Psa 119:165 | KingComments | STEP | The letter shin has the pictogram and meaning of ‘teeth’ and is associated with the concept of ‘eating’, ‘fire’, ‘tribulation’. The negative meaning is tribulation and judgment, the positive is eating and finding a spoil ( ). and speak of the great tribulation, in which the remnant will be persecuted by “princes”, which are the false leaders ( ) and the false shepherds ( ) of Israel. In the midst of these severe tribulations, in this stanza the psalmist and the remnant remain faithful to the LORD and rejoice in the salvation and the Word of the LORD. The psalmist has not been afraid of princes, the followers of the antichrist, who have spread lies about the LORD and His Word. He has, however, been fearful of God’s Word in the sense that he has been “in awe” of it ( ). This has kept him from denying God’s Name before government officials who have persecuted him for no reason, but rather testifying of Him faithfully before them. Examples are Daniel before Nebuchadnezzar, Paul before King Agrippa and above all the Lord Jesus before Pilate. The joy at God’s word or promise, His pledge, can be compared to finding great spoil ( ). That it is spoil means that it is what has been conquered in a victory over an enemy (cf. ). It is not a lucky find, but the result of struggle. To find such great spoil requires effort. Likewise, the knowledge of God through His Word is the result of prayerfully studying and meditating on the Word. That takes effort and time. At the same time, the Word is a weapon, the sword of the Spirit, which is necessary in a time of spiritual struggle, in a time of tribulation and distress. Falsehood is reprehensible and abominable and worth hating ( ). The law, God’s Word, is absolutely true and worth loving. These feelings of hatred and abhorrence for falsehood and love for God’s Word are worked through the reading of God’s Word. Through the Word of God we gain the proper awareness of falsehood and truth. Falsehood here is denying that the LORD is the true God. Elijah asked who is the true God: the LORD or Baal. The confession of the remnant is what the name Elijah means: the LORD is my God. In the end time, the question is who is the true God: the LORD or man. Man wants to be like God ( ) and erects the image of a man to be worshiped ( ). Man takes the place of God ( ; ). We see this taking full shape in the antichrist. He will tempt men with miracles of falsehood according to the working of satan himself to worship him ( ). For us, falsehood is also living a hypocritical life. It appears spiritually healthy and rich on the outside, but on the inside it is dirty and hardened. We see an example and warning in the life of David in his adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband Uriah. The psalmist praises God seven times a day, that is continuously, all day long, because of God’s righteous ordinances ( ). The Word of God also works feelings of gratitude. It is good to consider how far that goes. It is not just giving thanks “ in everything” ( ), but it goes further: “Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father” ( ). Everything in God’s Word is also meant to bring us to give thanks to God. How much reason we get for giving thanks when we discover in God’s Word Who the Lord Jesus is to God and to us and what He has done and still does. Loving the Word of God results in “great peace” ( ) and that in a world that is full of discontent and temptation. That peace is the peace of God. Whoever knows this peace will find that the Lord keeps his heart and his thoughts ( ; cf. ). He recognizes every stumbling block and is carried by the Lord through His grace and His angels, so that he does not strike his foot against a stone ( ). With that great peace, the Lord Jesus went His way on earth without stumbling. When the righteous are in trouble, in accordance with the covenant, they may hope for the salvation of the LORD, while doing His commandments ( ). This hope for salvation is not an uncertainty, but means that they are certain that what has been promised is coming ( ). In addition and above, our hope is in Him Who will come to fulfill what is promised ( ). This certainty does not make one frivolous, but obedient to the commandments of God. The love of God and His Word are expressed in the keeping of God’s testimonies and loving them exceedingly ( ; cf. ). are both about keeping God’s testimonies and form the conclusion of this stanza. We too have been given the task of keeping or guarding what has been entrusted to us by the Holy Spirit Who dwells in us ( ). Just as faith without works is dead ( ), loving the Lord Jesus without keeping His commandments is a lie. The psalmist speaks of “my soul”. By this he is saying that his whole being, his whole inner being is involved. Love for God’s testimonies is not shown by mere verbal declaration. That love is evidenced by the full absorption of it in the heart, from which it is manifested in practice. When the “precepts and testimonies” of God are kept, attached to that is the awareness that all the ways of the God-fearing are open to God ( ; cf. ). Because the psalmist knows that God oversees all his ways, he wants to be guided by His precepts and testimonies. To God the ways that His own go have no secrets. That is why it is so necessary to consult His Word, for in it He shows the way in which each of His own must go. He also makes clear to us what is in our heart, all the hidden corners of which are then revealed ( ).

