Tag: Christian

Sin and Shin
161 Princes persecute me without cause,
but my heart stands in awe of your words.
162 I rejoice at your word
like one who finds great spoil.
163 I hate and abhor falsehood,
but I love your law.
164 Seven times a day I praise you
for your righteous rules.
165 Great peace have those who love your law;
nothing can make them stumble.
166 I hope for your salvation, O Lord,
and I do your commandments.
167 My soul keeps your testimonies;
I love them exceedingly.
168 I keep your precepts and testimonies,
for all my ways are before you.

The psalmist begins his penultimate stanza stating princes or civil authorities are persecuting him without cause (v 161a). The Israelite elites cannot keep the psalmist’s heart (mind, will and emotions) from standing in awe of God’s Words (v 161b). The psalmist continually rejoices at His Word like a person who finds great spoil (v 162). The psalmist “values God’s word as others would value the spoils of war, for it is like discovered treasure to one who loves it (D. Estes, Psalms 73-150 NAC, 2019, p. 437). Goldingay is correct when he states, “Finding plunder results from winning a great victory; it is quite something that the psalm can speak of such exulting when threatened with devastating defeat (v. 161)” (Psalms 90-150 BCOT, 2006, p. 439).

The psalmist goes on to contrast how he hates and abhors falsehood but loves His torah (v 163). God’s Word is truthful (see also vv 143, 151, 160) which is the opposite of falsehood. Seven times a day the psalmist praises the Lord for His righteous rules (v 164). “A person of faith gives praise to Yhwh morning and evening, the times of the offerings. A person of great faith might pray a third time, presumably in the middle of the day, like Daniel (Dan. 6; cf. Ps. 55:17), or even in the middle of the night (cf. v. 62). Hyperbolically, the psalmist claims to have given praise seven times a day for Yhwh’s faithful decisions, which again both give direction for life and promise that blessing will issue from following them” (Goldingay, p. 439). The psalmist’s way of living is in worship and verbal praise to the Lord (see v 175). “As he prays during the day and night (vv. 147–148), so his praise for the Lord punctuates his entire day” (Estes, p. 437).

For those who continually love God’s torah they have great and abundant peace, nothing can make them fall (v 165). “Loving God’s instruction yields the reward of great shalom, a rich Hebrew term encompassing well-being, prosperity, and satisfaction in life, for true life comes from loving and living God’s word” (Estes, p. 437). The ESV translates mikšôl as stumble; however, the wording here “does not suggest losing one’s footing in a way that might be momentary, but falling so as not to be able to recover. The psalm again presupposes the image of the way that we walk. For all the hazards of the path, we will be able to walk it” (Goldingay, p. 440). Praise God that Shalom is a Person and His Name is Jesus. Praise God His Word is a lamp to His peoples feet and a light to their path (v 105). Praise God that for those who are in Christ, though they stumble, they do not fall.

The psalmist hopes (looks for) the Lord’s salvation and acts on His commands (v 166). The psalmist is not hoping in vain! He is actively looking and is actively doing the Lord’s commands. “His faith in the Lord prompts his faithfulness to his word, so he practices consistent obedience as he keeps trusting the Lord to rescue him” (Estes, p. 438). The Hebrew literally reads my inner being keeps Your testimonies (v 167a). This is not a shallow commitment and observance, but reaches to the psalmist’s inner most parts of him. Why? Because he loves God’s testimonies and so he obeys and keeps them. “This is what it looks like to love the Lord “with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deut 6:5)” (Estes, p. 438).

The psalmist ends this stanza with keeping/observing the Lord’s precepts and testimonies, for all his ways are before Him (v 168). This verse reminds this author of the children’s song “O be careful little eyes what you see.” How often do the people today, believers and unbelievers meditate upon the fact that all our ways are indeed before Holy God; that what we see, hear, say and do are all before Him? “The psalmist lives under the authority of the Lord and his word (cf. v. 4), as his pattern of life aligns with God’s precepts and decrees. He also lives before God, in constant awareness that the Lord sees and knows all that he does. How the Lord evaluates his life is all-important to him, and it prompts him to a life of obedience to the Lord” (Estes, p. 438).

Lord God, times of persecution are increasing all over the world by those who are hostile to You. Lord God give strength and mercy to those who are experiencing persecution; having done nothing wrong, they are persecuted for identify themselves with You. Lord, help those who are in the midst of fiery trails and those who are not to stand in awe of Your Word. Help us to stand in awe of who Jesus is: our Victorious and Overcoming Savior, Soon Returning King and what He has done for us.

Lord, I rejoice along with my brothers and sisters at Your Word. For those of us who are in Christ we know that when we read and meditate on Your Word it is like finding great treasure. Lord, help us to hold, hide and treasure Your Word in our hearts and souls so that it will strengthen us on the day of persecution. Lord God, thank You that Your Word breaks strongholds; gives victory to those who obey, practice and apply Your Word.

