Commentary - Psalm 119:121-128

Bird's-eye view

In this sixteenth stanza of the great psalm, designated by the Hebrew letter Ayin, the psalmist finds himself pressed by arrogant oppressors. His response is not to despair, but to appeal to God on the basis of his covenant faithfulness, a faithfulness which is itself a gift of grace. He pleads for God to be his surety, his guarantee, against the wicked. This is a prayer saturated with a recognition of his complete dependence on God, styling himself as God's slave or servant multiple times. As the lawlessness of the world increases, his love for God's law intensifies, creating a stark contrast between the city of man, which breaks the law, and the citizen of heaven, who treasures it above fine gold.

The central movement of this section is from a plea for personal deliverance to a zeal for God's public vindication. The psalmist understands that the attacks against him are symptomatic of a deeper rebellion against God's holy law. Therefore, his prayer is not just "save me," but "act, Lord." This is a prayer for revival, for reformation, for the establishment of God's justice in the teeth of rampant wickedness. The stanza concludes with a declaration of total allegiance to God's precepts and a corresponding hatred for every path of falsehood.

Outline

Christ Our Surety

The psalmist's cry in verse 122, "Be for Your slave a guarantee for good," is a profound gospel anticipation. The Hebrew word for guarantee or surety points to a pledge, someone who stands in the gap to ensure a favorable outcome. While the psalmist prayed this in faith, looking forward, believers under the new covenant look back to its definitive fulfillment. The book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus has become the "guarantee of a better covenant" (Heb. 7:22). Christ is our surety. He has pledged His own righteousness on our behalf. Therefore, when the Christian is oppressed and pleads with God to be his guarantee, he is not asking God to do something new. He is asking God to apply the finished work of His Son, to be to us what He has already declared Himself to be in the gospel. Our confidence is not in our own goodness, but in the goodness of our divine Sponsor.

The Piety of Hatred

Modern sensibilities are often troubled by the psalmist's declaration in verse 128: "I hate every false way." We live in an effeminate age that equates all strong negative emotion with sinful bitterness. But the Bible teaches us that love and hatred are two sides of the same coin. To love righteousness is to hate unrighteousness (Heb. 1:9). To love the truth is to hate the lie. The psalmist's hatred is not a peevish, personal animosity. It is a principled, theological hatred directed at "every false way." It is an objective opposition to anything that contradicts the perfect, straight, and right precepts of God. A Christian who does not know how to hate what God hates has not yet learned how to love what God loves. This is not the foundation of a sour and cranky disposition, but rather the bedrock of true joy. You cannot delight in the straight path if you do not despise the crooked ones.

121 I have done justice and righteousness; Do not leave me to my oppressors.

The psalmist begins this section with a bold declaration, but it is not the declaration of a Pharisee. He is not claiming sinless perfection as the ground of his acceptance before God. Rather, he is making a covenantal appeal. In the rough and tumble of life, his general pattern has been one of obedience. He has conducted his affairs with justice and righteousness. This is the fruit of grace in his life, and on the basis of that God-wrought character, he appeals to God for protection. A father is not displeased when his child, having obeyed an instruction, asks for the promised reward. In the same way, God invites His children to appeal to Him on the basis of their faithfulness. "Do not leave me," he prays, which is a plea against abandonment. He knows that if God were to leave him to his own devices, his oppressors would certainly triumph.

122 Be for Your slave a guarantee for good; Do not let the arrogant oppress me.

Here the psalmist identifies himself as God's slave, or servant. This is a position of honor, not degradation. He belongs to the Lord, and therefore he has a right to appeal to his Master for protection. The plea is for God to be his surety, to stand as his guarantee. In the ancient world, a surety was someone who took on the liability of another. The psalmist is asking God to underwrite his life, to pledge His divine honor for his servant's "good." This is a prayer that God answered definitively in the person of His Son. The second half of the verse identifies the threat: the "arrogant." The fundamental conflict in the world is always between the humble servant of God and the proud who have set themselves against God.

