Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained
strength, because of thine enemies; that thou mightest still the
enemy and avenger.--Psalm viii. 2.
The manner in which this prophecy was fulfilled is very
interesting. When Jesus drave out the buyers and sellers from the
temple, we are told the children shouted hosannas to the Son of
David. The Chief Priests and Scribes were filled with indignation
to hear even children confess a truth they wished buried in eternal
silence; and, coming to Jesus, they said, dost thou not hear what
these say? But he mildly answered, "Yea, have ye never read, Out of
the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?" It is
more than probable that amongst the persons he had just expelled
from the temple, were the parents of some of these children; it
would not therefore have excited our astonishment so much, to have
found them mocking and reviling the man of Nazareth, as it does to
hear them shouting hosannas to the Son of David. There were none
of those gay distinctions in the person of Jesus, which so usually
please and delight children; all was as to outward appearance mean
and unattractive; yet their youthful hearts were filled with love
and admiration for the person of the Man, so generally treated with
contempt; and they as with one voice shout the praises of this Son
of David. Ought it not for ever to have put to silence the Priests
and Scribes, and all those bitter enemies of Jesus, when he gave
such clear proofs of his being the Messiah, that even these Jewish
children, could discover him to be the very person their parents,
from the first dawn of reason, had taught them to expect, as the
long promised deliverer of Israel, who should spring from David's
royal line.