Tsadhe

Here are my thoughts on Psalm 119:137-144.

Summary: In this passage, the psalmist:

• declares that God – and His commandments – are righteous
• declares their passion for His commandments – even in the midst of persecution
• rejoices in the blessings that they have received via His commandments and promises
• prays that He would enable them to live wisely.

Thoughts: In verse 139, the psalmist decries the strength-sapping wickedness of their persecutors. Spurgeon offers some thoughts on this point:

His zeal was like a fire burning within his soul. The sight of man’s forgetfulness of God acted as a fierce blast to excite the fire to a more vehement flame, and it blazed until it was ready to consume him…These people had gone so far in iniquity that they not only violated and neglected the commands of God, but they appeared actually to have forgotten them.

The psalmist has asserted their zeal for God’s commandments throughout this psalm; moreover, their zeal has been whetted by those who flout those precepts. In light of this passage, perhaps we should ponder our zeal for His precepts. Are we genuinely zealous for His commandments? If not, what is the state of our relationship with Him? Perhaps we have been inured to sin – even the sins of those who openly oppose Him. Also, if we become more zealous for His precepts, can we still love those who flout them? We know the phrase “hate the sin, love the sinner,” yet it is difficult to strike that balance…