Psalms 119

Psalms 119:1

Psalm 119: All About the BibleThis has been called the golden alphabet of the Bible. The reason is that it is divided into twenty-two sections, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each section has eight verses and every verse in a section begins with the corresponding Hebrew letter. Thus in the Hebrew, every verse in the first section begins with Aleph; in the second section every verse begins with Beth; and so on. In the NKJV, all but four verses in this longest Psalm contain some title or description of the Word of God. The four exceptions are verses 84, 121, 122 and 132. The names used to describe God’s Word are: law, testimonies, ways, precepts, statutes, commandments, ordinances, word(s), promise, judgments, faithfulness, appointment, justice and commands. By using the alphabet in this acrostic form, Ridout feels that the writer may have been suggesting that “all the possibilities of human language are exhausted in setting forth the fullness and perfection of the Word of God.” We have a similar suggestion in the NT. Our Lord speaks of Himself as the Alpha and Omega (Rev_1:8). These are, of course, the first and last words of the Greek alphabet. The thought is that He is everything of goodness and perfection that can be expressed by every letter of the alphabet, arranged in every possible combination. No two verses in the Psalm say exactly the same thing. There is some different shade of meaning in every one. Concerning the 119th Psalm, C. S. Lewis said: The poem is not, and does not pretend to be, a sudden outpouring of the heart like, say Psalms 18. It is a pattern, a thing done like embroidery, stitch by stitch, through long, quiet hours, for love of the subject and for the delight in leisurely, disciplined craftsmanship. The following subject headings for the various sections of the Psalm are based primarily on F. W. Grant’s notes:

vv. 1-8The Blessedness of Obeying the Wordvv. 9-16Cleansing By the Wordvv. 17-24Discernment By the Wordvv. 25-32Sense of Personal Insufficiency Through the Wordvv. 33-40The Power of the Wordvv. 41-48Victory Through the Wordvv. 49-56Rest and Comfort Through the Wordvv. 57-64Perseverance in the Wordvv. 65-72The Pricelessness of the Word in Good and Evil Timesvv. 73-80Insights Through the Wordvv. 81-88The Afflicted One Sustained By the Wordvv. 89-96Eternity of the Wordvv. 97-104Wisdom Through the Wordvv. 105-112The Word a Lamp and Light For All Occasionsvv. 113-120The Wicked and the Wordvv. 121-128Separation and Deliverance Through the Wordvv. 129-136Joy and Communion Through the Wordvv. 137-144Zeal For the Wordvv. 145-152Experience Through the Wordvv. 153-160Salvation Through the Wordvv. 161-168Perfection of the Wordvv. 169-176Prayer and Praise Through the WordIn an eminent sense, the Psalm expresses the love for the Word of God which our Savior experienced as a Man here on earth. Also Bellett suggests that “in its full prophetic character [this Psalm] will be the language of the true Israel on their return to God and His long neglected oracles.” 119:1 The blessed or happy man is the one whose life is conformed to the Word of the LORD. Even if he sins and fails, there is provision in the Word for confession and restoration, and this keeps him in an undefiled condition. 119:2 It is obedience to His testimonies that countsnot a reluctant, half-hearted, feet-dragging obedience, but a deep, enormous desire to please Him with the whole heart! 119:3 Negatively, happiness is found in separation from every form of iniquity. Positively it is following the route He has mapped out for us in the Scriptures. The surest way to abstain from evil is to be completely occupied with doing good. 119:4 God’s precepts are not options but commandments, and they are not to be kept haphazardly but diligently. 119:5 The psalmist now moves from what is true in general to what he wants to be true in his own life. In moving insensibly from precept to prayer, he acknowledges that the desire as well as the power to be steadfast in obedience must come ultimately from God. 119:6 As long as he keeps all the statutes of the Lord, he will be spared from the shame that tortures the mind, crimsons the cheek and even at times makes the body squirm. 119:7 “From prayer to praise is not a long or difficult journey.” Those who learn to obey God’s righteous ordinances have fullness of joy and this leads to spontaneous adoration. 119:8 Firm resolve is coupled with humble dependence. The psalmist is determined to follow hard after the Lord. But he realizes his own inadequacy. The prayer “Do not forsake me utterly” is not so much a possible actuality as a statement of what the writer feels he might deserve. 