Yahweh will fulfill that which concerns me. Your loving kindness, Yahweh, endures forever. Don’t forsake the works of your own hands.
Parallel Translations
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Yahweh will fulfill that which concerns me. Your loving kindness, Yahweh, endures forever. Don’t forsake the works of your own hands.
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The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
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The LORD will accomplish that which concerneth me; Thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever; forsake not the work of Thine own hands.
Cross-references (22)
Passages linked to Psalms 138:8 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Philippians 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
- Psalms 57:2 I cry out to God Most High, to God who accomplishes my requests for me.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:24 He who calls you is faithful, who will also do it.
- Isaiah 26:12 Yahweh, you will ordain peace for us, for you have also done all our work for us.
- Psalms 136:1 Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good; for his loving kindness endures forever.
- Psalms 103:17 But Yahweh’s loving kindness is from everlasting to everlasting with those who fear him, his righteousness to children’s children,
- Jeremiah 32:39-40 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their good, and the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from following them, to do them good. I will put my fear in their hearts, that they may not depart from me.
- 1 Peter 4:19 Therefore let them also who suffer according to the will of God in doing good entrust their souls to him, as to a faithful Creator.
- Psalms 71:17-18 God, you have taught me from my youth. Until now, I have declared your wondrous works. Yes, even when I am old and gray-haired, God, don’t forsake me, until I have declared your strength to the next generation, your might to everyone who is to come.
- Isaiah 43:21 the people which I formed for myself, that they might declare my praise.
- Psalms 100:5 For Yahweh is good. His loving kindness endures forever, his faithfulness to all generations.
- Romans 8:28-30 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose. For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Whom he predestined, those he also called. Whom he called, those he also justified. Whom he justified, those he also glorified.
- Psalms 71:6-9 I have relied on you from the womb. You are he who took me out of my mother’s womb. I will always praise you. I am a marvel to many, but you are my strong refuge. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, with your honor all day long. Don’t reject me in my old age. Don’t forsake me when my strength fails.
- Psalms 100:3 Know that Yahweh, he is God. It is he who has made us, and we are his. We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
- Isaiah 42:16 I will bring the blind by a way that they don’t know. I will lead them in paths that they don’t know. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. I will do these things, and I will not forsake them.
- 1 Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that doesn’t fade away, reserved in Heaven for you, who by the power of God are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
- Job 14:15 You would call, and I would answer you. You would have a desire for the work of your hands.
- John 15:2 Every branch in me that doesn’t bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
- Romans 5:10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we will be saved by his life.
- Job 10:3 Is it good to you that you should oppress, that you should despise the work of your hands, and smile on the counsel of the wicked?
- Job 10:8 “ ‘Your hands have framed me and fashioned me altogether, yet you destroy me.
- Jude 1:1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (15 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 8. Jehovah will recompense upon me, etc. The doubtfulness…
8. Jehovah will recompense upon me, etc. The doubtfulness which attaches to the meaning of the verb גמר, gamar, throws an uncertainty over the whole sentence. Sometimes it signifies to repay, and, in general, to bestow, for it is often applied to free favors. “Il signifie aucunefois Rendre, recompenser, et mesme generalement ottroyer,” etc — Fr.
“that he who has begun the good work will perform it till the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6.)
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The use to be made of the doctrine is, to remember, when we fall or are disposed to waver in our minds, that since God has wrought the beginning of our salvation in us, he will carry it forward to its termination. Accordingly, we should betake ourselves to prayer, that we may not, through our own indolence, bar our access to that continuous stream of the divine goodness which flows from a fountain that is inexhaustible.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Though mine enemies rage never so much, yet the…
Though mine enemies rage never so much, yet the Lord, which hath begun his work in me, will continue his grace to the end.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Psa 138:8 The LORD will perfect [that which] concerneth…
Psa 138:8 The LORD will perfect [that which] concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, [endureth] for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
Ver. 8. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me] He will not do his business to the halves, leave it in the midst, but carry it on to a consummation, and lay the top stone of grace; this I am well assured of. See Php 1:6. Only I must pray, and do my part; having an eye still to God’s everlasting mercy in Christ.
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Forsake not the works of thine own hands] Look upon the wounds of thy hands, and forsake not the works of thy hands, prayed Queen Elizabeth. And Luther’s usual prayer was, Confirm, O God, in us that thou hast wrought, and perfect the work that thou hast begun in us, to thy glory; so be it. Though the good work of grace be begun in us, yet we can neither persevere in that grace, nor bring it forth to act, without new grace; even as trees, though they be fitted to bear fruit, yet, without the influence of the heavens, they cannot put forth that fitness in fruit, &c.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Will perfect that which concerneth me; will finish that…
Will perfect that which concerneth me; will finish that great work of my deliverance and advancement, which he hath undertaken and carried on hitherto.
