Tag: Boldness

Scripture: Psalm 119:157-160 / w7d4 of the Lgg study of Ps. 119

The enemies who chase me are numerous.
Yet I do not turn aside from your rules.
¹⁵⁸ I take note of the treacherous and despise them,
because they do not keep your instructions.
¹⁵⁹ See how I love your precepts.
O Lord, revive me with your loyal love.
¹⁶⁰ Your instructions are totally reliable;
all your just regulations endure.

Psalm 119:157-160 NET

Oh, how I am loving our journey through this Psalm. It is a constant example of prayer, boldness, and persistence in coming before God, It is encouragement to come before Him persistently and boldly. It is an inspiration to stay faithfully in love with God and true to Him despite the threat of the enemy. or other circumstances we may face. The Psalm brings conviction to my heart to pray repetitively for those who do not love or keep God’s instructions. It is also a reminder to trust in and depend on the Lord’s “loyal love” and the reliability of His Word – which is the true and evident basis for the psalmist’s persistent request and hope for revival.

 Consider how I love Your precepts; revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness: The psalmist asked God to look at his love for His word, but then asked for revival on the basis of God’s lovingkindness instead of on his own merit.

Enduringword.com

The following commentary is borrowed and shared from a wonderful commentary I found on this particular part of our journey through Psalm 119. I pray you will take the time to read it, as it has much to offer.

 (Ps 119: 157-158) Keeping to God’s word despite persecution.

Many are my persecutors and my enemies,
Yet I do not turn from Your testimonies.
I see the treacherous, and am disgusted,
Because they do not keep Your word.

a. Many are my persecutors and my enemies: The psalmist lived life in the real world, not sheltered in a constant Scripture-study environment. His trust in the word of God was forged in the real world, a world full of persecutors and enemies.

i. “Persecution, to the false professor, is an occasion of apostasy (Matthew 13:20-21); to the faithful servant of Christ, it is the trial of his faith (1 Peter 1:6-7), the source of his richest consolations (Matthew 5:10-12, Acts 13:50-52, 1 Peter 4:12-16), the guard of his profession (Matthew 10:16, Philippians 2:14-16), and the strength of his perseverance (Acts 20:22-24).” (Bridges)

b. Yet I do not turn from Your testimonies: The presence of so many persecutors and enemies did not make the psalmist despair or doubt the love of God for him. He didn’t have the expectation that a godly life was a problem-free life. Instead, he was determined to keep turned to and focused on the word of God.

i. “So long as they cannot drive or draw us into a spiritual decline our foes have done us no great harm, and they have accomplished nothing by their malice. If we do not decline they are defeated. If they cannot make us sin they have missed their mark. Faithfulness to the truth is victory over our enemies.” (Spurgeon)

c. I see the treacherous and am disgusted, because they do not keep Your word: It wasn’t that the psalmist expected godly behavior from the ungodly – something that Paul warned about (1 Corinthians 5:9-13). He felt disgusted because God and His word were being disgraced, even if it came from the disgraceful.

i. “I was sorry to see such sinners. I was sick of them, disgusted with them, I could not endure them. I found no pleasure in them, they were a sad sight to me, however fine their clothing or witty their chattering. Even when they were most mirthful a sight of them made my heart heavy; I could not tolerate either them or their doings.” (Spurgeon)

ii. This sensitivity toward sin and passion for the glory of God is entirely characteristic of the revival that the psalmist prays for repeatedly in this section.

iii. “A fellowship with the joys of angels over repenting sinners (Luke 15:10) will be accompanied with bitterness of godly sorrow over the hardness and impenitency of those, who keep not the word of God.” (Bridges)

4. (Ps. 119: 159-160) Revived by the completely true and lasting word.

Consider how I love Your precepts;
Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness.
The entirety of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.

a. Consider how I love Your precepts; revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness: The psalmist asked God to look at his love for His word, but then asked for revival on the basis of God’s lovingkindness instead of on his own merit.

i. “A second time he asks for consideration. As he said before, ‘Consider mine affliction,’ so now he says, ‘Consider mine affection.’ He loved the precepts of God – loved them unspeakably – loved them so as to be grieved with those who did not love them.” (Spurgeon)

b. Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness: An idea stated before (Psalm 119:88) is here repeated. Revival is never deserved or earned, but given from the lovingkindness of God.

i. “The consciousness of need is revealed in the thrice repeated, ‘Quicken [Revive] me.’ He feels the weakening of his very life under the pressure of circumstances.” (Morgan)

c. The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever: The psalmist again declares the infallible character of the word of God. The entire word is true, not merely portions or individual concepts from the word. Not only is it true; it is eternally true.

i. “The Scriptures are as true in Genesis as in Revelation, and the five books of Moses are as inspired as the four Gospels…. There is not one single mistake either in the word of God or in the providential dealings of God. Neither in the book of revelation nor of providence will there be any need to put a single note of errata. The Lord has nothing to regret or to retract, nothing to amend or to reverse.” (Spurgeon)