Psa 119:41 | KingComments | STEP | The pictogram of the letter vav is a human being, a nail, a tent pole or a (connecting) hook (cf. ). The letter’s function in Hebrew is to connect words; it means ‘and’. Each verse in this vav stanza begins with the conjunction ‘and’, a word that connects two parts of a sentence. We see an illustration of this in Jacob’s ladder connecting heaven and earth ( ). The vav is the sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet and has the numerical value six. This is the number of man, who was created by God on the sixth day to be the connection between heaven and earth. Because the first man, Adam, failed, his place is taken by the second Man, Christ, Who established the connection between heaven and earth, between God and men ( ). In this vav stanza we see the Word of God as the link between heaven and earth, between the Eternal and the puny. The Word is like the connecting hook in the relationship between God and men. First, in we find the psalmist’s prayer, a prayer for help based on his trust in the Word. Then in we find the psalmist’s attitude of devotion and purposes toward the Word. The faithful continually need the awareness of the LORD’s “lovingkindness” and “salvation” ( ). First, the faithful has received new life based on the LORD’s lovingkindness, and then he continues to need the LORD’s lovingkindness in his life. For us, too, it is “grace upon grace” ( ). We received grace when we came to repentance, and we also receive necessary grace throughout our stay on earth. The LORD, in accordance with His covenant – lovingkindness, Adonai – has promised that He will give His own by virtue of His covenant the salvation, that is, the blessing of the realm of peace. He does not need to be reminded of this, but believers may remember this and say it to Him. His lovingkindness is shown in the salvation of the faithful from the dangers that surround them to then introduce them to the blessings of the new covenant. There will always be those who reproach the believer ( ). These are the unfaithful Israelites, the followers of the antichrist, who have rejected the covenant and are reproaching the faithful remnant. The remnant is being reproached because it seems that the LORD is not helping them. When He fulfills His promise, the remnant can thereby answer those who taunt them. From himself, the psalmist cannot speak truth. The same is true for the remnant and for us. A believer can speak “the word of truth” only if God puts it in his mouth ( ; cf. ). Also, the believer has to wait for God’s “ordinances”. This speaks of the expectation he has that God will make His ordinances known to him. With that, the psalmist can answer him who reproaches him. We too must always be ready to give an account to anyone who asks us to give an account of the hope that is in us ( ). To that end, the psalmist asks if the LORD will not take the word of truth utterly out of his mouth. This happens to us when we depart from His way by being unwilling to confess our sins or when we deliberately choose a different way than the one the Lord has shown us. When the LORD delivers him from people who hate him ( ), he will continually keep His law, and will do so “forever and ever” ( ). He will then be able to confess the faithfulness of the LORD. This resolve of the heart is worth following for us. It is a decision based on the experienced love and faithfulness of the LORD, the full revelation of which we see in the work of Christ. In return, we can only offer total obedience. When God’s law is continually kept, the believer “walks at liberty” ( ). Self-will and sin lead to bondage and hindrance in the prayer life and understanding of God’s Word ( ; ; ). Seeking the precepts of God frees a person from any bondage that prevents him from doing God’s will and going God’s way. The Lord Jesus always walked at liberty. He never did anything but seek God’s precepts in order to accomplish them. He has lived on earth at true liberty. He makes slaves to sin truly free ( ). An unbeliever is not free, for he is bound by sin. He cannot do the will of God, nor can he walk in the way of God. A believer, who has been set free by the Son of God, is able to do what he now longs to do, namely the will of God. The Lord Jesus is his new life, and that new life wants to do in him only what God wants, just as the Lord Jesus always did only what God wants. If a person walks in liberty, he may even have to appear before kings ( ). He will “speak of Your testimonies” before them without being ashamed. There is no fear of man, but a desire to testify of Who God is even in the higher circles. Paul did so ( ; cf. ). We see the same thing with the friends of Daniel ( ) and John the baptist ( ). Where there is love for the commandments of God, there is delight in them ( ). This theme runs like a golden thread throughout the psalm ( ). We experience this delight when we read and examine God’s Word. It is a characteristic that someone has life from God when he has love for ‘the love letter’ of God, the Bible. Someone who says he loves God but does not read His Word with love is a liar. When there is love for the commandments of God, these commandments do not press on the conscience like a burden, but are a joy to the heart. The lifting up of the hands to the commandments of the LORD is an attitude of praise and prayer ( ; ; cf. ). In this attitude, the righteous will meditate on the LORD’s statutes that he may understand them and live them out to His glory. This attitude comes from the love that the God-fearing has in his heart for those statutes. This is evidenced by the fact that he meditates on the statutes of the LORD. In meditating, the faithful one is not focused on himself, but on Him to Whom the statutes belong. He is concerned with getting to know the LORD better.

‏ Psalms 119:41

/vav/ Heaven and Earth Connected

The pictogram of the letter vav is a human being, a nail, a tent pole or a (connecting) hook (cf. Exo 26:32 ; 37 ; Exo 27:10). The letter’s function in Hebrew is to connect words; it means ‘and’. Each verse in this vav stanza begins with the conjunction ‘and’, a word that connects two parts of a sentence. We see an illustration of this in Jacob’s ladder connecting heaven and earth (Gen 28:12-13).

