Exposition of Psalm
119
?
SAMECH
God’s
Word Confronts the Enemy
Psalm
119:113-120
I
hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I
love.
Thou
art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy
word.
Depart
from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments
of my God.
Uphold
me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me
not be ashamed of my hope.
Hold
thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect
unto thy statutes continually.
Thou
hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes:
for their deceit is falsehood.
Thou
puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross:
therefore I love thy testimonies.
My
flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy
judgments.
In this stanza, David
writes about the evil men of his day but how he strives
to hold fast to the Word of God. Specifically, he writes
about three types of evil men: evil thinkers, evil
doers, and evil teachers. We should note that this is
always progressive. Evil thinking comes first, which
leads to evil actions, which in turn leads to teaching
such evil to others.
I. Evil
Thinkers (vs. 113-114)
I
hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I
love.
Thou
art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy
word.
Let us examine two
principles here.
Assessing
the Problem (v. 113)
I
hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I
love.
There is an old
saying that goes, “You might not be what you think you
are, but what you think, you
are.” That is, indeed, a biblical truth based on several
Scriptures. Prior to the flood, “God saw that the
wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every
imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually” (Gen. 6:5), and we are not far from that
state today. Even after the flood God declared that “the
imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth”
(8:21). As Solomon also declares, “Frowardness
[perverseness, crookedness, and deviousness) is in his
heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth
discord” (Prov. 6:14) and then adds, “For as he thinketh
in his heart, so is he” (23:7). That is why Solomon
warns earlier, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for
out of it are the issues of life” (4:23). And as our
Lord Himself said, “For out of the heart proceed evil
thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts,
false witness, blasphemies” (Matt. 15:19). And the list
goes on.
David likewise
assesses the true problem when he writes here, I hate vain
thoughts. The words vain
thoughts are actually a single word in the
Hebrew (se'eph), which appears only here in the Old Testament.
Its meaning is very enlightening: “double-mindedness,
vanity of thought. It indicates a person who engages in
doublethink, a process of illogical thought, perverse
thinking that distorts and reverses the
truth.”[i] Here is a picture of the
skeptic, the doubter, the philosopher, the “modern
thinker.” These are the people, as the Apostle Paul
words it, who in their “ungodliness and unrighteousness
. . . hold [suppress] the truth in unrighteousness”
(Rom. 1:18).
In stark contrast,
David says again, as he has in verse 47, 48, and 97,
thy law do I
love. There is, indeed, only one alternative,
one remedy to the vain
thoughts of men, and that is absolute
truth of God. We are
challenged again, do we really love the
Word?
Assuring the
Protection (v. 114)
Thou
art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy
word.
What was David’s
assurance of protection from the “vain thoughts” of men?
He viewed God first as his hiding
place, his place of refuge and protection
from all dangers. More graphically, he then viewed God
as his shield.
The Hebrew here is magen, which refers to the
small, common type of round shield carried by light
infantry and officers of that day. What a striking
parallel this is to Ephesians 6:16, where the Christian
warrior is told to “[take] the shield of faith,
wherewith [we] shall be able to quench all the fiery
darts of the wicked.” While the shield here is the much
larger one carried by the Romans, the parallel is not
diminished. It is, indeed, our hope, as
David says, and our faith, as
Paul says, in God’s truth that protects
us.
II. Evil
Doers (vs. 115-117)
Depart
from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments
of my God.
Uphold
me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me
not be ashamed of my hope.
Hold
thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect
unto thy statutes continually.
From evil
thinking comes evil doing. We see three principles of how we should
respond to those who do evil.
Uncompromising Partitioning from the World (v.
115)
Depart
from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments
of my God.
Safe in his
“hiding place” and secure behind his “shield,”
David now writes, Depart from me, ye
evildoers. Here is one of the many clear
statements in Scripture on the attitude the believer
should have toward those who do evil. David writes again
in 26:4-5: “I have not sat with vain persons, neither
will I go in with dissemblers [‘alam, those who hide or veil their sin]. I have hated
the congregation of evildoers; and will not sit with the
wicked.” Solomon echoes, “Enter not into the path of the
wicked, and go not in the way of evil men” (Prov.
4:14).
The statement before us,
in fact, foreshadows the very words of our Lord to
Satan: “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou
shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou
serve” (Matt. 4:10). This could also be translated, “Go,
Satan!” or “Away with you, Satan!” In one of the most
shocking scenes in Scripture, our Lord said virtually
the same thing to Peter in Matthew 16:23 because Peter
was thinking like Satan not like God.
This is also what
Paul wrote to the Corinthians, who were
notorious for their compromise with sinful
behavior:
Be ye not unequally yoked
together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath
righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion
hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ
with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an
infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with
idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God
hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I
will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate,
saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I
will receive you (II Cor.
6:14-17).