119:9 One of the most crucial problems in the life of every young man is how to keep pure. The answer is by practical obedience to the words of the Bible. 119:10 In the matter of holiness, there is a curious merging of human desire (With my whole heart I have sought You), and divine empowering (Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments). 119:11 He does not make us holy against our will or without our cooperation. Someone has wisely said, “The best book in the world is the Bible. The best place to put it is in the heart. The best reason for putting it there is that it saves us from sinning against God.” 119:12 Because God is so great and so gracious, the renewed nature desires to learn His statutes and be molded by them. The love of Christ constrains us! 119:13 Deep delight in the treasures of the Word leads inevitably to the desire to share them with others. It is a law of life that when we really believe something, we want to pass it on. 119:14 No prospector was ever more pleased with his nuggets of gold than the one who searches out the hidden wealth of the Scriptures. 119:15 God’s Word provides endless resource material for the most satisfying meditation, but this should never be divorced from the determination to be doers of the Word. 119:16 “His commandments are not burdensome” (1Jo_5:3). Whoever is born of God will delight in the statutes of the Lord and determine to keep them in constant remembrance. 119:17 Without Him we can do nothing. We need His grace for living and also for obeying His word. Let us ask for plenteous grace since our need is so great. 119:18 The Bible abounds with wondrous, spiritual goodies which are hidden from the casual glance. Our eyes need to be opened to see them. 119:19 The Bible is a road map that guides the pilgrim unerringly to his destination. 119:20 It is good when our thirst for the Scriptures is enormous and unflagging. The psalmist’s soul was eaten up with longing for the Word, and he had this ardent, intense longing at all times. 119:21 History teems with instances of how the proud and insolent have defied the Lord’s commandments and soon were brought down by the mighty hand of God. 119:22 The believer is scorned and ridiculed by the world. “They think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you” (1Pe_4:4). But integrity will be rewarded, and His “well done” will more than compensate for reproach and contempt. 119:23 Even when those in positions of authority collaborate in vilifying the Christian, he can find strength and solace in meditating on the Bible, “answering his traducers by not answering them at all.” 119:24 Matthew Henry comments: Was David at a loss what to do when the princes spoke against him? God’s statutes were his counsellors, and they counselled him to bear it patiently and commit his cause to God. 119:25 Life has its valleys as well as its mountaintops. Even when we are cast down in sorrow, we can call on the Lord to revive us through the restoring power of the word. 119:26 When we tell of our ways, that is, make open confession of our sins, the Lord answers us by forgiving. This leads to a renewed desire for holiness, as expressed in the prayer, “Teach me Your statutes!“119:27 We need to understand the meaning of God’s precepts and how to apply them practically in our lives. This will lead to meditation on God’s wonderful works. 119:28 In the dark spots of life, when our soul melts in tears, the God of all comfort bends low and often with a single verse of Scripture lifts us and strengthens us to go on. 119:29 By the Spirit of God and through the Word of God, we can distinguish between truth and error. The Bible inculcates a holy hatred for every form of lying. It also teaches us that truth is what God says about a thing (Joh_17:17). 119:30 No one drifts into holiness. It requires a deliberate choice of the way of truth as revealed in the Sacred Scriptures. Spurgeon says, “The commands of God must be set before us as the mark to aim at, the model to work by, and the road to walk in.” 119:31 The psalmist had adhered to the testimonies of God as if he had been glued to them. But he still realizes his proneness to wander, and cries to the LORD in conscious dependence. 119:32 It is when God give us big hearts, not big heads, that we hasten to keep His commandments. It is more a matter of the affections than of the intellect. 119:33 We should pray for instruction. As students in the school of God, we should be eager to learn how to translate precept into practice, and determine to obey His Word to the end of our lives. 