Lord God, I absolutely hate and abhor falsehood. Lord God, convict us where we are fake, false and phony. Lord God, You know the last thing this world needs is another fake believer. Lord God, search us and test us, reveal to us where we are on the stray path, where there is deception in us and where we are following lies rather than Your Truth. Lord, may we love Your Word more than the lies and falsehoods of this world. Lord, help us to cultivate a lifestyle of worship and praise to You. May we praise You personally and publicly. Lord, may we praise You in the morning, afternoon, evening, night. May we praise You because we love Your rules. Lord, may we never forget that Your ways bring life and not death. May we be reminded that Your yoke is easy and burden is light. Your Word is not drudgery unlike the colorful sin and deception that this world heaps on its people.

Praise You Holy Trinity that Peace is a Person and His Name is Jesus! Praise You Jesus that for those who are in Christ they know Peace with You, themselves and others. Lord God, for the reader who is not in Christ, Lord may they understand that no matter how good life may be for them or how good they think they are, they have no peace without Christ. Lord God, “Your Law is Love and Your Gospel is Peace” are beautiful and truthful song lyrics. May You use Christmas Carols to encourage Your people and lead others to You. Thank You that You do not let Your people fall and that when we stumble, You are there to dust us off and set us on the narrow path.

Lord God, help us to actively do and apply Your Word. Looking out in hopeful exception for Your Salvation! Lord God, may our souls, our inner beings love Your Word. May our hearts: mind, will and emotions love and seek Your Word. Lord God, may we NEVER forget that we are under Your authority. You know everything that happens to us before it even occurs. Lord God, may we NEVER think that You will dismiss the sin in our own lives while convicting and judging the sin in others. Lord God, may we never forget there is NOWHERE we can go to escape You. This is true for the believer and the unbeliever. Lord God, help us to live our lives as a pleasing aroma to You. Lord God, thank You for this reader. Lead this reader Lord in the way everlasting today and everyday for Your Glory. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Resh
153 Look on my affliction and deliver me,
for I do not forget your law.
154 Plead my cause and redeem me;
give me life according to your promise!
155 Salvation is far from the wicked,
for they do not seek your statutes.
156 Great is your mercy, O Lord;
give me life according to your rules.
157 Many are my persecutors and my adversaries,
but I do not swerve from your testimonies.
158 I look at the faithless with disgust,
because they do not keep your commands.
159 Consider how I love your precepts!
Give me life according to your steadfast love.
160 The sum of your word is truth,
and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.

There are eight imperatives the psalmist makes in this stanza (only the He stanza (vv 33-40 has more with nine). The psalmist opens this stanza calling on the Lord to look on his affliction and deliver him (v 153a). The psalmist is becoming desperate and needs the Lord’s help. He makes these petitions on the basis that he does not forget God’s torah (v 153b), “even though obeying the Lord did not give him a pass on pain and problems. He wants the Lord not to forget him, just as he has not forgotten what the Lord has taught him” (D. Estes, Psalms 73-150 NAC, 2019, p. 435).

In verse 154 the psalmist uses legal language for God to plead his case and redeem him. “[T]he appeal to God to plead his cause is a call for vindication; the language used is that of a lawsuit, for God will champion his cause…This word for “redeem” is well-known for its use in kinsman-redeemer passages; but it essentially refers to setting someone free from bondage and adversity, here caused by the wicked” (A. Ross, Psalms 90-150 KEL, 2016, pp. 581-582).

The psalmist joins these previous petitions with a petition for God to give him life according to His Promises (v 154b). This can also be translated restore my life or preserve my life. The psalmist is stating “he wants deliverance from the oppression of the wicked so that he can live his life fully in the service of the LORD. This appeal is not based on his faithfulness to the Law, but on the LORD’s fulfilling the promises in his oracles. The law declared that the LORD would protect and defend his covenant people if they lived faithfully—and since he is a faithful covenant member, his prayer appeals to the promises of God to be carried out” (Ross, p. 582).

The psalmist knows that for the wicked who reject God and His Word salvation is far from them (v 155). The psalmist makes a stark contrast: in verse 151 the psalmist stated that the Lord is near to Him; yet for those who do wicked, they are far from His delivery and redemption. “The wicked have no interest in seeking out what the Lord has said. They do not want God’s word in their lives, so the Lord is not there for them in their time of need. They are willfully ignorant of God’s statutes, and they suffer because of their neglect” (Estes, p. 435).

Because the Lord is great in mercy, the psalmist petitions the Lord again to give him life (v 156). Mercy would be better translated compassion in this verse. The psalmist knows that God has compassion on His people. Instead of asking God to give him life according to his promise (v 154) he is asking according to his rules. “As the compassions of the Lord are many (v. 156), so the psalmist’s persecutors and foes are many” (Estes, p. 436). The psalmist does not swerve from the Lord’s Word even though he is being targeted by many persecutors and adversaries (v 157). “In the face of intense pressure, he perseveres in his commitment to God’s word, listening to the direction of the Lord rather than to the threats of his enemies” (Estes, p. 436). The people of God be would be wise to live in such a manner today.

