Themes from the Psalm of Psalms
(Loving the God of Psalm 119)
Stanza Ten
YOD:
Desiring of God that my testimony before others reflect His faithfulness.
73. Your hands have made me and fashioned me;
Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.
74. Those who fear You will be glad when they see me,
Because I have hoped in Your word.
75. I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are right,
And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.
76. Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort,
According to the word to Your servant.
77. Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live;
For Your law is my delight.
78. Let the proud be ashamed, For they treated me wrongfully with falsehood;
But I will meditate on Your precepts.
79. Let those who fear You turn to me, / Those who know Your testimonies
80. Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes,
That I may not be ashamed.
No man or woman who’s ever lived is unfamiliar with the emotion of SHAME. Even the best of us has thought, or spoken, or acted in ways that make us feel ashamed and fill us with guilt. We all have dark places in our hearts…skeletons in our closets…chinks in our armor…secret sins in our past that we hope and pray no one ever finds out about.
David, the writer of this Psalm of psalms, certainly had his own share of weak moments. As a soldier, a general, a king and a statesman, David had let his sinful nature get the better of him many times, even committing adultery with Bathsheba and then trying to cover it up by having her husband killed. The shame he felt for his sins is thoroughly expressed in Psalm 51 where King David poured out his guilty heart to the Lord: “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin!” (51:2)
The shame that King David felt drove him to his knees in abject humility; we can read that in Psalm 51. And here again, in Psalm 119, we find him submitting humbly to the Lord who has afflicted him, accused him of his sin, and yet has extended to his sinful creature His “merciful kindness” and His “tender mercies.” The shame for his sins made him humble before God, but David knew that it wasn’t God’s will for David to REMAIN in shame.
You and I needn’t live in shame either, and it is not because our sins don’t matter, or that they’re “no big deal.” Rather, it’s because our God is FAITHFUL. The Apostle John wrote in his first epistle: “When we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Those of us who believe in Jesus Christ have this promise, that the sins that cause us such deep shame can be WASHED AWAY. Made as if they never even existed!
The basis for this promise is the willing sacrifice of Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Every sin we commit is deserving of everlasting punishment in hell. And when Jesus, the God-man, hung on the cross, he was suffering that very punishment on behalf of every sinner who would place their trust in Him and His saving work. God afflicted His only begotten Son, so that you and I would never experience His wrath, and the eternal shame of separation from Him.
In this stanza of Psalm 119, we find David is concerned by another kind of shame: the shame of having a stained testimony before others. Remember that as king, David had a grave responsibility to live and act RIGHTEOUSLY before the people he was ruling. He couldn’t afford to see himself as an individual only answerable to himself. He was called to testify, by word and deed, to the character and the faithfulness of Israel’s God Yahweh.
Two times in this tenth stanza, David uses the term “those who fear You.” We have already seen that David’s great desire is to be among those “blessed ones” who fear Yahweh and walk in His ways. In the previous stanza we were told that “It was good that I was afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes” (v. 71). One of the ways God teaches us to fear, love and respect Him is by bringing adversity into our lives. We must learn that God is holy and faithful, not just for His own sake but for the sake of others!
David’s gross sin with Bathsheba resulted in terrible consequences, not only for the two of them, but for the entire nation. Even though the Lord forgave David and didn’t take his life, the baby who was the product of their adultery became sick and died. David’s family became the source of wickedness and violence. Eventually the Jewish nation was divided and became unfaithful, largely because of David’s unfaithful behavior. His example, his testimony, became tainted and reflected poorly on the character of Israel’s God.
As the writer of Psalm 119, it is clear that in this stanza, the writer is considering the view that others have of his life. He confesses in verse 73 that he is the product of the divine Maker and Designer who alone can “Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.” What is the foremost thing that should concern us in how we are viewed by other people? Well, the first step ought to be toward the One Person whose hand has made us, and whose word alone can guide us. Many people are driving down the highway of life with no guide-rails, veering this way and that, ready to run off the road and crash and burn, because they ignore God’s basics for life and happiness, the Ten Commandments.
If we have learned God’s basic rules, that is no guarantee that we will follow them, but if we habitually break those rules, there is no way that we can testify rightly about a holy and loving God. We must at least “understand” this in order to even make a START toward a Christ-honoring testimony before people. Worshiping only the true God, forsaking our idols, honoring God’s name, honoring His day of rest and worship, honoring our parents and other authorities, honoring our marriage vows, preserving the gift of life, respecting each other’s rights and reputations, being content…all of these basic virtues flow from the commandments of our faithful, righteous Creator. Our obedience to them testifies of our love for Him, and our desire that others should know of His goodness and greatness.