119:34 We should pray for understanding. It is important to have right views of the Scriptures, of their meaning and obligations. How else can we follow Him with undivided devotedness? 119:35 We should pray for guidance. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. So we want the Lord to guide our feet in the path of His will, because that is the only way in which we are truly happy. 119:36 We should pray for spiritual rather than material enrichment. “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1Ti_6:6). It is a miracle of grace that takes the love of money from a man and replaces it with a love for the Bible. 119:37 We should pray for divine realities, not shadows. Here is God’s commentary on TV: “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things.” TV depicts a never-never land, a world that doesn’t exist. God’s Word deals with life as it really is. 119:38 We should pray for God to establish His promise. “All the rivers of Thy grace I claim; over every promise write my name.” Our claim to His promises lies in the fact that we fear Him. 119:39 We should pray to be kept from reproach, from anything that would bring shame or dishonor on the name of the Lord Jesus. His judgments are good; we need to follow them faithfully. 119:40 We should pray for personal revival. “The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water” (Isa_35:7). As we burn and long for His precepts, He will revive us in His righteousness. 119:41 We must not take God’s mercies and salvation for granted. We are as dependent on His compassion and protection as when we were first saved. So we claim His promise to care for and keep us day by day. 119:42 Undeniable proofs of the Lord’s answers to prayer serve to silence the reproaches of unbelievers. Our faith is based on the word of God which can never fail. 119:43 May we never be afraid or ashamed to speak the word of truth. If we have hoped in God’s ordinances, He will provide continuing opportunities to witness for Him. 119:44 Our response to His love and grace should be an inflexible resolve to keep His Word as long as we live. “How can I do less than give Him my best and live for Him completely after all He’s done for me?” 119:45 Those who are set free by the Son of God are free indeed (Joh_8:36). The world thinks of the Christian life as a system of bondage. But those who seek His precepts are the ones who enjoy perfect liberty. 119:46 Faith gives boldness to speak for Jesus in the presence of kings. How many potentates have heard the Good News from humble and often despised subjects! 119:47 Those who love the Bible find deep personal enjoyment in its pages. It is a fountain of delight, a river of pleasure, a never-failing source of satisfaction. 119:48 We revere the Bible in the sense that we stand in awe of its scope, its depths, its power, its treasures and its infinity. We love it for what it is and for what it has done. And we meditate in it by day and by night. 119:49 It is not possible that God could ever forget His promise, but in the furnace of affliction, when faith has its lapses, we are permitted to pray, “Lord, remember . . .” “He cannot have taught us to trust in His name, and thus far have led us to put us to shame.” 119:50 Those who have experienced the quickening powers of the word find it an unfailing source of comfort. The words of well-meaning men are often empty and unavailing but God’s Word is always living, relevant and effective. 119:51 If we are faithful to the Lord, we can expect to receive our share of mocking and sneering derision, but when we have found divine principles, we should stick with them. 119:52 We are encouraged by the memory of how the Lord has intervened for us in the past. The same mercy that has brought us this far will certainly take us the rest of the way. “His love in times past forbids us to think He’ll leave us at last in darkness to sink.” 119:53 It causes the believer burning indignation to see God’s law being dishonored and disobeyed. It was true of the Lord Jesus: “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me” (Rom_15:3). Any dishonor to the Father was taken as a personal insult by the Son. 119:54 Thanks to the wonderful Word of God, the pilgrim can sing in the house of his pilgrimage, or, as Knox put it, “in a land of exile.” The way may be rough but it cannot be long. The night may be dark but God gives a song. 119:55 The seemingly interminable hours of a sleepless night can be redeemed by musing on the Lord as He is revealed in the Word. The more we get to know Him, the more we love Him, and loving Him, we want to keep His law. 119:56 Obedience is a blessing. “Godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1Ti_4:8). 