What does it mean that joy comes in the morning?

Now the cloud had passed, the wrath was gone; after all, it was but for a moment indeed, and in His favor following there had come, in the fullest sense, "life." This is stated here as a principle of widest application to all those who turn, in like manner, to Him. "Weeping may lodge with us at even-tide," and a night of darkness and distress succeed; but God's order is, first evening and then the morning; and for the morning is prepared, instead of sorrow, "a song of joy."

"For His anger is but for a moment" (v. 5). Certainly, holiness requires anger against sin, but that anger is limited by the grace of the heart of God. Comparatively, it is only "for a moment," but His favor (or grace) 'is for life," that is, with no limitation. Precious, eternal favor!

Just as God's anger is but for a moment, so "weeping may endure for a night." The night of the Lord's absence from the earth, through which even today the saints of God must pass, is a time of trial of faith that may cause weeping. How much more so the night of the Great Tribulation, which will cause unspeakable sorrow and weeping to the godly in Israel.

"But joy comes in the morning." This will be wonderfully true for Israel, when the Sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings" (Mal. 4:2). The dark night will give place to the brightness of the coming of the Messiah of Israel to bless his people with the light of the perfect day. For believers today, it is the night of Christ's absence, when there are many trials of faith that may cause weeping, but the rapture will introduce the joy of the new beginning of another day. Wonderful prospect!

The great truth of Psalm 30 is the practically deeply interesting one, that the joy flowing from the deliverance the Lord (in this psalm Jehovah) affords is greater and deeper than the blessing of prosperity, even when acknowledged to come from God. It may be that the deliverance is from sorrow occasioned by faults. With the remnant of the Jews it will surely be so; but it is complete and full; and when the sin or evil is fully acknowledged, the restoration and blessing is absolute in communion with God. Forgiveness, or the thought of it, in an unhealed soul, may have regrets. When the soul is healed, it will learn judgment of the evil assuredly, and a sense of humbleness, if it be recurred to - always more tenderness of spirit, more grace; but if the healing be full, the soul wholly searched out, no regrets, because what God, as such, is for us, will possess the soul. The soul will abhor the flesh, and the principles which led to evil; but self will be taken out of the abhorrence when the evil is really hated, and peace will be there. I do not say the psalm pursues these thoughts to this depth. It is more occupied with the outward circumstances, with the hand of God upon it for evil, than with the evil for which His hand is upon it. But these are looked at as His anger. The effect is that circumstances are looked at as a matter of His anger and favour; and on this the soul rests. It had been in prosperity, had owned its coming from God, but saw in circumstances its ground of confidence for happiness, though looked at as given and established by God. But, in so doing, however much it owned God in giving and assuring the blessing, it rested on the blessing, and that blessing ministered to self, instead of taking out of it. "I shall never be moved. Jehovah, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong." Though piety might be there, it might degenerate into "the temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah are these." The psalm however supposes true piety. Only that God's favour has made the mountain - "my mountain" - to stand strong, instead of the favour itself being the blessing. Jehovah hides His face, and direct dependence is felt, direct blessing looked for. Chastening and exercises for faults come, and divine favour itself is felt to be the blessing needed. And what Jehovah is Himself is the source of joy. When His anger is on the people, this is felt; not merely the circumstances it is expressed in, but the hiding of Jehovah's face for sin. The soul is brought into an immediate relationship, though it is by anguish and distress. It is brought to think of itself, not as a self to be caressed, a centre of its own blessing, but as sinful, and God's favour is needed. Thus, though painfully, a most useful and important work is done through grace, when this self-judgment is wrought in the soul, so that there is spiritual integrity. The favour of Jehovah shines in upon it, and is enjoyed, and is become itself the blessing, while positive deliverance accompanies it in God's good time. The true nature of God in holy worship is entered into; He is not merely a God to serve man in blessing. The enemy does not rejoice over us, and the soul itself is healed. We see that if His anger be there, it is but a moment of discipline and instruction for the saints; and then they, being purified, enjoy Himself more fully. Here, literally, we see the remnant at the verge of the grave, and there delivered; but the true work is, even for them, with God.

In Psalm 30 we have the contrast between trust in prosperity — even in that given of God — and in God Himself. He has come in and lifted up the poor, and not left him to his foes. His favour is life. If angry, it is but for a little moment, and for the good of His saints: the favour is for ever. In the morning it is light, if heaviness endure for a night. He may let them down as to the grave's mouth, but only to show His power in infallible deliverance. He, the godly man, Israel themselves, as a people, had trusted in given prosperity. Now, in the depth of adversity, he has found Jehovah in deliverance. The power of evil overcome is better than good we may lose. It is security, and in the blessing and arms of Jehovah for us; for He is the deliverer. We see plainly here that it is a living people to be blessed on earth (v. 3, 9). And though there may be analogous mercies in all times, for there is a government of God as regards Christians, to apply it to the saints now would be a dangerous mistake. It speaks of temporal deliverance for peace in this world (compare Isaiah 64:7-8). No mountain, even if we own it to be made strong by Jehovah, is like Jehovah Himself, even if I am at the pit's mouth. It is my mountain for my heart when I think of it.