As David hated those who hated God (Ps 139:21-22) the psalmist here looks at the faithless with disgust because they do not keep the Lord’s Commands (v 158). The psalmist again contrasts himself as being the antithesis of the wicked because he loves the Lord’s precepts (v 159). For the third time the psalmist petitions the Lord to give him life; however, here it is according to His Covenant Faithfulness (hesed v 159). God’s people can call upon His Covenant Faithfulness to give them life, to redeem and revive them. Why? Because the sum of the Lord’s Word is truth and each one of His Righteous Rules endures forever (v 160). “The word translated “sum” is literally “head”; here it means the chief characteristic of God’s word is truth. Everything God has said is reliable, because he himself is the truth (see John 14:6). This is not simply a reality for the writer’s current predicament—the word of God is eternal, and therefore eternally true” (Ross, p. 584).

Lord God, thank You that You and Your Word are True forever and ever. Thank You Lord that You do not look away from Your People in their affliction. Lord God, thank You that for those of us who are in Christ we have been redeemed and given life. Thank You that we can have confidence in our salvation according to Your Word.

Lord God, universalism is a lie. There are many people claiming to be “Christians” who think that in the end You will save all people. Lord this is fake news. This is a lie from the pit of hell that keeps people from hearing and receiving the Gospel. For those who reject Christ, salvation is far from them. Lord, lead unbelievers to read Your Word for themselves to see what You have to say about the eternal state of the wicked rather than listening to the world and its feel good message. Lord God, You have wired all of us for eternity; may today be the day for salvation for the reader that is far from Christ.

Lord God, Your compassion and mercies are many. Thank You Lord that Your mercies are new each morning. Lord God, You are Great in mercy and Greatly to be Praised! Lord, give us life according to Your Rules! Lord, Your people are surrounded by persecutors and adversaries, help us to remain faithful to You and Your Word. Lord, may we hate those who hate You with a righteous hatred; yet, sharing Jesus in authenticity and transparency. Lord, convict us where we care more about ourselves than Your Glory. Lord God, You will more than consider how we love Your precepts. You will judge believers when You are ready for their obedience and service to You. Lord God, thank You for giving us life according to Your covenant faithfulness.

Thank You Jesus that You have come to give us life and life abundantly. Thank You Holy Trinity that Truth is a Person and His Name is Jesus. Thank You Jesus that You are Faithful and True. Thank You Lord that Your Word is True and is absolutely sufficient and without error for us today! Lord God, thank You that Jesus came to fulfill the Law and not to abolish it. As such, teach us what that means and how to live in the light of Your Truth. Thank You Lord God for this reader! Lord God, give this reader life so they may love You and love others. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Qoph
145 With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord!
I will keep your statutes.
146 I call to you; save me,
that I may observe your testimonies.
147 I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I hope in your words.
148 My eyes are awake before the watches of the night,
that I may meditate on your promise.
149 Hear my voice according to your steadfast love;
O Lord, according to your justice give me life.
150 They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose;
they are far from your law.
151 But you are near, O Lord,
and all your commandments are true.
152 Long have I known from your testimonies
that you have founded them forever.

There is a deep crying out to the Lord for His help in this stanza. Based on the Lord’s righteousness of the last stanza (vv 137-144) and as he did in verse 10, the psalmist cries to the Lord with his whole heart (mind, will and emotions) to answer him (qal, imperative, 2ms with 1 cs suffix) so that he can keep His statutes (v 145).

The psalmist urgently and earnestly cries to the Lord to save him (hiphil, imperative, 2ms with 1cs suffix) so that he can observe the Lord’s testimonies (v 146). The psalmist is crying out to God to cause his salvation “from the unbelievers who were following after him with an evil intent (v. 150). The answer to this prayer will mean that he will be able to continue keeping the statutes and testimonies. It may be that the oppression he was facing hindered him from fully and freely keeping the law, having to spend more time concerned with dealing with the wicked” (A. Ross, A Commentary on the Psalms 90-150 KEL, 2016, p. 577).

Estes states, “It is possible that v. 146b implies that he needs to be delivered so that he can keep the Lord’s decrees, perhaps indicating that his adversity has hindered him from getting to the temple for worship; but that specific setting cannot be proven definitively from the language of Psalm 119” (Psalms 73-150 NAC, 2019, p. 434). Regardless he is still committed to obeying the Lord’s statutes and testimonies.

Verses 147-148 are a merism (rhetorical device/figure of speech that combines two contrasting words to refer to an entity) covering all of the day and the night. The psalmist prays before dawn for help and through the watches of the night. “Throughout the night he loves to “meditate” (cf. vv. 15, 23, 27, 48, 99) on God’s “promises.” Having put his “hope” in God’s word, he waits for the Lord to come through” (W. VanGemeren, Psalms REBC, 2008, p. 885).

It is wise to remember the psalmist is not “attempting to resolve the problem himself, he places his plight into the Lord’s hands. His crisis does not control him, but he stays committed to the Lord, and he waits for his word to reassure him…As he meditates on the word of God during the quiet of the night, what he knows is transformed into how he lives as he assimilates God’s truth into his life” (Estes, p. 434).