“Those who fear You will be glad when they see me, Because I have hoped in Your word.” David isn’t merely concerned about his own reputation before the people of God. He desires that his faithful, obedient behavior points BEYOND himself to the One whose word has been his source of HOPE. Let us ask ourselves that question: When others see us, does it make them GLAD? If so, for what reason? Are we known as persons who have a settled hope in the word of God? Is it known to others that we love and trust and seek to obey God, not only for OUR sake, but for the sake of those around us? Do we have a reputation for LOVING others? Honoring them, respecting them, showing concern for them, being generous without complaining and griping? Do we make others GLAD?
“I know Lord, that Your judgments are right, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.” If that verse sounds familiar, it should. Stanza nine was about God teaching his servant through affliction. Here it is again. David adds the twin thoughts that God judges rightly and shows faithfulness toward us even when He is sending us trials that discipline us and test our faith. Remember that it is far easier to be faithful and content with the Lord when all is going smoothly in our lives. But the only way we can GROW in our faithfulness is when our spiritual “muscles” are strengthened in the gymnasium of trials. When others consider our example, is our testimony teaching them to be patient under affliction, or do they see us murmur, gripe and complain when things are hard? That kind of reaction is telling others that our God is a harsh taskmaster, rather than a loving Father who only wants the best for us!
Verses 76 and 77 begin a 5-verse segment, each verse beginning with “Let.” These two verses both speak of the tender and kind mercies of our faithful God. David already confessed that his Father in heaven shows His faithfulness when He evaluates us and when He afflicts us with trials. How much MORE then, does our Maker display that faithfulness when He is TENDER, MERCIFUL & KIND? Another of David’s sweetest psalms is Psalm 30 where he exclaims, “His anger is only for a moment, but His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning” (30:5). Do you and I reflect these godly qualities to those around us? Is our example, our testimony in word and deed, revealing to people that the God we believe in is a gentle Shepherd, a Savior who is full of kindness and compassion? This reflection of God’s loving heart can draw others to faith in Christ!
David had to learn humility in order to fully appreciate the Lord’s faithfulness. It was when he acted proudly and vainly that he overstepped the bounds of God’s law and sinned so terribly. Verse 78 tells of people who had told lies about David and “treated [him] wrongfully.” But certainly there were those who knew of the king’s sins in the past, and probably figured that the lies they told about him would “stick” or be believed by others. This verse reminds us that even the best of human reputations will have flaws and mistakes that others will latch onto and exaggerate because of malice or jealousy. Proud folk will often seek to tear us down, even when we do our best to please God and make others glad. David leaves such liars and nay-sayers in God’s hands, determined to turn his own thoughts to precepts of his faithful God, because he’s confident that Yahweh will make the fairest judgment, bringing permanent shame to those who deserve it—those who refuse to repent and trust Christ.
God’s testimonies—His own pronouncements concerning all things in His creation, His are the testimonies that count not only right now, but forever and ever. They determine reality, and are taken to heart and trusted by all who fear Him. Whatever the Bible says is true and righteous and reliable. It can be trusted, as David learned full well. He also trusts that God’s people can turn in his direction and accept him as a fellow believer. He need not fear that the lies of proud people, or even the sins of David’s past, would prevent those who loved Yahweh from embracing a humble, penitent sinner who turned to God for forgiveness and cleansing. God is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins”!
Yes, there will be consequences when we step beyond the boundaries of God’s law. There are times when I have to repent and confess my sins, turn from them, and then do what I can to mend the damage my wrong choices have cost both me and other people. That can be painful and bring shame and disappointment, and even cause me to doubt my own salvation…
But remember, brother and sister, that it is not the Father’s will that ANY of His beloved children remain bound up in a life of guilt and shame. The guilty soul can be washed whiter than snow. David concludes this stanza with the plea: “Let my heart be blameless regarding your statutes, That I may not be ashamed.”
It is only when we realize that our kind and merciful Creator has provided the perfect, faithful Savior, His only Son, that we find forgiveness and cleansing through His blood that was shed on the Cross. Jesus Christ gave up His human reputation and bore our shame as He hung naked on the cruel Cross, so that believers in Him could have every sin and stain removed from our hearts and stand BLAMELESS, and delighted to keep the statutes of God.
Dear Father, Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, bore our sin and shame in His own body on the tree. He lived a flawless life with no shame before you, yet He was put to shame so that we sinners could stand before you UNASHAMED. Please help us to remember this as we praise you for your faithfulness and testify of your grace and mercy and eternal joy before the watching world. In Jesus name,
Amen.