Endureth for ever; it is not inconstant and changeable, as men’s affections are, but everlasting. And this may be either a proof of the fort, going assertion, the Lord will perfect, &c. or an argument to enforce the following petition, therefore
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forsake not, & c. Forsake not, or leave not, or do not desist from or give over. The works of thine own hands; the work of my salvation, which is thus far advanced, not by any human help, but by thine own extraordinary power and providence, and therefore it is not for thine honour to desert it at last. This he calls works in regard of the many and various parts and actions which concurred to this work.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me,.... Or…
The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me,.... Or "will", or "may the Lord perform for me" (x): all things in providence; all that he had appointed for him, that would be for his good and his own glory, Psa 57:2; and particularly what concerned him as a king. He had made him king over the house of Judah; he had begun to fulfil his promise concerning the kingdom; and he would perfect it, by setting him over all the tribes of Israel. Also he believed he would perfect what concerned him as a saint, even the good work of grace upon his heart; which is but a begun work, is imperfect, is gradually carried on, and will be completed; God is able to do it, and none can hinder him; he has promised to do it, and he is faithful who will do it; and his glory is concerned in it; and it may be depended on it will be finished; he is a rock, and his work is perfect; see Phi 1:6;
thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever; a phrase often used by the psalmist, with which his heart was affected; and here used, both as an argument by which he concluded God would perfect his begun work, and as an encouragement to make the following request:
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forsake not the works of thine own hands; as are all the works of providence and grace: the work of grace upon the heart may be expressed in the plural number, because of the several branches of it; which are all so many works, as the work of faith, labour, of love, &c. Th1 1:3; and which is the Lord's handiwork; and a curious work it is, a new creation work, a work of almighty power; and which he will never cease from, or be remiss in, as the word (y) signifies, until he has accomplished it, Th2 1:11. It is a prayer of faith, and may be most confidently believed: and some indeed render it as an expression of faith, "thou wilt not forsake the works of thine hands" (z); David himself was the work of God's hands, as Kimchi observes, as a creature, as a king, and as a saint; and so are all the people of God, Isa 45:11; and whom he will never leave nor forsake; for they are his church, his chosen, his children, his portion and inheritance, Psa 94:14.
(x) "perficiet pro me", Montanus, Musculus; "perficiat pro me", Junius & Tremellius. (y) "ne dimittas", Pagninus, Montanus. (z) "Non deseres", Musculus, Piscator.
Next: Psalms Chapter 139
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Perfect - Will finish the great work of my…
Perfect - Will finish the great work of my deliverance. Forsake not - Or, do not give over, the work of my salvation, which is thus far advanced, not by any human help, but by thy power and providence.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 8. The Lord will perfect] Whatever is farther…
Verse 8. The Lord will perfect] Whatever is farther necessary to be done, he will do it.
Forsake not the works of thine own hands.] My body - my soul; thy work begun in my soul; thy work in behalf of Israel; thy work in the evangelization of the world; thy work in the salvation of mankind. Thou wilt not forsake these.
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ANALYSIS OF THE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-EIGHTH PSALM
I. In the three first verses of this Psalm David promises a grateful heart, and to sing the praises of God, because he had heard his cries, and sent him comfort and deliverance.
II. In the three next he shows what future kings would do, when the works and truth of God should be made known to them.
III. In the two last verses he professes his confidence in God; shows what he hopes for from him; and, in assurance that God will perfect his works, prays him not to desert or forsake him.
I. The prophet shows his thankfulness, which he illustrates and amplifies.
1. "I will praise thee with my whole heart." Sincerely, cordially.
2. "Before the gods," c. Publicly, before potentates, whether angels or kings.
3. "I will worship toward," c. It is true God ruleth as King in his palace: there will I bow it is the symbol of his presence.
4. "And praise thy name," c. From a feeling sense of thy goodness. 1. "For thy lovingkindness," &c. In calling me to the kingdom from the sheepfold. 2. "And for thy truth." In performing thy promise. By which,
5. "Thou hast magnified," &c. This clause is differently read. "Thou hast magnified thy name in thy word by performing thy word above all things." Or, "Thou hast magnified thy name and thy word above all things." See the notes.
6. "In the day when I cried," c. Finite creatures as we are, we must sometimes faint in our temptations and afflictions, if not strengthened by God.
II. The prophet, having set down what God had in mercy done for him in calling him from following the ewes, &c., and making him king, and performing his promises to him seeing all this, the prophet judges it impossible but that the neighbouring and future kings should acknowledge the miracle and praise God. This appears the literal sense: but it may have reference to the conversion of kings in future ages to the faith.
1. "All the kings of the earth," c. Or the future kings of Israel.
2. "Yea, they shall sing in the ways," &c. His mercy, truth, clemency, &c.: "For great is the glory of the Lord." Righteous and glorious in all his works, of which this is one. "Though the Lord be high," &c. Of which David was an instance. "But the proud," &c., he removes far from him. Saul and others are examples of this.
III. Because God who is high, &c. And David, being conscious of his own humility of mind, confidently expects help from God.
1. "Though I walk," &c. Exposed on all sides to trouble.
2. "Thou wilt revive me." Preserve me safe and untouched.
3. "Thou shalt stretch forth thy hand," &c. Restrain the power of my enemies.
4. "And thy right hand," &c. Thy power thy Christ, who, in Isa 53:1 is called the arm of the Lord.
The last verse depends on the former. Because the prophet knew that many troubles and afflictions remained yet to be undergone therefore he was confident that the same God would still deliver and make his work perfect.
1. "The Lord will perfect," c. Not for my merits, but his mercy.
2. Of which he gives the reason: "Thy mercy, O Lord," &c. It does not exist only for a moment, but it is eternal.
3. And he concludes with a prayer for God to perfect his work: "Forsake not the work," &c. Thou who hast begun this work, increase and perfect it because it is thy work alone, not mine. If we desire that God should perfect any work in us, we must be sure that it is his work, and look to him continually.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me -…
The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me - He will complete what he has begun. He will not begin to interpose in my behalf, and then abandon me. He will not promise to save me, and then fail to fulfill his promise. He will not encourage me, and then cast me off. So of us. He will complete what he begins. He will not convert a soul, and then leave it to perish. “Grace will complete what grace begins.” See the notes at Phi 1:6.
Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever - See the notes at Psa 136:1.