The psalmist continues his lament petitioning God to hear his voice according to His covenant faithfulness (hesed) and to give him life based on His justice (v 149). “Because the Lord is the one who created life, he can revive life when it is flagging (Estes, p. 434). The psalmist in verse 150 makes clear the occasion that prompted the psalmist’s petition in verses 145-149. His foes with their wicked, evil agenda are drawing near to him. Evil purposes (zimmâ) here “refers to sinful schemes…Even though he senses that he is nearly in their grasp, he views his problem through a theological lens rather than just as personal crisis. In following after wickedness, his enemies have departed far from God’s instruction, so the psalmist’s foes are fundamentally the Lord’s foes as well” (Estes, p. 434).

The psalmist preaches to himself that while his foes are drawing near, the Lord Himself is near to him and that all His commandments are true (v 151). The Lord being near to him means more to him than whatever his foes are seeking to do to him. “Subjectively, one can cope with schemers being near if Yhwh is near; and objectively, their being near will not mean their schemes succeed if Yhwh is near. Likewise, the fact that they are far from Yhwh’s teaching counts for less (subjectively and objectively) in light of Yhwh’s commands being true and trustworthy, reliable guides to conduct that matches the way the world really is and to conduct Yhwh will honor” (J. Goldingay, Psalms 90-150 BCOT, 2006, p. 436).

The psalmist concludes this stanza with a statement that he has known for a long time the Lord’s testimonies are the firm foundation forever (v 151). “The psalmist’s life from way back has been based on studying Yhwh’s declarations, becoming convinced by their wisdom and their promises, and thus acknowledging from them that they indeed came from Yhwh and that therefore they will stand forever (cf. vv. 142, 144); they will share in Yhwh’s eternity (cf. v. 89). “Of old” and “forever” thus embrace the entire time of the psalmist’s human life” (Goldingay, p. 436).

Father God, may You be the One that we cry out to in the morning and in the night. May we mediate on Your Word all the day long. Lord God, cultivate in us to be like the psalmist where You Word is our Light, Life and Shield. Thank You God that we live on the other side of the Cross knowing that Jesus is the One who saves. Lord God, remind us that You have not saved Your people to live for themselves but to live for You! Lord God, persecution is coming and in many places it is indeed here, help us all to meditate on Your Word hiding it in our hearts. Lord God, may we never forget that You are near to us in our sufferings and afflictions. May we never forget that You are nearer to us than our oppressors because Your Spirit indwells us. May we never forget in our times of trials and hardships that Your Word is True.

Lord for the reader who has been a believer for a long time or a new believer thank You and praise You that Your Word is our firm foundation. Thank You Lord that there will be a day when the evil doers who harm You and Your people will be held accountable. Lord God, may today be the day of salvation for the reader who does not know Christ. Lord God, thank You for today. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Pe
129 Your testimonies are wonderful;
therefore my soul keeps them.
130 The unfolding of your words gives light;
it imparts understanding to the simple.
131 I open my mouth and pant,
because I long for your commandments.
132 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
as is your way with those who love your name.
133 Keep steady my steps according to your promise,
and let no iniquity get dominion over me.
134 Redeem me from man’s oppression,
that I may keep your precepts.
135 Make your face shine upon your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
136 My eyes shed streams of tears,
because people do not keep your law.

The psalmist knows how wonderful the Lord’s testimonies are and that is why he keeps them with his life source or entire being (v 129). This language is similar to the language used in telling the wondrous and mighty deeds the Lord performed in the exodus (D. Estes, Psalms 73-150 NAC, 2019, p. 430). The Hebrew word for soul in this verse is nefesh which originally meant neck or throat. The psalmist was literally keeping the Lord’s testimonies with his very life. As Estes states, “The only reasonable response to the Lord’s wonderful word is to obey it” (p. 430).

In verse 130 the unfolding (pētaḥ) of the Lord’s Words gives light; it imparts understanding (mebin, hiphil, participle, ms, absolute) to the simple. This unfolding refers to “a mystery needing explanation; so it is the expounding of Yhwh’s words that brings illumination. Or the expression may picture Yhwh’s words as contained on a scroll, rolled up until one unrolls it; the words’ mere presence on the scroll brings no light until someone opens the scroll” (J. Goldingay, Baker Commentary on the Old Testament: Psalms 90-150, 2006, p. 429).

Light is used as a figure of speech for understanding. Simple (petî) has the connotation of being inexperienced (literally teachable youth) not dull or unintelligent. What the psalmist is saying is “when the Lord makes the meaning of his word clear, those who are inexperienced are able to understand it” (Estes, p. 430). The imagery of light reminds this author of a previous verse where the Lord’s Word was a lamp to the psalmist’s feet and a light to his path (105). It is important to remember that God’s Word lightens our path by giving us understanding, wisdom and discernment in areas where we are lacking.

In verse 131 to describe his desire for God’s word “the psalmist depicts himself as a young bird with its mouth open to receive food. This image implies that he is eating necessary nutrition, not an optional snack or dessert” (Estes, p. 430). Goldingay continues this thought stating, “Longing for Yhwh’s commands is like a hungry person’s longing for food, or a laborer’s longing for the end of the day, or the ground’s desire for rain, or Sheol’s desire for people to die” (Goldingay, p. 430). Christians today would be wise to assess what it is they are opening their mouths, panting and longing for because Satan longs to deceive, distract and ultimately destroy God’s people.

