Psalm 28 Continued…
Psalm 28:5 Since they show no regard for the works of the Lord and what his hands have done,
he will tear them down and never build them up again.
Since they show no regard for the works of the Lord
The works of the Lord are numerous and wonderful: what the Lord does in creation; in his providence; through His commands and laws; and by His Spirit. The wicked do not find pleasure in His works; they ignore the signs of His will in His providential dealings; they do not listen to His commands; they do not yield to the influences of His Spirit. They made a serious error by overlooking “the works of the Lord,” for observing and understanding His works would have made them afraid of opposing God’s people, or of attempting to obstruct God’s plans for them. Matthew Henry correctly observed that “a stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of the sin of sinners, and so becomes the cause of their ruin.” Why do men question God and His attributes? It is because they do not duly regard the “operations of his hands,” which declare his glory, and in which the invisible things of Him are clearly seen? Why do men forget Him, and live without Him, and insult Him, and rebel against him. It must be because they do not consider the occasions on which His wrath was “revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men!” Why do the enemies of God’s people hate and persecute them, and concoct mischief against them: for no other reason than they do not regard the works God has wrought for his church, by which he has made it appear so very dear to him? Isaiah made a similar observation as David: “They have harps and lyres at their banquets, tambourines and flutes and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord,
no respect for the work of his hands.” (Isaiah 5:12). Isaiah was referring to the punishment inflicted on the ten tribes who were carried into captivity; or else the works of creation and providence, and the daily mercies of life; or, best of all, the great work of redemption by Christ, and the conversion of sinners, both among Jews and Gentiles, by the preaching of his Gospel; for this refers to the Jews in the times of Christ and his apostles, which immediately preceded their utter destruction; and those sins mentioned in Isaiah 5:12 were the cause of it.
And what his hands have done
What He is now doing, and which was nothing less than the work of His hands.
He will tear them down
He will pull them down, instead of building them up. They shall be irrecoverably lost; they shall be punished with everlasting destruction; there will be no help or remedy for them.
And never build them up again.
He will not favor them; He will not give them prosperity. Health, happiness, and salvation are to be found only in conformity with the laws which God has ordained. Sooner or later, those who violate His Law will suffer calamity and ruin.
Psalm 28:6 Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy.
Praise be to the Lord
Suddenly the prayer becomes a song of praise, an act of adoration. This praise was founded upon a reason, which is indicated by the word “for” in the next clause. Real praise is established upon sufficient and compelling reasons; it is not irrational emotion but rises from the depths of experience. David, when he stood praying, believed that he would receive what he asked for, and, so, believing, he had it. There was no change in his circumstances, but he was changed. Now there was no fear of going down into the pit, and no dread of the evil-doers.
“Praise be to the Lord” must NOT be understood as conferring a blessing on Him, because a mere creature cannot bless God, nor does He need blessing, since He is El Shaddai, God all Mighty, God over all, blessed forever; but as ascribing all blessedness to Him, congratulating Him for His greatness and happiness, and giving Him praise and glory for mercies received.
For he has heard my cry for mercy
He received a reply to his prayer. Isaiah must have experienced the same immediate answer to his prayers: “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24). This may be, however, an expression of faith, David being fully persuaded that God heard his prayer, and would answer it, or it may be the expression of a prophetic spirit, knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted.
This is one of those passages which frequently occur in the Psalms, when there has been an earnest and eager prayer offered to God, and when the answer to the prayer seems to be immediate. The mind of the anxious and troubled petitioner becomes calm; the promises of God are brought directly to the soul; the peace which was sought is obtained; and he who began the psalm with great anxiety and a troubled mind, rejoices at the close of it because of the evidences of the divine favor and love. What happened to David frequently occurs today: I have experienced it. The answer to prayer comes immediately bringing calmness and assurance to the mind. The troubled spirit becomes calm; and whatever may be the result in other respects, the heart is made peaceful and unburdened, and feels the assurance that all will be well. It is sufficient for us to feel that God hears us, for if this is true, we have the assurance that all is well. In this sense, certainly, it is right to look for an immediate answer to our prayers.
PRAY
Father thank you that you not only hear my prayer but answer them before I even ask!