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Forsake not the works of thine own hands - What thou hast made; what thou hast begun to do. Do not leave me to perish. Prayer is one of the means - and an essential means - by which the saints are to be kept unto salvation. The doctrine of the “perseverance of the saints.” is not inconsistent with prayer, but rather prompts to it; and he who professes to rely on that doctrine, and feels so safe that he does not need to pray, and does not pray, gives certain evidence that he has never been converted, and has no true religion.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 8. Perfect that which concerneth me—He will finish, accomplish,…
8. Perfect that which concerneth me—He will finish, accomplish, all that relates to my welfare. Nothing shall fall to the ground. All shall work for good, tending to one complete result. See Psa_57:2, and compare Php_1:6.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 8. will perfect that which concerneth me] Will accomplish…
8. will perfect that which concerneth me] Will accomplish His promises and purposes for me. Cp. Psa_57:2; Php_1:6 (ἐπιτελεῖν is the word used in Aquila’s version here).
forsake not the works of thine own hands] The plural works and the parallelism of the first line shew that the meaning is not ‘Do not abandon Israel whom Thou hast made’; but ‘Do not fail to carry forward to completion the mighty works which Thou hast undertaken to do for Israel.’ Cp. Psa_90:16; Psa_92:5; Psa_143:5.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (8) Perfect that which concerneth me.—Or, as in the…
(8) Perfect that which concerneth me.—Or, as in the analogous phrase (Psa_57:2), will complete for me—i.e., either “all my undertakings,” or, as in Php_1:6, “what he has begun in and for me.”
Forsake not.—Better, the works of Thine hands; do not leave them unfinished. (See for the same verb Neh_6:3; Pro_4:13 : “let her not go.”)
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The special intention of the prayer depends on the origin of the psalm. If it arose out of the troubles of rebuilding Jerusalem and reconstituting the state, it is intelligible and expressive. Or the reference may be to all Jehovah’s gracious intentions for Israel.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me; i.e.…
The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me; i.e. will complete what he has begun for me will not leave his work unfinished. (comp. Psa_57:2 Php_1:6) Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever . Does not suddenly break off and stop. Forsake not the works of thine own hands. This is probably more than a mere personal request. David sees in God"s care for himself a portion of his great providential scheme for the redemption of the world.
"The Lord will perfect.
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I LET US LOOK AT THE SPEAKER. He is a man like ourselves; but as we look on him, we note how bright his eye, how radiant his countenance, how calm yet how joyous his tone, how happy in his conviction he seems to be, as he keeps saying to himself, "The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me." Then he pauses a moment, as if some doubt or question had entered his mind, and he adds, "Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever;" and then, with an upward look of intense devotion, addressing his words to the Lord, he prays, "Forsake not the works of thine own hands." Now, as we thus in thought gaze upon the man, and. feel that assuredly he has got hold of a secret that too many of us do not possess, some less-favored one than the speaker comes up to him with wonder, wistfulness, perplexity, and desire written plainly on his countenance, and begins to
II ASK HIM A FEW QUESTIONS. He asks:
1. What do you mean when you say, "The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me"? You seem quite sure and very happy about it; but what do you mean?" The man replies, "I mean that whatever really concerns me the Lord will see after, and bring it to a perfect issue, whether it be what has to do with my outward circumstances, or with what is of far more importance my standing in his sight, the condition of my soul. There are many things which concern me; but what they are I leave to the Lord to determine; for I often find, as many others have told me is true of them likewise, that I much concern myself about things which, after all, do not really concern me, and about which, therefore, I need not trouble. But whatever does really concern me, and especially my soul"s full salvation, I am sure the Lord will perfect.
2. But how do you know all this?" so his questioner asks again; and the psalmist is at no loss for reply. "Well," he says, "I know the Lord has begun his work in me. I am as certain of this as I am that I am alive; he has given me new tastes, dispositions, and desires; the sins I once loved I now hate, and the holiness which heretofore I had no care for I now long after; hence I am sure the Lord has begun his work in me. And it is not his way to leave off what he once begins. Why should he? Is he lacking in power or love? Further, what strong guarantees I have thus to believe I The honor of the Divine Name is pledged to keep those who trust in him; the atonement of the Lord Jesus for will be not "with him also freely give us all things"? the power of the Holy Spirit, which worketh in me now; the promises, so many, so great, and precious, contained in the Holy Scriptures; and my own experience thus far, and that of many others; all encourage:and establish my faith that "the Lord will perfect that," etc.
3. But are you not afraid?" it is further asked; "for while all must admit the force of the arguments you have urged, yet there are facts which it seems to us may reasonably lead you to feel less confident than you now seem to be. Are we not perpetually warned against departing from the living God, grieving and quenching the Holy Spirit? How many are the Scriptures which bid us, by direct precept or by actual example, to fear lest we should come short of eternal life! And have not many actually made shipwreck of faith and a good conscience? Think of all those who, on the night of the Passover, came out of Egypt, but yet never entered into Canaan; their carcasses fell in the wilderness, because of their unbelief. And have not you a corrupt nature, an evil bias, a heart prone to evil, and loving it all too well? And are not temptations everywhere, and so many of them subtle and strong, and before which many souls have fallen? And do you not know that you, as do even the best of men, often sin, often transgress God"s commandment by thought, word, or deed?" Then we notice that he looks sad for a while, as if he cannot deny what has been urged; but presently he looks up, and his eyes are turned not to us, but lifted heavenward; and we hear him say, "Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever;" and he adds the prayer, "Forsake not the work," etc. So we cannot but
III NOTE THE ROCK ON WHICH HE RESTS. It is the ever-enduring mercy of the Lord on which he stays himself by means of continued faith and prayer. It is not his own strength or good resolves, but that ever-enduring mercy which fortifies him against all the risks and perils which he knows beset him; and he will abide in that mercy through continual prayer and trust.
