Psalm 119 73–88

This teaching by Pastor Barry was recorded at our family service on Sunday 16th October 2016. This is the 10th session in our verse-by-verse study of Psalm 119.

The first four verses of this Psalm outline God’s perfect standard for any who would truly follow Him, with a whole heart. The next four verses recall the hope we have that one day we will be conformed, transformed and renewed outwardly as well as inwardly. We will awake in the likeness of Christ (Psalm 17:15), and all the troubles, trials and temptations of this life will be past (1 Cor 15:53). But until that time we are to “walk by faith, not by sight”(2 Cor 5:7). We are to “walk in the Spirit, and not gratify the desires of the sinful nature”(Gal 5:16). We are to “walk worthy of the calling wherein we are called” (Eph 4:1).

But how? How are we to do this when we are continually wrestling against the world, the flesh and the devil?

The remainder of this Psalm is your guidebook to walking a life of victory! That may sound quite a claim, but this Psalm is the voice of experience. It has walked this path before and has been given to us by the Holy Spirit to be a companion on our journey, an instructor with Godly counsel.

JOD: Verses 73-80

Stepping Out

In the previous section there seemed to be the dawning of the realisation that the journey thus far has been a preparation for ministry. That is, that the Lord would use all the struggles and trials we go through, not just for our own growth and sanctification, but also for that of others.

Verse 73 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.

Here the psalmist prays that because God has been involved in every little detail of his life to date, He must also be for all that is to come. We need to learn His commandments if we are to teach them to others, but we need first to be granted spiritual understanding in order to learn. We need to know the difference between the letter that kills and the Spirit that gives life! (2 Cor 3:6).

“…he is represented both as making and moulding us. In both giving existence and arranging existence he manifested love and wisdom… I can learn other things with the mind I have, but thy law is so pure, so perfect, spiritual and sublime, that I need to have my mind enlarged before I can become proficient in it” CHS

Verse 74 They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word.

But oh dear believer consider this: now that others have seen you and been encouraged in their own faith, you bear a great responsibility. The moment a performer steps out onto the stage they open themselves up to scrutiny that was not there before. Actions and deeds are now weighed and assessed. Words carry a far greater weight than before. No longer can impulsive natures or flippant comments be unchecked. You now have the power to shipwreck the faith or others! (1 Tim 1:19). The words you use, the company you keep, your attitude to the trials you go through will all be a matter of public record, and both the Godly and proud will judge God’s precious Word – in which you have hoped – by your life.

When a man of God obtains grace for himself he becomes a blessing to others, especially if that grace has made him a man of sound understanding and holy knowledge.

Verse 75 I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.

To whatever depths he had plunged, he has come to realise that underneath are the everlasting Arms (Deut 33:27). His God would never leave him or forsake him.

“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness” (Lam 3:21-23).

God’s mercy has become a great theme in this Psalm, and the Psalmist’s knowledge of his need for it will continue to intensify in the following verses.

• Comfort me!
• Revive me!
• Vindicate me!
• Use me!
• Establish, strengthen and settle me

Verse 76 Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.

If God had known me as I am now, would He have made the promises He did toward me? Yet God can see tomorrow as today, and it was while we were yet sinners that Christ died for the ungodly (Rom 5:8).

Verse 77 Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight.

We have a new reason to live once we have discovered His law. Other ‘delights’ lose their appeal in the light of His glory and grace.

How truly we live when tender mercy comes to us. Then we do not merely exist, but live; we are lively, full of life, vivacious, and vigorous. We know not what life is till we know God. CHS

Verse 78 Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts.

Those who are Christ’s have (or should have) given all ‘for the sake of the call’, and we are told that we will receive back “an hundredfold now in this time… and in the world to come eternal life” (Mark 10:30). One of the things we want to receive back now is vindication! We know that in the light of eternity all will be known, but if the proud are humbled now, it will be a double blessing, for it will be a great encouragement to us and a great witness to those whom we have declared God’s truth to.

Shame is for the proud, for it is a shameful thing to be proud. Shame is not for the holy, for there is nothing in holiness to be ashamed of.

Notice that it is a continual meditating on God’s precepts, despite what the proud have done or will continue to do. We cannot give up our meditation on our Lord or His word or we will soon slide back and find ourselves ashamed.

Verse 79 Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those that have known thy testimonies.

Verse 80 Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.