In verses 132-135 the psalmist makes six petitions (commands) to the Lord. The fact that the psalmist wants the Lord to turn to him signifies “he feels as though the Lord is not inclined to him and he needs the Lord to intervene” (Estes, p. 430) by being gracious to him (v 132a). The psalmist knows the Lord gives grace and deals favorably for those who love His Name. He then petitions the Lord to keep steady his steps (v 133a), indicating his “situation seems precarious, need[ing] firm footing in the face of his foes. He asks the Lord to thwart the destabilizing effect of sin on his life, both his own sins within and also the sins by his opponents who threaten to dominate him (cf. John 8:34; Gal 3:22). He realizes that sin is destructive and destabilizing, but God’s word can provide him with stability and protection against it (Estes, p. 431).

The psalmist’s fourth petition is for the Lord to redeem (pādâ) him from man’s oppression (v 134a). The term redeem strictly speaking “implies spending money, but usually it has a more general sense of procuring someone’s freedom or release from oppression…[T]he object of liberation is not to be able to do as one wishes but to keep God’s orders” (Goldingay, p. 431). The psalmist is asking the Lord to be redeemed so that he may keep His precepts (134b). Believers would be wise to do the same based on Jesus’s Work on the Cross. Because Jesus has redeemed His people from the penalty of sin, believers are also obliged to live for Him, keeping God’s orders!

The petition in verse 135 make Your face shine upon Your servant harkens back to the Aaronic blessing (Numbers 6:24-26). Referring to himself again as the Lord’s servant, he petitions the Lord to teach him His statutes. The psalmist “aspires to live with divine blessing and under divine authority” (Estes, p. 431). It is absolutely impossible to have the Lord’s blessing while rejecting His authority! It is also impossible to have Jesus as your Savior without accepting Him by grace through faith as your Lord (Master/Authority) who paid your sin debt with His finished Work on the Cross!

To this point of rejection, the psalmist ends this stanza shedding streams of tears, because people do not keep the Lord’s torah (v 136). The psalmist knows the grace and favor of the Lord and while he “has been deeply afflicted by his wicked oppressors, he does not return evil for their evil. Instead of laughing about their inevitable judgment by God for their disobedience, he weeps profusely for those who reject God’s instruction” (Estes, p. 431). Goldingay makes a profound point, “someone who cries like that in witnessing disobedience to Yhwh’s teaching surely cannot blatantly ignore that teaching” (p. 431). Believers today, while we wait in eager anticipation and expectation of Jesus’s Second Coming, we need to shed streams of tears for those who reject God’s Son and God’s Word. When the Lord is ready He will return for His Redeemed and in the meantime believers are to share the Gospel and keep His Commandments, loving Him and loving others.

Lord God, what a stanza this is! Lord Your Word is Wonderful; help us to apply it to our lives. Thank You and praise You Lord for the Holy Spirit who helps believers understand Your Word. Lord God, help us to take inventory and reflect on what it is we are opening our mouths, panting and longing after. Lord God, help us to be a people who grow in our hunger and thirst for You and Your Righteousness. May we long for You more than the things of this world! Lord God, for my brothers and sisters who are hurting I ask Lord that You will turn to them, deal graciously with them because they love Your Name. Thank You Lord that You do not abandon us. Lord God, keep our feet steady and ready in Your Word. Lord God, may Your people put on Your Armor so that sin and iniquity will have no dominion over us.

Lord God, thank You that You have redeemed Your people from their sin. Lord God, I ask boldly that for our unsaved loved ones that You will stir their hearts toward You. Lord God, for those of us who are in Christ may we NEVER forget that our redemption was costly and in response to Your salvation and redemption may we obey Your commandments. Lord God, may Your Face shine on this reader, may Your Face shine on all Your people as You teach us Your statutes.

Lord God, my heart breaks for those who do not keep Your Law. Lord, my heart breaks for those who have traded Your salvation and the Truth of Jesus Christ for a lie. Lord God, I pray for all those who are following apostates and prosperity teachers and preachers to be redirected and pointed to the true Christ and to the true Gospel. Lord God, Your Word is being violated every moment of everyday, help us to not become so hard hearted that we are unwilling to share the Good News with the lost. Help us to weep now, knowing that when You are ready our weeping and mourning will be turned to joy, dancing and singing. Thank You Lord God for this reader. Thank You Lord God for the opportunity to share and study Your Word online. Fill this reader with the Peace of Your Presence. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Ayin
121 I have done what is just and right;
do not leave me to my oppressors.
122 Give your servant a pledge of good;
let not the insolent oppress me.
123 My eyes long for your salvation
and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.
124 Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love,
and teach me your statutes.
125 I am your servant; give me understanding,
that I may know your testimonies!
126 It is time for the Lord to act,
for your law has been broken.
127 Therefore I love your commandments
above gold, above fine gold.
128 Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right;
I hate every false way.

