Psalm 30:5, 10
“His anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning!”
“Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help.”
In the title affixed to this Psalm, it is called “A Psalm, or song, at the dedication of the house of David.” If we understand this as referring to a dedication of his house on his first entrance upon it, 2 Samuel 5:11, there is nothing in the Psalm at all suitable to the occasion; but if we refer it to the period of his return to it after the death of Absalom, we shall find a suitableness in it to the circumstances in which he had been placed, 2 Samuel 20:5. He had been driven from his throne at a time when he appeared to be most firmly fixed upon it; and had been in most imminent danger of his life, from the hands of his own favorite, but rebellious son, Absalom. God, however, had mercifully interposed for his deliverance, and had restored him once more in safety to his own house. To purify his house from the pollution it had sustained from Absalom, he dedicated it afresh; and penned this Psalm, it should seem, for the occasion. But, as this is a matter of conjecture only, and not of certainty, I shall wave all further allusion to either of the occasions; and take the words of my text simply as expressing a most weighty truth, which is at all times, and under all circumstances, proper for our consideration.
Two things we shall notice from it:
I. The mercy of God.
The mercy of God will be found to be altogether of a boundless extent:
1. We shall consider the mercy of God as existing in his own bosom.
He is indeed angry both at sin itself and at those who commit it; and his anger he will surely manifest against every impenitent transgressor. “His wrath is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men! Romans 1:18;” and it will surely “break forth against all the children of disobedience, Ephesians 5:6.” Nevertheless, the inflicting of his judgments is “a strange act,” to which he is utterly averse, Isaiah 28:21. “Mercy” is the attribute in which “he most delights! Micah 7:18;” and, when he proclaimed his name, it was that by which he most desired to be known, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, patient, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin! Exodus 34:6-7.” The whole of the Scriptures represent him in this view, and declare, with one voice, that he is “rich in mercy, Ephesians 2:4,” and that “his mercy is from everlasting to everlasting unto those who fear him, Psalm 103:17.”
2. We shall consider the mercy of God as experienced by his people.
Against the impenitent God’s anger must, of necessity, continue. But towards the penitent and believing, it is of the shortest possible duration, “His anger endures but for a moment.”
When Nathan pressed home upon the conscience of David the guilt he had contracted in the matter of Uriah, and had brought him to this acknowledgment, “I have sinned against the Lord!”—the prophet was instantly directed by God to declare, that his iniquity, notwithstanding the enormity of it, was pardoned, “The Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die! 2 Samuel 12:13.”
Had there been any bounds to his mercy, Manasseh could never have found acceptance with him. The wickedness of that monarch exceeded all that one would have supposed a human being was capable of committing; yet even he was pardoned, as soon as he humbled himself before his God, 2 Chronicles 33:12-13.
How rapidly the mercy of God flies to the healing of a contrite soul, may be seen, as in numberless other instances, so in the Psalm before us, “Hear, O Lord,” said David, “and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help;” and then he immediately adds, “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, verse 10, 11. For the further elucidation of this, see Jeremiah 3:12-14; Jeremiah 3:22; Jeremiah 4:1.”
The whole preceding context, while it declares God’s mercy, sets also before us,
II. Our duty in the contemplation of God’s mercy.
As having experienced mercy, all Christians are called to sing, and praise our God. But, as we are not all in the holy frame of David, and as the text itself suggests views somewhat different from those of joyous exultation, I shall adhere rather to the words before us, and point out our duty, not so much in the contemplation of God’s mercy enjoyed, as of God’s mercy needed and desired.
Though God so delights in the exercise of mercy—yet he requires that we seek it at his hands, Ezekiel 36:37.
1. We must seek God’s mercy supremely.
“In his favor is life;” and the enjoyment of it must be our one object of pursuit. Not only must all earthly things be as nothing in our estimation, but life itself must be of no value in comparison with it. To have our interest in his favor a matter of doubt, must be as death to our souls; and we must live only to obtain reconciliation with him. What the frame of our minds, in reference to it, should be—we may see in those words of David, “I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul! Psalm 143:6-8.”
2. We must seek God’s mercy humbly.
“Weeping may endure for a night.” We should certainly weep and mourn for our sins, as our blessed Lord has told us in his sermon on the mount, Matthew 5:4 with Luke 6:20-21. And who among us has not just ground to weep? Who is there that has not reason to smite upon his bosom with grief and shame for his past life, and, like David, to say, “I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears! Psalm 6:6.” This should be the experience of us all, “We must sow in tears, if ever we would reap in joy! Psalm 126:5.” Shall this be thought suited to the Mosaic dispensation only? It is not a whit less necessary under the Gospel dispensation, “Be afflicted, and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into heaviness; humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord; and he shall lift you up.”