IV TRY TO LEARN HIS SECRET. Why should not we have like confidence? Of course, ere ever this be possible, the Lord"s work must have begun in us; we must have yielded ourselves up to him in real repentance and faith; but if we have done that, why, instead of our too common misgiving and fear, have we not this glad persuasion that is expressed in our text?
1. How it would honor God! For it would be all through simple and utter trust in him through nothing whatever of ourselves, but all of him.
2. And how it would bless us! What sunshine of the soul we should enjoy! Our lives would be radiant with joy, and our lips filled with praise; the joy of the Lord would be our strength.
3. And how, through us, others would be blessed! The writer of Psalm 51 says if but the Lord will restore to him the joy of his salvation, and uphold him with his free spirit, "then will I teach transgressors," etc. (ver. 13). And, without doubt, it is only as we are confident in the Lord that we render effective service and become channels of blessing to others: which God grant we may! S.C.
God completes what he undertakes. (See Php_1:6)
"The Lord will carry to an end all things that concern my welfare." Man lives and moves through life surrounded with unfinished things. He has constantly to say, "My purposes are broken off!" He is always attempting what he cannot accomplish, beginning what he cannot carry through. God must be thought of as always having a distinct purpose in whatever he undertakes, and as active until that purpose is realized. Illustrate by reference to 2Sa_7:25-29.
I GOD ALWAYS HAS A PURPOSE. Thoughtless action, unpremeditated action, can never be associated with God. Men drift into things without knowing where they are going to. God never does. Men may talk about "waiting for something to turn up." God never does. He is the Infinite Mind; and mind is put into everything he does. He knows the end from the beginning. We have always this consolation there are no accidents to God. He is never surprised, never taken at unawares. He has a meaning in everything he does, a purpose in every design he forms. "Throughout the ages one unceasing purpose runs.
II GOD"S PURPOSE IS NEVER FORGOTTEN. Man so often crowds his life with interests that he forgets what he intended to do. He is carried away with new attractions, and quite forgets what he meant to do. So man"s path is beset with the "young lions" of unfinished schemes things dropped and forgotten in order to take up some new thing. God never forgets. To us he may seem to; and this may be our explanation of his delay. His purpose is kept ever in view.
III GOD"S PURPOSE IS NEVER FRUSTRATED. Man"s often is. He proposes to himself too much, and life beats him. Or what he proposes crosses what somebody else proposes, and the opposition beats him. God never proposes to himself what is beyond himself; for he can do what he will. God permits no rivalry of human purposes to cross or frustrate his perfect plan. R.T.
God"s perfecting.
"The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
I THE PSALMIST"S CONVICTION. Words such as these are said only in the strongest grandest moments of a good man"s life. David, St. Paul, St. Peter, St. John, could say them; but the majority of believers in Christ cannot say them at all times; only at certain privileged moments of their lives. And the reason is they see their own imperfections more strongly than God"s unchangeable love towards them; that salvation has a multitude of convictions as well as a multitude of promises. Look at some of the words of Christ and the apostles, and ask what they mean; (Joh_10:27-29) Paul. (Ro 8 Php_1:6 1Pe_5:10) I think it may be said that the meaning of these uniform utterances is that the strength of God"s faithful love to us, and not the strength of our love to him, is the pledge of our salvation the guarantee that we shall not be left to perish in our sins and weakness. We may unfold this in two particulars.
1. That God will do for us towards this end what we are unable to do for ourselves. Some think little of their sins. Forgiveness, renewed day by day, extending to the new sins I commit. I have not the right nor the disposition (often) to pardon myself. He will give grace that is, help and strength according to our needs. "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ." He will permit no temptation to assail us for which he does not furnish the means of resistance. He can do no more. In dying, we shall be utterly helpless in ourselves; but he will be with us to save and preserve to lead us through the dark labyrinth. He will raise us up at the last day.
2. God will do for us what we are not willing to do for ourselves. A great part of our danger arises more from want of will than want of strength. He will institute purifying processes. "Every branch in me that beareth fruit he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." We are averse to this to trials and afflictions and discipline. The clay does not know into what beautiful shapes it may be wrought by the hand of the potter. Gold when it is in the ore does not know its need of the furnace, to be separated and refined from the dross. We are disinclined, naturally, to love him supremely, and to employ the means that will lead to it. He conquers our aversion by successive revelations of his love. "He worketh in us the willing and the doing" by his own sovereign will.
II THE GROUNDS OF THIS GLORIOUS CONVICTION.
1. God"s enduring, unchanging mercy. His disposition to pardon his delight in saving. Can it be a question, even for a moment, whether God would rather save you or allow you to perish? "His mercy endureth forever;" "He delighteth in mercy;" Who is a God like unto thee?" Then he will endure you and save you, though you have many sins in your heart if you do not love the sins so that you cannot be separated from them. He will endure many backslidings, till he has healed you of them. Will endure your cold earthliness of mind, till he has made you heavenly minded, etc.
2. God will not forsake the work of his own hands. Has not forsaken the earth, or the sun, or any work in the material universe, much less the most precious work he ever began. "The mountains may depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed." The sculptor may leave his statue unfinished, the artist his picture, and the poet his epic; but God the Ever-Living will not forsake the work of his hands.
CONCLUSION.
1. Take courage.
2. Be diligent to make calling and election sure. S.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Charles H. Spurgeon 1885 · Public Domain Ver. 8. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth…
Ver. 8. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me. All my interests are safe in Jehovah's hands.
"The work which his goodness began,
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The arm of his strength will complete;
His promise is yea and Amen,
And never was forfeited yet."
