Psalm 119:23

January 24, 2023

(This is an entry from a devotional commentary I am working on from Psalm 119 entitled God and His Word. The introduction can be found here, successive entries have covered the 22 sections of the Psalm, and following entries verse by verse.)

"Even though princes sit and talk against me,

Your servant meditates on Your statutes."

It is good not to care what people think. When one knows You, one tends not to be intimidated. The fear of man truly is a snare (Proverbs 29:25), man apart from You should not be regarded (Isaiah 2:22) and are like the animals that perish (Psalm 49:20). All the powers of the earth are counted as less than nothing to You (Isaiah 40:17). It is good to realize this as I come into Your presence! Loving the approval of men over Your approval is deadly, eternally so (John 12:42-43, Romans 1:32). It is surely right to obey You rather than men (Acts 4:19-20), and if I were to be a man pleaser, I could not be a servant of Christ (Galatians 1:10). Man at his best is foolish and weak (1 Corinthians 1:20-25). I want to be with those who are with You (Psalm 119:74, Psalm 119:79, Philippians 2:1-2). So, when ‘princes’ sit and talk against me, what do I do? I aim infinitely higher to hear Your word. Psalm 27:1-4 is perhaps the consummate example of this, a man experiencing intimacy with You internally while facing unspeakable opposition externally. The Psalmist would go deeper into this in v.24, delighting in Your constant counsel. Like Stephen, may I be like one with whom godless man cannot cope without turning to You (Acts 6:10). In fact, one might say, if there is not strong opposition in some quarters, we are not living the righteous life we should (Proverbs 29:27, 2 Timothy 3:12). In fact also, You will give us the words to say when dragged before earthly authorities, giving opportunity to glorify You (Luke 21:12-19)! May I relish such opportunity. When we see all people and circumstances in light of Your presence, so much becomes clear. We can become afraid not of godless men, but for them (Psalm 62:9, Proverbs 21:29). Surely You are true though every man be found a liar (Romans 3:4).

‘he meditated in God's statutes, went on in his duty, and did not regard them; as a deaf man, he heard not. When they spoke against him, he found that in the word of God which spoke for him, and spoke comfort to him, and then none of these things moved him. Those that have pleasure in communion with God may easily despise the censures of men, even of princes.’[1]

‘Princes saw in him a greatness which they envied, and therefore they abused him. On their thrones they might have found something better to consider and speak about, but they turned the seat of judgment into the seat of the scorner. [Psalm 1:1] Most men covet a prince's good word, and to be spoken ill of by a great man is a great discouragement to them, but the Psalmist bore his trial with holy calmness…“But thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.” This was brave indeed. He was God's servant, and therefore he attended to his Master's business; he was God's servant, and therefore felt sure that his Lord would defend him. He gave no heed to his princely slanderers, he did not even allow his thoughts to be disturbed by a knowledge of their plotting in conclave…It is a praiseworthy thing when the resolve of our happy hours is duly carried out in our seasons of affliction.’[2]

[1] Henry, Matthew, Commentary on the Whole Bible, on Psalm 119:23, e-Sword edition

[2] Spurgeon, Charles Haddon, Treasury of David, on Psalm 119:23, e-Sword edition