Psalm 110:7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head. He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head. The literal meaning of the figure is easy to trace. "The victorious leader, who has made so terrible a slaughter that the field of battle is covered with corpses, is now seen pursuing his enemies. Wearied with the battle and the pursuits, he stops for a moment on his way to refresh himself by drinking of the torrent rushing by, and then ' lifts up his head,' derives new vigor to continue the pursuit" (Perowne). But the war-figures only paint for us the spiritual work and the spiritual triumphs of Messiah; and this particular figure only suggests two things: (1) that Messiah, in doing his spiritual work, needs refreshment; and (2) that Messiah, in his anxiety about completing his spiritual work, scarcely stops to attend to his refreshment. To this a third thought may be added - that God provided refreshment for him who was so earnestly doing his work. It may be noticed that Eastern people have a very skilful way of drinking from a flowing stream without stopping in their running. They throw the water up into the mouth. An Eastern traveler writes, "In an excursion across an Arabian desert, some of the Arabs, on coming to water, rushed to it, and stooping sufficiently to allow the right hand to reach the water, they threw it up into their mouths so dexterously, that I never observed any of the water to fall upon the breast. I often tried to do it, but never succeeded." Applying the verse in a general way to all who, with Christ, are engaged in spiritual work, we may say - I. SPIRITUAL WORK IS EXHAUSTING TO THE BODILY FRAME AS WELL AS TO THE SPIRITUAL NATURE. It is enough to recall the fatigue of Jesus on some memorable occasions, such as at Jacob's well, in the boat, or at Gethsemane. II. GOD PROVIDES REFRESHMENTS FOR EXHAUSTED SPIRITUAL WORKERS. Represented by the "brook in the way." Illustrate by God's gracious treatment of exhausted Elijah. He refreshed him, bodily, with food; he refreshed him, spiritually, with visions. Water is the type of soul-refreshings. III. THE EARNEST SPIRITUAL WORKER WILL NOT LET EVEN NECESSARY spiritual refreshings unduly detain him from his work. He will take only a passing drink. He will be "faint, yet pursuing." - R.T. Parallel Verses KJV: He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.WEB: He will drink of the brook in the way; therefore he will lift up his head. |
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