The Treasury of David
by C.H. Spurgeon
EXPOSITION OF THE PSALMS
(Psalms 105 Verse 4)
EXPOSITION
Verse 4. Seek the Loan and his strength. Put yourselves under his protection. Regard him not as a puny God, but look unto his omnipotence, and seek to know the power of his grace. We all need strength; let us look to the strong One for it. We need infinite power to bear us safely to our eternal resting place, let us look to the Almighty Jehovah for it.
Seek his face evermore. Seek, seek, seek, we have the word three times, and though the words differ in the Hebrew, the sense is the same. It must be a blessed thing to seek, or we should not be thus stirred up to do so. To seek his face is to desire his presence, his smile, his favour consciously enjoyed. First we seek him, then his strength and then his face; from the personal reverence, we pass on to the imparted power, and then to the conscious favour. This seeking must never cease -- the more we know the more we must seek to know. Finding him, we must "our minds inflame to seek him more and more." He seeks spiritual worshippers, and spiritual worshippers seek him; they are therefore sure to meet face to face ere long.
EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS
Verse 4. Seek the Lord, and be strengthened; so divers ancient versions read it. They that would be "strengthened in the inward man," must fetch in strength from God by faith and prayer. "Seek his strength," and then seek his face; for by his strength we hope to prevail with him for his favour, as Jacob did, Hosea 7:3. "Seek his face evermore," i.e., seek to have his favour to eternity, and therefore continue seeking it to the end of the time of your probation. Seek it while you live in this world, and you shall have it while you live in the other world, and even there shall be for ever seeking it, in an infinite progression, and yet be for ever satisfied in it. --Matthew Henry.
Verse 4. -- His strength. In classical language, his aegis, or protection, his ark, the symbol of the divine presence. --John Mason Good.
Verse 4. -- Seek his face evermore. It is added "evermore," lest they should imagine that they had performed their duty, if they assembled twice or three times in the year at the tabernacle, and observed the external rites according to the law. --Mollerus.
Verse 4. -- Seek...seek. None do seek the Lord so earnestly, but they have need of stirring up to seek him more earnestly; neither have any attained to such a measure of communion with God, but they have need to seek for a further measure: therefore it is said, "Seek the Lord, seek his strength, seek his face evermore." --David Dickson.
HINTS FOR PASTORS AND LAYPERSONS
Verse 4. -- How can we seek the Lord's strength?
- By desiring to be subject to it.
- By being supported by it.
- By being equipped with it for service.
- By seeing its results upon others.
Verse 4. -- Threefold seeking.
- The Lord for mercy.
- His strength for service.
- His face for happiness. --A.G. Brown.
Verse 4. (last clause). -- Seeking the Lord the perpetual occupation of a believer.