119:57 The realization of what an incomparable Treasure we have in the Lord should make us vow to keep His words. He is the All-sufficient One. To have Him is to be fabulously wealthy. 119:58 Though He is All-sufficient, we are not. “Our sufficiency is from God” (2Co_3:5). So we must be people of prayer, entreating God’s favor and claiming His promise of mercy. 119:59 Guidance is a perennial problem. Which way should we go? Frankly, we don’t have the wisdom in ourselves to know. All right, then. Let us turn our feet to the paths outlined in the Scriptures. 119:60 We live in a day of instant foods, instant service and instant this and that. Instant obedience to the revealed will of God is something to ponderand to produce. 119:61 Wicked men may conspire to trip up the innocent believer, but that is all the more reason for him to remember the Word for guidance and protection. 119:62 “At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God” (Act_16:25). They were being unjustly treated by men but they could still sing about God’s righteous judgments. 119:63 Those who love God love His people. And those who love the Bible love all Bible-lovers. It is a worldwide fellowship that transcends national, social and racial distinctions. 119:64 God’s steadfast love can be found anywhere in the world, but more than that, the earth . . . is full of it. Our grateful hearts respond by saying, “Lord, keep me teachable by Your Holy Spirit.” 119:65 How long is it since I have thanked the LORD for the wonderful way He has treated me according to the promise of His word? “Count your blessings: name them one by one; and it will surprise you what the Lord has done!” 119:66 We all need to pray for good judgment as well as knowledge. It is possible to have knowledge without discernment and without balance. From the Word and from the disciplines of life we learn sound judgment. 119:67 God’s discipline “yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Heb_12:11). The memory of what our wanderings cost us serves as a healthy deterrent against repeating them. 119:68 The English words “God” and “good” may have a common derivation. God is good and everything He does is good. To become good we must take His yoke upon us and learn of Him. 119:69 When ungodly men try to ruin our reputation with lies, we can find protection in faithful, unfaltering obedience to the Bible. 119:70 Let the worldling wallow in luxury and pleasure. We find our satisfaction in spiritual instruction rather than in sensual indulgence. 119:71 Sufferings are only for a moment but the benefits of suffering are forever. Men intend their persecution to harm us; God overrules it for good. 119:72 The Bible is the most valuable material possession we have in the world. A computer can add up fantastically large figures but it cannot record the value of the Scriptures. 119:73 Since God has made us by such marvelous skill, what is more reasonable than that He should be our Teacher as well. We should find out His purpose in creating us and fulfill it to the hilt. 119:74 There is keen spiritual refreshment in meeting a Christian who is on fire for the Lord Jesus. Those who hope in God’s Word become radioactive with the Holy Spirit. 119:75 Sickness, suffering and affliction do not come directly from God, but He permits them under certain circumstances and then harnesses them for His own goals. It is a mark of spiritual maturity when we vindicate Him for His justice and faithfulness in them all. 119:76 And yet in ourselves we are weak as dust, and we need His compassionate love to sustain us. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb_4:16). 119:77 Every display of the tender mercies of God is like a fresh transfusion of life to the hard-pressed saint. Those who delight in His law may have confidence that He will come alongside to help. 119:78 Gelineau translates verse 78, “Shame the proud who harm me with lies, while I ponder your precepts.” God allows sin to work itself out and the psalmist is merely praying for God to do as He has said He would. 119:79 It is a spiritual instinct to seek the fellowship of those who know and love the Word of God. But how often do we ask the Lord to lead those who fear God across our pathway? 119:80 There are many reasons why we should desire to be blameless in obeying the statutes of the Lord. The one singled out by the psalmist here is that we might avoid the searing, scorching shame of falling into sin. 119:81 The believer may be afflicted but not crushed; perplexed but not driven to despair; persecuted but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed (2Co_4:8-9). Here he languishes for God’s saving help but hope is still alive. 