Psalms 119:121-128 - Homilies By S. Conway

An appeal of the righteous to the righteous God against the unrighteous.

The psalmist—

I. PLEADS HIS INNOCENCE AND INTEGRITY . ( Psalms 119:121 .) "If I will not oppress others, I may hopefully pray that others may not oppress me" ( 1 John 3:20 ). It was a great thing in those days of old, when might stood for right in well-nigh all men's estimation, when—

"They should take who have the power,

And they should keep who can"

—was considered "the good old rule, the simple plan." At such time for a man to be able to say, "I have done justice and judgment," was indeed a rare and remarkable thing. But if, by the grace of God, this has been true of us, and we know it, there is no wrong in the affirmation of it when pleading before God.

II. IMPLIES GOD 'S PROTECTION . ( Psalms 119:122 .) "Be Surety;" that is, "be my Champion, my Defender." He knows the righteous Lord loveth righteousness, and therefore he confidently appeals to him. Nothing so secures the putting forth of the Divine power as the consciousness and confession of the littleness of our own.

III. DEPRECATES ITS LONG DELAY . ( Psalms 119:123 .) "He wept, waited, and watched" for its coming, until from very weariness his eyesight began to give way. It is good to tell the Lord our trouble, to pour it out before him as the psalmist does here. Trouble is like water; it gets less by being poured from one vessel into another.

IV. CONFESSES HIS NEED OF MERCY . ( Psalms 119:124 .) Before men he could hold up his head, and declare that he was guilty of no wrong, as in Psalms 119:121 ; but before God it is mercy that he implores, for he, as all who know themselves, knew full well his need thereof.

V. FOR THE THIRD TIME AVOWS THAT HE IS GOD 'S " SERVANT ." ( Psalms 119:122 , Psalms 119:124 , Psalms 119:125 .) Why this repeated avowal? Surely it is:

1. A confession of God ' s absolute right to deal with him as he pleases. He is the absolute property of God by creation, redemption, preservation, and personal choice. But:

2. A profession of confident trust that the Lord wilt be mindful of his own, will not give him over unto the will of his enemies.

3. It is a renewal of his self-devotion . He does not want to renounce his service, to take anything back, but rather, under the oppression of his enemies, he would all the more consecrate himself to God. Where God gives a spirit like this, it is the sure harbinger and herald of the speedy coming of the needed help. It lays hold upon God.

VI. CALLS ATTENTION TO THE PREVAILING CORRUPTION . ( Psalms 119:126 .) How often God's servants have said, "It is time for thee, Lord, to work"! and when they have been made deeply sensible of the sins and sorrows of men, so that their hearts grieve over them (see Psalms 119:136 ), then it is a token that the time for the Lord's interposition is at hand. "Where the carcass is, there will the vultures be gathered together."

VII. PROTESTS THAT , HOWEVER IT BE WITH MEN GENERALLY , HE LOGES AND ESTEEMS THE LORD 'S COMMANDMENTS AS ALTOGETHER RIGHT AND PRECIOUS . (Cf. John 21:15-17 .) Such are the appeals and the appellants that have favor with God and prevail—righteous, lowly, earnest, devoted, grieved at sin, true, believing.—S.C.