Psa 41:2 | KingComments | STEP | In this psalm we hear the Spirit of Christ speaking in the remnant. There is much in which we see Christ. Many verses apply to Him. This is certainly the case with , which is quoted by the Lord Jesus. In that verse the Spirit of Christ speaks of what Judas will do to Him ( ). This psalm is about the effect of the iniquities of the previous psalm ( ). That is, it is about the purification of the souls of the remnant. The purification takes place through an illness resulting from the iniquities of the psalmist, who is also a type of the believing remnant. The enemies are those who rejoice because of the illness and hope that the psalmist will perish because of the illness. For “for the choir director” ( ) see at Psalm 4:1. For “a Psalm of David” see at Psalm 3:1. The circumstances under which David wrote this psalm are not known. This last psalm of the first book of Psalms begins with “blessed” ( ). The first psalm also begins with this ( ). In Psalm 1, the man is called “blessed” who loves God and His Word. In Psalm 41, the man is called “blessed” who loves his neighbor and proves it by paying attention to him and dealing with him wisely. This reminds us of the two manifestations of the new life of the New Testament believer that John describes in his first letter: loving God and loving the brother ( ). The “helpless” of whom David speaks is first of all the Lord Jesus. “Helpless” here means “weak”, “poor”. Every one “who considers the helpless” is concerned with His fate and identifies with Him. Here it is about the poor ( ) Helpless Who by His wisdom can give deliverance and protection ( ). “He who considers” is the one who “understands”, the maskil , one who has been taught by God ( ). Such a person has an eye for the one on whom God’s eye rests with favor. By this he shows that he has the mind of Christ, that he belongs to Him. He displays His features, including the feature of a helpless or poor person (cf. ; ). Such an understanding one, like Christ, will be delivered by God “in a day of trouble”. God will do to him in accordance with what he has done to others ( ; cf. ). The “day of trouble” is the time when the one who considers the helpless is an object of the hatred of the enemies and experiences their enmity particularly. They hope that the psalmist will die ( ). For the faithful remnant, it is the time of the great tribulation, which is also accompanied by enmity from within. In , David tells of the God-fearing faithful that God will “protect him and keep him alive”. We can apply this to the spiritual condition of the remnant, which is comparable to an illness. The promise is that God will heal the faithful and thus keep him alive (cf. ). He “shall be called blessed upon the earth” that is in the time of the realm of peace when the Messiah will reign. The earth is specifically the land of Israel. The prayer not to be given over “to the desire of his enemies” is answered. God always answers the prayer of the God-fearing. His enemies always draw the short straw. The faithful believer is given the assurance that God “will sustain him upon his sickbed” ( ). To sustain means to give inner strength to bear his illness and that God will give him the assurance that he will be healed. Everything may seem to be against him when he lies powerless on his sickbed, felled by an illness. The enemies see in this a proof that God is against him and wait for an opportunity to put him to death. But David encourages the ill person and addresses God directly for him. Confidently, he expresses that God “in his illness”, will “restore him to health”. The sickbed is caused by sin. “You restore” is literally “You turn all his bed”. The entire sickbed is made different, that is, everything is transformed and reversed, by the support of the LORD. The LORD gives that support because there is repentance and confession of sin. On that basis there is forgiveness and healing ( ). The remnant will be aware of their sins, of which illness is the result ( ). They will speak out and acknowledge that they have sinned against God with a twofold sin: rejecting Christ and accepting the antichrist. For this they appeal to grace. Not only their body, but also their soul, their whole being, is ill by the realization that they have sinned. By the grace of God, they will see that the Messiah has borne their sins, which will heal their souls and bring them peace (cf. ).

‏ Psalms 41:2

Introduction

In this psalm we hear the Spirit of Christ speaking in the remnant. There is much in which we see Christ. Many verses apply to Him. This is certainly the case with Psa 41:9, which is quoted by the Lord Jesus. In that verse the Spirit of Christ speaks of what Judas will do to Him (Jn 13:18).

This psalm is about the effect of the iniquities of the previous psalm (Psa 40:12). That is, it is about the purification of the souls of the remnant. The purification takes place through an illness resulting from the iniquities of the psalmist, who is also a type of the believing remnant. The enemies are those who rejoice because of the illness and hope that the psalmist will perish because of the illness.

Blessed Are the Merciful

For “for the choir director” (Psa 41:1a) see at Psalm 4:1.

For “a Psalm of David” see at Psalm 3:1.

The circumstances under which David wrote this psalm are not known.

This last psalm of the first book of Psalms begins with “blessed” (Psa 41:1b). The first psalm also begins with this (Psa 1:1). In Psalm 1, the man is called “blessed” who loves God and His Word. In Psalm 41, the man is called “blessed” who loves his neighbor and proves it by paying attention to him and dealing with him wisely. This reminds us of the two manifestations of the new life of the New Testament believer that John describes in his first letter: loving God and loving the brother (1Jn 4:20-21).

The “helpless” of whom David speaks is first of all the Lord Jesus. “Helpless” here means “weak”, “poor”. Every one “who considers the helpless” is concerned with His fate and identifies with Him. Here it is about the poor (2Cor 8:9) Helpless Who by His wisdom can give deliverance and protection (Ecc 9:15). “He who considers” is the one who “understands”, the maskil, one who has been taught by God (Mt 11:29). Such a person has an eye for the one on whom God’s eye rests with favor. By this he shows that he has the mind of Christ, that he belongs to Him. He displays His features, including the feature of a helpless or poor person (cf. Mt 5:3; Lk 6:20).

Such an understanding one, like Christ, will be delivered by God “in a day of trouble”. God will do to him in accordance with what he has done to others (Mt 5:7; cf. Mt 25:40 ; Mt 10:42). The “day of trouble” is the time when the one who considers the helpless is an object of the hatred of the enemies and experiences their enmity particularly. They hope that the psalmist will die (Psa 41:5). For the faithful remnant, it is the time of the great tribulation, which is also accompanied by enmity from within.

In Psa 41:2, David tells of the God-fearing faithful that God will “protect him and keep him alive”. We can apply this to the spiritual condition of the remnant, which is comparable to an illness. The promise is that God will heal the faithful and thus keep him alive (cf. Psa 41:3-8).

He “shall be called blessed upon the earth” that is in the time of the realm of peace when the Messiah will reign. The earth is specifically the land of Israel. The prayer not to be given over “to the desire of his enemies” is answered. God always answers the prayer of the God-fearing. His enemies always draw the short straw.

The faithful believer is given the assurance that God “will sustain him upon his sickbed” (Psa 41:3). To sustain means to give inner strength to bear his illness and that God will give him the assurance that he will be healed. Everything may seem to be against him when he lies powerless on his sickbed, felled by an illness. The enemies see in this a proof that God is against him and wait for an opportunity to put him to death.

But David encourages the ill person and addresses God directly for him. Confidently, he expresses that God “in his illness”, will “restore him to health”. The sickbed is caused by sin. “You restore” is literally “You turn all his bed”. The entire sickbed is made different, that is, everything is transformed and reversed, by the support of the LORD. The LORD gives that support because there is repentance and confession of sin. On that basis there is forgiveness and healing (Psa 103:3).

The remnant will be aware of their sins, of which illness is the result (Psa 41:4). They will speak out and acknowledge that they have sinned against God with a twofold sin: rejecting Christ and accepting the antichrist. For this they appeal to grace. Not only their body, but also their soul, their whole being, is ill by the realization that they have sinned. By the grace of God, they will see that the Messiah has borne their sins, which will heal their souls and bring them peace (cf. Gen 45:5b).