119:82 Even though his eyes grow dim with searching for the fulfillment of God’s promise of deliverance, he does not pray “Will you comfort me?” but rather “When will you comfort me?“119:83 A wineskin in the smoke is shriveled and blackened. The simile explains itself. The harassed believer is wizened, parched, and unsightly through waiting, but he is not hopeless as long as He has the Word to fall back on. 119:84 Life at best is very brief. The days of affliction seem to occupy a disproportionate share. It is time for the Lord to act by punishing the oppressors. 119:85 The villains of this verse are godless and lawless; these two characteristics go together. They plot the downfall of the righteous and innocentit is an evidence that they refuse to conform to God’s law. 119:86 There is nothing as dependable as God’s Word. He has promised to rescue His persecuted people. So when we are attacked by lying accusers, we can confidently use the “golden prayer,” “Help me!“119:87 Spurgeon said, “If we stick to the precepts we will be rescued by the promises.” Even if we reach the place where we despair of life, we should never falter in our obedience. Help will come. Only believe! 119:88 The best prayer comes from a strong, inward necessity. Here the psalmist prays that the Lord will spare his life so that he can go forth to glorify God by obeying His Word. 119:89 Faith is not a leap in the dark. It is based upon the surest thing in the universethe Bible. There is no risk in believing a word that is fixed firmly and forever in heaven. 119:90 The faithfulness of God is displayed not only in His Word but also in His works. It extends to all generations and is seen in the order and precision of nature. 119:91 Heaven and earth obey His laws. Seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night are all God’s servants. And all are regulated and sustained by His word of power. 119:92 Barnes comments: “I should have sunk a thousand times,” said a most excellent, but much afflicted man to me, “if it had not been for one declaration in the Word of God, ‘The Eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.’” 119:93 Those who have experienced the power of the Scriptures in their lives are not likely to forget them. We were “born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever” (1Pe_1:23). 119:94 Even after we have been saved from the penalty of sin, we still need to be saved day by day from defilement and damage. Acquaintance with God’s precepts and with our own hearts makes us aware of the need of this present-tense salvation. 119:95 The only way to avoid the attacks of the wicked is to lead a petty, inconsequential life. As long as our lives are effective for Him, we can expect opposition. But we find strength and solace when we consider God’s testimonies. 119:96 The very best things in this world fall short of perfection and come to an end, but the Word of God is perfect and infinite. The more we get to know the Bible, the more we realize how far short we ourselves come. 119:97 Those who love the Lord will certainly love His Word as well. And this love will be manifested in musing on the Bible at every opportunity. It is in moments of meditation that we suddenly discover new beauties and wonders in the Scriptures. 119:98 The humble believer, equipped with the wisdom of the Word, can see more on his knees than his enemies can on their tiptoes. 119:99 If the teacher becomes complacent and rests on his laurels, he will soon be surpassed by a younger man who constantly meditates on the Word. 119:100 This may sound like irresponsible boasting, but not so. It is not a person’s age or intelligence that matters but his obedience. So the youth may outstrip the aged if he has a higher OQ (Obedience Quotient). 119:101 Here we have obedience in action. The psalmist restrains his feet from paths of sin in order that he might obey to his utmost. 119:102 The sanctifying influence of the Bible is great. Taught by the Lord through its pages, we develop a hatred for sin and a love for holiness. 119:103 And then, of course, the Bible is a source of sheer enjoyment.No other book in the world is as pleasurable. Honey is sweet but God’s Word is sweeter. 