Exposition
of Psalm 119
ש
SCHIN
God’s Word Produces Integrity
Psalm 119:161-169
Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.
I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.
I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.
Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.
Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
LORD, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments.
My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly.
I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways are before thee.
Webster defines integrity as:
1: firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values: Incorruptibility
2: an unimpaired condition: Soundness
3: the quality or state of being complete or undivided: Completeness
Interestingly, the word “integrity” comes from the word “integer,” which means “whole” or “complete.” Integrity, then, speaks of being true to one’s ethical standards, in our case, God’s standards, being completely consistent with his or her stated convictions, and being completely without hypocrisy or duplicity. Here is an important word that should truly resound in Christian character. There are not many words that sum up good character as does this one.
If there is one thing that can be said of the world, however, it is that it has little integrity. Many politicians say or do anything to get elected, many businessmen and salesman will get money regardless of what it takes, many attorneys and judges will compromise ethics and basic morality to achieve their own ends, and the examples go on.
Much sadder is the fact that this has infiltrated the church. Most church ministry is based on doing anything to fill the church building, giving people what they want instead of giving them truth. Truth, in fact, is unashamedly abandoned for the sake of unity, and tolerance and is replaced with relativism. Such attitudes do not demonstrate integrity.
Well, that was certainly not David’s view in the stanza before us. He gives us, in fact, no less than seven characteristics of integrity, with the Word of God again at the center.
Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.
David has repeatedly mentioned that he is suffering for his commitment to God’s Word (vs. 28, 50, 67, 71, 75, 83, 92, 107, 109, 143, 153), but here he adds that it is without a cause. We see the same perplexity in David during Saul’s pursuit of him, when he said, “Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?” (1 Sam. 26:18). This could also refer to princes of the Philistines, who mistrusted David (I Sam. 29).
The same thing will occur if we stand for the truth of God’s Word. Yes, it would certainly be justified if we were breaking laws, were guilty of slander, or committed some other violation of morality. But it will be without a cause, that is, a justifiable offense. The only reason it will come is because men do not like the truth. As Paul asked the Galatians in a verse that often keeps me going in the ministry, “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” (Gal. 4:16), to which the answer is, “Yes!” Sadly, many “preachers” today are not making any enemies whatsoever because they do not stand for truth. Yes, they are drawing people in by the tens of thousands, but they are not drawing those crowds by telling them the truth.
Why was David willing to do this? Because he [stood] in awe of [God’s] word. The Hebrew for awe (pāhad) is the same word translated “fear” back in verse 120: “My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments.” It speaks of fear and dread and, therefore, pictures the dread David had of compromising the Word.
Where is that dread today? We are being told that we should not preach about sin because it offends people, or that we should not take a stand on anything because it might alienate people or invite criticism of our ministry, or that we might appear intolerant or unloving. But again, that is not integrity. Peter also writes in his first Epistle: “For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing” (3:17) and again, “Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator” (4:19). That, in fact, will occur when we stand for Christ, as Paul declares, “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (II Tim. 3:12). How many megachurch pastors today are suffering anything for their positions and teachings? Yes, standing for truth will art times offend, alienate, invite criticism, or even cost us our lives, but our willingness to do just that proves our integrity.
I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.
One of the greatest benefits of battle and conquest in the ancient world was the spoil it brought. The same is true in more modern times. Why did Adolph Hitler want Russia? Yes, he hated the Bolsheviks, but what he really wanted were the oilfields of the Caucasus Mountains in the south. They would also open a gateway further south to the oilfields of the Middle East. What was the whole war about for the Japanese? Again, raw materials, such as the coveted oilfields of the Dutch East Indies. The reason for their attack on Pearl Harbor, of course, was retaliation for the American embargo against sending them such raw materials.
Being a military man, David knew about the value of the spoils of war, having found great spoil, in fact, at Ziglag (I Sam. 30:19; 26-31) and from the children of Ammon (II Sam. 12:30). He, therefore, draws a comparison. He said, I rejoice at thy word as one that findeth great spoil. Spoil increases one’s wealth, power, satisfaction, influence, and happiness, and rejoice (śûś) pictures jubilant celebration. This pictures soldiers cheering after the battle as they raise the spoils above their head for all to see. Unlike physical spoil, however, which never totally satisfies, God’s Word does. Hitler, for example, was not satisfied with Russia—which he didn’t actually take anyway—but he wanted all of Europe and even planned to invade America; he wanted to capture the world. Only “spiritual spoil” satisfies.
We should also note that as the spoils of war do not come easily—they must be fought for—so the spoils of the Word of God do not come without conflict. We must labor in it and at times fight our own rebellion against it. We then even fight for it and defend it with our lives.
That was David’s joy in the Word of God. Do we take such joy in the Word of God? Do we have such integrity? Do we want it and rejoice in it like the conqueror does the spoils of war?
I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.
We will look at the Psalmist’s love of the Word one more time in verse 167, but the pivotal principle to note here is that love of truth automatically demands that we hate untruth.
I admit to a love of good western movies, such as John Wayne movies, of course. One of the things I have noticed about many such stories is that one of the greatest insults that can be leveled at someone is calling him a liar. A gunfight often results. Well it seems like we often avoid calling a false religion or false teaching a lie because we don’t want to be insulting, intolerant, judgmental, or unloving. What we need to realize, however, is that whatever is not totally true is a lie, plain and simple. A half-truth told as a whole truth is an untruth. A half-truth or partial truth is a lie. There is no middle ground—truth or lie are the only choices.