The word
“fellowship” is metochos, partnership. Paul’s first metaphor, of course,
is based upon Deuteronomy 22:10 (cf. Lev. 19:19), which
commanded not to yoke together an ox and a donkey for
plowing because of the obvious reason that their “walk”
is different, that is, their step and pull is uneven.
Paul’s point, then, is clear. The believer and the
unbeliever “walk” differently, that is, they are totally
different in every way: actions, attitudes,
philosophies, goals, and destiny. They must, therefore,
never be “yoked,” in partnership, in circumstances that
require agreement, such as marriage, close friendship,
business partnerships, lodges, or anything else. Just as
light and darkness, Christ and Satan, and God’s Temple
and idols, are all opposites, so is the Christian and
the non-Christian. We must never partner with
sin.
As David clearly
goes on to imply, there is no way we can keep the commandments
of my God if we are
partners with those who do evil. This leads right to a
second response to evil doers.
Unwavering
Principles of Scripture (v. 116)
Uphold
me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me
not be ashamed of my hope.
The main idea of the
Hebrew for uphold
(samak) is “leaning upon.” It is the Word of God
alone that we lean on. It is the only place we go for
the unwavering principles, practices, and precedents for
living. That is, in fact, what David tells us allows us
to continue to live. Once
again, Word’s Word is everything. That is why we are not
ashamed of
that
hope
(certainty).
Upholding
Power of God (v. 117)
Hold
thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect
unto thy statutes continually.
While similar to
“uphold” in verse 116, the words Hold thou me
up is a little different word. While the
previous word speaks primarily of “leaning upon,” the
one here (sa‘ad) involves the
idea of sustenance or being sustained.[ii] It is God,
through His Word, that sustain us in every
way—that is what feeds, clothes, shelters, and protects
us. All we have is founded on God’s revelation. That is
why our Lord said, again speaking to Satan and quoting
Deuteronomy 8:3, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but
by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God”
(Matt. 4:4). A man can eat all the bread he wants but
still starve because He knows not God through
revelation. Is there any wonder why David then adds
and I will
have respect unto thy statutes continually?
What else deserves our continual respect?
III. Evil
Teachers (vs. 118-120)
Thou
hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes:
for their deceit is falsehood.
Thou
puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross:
therefore I love thy testimonies.
My
flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy
judgments.
Those who
ponder evil and then practice evil, then
become the propagators of
evil. They teach it to others. Once again we note two
principles in these closing verses. How are we to
respond to evil teachers?
Crush the
False (v. 118-119)
Thou
hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes:
for their deceit is falsehood.
Thou
puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross:
therefore I love thy testimonies.
First, God
crushes the deceivers. The Hebrew behind deceit
(tormâ) means to do something under cover,
underhandedly, with evil or trickery in mind. It is the
word Jeremiah uses, for example, when he asks, “Why then
is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual
backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to
return” (Jer. 8:5). Here God’s people inwardly
deceive themselves and turn from God. Jeremiah then uses
this word again a few chapters later: “Then the LORD
said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I
sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither
spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision
and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of
their heart” (14:14). Here deceit is
outward as false teachers,
after they themselves have been deceive, also deceive
others. They are first deceived and then become
deceivers.
That is, in fact,
the same picture we see in Paul’s final counsel to
Timothy: “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and
worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (II Tim. 3:13).
Just six verses later Paul then charges Timothy with
what he should do in the face of such deceitful
teachers. He did not tell Timothy to be “seeker
sensitive” or to meet the “felt needs of the
unchurchrd.” Rather he told him to
Preach the word; be instant in
season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all
longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when
they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own
lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having
itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from
the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
(4:2-4)
If any verses
characterize the present day, it is those. The
Greek behind “endure” (anechomai)
literally means “to hold one’s self upright.” In modern
English, we could say, “They just won’t put up with it,”
and, indeed, many today just will not put up with
authoritative preaching. They love their sin and do not
want strong preaching. As a result, they seek out
teachers who will tickle them behind the ear, make them
“feel good about themselves,” keep them laughing, and
tell them what they want to hear
instead of what they need to hear.
What many want today are anecdotes, comedy,
pop-psychology, motivational lectures, positive
thinking, devotional thoughts, and small talk, when what
they need is Truth.
I know this is a
strong statement, and some readers will criticize it,
but Christian leaders who provide the things we just
mentioned have been deceived and have themselves become
deceivers, whether or not they are aware of it. Mark it
down: If we are not giving people the truth, we are
deceiving them into believing that something else is
adequate.
What is in store for
the deceiver? David declares that God has trodden down all them
that err from thy statutes. Trodden
down is one word in the Hebrew (sala),
which means to tread down, reject, treat as worthless,
put out, exclude, refuse to accept. Could David make it
any clearer? Those who err
(shaga; wander, stray away) from
God’s statutes (his decrees that are permanently engraved in
stone) are worthless. Oh, how this should wake up every
Christian leader to his grave responsibility to preach
the truth and that alone.