After sorrow comes rejoicing. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. The noonday darkness of Calvary exceeded the midnight darkness of Gethsemane; nevertheless, there was beyond both a morning without a cloud or a pang, the morning of resurrection and heavenly glory. Here darkness and tears; there no night, no tears, neither sorrow nor sighing. “Hark! What sounds of bitter weeping, What submissive anguish deep! 'Tis the Lord His vigil keeping, While His followers sink in sleep: Ah, my soul, He loved thee; Yes, He gave Himself for me. He is speaking to His Father, Tasting deep that bitter cup; Yet He takes it, willing rather For our sakes to drink it up: With what love He lovèd me; Gave Himself, my soul, for thee. Then His closing scene of anguish! All God's waves and billows roll Over Him, left there to languish On the cross, to save my soul: Matchless love, how vast, how free! Jesus gave Himself for me. Hark again! His cries are waking Echoes on dark Calvary's hill; God, My God, art Thou forsaking Him Who always did Thy will? Ah, my soul, it was for thee, Yes, He gave Himself for me.”

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. So it will be for Israel when existing shadows yield to the reality Christ's appearing will bring in to the glory of God. So it was for the dawn of heavenly light and blessing in Christ for the Christian; and so it will be when this age ends, and a new one begins for Israel and the nations of the earth.

(vv. 4-5) Others are called to rejoice with him; for though the Lord may chasten His saints, for their good, it is only for a short while. “A moment is passed in his anger, a life in his favour” (JND). The night of weeping will end in the morning of joy.

Having spoken of Jehovah as the strength of His people, it will not be out of course to be introduced to the subject of Ps. 29, in which the children of the mighty are exhorted to ascribe to Him glory and strength, whose power as Creator is displayed by His voice when He speaks, and whose glory is the theme of all who are in His temple. But more, "Jehovah sits upon the flood*; yea, Jehovah sits King for ever." He, too, will give strength to His people: He will bless His people with peace. How David learnt this experimentally, and was therefore competent to speak of it, another Psalm (30) tells us, describing exercises which God passed him through. In prosperity and confident of its endurance, he learnt by the hiding of God's face from him of his real dependence. God's face hidden, immediately was he troubled. Then, crying to God with death in prospect, he proved Jehovah's deliverance. His mourning was turned into dancing. God put off from His servant his sackcloth, and girded him with gladness. What David then proved, others may prove likewise. So he writes, "Sing to Jehovah, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness. For His anger endures but a moment: in His favour is life; weeping may endure for a night; but joy comes in the morning (4, 5).

The holiness of God, thus known, becomes security. His anger - how well we know it! - as under the law, endures but for a moment, the sentence indeed of death is passed - it must be, but then it is past and gone; "weeping may endure for a night, but joy," blessed truth! with every shadow gone, and all of God, "cometh in the morning." What an Interpreter is Jesus, as on the Cross, and risen from the Cross and death of, all the thoughts, and ways, and principles of God, as to and in man's estate! "Sing unto the Lord" He says, and may well say, thus knowing it. "Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his" - His glory shall sing, and not be silent, for Jehovah has not been silent. His glory is the tongue of redeeming praise, and how loud it speaks! Glory now is redemption witnessed, and His word is "Magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt his Name together!" Always together!

As an experimental Psalm this is one of high value. It abounds in expressions of readiest practical application to the exercised believer; for it is the utterance of a heart which had been instructed deeply in the true secret of faith. Prosperity had been tasted and had gendered fleshly confidence. Jehovah's favour, when used to strengthen the creature on its own base, is sure to be misused and is never truly understood. The believer has to learn the resurrection as a preparation for his right use even of the present life. "God which raises the dead" is to be known and walked in by His people now (2 Cor. 1:9). The foundation and living spring of present peace and joy is Christ, now known no more after the flesh, but according to the power of the resurrection from the dead. The hope which lives amid the shades of death is there (1 Peter 1:3). That perennial flow of pure and joyful confidence, which should not cease within the heart in which God dwells, can only be maintained where first the strength of nature has been withered, and the sufficing riches of the love of Christ are drawn forth from the wells of salvation by the active energy of faith. The cloudless favour of the God of all grace shines forth on the believing sinner in the person of the risen Saviour. In that favour is life — eternal life. Perfect and abiding peace and blessedness are the never-fading portion of the soul that has learned to render thanks to God for His unspeakable gift. (Verse 5.) * "Quoniam ad momentum est ira ejus, vita in repropitiatione ejus." — Hieron. "Denn einen Augenblick wahret sein Zorn, Lebens-lang seine Huld." — De Wette. For the spirit of this contrast, but not for the sentiment expressed, cp. 2 Cor. 4:17-18. As to the latter, vide supra, remarks on Psalm 13.}

The true bearing of this Psalm is, I believe, upon Israel's latter-day experience, first of sorrow and death and then of quickening life and joy, when the long-protracted days of mourning (though then they will seem but a moment, verse 5; Isa. 54:7-8.) shall be changed for the gladsome times of Divine refreshing, when stones of fair colours shall become the sure foundation of the city that the Lord shall build (Isa. 54:11). His people shall be brought up out of their graves. His prisoners shall go forth, through the blood of His covenant, from the pit which has no water (Zech. 9:11). Resurrection is figuratively used in Scripture to indicate the resuscitation of the regenerate nation, as well as in its literal sense (Ezek. 37). The concluding verses are an echo of prophetic witness elsewhere borne to the blessedness of Israel when, reposing under the shadow of the righteous Branch and firmly resting on the sure mercies of David, they shall know their King and be known of Him, according to the fullest measure of the blessings of the new and everlasting covenant of peace (Isa. 61:3; Jer. 31:1-4.).