Gentleness

The text for this meditation is also recorded in 2 Samuel 22:36b. There it is history. In the Psalms it is, as it were, prepared for the chief musician and recorded for an even larger audience. Matthew Henry notes that others may make use of it to thank God for their deliverances. Now it may be sung in the temple, and it is suited for commemoration, reflection, self-examination or whatever the occasion may be in which even a reader of The Banner of Truth may find himself. The month of May reminds us of several worthy commemorations, such as the Ascension of Christ into heaven, National Day of Prayer in the United States, but also soon the graduations in our schools and those in higher education such as college or university. May the Lord grant the truth of the text to be the experience of the heart!

“God has spoken once, twice have I heard this…” Sometimes the Lord gives His children a second edition as we can see the duplication of this text both in 2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18. It is the same word as He spoke before but now with more instruction, more experience, more depth, and more sweetness or consolation.

David reflects upon the way of the Lord with him and may speak of a very blessed conclusion, “As for God, His way is perfect.” David has no complaints about the Lord’s way with him. Thus was God’s way with His Son in the steps of humiliation—also a way about which the Son never complained—also God’s way with the steps of Christ’s exaltation. What a wonder and blessing it is when the soul united to Christ by faith may come to that blessed agreeing that there is no unrighteousness in Him. There never is, but can we always say and agree with that? Let us see for a moment how David came to the expression of our text.

Concerning the way of the Lord with David, he arrives at a somewhat unexpected and surprising expression. Does this not sound strange? Who would say of himself that he or she has become great? Maybe little children would say such a thing, but would a child of God say this? Moreover, it is one thing if others say it of someone else, but David says it of himself! In addition, it is one thing to think it but another to voice it. To what kind of greatness is David referring? Becoming “great,” acting “great,” being “great”— great people…it happens among adults, and children dream of it. Being bigger, better, higher, and more important than others occurs frequently—our day is full of it, is it not? Does David not sound presumptuous? Had it not been more proper of the sweet Psalmist of Israel to say, “Thy gentleness has made me small, insignificant, humble”?

Actually, this is the case when we study the word “gentleness” a bit closer. Becoming great is yet something different from becoming proud. Thankfully, it doesn’t mean this! Dear reader, we make things great by adding, building, multiplying. However, the word “gentleness” in the Hebrew actually comes from a root word which means to humble, to oppress, to cause to submit, to force down, or even to torment, to vex. The Lord makes great by breaking down, suppressing, subduing, making small and do not such measures often become necessary in the life of grace? There is, also after receiving grace, so much that exalts itself against the Lord. Let us then not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding. The lesson in this text is that the Lord’s way and all He undertakes for His Church is always gentleness—even though it may imply a cross, a trial, a thorn, or an affliction. The poet of Psalm 102 says that the Lord weakened his strength in the way and shortened his days.

David knew of many dealings of the Lord with him that were hard on his flesh but profitable for his soul. In Psalm 119 he writes, “I know, O LORD, that Thy judgments are right, and that Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.” Then we will wholeheartedly repeat what David said, “As for God, His way is perfect,” despite the Sauls that persecuted him and the Shimeis who cursed him.

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