Psa 119:144 | KingComments | STEP | The letter tsadhe has the pictogram which can be interpreted as ‘a suffering servant’ and is related to the word tsadik which means righteous. The letter has two forms: the regular letter that speaks of a suffering servant and the closing letter that speaks of a glorified servant. This closing letter is long and straight, and has the shape of a palm tree (cf. ). The letter tsadhe undoubtedly refers to Christ, the Just or Righteous ( ). When the Son of David will appear as the righteous Branch or Sprout, He will do justice and righteousness as King. His Name will be: “The LORD our righteousness” ( ). This tsadhe stanza is about the significance of the glories of the Word to the psalmist personally, how the Word of God brings him into the nearness of God. The stanza begins with the declaration and praise that the LORD is righteous, both in His Person and in His actions ( ). The stanza ends with the declaration and praise that the Word of the LORD is righteous ( ). The psalmist expresses the deep conviction to the LORD: “Righteous are You” ( ; cf. ). The LORD is righteous when He declares the one righteous who has faith in Jesus ( ). He is also righteous when He reveals His wrath ( ; ). Righteous means that He acts according to His standard, which is His covenant and His promise. Because the LORD is just, all His judgments are “upright” (cf. ). His judgments and His Person are in perfect accord with each other ( ). This observation is of great importance. One who sees and considers this will rejoice in it ( ). The evidence of the observation of is given in . The LORD has commanded His testimonies “in righteousness” as well as in “exceeding faithfulness”. Everything He says and does proves that He is righteousness and exceeding in faithfulness. There is no injustice present with Him. Therefore, He cannot be unfaithful either ( ). The psalmist is consumed by zeal for the Word of the LORD ( ). In Psalm 69 we read that he was consumed with zeal for the house of the LORD ( ). In John 2, the Holy Spirit quotes this verse from Psalm 69 and applies it to the Lord Jesus because He is its fulfillment ( ). This consuming zeal is necessary because the apostate members of God’s people, who are His opponents, have forgotten God’s words. The zeal of the righteous comes from his love for God’s words. The opponents of the faithful do not heed what He has said, but go against it with great vigor. This consumes the righteous who is driven by love for God’s words. The God-fearing has not forgotten God’s Word, but on the contrary values it highly. He says to God that His “word is very pure”, it is without any defect ( ; ). Countless attacks have been made on it to invalidate or eradicate it. All these attacks have demonstrated its purity all the more. The enemy has achieved the opposite of his intentions. The servant of God has not forgotten or rejected the very pure Word of God, but rather loves it. For him, the Word is not only pure, but has a purifying effect in his life ( ). An important characteristic of a servant of the LORD is that he loves His Word ( ). An important characteristic of one who loves the Lord Jesus is that he keeps His Word ( ). In , we hear the faithful remnant speaking in the psalmist. They acknowledge that they are “small and despised” compared to the mass of their apostate, hostile peers. While their opponents have forgotten God’s Word ( ), they can say that they have not forgotten the precepts of the LORD. On the contrary, because they are small and despised, they are fully dependent on these precepts. In them they find their strength to stand firm against the enmity of the wicked multitude. At the very moment when the psalmist is reviled and oppressed – and that includes the believing remnant – he holds fast to the powerful precepts of the LORD. More than ever he needs to know His will in such a difficult situation. In the psalmist – and in him the remnant – calls himself “Your servant”. In we see the believer as a servant who suffers in imitation of the suffering Servant of the LORD, that is, the Lord Jesus. We are talking here about the suffering of the Servant because of righteousness (cf. ) and not about His atoning sufferings. In the latter suffering He is unique and cannot be imitated by anyone. The righteousness of God “is an everlasting righteousness” ( ). Righteousness is the righteous action of God, an action that is in accordance with His Word, His covenant, His promise. Its foundation is the blood of the new covenant ( ; ), which is the blood of the eternal covenant ( ). Therefore, it does not have only a temporary effect, but righteousness is absolute and eternal. Directly related to this is the observation that the law of the LORD “is truth”, perfectly true and reliable, without a hint of falsehood. The faithful is afflicted by “trouble and anguish” ( ). This verse is parallel to . There is a difference, however. In the emphasis is on the smallness and vulnerability of the psalmist’s person, whereas here in it is on the magnitude of the trouble. In both cases the Word gives adequate support. Trouble and anguish point to the time of the great tribulation in which all the faithful, that is the faithful remnant, will find themselves at the end of the age. In that time of great trouble, they have a “delight” that will help them through that time. That delight are the commandments of the LORD. During the great tribulation, man will lose all control, but the LORD never runs out of control. He will cause His own to arrive safely in the harbor of their desire ( ). The tribulation may last a long time, but it will come to an end, for He has set a limit for the great tribulation ( ). It is different with the righteous testimonies of the LORD, for they are “forever” ( ). The righteous asks for an understanding of those testimonies, for in them is the true life. This life is life with God and applies to both now and in the future, for His testimonies are forever. God’s testimonies are complete; there will not be added new testimonies. What we need as Christians are not new testimonies or revelations, but a deeper understanding of the God-given revelation in His Word. Without an understanding of this Scripture revelation from God, man, the believer, cannot live the true life, for in the Scriptures man, the believer, learns Who God is and who he himself is. This is not about receiving life ( ), but about the practical enjoyment of it ( ).

‏ Psalms 119:144

/tsadhe/ The Righteous

The letter tsadhe has the pictogram which can be interpreted as ‘a suffering servant’ and is related to the word tsadik which means righteous. The letter has two forms: the regular letter that speaks of a suffering servant and the closing letter that speaks of a glorified servant. This closing letter is long and straight, and has the shape of a palm tree (cf. Psa 92:12-13).