119:104 In order to detect counterfeit money, people study genuine bills. So a deep acquaintance with the truth enables us to detect and despise every false way. 119:105 The word guides negatively by forbidding certain behavior patterns. And it guides positively by showing the right way. How much we owe to the friendly beams of this lamp! 119:106 Here is a holy determination to obey the Holy Scriptures. This is for the glory of God, for the blessing of others, and for our own good as well. 119:107 Spurgeon says: In the previous verse the psalmist had been sworn in as a soldier of the Lord, and in this verse he is called to suffer hardness in that capacity. The service of the Lord does not screen us from trial, but rather secures it for us.” 119:108 We come before the Lord as priests and as pupils. As priests we “offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips, giving thanks to his name” (Heb_13:15). As pupils, we open our hearts and minds to His divine instruction. 119:109 When our life is constantly in danger, there is safety and security in remembering the law of the Lord. The tendency to panic, to become hysterical, and to forget God’s Word must be avoided at any cost. 119:110 Those who are instructed in the Word are not ignorant of Satan’s designs. By simple obedience to the Bible, they avoid his booby-traps. 119:111 The Scriptures are to be chosen as a prized possession, as a heritage of vast value. Think of the joy that comes to an heir when he inherits a fortune. How much greater joy should be ours in possessing the Book of books. 119:112 All who realize its worth should determine to obey it to the very end of life’s day. There should be no vacations, no time off in the school of obedience. 119:113 Moffat translates this verse, “I hate men who are half and half. I love thy law.” Double-minded people are for God one minute and for the world the next. They can speak out of both corners of their mouth and are traitors to the law of God. 119:114 The Lord is our hiding place when we are pursued and our shield when we are being directly attacked. Those who hope in His promise will never be disappointed because He cannot deceive or be deceived. 119:115 We part company with those who do not keep the commandments of our God. But while we separate from their sinful ways, we still maintain contact with men of the world in order to share the Good News with them. 119:116 The argument of this prayer is: “You have promised to uphold me. Now do as You have said. Otherwise people would say that You have failed me, and I would be disappointed in my hope.” 119:117 We are no more able to keep ourselves safe than we were to save ourselves in the first place. If God holds us up, we shall be safe. But our part is to keep His statutes continually. 119:118 The Lord spurns those who stray from His statutes. Their cleverness will one day appear in its true light as stupidity. 119:119 The Word clearly teaches that God will cast away all the wicked of the earth like a refiner casts off the scum that rises to the surface of the molten metal. If He did not deal righteously with sin, we could not respect His written Word. 119:120 When we think of God’s judgments on the wicked, we might well tremble. But also as Barnes says, we are “filled with awe at the strictness, the spirituality, the severity of His law.” 119:121 The psalmist’s plea that he had done what was just and right must be understood as a general rule and not an invariable one. His righteous life was the fruit of His salvation and therefore a proper basis to ask the Lord not to abandon him to his oppressors. 119:122 A surety is one who stands for another, who represents him. He who was our Surety at Calvary pleads our cause successfully through all of life and restrains the arrogant oppressor. 119:123 Here is a man who looked for God’s deliverance till his eyes were sore. He waited till exhausted for the fulfillment of the righteous promise that the Lord would intervene for him. 119:124 In spite of what might seem like a plea for justice in verse 121, he here casts himself on the mercy or grace of the Lord. One form of His mercy is His gracious teaching ministry. “Teach me Your statutes.“119:125 The more a servant knows about his master, the more useful and effective he can be. So we need understanding to know the mind of God as it is revealed in His testimonies. 119:126 This is an about-face. The servant is now indirectly calling on the Master to act, for His law has been broken. And this is the cry of God’s people in every time of darkness, “It is time for You to act, O LORD!“119:127 One index of how precious the Bible is to us is the amount of time we spend reading it. If we value it above fine gold, its cover will be worn and its pages frayed. 119:128 Another proof of our esteem for the Book will be the degree to which we obey it. Unless we do what it says and hate every false way, we are deceiving ourselves. 