Behold, the wicked man travails with evil; he conceives trouble and births falsehood. Sermons
I. TRUE INNOCENCE IS MARKED BY HUMILITY. David is bold before men, but humble before God. Why? There is the sense that innocence is limited and imperfect. We may be free from particular sins, and yet be guilty in others. Besides, innocence is but comparative. Measured by the standard of men, we may be without offence, but tried by the holy, spiritual Law of God, we are convicted of innumerable sins, and behind all is a sinful heart. II. ASSOCIATED WITH MERCY. "Yea, I have delivered him" (ver. 4). So David dealt gently with Saul. His magnanimous sparing of him when he was in his power was no mere impulse, but the free outcome of his loving and generous heart. The merciful, whom our Lord has blessed, are placed between those who "hunger and thirst after righteousness" and "the pure in heart," who see God. III. APPEALS WITH CONFIDENCE TO THE JUDGMENT OF GOD. The sense of right prophesies of the triumph of right. Having faith in the justice of God, we can leave all in his hands; and, loving him and assured of his love toward us, we can patiently await the end, knowing that all things shall work together for our good. - W.F.
Behold, he travaileth with iniquity. 1. That all the labour of wicked men against the Church is but labour in vain in respect of their own intent and expectation.2. That the labour of wicked men is turned clean contrary to their own intent and expectation. These things are set down in metaphor and in express speech. Doctrine: The wicked counsels and enterprises of the enemies of the Church are not only vain in respect of others, but mischievous against themselves. God scattereth the devices of the crafty, so as they cannot accomplish what they enterprise.The misery of the enemies of the Church may be seen in four particulars. 1. All their pain and labour is for their own destruction. 2. That they live in perpetual peril of destruction. 3. That unexpected destruction comes when they expect the sweet fruit of all their labour. 4. That the mischief plotted against the greatest enemies recoils upon themselves, as a gun overcharged and recoiling. There is little cause why God's people should envy the prosperity of their enemies, or study for revenge. They should rather pity them, and pray for them, so many as are curable, for their last dish will mar all the feast. Little do they know what they are doing. They are twisting a cord to hang themselves. They are digging a pit, but the earth falls on them, and smashes them to pieces. (T. Taylor, D. D.) I. WHAT HIS ENEMIES DID. This is likened to a bodily conception, for the mind hath such as well as the body. The seed of it was some wicked thought cast in by Satan, the understanding was the womb to conceive, the will to consent. From first to last, from the conception to the bringing forth, they intended the destruction of David, but brought forth their own ruin. 1. And how great was their sin? It was voluntary and with delight, and it was spiritual and artificial — there was much art and cunning in it: they were very diligent in it, for it was a curious web. Judas is awake when Peter is asleep. And, which is worst of all, they were so well pleased with the bent of their own brain that they travailed of it. The more the soul dwells on any sinful plot, the more estrangement there is from God. The more deliberate in sin, the more the soul is pleased with it. Many seek out the delight of sin before they act, as Esau pleased himself by thinking, "the day of mourning for his father would come, wherein he might be revenged of his brother." 2. But by whom and against whom was this plotting? By children of the Church, not uncircumcised Philistines; and that opposition is the bitterest of all. 3. And it was against David, a man after God's own heart. Envy hath an ill eye. It cannot look on goodness without grief. And this plot was cunningly carried. First, they kill his good name, that so slander may make way for violence. Satan is a liar first, and then a murderer. See what David did. Innocency was his best apology. He saw God in the wrongs he suffered. We need not be ashamed to learn some things of our very enemies. If they be so set on evil, why not we on good? I am sure we serve a better Master. True love is full of inventions; it will be devising of good things. II. WHAT GOD DID. Now I come to their miscarriage. They brought forth a lie, God defeated them. 1. How this was done. By disappointing them. They fell into danger of their own contriving, and into the same danger that they plotted for another. Compare the history of Haman and Mordecai. Why does God do this? First, in regard to Himself. He will be known to be God only wise. Secondly, in regard of His tender care over His children, who are the apple of His eye. Another reason is, the virulence of the enemies whose fierceness turns to God's praise (Psalm 9:16). And God's children will give Him no rest. They prevail on Him by importunity. 3. But it will be objected that wicked men do prevail over the children of God. Tully could say, "The gods show how much they esteem the Jewish nation, by suffering so often to be conquered." Where, then, is the bringing forth of a lie? I answer, when they do prevail it is but one part only, not the whole. Over men's lives, but not their spirits. A true Christian conquers when he is conquered. Our enemies shall do no more nor less than God wills: their mischievous attempts fail in the end; for did ever any harden themselves against God and prosper long? The greatest torment of the damned spirit is that God turns all his plots for the good of those he hates most. III. WHAT WE ALL SHOULD DO. We are bidden "behold." 1. The subtlety, malice, and restless endeavour of the enemies of goodness, and their bootless enterprise, they bring forth a lie. 2. But especially the mercy of God to His children, and how He confounds their enemies. ( Sibbes, Richard.) People David, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Behold, Birth, Bringeth, Brings, Conceived, Conceives, Conceiveth, Deceit, Disillusionment, Evil, Falsehood, Forth, Gives, Iniquity, Lies, Mischief, Perverseness, Pregnant, Seed, Travaileth, Travails, Trouble, Wicked, Wickedness, Worker, Wrongdoing, Yea, YesOutline 1. David prays against the malice of his enemies, professing his innocence10. By faith he sees his defense, and the destruction of his enemies Dictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 7:14Library January the Twenty-Ninth Noble Revenge"I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy." --PSALM vii. 4. That is the noblest revenge, and in those moments David had intimate knowledge of the spirit of his Lord. "If thine enemy hunger, feed him!" Evil for good is devil-like. To receive a favour and to return a blow! To obtain the gift of language, and then to use one's speech to curse the giver! To use a sacred sword is unholy warfare! All this is devil-like. Evil for evil is beast-like. Yes, the dog bites back when it is … John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year Turn or Burn Self-Respect and Self-Righteousness Love for Hate, the True Quid Pro Quo A Bundle of Proverbs Of Having Confidence in God when Evil Words are Cast at Us The Exile --Continued. Twenty-Third Lesson Bear Fruit, that the Father May Give what Ye Ask;' The Section Chap. I. -iii. The Blessings of Noah Upon Shem and Japheth. (Gen. Ix. 18-27. ) Calvin -- Enduring Persecution for Christ Some General Uses from this Useful Truth, that Christ is the Truth. He Does Battle for the Faith; He Restores Peace among those who were at Variance; He Takes in Hand to Build a Stone Church. Psalms Links Psalm 7:14 NIVPsalm 7:14 NLT Psalm 7:14 ESV Psalm 7:14 NASB Psalm 7:14 KJV Psalm 7:14 Bible Apps Psalm 7:14 Parallel Psalm 7:14 Biblia Paralela Psalm 7:14 Chinese Bible Psalm 7:14 French Bible Psalm 7:14 German Bible Psalm 7:14 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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