Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/4_200.lzh/4_207.TXT

Text File | 1994-09-08 | 7KB | 128 lines

shall enter.] This seems to be spokefi by some other
person or persons, distinct from David and the Messiah,
pointing at some particular and principal gate, upon
hearing the above word: by which is meant, not the
gate of the house of the sanctuary of the Lord, as the
Targum; but the Messiah himself, afterward. s spoken
of as the stone-rejected by the builders, and made the
head of the corner; who is the way of access to God;
the door into the church or sheepfold; the strait gate
that leads to eternal life; by which none but righteous
persons enter into heaven; even such who are made
righteous, through the imputation of his righteousness
to them; see John x. 1, 9. and xiv. 4. Matt. vii. 14.
Ver. 21. I will praise thee, for thott hast heard me,
&c.] ttere the psalmist reassumes his part in this
song, and determines to praise the Lord for hearing
him when in distress, and when he was encompassed
with his enemies, and for delivering him out of their
hands. And art become my salvation ; the author of it,
atilt therefore deserving of praise; and who is no other
than the Messiah Jesus, who is described in the next
verse.
Ver. 22. The stone which the builders refused, &c.]
This is not Zorobabel, according to the sense of
some Jews, as Theodoret suggests; nor the people
of Israel, as Jarchi and Kimchi; nor David, as the
Targum, which paraphrases the words, "the child
"the builders despised was among the sons of Jesse,
"and deserved to be appointed a king and a governor."
ite doubtless was a type of Christ, and there was some
shadow of what is here said in him: he was refused by
all .the tribes but Judah; Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul,
was set upon the throne, though afterwards all Israel
and Judah united in making David king, 2 Sam. ii. S,
9, 10. and v. 3. But the Messiah is intended, as some
ancient Jewish writers{*} own, and Jarchi himself else-
wheref confesses; and which is certain from the quo-
tation and application of this passage to Christ, in
Matt. xxi. 42. Acts iv. 11, 12. who is compared to a
stone for his strength and duration; and because of his
usefuiness in the spiritual building of the church, as a
fotmdation and corner-stone; see the note on Matt.
xxi. 4o.. Him the Jewish builders refused; their po-
litical ones, their rulers, that believed not on him; the
princes of this world, that rose up against him and
crucified him; even those who were the support of
their civil state, and the maintainers of it: but more
especially their ecclesiastical builders, the chief priests,
Scribes, and Pharisees, who built the people, or directed
them to build on their carnal privileges, the traditions
of the elders, and their own legal righteousness. These
refused to receive Jesus as the Messiah, and to believe
in him; they refused to own and honour him as King
of Zion; they refused his doctrines and ordinances;
they refused tohearhim preach, or suffer others to hear
him; they refused to make use of him in the spiritual
building, either to preach him. themselves, or allow
others to do it ;- they rejected h,im with contempt; they
set him at nought, and preferred a thief and a robber
to him. Is become the head-stone of tlas corner-; Christ
is the corner-stone, that unites elect angels and elect
men together, Jews and Gentiles, Old and New Testa-
ment saints, saints above and below, saints in all ages
and places; and he is the head-stone, or chiefcorner-
stone, for strength and beauty, and the head of the
corner; or of persons most eminent, who are some--
times called the corner, Judg. xx. 2. Zech. x. 4.
Christ is exalted above all; he is the head of princi-
palities and powers, the angels; he is made higher
titan the kings of the earth; and is the head of the body,
the church, an head both of eminence and influence.
Vet. 23. TMs is the Lord's doing, &c.] This stone
is from the Lord, Gen. xlix. o.4. it is of his choosing,
appointing, and laying: the rejection of it by the
builders is through his permission and will; they did
no other things than what his hand and counsel deter-
mined should be done, Acts ii. 23. and iv. 27, 28. and
the exaltation of it, or the making it the head of the
corner, was of him; he highly exalted hi!n at his right
hand, above every name, creature, and thing. It is
marvelIons in our eyes; the stone itself is wonderful. to
look at, for its beauty, strength, and nsefulness; the
wisdom, love, care, arid power of God, in laying it, are
astonishing; the distinguishing grace of God in select-
ing some stones out of the common quarry, making
them lively stones, and building thetn on this founda-
tion-stone, is exceeding marvelIons: and so are both
the rejection and exaltation of it; that so precious a
stone should be refused, and, when treated with so
much neglect and contempt, should be exalted. The
Targum is, "from the Lord was this, said the builders;
"this is marvelIons in our sight, said the sons of
"Jesse."
Vet. 24. This is the day which the Lord hath made,
&c.] Famous and remarkable for the above events.
5leaning either the day of Christ's entrance into Jeru-
salem, in order to be delivered up to the Jews, and suffer
and die in the room of hispeople; to which the follow-
ing words agree: or the day of his resurrection {g} from
the dead; when God gave him glory, and was matter
of joy to those for whose justification he rose; or the
Lord's day, kept in commemoration of it: or rather the
whole Gospel dispensation, made a bright day by the
sun of righteousness; and which is the now present
day of salvation.. We will rejoice and be glad in it;
because of the blessings of grace,. peace, pardon,
righteousness, and salvation, which came through the
humiliation and exaltation of Christ, and are published
in the everlasting Gospel. The Targum is," this day
"the Lord hath made, said the builders; let us rejoice
"and be glad in it, said the sons of Jesse."
Vet. 25. Save now, I beseech thee, 0 Lord, &c.] Or,
we beseech thee; for they are the words of the people,
wishing all health and happiness to their king; and it
is as if they had said, vivat rex, let the king live,
or, God save the King: and no doubt these words were
used by the people, when all the tribes united and
made David king over all Israel, and when he became
the head of the corner; which was artended with the
shouts and acclamations of the people, expressing
themselves after this manner., And certain it is that
these words were used by the followers of Christ, and

{e} Zohar in Exod. fol. 93. 3. Vid. Tikkune Zohar, Correct. 5. fol.
15. 2.
{f} Comment. in Mic. v. 2.
{g} So Suidas in voce \~auth\~; which he observes fell on March 25.