119:129 God’s Word is wonderful in its timelessness, its purity, its accuracy, its harmony, its universal relevance, its power and its sufficiency. Such a book deserves to be read and heeded. 119:130 The entrance of the Word gives light, whether to nations, families, or individuals. We little realize the sanctifying influence it has had throughout the world. It gives understanding to those who acknowledge themselves to be simple and therefore in need of help. 119:131 A deep, enormous thirst for the Word of God is what we all need. “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word” (1Pe_2:2). 119:132 We may tire of these repeated pleas for mercy, but the psalmist didn’t, and neither does God. We never get to the place in this life where we are beyond the need of His grace. 119:133 Here are the two sides of the coin of holinessto be kept going on steadily for the Lord in accordance with His word, and to be delivered from the power of indwelling sin. 119:134 The first part of this prayer is not unusual; any of us would want to be delivered from man’s oppression. But notice the unusual purpose, “that I may keep Your precepts.“119:135 In our service for the Lord, we may ask Him for some token of His favor, presence, and power. He knows how to drop encouraging bonuses in answer to our prayer. And we should never lose the desire to be taught more and more. 119:136 Tears flowing like rivers of watera dramatic expression for the deepest anguish and sorrow! And for what? For injustice to the psalmist himself? No, for man’s disregard of God’s law and thus dishonor to His name. Bendetti, . . . author of “Stabat Mater,” one day was found weeping, and when asked the reason of his tears, replied, “I weep because Love goes about unloved.” 119:137 The Author of the Book is righteous, so it is not surprising that the Book is upright too. Most of us know this, but how few of us turn it into an act of praise and worship by thanking the LORD. 119:138 Everything God says is righteous and faithful, and His Word is completely trustworthy. To believe God’s Word is not a meritorious act. It is just common sense. 119:139 Barnes comments with insight: It is a great triumph in a man’s soul when, in looking on the conduct of persecutors, calumniators and slanderers, he is more grieved because they violate the law of God than because they injure him. 119:140 The Bible has been well tried. Thousands have tested its promises and found them true. “It has survived the hatred of men, the fires of spurious priesthood, the sneers of infidels, and the carnal wisdom of modern critics” (Scripture Union). 119:141 In the estimation of his enemies, the psalmist was small and despised. But man’s scorn did not scare him away from clinging to the Bible. 119:142 God’s righteousness is not a passing mood but an everlasting virtue. It is not enough to say that the Bible contains truth; the Bible is truth. Every utterance of God is true. 119:143 The writer had a full cup of trouble and anguish, but with the Word of God, he could trace the rainbow through his tears. 119:144 It is not only that God’s testimonies are righteous now; they always will be. The more we understand them, the greater is our capacity for enjoying life, both now and in heaven. 119:145 The word “cry” is the key of this section. Here we have an appeal for help from a trusting heart. Almighty God cannot resist prayers that come from a whole heart and that express a desire to do His will. 119:146 When, like Peter, we begin to sink beneath the waves, we can always send up that short prayer “Save me.” The Lord then raises us up to go forth and live for Him again. 119:147 Weigle writes, “This is a description of the devotional habits of a pious (man) who rises before dawn to begin his day with meditation and prayer.” Our motto should be, “No Bible, no breakfast.” 119:148 Even the sleepless hours of the night can be utilized for meditation on the Word. Not uncommonly, that is when the Lord gives us “the treasures of darkness.” 119:149 We should never get over the wonderful fact that we have instant access to the presence of God in prayer. Like the psalmist, we can plead God’s lovingkindness and justice to preserve our lives. 119:150 The enemy is near. They are intent on harm for God’s servant. Having rejected the authority of God’s law over their lives, they will seemingly stop at nothing. 