Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden
me by my right hand (Ps. 73:23).
When the Psalmist speaks of God as holding him by the
right hand, he means that he was, by the wonderful power of God, drawn back
from that deep gulf into which the reprobate cast themselves. He then ascribes
it wholly to the grace of God that he was enabled to restrain himself from
breaking forth into open blasphemies, and from hardening himself in error, and
that he was also brought to condemn himself of foolishness;—this he ascribes
wholly to the grace of God, who stretched out his hand to hold him up, and
prevent him from a fall which would have involved him in destruction.
From this we see how precious our salvation is in the sight
of God; for when we wander far from him, he yet continues to look upon us with
a watchful eye, and to stretch forth his hand to bring us to himself. We must
indeed beware of perverting this doctrine by making it a pretext for
slothfulness; but experience nevertheless teaches us, that when we are sunk in
drowsiness and insensibility, God exercises a care about us, and that even when
we are fugitives and wanderers from him, he is still near us. The force of the
metaphor contained in the language, which represents God as holding us by
the right hand, is to be particularly noticed; for there is no temptation,
let it be never so slight, which would not easily overthrow us, were we not
upheld and sustained by the power of God.
The reason then why we do not succumb, even in the severest
conflicts, is nothing else than because we receive the aid of the Holy Spirit.
He does not indeed always put forth his power in us in an evident and striking
manner, (for he often perfects it in our weakness;) but it is enough that he
succours us, although we may be ignorant and unconscious of it, that he upholds
us when we stumble, and even lifts us up when we have fallen. (Commentaries)
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