The vav is the sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet and has the numerical value six. This is the number of man, who was created by God on the sixth day to be the connection between heaven and earth. Because the first man, Adam, failed, his place is taken by the second Man, Christ, Who established the connection between heaven and earth, between God and men (1Tim 2:5).

In this vav stanza we see the Word of God as the link between heaven and earth, between the Eternal and the puny. The Word is like the connecting hook in the relationship between God and men.

First, in Psa 119:41-43 we find the psalmist’s prayer, a prayer for help based on his trust in the Word. Then in Psa 119:44-48 we find the psalmist’s attitude of devotion and purposes toward the Word.

The faithful continually need the awareness of the LORD’s “lovingkindness” and “salvation” (Psa 119:41). First, the faithful has received new life based on the LORD’s lovingkindness, and then he continues to need the LORD’s lovingkindness in his life. For us, too, it is “grace upon grace” (Jn 1:16). We received grace when we came to repentance, and we also receive necessary grace throughout our stay on earth.

The LORD, in accordance with His covenant – lovingkindness, Adonai – has promised that He will give His own by virtue of His covenant the salvation, that is, the blessing of the realm of peace. He does not need to be reminded of this, but believers may remember this and say it to Him. His lovingkindness is shown in the salvation of the faithful from the dangers that surround them to then introduce them to the blessings of the new covenant.

There will always be those who reproach the believer (Psa 119:42). These are the unfaithful Israelites, the followers of the antichrist, who have rejected the covenant and are reproaching the faithful remnant. The remnant is being reproached because it seems that the LORD is not helping them. When He fulfills His promise, the remnant can thereby answer those who taunt them.

From himself, the psalmist cannot speak truth. The same is true for the remnant and for us. A believer can speak “the word of truth” only if God puts it in his mouth (Psa 119:43; cf. Mt 10:19-20). Also, the believer has to wait for God’s “ordinances”. This speaks of the expectation he has that God will make His ordinances known to him.

With that, the psalmist can answer him who reproaches him. We too must always be ready to give an account to anyone who asks us to give an account of the hope that is in us (1Pet 3:15). To that end, the psalmist asks if the LORD will not take the word of truth utterly out of his mouth. This happens to us when we depart from His way by being unwilling to confess our sins or when we deliberately choose a different way than the one the Lord has shown us.

When the LORD delivers him from people who hate him (Psa 119:42), he will continually keep His law, and will do so “forever and ever” (Psa 119:44). He will then be able to confess the faithfulness of the LORD. This resolve of the heart is worth following for us. It is a decision based on the experienced love and faithfulness of the LORD, the full revelation of which we see in the work of Christ. In return, we can only offer total obedience.

When God’s law is continually kept, the believer “walks at liberty” (Psa 119:45). Self-will and sin lead to bondage and hindrance in the prayer life and understanding of God’s Word (Psa 66:18; Jam 4:3; 1Pet 3:7). Seeking the precepts of God frees a person from any bondage that prevents him from doing God’s will and going God’s way. The Lord Jesus always walked at liberty. He never did anything but seek God’s precepts in order to accomplish them. He has lived on earth at true liberty. He makes slaves to sin truly free (Jn 8:36).

An unbeliever is not free, for he is bound by sin. He cannot do the will of God, nor can he walk in the way of God. A believer, who has been set free by the Son of God, is able to do what he now longs to do, namely the will of God. The Lord Jesus is his new life, and that new life wants to do in him only what God wants, just as the Lord Jesus always did only what God wants.

If a person walks in liberty, he may even have to appear before kings (Psa 119:46). He will “speak of Your testimonies” before them without being ashamed. There is no fear of man, but a desire to testify of Who God is even in the higher circles. Paul did so (Acts 25:23-24 ; Acts 26:1-2 ; 27-29; cf. Rom 1:16). We see the same thing with the friends of Daniel (Dan 3:17-19) and John the baptist (Mt 14:4).

Where there is love for the commandments of God, there is delight in them (Psa 119:47). This theme runs like a golden thread throughout the psalm (Psa 119:16 ; 70 ; 97 ; 113 ; 119 ; 127 ; 140 ; 159 ; 163). We experience this delight when we read and examine God’s Word. It is a characteristic that someone has life from God when he has love for ‘the love letter’ of God, the Bible. Someone who says he loves God but does not read His Word with love is a liar. When there is love for the commandments of God, these commandments do not press on the conscience like a burden, but are a joy to the heart.

The lifting up of the hands to the commandments of the LORD is an attitude of praise and prayer (Psa 119:48; Psa 28:2 ; Psa 63:4 ; Psa 141:2 ; Psa 134:2; cf. 1Tim 2:8). In this attitude, the righteous will meditate on the LORD’s statutes that he may understand them and live them out to His glory. This attitude comes from the love that the God-fearing has in his heart for those statutes. This is evidenced by the fact that he meditates on the statutes of the LORD. In meditating, the faithful one is not focused on himself, but on Him to Whom the statutes belong. He is concerned with getting to know the LORD better.