Psalm 119:51

(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.)

 

"The arrogant utterly deride me,

Yet I do not turn aside from Your law."

 

This, in short, is why the fear of man is a snare (Proverbs 29:25).  First, arrogance is not an example to follow, but an error to a avoid and something to hate as God hates (Proverbs 8:13).  Such are not content to live unhindered (which would be bad enough), but to bring others down with them (Proverbs 1:10-11), hence the derision.  The meaning of these words in Hebrew is straightforward.  ‘Yet I do not turn aside’. How does one remain undistracted (Proverbs 4:27)?  I believe Psalm 27:1-4 is immensely helpful here.  One can experience the most intense fellowship with You under the most external pressure.  In fact, one could say this is the only path to the kind of intimacy and dependence that benefits us the most.  First, it shows our need.  Second, it shows the utter contrast between the perfection of God and the sinfulness of man.  Third, it shows Your utter sufficiency and the sufficiency of Your word.  Perhaps this derision will accomplish its opposite intent.  Others mean evil, You mean good through it. Such is Your great Sovereignty!  Certainly Psalm 1:1-2 comes into play here, for the wicked, sinners, and scoffers are everywhere (Psalm 12:8).  Surely those who deride You will be put to derision by You (Psalm 2:4 KJV). 

 

‘He not only had not quite forsaken the law, but had not so much as declined from it. We must never shrink from any duty, nor let slip an opportunity of doing good, for fear of the reproach of men, or their revilings.’[1]

 

‘Proud men never love gracious men, and as they fear them they veil their fear under a pretended contempt. In this case their hatred revealed itself in ridicule, and that ridicule was loud and long…Men must have strange eyes to be able to see farce in faith, and a comedy in holiness; yet it is sadly the case that men who are short of wit can generally provoke a broad grin by jesting at a saint. Conceited sinners make footballs of godly men…Thus the deriders missed their aim: they laughed, but they did not win. The godly man, so far from turning aside from the right way, did not even slacken his pace, or in any sense fall off from his holy habits…God's law is our highway of peace and safety, and those who would laugh us out of it wish us no good.’[2]


[1] Henry, Matthew, Commentary on the Whole Bible, on Psalm 119:51, e-Sword edition

[2] Spurgeon, Charles Haddon, Treasury of David, on Psalm 119:51, e-Sword edition


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