Psalm 92— A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath day.
Christians believe that Jesus is Creator. (Col 1:16-17) After the great act, it is recorded: “Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” (Gen 2:1-3) Yahweh God created the world and all that is in it in six literal days (“evening and morning”) and He rested on the seventh day, the Sabbath. And He invites us to rest on His Sabbath and enjoy the benefits thereof now.
This psalm was written by Moses— the restorer thereof, as asserted by the Jews. “The name JEHOVAH occurs in the Psalms seven times— the sabbatical number (1,4,5,8,9, 13,15).” (C. Wordsworth)- pointing to the Jubilee. “With respect to the sabbatical character of the Psalm, it is a disputed question even in the Talmud whether it relates to the Sabbath of the Creation (R. Nehemiah, as it is taken by the Targum) or to the final Sabbath of the world's history (R. Akiba: the day that is altogether Sabbath...).” (Keil & Delitzsch)— “which is a perpetual sabbath.” (D. Cresswell) ”A Song for the Sabbath day,’ for the future age.” (Martin Geier) “In Biblical times it was commonly believed among the Jews, and early Christians, that God was working out a 6,000 year plan on this earth..” (William F. Dankenbring ) “And one [thousand, the seventh], it shall be desolate (haruv), as it is written, ‘And the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day’ (Isa. 2:11)... Just as the seventh year is one year of release (mushmetet) in seven, so too does the world have one thousand years out of seven that are fallow (mushmat), as it is written, ‘And the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day’ (Isa. 2:11); and it is written, ‘A psalm and song for the Shabbat day’ (Psalm 92)...” (Sanhedrin 97a)
1 It is good to give thanks to Yahweh, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; 2 to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night, 3 on an instrument of ten strings, on the lute, and on the harp, with harmonious sound. 4 For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands.
“’It is good to give thanks to Yahweh,’ We thank God for His benefits, and praise Him for His perfections [realized].” (Filliucius, out of Aquinas)— “‘and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High.’ The glorious saints and angels accent their praises this way, and make one harmony in their state of blessedness; and this is the music of the bride chamber, (Revelation 15:3). The saints who were tuning their psalms, are now singing hallelujahs in a louder strain, and articulating their joys, which here [on this earth] they could not express to their perfect satisfaction.
Here they laboured with drowsy hearts, and faltering tongues; but in glory these impediments are removed, and nothing is left to jar their joyous celebrations.” (John Wells)— “’It is good to declare Your lovingkindness,’— chasdecha, thy abundant mercy, in the morning'— that has preserved me throughout the night, and brought me to the beginning of a new day [without end]: ‘and thy faithfulness in the night,’ that has so amply fulfilled the promise of preservation during the course of the day [this age].” (Adam Clarke)— “‘on an instrument of ten strings, on the lute, and on the harp, with harmonious sound.’ Lord let the ten strings of my instrument be the whole chords of my heart. Tune the whole to praise thee, to love thee, to celebrate thy goodness, and out of the abundance of my heart may my lips to glorify thee!” (Robert Hawker)
“‘For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;’... creation, administration, but especially of redemption.” (John Trapp) “The subject is the praise of God; praise is Sabbatic work, the joyful occupation of resting hearts.” (C. H. Spurgeon) ”‘I will triumph in the works of Your hands.' The consideration of the Lord's works will afford us much sweet refreshment and joy.” (David Dickson)
5 O Lord, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep. 6 A senseless man does not know, nor does a fool understand this. 7 When the wicked spring up like grass, and when all the workers of iniquity flourish, it is that they may be destroyed forever.
“’Your thoughts are very deep,’ yea, the wicked flourish, and the good suffer… Therein every unbelieving soul is wrecked, in that depth, in that profundity. Dost thou wish to cross this depth? Remove not from the wood of Christ’s cross; and thou shalt not sink.” (Augustine) “‘A senseless man does not know, nor does a fool understand this.’ How strikingly do these verses represent the state of the ungodly and unregenerate! What can they know, or what can they discover? Jesus, with all His beauty, glory, fulness, suitableness, and all-sufficiency, is nothing in their eyes, neither is there any loveliness that they should desire Him.” (Robert Hawker)“'When the wicked spring up like grass, and when all the workers of iniquity flourish, it is that they may be destroyed forever.' The quicker the blossoming, the sooner the petals fall.” (Alexander Maclaren)
8 But You, Lord, are on high forevermore. 9 For behold, Your enemies, O Lord, for behold, Your enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. 10 But my Horn You have exalted like a wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil. 11 My eye also has seen my desire on my enemies; my ears hear my desire on the wicked who rise up against me.
“‘But You, Lord, are on high forevermore.’ Flourish the wicked never so much, shoot they up never so high, Thou art higher, and in the thing wherein they deal proudly Thou art above them, Exodus 18:11. For behold, Your enemies, O Lord, for behold, ’will be destroyed;' but Moses' 'Horn You have exalted’— I beg the Reader to mark the wonderful speaker here introduced. Who but the blessed Jesus could talk of the Horn of His exaltation [salvation], or of the rich anointings which were poured out upon Him without measure? Luke 1:69; John 3:34.“ (Robert Hawker)
“’I have been anointed with fresh oil.’… in the morning. "The former grace and strength will not suffice; old texts must be rejuvenated and reminted; old vows must be re-spoken; the infilling of the Holy Spirit must be as vivid, and may be as definite, as at the first.” (F. B. Meyer)
“Fresh oil, in such a context, speaks eloquently of a renewed anointing (cf. AV, RV, NEB), or consecration, to serve God. There may be the additional thought of preparing a ‘living sacrifice’, since the verb is used elsewhere not for anointing but for moistening the meal-offering with oil before presenting it at the altar (Exod. 29:40, et al.).” (Derek Kidner)
“‘My eye also shall see my desire… my ears hear my desire on the wicked’— - שׁור shûr means, properly, a lier-in-wait— ‘who rise up against me.’— That is, I shall be permitted to see the destruction of my foes; I shall be gratified with seeing them overthrown.” (Albert Barnes) Eye/ear— “I shall either be an eye-witness or have authentic information.” (Adam Clarke)
12 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree; He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing, 15 To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
"The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree; He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon,' Surely Jesus "is as the Palm-tree of Engedi, and the Tree of Life in the paradise of God. Revelation 22:2.
After what the preceding verse said of Jesus, the characters of His people are here beautifully introduced. They are [planted in His house and] called trees of righteousness, of the Lord's right-hand planting. And from being branches of their living Head, they bring forth fruit unto God. Isaiah 61:3.” ( Robert Hawker)— at the end of this age, that is the church age. In that day, these crowns shall "show how faithful God is to His promises, how true to His Word, how kind to them who trust in Him. He is the Rock, the Fountain, whence all good comes. ‘There is no unrighteousness in Him’- He does nothing evil, nothing unwise, nothing unkind.” (Adam Clarke)