119:151 But the LORD is near, and one with God is a majority. “No foe can harm us, no fear alarm us, on the victory side.” God’s word is true, and He will never forsake His own. 119:152 It is a tremendous comfort to know that God’s Word stands forever. “Standing on the promises that cannot fail, when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail; by the living Word of God we shall prevail; standing on the promises of God.” 119:153 The Lord really does look on our affliction. “In every pang that rends the heart, the Man of Sorrows has a part.” And He comes to deliver those who cling to Him and to His Word. 119:154 The writer asks God to serve as His advocate and His life-giver. Grievous charges have been made against him; he needs a defender. He has been persecuted to the point of exhaustion; he needs a new infusion of life. 119:155 God does not save men against their will. He will not populate heaven with people who don’t want to be there. There is no salvation for those who refuse to listen to the Word. 119:156 No human language could ever be adequate to describe the mercy of God. His tender mercies can never be exhausted by our requests. The persecuted psalmist asks for the mercy of life, that is, deliverance from his would-be slayers. 119:157 Many of these verses find their true fulfillment in the Lord Jesus, of course. Surrounded by persecutors and enemies, still He remained faithful to the testimonies of His Father. 119:158 It is a mark of spiritual maturity to grieve more over insults to God than over wrongs to oneself. Oh to be thus consumed with zeal for the Lord! 119:159 In verse 153, the psalmist wrote, “Consider my affliction.” Here, as Spurgeon points out, he says, in effect, “Consider my affection,” that is, affection for the precepts. Also he asks, for the third time in this section, for the preservation of his life (vv. 154, 156). 119:160 God’s word is truth in its entirety. Every promise in it is sure of fulfillment. “Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the Law till all is fulfilled” (Mat_5:18). 119:161 Men in places of authority have often oppressed God’s servants. But a deep respect and awe for the word of God preserves the faithful from turning traitor to the Lord. 119:162 The thrill of discovering a hidden cache of treasure is experienced by the one who delves into the Bible and finds wonderful spiritual riches. 119:163 Acquaintance with the Word teaches us to love what God loves (the law) and hate what He hates (lying). We come to think God’s thoughts after Him. 119:164 Since seven is the number of perfection or completeness, we understand the psalmist to mean that he praised the Lord continually and wholeheartedly for His righteous ordinances. 119:165 The Word gives peace in a world of turmoil and safety from the power of temptation. The verse doesn’t mean that believers are immune from sorrow or trouble, but rather that by obeying the law, they avoid the pitfalls of sin. 119:166 Psa_37:3 says, “Trust in the Lord, and do good.” Here the psalmist says he had followed that advice. Faith comes first, then works are the fruit of faith. 119:167 The people in Malachi’s day found obedience to be a weariness (Mal_1:13). Not so the writer. He obeyed the Word and grew to love it more and more. 119:168 These last three verses in this section speak of practical obedience to the Bible. If it seems to be stretching a point to attribute them to the average believer, just think of them as the Words of our Savior and the problem vanishes. 119:169 As the Psalm comes to a close, it seems to rise to a crescendo of fervent petition. The word “let” is found seven times. First there is the urgent appeal for audience and then for true spiritual understanding. 119:170 The enemy never seems far away in these verses, and hence there is the reiterated plea for deliverance in accordance with the promise of the word. 119:171 Increased knowledge of God’s statutes should not lead to pride and exaggerated self-esteem, but to praise and adoration of the Lord. 119:172 Instead of talking about trivia and matters of no lasting importance, we should discipline ourselves to talk about spiritual matters. All God’s commandments are righteousness and tremendously worthwhile. 119:173 It is a lovely picturethe nail-scarred hand of Omnipotence reaching down from heaven to rescue a mere man but one who had deliberately chosen the Lord’s precepts as his rule of life. 119:174 While enjoying the salvation of our souls as an accomplished fact, we long for salvation from the presence of sin when Jesus comes again. In the meantime we find great delight in reading and obeying the Bible. 119:175 We are not only saved to serve, but even more directly to praise. Every deliverance from sickness or accident should give new momentum to our worship, and new urgency to our prayers for help. 119:176 This is one of the few confessions of sin in the Psalm. “The loftiest flights of holy rapture must ever come back to a lowly confession of sin and unworthiness.”