Second, God
crushes the decadent: Thou puttest away all
the wicked of the earth like dross. Wicked
(rasa)
refers to one who is guilty, a criminal, a transgressor
of the law. What will be their end? The same as what is
done with dross, the slag or scum that is removed from molten
metal (Prov. 25:4; Ezek. 22:18). Such worthless residue
is scrapped off and cast aside. Isaiah is even more
blunt: “[God] shall smite the earth with the rod of his
mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the
wicked” (Is. 11:4). Is that clear
enough?
Claim the
True (v. 120)
My
flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy
judgments.
The picture painted
by the word trembleth
(samar) is shivering in fear or even the hair standing
on end (Job 4:15). Commentators are divided on whether
David was expressing fear for himself or fear for
others, but in the end, it does not really matter
because both are true.
First, it is
true of ourselves. As Solomon declares, in Proverbs 1:7,
“The fear of
the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools
despise wisdom and instruction,” and again in 9:10,
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom:
and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” In
other words, true knowledge begins with a fear of
God. If we are to know anything,
we must begin with the presupposition of God. How, for
example, can an intelligent person believe—and then brag
about believing it—that the universe sprang from nothing
and then evolved? How can truly brilliant people say
something so absurd and irrational? Because they do not
start with God. Without Him, we can know
nothing.
Further, that
knowledge begins with the fear of
God. The Hebrew word translated “fear” in the
verses above is yirah. It has been softened by many to mean simply
“reverence.” While that is involved, the basic, primary
meaning is what we mean by the words “fear and terror.”
This principle of the fear
of the Lord is found many times in Scripture, as in
Deuteronomy 2:25: “This day will I begin to put the
dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that
are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of
thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of
thee” (cf. Ex. 20:20; Ezek. 30:13). Likewise, in the New
Testament, lost man is spoken of as having “no fear of
God before [his] eyes” (Rom. 3:18). The greatest
evidence, however, is that every time we see someone in
Scripture get a glimpse of God, even a believer, they
are terrified. Isaiah cried out, “?Woe is me! for I am
undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell
in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes
have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (?Isa. 6:5?). The
same was true of Daniel (?Dan. 10:8–9?; cf. ?8:17?),
Ezekiel (?Ezek. 1:28?; ?3:23?; ?9:8?; ?43:3?; ?44:4?),
?Samson’s father Manoah (?Judg. 13:22?), and Job (?Job
42:5–6?).
In sad contrast,
there is today a frivolous and nonchalant attitude
toward God, where He is thought of as our buddy and pal.
Many church services are casual and man-centered, where
God is given lip-service but in reality is simply a
spectator. We have lost the Truth of God’s holiness and
man’s sinfulness. We have lost what people of Scripture
knew, namely, that when confronted with the blazing
glory of God, we are terrified in our
unworthiness. As Paul exhorts
believers, we should “?serve God acceptably with
reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming
fire?” (?Heb. 12:28–29?). I for one am fearful of
disobeying God, fearful of disobeying His Word, fearful
that I might be unfaithful in my study and teaching of
the Word.
Yes, as
believers this fear matures
into what is called “reverence,” but then again, what
exactly is reverence? Webster defines reverence as
“deep respect tinged with awe,” and defines awe as “a
feeling of reverence, fear, and wonder.” Clearly, then,
all these ideas are implicit in both words: fear and reverence. Tragically, however, we see little of that
today.
This absolutely must
be the beginning of one's attitude. Unless God is
enthroned in the human heart, there can be no real
knowledge of His truth, or in
a very real sense any truth at
all. Science without God fabricates evolution,
philosophy without God yields Relativism, and religion
with God produces hopelessness. “What is this fear of the
Lord?” asks Puritan Charles Bridges, and no one has
answered the question
better:
It is that affectionate reverence
by which the child of God bends himself humbly and
carefully to his Father’s law. His wrath is so bitter,
and His love so sweet, that hence springs an earnest
desire to please Him, and—because of the danger of
coming short from his own weakness and temptations—a
holy watchfulness and fear, “that he
might not sin against Him.”[iii]
David then adds,
I am afraid
of thy judgments, echoing
Isaiah, “to this man will I look, even to him that is
poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word”
(Is. 66:2).
Second, we
also fear for others. We should, indeed, shudder at the
judgments that await those who reject God’s truth, for it
is a “fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living
God” (Heb. 10:31). The Psalmist Asaph adds these
chilling words, “Now consider this, ye that forget God,
lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver”
(Ps. 50:22). Oh, dear Christian Friend, let us,
therefore, preach the Gospel to everyone we
meet!
[i] Baker and Carpenter,
#5588.
[iii] Charles
Bridges, Exposition of the
Book of Proverbs (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1959), pp.
3-4.