Because the psalmist has obeyed the Lord by doing what is just and right, he asks the Lord to not leave him to his oppressors (v 121). In verse 122 the psalmist calls himself the Lord’s servant (also vv 124-125) and petitions Him to give him a pledge of good. “A needy person will beseech someone with resources to pledge some of these to get a creditor off the debtor’s back. “Oppression” often denotes extortion, so here the financial image is not far away. The suppliant is indeed like someone in financial straits at the hands of the willful and needs Yhwh to spend resources on this needy person’s behalf” (J. Goldingay, Baker Commentary on the Old Testament: Psalms 90-150, 2016, p. 427).

Verse 123 is similar to verses 81 and 82 where the psalmist longs for the Lord’s salvation based on His promises. The psalmist has “looked so long for God’s promised deliverance that his eyes are failing. He expects the Lord to deliver him, but that time has not yet arrived. He has not stopped looking and trusting, but the protracted effort is wearing him down” (D. Estes, Psalms 73-150 NAC, 2019, p. 429).

The psalmist again referring to himself as servant and petitions the Lord to deal with him according to His covenant faithfulness (hesed/steadfast love), teaching him His statutes (v 124). The Lord’s “commitment is expressed not in an act of deliverance but in the educative task of opening the servant’s mind” (Goldingay, p. 427). The Lord will NEVER act in a manner that is contrary to His Name, Character and Covenant. God’s people will never go wrong with asking the Lord to help them learn His statutes so that they may love and obey Him more.

To this point the psalmist commands the Lord to give him understanding so that he may know the Lord’s testimonies (v 125). “Learning God’s word is a central focus for God’s servants, as they love him with their whole lives, including their minds. The psalmist, therefore, asks the Lord to give him understanding as he did to Joseph (Gen 41:1–40) and Solomon (1 Kgs 3:9), implying that apart from the Lord he himself could not attain discernment” (Estes, p. 429).

To the psalmist it is time for the Lord to act because His torah has been violated (v 126). The Lord’s covenant has been violated and it is “the suitable time for the Lord to act in justice against the wicked who have both oppressed him and defied the Lord. Their violation of God’s word has gone on long enough, and the psalmist insists that it is now the right and necessary time for them to be judged” (Estes, p. 429).

“Violating Yhwh’s teaching is scandalous; so the psalmist is dedicated to the commands expressed in the teaching, more than to things of greatest earthly value” (Goldingay, p. 428). The psalmist ends this stanza in verses 127-128 “bring[ing] together the language of love and hate, and true (implied) and false, as the psalmist expresses how he values God’s truthful word. His attitude toward the Lord’s commands is antithetical to the attitude of his oppressors, who violated his instruction (v. 126). He loves God’s word, valuing it even above the purest gold. The psalmist does not pick and choose what he prefers of God’s word, but he carefully follows all of it, and his commitment to God’s right ways causes him to hate every false way proposed by those who disregard the Lord and his word” (Estes, p. 429).

Lord God, help us to do what is just and right. Help us to manifest the Fruit of the Spirit and not manifest oppression, evil, discord and hatred. Lord God, You have promised to be with Your people to the end of the age. Help us to endure and persevere in the midst of oppression and opposition. Lord God, teach us in the West what persecution and oppression mean. Lord God, the word persecution is being used in various ways and circumstances, so for those of us who are in Christ may we be very sensitive and mindful to when and how we use these terms.

Lord God, now more than ever is creation groaning to see Your salvation. Lord, my eyes long with the psalmist’s for Your salvation and to see Your righteous promises fulfilled. Lord God, the Bible is coming to life before my eyes, thank You and praise You for the opportunity to live in this time. Lord God, thank You that You never deal with Your servants in a way that violates Your Name, Character and Covenant. Thank You and praise You Lord that You are our Covenant keeping God. Thank You and praise You Lord that when we truly want to be taught by You, Your Spirit will open our hearts and minds to Your Word.

Lord, cause us to have understanding, wisdom and discernment. Cause us to have understanding and discernment when it comes to applying Your Word. Help us to hold everything that we read, see and hear up to the Light of Scripture. Lord God, You Laws are being violated all day every day. Society is truly on the fast track to hell. Lord, I thank You that when You are ready, when it is time You will Judge the living and the dead. Lord God, thank You that for those of use who are in Christ we are no longer called sinners, but children of God. Lord, for the reader who does not know Christ, I pray that You will convict them of their sin. Lord for those who do not know Christ, convict them of their need for a Savior and turn their hearts to Christ. Lord God, may we love Your Word above all else. May Your Word be the treasure that we store up so in times of real persecution, oppression and hardship we will know how to live and obey You accordingly. Lord God, now more than ever may we hate every false way and the things that trip us up so that we may live more focused and dependent on You. Thank You and praise You Lord for this reader! May You fill this reader with the Peace of Your Presence. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Samekh
113 I hate the double-minded,
but I love your law.
114 You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in your word.
115 Depart from me, you evildoers,
that I may keep the commandments of my God.
116 Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live,
and let me not be put to shame in my hope!
117 Hold me up, that I may be safe
and have regard for your statutes continually!
118 You spurn all who go astray from your statutes,
for their cunning is in vain.
119 All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross,
therefore I love your testimonies.
120 My flesh trembles for fear of you,
and I am afraid of your judgments.