3. We must seek God’s mercy confidently.
We should never doubt God’s readiness to accept us, when we return to him. Whether our night of weeping be more or less dark, or of a longer or shorter duration, we should feel assured that “a morning of joy shall come,” when “there shall be given to us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, Isaiah 61:3.” In the contemplation of God’s mercy as revealed in the Gospel, we should see, that he can be “a just God, and yet a Savior, Isaiah 45:21;” yes, that because “he is faithful and just, he will forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, 1 John 1:9.”
To the exercise of his mercy He has assigned no limit; and we should assign none. We should be perfectly assured that “the blood of Jesus Christ is sufficient to cleanse from all sin! 1 John 1:7;” that “God will cast out none who come to him in his Son’s name, John 6:37;” on the contrary, that “though our sins have been red like crimson,” we shall, through the Redeemer’s blood, “be made as white as snow! Isaiah 1:18.”
In this view of our subject, I would call your attention to the following obvious and beneficial reflections.
1. How deeply to be pitied, are the blind impenitent world!
They will not believe that God is angry with them, or that they have any need to dread his displeasure. If we attempt to convince them of their danger, they account us no better than gloomy enthusiasts. But, whether they will believe it or not, God’s eye is upon them for evil; and if they do not turn to him in penitence and faith, they shall before long feel the weight of his avenging arm!
Who that should see a multitude of people, like Baal’s priests, unconscious of their impending fate—and would not pity them? Yet here are millions of immortal souls soon to be summoned into the presence of their Judge, and mocking the eternal doom that speedily awaits them! Should not “rivers of tears run down our eyes for them? Psalm 119:136.” Yes, truly; as our Lord wept over Jerusalem in the view of the destruction that awaited it, and as the Apostle Paul had “great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart” on account of his unbelieving brethren, Romans 9:2, so should we mourn bitterly for those who will not mourn and be in bitterness for themselves.
2. How richly blessed, is the weeping penitent!
His carnal friends perhaps pity him for his weakness, or deride him for his folly. But the angels around the throne are of a very different mind; they, even in the presence of God himself, have an augmentation of their joy from one single spectacle like this! Luke 15:10; and God himself is not so intent on the heavenly hosts, but that he spies out such a poor object as this, and looks upon him with delight! Isaiah 66:2.
Is there, then, one weeping penitent here present? My brother! crowns and kingdoms are of no value in comparison with the blessing conferred on you! Be content to go on weeping, as long as God shall see fit to keep you in that state of discipline; but know, that “joy is sown for you;” and that, in due season, it shall spring up to an abundant harvest; for thus says the Lord, “He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him! Psalm 126:6.”
3. What praises and thanksgivings are due to God from the pardoned sinner!
Brethren! At present you can have but little conception of the incomprehensible blessings which God has conferred upon you; for you cannot see one thousandth part of your guilt, or conceive one thousandth part of the glory that awaits you!
Still less can you comprehend the wonders of redeeming love and mercy that have been given to you in the gift of God’s only dear Son for your redemption!
What indeed you already know, is abundantly sufficient to fill your souls with unutterable joy, and your lips with incessant praise.
But what will be your feelings at the instant of the departure of your soul from this earthly tabernacle, and of its admission into the presence of your God? Then you will fully see the depth of misery from which you have been redeemed, and the height of the glory to which you are exalted!
You will then behold your Redeemer face to face; and join in the eternal praises of our adorable Savior. “And they will reign for ever and ever!” Revelation 22:5
“May you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is! May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully! Ephesians 3:18-19”
Surely these things should be ever on your minds; they should make you to be “looking for, and hastening unto, the coming of that blessed day.” But, suppose that your night of weeping were to continue to the very hour of your dissolution, how short would it appear, when once that morning burst upon your view! Are you not ashamed that you should ever grudge the seed for such a harvest? Will not one hour of that glory be an ample recompense for all the exertions you ever made for the attainment of it? Go on, then, with Heaven in your view, and live in the sweet anticipation of that unimaginable glory that awaits you. Methinks the very prospect of such a morning constitutes its very dawn, and will be to your souls the commencement of Heaven upon earth.
Charles Simeon