And they that know thy name will confide in thee; for thou, Jehovah, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
This psalm celebrates a throne set up for judgment, enemies overthrown, and God reigning forever. In the middle of that public power comes a quiet line about knowing God's name and leaning on Him — so what does it mean to know that name?
Two sides of one God
One writer sets the psalm's public scene of judgment beside a more personal side of God.
He will judge the whole world in righteousness, and judge the peoples fairly. This was the public character of Jehovah. But there was a private part of His character, so to speak, and the making of that public is the great subject of the psalm... This second part is this: Jehovah is a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. The result is confidence in Jehovah at all times on the part of those who know His name.
A name is what God is
The word "name" here is not a label. One writer takes it as God showing us what He is.
His name is how we know Him; it shows what He is. God wants us to know Him: to know Him so that we may trust Him, and to know Him so that we may delight in Him. This knowledge of God is all power and blessing for our life here. It awakens the worship of eternity and keeps it alive.
Why some people cannot trust
The verse puts knowing before trusting. One commentator traces unbelief back to its root:
The natural man cannot trust God, simply because he does not know Him.
The same writer paints the opposite picture: a person who does know God.
But you must know Him before you can trust Him... Those who do not know God would much prefer an insurance policy or a government annuity to His promise. But the true believer finds in that promise the unfailing stay of his heart, because he knows, and trusts, and loves the Promiser. He delights in the thought of being shut up to God, completely dependent on Him... The very thing that would nearly drive an unbeliever out of his mind is to the Christian — the man of faith — the deepest joy of his heart.
Trust as a deposit
"Put their trust" is not a mood or a hopeful feeling. One writer describes it as an act that hands something over:
Those whom God has awakened to know the name of the Lord Jesus will put their trust in Him. That is, they hand over their very interests, firmly and for good, to this One who is more than worthy of their trust (v. 10). For they realize that He does not forsake those who seek Him.
The second half is the evidence
Then comes the reason: He has not forsaken those who seek Him. That turns the promise into something a person can test. One writer explains:
This is not just a theory. There is no gap between the ideal and the real. All His people know it by experience, and their own hearts confirm it.
Which name do we know?
God's name is His revelation of Himself, so what has He revealed? One commentator says a general belief in a supreme being is not enough:
It is not enough to know that there is an Almighty God above all things. You must know the secret place where He truly reveals Himself. True faith has it... God reveals His name to faith. To us it is Christ as Lord, and the Father. So faith confesses His name and makes it its refuge and strong tower. Faith also trusts in it. That is a great thing: no power of evil and no distress can upset the mind of anyone who looks to the Lord and trusts Him.
Still looking forward
The psalm also looks ahead. One writer sees a shaft of light breaking through its scenes of judgment:
Jehovah's name shall, in that future day, be so made known that it shall be the object of confidence and the place of refuge to the needy. A blessed prospect! It is still far off and only dimly seen. But it is sure and never-failing, for the mouth of Israel's God has spoken it.
Summary
- Name. God's name is not a label. It shows what He is. He makes Himself known so that we may trust Him and delight in Him.
- Know. Knowledge comes first. The natural man cannot trust God, because he does not know Him. A vague belief in a supreme power is not the knowledge meant.
- Trust. Knowing Him leads to handing your whole interest over to Him for good. The dependence that terrifies unbelief becomes the believer's deepest joy.
- Proved. The second half of the verse gives the evidence. This is no theory. His people have proved it: He has not forsaken those who seek Him.
- Refuge. God has a public throne of judgment. He also has a private character as a hiding place in trouble. A coming day will make that name a refuge for the needy everywhere.