For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
The Lord blesses the righteous by surrounding him with favor as with a shield, and that surrounding favor is His protection and defense. It is the righteous side of a contrast with workers of iniquity, liars, bloody and deceitful people, and flatterers with unfaithful mouths and wicked inward parts, whom the Lord hates, abhors, destroys, and casts out for rebellion. The distinguishing mark of righteousness and unrighteousness in this setting is speech. It belongs to morning prayer in which the believer cries to God as King and God, directs prayer to Him in the morning, and looks up in expectation. It will be the experience of the sons and daughters of God who receive and believe in Christ as their Redeemer.
The verse grounds rejoicing and shouting for joy in the assurance that God defends those who put their trust in Him and love His name, even amid enemies and difficulties. The Lord is the eternal and universal Guardian of justice who takes the part of His children against all who would wrong them and is involved in every transaction affecting their rights. He spreads His hand over those who serve Him sincerely as a shield and buckler, so that no man or woman can wound them without striking that hand, and harming even the humblest disciple brings one against the hand that carries out justice.
Prosperity under this blessing depends not on standing with men but on standing in the sight of God, and when workers are pure men and women, humble in heart and life, and walking in obedience to all His commandments, His hand covers and supports the institution like a shield. Where love of position and love of supremacy exist, God cannot work with such elements but turns away His face and puts His rebuke upon it. The shield rests over His conscience-oppressed servants and defenders of truth in the country that has been their asylum, yet in the struggle over religious freedom they may meet jeopardy, suffering, and trial while Satan appears triumphant and truth appears overborne by falsehood and error.
The shield calls them to recall how God saved His people from their enemies in the past and to trust Him now, for He chooses times of extremity when no human hope of deliverance from Satan's working remains to display His power, since human need is His opportunity.
The Lord blesses the righteous by surrounding him with favor as with a shield, and that surrounding favor is His protection and defense. It is the righteous side of a contrast with workers of iniquity, liars, bloody and deceitful people, and flatterers with unfaithful mouths and wicked inward parts, whom the Lord hates, abhors, destroys, and casts out for rebellion. The distinguishing mark of righteousness and unrighteousness in this setting is speech. It belongs to morning prayer in which the believer cries to God as King and God, directs prayer to Him in the morning, and looks up in expectation. It will be the experience of the sons and daughters of God who receive and believe in Christ as their Redeemer.
The verse grounds rejoicing and shouting for joy in the assurance that God defends those who put their trust in Him and love His name, even amid enemies and difficulties. The Lord is the eternal and universal Guardian of justice who takes the part of His children against all who would wrong them and is involved in every transaction affecting their rights. He spreads His hand over those who serve Him sincerely as a shield and buckler, so that no man or woman can wound them without striking that hand, and harming even the humblest disciple brings one against the hand that carries out justice.
Prosperity under this blessing depends not on standing with men but on standing in the sight of God, and when workers are pure men and women, humble in heart and life, and walking in obedience to all His commandments, His hand covers and supports the institution like a shield. Where love of position and love of supremacy exist, God cannot work with such elements but turns away His face and puts His rebuke upon it. The shield rests over His conscience-oppressed servants and defenders of truth in the country that has been their asylum, yet in the struggle over religious freedom they may meet jeopardy, suffering, and trial while Satan appears triumphant and truth appears overborne by falsehood and error.
The shield calls them to recall how God saved His people from their enemies in the past and to trust Him now, for He chooses times of extremity when no human hope of deliverance from Satan's working remains to display His power, since human need is His opportunity.