Fire before us. You're the brightest You will lead us through the storms. My lighthouse, Shining in the darkness. I will follow You My lighthouse, my lighthouse I will trust the promise.

You will carry me safe to shore… (Rend Collective)

"This is even more important than to be held in esteem by good men. This is the root of the matter. If the heart be sound in obedience to God, all is well, or will be well. If right at heart we are right in the main." CHS

CAPH: Verses 81-88

The Darkest Hour

Whenever we step out in faith, in obedience to God’s calling, we should expect persecution, either from without or within.

Verse 81 My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.

The word here rendered "fainteth" is the same that in Psalms 73:26 is translated "faileth": "My flesh and my heart faileth". The idea is, that his strength gave way; he had such an intense desire for salvation that he became weak and powerless. Any strong emotion may thus prostrate us; and the love of God, the desire of his favour, the longing for heaven, may be so intense as to produce this result. -- Albert Barnes.

Verse 82 Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me?

Verse 83 For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.

The world the flesh and the devil will try to convince us that we are now worthless in helping others – how can we, when we ourselves are in such a state? Yet it is often when at our lowest ebb that we learn the best lessons. Job spoke great truths in the depths of his afflictions that have comforted and encourages multitudes through the ages.

Verse 84 How many are the days of thy servant? when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?

I cannot hope to live long in such a condition, thou must come speedily to my rescue, or I shall die. Shall all my short life be consumed in such destroying sorrows? The brevity of life is a good argument against the length of an affliction. CHS

We might at times be tempted to exact our own revenge on those who persecute us, but the Psalmist here knows that “vengeance is mine; I will repay’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19). If the Psalmist is indeed David, he had more experience than most in being unfairly treated. His brothers persecuted him, then his king almost hounded him to death, then Shimei, Absolom, Ahithophel, not to mention the surrounding nations. Yet even with the likes of Saul, David knew that judgment must come from the Sword of the Lord, not the sword of David.

We too must leave the matter with the Lord. He is a just Judge and will ‘render to each one according to his deeds’ (Rom 2:6).

Verse 85 The proud have digged pits for me, which are not after thy law.

We should remember though that we can also be proud. Are you aware to the pits you have been digging in your own life? Do you realise that anything that is not of God, not after His law in your life could end up being a pit you will later have to navigate?

Verse 86 All thy commandments are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully; help thou me.

It seems the Psalmist now stops to think about the statement he has just made in the previous verse and adds that God’s commandments are faithful, even though obedience to them had been the cause of the persecution he now suffered.

Paul told Timothy “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Tim 3:12).

Jesus said: ”Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20).

Persecution, by definition, is always wrong. Yet persecution of Christians carries with it a high degree of irrationality! It is never a Christian bomb they are looking for at an airport. Christian ‘fundamentalists’ simply stick to the fundamentals of scripture, which state that God is the Creator of all and has made of one blood all nations that dwell on the earth (Acts 17:26). The world cries out for acceptance and tolerance, yet Christians are the epitome of this. Evolution gives racism and intolerance its wings (if you pardon the analogy!). Jesus spoke of love and forgiveness. Jesus said there are two ways, either heaven or hell, and you get to choose. The World tells us we all have to go the same way whether we want to or not!

Yet, in truth, our persecution has more to do with a call to accountability, a reminder to the proud and unbelieving that there will be a day when Jesus will judge the secrets of men’s hearts according to His righteous law (Rom 2:16). It has more to do with silencing the message than silencing the messenger.

• The proud
• The flesh

But regarding the proud, he began in verse 21 by saying God had rebuked the proud. Then in verse 51 he declared the proud had him greatly in derision. The intensity then builds as in three consecutive stanzas (TETH, YOD, CAPH), he states that (v69) the proud have forged lie, (v78) the proud have dealt perversely with him without a cause, (v85), and here, where they have gone so far as digging pits, (v86) persecuting him wrongfully, (v87) and have tried to consume him that his light would be put out.

Verse 87 They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not thy precepts.

Verse 88 Quicken me after thy lovingkindness; so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth.

They had almost consumed me upon earth. His foes had almost destroyed him so as to make him altogether fail. If they could they would have eaten him, or burned him alive; anything so that they could have made a full end of the good man. Evidently he had fallen under their power to a large extent, and they had so used that power that he was well nigh consumed. He was almost gone from off the earth; but almost is not altogether, and so he escaped by the skin of his teeth.

May God bless you as you study His Word.

Pastor Barry.