123 My eyes fail with longing for Your salvation And for Your righteous word.

The pressure from his oppressors has been relentless and long. The psalmist describes a deep, physical weariness. His eyes are failing, strained from constantly looking to the horizon for the promised deliverance. This is not the failure of unbelief, but the exhaustion that comes from a faith that has been long tested. He is longing for two things that are inextricably linked: God's salvation and His righteous word. He longs for God's saving action in the world, and he longs for the fulfillment of God's righteous promise. The Word of God is what gives substance to his hope. He is not hoping for a vague, undefined rescue, but for the specific salvation that God has promised in His Word.

124 Deal with Your slave according to Your lovingkindness And teach me Your statutes.

Having appealed on the basis of his conduct, he now appeals on the basis of God's character. He asks God to deal with him not according to his own merits, but according to God's lovingkindness, His steadfast, covenant love, His hesed. This is the heart of the gospel. And notice what flows from this request for grace: "and teach me Your statutes." He does not ask for grace so that he can be free from the law. He asks for grace so that he can be taught the law. Grace is not a release from obedience; it is the empowerment for it. The one who has tasted God's lovingkindness is the one who most desires to know and walk in God's statutes.

125 I am Your slave; give me understanding, That I may know Your testimonies.

Again he affirms his identity: "I am Your slave." This is his fundamental orientation to the world. Because he is God's servant, he needs instruction from his Master. The request is for "understanding," for discernment and insight. But this is not a request for abstract intellectual knowledge. The purpose is explicitly practical: "That I may know Your testimonies." He wants to understand God's will so that he can do it. This is the prayer of a man who wants to live skillfully in God's world, according to the Maker's instructions.

126 It is time for Yahweh to act, For they have broken Your law.

The psalmist's perspective now broadens from his personal plight to the state of the world. He looks at the rampant rebellion around him and makes a bold declaration to God: "It is time for you to act." This is not an impertinent demand, but a faith-filled summons. He is calling upon the covenant Lord, Yahweh, to vindicate His own name. And the reason God must act is simple and profound: "For they have broken Your law." The lawlessness of men has reached a crisis point. The honor of God is at stake. This is the prayer of a true revivalist, one who understands that the central issue in the world is the authority and glory of God.

127 Therefore I love Your commandments Above gold, even above fine gold.

The word "Therefore" connects this verse directly to the preceding one. Because the world is awash in lawlessness, because men have made God's law void, the psalmist's reaction is to treasure it all the more. The world's contempt for the law purifies and intensifies the believer's love for it. He sets the commandments of God on a scale and weighs them against the highest standard of earthly value, gold, and finds the commandments infinitely more precious. When the culture devalues God's Word, the faithful church must be a place where it is cherished with a fierce and joyful love.

128 Therefore I deem all Your precepts concerning everything to be right, I hate every false way.

Another "Therefore" drives the logic home. Because he loves God's commandments, he comes to a comprehensive conclusion. He deems all of God's precepts concerning everything to be right. There is no picking and choosing. God's Word is a glorious, integrated whole, and it speaks authoritatively to every area of life. This total submission to the truth of God's Word necessarily produces a corresponding reaction to falsehood. If the straight path is perfectly right, then every crooked path must be hateful. "I hate every false way." This is the logical and spiritual consequence of loving the truth. It is a holy intolerance for error, a righteous indignation against all that stands opposed to the God who is truth.

Application

This stanza provides a blueprint for faithful living in a hostile world. First, we are reminded that our obedience matters. While our works do not save us, they are the basis upon which we can and should appeal to God for help and deliverance in this life. We should live in such a way that we can say, with the psalmist, "I have done justice and righteousness."

Second, we must learn to see ourselves as God's servants, His slaves. This is true freedom. And as His servants, we must continually cry out for understanding, not so we can win arguments, but so that we can know and do His will. Our ultimate security rests not in our own strength, but in our divine Surety, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Finally, we must cultivate a righteous reaction to the lawlessness of our age. As our culture increasingly breaks God's law, our response should not be to compromise or retreat, but to love God's commandments more fiercely. We must treasure the Scriptures above all earthly wealth, submit to their authority in every area of life, and cultivate a holy hatred for every false way. This is how we remain faithful when it is time for the Lord to act.