SOUNDING
OUT:
The Basis of Servanthood
As I read through Psalms 119, I am amazed at the
requests the psalmist makes of God. In my initial survey I found
about seventy requests, some of which are repeated several times,
like teach me thy statutes, which occurs six times. I
can’t remember one material request; all the requests seem to
deal with relationships, his relationship with the Lord and with
other people. The psalmist attaches a reason to his first two
requests. He asks God to deal bountifully with him so he can live,
and keep God’s word, and he asks God to open his eyes, so he I
may behold wondrous things out of God’s law.
Psalms
119:17,18:
Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy
word.
18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may
behold wondrous things out of thy law.
He
expects God’s abundance because he wants nothing more than to
live and keep God’s Word. Additionally he asks that God would
open his eyes so that he might see wonderful things from God’s
law. Learning more of God’s law would allow him to keep more of
God’s will, which is his purpose for living. God’s Word forms
the basis of his relationship with God.
In this stanza we find the first two occurrences of servant in Psalm 119. The psalmist speaks of himself as God’s servant,
and the importance of God’s Word to his service to God. Sometimes
the oppression and persecution of people cause us to ruminate
on their words, but the servant of the Lord chooses the statutes
of the Lord for his meditation.
Psalms
119:23:
Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did
meditate in thy statutes.
That’s
the basis for his service—the statutes of the Lord.
His next request in verse 19 is similar to the one from
the previous verse 18.
Psalms
199:19:
I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.
The
Psalmist confesses that he is a stranger in the earth. The emphasis
in this word is on the transitory nature of our sojourn. We sing
“this world is not my home” and we have different obligations
and loyalties than those for whom this world is home. Our allegiance
is to God and His Word, not to this world. Therefore the Psalmist’s
request is for God’s Word to not be hidden. Verse twenty follows
with the psalmist’s acknowledgement of the reason for the request,
the great longing he has for God’s judgments.
Psalms
119:20:
My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments
at all times.
Next
the psalmist acknowledges God’s rebuke of those whose pride causes
them to err from God’s commandments. Because he lives without
this pride and keeps God’s testimonies he requests that the reproach
and contempt that comes upon the prideful be removed from him.
Psalms
119:21,22:
Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from
thy commandments.
22 Remove from me reproach and contempt;
for I have kept thy testimonies.
Many
try to exercise rulership over the servants of the Lord, but the
servant of the Lord acknowledges only the direction of the Lord
upon which he meditates. Why does he meditate upon them? Because
he has found the testimonies of the Lord to be his delight and
his counselors.
Psalms 119:23,24:
Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did
meditate in thy statutes.
24 Thy testimonies also are my delight
and my counsellors.
When
we delight in God’s Word, we will find that it shall become our
counselor. Our delight to ascertain what God has graciously disclosed
to us in His Word, fosters a reverence and awe for His Words. They
become our counselors because we heed the gracious counsel they
provide. Despite the persecution from the world, the servant of
the Lord prays for enlightenment from God’s Word as the basis for
the life he lives. A life of service to Him who deals so bountifully
with him.
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