God is concerned in all that concerns his servants. He will see to it that none of their precious things shall fail of completion; their life, their strength, their hopes, their graces, their pilgrimage, shall each and all be perfected. Jehovah himself will see to this and therefore it is most sure.
Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever. The refrain of the former Psalm is in his ears, and he repeats it as his own personal conviction and consolation. The first clause of the verse is the assurance of faith, and this second one reaches to the full assurance of understanding. God's work in us will abide unto perfection because God's mercy towards us thus abideth.
Forsake not the works of thine own hands. Our confidence does not cause us to live without prayer, but encourages us to pray all more. Since we have it written upon our hearts that God will perfect his work in us, and we see it also written in Scripture that his mercy changeth not, with holy earnestness entreat that we may not be forsaken. If there be anything good in us, it is the work Of God's own hands: will he leave it? Why has he wrought so much in us if he means to give us up? it will be a sheer effort. He who has gone so far will surely persevere with us to the end. Our hope for the final perseverance of the believer lies in the final perseverance of believer's God. If the Lord begins to build, and does not finish, it will not be his honour. He will have a desire to the work of his hands, for he knows it has cost him already, and he will not throw away a vessel upon which he has expended so much of labour and skill. Therefore do we praise him with our, whole heart, even in the presence of those who depart from his Holy Word, and, set up another God and another gospel; which are not another, but there be some that trouble us.
Ver. 8. The LORD will perfect, etc. God's work is perfect, man's is clumsy and incomplete. God does not leave off till he has finished. When he rests, it is because, looking on his work, he sees it all "very good." His Sabbath is the Sabbath of an achieved purpose, of a fulfilled counsel. The palaces which we build are ever like that in the story, where one window remains dark and without jewels, while the rest blaze in beauty. But when God builds none can say, "He was not able to finish." In his great palace he makes her "windows of agates", and all her "borders of pleasant stones."
I suppose that if the medieval dream had ever come true, and an alchemist had ever turned a grain of lead into gold, he could have turned all the lead in the world, in time, and with crucibles and furnaces enough. The first step is all the difficulty, and if you and I have been changed from enemies into sons, and had one spark of love to God kindled in our hearts, that is a mightier change than any that yet remains to be effected in order to make us perfect. One grain has been changed, the whole mass will be in due time. Alexander Maclaren, Sermon in "Wesleyan Methodist Magazine", 1879.
Ver. 8. Forsake not the works of thine own hands. When we are under such afflictions as threaten to ruin us, 'tis seasonable to tell the Lord he made us. David strengthens prayer upon this argument: "Forsake not the works of thine own hands." All men love their own works, many dote upon them: shall we think God will forsake his? See how the people of God plead with God in greatest distress (Isa 64:8): "But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we are all the work of thy hand. Be not wroth very sore, O LORD." Joseph Caryl.
Ver. 8. Forsake not the works of thine own hands. Look upon the wounds of thine hands, and forsake not the works of thine hands, prayed Queen Elizabeth. And Luther's usual prayer was, Confirm, O God, in us that thou hast wrought, and perfect the work that thou hast begun in us, to thy glory. So be it. John Trapp.
Ver. 8. Forsake not the works of thine own hands. Behold in me thy work, not mine: for mine, if thou seest, thou condemnest; thine, if thou seest, thou crownest. For whatever good works there be of mine, from thee are they to me; and so they are more thine than mine. For I hear from thine apostle, "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus": Eph 2:8-10. Augustine.
Ver. 8. Thine own hands. His creating hands formed our souls at the beginning; his nail pierced hands redeemed them on Calvary; his glorified hands will hold our souls fast and not let them go for ever. Unto his hands let us commend our spirits, sure that even though the works of our hands have made void the works of his hands, yet his hands will again make perfect all that our hands have unmade. J.W. Burgon.
Ver. 8. (first clause).
1. A wide subject "That which concerneth me." Not necessarily that which gives me concern.
2. A promise that covers it: "the Lord will perfect."
A.G.B.
Ver. 8. (first and last clauses). Faith in divine purpose no hindrance to prayer, but rather an encouragement in it: "The Lord will perfect." "Forsake not."
A.G.B
Ver. 8. See "Spurgeon's Sermons", Nos. 231 and 1506: "Faith in Perfection", and, "Choice Comfort for a Young Believer."
Ver. 8. The grace of God makes a man thoughtful, and leads him to concern about himself, his life, his future, and the completeness of the work of grace. This might lead us to sadness and despair, but the Lord worketh in us for other ends.
1. He fills us with assurance.
a) That the Lord will work for us.
b) That he will complete his work.
c) That he will do this in providence; if it be properly a concern of ours.
d) That he will do this within us. Our graces shall grow. Our soul shall become Christly. Our whole nature perfect.
e) That he will do this with our work for him.
2. He gives us rest in his mercy.
a) Thou wilt forgive my sins.
b) Thou wilt bear with my nature.
c) Thou wilt support me in suffering.
d) Thou wilt supply me in need.
e) Thou wilt succour me in death.
3. He puts prayer into our hearts.
a) That he will not forsake me.
b) That he will not leave his own work in me undone.
c) Nor his work by me unfinished. Why did he begin? Why carry so far? Why not complete?
Ver. 8.
1. Faith's full assurance: "The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me."
2. Faith's firm foundation: "Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever."
3. Faith's fervent prayer: "Forsake not the works of thine own hands."
W.H.J.P.
Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me.
Psa_138:8
The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me.
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Choice comfort for a young believer
As every state has its dangers, so the peril of religious concern is despondency. Thoughtfulness soon degenerates into distrust, and holy anxiety easily rusts into unbelief. The more a man looks within him the less he can trust himself, and the more a man looks around him the more he feels that he is in danger, and he is apt to say, I shall surely one day fall by the hand of the enemy. He is fearful as to the result of future temptations. Now I want to meet such fears.
