Psalm 119:43

(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.)

 

"And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,

For I wait for Your ordinances."

 

This is a curious prayer, perhaps borne out of the Psalmist’s desire to have a ready answer (Psalm 119:42).  Your word seems readily available, our issue being our desire and capacity for it!  Why would you take Your word ‘utterly’ out of my mouth?  First, this speaks of the Psalmist’s treasuring Your word, perhaps aware that his very life depends on it (Deuteronomy 32:46-47, Deuteronomy 8:2-3, Job 23:12).  Second, this speaks of the seriousness of the stewardship.  In modern language, we would say, ‘use it or lose it’.  I think of the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), the uselessness of those who are talkers and not doers (Proverbs 26:7, James 1:22, Luke 6:46), the condemnation of those who have the word but reject it (Psalm 50:16-17, Proverbs 13:13), and the coming spiritual famine (Amos 8:11-12).  May I gain more understanding through increasing faithfulness (Psalm 111:10 , John 14:21).  ‘For I wait for Your ordinances’.  The Psalmist asks You to honor the desire that You give!  Surely You will, surely You do. May my hope be that You would fill me and not empty me of Your word, Psalm 81:10.

 

‘for how could I continue to proclaim thy word if I found it fail me? such would seem to be the run of the meaning…This prayer may also refer to other modes by which we may be disabled from speaking in the name of the Lord' as, for instance, by our falling into open sin, by our becoming depressed and despairing, by our labouring under sickness or mental aberration, by our finding no door of utterance, or meeting with no willing audience…God is the author of our hopes, and we may most fittingly entreat him to fulfil them. The judgments of his providence are the outcome of his word; what he says in the Scriptures he actually performs in his government; we may therefore look for him to show himself strong on the behalf of his own threatenings and promises, and we shall not look in vain.’[1]


[1] Spurgeon, Charles Haddon, Treasury of David, on Psalm 119:43, e-Sword edition


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