With only three stanzas left in Psalm 119, the psalmist seems to be increasing his pleas for God’s salvation and provision against his enemies. His conclusions should help us understand God’s desires for our own lives better. Take a look at Psalm 119:153-156:
The author of Psalm 119 has described more than once his enemies and the persecution that they bring to him as he strives to follow God’s Word. As the psalm progresses, there seems to be an increasing urgency in his cries for help.
And yet, at the same time, the psalmist’s pleas are focusing less and less upon himself and have become more of a prayer as the stanzas have gone by. As Psalm 119 progresses, the author has grown to the point where he is now calmly waiting in obedience.
As this section of the psalm begins, he calls out once again for protection and deliverance. The psalmist reminds God that he has kept his laws, and that he hasn’t forgotten them. He knows that obedience to God’s Word isn’t an option for him, and it’s not an option for us either.
Our culture dislikes the notion of obedience. We want to do whatever we want, whenever we want, and to do it on our own. We have become overly independent, refusing to submit to any authority whatsoever.
This isn’t a new problem, and has been around for centuries. Jesus spoke very forthrightly about obedience, and about the need to submit to his Lordship. Paul writes in several places of the need to submit to Christ, to submit to others, to submit to authorities, and more.
The simple reality is that if we do not submit in obedience, then Jesus really isn’t the Lord of our lives. We are. And not one of us is capable of saving ourselves from the sinful nature that prevents us from being restored to God.
So obedience to God’s Word is the natural response that we must give when we read and understand it. Obedience is the natural response that comes if we truly love the One who has given us his Word. We have to practice what we say we believe.
James puts it this way in James 1:22-25:
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
This is the principle found in this stanza of Psalm 119, and the stanza that follows. The psalmist has discovered a few things that are true about God, and that we can experience to greater degrees when we are obedient. One is found in verse 156. Three more are found in the latter half of this passage. We will look at those next week.
God Is Merciful
Verse 165 says, “Your compassion is great, O Lord.” The Hebrew phrase here could be translated as “rich in mercy.” But just what does this mean? Look at Exodus 34:6-7, where God himself describes his merciful nature to Moses:
And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.”
We are in desperate need of God’s mercy. And we have access to this mercy through the shed blood of Jesus.
But it requires our obedience. If we continue to stand on our own, refusing to submit to Christ’s Lordship of our very lives, the mercy that we so desperately need cannot be grasped. Our willful defiance prevents us from attaining it. We must be obedient, submitting ourselves to God, and he will draw near to us (James 4:7-10).
So let’s let go of our pride and our independence, and draw near to God. Let’s be obedient to what we find in the pages of God’s Word so that we can receive his mercy that we so desperately need.
What will be the result of this? The psalmist goes on in the second half of this stanza, and the next one, to identify three more results of obedience to God: an understanding of God’s truth, God’s peace, and the security that only God can give.
Question: How desperately do you long for God’s mercy in your life? If this isn’t a deep longing, what do you think you might be missing? You can leave a comment by clicking here.