Expositions of Holy Scripture: PsalmsMaclaren, Alexander
Religion
Expositions of Holy Scripture: Psalms
Maclaren, Alexander
Bible. Psalms -- Commentaries
Put side by side with that this picture:--A rocky road; a great city
shining in the morning sunlight across a narrow valley; a crowd of
shouting peasants waving palm branches in their rustic hands; in the
centre the meek carpenter's Son, sitting upon the poor robes which alone
draped the ass's colt, the tears upon His cheeks, and His lamenting
heard above the Hosannahs, as He looked across the glen and said, 'If
thou hadst known the things that belong to thy peace!' That is the
fulfilment, or part of the fulfilment, of this prophecy. The
slow-pacing, peaceful beast and the meek, weeping Christ are the reality
of the vision which, in such strangely contrasted and yet true form,
floated before the prophetic eye of this ancient singer, for Christ's
humiliation is His majesty, and His sharpest weapon is His
all-penetrating love, and His cross is His chariot of victory and throne
of dominion.
But not only in His earthly life of meek suffering does Christ fight as
a King, but all through the ages the world-wide conflict for truth and
meekness and righteousness is His conflict; and wherever that is being
waged, the power which wages it is His, and the help which is done upon
earth He doeth it all Himself. True, He has His army, willing in the day
of His power, and clad in priestly purity and armour of light, but all
their strength, courage, and victory are from Him; and when they fight
and conquer, it is not they, but He in them who struggles and overcomes.
We have a better hope than that built on 'a stream of tendency that
makes for righteousness.' We know a Christ crucified and crowned, who
fights for it, and what He fights for will hold the field.
This prophecy of our psalm is not exhausted yet. I have set side by side
with it one picture--the Christ on the ass's colt. Put side by side with
it this other. 'I beheld the heaven opened; and lo! a white horse. And
He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True; and in righteousness
He doth judge and make war.' The psalm waits for its completion still,
and shall be fulfilled on that day of the true marriage supper of the
Lamb, when the festivities of the marriage chamber shall be preceded by
the last battle and crowning victory of the King of kings, the Conqueror
of the world.
III. Lastly, we have the royalty of the King.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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