Scripture Reading:

Psalm 119:73-80

73 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.

74 They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word.

75 I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.

76 Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.

77 Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight.

78 Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts.

79 Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those that have known thy testimonies.

80 Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.

The Point:

Our commitment to God’s Word is known by the company we keep.

How do we feel in the recitation of this Psalm?

We have a firm sense of our right standing with God, especially when we retain a right disposition toward His law. We stand confident, unashamed in the presence of a merciful God.

What does this Psalm say?

Verse 73.

Occasionally, it is helpful to remember the fundamental reason why we must keep the commandments of God. Here is the basis, presented in verse 73. If God made us, then it stands to reason that He has a right to our fealty. Scientists and engineers know what it is to fashion a mechanical device, an automobile, or a robot. There is a sense in which these “creators” have a right to the service of the robot or the automobile. Yet, there is more to our relationship with God according to the words of this verse.  There is a careful, intimate involvement assumed in the fashioning of this human soul and flesh.  There is a personality and capability of an interpersonal relationship.  Any relationship an engineer might have with his robot would be sterile and boring.  Moreover, the human being was created with a free will, capable of making “uncoerced” choices, either to love and obey, or not to love and obey God. This is very different from a robot.

Without proper understanding and wisdom, it would be impossible to rightly apply God’s laws.  For example, how might a judge adjudicate a child custody case when both parents claim to be Christian and both vigorously argue that they will provide the best upbringing for the child? Or how do Christian women establish a standard for modesty in dress when the world celebrates immodesty? The mind that fulfills the will of God is both sanctified and actively engaged.

Verse 74. 

The godly man is an encouragement to other godly men, for several reasons.  First and foremost, he is an encouragement because he has solid hope and a basis for his hope.  Hopeful people are encouraging because their hopeful optimism just exudes from them. On the other hand, unbelievers are hopeless and unbelieving, by definition.  They may pretend to have a basis for some sort of optimism, but it is all a sham and they know it.  Meanwhile, true believers are hopeful because they hang their hopes on the promises of God who cannot break His Word. There can be nobody more optimistic than the man who says, “But now is Christ risen from the dead. . . Thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Cor. 15:20, 57).

Verses 75-77. 

God’s judgments have to do with Him acting according to His own commandments.  There is a difference between a law legislated and a law executed in adjudication. For example, a legislature may pass a law relating to negligent homicide, and only a little later a judge condemns a specific man to execution when he kills a child while driving in a state of intoxication. In both cases, we may ask if the legislature acts righteously and justly and if the judge acts righteously and justly in the specific case at hand. God both establishes law and executes that law in all that He does, and the Psalmist here acknowledges that God’s judgments are always right.  We have no business questioning the appropriateness of God’s actions, even, in our own case, where we are subjected to affliction because of our sinful behavior.

Yet, the Christian cannot live without the comfort that God is vitally interested in his good.  If God does not deal with us in tender mercies and merciful kindness, there is no hope for any of us,  for we all fall short of His standards and His glory.  We cannot possibly hope to be saved from our sins unless He takes a special interest in us, justifies us by His grace, enlightens our minds, renews our wills, and sanctifies us by His fatherly work in our lives (by His Spirit). The Christian life is beautifully summed up in verse 77 in two descriptive phrases.  First, this life swims in the tender mercies of God, and secondly, we delight in His commandments.  When God’s people maintain a right disposition towards God’s laws, it is clear that they do not feel condemned by that law.  How can they feel condemned when they are forgiven by the tender mercies of God?

Verses 78-80. 

The final verses in this section speak to the matter of shame, a very familiar condition in the life of the human being. It is the one thing that hampers true freedom and joy. At first, proud college professors mock at their Christian students who try to speak out concerning the existence of God and His moral standards that condemn the sexual immorality of the day. In their self-confidence, these proud men betray no shame for their godlessness and immoral lifestyles. But the time will come when their shame will get the best of them.  Their lives fill up with broken relationships, treacherous dealings with others, sexual diseases, depression, doubt, theories proven wrong, and failed endeavors; all of which gradually erode their self-confidence and lead to the overwhelming domination of shame.

The story takes the opposite turn for the righteous. They are meditating on God’s precepts, and they find great stability, certainty, and confidence in the laws of God. How else might a man know that he is in the right?   If he takes God’s side, he can be sure he is on the right side! If he has honestly confessed his sins and repented according to the standards of God’s law, he has no reason to be ashamed, even when men cast aspersions and publicly defame him. When God removes all shame, the believer need never be concerned about the efforts of mere men to shame him.  Who cares what men think, when he stands unashamed in the presence of Almighty God!

How do we apply this Psalm to our lives?

There are several ways in which we know that we are true believers, as laid out in this Psalm.  We delight in the commandments of God.  In fact, our minds are mainly taken up with meditating on God’s Word.  We are also known by the company we keep, and those who are drawn into our presence.  In the fellowship of the church, do we attract those least interested in following after God or those who are most interested in following after God?

How does this Psalm teach us to worship God?

Those that fear God should be delighted to meet others who fear God when they come into the worship of God on the Lord’s Day. There is nothing that unifies a diverse people more than humility of heart and the fear of God.

Questions:

1. What is the difference between a robot and a human being? Why we do we owe God our obedience?

2. What is the difference between a statute and a judgment?

3. What makes a godly man an encouragement to those around him?

4. How do the ungodly try to shame the godly?  What is the root of real shame?

5. Who are the people that are glad to see this godly man pictured in this Psalm? How are they described?

Family Discussion Questions:

1. Do people consider you to be encouraging?  Why do you come across as hopeful and optimistic or pessimistic?