Psalm 119:39
(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.)
"Turn away my reproach which I dread,
For Your ordinances are good."
Disapproval can be devastating. To be unwelcome by men is difficult enough, but to be rejected by You cannot be endured, either in this life or the next. ’Turn away’ is the Hebrew ‘עָבַר, ‛āḇar: A verb meaning to pass through or over, to cover, to go beyond, to go along, to be crossed over, to make to cross over, to go through, to go away. In this case, the word means to cause something to pass away. ‘This too shall pass.’ We can endure when we know there is an end (Romans 8:18-25, 2 Corinthians 4:17). ‘Reproach’ is the Hebrew ‘חֶרְפָּה, ḥerpāh: A feminine noun meaning reproach, scorn, taunt. We see this in Psalm 69:9, Jesus took the weight of the full reproach of men. ‘Dread’ is the Hebrew יָגֹר yāg̱ōr which has the sense of a specific fear, and appears only 5 times in the O.T., notably of Job whose worst fears were realized (Job 3:25). The Psalmist begs for this to be removed so that he can fully enjoy Your judgments. The reproach of man can surely obscure the goodness of God. So it is these days, where otherwise faithful men are caving to the reproaches of a world that hates You (Psalm 2). Why not stand firm in the presence of God (Psalm 27:1-4)? I fear that so many who appear godly on the outside have not been cultivating an inner life with You that will survive the storm (Psalm 1:1-6, Matthew 7:24-27), and often they are essentially unarmed, taking up their own clever ideas and not Your word (Ephesians 6:10-17).
‘Persecution in the form of calumny may also be prayed against, for it is a sore trial, perhaps the sorest of trials to men of sensitive minds. Many would sooner bear burning at the stake than the trial of cruel mockings…If God turns away our eyes from falsehood, we may also expect that he will turn away falsehood from injuring our good name. We shall be kept from lies if we keep from lies…We mourn when we are slandered; because the shame is cast rather upon our religion than ourselves…When men rail at God's government of the world it is our duty and privilege to stand up for him, and openly to declare before him, “thy judgments are good;” and we should do the same when they assail the Bible, the gospel, the law, or the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.’[1]
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