Sermon Tone Analysis

Israel’s tumultuous history

Israel’s early history is filled with affliction

“Many a time they have afflicted me”: Numerous times Israel has experienced trouble

She (Israel) speaks of her assailants as "they", because it would be impossible to write or even to know all their names.

They had straitened, harassed, and fought against her from the earliest days of her history -- from her youth; and they had continued their assaults right on without ceasing.

—Charles Spurgeon

“from my youth”: From the early years

“Let Israel now say”: A call for a collective confirming of his statement

Israel prevailed through it all

“Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth:” The group affirms the truth of the statement

“Yet they have not prevailed against me.”

They add how God protected them in each trouble

Israel’s period of suffering seemed to endure for a long period of time

A vivid imagery of Israel’ sufferings

“The plowers plowed on my back:”: Like a plow digging into their back

They made their furrows long.”

Like long furrows or marks opening their flesh

Exodus 1:8-14

Exodus 5:13

God remains the same

God remains the same

“The LORD is righteous”: God is righteous and will bring all to justice

He will keep His covenant and fulfill His promises

Suffering may be allowed by the LORD but soon the He will say enough and take vengeance on the enemy

“He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked.”

God will cut off Israel’s enemies

Israel’s enemies doomed

A call to shame Israel’s enemies

“Let all those who hate Zion”: Why would we hate the people from whom came the word of God and the Redeemer of all mankind?

“Be put to shame and turned back.”:

We are right in asking that those who despise Israel would fail in their attempt to destroy her

We desire their welfare as men, their downfall as traitors.

Let their conspiracies be confounded, their policies be turned back.

How can we wish prosperity to those who would destroy that which is dearest to our hearts?

This present age is so flippant that if a man loves the Saviour he is styled a fanatic, and if he hates the powers of evil he is named a bigot.

—Charles Spurgeon

A call to let Israel’s enemies comforts be destroyed

“Let them be as the grass on the housetops”: Grass that lasts for a short while

“Which withers before it grows up.”:

Grass that doesn’t even begin to flourish

A call to let the Israel’s enemies crops fail

“With which the reaper does not fill his hand,”: May all their labor and effort and evil deeds reap an empty harvest

“Nor he who binds sheaves, his arms.”:

arms = bosom

A call to let Israel’s enemies go unblessed

“Neither let those who pass by them say,”: Forbidden to approve of the the actions of Israel’s enemies

Did they view the atrocities?

Did they applaud and admire the actions of Israel’s enemies?

“The blessing of the LORD be upon you;”: A warning about blessing the enemies of Israel

“We bless you in the name of the LORD!”: Don’t take the name of the LORD in vain

Numbers

See how godly men are roughly ploughed by their adversaries, and yet a harvest comes of it which endures and produces blessing; while the ungodly, though they flourish for a while and enjoy a complete immunity, dwelling, as they think, quite above the reach of harm, are found in a short time to have gone their way and to have left no trace behind.

Lord, number me with thy saints.

Let me share their grief if I may also partake of their glory.

Thus would I make this Psalm my own, and magnify thy name, because thine afflicted ones are not destroyed, and thy persecuted ones are not forsaken.

—Charles Spurgeon