PSALMS 30

1 I will extol thee, O Yahweh; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.

2 O Yahweh my Elohim, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.


3 O Yahweh, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive (or preserved me from corruption,) that I should not go down to the pit (or be reduced to dust.)

Even the blood of the innocent and righteous Jesus, would have been as unprofitable for covenant purposes as the blood of Moses, Abel, or calves, if he had not risen from the dead. This is the doctrine taught concerning him in David. 

The thirtieth psalm is prophetic of Messiah's death and resurrection. "All things must be fulfilled that are written concerning me in the psalms," said Jesus. 




4 Sing unto Yahweh, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

The weeping of the night is essential to the perfection of the morning's joy. Knowledge of good and evil have always been inseparably linked, right from the Garden of Eden. The weeping of the night, once it is over, will be a highly valued memory. Its actual sorrows will have left the mind, but its beneficial effect will be eternal. Nothing is unnecessary in the working of God's purpose.

Bro Growcott



Now, brethren and sisters, many of you are in trouble-trouble so deep and terrible, in some cases, that you are beyond the help or even sympathy of man. Is it not some consolation to know that it is a matter of appointment and that it is intended to work a result in you that cannot be accomplished without just the terrible suffering you are going through? It will all end shortly.

Seasons 2.70



6 And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.

... he is a wise man who attaining to great estate like David, is able to feel as David felt - unable to enjoy his own part until he had done bountifully for God's part.

In the highest sense, God requires nothing from man, but it has pleased Him to have requirements upon earth; and to depend upon His people for their supply. David proposed to do what God could not sanction. He proposed to build a temple. In this scheme of prophetic analogies, God had reserved this work for David's son, and therefore He forbad David to proceed. But nevertheless the existence of the project in David's mind was pleasing to God.

"Thou didst well that it was in thine heart."

The "devising of liberal things" is always acceptable to God. We have here a possibility of reaching a high mark in His favour. It is much decried in our day. Spiritual enterprise is quenched by the children of the flesh under various specious pleas.

Big ideas and small purses don't go well together. This is the sort of water-hose they turn on. But the fire kindled from the altar cannot be put out.

"Thou didst well that it was in thine heart."

What is in the heart will struggle even through a small purse sometimes. It is not the big purses and small ideas that do the work or give pleasure to God.

Seasons 3.34




7 Yahweh, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.

8 I cried to thee, O Yahweh; and unto Yahweh I made supplication.

This occurred before his soul went down into the grave. In view of its hypothetical continuance in that gloomy place, he inquires in his supplication,


9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?

This interrogative argument teaches the doctrine of the fifteenth of Corinthians (v17,18), that if Christ be not raised from the dead, or in other words, be mere dust in the pit, "faith is vain;" sins are not remitted; and dead believers are perished: which is equivalent to saying, "there is not profit in his blood;" for it was shed for remission of sins, which, however, are not remitted, if He be not raised up, or "healed" of the "evil disease" which laid him in the tomb.

An unrisen Christ is an unprofitable sacrifice. His blood could purge nothing; and as to praising God, and declaring his truth in heaven or earth, it would be impossible; for "the dead know not any thing," (Ecc 9:5) in the day of their return to their dust their thoughts perish; and therefore the dead cannot praise Yahweh (Psa 115:17).

Jesus was "delivered for our offences;" but if he had not been raised, we should have remained unjustified, and in our sins, and without any title to things everlasting; happily, however, for the faithful, God raised him from the dead; whereupon the Apostle adds, "and was raised again for our justification." Thus, his blood was made profitable, and he is prepared to praise Yahweh and to declare his truth in the midst of Israel's congregation when the time comes.

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, Sept 1855



Can the dust praise thee can it declare thy truth


There is no profit in dust for praise or truth, apart from the operation of the Eternal Spirit It retains no trace of former personal identity. From the few pounds of dust left to Paul the Creator could form a Lion. When he had given the creature life, would it have the consciousness of the apostle? Would it be able to sing the song of redemption? If personal identity resided in the dust as dust, it might; but the supposition is absurd: Of men, it is said,

"the Deity remembereth that they are but flesh, a wind that passeth away, and COMETH NOT AGAIN".

Where is the personal identity when flesh has thus passed away? All personality is dissolved.

Eureka 14.4.



10 Hear, O Yahweh, and have mercy upon me: Yahweh, be thou my helper.

11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;

12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Yahweh my Elohim, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.