The psalmist swore a whole hearted oath to keep the Lord’s righteous rules (v 106) and in light of this he hates the doubled-minded (v 113). The psalmist loves the Lord’s torah which is a contrast to the double-minded. The double-minded are “fickle, who cannot decide what they believe” (A. Ross, A Commentary on the Psalms:90-150 KEL, 2016, p. 556). There is a contrast as well between love and hate. “These two verbs, love and hate, are antithetical, but they are also words that include acts. To “hate” includes the idea of rejecting, and “love” the idea of choosing…The psalmist has little patience with those who are double-minded” (Ross, p. 557).

Verse 114a explains why he loves the Lord’s torah and it is because the Lord is his hiding place and his shield. “Through his adversity he has come to value the Lord as his shelter and shield, images that could imply protection in a military context” (D. Estes, Psalms 73-150 NAC, 2019, p. 427). The concept of the Lord as a hiding place and shield are common throughout the psalms signifying protection. The Lord is the psalmist’s protection, hence he hopes in His Word (114b).

For the first and only time in this psalm, the psalmist speaks directly to the evildoers, commanding them to depart from him (v 115a). He demands that these evildoers depart from him so that he may keep his God’s commandments (115b). The psalmist will not disobey nor give up obeying the Lord even though these evildoers are pressuring him. Ross notes the psalmist “could maintain such a commitment to the word even if they did not depart; but if they left him alone, however, he would be free to do more in his service of God” (Ross, p. 557).

In verses 116 and 117 the psalmist makes two petitions (qal, imperatives) to the Lord to uphold and hold him. The psalmist petitions the Lord to uphold him based on His promises so that he won’t be put to shame in his hope. “Only the Lord can preserve his life and thus prevent his shame. He has placed his hope in the Lord, so if the Lord does not sustain him then both the Lord’s honor and the psalmist’s honor are at stake” (Estes, p. 427). By petitioning the Lord to hold him that he may be safe he is “appeal[ing] to divine help. If the Lord sustains him in his faith, he will eventually be delivered from his enemies. With this appeal he affirms his esteem for God’s statutes” (Ross, p. 558).

Estes states that verse 118 “forms an anthesis to v 117, as the psalmist asserts that the Lord despises those who depart from his decrees. He views their deceit as falsehood, and the fundamental issue is their insistence on the lie of human autonomy instead of yielding to the truth of divine authority over their lives” (Estes, p. 427). The psalmist is confident that “God rejects those who reject him, those who wander away from his statutes (meaning disregard and disobey)” (Ross, p. 558). The word for astray in Hebrew is a participle. This is continual going astray, it does not stop. For people today, those who go astray from the Lord’s statutes will continue to do so until they repent, changing their ways.

In verse 119 “the psalmist pictures divine judgment on the wicked as dross discarded through the process of refining metal. If the wicked are characterized as dross, then the righteous are like pure silver that emerges through the smelting fire. The Lord can be trusted to do what is right in the world he rules, and this confidence causes the psalmist to love what the Lord has decreed” (Estes, pp. 427-428).

The psalmist knows that “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb 10:31). The psalmist’s flesh trembles in fear of the Lord and he is afraid of His judgements (v 120). The psalmist is in “awe of the Lord, and he shudders when he contemplates God’s retribution of the wicked. In contrast to the fool, he does not take the Lord lightly, but he stands in awe and terror before him” (Estes, p. 428).

Lord God, it is a fearful thing to fall in Your Hands. Lord God, may we never approach You on our terms but on Yours. Thank You Lord that You do allow us to come before Your Throne boldly and in confidence; however, may we NEVER take advantage of Your grace and mercy! Lord God, may we be like this psalmist solely devoted to You rather than being like the double-minded. Lord God, being double-minded is denounced in both the Old and New Testament. Lord, You are our hiding place and our shield. May we rest confidently and securely in You regardless of what is happening around us. Lord, may we never stop hoping in Your Word and clinging to Your promises.

Lord, help us to put on the full armor so that we may be able to withstand the evildoers who do not depart from us. Remind us to put on Your Armor so that we may keep Your commandments! Lord, thank You that You will NEVER act in a way that brings shame to Your Name. Even though this world is full of scoffers and mockers, thank You Lord that You are our Victorious and Soon Returning King who will take vengeance on those who have rejected You. Lord God, obedience is required. Remind us there are NO days off in the Christian life and that when we go astray from Your statues, help us to repent right away and to get back on Your path.

Lord God, for the person who is reading this who is not in Christ, I pray for their salvation. Lord I know that it is taboo to talk about Your Wrath, but there is a day of judgement coming that will be severe and unlike anything humans have ever seen, known or experienced. Lord God, for the person who thinks that hell is not real, soften this person’s heart to read Your Word and to see what You have to say about judgement, hell and eternity for themselves.