The letter tsadhe undoubtedly refers to Christ, the Just or Righteous (1Pet 3:18). When the Son of David will appear as the righteous Branch or Sprout, He will do justice and righteousness as King. His Name will be: “The LORD our righteousness” (Jer 23:5-6).

This tsadhe stanza is about the significance of the glories of the Word to the psalmist personally, how the Word of God brings him into the nearness of God. The stanza begins with the declaration and praise that the LORD is righteous, both in His Person and in His actions (Psa 119:137). The stanza ends with the declaration and praise that the Word of the LORD is righteous (Psa 119:144).

The psalmist expresses the deep conviction to the LORD: “Righteous are You” (Psa 119:137; cf. Rev 16:5 ; 7). The LORD is righteous when He declares the one righteous who has faith in Jesus (Rom 3:26). He is also righteous when He reveals His wrath (Lam 1:18; Rom 1:18). Righteous means that He acts according to His standard, which is His covenant and His promise.

Because the LORD is just, all His judgments are “upright” (cf. Rev 15:3-4). His judgments and His Person are in perfect accord with each other (Deu 32:4). This observation is of great importance. One who sees and considers this will rejoice in it (Psa 19:8).

The evidence of the observation of Psa 119:137 is given in Psa 119:138. The LORD has commanded His testimonies “in righteousness” as well as in “exceeding faithfulness”. Everything He says and does proves that He is righteousness and exceeding in faithfulness. There is no injustice present with Him. Therefore, He cannot be unfaithful either (2Tim 2:13).

The psalmist is consumed by zeal for the Word of the LORD (Psa 119:139). In Psalm 69 we read that he was consumed with zeal for the house of the LORD (Psa 69:9). In John 2, the Holy Spirit quotes this verse from Psalm 69 and applies it to the Lord Jesus because He is its fulfillment (Jn 2:14-17).

This consuming zeal is necessary because the apostate members of God’s people, who are His opponents, have forgotten God’s words. The zeal of the righteous comes from his love for God’s words. The opponents of the faithful do not heed what He has said, but go against it with great vigor. This consumes the righteous who is driven by love for God’s words.

The God-fearing has not forgotten God’s Word, but on the contrary values it highly. He says to God that His “word is very pure”, it is without any defect (Psa 119:140; Psa 18:30). Countless attacks have been made on it to invalidate or eradicate it. All these attacks have demonstrated its purity all the more. The enemy has achieved the opposite of his intentions. The servant of God has not forgotten or rejected the very pure Word of God, but rather loves it. For him, the Word is not only pure, but has a purifying effect in his life (Jn 15:3).

An important characteristic of a servant of the LORD is that he loves His Word (Psa 119:97). An important characteristic of one who loves the Lord Jesus is that he keeps His Word (Jn 14:21 ; 23).

In Psa 119:141, we hear the faithful remnant speaking in the psalmist. They acknowledge that they are “small and despised” compared to the mass of their apostate, hostile peers. While their opponents have forgotten God’s Word (Psa 119:139), they can say that they have not forgotten the precepts of the LORD. On the contrary, because they are small and despised, they are fully dependent on these precepts. In them they find their strength to stand firm against the enmity of the wicked multitude.

At the very moment when the psalmist is reviled and oppressed – and that includes the believing remnant – he holds fast to the powerful precepts of the LORD. More than ever he needs to know His will in such a difficult situation.

In Psa 119:140 the psalmist – and in him the remnant – calls himself “Your servant”. In Psa 119:141 we see the believer as a servant who suffers in imitation of the suffering Servant of the LORD, that is, the Lord Jesus. We are talking here about the suffering of the Servant because of righteousness (cf. 1Pet 4:13) and not about His atoning sufferings. In the latter suffering He is unique and cannot be imitated by anyone.

The righteousness of God “is an everlasting righteousness” (Psa 119:142). Righteousness is the righteous action of God, an action that is in accordance with His Word, His covenant, His promise. Its foundation is the blood of the new covenant (Mt 26:28; Lk 22:20), which is the blood of the eternal covenant (Heb 13:20).

Therefore, it does not have only a temporary effect, but righteousness is absolute and eternal. Directly related to this is the observation that the law of the LORD “is truth”, perfectly true and reliable, without a hint of falsehood.

The faithful is afflicted by “trouble and anguish” (Psa 119:143). This verse is parallel to Psa 119:141. There is a difference, however. In Psa 119:141 the emphasis is on the smallness and vulnerability of the psalmist’s person, whereas here in Psa 119:143 it is on the magnitude of the trouble. In both cases the Word gives adequate support.

Trouble and anguish point to the time of the great tribulation in which all the faithful, that is the faithful remnant, will find themselves at the end of the age. In that time of great trouble, they have a “delight” that will help them through that time. That delight are the commandments of the LORD. During the great tribulation, man will lose all control, but the LORD never runs out of control. He will cause His own to arrive safely in the harbor of their desire (Psa 107:30).

The tribulation may last a long time, but it will come to an end, for He has set a limit for the great tribulation (Mt 24:21-22). It is different with the righteous testimonies of the LORD, for they are “forever” (Psa 119:144). The righteous asks for an understanding of those testimonies, for in them is the true life. This life is life with God and applies to both now and in the future, for His testimonies are forever.

God’s testimonies are complete; there will not be added new testimonies. What we need as Christians are not new testimonies or revelations, but a deeper understanding of the God-given revelation in His Word. Without an understanding of this Scripture revelation from God, man, the believer, cannot live the true life, for in the Scriptures man, the believer, learns Who God is and who he himself is. This is not about receiving life (Jn 6:53), but about the practical enjoyment of it (Jn 6:56).