I. Here first we see that God fills us with assurance. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me. Then--
1. God is really at work on our behalf. Get a grip at this, thou troubled one, and by a personal faith say, The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me. Thou hast come to Jesus and trusted thy soul in His hands, then it is certain that the Lord hath brought thee to this state of mind. Every effect has a cause, and all spiritual faith is created by the Holy Ghost. Since then, the Lord has begun to save you, your confidence must be that He who began this good work will continue to operate in your soul. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me; not, I will perform it myself.
2. There is the full assurance that He will be at work still in order to complete that which He has commenced. Have you obtained a religion which is not the work of God? Then I would exhort you to get rid of it. Do as the man did with the bad banknote, throw it down on the highway or into a ditch, and run away from it. But, and if the religion you have received is the work of God, then be certain that He who began the work will perfect it. The psalmist affirms--
3. That He will complete the work. Did the Almighty pause in the middle of creation and leave His work unfinished? How, then, would the record run? That God had made the light, but had not made the sun? That He had made the waters, but had not divided them from the land, or said to the sea, Hitherto shalt thou go, but no farther? No, the first day of creation was a guarantee of the five which followed it and of the grand rest day which crowned the week. Here, then, is your confidence. You are anxiously asking Him, shall I persevere to the end? You shall be kept and perfected by the Lord in whom you trust. Now carry this confidence into everything. Into providence. The Lord will perfect that which concerns you there. You have a plan on hand. If it be Gods plan for you for life you will carry it through. God often perfects that which truly concerns us by taking us away from that which never ought to concern us. But that crown of life which you have submitted to His wisdom, which you have taken up in obedience to the plain indications of His providence, which you follow out with integrity, walking before the Lord and committing your way unto Him--that crown of life shall have His blessing, and none shall be able to put you on one side. The Lord told David he should be a king. It did not look very likely, but since such was the Eternal purpose, there was no keeping the son of Jesse out of the throne. But this is more especially true in the work of grace in the heart. And it is also true of the work of grace all around us.
II. The Lord gives us rest in His mercy, for what says the text, Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever. See how this works in us rest from fear. Alas! sighs one troubled heart, I fear I shall fall into many sins between here and heaven. But sing in your heart, Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever. The blood of atonement will never fail. Then up comes another fear. I do not see how I am to be perfected My nature is so vile. The answer is the same. The Lord will bear with you and forbear. Some of Gods children are the crookedest people that ever were in this world, and it must be sovereignty which chose them, for they are by no means naturally desirable or attractive. But His mercy endureth for ever. And some will pass through great affliction and some will experience a great many wants. And the hour of death will come. One man of God always feared death; but he might have spared himself his wretchedness, for he fell asleep one night in apparently excellent health, and died in his sleep. He never could have known anything about dying, for on his face were no tokens of pain or struggle, nor was there any reason to believe that he ever awoke till he lifted up his eyes amid the cherubim. And so, if we do not die shouting victory, we hope that we shall peacefully fall asleep, for His mercy endureth for ever. He will perfect that which concerneth me. Now do all of you who are just beginning life put yourselves and all your circumstances into Gods hand and there leave them.
III. The Lord puts it into His peoples hearts to pray, and supplies them with a plea. Forsake not the work of Thine own hands. Persevere in what Thou hast begun. This is a prayer which you and I may well bring before God, whose workmanship we are. A man takes his money into the bank and leaves it. He does not come back in a quarter of an hour and say, Have you my money safe? I want to see it. The bank would not desire such a man who has no confidence in them. Let us not act so by Christ. Put in your all with Him and leave it there. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Confidence in God
I. The striking expression of believing assurance.
1. What we are to understand by that which concerneth me. This I apprehend, as it regards David, and as it regards every Christian, may be summed up in two things--the work of providence without them, and the work of grace within them. All that concerns present safety and future glory are thus secured.
2. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me. When it is in progress He will not leave it or suffer it to be marred--He will carry it forward through its successive stages until it be finished to the glory of His name.
II. The unchanging foundation of assurance. It is from the mercy of God that He works for us, and works in us. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us. His mercy and His grace are the grand springs of all the happiness and blessings we possess, and of all the hopes that inspire the heart and animate the soul. And as God thus begins the work of a sinners salvation from mercy, it no way depends upon our merit or worth. He takes His motives entirely from Himself. He does it because it is the good pleasure of His will to do it.
III. The earnest prayer accompanying this confidence. Forsake not the work of Thine own hands. As they are the works of His hands, they must be very dear unto Him,--He cannot but love them and delight in them, and He rests in His love. Conclusion--
1. How great is the gratitude that is due to God from His saints, how innumerable are His blessings, how vast His mercy, how rich His grace and lovingkindness.
2. What encouragement the sinner has to seek God, seeing He is a God of such mercy.
3. Rejoice, ye saints of God, that you have a great High Priest who is passed into the heavens, who now appears in the presence of God for you. (John Jack.)