Lord God, for those who are in Christ and love Your testimonies may our entire being tremble in fear, awe and reverence of You. Lord God, thank You and praise You that Your perfect love casts out fear! May believers NEVER forget that we will also face Your Judgement. Lord, help us to live in a manner that pleases and glorifies You. Not to merit/earn our salvation but as a way to say we love You and thank You for being our God. Thank You Lord for this reader. Lord God, help this reader run their race well. In Jesus’s Holy and Mighty Name I pray. Amen.

Mem
97 Oh how I love your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
for it is ever with me.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers,
for your testimonies are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the aged,
for I keep your precepts.
101 I hold back my feet from every evil way,
in order to keep your word.
102 I do not turn aside from your rules,
for you have taught me.
103 How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 Through your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way (ESV).

The opening line of this stanza exclaims, “oh how I love Your Law!” (v 97a). What is really amazing me about this psalm is how personal, heartfelt and worshipful it is. Because the psalmist loves the Law, he mediates on it all the day (v 97b).

This psalm and especially the above verse humbles me with how much he loves the Lord’s Law. “In Psalm 119 the psalmist does not just learn God’s word, but he loves it. His love for God’s instruction causes him to meditate on it continually (cf. Ps 1:2); and as he contemplates God’s truth, it is assimilated into his life so that he learns it, loves it, and lives it” (D. Estes, Psalms 73-150 NAC, 2019, p. 423).

Dr. Michael Heiser makes an excellent point when he says, “We tend to think of the law as though every one of its 613 commandments [this includes the 10 commandments given in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21] were an oppressive lynchpin in a relationship to Yahweh. We tend to view the law negatively, as though it were given to produce feelings of guilt or to frustrate Israelites with the impossibility of pleasing God. This is misguided…An Israelite would have known that believing was at the heart of right relationship with Yahweh, not mere mechanical observance of a list of do’s and don’ts. For sure some Israelites would have lapsed into this mistaken thinking, particularly after the shock of the exile, but that wasn’t what the law was about” (The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible, 2015, p. 163).

The commitment that the psalmist has to the Lord’s commandments makes him wiser than his enemies (v 98a). “Obviously, people attacking the psalmist without reason and/or with deceit ignore both the content of Yhwh’s commands and the promises attached to them. They are stupid. They are ultimately bound to fail” (J. Goldingay, Baker Commentary on the Old Testament: Psalms 90-150, 2006, p. 418).

Because the Lord’s Word is always with him (v 98b) he has more wisdom (understanding) than all his teachers (v 99a). The psalmist here has caused himself more wisdom because the Lord’s testimonies are his meditation (v 99b). The Word of God NEVER fails to make wise a person who is open, receptive and willing to obey what He says!

In verse 100a the psalmist compares himself to the aged. While it is widely assumed that older individuals have more discernment (understanding) than the young, the psalmist here flips this, stating that he has more discernment than the aged because he keeps the Lord’s precepts (v 100b).

The psalmist holds back his feet from every evil way so that he may keep the Lord’s Word (v 101). He also does not turn to the right or to the left from the rules that the Lord has taught him (v 102). “[The psalmist] always keeps in mind that he is a student in the Lord’s school, and his chief purpose is to stay true to what the Lord has taught him” (Estes, p. 424).

The Lord’s Words are a sweet taste to his mouth, sweeter than honey (v 103). “In biblical times honey was a highly valued delicacy and a rare sweetener, so it is a fitting image for how delectable God’s word is to him. As frequently throughout Psalm 119, God’s word is viewed in terms of delight and enjoyment because to the psalmist it is a sweet delight, not a bitter duty” (Estes, p. 424). Believers today also know how sweet His Words taste in their mouths, which is why they can say along with David, “o taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Ps 34:8).

The psalmist concludes this stanza restating that it is through the Lord’s precepts that he gets discernment; as such, he hates every false way (v 104). The psalmist is able to discern false ways because he knows what the Lord his God requires both from the Law and because of having a personal relationship with Him. “In the light of God’s word, he can see through sin for what it is and where it leads, and this understanding enables him to reject every false way (cf. v. 163). God’s word guards him against making wrong turns that lead to bad consequences” (Estes, p. 424).

Lord God, thank You and praise You for Your Law! Lord God, may we love Your Law like the psalmist. Lord God, may we seek to read and practice Your Word so that we will be wise people! Lord God, wise people seek wise people. May we seek to do life with the wise and not the popular. Lord God, Your Word will cause us to grow if we are actively reading and putting it into practice. Help us to desire Your Word so that we will know how to discern truth from error. Lord God, there is so much error in our world today, help us to be grounded and guarded in Your Truth!

Lord God, help us to keep our feet from moving toward evil. May we stay focused on You and what You have taught us rather than looking to our right and to our left. Lord God, Your Words have the sweetness of life. May we never forget to taste and see that You are good, even in the midst of pain, hardship and suffering. Thank You Lord that You cause Your people who are earnestly seeking You to have wisdom and discernment. Lord God, may we practice common sense; helping us to hate every false way! Lord God, thank You for this reader! May this reader grow in their desire for You. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.