Weekly Introduction: Because the psalmist is living his life according to the precepts of God’s Word, he is able to rejoice in the life God has given him as he successfully navigates the unexpected turns and potential pitfalls of life. I pray that you will sense the joy of the psalmist as we look at the next 8 verses presented under the heading of the sixteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Ayin.
I have done what is righteous and just; do not leave me to my oppressors (vs 121).
The psalmist is pleading his case for God to deliver him from his oppressors. His case is built upon the premise that he has lived a “righteous” and “just” life, and God has promised deliverance for those who do so. He is counting on God to “come through” for him.
Ensure your servant’s well-being; do not let the arrogant oppress me (vs 122).
I love this because he identifies himself as God’s “servant.” In equal measure, just as Jesus was not called to be “served” but to “serve,” so we are also called to “serve” just as Jesus did during His entire lifetime on earth. Again, he pleads for God to deliver him from his “arrogant oppressors.”
My eyes fail, looking for your salvation, looking for your righteous promise (vs 123).
The psalmist continues to wait for God’s deliverance, and it seems like he waits day after day, and night after night, falling asleep while he anxiously awaits God to intervene. Again, his deliverance is rooted in God’s promises to his “servants.” He is confident in the fact that God will not allow those who oppress the righteous to go unpunished.
Deal with your servant according to your love and teach me your decrees (vs 124).
Once again, the psalmist identifies himself as God’s “servant. He knows that God is loving and gracious, and he asks God to deal with him according to these aspects of His character. And, as always, he asks God to teach him His decrees so that he can live a more faithful and godly life.
I am your servant; give me discernment so that I may understand your statutes (vs 125).
The psalmist, once again, wants the Lord to know that he is His faithful servant, and therefore, he asks for discernment so that he can understand God’s ways as revealed in His statutes. In other words, he wants to know more clearly why God has provided certain statutes that may “puzzle” him.
It is time for you to act, Lord; your law is being broken (vs 126).
Growing impatient (like we all do at times), the psalmist wants God to act, and act NOW! The psalmist wants God to move swiftly because His law is being trampled upon, and he doesn’t want such abuse of God’s law to continue.
Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold (vs 127).
Now the psalmist let’s God know of his love for the commandments that He has provided, and that he loves them more than gold, even more than pure gold. In short, the psalmist is letting God know that he loves His commandments more than all the riches in the world. I am reminded of Jesus who asked the question: “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and yet lose his own soul (Mark 8:36)?”
And because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path (vs 128).
The psalmist is letting God know that he considers all His precepts to be “right,” that is, “beneficial and just.” Even though he continues to wonder about the “why’s” of some of His commandments, he confesses that they are all “right,” and because of that, he hates every path that veers away from them.
Friends, let’s all be like the psalmist in this section who calls himself a “servant” of the Most High. If you are a follower of Christ, then you (and I) are called to “serve” Him by keeping His commandments (John 14:15, 21, 23). Furthermore, we are also called to “serve” one another out of our love for Christ and for our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ (Galatians 5:13). I pray that you have a wonderful week of “service!”
