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"It is no longer a sick bed, for Thou hast healed him of his disease" (Perowne).
"Thou hast changed his bed of sickness into health" (Translation of "Four Friends").
The blessing of the Lord that maketh rich, which is promised to each one who takes
his place with the Lord in His rejection, is manifold. He delivers in the day of evil; He
preserves and keeps him alive (the word also includes the thought of resurrection); He
blesses "upon the earth" (i.e., in spite of the usurper each shall yet stand in his appointed
sphere of blessing, heavenly or earthly); He will strengthen him while sick; and finally
change his sickness to health. What was physical to David is spiritual to us, but whether
then or now, these are Biblical blessings that enrich indeed, and add no sorrow with them.
#6.
The blessing that satisfies (Psa. 65: 3, 4).
pp. 150 - 153
The second book of the Psalms (42:-72:) contains only one "blessing", but it is of
sufficient fullness to stand alone. The passage is Psa. 65: 4:--
"Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest, and causest to approach unto Thee, that he
may dwell in Thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house, even of
Thy holy temple."
It would be inappropriate in a series like this to devote too much time to analysis, and
we therefore give only the merest suggestion of the structure of the Psalm in which this
blessing is found:--
Psalm 65:
A | 1. Praise. Silence.
B | 2. All flesh.
C | 3, 4. "Blessed" (ashere); "dwell"; "satisfied with goodness".
B | 5, 6. All ends of the earth.
C | 7-13. "Thou blessest" (barak); "dwell"; "crown with goodness".
A | 13. Shout. Sing.
It will be seen that the blessings of verse 4 are balanced by those of verse 10, although
we must remember that two different words are employed. The blessings of verses 3, 4
are associated with spiritual things--"iniquities, transgressions, Thy courts, Thy
house"--whereas the blessings of verses 7-13 are the blessings of field and furrow,
fatness and flocks.
The Psalms seems to have been written to celebrate the goodness of the Lord in giving
a bounteous harvest. Possibly during a drought, vows had been made, and now in a
solemn silence these vows are performed. One rendering of verse 1 is: "Praise waits all
hushed"; and this solemn hush is in contrast with the "shout" of the concluding verse.
The words, "A psalm and song of David" need not necessarily mean that David was the