The saints final perseverance secured by the mercy of God
I. The psalmists confidence. The work of grace in the soul of man is but a begun work. I know it is perfect as it regards its principle; but as it regards its actings it is most imperfect. Look at our light; how feeble is it! How little do we see of sins sinfulness--of the baseness there is in ingratitude! What a dim sight have we of Jesus! the glory of His person, the perfection of His atonement, His perfect righteousness, the sufficiency of His grace, the tenderness of His humanity, the sympathy of His nature--Friend--Brother! How little one enters into the holiness of His example! Now all this does prove that it is but a begun work. And yet, says David, The Lord will perfect it. It is His own; He will maintain it, He will deepen it, and He will finish it. Here is a blessed confidence in God, that He, who had begun the good work, would perform it in the midst of all its ebbs and flows and changes; acknowledging it to be but a begun work, and yet declaring--The Lord will perfect it. But the words imply more than this. It would seem as if David did say--He will give me the entire, the full and complete and everlasting possession and enjoyment of Himself in heaven. Faith shall soon be lost in sight; hope shall soon disappear in certainty; and prayer shall cease, and give way to endless praise.
II. The basis of his confidence. What is it? You may say, It is the promise. The promise is not the foundation. There must be a foundation for the promise. And what is the foundation of the promise? God; God in Christ. And here is a particular attribute, a particular perfection in God, singled out--signalized. Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever. There is a sweetness and a power in the very monosyllable, Thy mercy; because it is peculiar to God, it is His own property, it distinguishes Him. The mercy of the creature is finite; the mercy of Jehovah is infinite. The mercy of the creature is changeable; the mercy of Jehovah is unchangeable. The mercy of the creature was of yesterday; the mercy of Jehovah is from everlasting. It began in election; and when does it end? Never; but it issues in eternal glory.
III. In what did it issue? Carelessness? So say many. But the issue here is--prayer. Forsake not the works of Thine own hands. It is a beautiful conclusion; it is a beautiful consequence; it is a blessed deduction. Because Thou wilt perfect; therefore forsake not the works of Thine own hands. It is common-sense--the common-sense of religion. I am, as Thy creature, wholly dependent on Thee; without Thee, faith must die, and hope expire; without Thee, love must decay and perish. (J. H. Evans, M. A.)
Faith in perfection
I. The believers confidence.
1. A Divine confidence--The Lord.
2. A confidence for the future--will.
3. A large confidence--perfect.
4. A broad confidence. Whatever concerns me, says he, the Lord will perfect.
II. The ground of this confidence--Gods mercy. Is it not a strange thing that the advanced believer, when he reaches to the very height of piety, just comes to the spot where he commenced? Do we not begin at the Cross, and when we have climbed ever so high, is it not at the Cross that we end? Mercy must be the theme of our song here; and mercy enduring for ever must be the subject of the sonnets of paradise. None other can be fit sinners; nay, and none other can be fit, grateful saints.
III. The result of this confidence. It leads to prayer. (J. H. Evans, M. A.)
The discipline of life
A friend said to me one day, How sad it is that we cannot devote ourselves more constantly to our own spiritual culture! There are so many utterly unspiritual things to be done or gone through with, that it is really very little time that we can give to the great work of this life--our preparation for a higher and better life. This would have been well said, were it not that the very condition of things complained of is a providential necessity of Gods appointment, and therefore undoubtedly better for us than any method that we might deem preferable. If the soul, and God, and heaven are not fictions, we are constrained to believe that the Divine providence orders our discipline here with a view to our surest nurture and our highest good, that its school is our best school, its designated way the best way for us. I doubt whether the concentrated devotion to the soul for which the devout often yearn is the fit mode of educating the soul. Probably, even to the most religious mind, the cloister has never been so favourable to the growth of piety as the duties of an active life or of a Christian home would have been. A good man somewhat given to cant, meeting Wilberforce one day, said to him, Brother, how is it now with your soul? and was shocked beyond measure by the philanthropists reply, I have been so busy about those poor negroes, that I had forgotten I had a soul. Yet there can be no doubt that by means of those poor Negroes Wilberforces soul had been growing a great deal faster than that of his friend, who had perhaps spent half his time in counting the pulse-beats of devotional feeling. In speaking thus I would not have it inferred that I hold emotional piety in low repute. I look upon it as the Alpha and the Omega, the source and consummation of all that is excellent in man. But perpetual and over-anxious watching may do as little for the plants of Gods planting in the heart as for those of our own planting in our gardens. Nor would I have it supposed that I undervalue the direct offices of piety, whether secret or social. I regard them as an essential part of the plan of Providence. But God trains us, for the most part, in ways which we should not choose for that purpose, and sometimes in ways which we are prone to regard as injurious rather than helpful. To some of these methods of the Divine providence I ask your attention. There is hardly anything of which we are more apt to complain than routine-work, especially that in which not hand or foot, but brain and soul, are compelled to go over the selfsame round day after day and year after year. We are sometimes inclined, in our weariness, to resort for terms of comparison to the very Tartarus of our classical studies--the rock of Sisyphus and the sieve of the Danaides. Yet we might look for our parallel in the opposite direction; for is not the administration of this glorious universe, for the most part, a routine? Has not the infinite Creator, for unnumbered aeons, renewed, day by day and year by year, the same unvarying round of beneficent ministries? And if we may be permitted to speak of that self-consciousness in which our own has its birth, must we not think of this routine as a part of Gods supreme felicity, while ever new love, mercy, and compassion flow in the course of universal nature, and breathe in the benignant will, which is no less essential from moment to moment than when in the beginning it moulded chaos into form, life, and beauty? Now, so far as Gods Spirit is in us, our routine-work shall be exalted, hallowed, glorified, made more and more like His. Is it for the benefit of others, and is it lovingly wrought? If so, those affections which are so essential a part of the souls best life are exercised, fed, and strengthened by it, and we thus become--though it be without our distinct consciousness--enlarged in our sympathies, broadened in our charity, better tithed for every genial ministry of earth and of heaven. Or is