Bird's-eye view
In this stanza of the great Psalm 119, the psalmist expresses a profound and passionate love for the law of God, not as a set of burdensome rules, but as a wonderful revelation of God Himself. The central theme is the transformative power of God's Word. It begins with wonder, which leads to diligent observance. This Word is a source of light and understanding, particularly for the humble and simple-hearted. This illumination creates a desperate longing, a spiritual panting, for more of God's commandments. The psalmist then pivots to a series of petitions rooted in this love for the law: he asks for grace, for stability, for deliverance from sin's dominion, and for redemption from human oppression. The goal of this redemption is not personal comfort, but rather the freedom to obey God more fully. The section concludes with a striking expression of grief; the psalmist weeps, not over his own trials, but over the lawlessness of others. This is the heart of a man who loves what God loves and hates what God hates.
This passage is a beautiful portrait of mature sainthood. It demonstrates that a right relationship with God's law is intensely personal, emotional, and practical. It is the engine of our sanctification, the foundation of our stability, the object of our deepest longings, and the lens through which we view the world. The law is not an enemy to grace, but the pathway in which grace enables us to walk.
Outline
- 1. The Wonderful Word (Ps 119:129-136)
- a. The Wonder of the Law and the Response of Obedience (Ps 119:129)
- b. The Illumination of the Law and the Response of Longing (Ps 119:130-131)
- c. Petitions Based on the Law (Ps 119:132-135)
- i. A Plea for Customary Grace (Ps 119:132)
- ii. A Plea for Stability and Freedom from Sin (Ps 119:133)
- iii. A Plea for Redemption for the Sake of Obedience (Ps 119:134)
- iv. A Plea for Favor and Instruction (Ps 119:135)
- d. The Grief of the Law-Lover Over Lawlessness (Ps 119:136)
Context In Psalm 119
Psalm 119 is an extended acrostic poem, with each of its 22 stanzas corresponding to a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This particular section, verses 129-136, represents the 17th letter, Pe. The psalm as a whole is a magnificent meditation on the perfection of God's Word, using a variety of synonyms like law, testimonies, precepts, statutes, commandments, and judgments. Throughout the psalm, the author weaves together praise for the Word, petitions for understanding and help, and laments over his own struggles and the wickedness of those around him. This Pe stanza fits squarely within that pattern. It follows stanzas that have established the righteousness, truth, and eternal nature of God's law. Here, the psalmist's response to these truths becomes intensely personal and emotional. The wonder, longing, and grief expressed in these verses are the fruit of the deep meditation that has characterized the entire psalm up to this point.
Key Issues
- The Nature of God's Law as "Wonderful"
- Divine Illumination and the Role of the Word
- The Affective Dimension of Faith (Longing, Grief)
- The Relationship Between Grace and Law
- Biblical Liberty: Freedom for Obedience
- Sanctification and Dominion over Sin
- Righteous Grief over the Sins of Others
A Wonderful Word
We live in an age that is suspicious of any and all authority, and particularly of any divine law. The commandments of God are frequently presented as a wet blanket on all our fun, a restrictive fence designed to keep us from what we truly want. But the psalmist here, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, presents us with a radically different picture. God's law is not burdensome; it is wonderful. It is not a killjoy; it is a source of light. It is not something to be escaped, but something to be longed for, panted after. This stanza is a divine corrective to our low and pathetic views of God's instruction. It teaches us that for the regenerated heart, the law of God is a treasure to be guarded, a light to be sought, and a foundation upon which a stable and free life is built.
Verse by Verse Commentary
129 Your testimonies are wonderful; Therefore my soul observes them.
The psalmist begins with a declaration. God's testimonies, His solemn witness about Himself and His will, are wonderful. This word means extraordinary, miraculous, beyond the ordinary course of things. The law of God is not a mundane list of rules; it is a supernatural revelation. And what is the logical consequence of encountering something so wonderful? Therefore my soul observes them. The verb for "observes" here means to keep, to guard, to watch over. It is the response of a man who has found a priceless treasure. He doesn't obey grudgingly. He doesn't comply out of bare duty. He guards the law because he has been stunned by its beauty and supernatural character. True obedience always begins with awe.
130 The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.
The Word of God is a tightly packed seed. The "unfolding" or "entrance" of that Word is what happens when it is opened up, preached, meditated upon, and allowed into the heart. When that happens, the result is light. The world is a dark place, and our hearts are darker still. The Word is the only true source of illumination. And notice to whom this understanding is given: the simple. This does not mean the stupid. It means the humble, the unpretentious, the teachable. God's light is not reserved for the theological elite or the intellectually proud. It is for the person who comes with an open heart, confessing his need for wisdom. The gospel is a glorious light, but it only illuminates the path of the humble.