So important was this to the Psalmist, that he emphasizes it twice: I hate and abhor lying. We live in day of syrupy sentimentality where people say, “Oh God is all love,” but that, too, quite frankly, is a lie. God is also holy, just, and even wrathful. What do people do with such verses that declare that God hates not just wickedness itself (Ps. 45:17), but hates and condemns the wicked, that is, those who do it (Ps. 5:5; 11:5). The Hebrew for hate (śānē’) denotes a strong emotion of loathing, detesting, and despising. Added to that is the word abhor (tā‘ab), which speaks of a severe sense of loathing of something considered an abomination. Ahab, for example, “did very abominably in following idols” (I Kings 21:26). In light of what we mentioned in our last study, most Christians today are not abhorred by idols by rather bring them right into their homes and even call them “Christian.” Further, of the so-called “atheist,” we also read, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” Man himself is considered “abominable and filthy” because he “drinketh iniquity like water” (Job. 15:16).
How much, then, do we love truth? Do we love it enough that we hate and abhor anything that is not true? Are lies of any kind ever a part of our speech? Only when we love truth and loathe untruth do we have integrity. As Puritan Charles Bridges challenges us, “We can neither stand in awe of God’s Word, nor rejoice at it, unless we abhor all contrary ways.”[1]
Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.
So immersed in God was David that he praised God seven times a day. One ancient rabbi says “this is to be understood literally, for they praised God twice in the morning before reading the decalogue, and once after; twice in the evening before the same reading, and twice after; making in the whole seven times.”[2] The language, however, can also be taken figuratively. Since David says elsewhere that he prayed the normal, prescribed three times a day (“evening, and morning, and at noon,” Ps. 55:17), as did Daniel (Dan. 6:10), and since the number seven is the number of perfection and is sometimes used to indicate an indefinite number (Pr. 24:16; Lev. 26:28), it seems more likely that David simply means that his praise was throughout the day. That was, in fact, the very point he makes in Psalm 34:1, “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
That is also certainly the spirit of the New Testament. Praise is not prescribed, rather it is permeating. It is not a matter of legalism, but one of liberty. When Paul writes, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (I Thes. 5:17), the clear implication is that this praise permeates our day. Likewise, he wrote to the Ephesians, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:20) and also to the Colossians, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Col 3:17). Even clearer is Hebrews 13:15: “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”
What demonstrates integrity? Giving God praise and glory for everything, and that is a full time job.
Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
A by-product of integrity is peace. A man of integrity can sleep well at night because he knows he has done nothing amiss. A man of integrity has no fear of blackmail because no one can find any offense that he is ashamed of and would pay money to keep hidden.
Most important is the word offend (mikshôl), which is often used figuratively for something that would cause people to stumble morally and therefore sin, such as wealth (Ezek. 7:19) and idols (Ezek. 14:3). A person with integrity simply does not stumble into sin, does not allow things to draw him into moral failure. Puritan Matthew Henry perfectly captures the meaning here:
Nothing shall be a scandal, snare, or stumbling-block, to them, to entangle them either in guilt or grief. No event of providence shall be either an invincible temptation or an intolerable affliction to them, but their love to the word of God shall enable them both to hold fast their integrity and to preserve their tranquility.
What is it that protects him? As always, it is the love of God’s law. When our hearts and minds are set on that, nothing will trip us up in our walk with Him.
LORD, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments.
This is the seventh and final occurrence of hope (or hoped) in this Psalm (cf. vs. 43, 49, 74, 114, 116, 147). As has been noted, the Hebrew yāhal means “confident expectation, trust, and patient waiting.” In the Septuagint, yāhal is often translated by the Greek elpizō, “to expect with desire.”[3] Unlike its use today, biblically, hope always means certainty; it expresses an attitude of absolute assurance and rest in that assurance. David had no uncertainty in salvation, rather assurance and confidence.
What was the proof of salvation in his life? The fact that he had done [God’s] commandments. As noted back in verse 155, proof positive of true conversion is doing what God has commanded. Echoing the words of his Lord (Jn. 14:15), the Apostle John wrote: “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him” (I Jn. 2:5). As Matthew Henry again comments, “We cannot, upon good grounds, hope for God’s salvation, unless we set ourselves to do his commandments.”
That is, indeed, integrity. Many today talk about God, make sweet speeches about Jesus, and give lip service to the Bible. But talk is cheap, and what proves our integrity is our adherence to commandments of God.
My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly.
I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways are before thee.
The stanza ends with two principles that speak of obedience.
My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly.
This is the final time David speaks of his love for the Word of God in this Psalm. He has, in fact, mentioned this no fewer than eleven times. Let’s briefly review them for emphasis by noting four of the eight synonyms for God’s Word that David uses.
First, he loved God’s commandments, the clear,
definite, and authoritative commands of God (vs. 47, 48, 127). Second, he loved
God’s law, God’s instruction and direction (vs. 97, 113, 163, 165). Third,
he loved God’s testimonies, sober and serious expressions of God’s
standards for human behavior (vs. 119, 167). Fourth, he loved God’s precepts,
statements of how God wants things ordered (v. 159). In addition, David added
that he loved God’s name (v. 132), because to love God’s Word is
to love God.
Such adoration controls us. Whatever we adore in our lives is what will control us. When we truly love the Word of God, it alone will control our thinking, our attitudes, our actions, our speech, our desires, our goals—in short, everything. As Puritan Thomas Watson challenges us, “Christians should be walking Bibles.”[4] Are we?
I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways are before thee.
So comprehensive, so all encompassing was David’s involvement with the Word of God, so sure was he of his saturation with it, that he could say, all my ways are before thee. “I am an open book,” he says in effect.
That is a man of integrity. Is that you? Are you so controlled and saturated with the Word of God that you are an open book? Oh, that we would be men and women of integrity!