our life-work one which has prime reference to self, yet imposed upon us by necessities of subsistence or position which we cannot evade? If so, it is of Gods appointment--a part of our Divine service; and if it be pervaded by the true spirit of service, it is a routine only in appearance--in reality, it is a revolution on an even higher plane, in an ever larger orbit; and we shall find in Gods good time that it has been training us for the unwearying service of the heavenly temple. Yet again, is our routine, as it probably is, one which admits, with every new revolution, of more of mind, and soul, and strength? Then, wearisome though it be, it is a healthful discipline, equally for the powers which it calls into exercise, and for that conscientious fidelity in our appointed sphere, which must concur with trained and tried capacity in fitting the steward of the few and small things committed to his earthly trust for the larger stewardship of the heavenly life. Another subject of frequent complaint is the waste of time in unavoidable, bug unprofitable, social engagements. The hours which, if taken from more laborious pursuits, we would gladly devote to entertaining or lucrative intercourse with equals and friends, the wise and the brilliant, those whose converse is our privilege and our joy, must often be spent where we give, and receive nothing in return, wit may be, with those whom we see fit to call dull and stupid, or frivolous and empty, or with the impertinent and importunate,--with those who claim sympathy to which they seem to have no right, or aid to which they can proffer no title other than their need. Can this be a part of our spiritual education? Yes; and a most essential part. It comes to us through the ordering of Providence, and is therefore, no doubt, better for us than the great things which we would gladly do instead, but for which the opportunity is not afforded us. We shall one day own that no time has been better spent, if on these occasions we have exercised patience, forbearance, unwearying kindness, persevering helpfulness, if we have given pleasure, diffused happiness, relieved burdens, cleared perplexity, shed sunlight on those who live under the shadow, quickened dull minds, lightened heavy hearts. But in such ways as I have spoken of, solid portions of time that might have been given to our own mental culture are often invaded and frittered away. Can this be good for us? Yes, if Providence so wills. Growing knowledge is, no doubt, an unspeakable benefit; yet we may be gee impatient for its acquisition. We may feel too much as if this world gave the only opportunities for mental cultivation and growth. A part of what we may regret that we lose here will be of no interest or worth to us when we go hence; and for all that we can then desire and need there is ample room in the limitless future. Another often uncomfortable method of spiritual discipline consists in the seemingly excessive annoyance and mortification occasioned by what we account as slight mistakes, follies, and faults. In the vexation and discomfort which we bring upon ourselves by some momentary and almost unconscious deviation from the fitting and the right, we often have an impressive practical commentary on the text, Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! But in these experiences we have a most essential and blessed part of our providential education. How should we ever recognize our failures and faults, did they not leave these vivid traces in our experience? Equally is Providence educating us by those trials and griefs--the lighter and the heavier--which belong to our condition as mortals. But it is never go be forgotten that the ministry of affliction is wholly contingent on our receptivity. The sands of the desert drink in the spring rains, but are not fructified by them. The untilled field returns their blessing in unsightly and noxious weeds. But in the prepared soil they reappear in growing grain and swelling fruit-buds--the prize of faithful toil, the hope of the year; and those dreary, chilly, sunless days of the early rain are the harbingers of all that is bright, beautiful, and gladdening in garden, field, and orchard. Thus the dews and rains of Gods afflictive providence in some souls are absorbed and lost, and leave no sign; others they sour, or madden, or hopelessly depress; but where there are already germs of the heavenly Fathers planting, they quicken growth, they create inward grace and beauty, they fructify all peaceful thoughts, pure desires, and holy aspirations; they ripen the harvest whose reapers are the angels. But not only through these sadder ministries is Gods providence perfeering that which concerneth us. Equally is all that is mirthful and gladdening a part of our education for our immortal being. How vast is our receptivity of gladness! How kindly the necessity--not only in childhood and youth, but under our severest cares and labours, and even under the burden of many years--of recreation and pleasure! Thus by His various discipline is God perfecting that which concerneth us, giving us a far better education than we could plan for ourselves. Let us yield ourselves lovingly to the training of His providence, assured that, ordered by Him, all things shall work together for our good. (A. P. Peabody, D. D.)
The Divine purpose concerning us
Every mans character is a germ capable of large development. There are slumbering possibilities in us all. We are made for ends known to God, and there is an ideal in His mind concerning each one of us.
I. The psalmists triumphant conviction. The Lord will perfect. This is what we need to impart interest to life. There is no cry so pitiful as Nothing to live for. On all hands there are disappointed folk who, thinking of condition rather than character, find life tame. But once let a man or woman reach this assurance that through all the various scenes of life God is moulding them, and even by the strokes of doom fashioning them to shape and use, and all the life sparkles with glad significance.
II. The grounds on which the conviction is based.
1. Gods mercy. Thy mercy, O Lord, etc. This must ever be our first appeal, to mercy. For which of us has a flawless record of submission to the Divine purpose? With our past of perversity; what can we do but cast ourselves on Gods infinite pity? And in Christ we have the plan of Gods redeeming mercy made known to us as it was not to prophet and psalmist of old. We see that mercy has provided for the ruined life to be restored and built up again according to the plan of the great Architect.
2. Gods justice. Forsake not the works of Thine own hands. This is a plea that every reconciled soul may urge. Thou hast made me: I reverently challenge Thee to complete Thy work. He is a faithful Creator, and if you are seeking to answer the end for which He made you, His everlasting honour binds Him to fulfil His part. How full are the New Testament pledges to this effect that He will complete His work in our character-- Php_1:6. (Anon.)
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Psa_139:1-24
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 138:8 The psalmist expresses confidence in the Lord’s plans,…
138:8 The psalmist expresses confidence in the Lord’s plans, which are perfect, and prays for God’s continued involvement. The psalmist sees himself as part of God’s plans (see 9:10; 139:14).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.