131 I opened my mouth wide and panted, For I longed for Your commandments.
This is the language of desperate desire. It's the image of a marathon runner collapsing over the finish line, gasping for air. It's the image of a man dying of thirst in the desert. This is the psalmist's posture toward the commandments of God. He is not trying to see how little he can get away with. He is not looking for loopholes. He is desperate for them, he longs for them. Why? Because the previous verse told us why. They are light and life and understanding. When a man truly understands what God's law is, a good gift from a loving Father, he will pant for it as for life itself.
132 Turn to me and be gracious to me, According to Your judgment for those who love Your name.
His deep longing drives him to prayer. He asks God to turn and be gracious. But notice the foundation of his appeal. He asks for grace according to Your judgment for those who love You. The word "judgment" here means ordinance or custom. He is appealing to God's established precedent. He is saying, "God, You have a regular, customary way of dealing with those who love Your name. You are gracious to them. I love Your name, so please, act according to Your character. Do for me what You always do for Your people." This is a prayer of immense faith, not in his own merit, but in the revealed and reliable character of God.
133 Establish my steps in Your word, And do not let any wickedness overpower me.
Here is a prayer for sanctification. He asks God to establish his steps. The world is a slippery place, and his own heart is prone to wander. He knows that the only firm footing is found within the boundaries of God's Word. He wants his life to be built on that solid foundation. The second half of the verse gives the purpose: do not let any wickedness overpower me. The psalmist understands that true freedom is not the absence of rules, but the presence of God's rule. To be established in God's Word is to be delivered from the dominion and tyranny of sin. Sin is a cruel master, and the only escape is to submit to the lordship of God's good law.
134 Redeem me from the oppression of man, That I may keep Your precepts.
The psalmist is not living in a vacuum. He faces real opposition from wicked men. He prays for deliverance, for redemption, from their oppression. But the reason for his prayer is crucial. He does not ask for freedom so that he can live a comfortable life of ease. He asks for freedom that I may keep Your precepts. This is the Puritan definition of liberty. Liberty is not the right to do whatever you want; it is the freedom and power to do what you ought. He wants his external circumstances to be ordered in such a way that he is unhindered in his obedience to God. This is a prayer for freedom for the sake of righteousness.
135 Make Your face shine upon Your slave, And teach me Your statutes.
This is a request for the highest blessing a creature can receive. He asks for God's face to shine upon him, a direct echo of the Aaronic blessing from Numbers 6. It is a prayer for God's unmediated favor, presence, and delight. He identifies himself as God's slave or servant, acknowledging his absolute dependence and God's absolute ownership. And what is the result of basking in the light of God's face? The desire to be taught. Teach me Your statutes. To be near to God is to want to be like God. To experience His favor is to desire His instruction. The greatest blessing is not a change in circumstances, but a change in us, brought about by the teaching of our God.
136 My eyes shed streams of water, Because they do not keep Your law.
The stanza concludes with a torrent of grief. The psalmist is weeping, but not for himself. He is not weeping because of the oppression of man mentioned earlier. His heart is broken for a far greater tragedy: the dishonoring of God. He looks out at the world, at his culture, and he sees rampant lawlessness. And because he loves the Lawgiver, the sight of this rebellion breaks his heart. This is the heart of a true revivalist. This is the heart of Christ weeping over Jerusalem. The mature Christian grieves more over the glory of God being trampled than he does over his own personal discomforts. His love for God's law has made him sensitive to the horror of sin.
Application
This passage should challenge us to the core. We must ask ourselves if our attitude toward God's Word mirrors that of the psalmist. Do we find it "wonderful," or merely tolerable? Do we see it as a source of light, or as a collection of archaic restrictions? Do we pant for God's commandments, or do we look for ways to get around them?
First, we must repent of our low view of God's law. We must ask God to give us a sense of wonder when we read it, to see it as a glorious revelation of His own perfect character. Second, we must recognize that true freedom is found not in autonomy, but in submission to God's Word. We should pray with the psalmist, "Establish my steps in Your word, and do not let any wickedness overpower me." Third, our goal in seeking deliverance from earthly troubles should be godliness. We should desire freedom from sickness, from debt, from oppression, primarily so that we might be better equipped to serve God and keep His precepts.
Finally, we must ask God to break our hearts for what breaks His. Do we look at the rampant sin and lawlessness of our society with a detached shrug, or does it drive us to our knees in tears? A love for God's law will inevitably lead to a grief over man's rebellion. But that grief is not a hopeless despair. It is the kind of grief that drives us to prayer, to action, and to the proclamation of the gospel. For the gospel is the ultimate unfolding of God's Word. In Christ, the Word made flesh, we find the perfect law-keeper, the one who redeems us from oppression, the one on whom God's face shines, and the one who enables us, by His Spirit, to move from weeping over the law to delighting in it.