‏ Psalms 119:165

/shin/ Tribulation

The letter shin has the pictogram and meaning of ‘teeth’ and is associated with the concept of ‘eating’, ‘fire’, ‘tribulation’. The negative meaning is tribulation and judgment, the positive is eating and finding a spoil (Psa 119:162). Psa 119:161 and Psa 119:163 speak of the great tribulation, in which the remnant will be persecuted by “princes”, which are the false leaders (Psa 119:161) and the false shepherds (Zec 11:15-17) of Israel. In the midst of these severe tribulations, in this stanza the psalmist and the remnant remain faithful to the LORD and rejoice in the salvation and the Word of the LORD.

The psalmist has not been afraid of princes, the followers of the antichrist, who have spread lies about the LORD and His Word. He has, however, been fearful of God’s Word in the sense that he has been “in awe” of it (Psa 119:161). This has kept him from denying God’s Name before government officials who have persecuted him for no reason, but rather testifying of Him faithfully before them. Examples are Daniel before Nebuchadnezzar, Paul before King Agrippa and above all the Lord Jesus before Pilate.

The joy at God’s word or promise, His pledge, can be compared to finding great spoil (Psa 119:162). That it is spoil means that it is what has been conquered in a victory over an enemy (cf. Isa 9:2b). It is not a lucky find, but the result of struggle. To find such great spoil requires effort.

Likewise, the knowledge of God through His Word is the result of prayerfully studying and meditating on the Word. That takes effort and time. At the same time, the Word is a weapon, the sword of the Spirit, which is necessary in a time of spiritual struggle, in a time of tribulation and distress.

Falsehood is reprehensible and abominable and worth hating (Psa 119:163). The law, God’s Word, is absolutely true and worth loving. These feelings of hatred and abhorrence for falsehood and love for God’s Word are worked through the reading of God’s Word. Through the Word of God we gain the proper awareness of falsehood and truth.

Falsehood here is denying that the LORD is the true God. Elijah asked who is the true God: the LORD or Baal. The confession of the remnant is what the name Elijah means: the LORD is my God. In the end time, the question is who is the true God: the LORD or man. Man wants to be like God (Gen 3:4-6) and erects the image of a man to be worshiped (Dan 3:1-5). Man takes the place of God (Acts 12:21-23; Rev 13:11-12). We see this taking full shape in the antichrist. He will tempt men with miracles of falsehood according to the working of satan himself to worship him (2Thes 2:3-4 ; 9).

For us, falsehood is also living a hypocritical life. It appears spiritually healthy and rich on the outside, but on the inside it is dirty and hardened. We see an example and warning in the life of David in his adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband Uriah.

The psalmist praises God seven times a day, that is continuously, all day long, because of God’s righteous ordinances (Psa 119:164). The Word of God also works feelings of gratitude. It is good to consider how far that goes. It is not just giving thanks “in everything” (1Thes 5:18), but it goes further: “Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father” (Eph 5:20).

Everything in God’s Word is also meant to bring us to give thanks to God. How much reason we get for giving thanks when we discover in God’s Word Who the Lord Jesus is to God and to us and what He has done and still does.

Loving the Word of God results in “great peace” (Psa 119:165) and that in a world that is full of discontent and temptation. That peace is the peace of God. Whoever knows this peace will find that the Lord keeps his heart and his thoughts (Phil 4:7; cf. Isa 26:3). He recognizes every stumbling block and is carried by the Lord through His grace and His angels, so that he does not strike his foot against a stone (Mt 4:6). With that great peace, the Lord Jesus went His way on earth without stumbling.

When the righteous are in trouble, in accordance with the covenant, they may hope for the salvation of the LORD, while doing His commandments (Psa 119:166). This hope for salvation is not an uncertainty, but means that they are certain that what has been promised is coming (Heb 11:1). In addition and above, our hope is in Him Who will come to fulfill what is promised (Heb 10:37). This certainty does not make one frivolous, but obedient to the commandments of God.

The love of God and His Word are expressed in the keeping of God’s testimonies and loving them exceedingly (Psa 119:167; cf. Jn 14:21 ; 23). Psa 119:166-167 are both about keeping God’s testimonies and form the conclusion of this stanza. We too have been given the task of keeping or guarding what has been entrusted to us by the Holy Spirit Who dwells in us (2Tim 1:14).

Just as faith without works is dead (Jam 2:17), loving the Lord Jesus without keeping His commandments is a lie. The psalmist speaks of “my soul”. By this he is saying that his whole being, his whole inner being is involved. Love for God’s testimonies is not shown by mere verbal declaration. That love is evidenced by the full absorption of it in the heart, from which it is manifested in practice.

When the “precepts and testimonies” of God are kept, attached to that is the awareness that all the ways of the God-fearing are open to God (Psa 119:168; cf. Heb 4:12-13). Because the psalmist knows that God oversees all his ways, he wants to be guided by His precepts and testimonies. To God the ways that His own go have no secrets. That is why it is so necessary to consult His Word, for in it He shows the way in which each of His own must go. He also makes clear to us what is in our heart, all the hidden corners of which are then revealed (Psa 139:23-24).