakness, that these words might be fulfilled, "If I said, My foot has slipt," Peter tottered on the sea, and cried out, "Lord, save me!" [Matthew 14:30] and so what is here put, "If I said, My foot has slipt," is put there, "Lord, I perish." And what is here, "Your mercy, O Lord, has held me up," is there put, "And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, saying, O thou of little faith, wherefore did you doubt?" [Matthew 14:31] It is wonderful how God proves men: our very dangers render Him who rescues us sweeter unto us. For see what follows: because he said, "If I said, My foot has slipt, Your mercy, O Lord, has held me up." The Lord has become especially sweet unto him, in rescuing him from danger; and thus speaking of this very sweetness of the Lord, he exclaims and says, "O Lord, in the multitude of the sorrows that I had in my heart, Your comforts have refreshed my soul" [Psalm 94:19]. Many sorrows, but many consolations: bitter wounds, and sweet remedies.
The one who arranged the contest helps the contestant. God, you see, does not watch you in the ring in the same way as the populace watch a charioteer; they know how to shout, they do not know how to help. God does not watch you battling in the ring in the same way as the president at the games watches an athlete and prepares a crown of leaves for the winner; he does not know how to give strength to the man struggling in the arena, and he cannot do it anyhow; after all he is a man, not God. And perhaps while he is watching, he endures more weariness sitting there than the other does as he wrestles. God, you see, when he watches his champions, helps them when they call on him. I mean, it is the voice of his athlete in the psalm, "If I said, my foot is slipping, your mercy, Lord, came to my help." So, my brothers and sisters, do not let us be slow about it; let us ask, let us seek, let us knock. "For everyone who asks receives, and who seeks will find, and who knocks will have the door opened."
All the same, you must not think that you are in every respect or immediately going to be strong or … going to fail utterly by despairing. After all, that alternation of failure and of strength in the arms of God's servant Moses was, perhaps, your alternation. Sometimes, you see, you fail in your trials and temptations, but do not totally succumb to them. Moses let his arms droop a little but did not collapse altogether. "If I were to say, my foot has slipped, behold, your mercy, Lord, would come to my help." So do not be afraid; the one is present on the journey to help you along, who was not absent in Egypt to set you free. Do not be afraid, step out along the road, be confident and throw care to the winds. Sometimes he lowered his arms, sometimes he lifted them up; anyway, Amalek was defeated. They were able to wage war, they were not able to win.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 94:18 powerfully articulates the universal human experience of vulnerability and impending collapse, masterfully contrasting it with the immediate, steadfast, and active intervention of divine mercy. The psalmist candidly confesses a moment of profound instability, metaphorically akin to a foot slipping on treacherous ground, only to immediately testify to the Lord's unfailing covenant love and sustaining power that prevented a complete fall. This verse offers a profound assurance of God's faithful presence and unwavering support, even in the deepest moments of weakness and despair, highlighting His character as the ultimate upholder of His people.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs powerful Metaphor with the phrase "My foot slippeth," which vividly conveys a sense of instability, imminent failure, or moral/spiritual stumbling. This physical image effectively illustrates an internal state of vulnerability and despair. There is also a clear Antithesis or Contrast at play, juxtaposing human weakness and the threat of falling ("My foot slippeth") with divine strength and unwavering support ("thy mercy, O LORD, held me up"). This contrast highlights the sufficiency of God's grace in the face of human frailty. The use of "O LORD" is a direct Apostrophe, a rhetorical device where the speaker directly addresses God, emphasizing the personal and relational nature of the psalmist's plea and testimony. The entire verse functions as a concise Testimony, recounting a personal experience of distress and divine deliverance, serving as an encouragement to others. The structure moves from confession of weakness to declaration of divine intervention, creating a powerful narrative arc within a single sentence.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 94:18 is a profound testament to God's active and unwavering support for His people, particularly in their moments of greatest vulnerability. It underscores the biblical truth that human weakness is not a barrier to divine intervention but often the very occasion for God's power and mercy to be most clearly displayed. God's chesed—His covenantal love and loyalty—is the foundational attribute that compels Him to uphold those who trust in Him, preventing their complete collapse even when they feel utterly destabilized. This verse assures believers that their cries of distress are met with divine compassion and tangible support, reinforcing the absolute reliability of God's character and His commitment to His covenant people. It stands as a powerful reminder that our stability is ultimately found not in our own strength, but in God's unfailing grace.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 94:18 offers immense comfort and profound practical guidance for contemporary life. We all encounter moments when we feel our "foot slippeth"—whether it's the crushing weight of overwhelming circumstances, the insidious creep of spiritual doubt, the fierce pull of moral temptation, or the painful reality of personal failure. This verse reminds us that in those moments of acute vulnerability, our honest confession of weakness is not met with judgment but with the immediate, powerful, and compassionate intervention of God's steadfast mercy. It encourages us to embrace our limitations, to vocalize our struggles to the One who truly sees and hears, and to rest in the unwavering assurance that God's faithful love is ever-present and ready to sustain us. This is not a passive hope but an active reliance on God's character, knowing that His grace is sufficient to prevent us from falling completely, transforming our moments of despair into testimonies of His unfailing strength and unwavering presence. It calls us to a deeper trust, recognizing that our ultimate security rests in the divine hand that holds us up.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "My foot slippeth" symbolize in this verse?
Answer: "My foot slippeth" is a powerful metaphor for experiencing instability, vulnerability, or being on the verge of falling. It can symbolize various forms of distress: spiritual stumbling (temptation, doubt, loss of faith), moral failure, overwhelming personal circumstances, emotional despair, or even physical danger. It signifies a moment where one's foundation feels compromised and a complete collapse seems imminent, highlighting human frailty and the precariousness of life. This imagery is common in the Psalms to describe moments of profound distress and near defeat, as seen in Psalm 38:16.
What is the significance of the Hebrew word chesed for "mercy" in this context?
Answer: The Hebrew word chesed (חֶסֶד), translated as "mercy," is far more robust than simple pity. It encapsulates God's steadfast love, covenant loyalty, unfailing kindness, and enduring faithfulness. In Psalms 94:18, it signifies that God's intervention is not a random act but flows from His very character and His unwavering commitment to His covenant relationship with His people. It is a love that actively upholds and restores, even when one is at their weakest, providing a firm foundation for trust in God's reliable nature. This concept of God's enduring chesed is a foundational theme throughout the Old Testament, particularly emphasized in passages like Lamentations 3:22-23.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 94:18 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While the psalmist experienced God's sustaining mercy in a specific moment of personal weakness, Christ embodies and perfectly extends that divine upholding to all believers. When our "foot slippeth" due to sin, temptation, or the crushing weight of the world, it is the mercy of God, fully revealed in Christ, that holds us up. Jesus, our great High Priest, sympathizes with our weaknesses, having been tempted in every way, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). His finished work on the cross provides the ultimate rescue from the ultimate fall—the eternal separation from God, securing our redemption through His blood (Ephesians 1:7). Through His resurrection power, He not only prevents our spiritual collapse but also grants us new life and an enduring stability that transcends earthly circumstances, enabling us to stand firm in Him (Colossians 2:6-7). The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, indwells believers, providing the strength and comfort needed in moments of despair, ensuring that we are "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation" (1 Peter 1:5). Ultimately, the steadfast love of the Lord, which held up the psalmist, is the same love that secures our salvation and ensures that Christ "is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy" (Jude 1:24). He is our sure and steadfast anchor for the soul, holding us firm in every storm (Hebrews 6:19).